Free Web NovelChapter 146: Chapter 146: Prime Minister, Xie Suzhi
The Prime Minister walked over to Shen Ningning’s side.
The little girl immediately shifted over, making room for him beside her.
"Uncle, come sit with me~"
But the Prime Minister just smiled and shook his head. He squatted down to look at the little girl. "Ningning, Uncle has important business and must leave the Capital City for a while."
Sadness instantly clouded Shen Ningning’s watery, dark eyes.
She didn’t like goodbyes.
But the little girl was very sensible. She quickly pulled herself together and asked in a soft voice, "How long will you be gone, Uncle?"
"A month if I’m fast, two months if I’m slow." After speaking, the Prime Minister added, "While I’m away, if anyone bullies you, Ningning, you can go to the Prime Minister’s Mansion for help. Someone there will assist you."
Shen Ningning puffed up her rosy cheeks and smiled sweetly. "Brother will protect me. You don’t have to worry, Uncle."
The Prime Minister held her small hand and gazed at her face, over and over, as if desperately trying to engrave her features into his heart.
He couldn’t seem to look at her enough.
In a daze, the Prime Minister felt that Shen Ningning’s face seemed to overlap with the face of his own daughter when she was a baby in swaddling clothes.
He was almost certain that Shen Ningning was his daughter, but he had no token to prove it.
Therefore, he had to first find his wife’s dowry maid, who was the last person to see his daughter. Only then could he be sure.
"Ningning, you don’t know my name yet, do you? I’ll teach it to you now."
As he spoke, he lifted the little girl onto his lap.
Then, he dipped his finger in some tea and wrote on the table—
Xie Suzhi.
Seeing this, Shen Ningning quickly said, "Uncle Xie, I’ll remember!"
Chancellor Xie nodded slowly and stood up. "Ningning, Uncle will write to you. I will definitely be back to see you this winter, at the latest."
With that, he and his men turned to leave.
But after walking some distance, Xie Suzhi couldn’t resist looking back.
On the bustling street, Shen Ningning’s small, lonely figure sat by herself. Beside her was a large bowl of wontons, still steaming.
The little girl’s bright, clear eyes were fixed on him.
They held a look of reluctance to part, but when she saw Xie Suzhi look back, Shen Ningning puffed up her little cheeks again and waved her small hand at him.
Xie Suzhi’s eyes burned. He turned his head and walked away, not daring to look back again.
He boarded the carriage, and six Hidden Guards cleared the way as they sped westward.
「On the road.」
His confidant asked, "Should we leave a message for the Emperor?"
Xie Suzhi rubbed the space between his eyebrows. "The Emperor knows I’ve been searching for my daughter all these years. Send a carrier pigeon back; he will understand."
"Yes," the confidant said. Seeing the worry on his face, he ventured, "My lord, do you have concerns?"
Xie Suzhi tilted his head back, a faint confusion showing in his cold, stern eyes.
"Ah Zhong, do you think there’s really such a thing as a ’familial bond sense’ in this world? When I saw Shen Ningning, a voice in my heart told me she was my daughter."
The confidant was silent for a moment. "Perhaps it is because Princess Funing shares the surname Shen with the Lady, which is why my lord feels a sense of closeness."
Clarity gradually returned to Xie Suzhi’s eyes, tinged with a bit more doubt.
"Lady Xin once joked that she wanted our child to take her surname. But my daughter was still in swaddling clothes when she was lost. Even if Shen Ningning really is her, how would she know her surname is Shen?"
"I just forgot to ask who gave her that name."
The confidant nodded in agreement. "It might be a coincidence. Once my lord meets the Lady’s dowry maid, everything will become clear."
She was the last person to have contact with his daughter, so she must know what items his daughter had on her when she was lost.
After Xie Suzhi left, Shen Ningning divided his wontons into three portions.
She added one portion to Chen Shaobei’s bowl, gave another to herself, and after blowing on the last one to cool it, gave it to the Black Wolf King.
