allonlinenovel Chapter 419 Returning home
Chapter 419 Returning home
With the backup carriage malfunctioning, Prince Xuan had no further reason to prevent the Crown Prince from taking Guan Guan in the same carriage.
His plan to kidnap Guan Guan failed, and he watched helplessly as she abducted the mysterious expert, which made him quite annoyed.
Such a peerless master must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the Crown Prince.
With a sudden thought, he called out to Shen Yao, who was being invited into the carriage by the Crown Prince: "Miss Shen, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and it's fine for him to be the future Crown Princess, but you are just a commoner. It is against the rules for you to ride with the Crown Prince. I can give you the carriage."
Shen Yao and Guan Guan exchanged a glance, and Guan Guan blinked.
The sisters, who were of one mind in their past lives, immediately boarded Prince Xuan's carriage.
She pointed at Chun Tao and said, "I think that girl is quite frightened. Why don't we let her ride with me?"
You're really welcome.
In this way, it would be inconvenient for Prince Xuan to sit with her.
Prince Xuan gritted his teeth: "Granted."
Holding the little white fox, Chun Tao's legs trembled as she boarded the carriage.
Prince Xuan rode his horse alongside the carriage, occasionally speaking to Shen Yao through the curtain.
Shen Yao is very free-spirited; she'll chat briefly when she's interested, but stay silent when she's not.
Prince Xuan had never been so slighted before. He gradually shut his mouth and, suppressing his anger, sent the carriage to the Zhenguo General's Mansion.
The Crown Prince's carriage arrived first at the Zhenguo General's Mansion, where Murong Xu and Guan Guan waited at the entrance.
Shen Yao pulled Chun Tao out of the carriage, just as a group of people from the General's Mansion came out to greet the Crown Prince.
Still shaken, Chun Tao kept her mouth tightly shut and walked unsteadily over to stand silently behind Guan Guan.
Shen Yao, holding the little white fox, stood proudly at the bottom of the steps, watching her master exchange pleasantries with the Crown Prince and Prince Xuan.
General Qin and the adult men of the Qin family are far away on the battlefield, while the concubines, wives, and illegitimate children are not qualified to welcome His Highness the Crown Prince.
Only Qin's grandmother, Madam Qin, Miss Qin, and Fifth Young Master Qin came to greet them.
And the personal servants following behind them.
The Qin family had noticed Shen Yao long ago.
She stood there holding a white fox, her ethereal and otherworldly aura was striking.
At first glance, he is no ordinary person.
But the Crown Prince is here. He came with Prince Xuan, and they have not yet been introduced. The Qin family members cannot overstep their bounds and ask questions.
After they finished exchanging pleasantries, Murong Xu gestured to Guan Guan to invite Shen Yao over.
Guan Guan walked slowly to Shen Yao and said, "Miss Shen, please come with me."
With the Qin family present, she could no longer call them "sister" at will. She would have to ask her elders for their permission on how to address them after entering the mansion.
The traditional ancient world was full of rules and regulations.
In particular, this patriarchal world has even more rules than the immortal world of cultivation.
Guan Guan is the most beautiful woman in the capital. From childhood to adulthood, no woman's appearance can compare to even half of her beauty. It is no exaggeration to say that she is the most beautiful woman in the Sheng Kingdom.
The beauty standing before her, though of a different type, was no less stunning than Guan Guan in appearance and demeanor.
The Qin family members were all deep in thought. The matriarch of the Qin family gave Madam Qin a wink, and Madam Qin asked with a dignified smile, "Guanguan, who is this young lady?"
Guan Guan curtsied and replied softly, "Mother, her name is Shen Yao. She is my benefactor, and I specially invited her back for a short stay."
The Qin family members were all stunned.
Not daring to be disrespectful before the Crown Prince, Madam Qin suppressed her panic and asked in surprise, "Benefactor? What benefactor?"
Guan Guan just smiled and didn't answer.
As for who the benefactor is, that will be entirely arranged by the Crown Prince.
Murong Xu said, "We encountered bandits on our way back today. Miss Shen protected Guan Guan, so Madam Qin can rest assured that Guan Guan was not injured."
They all grew up in a den of intrigue; anyone with a brain knows that the Crown Prince was assassinated.
With so many imperial guards, how could bandits dare to rob the prince's entourage?
