If I were born again, I would marry a strong but short-lived husband.

Chapter 464 New Year's Blessings

Chen Qiong'er is dead.

Shen Sui'an was a little surprised, "How did she die?"

Ning Shuang said, "Last night at midnight, Concubine Chen tried to escape from the palace by climbing over the wall. When she climbed to the top of the wall, she was discovered and accidentally fell down. The back of her head hit the sharp corner of the flower bed. When the palace doctor arrived, Concubine Chen had already died."

"..." Shen Sui'an looked at Ning Shuang in confusion, "Concubine Chen wants to escape from the palace?"

The Chen family has been ransacked, Chen Suzhen is dead, and Chen Qiong'er is all alone. The palace is her biggest supporter. Who else can she find if she wants to escape from the palace?

Ning Shuang looked calm and natural, "Yes, the guards who passed by saw it."

"Then... let's bury her." Shen Suian sighed. He felt that a smart girl like Chen Qiong'er, if she had not been used to become Fu Jinyuan's concubine, with her abilities, she could have become the mistress of any noble family she married into.

And it will do well.

Ningshuang took the order and left, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The prince had instructed not to let the princess know that Chen Qiong'er was executed.

The princess is always willing to be kind to others, but the prince likes to root out the evil completely.

Chen Qiong'er's death is like a small stone thrown into the sea. After a little splash, no one cares.

Shen Sui'an soon became busy again.

She is now the Regent Princess, and her status is somewhat different from before.

When she goes out, especially on many occasions, she can feel that more and more people are trying to please her.

Sometimes I feel that power is so dazzling. Who can stand being flattered every day?

Shen Sui'an was a little overwhelmed.

"I just casually said two lines of poetry, which are not really that good, but they all praised me as if I were the reincarnation of the immortal poet. No matter how thick-skinned I am, I can't stand it." Shen Suian and Fu Jinyuan sighed.

Fu Jinyuan: "The princess is full of talent and inspiration. Even if she utters a few words casually, they are more poetic and poetic than others."

Shen Sui'an choked on the tea in his mouth.

"When did the prince learn to be so smooth-talking?" He dared to praise her, but she didn't dare to listen.

"Don't let anyone hear this, otherwise I won't dare to go out and see anyone."

Fu Jinyuan laughed, "I only praise you."

Shen Suian glared at him.

"It's a rare opportunity that you don't have to go to the palace today. I wanted to go to the suburbs, but it started raining." Shen Sui'an said disappointedly.

"Then let's go to the Ruan family. It's been a while since we've paid our respects to grandparents." Fu Jinyuan said, "Doctor Zhou and the others will go too."

Shen Sui'an's eyes lit up, "Is Sister Cheng going too?"

"Yes." Fu Jinyuan nodded.

"I'll go get ready and have the servants harness the carriage."

Cheng Zhiyun had no other friends in the royal capital except Shen Suian. Shen Suian knew that she didn't like to associate with the women of power and wealth, so she only introduced her to the two aunts of the Ruan family and Tan Jiao.

Because He Xianghuan studied at the Ruan family school, Cheng Zhiyun also came into contact with Ruan's aunt and became friends with Tan Jiao.

Today, it was the Liang family who invited Zhou Zhou and his wife to come to the Ruan family.

Ruan Xiuyuan was able to stand up thanks to Zhou Zhou's medical skills. The entire Ruan family is very grateful to Zhou Zhou.

When Shen Sui'an and Fu Jinyuan arrived at Ruan's house, they happened to meet Zhou Zhou and his wife outside the door.

Ruan Zhaoxia was talking to Cheng Zhiyun when she saw the carriage from the Regent's Palace and a smile appeared on her face.

"It must be my sister-in-law who has come."

When Cheng Zhiyun heard that it was Shen Suian, she felt relieved.

The group chatted and laughed as they entered the backyard.

I went to the upper room to pay my respects to Madam Ruan.

The people from the Ruan family wanted to stand up and salute Fu Jinyuan, but were stopped by Fu Jinyuan.

"Grandfather, grandmother, I am here to visit you as your grandson, not as the regent." Fu Jinyuan helped the old man sit back.

Shen Sui'an also said to Old Madam Ruan, "Grandma, you two are my husband's elders. He is just a child in front of you."

Today we are here to celebrate for Ruan Xiuyuan, and everyone is in a good mood.

Liang and Shen Sui'an whispered, "We originally planned to hold a big banquet to let everyone know that Second Uncle's leg has healed, but... the timing was not right, so your grandmother asked Tan Jiao to invite Doctor Zhou and his wife."

No banquets can be held during the period of national mourning.

They were not very sad about the death of the late emperor. If they were not afraid of being reported by the Censorate, they would have made a big fuss about it.

They didn't even dare to send the invitation to the Regent's Palace openly.

There must be a lot of people eyeing the Regent's Palace now.

"After the national mourning is over, we will celebrate for our second uncle," said Shen Sui'an.

Liang pursed her lips and smiled, "Your grandmother wants to hold a wedding for him."

