Chapter 103 - Many Thanks

When Shen Zikai found out his sister had been chased by assassins, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He followed the person reporting to the courtyard. After seeing the maidservants’ injuries, his anger rose quickly. He was even more furious, wondering who would dare make a move on Jiao Jiao.

His sister was just a bit lazy but she was a kind young lady. He carefully cherished and took good care of her. But the moment he was about to set out on an expedition, someone dared to hurt her? Shen Zikai was enveloped by a murderous aura. He swore to never show mercy on the people trying to hurt Jiao Jiao.

Shen Ziqiao and Qi Zheng came out successively.

“Elder Brother!” Shen Ziqiao rushed towards Shen Zikai. Though she wasn’t scared anymore, she had to act like she was really scared and there was lingering fear in front of Shen Zikai.

If Shen Zikai knew that Sheng Peiyin wanted to kill her but was still attracted to her in the future, she’d treat his elder brother as dead.

“Jiao Jiao, are you okay?” Let this elder brother take a look, are you hurt anywhere?” Shen Zikai placed his arms on Shen Ziqiao’s shoulders and anxiously checked her body.

Shen Ziqiao smiled and shook her head, jumping a few times firmly. “Look, I’m fine. I’m good, just a bit afraid.”

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. This elder brother is here.” Shen Zikai hurriedly comforted her.

“Eldest Master Shen, I have a few words with you.” The ignored Qi Zheng finally parted his lips at a suitable time. Whenever that girl saw her elder brother, she’d always act cute. But whenever she was with him, she’d act like a hedgehog with her guard up on him always.

It was hard to hide the bitterness in Qi Zheng’s heart.

“Eldest Master Qi, thank you very much today. Shen Family will remember you for saving Jiao Jiao.” Shen Zikai finally realized that he hadn’t thanked Qi Zheng yet. He couldn’t help but feel apologetic for being too impolite.

“Elder Brother, you don’t need to thank him.” Shen Ziqiao exclaimed softly in his ears.

Shen Zikai harshly glared at her.

Qi Zheng chuckled meaningfully. She could repay him by proposing to marry him!

“Eldest Master Shen, this way please.” He couldn’t say some things to that silly girl but he could remind Shen Zikai first.

“Jiao Jiao, wait here for me first.” Shen Zikai patted her head and smiled, following Qi Zheng inside.

Shen Ziqiao was unresigned to this. “Why can’t I listen? It probably has something to do with me then?”

Qi Zheng looked back and gave a faint smile. “You can’t listen to what your elder brother and I have to say. I don’t want you to become bashful.”

Shen Ziqiao froze. What are they going to talk about that would make her bashful? Bashful my ass!

The two men closed the door, not planning on letting her hear at all.

They’re too excessive! Shen Ziqiao glared at the tightly shut door, wanting badly to kick it open.

“Third Miss. Why don’t we wait for the eldest master in the horse carriage?” Shen Zikai’s boy servant exclaimed, holding in his laughter.

Shen Ziqiao hmphed. She turned to look for her maidservants.

The two men were naturally talking about what happened today. Qi Zheng found it necessary to tell Shen Ziaki what he suspected. They were about to leave the capital. In order to prevent the same things from happening, they must come up with a solution.

“...Sheng Peiyin?” Hearing Qi Zheng’s analysis, Shen Zikai widened his eyes unable to process the information. He didn’t expect for Sheng Peiyin to harm her sister like that.

“It’s incredulous! I couldn’t tell at all.” He didn’t dare to believe it. “She and Jiao Jiao are best friends.”

Qi Zheng sneered. “So what if they are best friends? To her, power and wealth is more important.”

“How certain are you that this has to do with her?” Shen Zikai asked.

Qi Zheng knitted his brows tightly while. He wasn’t positive. He couldn’t really say that just because he saw Sheng Peiyin talking to the man in black that she was the one behind this.

“It probably has to do with the palace.” Qi Zheng said in a low voice. It’d be easy to handle just Sheng Peiyin, but if it had something to do with the palace, it’d probably be a bit troublesome with just the two of them.

Plus, they were going to leave the capital in a few days.

Shen Zikai suddenly looked at Qi Zheng and said, “I heard from Jiao Jiao that Sheng Peiyin and the Ninth Prince are really close.”

Ninth Prince? Qi Zheng froze. He had never thought of this person. “But I don’t think the Ninth Prince is in the capital.”

Does the Ninth Prince have something to do with the Imperial Consort Sun too?

“We probably won’t be able to figure this out in a short period of time. I’ll let my father know and have him pay attention to the Sheng Family more. Thankfully, Jiao Jiao is leaving the capital in a few days too.” Shen Zikai sighed. It was too dangerous to stay in the capital.

Qi Zheng’s face darkened. “Where is she going?”

“Minyue. She’s going to pay respects to my grandmother and live there for a while. Once we figure out the situation in the capital, I’ll have her come back.” Shen Zikai siad.

Qi Zheng slightly nodded. “That’s best.”

The two discussed for a while before Shen Zikai bid him farewell. Shen Ziqiao was already in the horse carriage waiting for him.

The siblings didn’t talk about Sheng Peiyin at all again.