The Qin family did not delve into the matter of the bandits. Only the Qin matriarch and Madam Qin said a few words, such as, "It's good that you're not injured. Thank you for escorting us, Your Highness. Thank you, Miss Shen." And that was the end of it.
On the carriage, Murong Xu had instructed Guan Guan to help him win over Shen Yao, so there was no need to give her any further instructions now.
Grandmother Qin invited the Crown Prince to her residence for a gathering, but Murong Xu politely declined.
Prince Xuan stayed by his side and wouldn't leave, as the Crown Prince didn't want to create an opportunity for him to get close to the Qin family.
Everyone respectfully saw the Crown Prince and Prince Xuan off.
King Xuan also escorted the crown prince to the carriage.
He overstepped his bounds by following the Crown Prince into the carriage without being invited.
Murong Xu coldly looked at the person who lifted the curtain and entered: "Ninth Brother, do you want me to escort you back to the manor?"
Prince Xuan gave a wicked smile and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Majesty, Father has bestowed a marriage upon you with the eldest daughter of the Qin family, but he did not specify which daughter. I have come here specifically to remind Your Majesty that the water has not yet reached the channel, but the direction can be reversed."
This is clearly a declaration of war and a provocation.
Murong Xu's expression remained unchanged as he raised his voice and said, "Ninth Brother, please return to your residence on your own. I don't have time to see you off today."
This was to stop him from lingering and to avoid listening to him continue talking.
"My dear brother, please retire."
Prince Xuan left the carriage and watched the Crown Prince's carriage disappear into the distance.
He turned to look at the Qin family members, his gaze lingering on the Second Miss Qin, the Fifth Young Master Qin, Guan Guan, and Shen Yao for a couple of breaths.
He really wanted to visit the General Zhenguo's mansion.
But the Crown Prince has already left, and if he enters the Qin family alone, someone with ulterior motives might plot against him, saying that he wants to befriend the Qin family and seize the Crown Prince's power.
He withdrew his gaze, mounted the black steed he had ridden earlier, and slowly rode to the middle of the procession before turning back to his residence.
Back at the Prince Xuan's residence, the Prince Xuan dismounted and tossed his riding whip to a guard: "Smash the carriage and replace it with a new one."
He would never ride in a carriage that a maid had once ridden in; it would be beneath his dignity.
The main courtyard of the Qin family's residence, the reception hall of the General of the Nation's Mansion.
Grandmother Qin invited Shen Yao to take a seat, dismissed the servants, and asked Guan Guan what had happened that day.
Guan Guan replied, "Just as His Highness the Crown Prince said, we encountered bandits on the way back. I was almost killed by them, but Miss Shen saw the injustice and saved me."
The Qin family members thanked Shen Yao again, and after exchanging pleasantries, inquired about her age and family background.
Shen Yao still claims to be an orphan, her master died early, and she is a wanderer.
Her clothes and jewelry were exquisite and precious; the quality and workmanship of her light blue cloud-patterned dress were probably no better than those bestowed by the emperor.
Furthermore, her inner and outer temperament suggests that she couldn't possibly be an orphan who wanders the world.
Moreover, how did she, an orphan, happen to appear and save Guan Guan when the Crown Prince was being assassinated?
Before the doubts are resolved, the Qin family would never dare to keep someone of unknown identity in the general's mansion.
Grandmother Qin sighed a few times about her pitiful life, and then asked her to reveal more information: "Although you have been alone for many years, I see that you are taking good care of yourself. I think your master can rest in peace in the afterlife."
The kind face of her master, Zhao Zhen, appeared in Shen Yao's mind, and she couldn't help but feel a little sad: "I hope so."
Grandma Qin comforted her, saying, "It must be so."
She examined Shen Yao's clothes and jewelry: "Miss Shen, I see that the material of your clothes and the craftsmanship of your jewelry are quite good. Did you buy them after you came to the capital?"
Having lived in Chongcheng for many years, Jiang Ming and Tu Xiaoxiao taught her a lot about being cunning.
After a moment's thought, Shen Yao understood the meaning behind the words.
Grandma Qin didn't trust her and was still probing her.
Shen Yao quickly came up with a solution: "I made the jewelry myself, and the clothes were a gift from a woman I once helped."
"Miss Shen has such skills?" Grandmother Qin was very surprised that the jewelry was made by herself: "The craftsmanship of these jewelry pieces is no less than that of the royal craftsmen."
"And this dress looks like it was made by a top-notch embroiderer. May I ask which family's woman you saved back then?"