Chapter 42 Compensation
Su Wanyu was slightly surprised. The rumored regent was stern, harsh and cold, but the one in front of her seemed gentle and elegant, completely different from his harshness when he treated Zheng Chengyan.
She asked respectfully, "What kind of tea does Your Majesty like?"
The regent smiled cheerfully, "Ryuen Katsuyuki."
"Longyuan Shengxue" is the best tea in the Great Qi State and is priceless. This shows that the Regent has extraordinary taste.
Su Wanyu responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."
As a merchant family, the Su family has almost everything, except for those things that are not for sale, just like the vegetables in the vegetable market, they have everything.
The Regent took out an exquisite token from his bosom and gently placed it in her palm.
Su Wanyu lowered her head and examined the token, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, "What does this mean?"
The regent's tone was calm, but it was full of meaning. "I was forced to be disrespectful to Madam just now. This is the token of my hunting ground in the western suburbs. If Madam is free in the future, you can come to me with this token as a token. Just consider it as my compensation to Madam."
compensate?
According to common sense, men and women should maintain an appropriate distance, and the Regent's behavior in front of Zheng Chengyan was indeed a bit over the line.
But who is he?
Even if the regent, who is second only to the emperor and above everyone else, wanted to take the lives of the couple today, no one would dare to object.
What's more, that little bit of crossing the line might not be a big deal to the Regent.
The meaning of this compensation was intriguing, and Su Wanyu felt a little curious.
So, she took the token and saluted again, "Yes, Your Majesty."
When the Regent saw that she accepted it, he turned around and walked leisurely to the door. He listened for a moment and said, "The second son of the Marquis of Changping has already gone to the front yard. Madam, you can leave through the back door to avoid any more trouble."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door was gently pushed open, and seven or eight guards with swords stood in neat rows at the door, ready to lead the way.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Su Wanyu bowed and said goodbye, retreating to the door. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, she hurriedly left the teahouse.
The Regent stood by the window, watching Su Wanyu's back gradually disappearing, his fingers caressing unconsciously. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to the attendant behind him and ordered, "See the Madam off."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The attendant responded, stretched out his body, and jumped out of the window.
Walking out of the narrow alley, Su Wanyu felt mixed emotions and could not calm down.
She suddenly realized that the weight of power was far beyond her imagination.
Although the Regent could provide temporary assistance, he could not guarantee her peace for the rest of her life.
She must rely on herself and find the power to compete with the Zheng family.
As the daughter of a merchant, the path to imperial examinations was closed to her, and entering the palace to study as a tutor was an unattainable dream.
She needed a plan, a strategy that would also allow her to stand at the pinnacle of power.
As her thoughts raced, her father's words echoed in her ears, "Wan'er, our Su family's business has reached its peak. We have tried everything we can, but there is one thing we have never tried before."
"What business?" Su Wanyu asked.
My father laughed and said, "Have you ever heard of 'rare goods are valuable'?"
She nodded.
My father continued, "Rare goods are worth keeping and will be sold when the time is right. There are both priceless treasures and priceless people in this world. If you can make such a deal, you will not only get a warehouse full of gold and silver, but also a position of power that is difficult for us to reach at ordinary times."
She didn’t understand it when she was young, but now thinking back on it, Su Wanyu suddenly realized it.
The alley was deep and dark, with a gentle glow of light shining through the sky ahead. She walked hurriedly on the bluestone slabs back to Zhao's Cloth Shop.
In the cloth shop, Yun Yi had been waiting for a long time. Without any extra words, the two of them selected the Xiangyunsha tacitly and then returned to the mansion together.
Back in the mansion, the Xiangyunsha was gently placed on the table. Su Wanyu pondered for a moment and called her personal maid Siqi, "Help me find someone."
Siqi quickly responded, "Who do you want to check, Miss?"
"The Pei family in Yong'an Lane, West Street, see if there is an unpopular young lady in their family."
Su Wanyu looked solemn. The courtyard that Zheng Chengyan went to was most likely the Pei family's villa, and the woman was most likely a member of the Pei family.
She must find her and uncover the secret behind it all.
Siqi bowed respectfully and agreed, "Yes, Miss."
After she finished speaking, she raised her head slightly and added, "Miss, last night at Yaxuan Courtyard, Aunt Jiang seemed to have signs of miscarriage."
The heaviness on Su Wanyu's face disappeared and her gaze turned to Siqi.
Siqi continued, "According to the news last night, Aunt Jiang was frightened in the front hall, and she began to show signs of miscarriage after returning home at night."
"Yeah." Su Wanyu responded softly. First it was the matter of Old Madam Zheng, and then the incident of Tao Xing. One thing after another, she couldn't help but ask, "How is Jiang's situation now?"
Siqi spoke softly, with a hint of worry in her tone: "Madam Jiang did not rush to call a doctor, but took the pregnancy-preserving medicine on her own to try to stabilize the situation."
"I took the pregnancy-preserving medicine on my own..."
Su Wanyu's lips curled up into a meaningful smile. Jiang Yingying was always cautious in her actions. She must be worried that something might happen to the "amulet" in her belly, and she didn't want to alarm the Marquis and the old lady.
She continued to ask, "Then is there any hope that the fetus in her belly will be safe and sound?"
Siqi frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes, and she shook her head gently: "I'm afraid the situation is not optimistic. Aunt Jiang is usually very careful. As soon as you left the house today, she took Qingyue for a leisurely walk in the courtyard. There was no sign of miscarriage in her behavior."
"Often beneath the surface of calm, there may be turbulent waves. The time has come, our people must not approach her in the next few days. In addition, you go and tell her that I saw that she seemed to be frightened yesterday, and I am worried about her health. I want to ask a doctor to treat her, preferably the experienced Doctor Zhang that the old lady often invites."
Su Wanyu pondered for a moment and issued detailed instructions.
Upon hearing this, Siqi looked up respectfully and agreed, "Yes, Miss."
After she finished speaking, she stood up lightly and slowly left the room.
At this moment, Yun Yi walked into the room holding a plate of steaming delicacies, and her concern was evident in her words: "Miss, what happened outside the cloth shop today? What made you leave in such a hurry?"
Yun Yi knew her young lady's temperament very well. She was definitely not the kind of person who would act impulsively. There must be a reason for her sudden departure.
Su Wanyu walked back to the table, her fingers gently stroking the delicate silk on the table, and said in a calm tone: "It's just that I ran into an old friend by chance, and on a whim, I wanted to go visit him. It's nothing serious."
Yun Yi was half-believing and half-doubting, and served Su Wanyu a bowl of black chicken and old ginseng soup that had been slow-cooked for several hours. "I see, Miss, you must be tired after a busy day. Drink some soup to warm yourself up first, and we can talk in detail when Siqi comes back."
As the bowl of hot ginseng soup was placed on the table, a warm fragrance instantly filled the entire room.