At this time, Sheng Peiyin watched as the assassins she sent were now corpses. The three alive had their hands chopped off. Her face paled upon smelling the bloody metallic scent.

“What...What happened?” She asked shockingly, unable to hide the trembling tone in her voice.

“It’s...It’s Qi Zheng!” The man in black leader was knocked out due to the great loss of blood after saying the words.

That meant Shen Ziqiao didn’t die? Qi Zheng saved her?

Sheng Peiyin clutched her chest and took a few steps back. She felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse; everything was so cold and icy.

How did this happen? Why did Qi Zheng appear by Shen Ziqiao’s side coincidentally? That shouldn’t have happened. Even if he was different from past life, he was just an useless thing.

Why did everything change? This was different from what she knew in her past life.

Sheng Peiyin started to doubt her memory from past life which she had so confidently believed in.

Did she really reborn? Or was this all just a dream? Will what should've still happened? Why isn’t Shen Ziqiao dead? Why didn’t she go die?!

No, she refused to let anything go off track. Shen Ziqiao must die. Shen Family must pay the price.

She will destroy the Shen Family!

Sheng Peiyin had someone take care of the assassins while she went back to Shangpin Teahouse and changed into a new set of clothes. Her face became livelier after applying blush.

She arrived in front of Shen Family’s door around the time the sun set. Shen Ziqiao didn’t know that this had to do with her for sure.

She could still use their relationship to figure out Qi Zheng’s capability.

He was actually able to handle those specially trained assassins!

“My apologies Third Miss Sheng. Our Third Miss isn’t feeling well today and she has already rested. Um…” White gauze was covered on Lady Meng’s head. She said apologetically to Sheng Peiyin.

Sheng Peiyin was confused upon seeing Lady Meng’s injured forehead. Was Shen Ziqiao injured too? She tried hard not to reveal the delighted expression on her face. “What happened to Jiao Jiao? Let me check on her.”

“Third Miss Sheng, our Third Miss had already taken medicine and finally just rested. Why don’t you come back tomorrow?” Lady Meng refused to let her inside, stopping her.

This merciless woman dared to come visit their young miss shamelessly. Did she dislike how she hadn’t killed Third Miss the first time, so she wanted to find a chance to kill her a second time?

No matter what Sheng Peiyin said, Lady Meng refused to budge. In the end, Sheng Peiyin could only come the second day.

“She actually has the face to come visit you.” Shen Zikai watched as Sheng Peiyin’s figure disappeared into the night and turned to exclaim this angrily to Shen Ziqiao.

Shen Ziqiao was eating the stuffed lotus root with sticky rice Shen Zikai personally bought for her. It was in her expectations for Sheng Peiyin to come and visit her, acting like nothing happened. It was nothing strange.

“I already talked to father and grandfather about this. You’re leaving the capital tomorrow.” Shen Zikai said.

“Ah? That urgent? I haven’t done a lot of things yet.” Shen Ziqiao hurriedly swallowed the stuffed lotus root with sticky rice and stared at Shen Zikai in shock.

Shen Zikai said, “What could you need to do? There’s no room for bargains. That’s it.”

“Elder Brother!” Shen Ziqiao called. Was Sheng Peiyin that scary?

“I’m going to talk to grandfather about setting out tomorrow.” Shen Zikai ignored Shen Ziqiao’s protest and turned to leave the room.

Shen Ziqiao bit a piece of the lotus root angrily.

“Third Miss, the eldest master is doing this for your sake. Sheng Peiyin is still sinister. Who knows when she’ll make another move?” Lady Meng said.

“Sheng Peiyin...is really scary.” She always thought that Sheng Peiyin and the Ninth Prince were just close to each other but after this attempt assassination, she knew it wasn’t as simple as just the Ninth Prince being involved.

She recalled Sheng Peiyin helping the crown prince to deal with Imperial Consort Sun.

Could it be that because the little imperial grandon’s fate changed that it indirectly changed the plot?

Shen Ziqiao was suddenly worried, unsure whether the crown prince could successfully ascend the throne in the future.

Although the crown prince didn’t have a good taste in women, he was pretty good at managing worldly affairs. He was a noble. She hoped that he could successfully ascend the throne.

……

After Qi Zheng left Shen Family’s siblings, he mounted his horse and went to ask to meet the crown prince in the palace.

“Jiao Jiao was chased by assassins?” The crown prince shockingly exclaimed. “Who?”

“Assassins trained by the Imperial Family.” Qi Zheng said.

The crown prince’s expression became slightly solemn. “Because Jiao Jiao saved the little imperial grandson last time so someone dislikes her? And want to kill her?”

“Imperial Consort Sun probably inserted people in the east palace. Qi Zheng said. He told the crown prince everything that happened from Sheng Peiyin talking to the man in black to Shen Ziqiao being chased.

“Sheng Peiyin!” The crown prince gritted her name. “She must have something to do with what happened with the little imperial grandson last time.”

Thinking of how he was a bit moved by that woman in the past, the crown prince hated her even more.

“Even if it’s just a suspicion, we need to be on guard. Don’t let her near the little imperial grandson in the future.” Qi Zheng said.

“Let her stay in the east palace. I want to see what tricks she has up her sleeves.” The crown prince said coldly, a severe glint in his eyes.