Shen Sui'an's eyes lit up, "Is it Miss Tan?"

"Of course, Tan Jiao has been with your second uncle through thick and thin, so we must not let her down," said Liang.

As they were talking, Ruan Xiuyuan slowly walked in from the door.

His daughter Ruan Zhaorong supported his arm and walked towards him step by step. Tan Jiao walked behind them, her eyes always on Ruan Xiuyuan.

She was worried that he would get tired if he walked too long.

This was the first time that Ruan Xiuyuan had walked such a long distance out of his wheelchair since he was injured.

Even Old Master Ruan couldn't help but stand up and looked at Ruan Xiuyuan nervously.

"Father, Mother!" Ruan Xiuyuan's eyes turned red, "I am an unfilial son. I have made you worry about me these days."

As he said this, Ruan Xiuyuan was about to kneel down.

Being held up by Old Master Ruan, "You being able to come to us is the greatest comfort to us two old people."

Madam Ruan: "Tan Jiao, help Xiuyuan sit down quickly."

Tan Jiao bowed and was about to step forward to hold Ruan Xiuyuan's hand, but was gently pushed away by Ruan Zhaorong.

"Men and women should not touch each other. Miss Tan, please respect yourself. I will support your father." Ruan Zhaorong said softly.

The eleven-year-old girl already understood a lot. She knew that her mother had done something wrong, but she didn't want any other woman to take the position that originally belonged to her mother.

Ruan Zhaorong suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. Everyone fell silent, no one spoke, but they looked at her strangely.

She was a little at a loss for a moment. Was she wrong?

Tan Jiao is an unmarried woman, shouldn't she love herself? How can she be involved with her father?

"Jiao Niang has taken care of me for two years. She is no longer a stranger to me." Ruan Xiuyuan broke the silence.

As soon as these words were spoken, Ruan Zhaorong's face turned red and she looked at Ruan Xiuyuan with tears in her eyes.

Tan Jiao stood there in a daze, unable to react.

Old Master Ruan said in a deep voice, "Let's all sit down and talk."

Shen Suian raised his eyes and looked at Ruan Zhaorong. The little girl had red eyes and was biting her lips gently. She stood next to Ruan Xiuyuan with a stubborn look on her face.

She sighed inwardly.

Chen Suzhen took her daughter away for so long, and I don’t know how she taught the child. I’m afraid that she has resentment towards the Ruan family.

Just looking at her attitude towards Tan Jiao, she felt that if Tan Jiao married her second uncle, she might not be able to get along harmoniously with Ruan Zhaorong in the future.

Because the emperor's mourning period had not yet passed, the banquet was very simple.

Ruan Xiuyuan held up the wine glass and said, "My Lord, Princess, my second uncle has replaced the wine with tea. Thank you very much."

If it weren't for them, Zhou Zhou would not have been able to treat his leg. He was extremely grateful to Fu Jinyuan.

"Second uncle, this is what we should do," said Fu Jinyuan.

"Doctor Zhou, I'm grateful for your kindness. From now on, you will be my, Ruan Xiuyuan's benefactor. As long as you ask, I will do everything I can for you." Ruan Xiuyuan offered tea to Zhou Zhou again.

"General Ruan, you are too polite. I am grateful that my son can study in the Ruan family. This is a great favor to me." Zhou Zhou replied calmly.

Everyone knows that He Xianghuan is not Zhou Zhou's biological son, but he treats him as his own son. This kind of broad-mindedness is worthy of admiration.

Men and women sat at separate tables, and Ruan Zhaorong turned to look at Ruan Xiuyuan from time to time.

"Don't look at it. Second Uncle hasn't been in such a good mood for a long time. Don't spoil his fun." Ruan Zhaoxia pulled her.

"Sister, I'm worried about father..." Ruan Zhaorong forced a smile.

Ruan Zhaoxia said, "If Second Uncle is feeling unwell, Miss Tan will know better than you."

"Miss Tan has been taking care of my second uncle for two years, and you and your mother have never even visited him. I almost forgot how tall you are and what you look like." Ruan Zhaoxia said lightly.

Chen betrayed her second uncle and falsely accused him of treason. She wanted to kill the entire Ruan family.

Ruan Zhaoxia hated Chen in her heart. If it weren't for Ruan Zhaorong, she would have scolded her even more harshly.

"Eldest sister, do you have to humiliate me like this?" Ruan Zhaorong's eyes were filled with tears. "I miss my father, but... it's my mother who won't let me come back."

"Okay, stop crying." Ruan Zhaoxia didn't have the patience to coax her.

They used to play together, but after not seeing each other for two years, Ruan Zhaorong's mother did those things again. Even if she didn't want to care about it, the thorn in her heart was still there.

After all, it was difficult for the sisters to be as close as before.

Shen Sui'an and Liang were sitting at another table and saw everything that happened to the sisters Ruan Zhaoxia and Ruan Zhaorong.

"I'm sorry to embarrass you." Liang said helplessly.