On the way home, Shen Ningning rode the Black Wolf King, causing quite a stir on the streets.
Many bolder people came closer to shake hands and chat with Shen Ningning. Some even bought gifts for the little girl and the Black Wolf King.
In the end, Chen Shaobei had to have his soldiers clear a path for them to leave the jam-packed street.
As they walked along the mountain path home, a bright full moon illuminated their way.
Shen Ningning sat on the wolf’s back, swinging her little feet and carrying a basket of gifts.
It was filled with things like mooncakes, pastries, and even some silver and handkerchiefs given by people.
Chen Shaobei followed on horseback and couldn’t help but remark, "Miss Shen, you’re really popular."
Hearing this, the little girl suddenly remembered something and covered her mouth with her little hand. "I should have taken the chance to promote my tea stall! Oh, I wasted such a good opportunity."
But then she had another thought. "Oh well. Sweet water fears no deep alley. People will find their way here eventually."
Chen Shaobei was surprised by her business acumen and started to laugh.
Shen Ningning hugged the Black Wolf King’s ears and started whispering to him.
"Langlang, I’ll tell you a secret."
"AWOO?"
"I think that if I had a daddy, he would definitely be like Uncle Xie!"
"HMPH!" The Black Wolf King snorted disdainfully.
The little girl quickly stroked his head in a placating manner, smoothing down his fur.
Her little mouth spoke sweet words. "Of course, Uncle Xie isn’t as good or as thoughtful as my Langlang!"
Only then did the Black Wolf King raise his head proudly.
Shen Ningning lay on his back and said, "I just feel like that’s what a daddy should be like."
"We met a lot of older people just now who were very fond of us, but none of them gave me that same feeling of closeness as Uncle Xie did."
"Langlang, do you think Uncle Xie will really write to me? He wasn’t just teasing a kid, was he?"
The Black Wolf King let out two patient AWOOs.
He was saying that if Xie Suzhi was lying, the next time he returned to the Capital City and they saw him, he would help her by biting his butt!
This made Shen Ningning kick her little feet and giggle like a silver bell.
Chen Shaobei couldn’t help but ask, "What are you two talking about that’s making you laugh so happily?"
"Mm, we were talking about Uncle Xie. Brother Chen Shaobei, are you familiar with him?"
"Chancellor Xie? Not really. He’s not easy to approach usually," Chen Shaobei answered truthfully.
It was more than just not being easy to approach. At court, Xie Suzhi was jokingly called the "Cold-Faced Powerful Minister," the ruthless and iron-fisted Prime Minister.
"However, I heard his family suffered a tragedy some time ago, which led to a serious illness. His health isn’t great now, and he doesn’t manage court affairs as much. But the Emperor trusts and relies on him greatly, so Chancellor Xie is always present at important occasions."
Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes. "A tragedy?"
Chen Shaobei nodded. "It seems someone in his family passed away. I’m not too clear on the details. It all happened a few years ago."
Shen Ningning had a moment of realization.
’No wonder Uncle Xie said I resembled an old acquaintance of his.’
’Maybe it was a family member?’
...
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
Unexpectedly, though it was already the beginning of the ninth month, the weather was as scorching as the height of summer!
The few rains from before had been brief and hadn’t provided the common people with long-lasting relief.
Recently, the Emperor had received consecutive reports from sixteen major commanderies throughout Cangyun Country about water shortages.
If this continued, they would have to hold another ritual to pray for rain.
Shen Ningning’s tea stall business was doing well. In just half a month, she had already earned back her initial investment.
Most of the customers were people curious about the Wolf King or those drawn by her title of Princess Funing.
Ren Yu came to visit again.
She ordered a cup of iced sweet pear water, and Shen Ningning sat and chatted with her.
When Qin Fangmei was mentioned, Ren Yu said with a grin, "The Wang family disowned her, and the Emperor issued an order for her death. She was beheaded at the Meridian Gate yesterday!"
