Chapter 84: Three Birds with One Stone

After returning to the city, Zhang Ruohua went directly to the Shen Residence.

She said to Shen Mingzhu, “You were right. That lowly commoner relies on her luck to meet some nobles and then steals their achievements whenever she gets the chance. I’m returning to the capital the day after tomorrow. If you want to go to the capital, pack your luggage in these two days and wait for me at the city gate early in the morning the day after tomorrow.”

Shen Mingzhu was overjoyed and hurriedly said, “Thank you, Miss Zhang. I’ll be there on time the day after tomorrow.”

“Also, have you thought about what I asked you yesterday? I can’t guarantee that you will be chosen by the Emperor during the selection. But sending you to the Second Prince’s Residence has a higher chance of success.”

“I’ve thought about it. I’d rather go to the Second Prince’s Residence!”

Miss Zhang said that the Second Prince is the Emperor’s most beloved son and is very likely to ascend the throne in the future.

She would rather marry someone younger than an older man.

She wanted to participate in the selection before because it was her only chance to rise to the top.

Now that she had met a noblewoman and could marry the Second Prince, this was naturally a better choice.

“Well, you are quite clever! Consort Liang manages the imperial harem, and you may not be able to stand out if you enter the palace. It’s better to marry the Second Prince.”

“However, marrying into the Prince’s Residence is not easy. You need someone to connect you.”

Shen Mingzhu knew it wouldn’t be that easy. “What are your conditions, Miss Zhang?”

“The Prime Minister’s wife has a nephew in the capital whose reputation is not very good because he frequents brothels. He is also not very good-looking, so no noblewoman in the capital is willing to marry him.

They want to find a young lady from an ordinary family with a clean background to be their daughter-in-law. Of course, even an ordinary young lady must be beautiful and have a gentle and virtuous personality.

Didn’t you say that the bastard’s younger sister is quite pretty? I think she is quite suitable! If you can help the Prime Minister’s wife with this, getting you into the Second Prince’s Residence is just a matter of her saying a word. As far as I know, Consort Liang respects the Prime Minister’s wife’s mother very much.

Moreover, the Prime Minister’s wife’s maternal family, the Yao Family, is a grain transport family. They hold the power of grain transport and are incredibly wealthy. This is also considered a good marriage.”

Shen Mingzhu gasped when she heard this. The grain transport Yao Family, it was actually the grain transport Yao Family!

She had certainly heard of the grain transport Yao Family. Their family’s wine was also transported to other cities by the Yao Family’s ships.

Grain transport was a very profitable business, and the grain transport Yao Family was incredibly wealthy.

But to let Shen Xingqing marry into such a family?

Shen Mingzhu frowned. “Such a family, such a life of wealth and glory, to let Shen Xingqing marry into it, wouldn’t that be letting her off easy?”

She didn’t want to see anyone in their family live a good life.

They should live the most humble and dirtiest lives.

“Sometimes one needs to be alive to enjoy wealth and glory. But you only need to know that you are letting her marry into wealth and glory.”

The truth was that the Prime Minister’s wife’s nephew had a childhood illness. Not only that, but he also had a bad temper and liked to beat people. Maids were often beaten to death in his residence. Once, when he was drunk, he even beat a maid on the street, almost to death. This incident was known throughout the city, so no noblewoman in the capital was willing to marry him.

The reason she wanted the bastard’s younger sister to marry him was, firstly, to take revenge on that lowly commoner; secondly, to make the Prime Minister’s wife owe her a favor; and thirdly, to make Princess Changle owe her a favor.

Three birds with one stone!

Shen Mingzhu’s heart skipped a beat, and she smiled. “Miss Zhang is right!”

Zhang Ruohua smirked. This was the price for offending her!

Having been pampered by all the martial uncles and brothers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard since birth, she was the princess of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How could that lowly commoner humiliate her!

~

After Zhang Ruohua left, Old Master Tang asked Xingnong to wait for a while. He was preparing some formation materials for her to take back and study. Because Xingnong’s comprehension was so high, what he had prepared for her before was not enough. This time, he planned to bring out all his lifelong learning.

Seeing this, Xingnong asked Zi Wu to continue teaching her Light Body Skill.

After almost an hour, Chu Tiankuo finally finished his work. He walked out, his elegant face covered in sweat, and saw Zi Wu carrying Xingnong, using Light Body Skill to fly all over the mountains.