Third aunt Ye also felt embarrassed, but still had to say a few words for Ruan Zhaoxia, "Xia Jie'er is a child who clearly distinguishes between what she likes and what she hates."

Shen Sui'an said, "Sister Xia is fine."

Xia Jie'er is a good person, which means Ruan Zhaorong is not a good person.

Liang didn't want Shen Sui'an to think that her daughter was narrow-minded and calculating. "They used to have a good relationship with each other, and Xia Jie'er also liked my second aunt..."

What Chen did broke the hearts of the Ruan family.

"Sister Rong, do you know that your second uncle is going to marry Tan Jiao?" Shen Suian asked.

"Has my third sister-in-law mentioned this to her?" Liang was surprised and glanced at Ye.

Ye groaned, looking a little panicked, "I, I didn't say it, I thought my sister-in-law would tell her."

"..." Liang was helpless, "That means no one has mentioned it to her yet."

Shen Sui'an said, "Aunt, you should find a chance to talk to her first, so as to avoid making things difficult for Miss Tan in the future."

"I'll talk to her after the banquet is over."

Shen Sui'an smiled and changed the subject, "The weather is getting hotter and hotter. I want to take my grandparents out to escape the heat. I wonder if my aunt has any good places to recommend?"

"This month is the hottest in our capital every year. After this month, it will be cool and refreshing in autumn again." Liang said with a smile.

"There is a flower city fifty miles south of the royal capital. The houses of the people in the city are all built on the streams. They travel by boat instead of carriage. In the past, every time at this time, I liked to take the children to the flower city to stay for a few days." Liang said.

Shen Sui'an had never seen such a peculiar city before, and he immediately became interested.

"However, there are military camps stationed on both sides of the official road leading to Huacheng, so it is not very convenient to pass through." Liang lowered his voice.

Yes, Zhou Bian and Mu Chengtian’s five thousand elite soldiers have not retreated yet.

Shen Sui'an glanced at Chairman Fu Jinyuan.

Last time, he was cruelly treated by Mu Chengtian. Later, because the previous emperor passed away, Fu Jinyuan let the matter go. It was unknown when he would continue to look for Mu Chengtian.

Mu Chengtian was able to attend the funeral of the late emperor, so he can’t say that he is bedridden.

Cheng Zhiyun, who was sitting opposite Shen Suian, winked at her.

Shen Sui'an understood what she meant and smiled at her playfully.

The banquet had not yet ended when the maid beside Ruan Zhaorong whispered a few words in her ear. Her expression changed and she left with the maid.

"Let's go and take a look." Liang immediately ordered her maid.

After a while, the maid came back.

"Miss Rong is crying in the room." The maid reported to Liang in a low voice.

Liang frowned and said, "Let her cry first."

Until the end of the banquet, no one noticed that Ruan Zhaorong was absent.

Old Madam Ruan gave the bracelet she had been wearing to Tan Jiao. Although she didn't point it out, the meaning was already very clear.

"Sui Sui, I have something to tell you." Cheng Zhiyun finally had the chance to talk to Shen Sui'an.

Shen Sui'an took her hand and said, "Sister Cheng, accompany me to change clothes."

The two of them left the hall, and Cheng Zhiyun looked a little worried, "Sui Sui, He Hongkui seems to know that we are in the royal capital."

"He looked for you?" Shen Suian's eyes turned cold.

"No, I...I saw a man on the street two days ago who looked very much like the servant of He Hongkui." Cheng Zhiyun said.

If He Hongkui's people find the royal capital, they will definitely discover them.

"Don't be afraid. Even if He Hongkui finds out, so what? If he dares to come to the royal capital to find you, I will make sure he never comes back." Shen Sui'an said.

She still remembered that after Fu Jinyuan's background was exposed, he thought she had lost her support and wanted to kill her and threaten her.

Cheng Zhiyun said, "Brother Huan is doing very well in Ruan's family now. I don't want him to go back to Kyoto."

Since He Xianghuan went to the Ruan family school, he has become much more cheerful and happy, and has made many friends.

If they returned to Kyoto, Wang would definitely find ways to murder Huan'er.

Shen Sui'an knew that Huan Ge'er had adapted very well, especially after Zhou Zhou cured Ruan Xiuyuan. The Ruan family treated Zhou Zhou as a guest of honor, and the children in the clan school would naturally take better care of He Xianghuan.

"Sister Cheng, just live your life in peace. We have the prince and the Ruan family." Shen Sui'an said.

After hearing what Shen Suian said, Cheng Zhiyun finally felt relieved.

"In fact, Zhou Zhou also told me not to worry too much, saying that even if He Hongkui came to the royal capital, he couldn't take Huan Ge'er away." Cheng Zhiyun whispered.

"Listen to Doctor Zhou. In a few days, we will go to Huacheng together. I heard it's a lot of fun there." Shen Suian walked back holding Cheng Zhiyun's hand.

When passing by the garden, I heard a whimpering sound.

"Sui Sui?" Cheng Zhiyun was surprised.

"Sister Cheng, you go back first, I'll go take a look." Shen Suian gestured to her.