She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

The next morning, Shen Jingshu got up early, had a simple breakfast, and then went out with Yaoqin and Jinse.

The carriage swayed and rocked all the way before finally stopping at the entrance of Jinlu Lane.

Jinlu Lane was a famous market town in the capital, lined with shops and bustling with people.

Shen Jingshu, accompanied by two maids, strolled around, casually browsing through a few shops and picking out some trinkets before turning into Jinhua Tower.

It was still early, and the lobby of Jinhua Tower was empty. No one had come to the main hall yet, so it seemed rather deserted.

The innkeeper, who had already received instructions, was waiting at the door. When he saw Shen Jingshu come in, he quickly greeted her with a big smile, "Miss, you've arrived. The private room upstairs is ready."

Shen Jingshu nodded slightly and went straight up to the second floor.

Jinse took out a purse from her sleeve and handed it to the shopkeeper. "When they arrive, take them upstairs directly. My young lady doesn't like to be disturbed. Do you understand, shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper took the purse, weighed it in his hand, and his smile widened, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Don't worry! Don't worry!"

Upon entering the private room, Shen Jingshu sat by the window, the sounds of the street noise faintly drifting up from the sidewalk.

"Hey, have you heard? The Marquis of Pingyang's residence was quite lively yesterday!"

"Of course! I even went to see the spectacle. His Majesty personally presented betrothal gifts to the living Yama... cough, to the Commandant. The gifts... wow, I've never seen anything like them in my life!"

"That's nothing. Her Majesty the Empress even bestowed a wedding dress upon Miss Shen, saying that she should wear it on her wedding day."

"Indeed! Miss Shen is so lucky; she'll be the wife of the Commandant from now on!"

"This is a blessing earned over several lifetimes..."

Listening to the discussions downstairs, Shen Jingshu picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

The tea has a slightly bitter taste, but also a long-lasting sweet aftertaste.

Yaoqin stood behind her, her face beaming with joy. "Miss, now you've become the envy of everyone in the capital!"

Shen Jingshu didn't speak, but instead rubbed the rim of her cup with her fingers, her gaze fixed on the bustling crowd outside the window, lost in thought.

"Girl, what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing, it's just that it all came too easily."

Yaoqin comforted her, "This is a good thing! Don't overthink it, young lady."

Shen Jingshu shook her head; she felt things weren't that simple.

She couldn't fathom Emperor Hui's thoughts.

"Knock Knock Knock-"

There was a knock on the door, and Cheng Wenhao pushed it open and entered. Today he was dressed in a royal blue brocade robe, holding a folding fan in his hand, looking dashing and debonair, like a noble young master.

Cheng Wenhao sat down opposite Shen Jingshu and poured himself a cup of tea as if they were old friends. "I'm late, I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"

Shen Jingshu responded and looked up at him, "What's the rush? Why do you insist on meeting here?"

Cheng Wenhao waved his folding fan, looking at Shen Jingshu with a half-smile, "You really are my great-aunt. Yesterday was such an important day, and you hit her like that? In front of so many people in public, aren't you afraid of giving others something to say?"

"What? Are you feeling sorry for her?" Shen Jingshu raised an eyebrow and asked.

"I feel sorry for her? What are you thinking!" Cheng Wenhao glared at her, but when he thought of Xie Wanqing's disheveled appearance yesterday, he couldn't help but laugh. "She brought this on herself, saving us a lot of trouble. But speaking of which, you were too ruthless. I think her face will be swollen for several days."

"We still need to be wary of her," Shen Jingshu reminded. "She's very petty and could easily bite you at any time."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Cheng Wenhao put away his folding fan, his tone relaxed. "Do you think I'd let her bully me? I'm not stupid."

Shen Jingshu put down her teacup. "You didn't call me here just to talk about her, did you?"

Cheng Wenhao then suppressed his smile, leaned forward, and said seriously, "Do you know why Jiang Jin'an went to Yangzhou?"

Shen Jingshu pondered for a moment. In fact, she didn't know much either, as Jiang Jin'an hadn't told her many details.

If we follow her guess, it is probably related to the matter of government silver.

"He didn't say much to me, just told me to be careful," Shen Jingshu said.

Cheng Wenhao then asked, "Then why did His Majesty issue an edict to arrange the betrothal? This is against the rules; there has never been such a precedent in any dynasty."

"They must have discussed this beforehand, perhaps to reassure him and let him focus on his work."

Perhaps Jiang Jin'an was trying to appease her?

He's the kind of person who would actually do something like that.

Cheng Wenhao pursed his lips and hesitated before saying, "Jiang Jin'an's trip to Yangzhou this time is likely to end badly."

Shen Jingshu paused, her hand holding the round fan still. "Why do you say that?"

"Xie Wanqing said yesterday, 'Let's see if you can still laugh when Jiang Jin'an doesn't come back.'" Cheng Wenhao said in a low voice, "She always prides herself on being smart, she must know something."

Shen Jingshu listened and nodded thoughtfully.

It seems that Wen Huaiqing passed the message to her. That idiot Xie Wanqing really thought she could get away with it.

“Yangzhou is not what it used to be; it’s in complete chaos now,” Cheng Wenhao continued. “I wonder if Jiang Jin’an will be able to return unscathed after this trip.”

Shen Jingshu spoke slowly, "You seem to know."

“Yangzhou borders a foreign land and has some business ties with the Cheng family. My father always mentions it, so I know the situation there fairly well. Besides, you are at such a beautiful age, and I don’t want you to be a widow. It would be such a pity.”

Shen Jingshu smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Cheng, but I think he won't die so easily."

The people in the Commandery are all veterans who have crawled out of piles of corpses; they are not so easily outmaneuvered.

"I hope so." Cheng Wenhao sighed. "Ah, there's one more thing. The day Xie Wanqing secretly went to Xiushui Street, she must have met a powerful and influential person."

He later made a special trip to that teahouse, subtly hinting at his intentions to the manager, but the manager refused to say a word.

Given this level of apprehension, the person Xie Wanqing was about to meet must be either extremely wealthy or powerful.

In terms of wealth, who could be richer than the Cheng family? Cheng Wenhao realized that this person was the one Shen Jingshu had mentioned, the one who could bring disaster to the Cheng family.

"Okay, I understand," Shen Jingshu said. "Please be careful on your end as well."

Cheng Wenhao nodded. "I plan to go to Yangzhou in a few days as well."

What are you going to Yangzhou for?

"I'll go keep an eye on your husband for you, and see if I can be of any help," Cheng Wenhao said with a smile, his tone tinged with a hint of jest.

Shen Jingshu rolled her eyes at him, "Nonsense, what could you possibly do there? You're not even a member of the Commandery, you'd only cause trouble if you went."

"How can you talk like that? You're quite good-looking, but you speak so rudely. Who am I doing this for? Besides, my Cheng family's caravans are all over the world, and we have a lot of connections in Yangzhou. Maybe we can be of help."

Shen Jingshu looked at Cheng Wenhao and knew he wasn't joking.

Although Cheng Wenhao seems unreliable most of the time, he has never caused any trouble in critical moments, and at least he has managed to keep Xie Wanqing happy.

"You know that Yanzhou is not like the capital, so don't be reckless."

"Don't worry, I value my life very much." He took a sip of tea, then hesitated, "What if... I mean, what if... what will you do then?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but Shen Jingshu knew what he was asking.

What will she do if Jiang Jin'an really doesn't come back?

"I will wait for him to come back."

Cheng Wenhao looked at her, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.