Chu Tiankuo: “. . .”

Wasn’t she supposed to go home if she had something to do?

Chu Tiankuo used Light Body Skill to chase after them.

“Zi Wu!”

Zi Wu heard Chu Tiankuo calling him and quickly stopped, putting Xingnong on the ground and then carrying her on his shoulder!

He didn’t hold her, he carried her!

Xingnong: “. . .”

Chu Tiankuo, who had just flown over: “. . .”

Chu Tiankuo came to the two of them and said helplessly, “Put Junior Sister down. Next time, let Junior Sister walk by herself.”

“Oh.” Zi Wu put Xingnong down.

Chu Tiankuo looked at Xingnong deeply, deeply, deeply. “Didn’t you say you had something to do at home?”

Xingnong’s eyes were bright. “No rush, I’m learning Light Body Skill.”

This Light Body Skill was so fun!

Of course, it was mainly for convenience.

She had to learn it.

✿✿✿

Chu Tiankuo: “. . .”

This is called learning Light Body Skill?

Does he think I’ve never learned it before?

But Zi Wu probably only knows how to teach like that.

“That’s not how you learn Light Body Skill. I’ll teach you next time.”

He’ll teach her? Shen Xingnong’s eyes lit up: “Okay.”

Zi Wu: “. . .”

Senior Martial Brother Tiankuo is going to teach Junior Martial Sister. Will I still get candy then?

“Senior Martial Brother, you promised I would teach her! You can’t steal my student!”

Chu Tiankuo: “Ten candies.”

Shen Xingnong: “Then those ten candies will still be given to Senior Martial Brother Zi Wu.”

Both of them said in unison.

The inexplicable emotion in Chu Tiankuo’s heart instantly dissipated, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Zi Wu: “. . .”

Ten plus ten?

How much is that? Let him calculate…

Shen Xingnong looked at Chu Tiankuo with a smile in her eyes: “Thank you for your trouble, Senior Martial Brother Tiankuo!”

Chu Tiankuo responded with a smile: “Mm.”

Shen Xingnong: “. . .”

There it is again!

That lewd smile!

Zi Wu lowered his head and fiddled with his ten fingers. Ten plus ten equals twenty!

After arriving at the answer, Zi Wu’s eyes shone brightly: “Then, Senior Martial Brother Tiankuo, you teach her! Junior Martial Sister is too useless!”

Today, he had to work too hard to earn those ten candies!

This baby is exhausted!

He’s been flying for an hour, and she still hasn’t gotten it!

Zi Wu dropped these words and immediately vanished.

He was going back to eat candy and rest.

Shen Xingnong: “. . .”

Could she take back what she just said?

Her, useless? Hard to teach? Was he talking about her?

The corners of Chu Tiankuo’s lips curled up, and he reached out to stroke the back of her head. “Well, it’s true… a bit hard to teach.”

If she’s hard to teach, then he would teach her slowly!

With a thought, he took out a manual of Internal Energy Cultivation and a secret manual of Light Body Skill for her. “Learn slowly, no rush.”

Shen Xingnong: “. . .”

For the first time, she, who learns everything quickly and knows everything, felt her intelligence was being looked down upon~

Back in the day, she was a master of combat… well, let’s not dwell on past glories. Now she even has to relearn how to write~

She took the manuals with a dejected look.

Chu Tiankuo smiled slightly: “Let’s go!”

~

At the foot of the mountain, Songbai was waiting there.

Chu Tiankuo said, “I’ll go check on the construction of the Imperial Decree Archway.”

So the two walked together on the small path between the fields.

Songbai followed behind, leading two horses.

As soon as the three of them returned to the gate of the courtyard, Shen Xingnong saw Zhang Zheng approaching from the other side, carrying a back basket and leading a half-grown mountain goat.

Seeing Shen Xingnong, Zhang Zheng immediately shouted happily, “Big Sister Shen!”

He quickly walked up to Shen Xingnong.

Songbai glanced at the goat Zhang Zheng was leading and his back basket: This particularly generous person had come to give them gifts again!

Look how well-mannered he is, never coming empty-handed!

He turned his head and looked at the black horse behind him: Should he give away Master’s horse?

Chu Tiankuo’s gaze, however, fell on the brightly colored porcelain in Zhang Zheng’s back basket.