Chapter 39: Her Relationship with the Red Dragon Guards

Yu Shengsheng suddenly lost her appetite for the meal.

Jin Baobao huffed, "If she wants to wait, let her wait."

"Miss," Nanny Zhou whispered persuasively, "if something were to happen to the Madam, the blame would likely fall on you. Just see her once and get it over with."

Yu Shengsheng sighed slightly. "Fine, I will go see her."

Ever since Yu Shengsheng returned to her quarters, Lady Su had been standing in the sun outside the courtyard gate. Now that night had fallen, her clothes were soaked through with sweat, as if she had been pulled from water.

She swayed, looking as though she might collapse at any moment, yet she clutched a box in her hands, its contents unknown.

Seeing Yu Shengsheng emerge, she took a step forward and forced a smile.

"Sheng-sheng, you're awake. Are you feeling better? It is Mother's fault—I was so worried that I forgot you were injured too. Does it still hurt?"

Her eyes brimmed with the same tenderness she had shown when she first saw the thin, frail Yu Shengsheng return to the manor.

Unfortunately, Yu Shengsheng was no longer the Yu Shengsheng of three years ago.

"Thank you for your concern, Madam. I have applied the medicine and am much better. Whatever business you have here, please just state it."

Yu Shengsheng’s respectful, distant tone only made Lady Su’s tears fall harder.

"Sheng-sheng, Mother feels for you too. You are flesh of my flesh; how could I not care? I promise you, once your eldest brother returns, I will make him apologize properly. He will take you out, buy you whatever you want. How does that sound?"

Yu Shengsheng lowered her eyes, not even twitching an eyebrow.

Lady Su continued, "I have two shops under my name. When your brother returns, I will have him take you to see them. If you like them, they will be yours. Is that agreeable?"

Watching Yu Shengsheng’s expression, Lady Su opened the box she had brought. It contained no valuables, only trinkets: a small slingshot, glass marbles, and a spinning top, filling the small box to the brim.

"These were all made by your brother. He is six years older than you and has always been a protective older brother since he was young."

She picked up the small slingshot, her eyes still tearful but now filled with a smile. "That year, he insisted on making a slingshot for his little sister. I told him, 'What use does a young girl have for a slingshot?' He replied, 'The daughter of a General’s household is also a heroine.'"

"He..."

Yu Shengsheng looked up, her gaze calm yet piercing. "Madam, I grew up in the wilderness. I never played with such toys, and the Young General did not make these for me."

"I know how to make and use a slingshot because when I was small, I couldn't pull a bow or make arrows, but I had to hunt to fill my stomach. To me, these were never toys; they were a means to survive."

Lady Su’s expression stiffened; her smile cracked. She hesitated before blurting out, "These were made by your brother for his sister—at the time we didn't know you existed, but in truth, they were meant for you."

"If you had been at home, he would have pampered you just the same."

"Sheng-sheng, I beg you, please go plead with Commander Hao, will you? Let your brother return. How could he possibly endure such suffering?"

She shut the box and thrust it toward Yu Shengsheng. "These are all yours. Save your brother, please?"

*These are all yours.*

But what use were these now?

Yu Shengsheng had grown up like a weed, hardened by beatings and disdain. Even through all the previous hardships, when she first entered the manor, she had done so with a heart full of gratitude, never harboring a shred of resentment toward her family.

She had been willing to cast aside the past, hoping only to be with them. She had felt no hatred, not even toward Su Zhiyi.

If not for that accident, if not for being used as a scapegoat by her own family, if not for witnessing how her brother doted on Su Zhiyi, and if not for seeing clearly that Lady Su was capable of being a fierce protector—she would not have developed this cold, hardened heart.

Yu Shengsheng pushed the box back. "Madam, I have no connections with the Red Dragon Guard. Who am I, a mere girl, to command the attention of Commander Hao? If the Young General is innocent, the truth will come to light."

Lady Su did not take the box. Her gaze moved slowly and coldly from the box to Yu Shengsheng’s face. The previous tenderness and affection vanished, replaced entirely by resentment.

"No connections? If you had no connections, would Shen Zhiyuan have agreed to take Ru Jian as his concubine? Without connections, would the Red Dragon Guard have brought you back?"

"You have already ruined Zhiyi’s marriage. What more do you want? Will you only be satisfied if my son dies in prison?"

"Is a year in the villa enough to make you harbor such hatred? Must you see the entire Su family destroyed before you are satisfied?"

Yu Shengsheng frowned at her, her expression calm and sorrowful. *Ah, the Su family—as expected, they still blame all their wrongdoings on her.*

"The matter between Shen Zhiyuan and Ru Jian has nothing to do with me," Yu Shengsheng said, her voice growing colder. "They must bear the consequences of their own actions."

"As for the Young General, the matter concerns the Heir Kong. I know nothing of it, nor do I even know who this Heir Kong is," Yu Shengsheng looked back at her. "Do you, Madam?"

Lady Su’s pupils contracted. How could she not know? She had no say in that marriage, but what could she do?

"The Qin people are in the capital; how could they meddle in the affairs of Shunchang?" Lady Su gritted her teeth. "I don’t care. My son is being wronged. Use whatever means you have—beg, speak, do something!"

Yu Shengsheng parted her lips. "I cannot."

Lady Su took a step forward, her voice dropping to a whisper—like the edge of a thin blade, sharp and chilling.

"If you cannot, then Nanny Wu will have to do it. As the matriarch of the Su family, I can certainly punish a servant. Whatever suffering my son endures, she will pay double—no, tenfold."

"My son is the noble Young General; it is the honor of a lowly servant like her to suffer in his place."

Yu Shengsheng’s expression changed instantly. Only then did she realize that since waking up, she had not seen Nanny Wu.

Yu Shengsheng’s dark eyes were as deep as a frozen pool, devoid of even a glimmer of light.

Lady Su let out a breath and softened her tone again. "Sheng-sheng, I don’t want to make things difficult for you, but this concerns your eldest brother. He is the firstborn son of the Su family; I cannot ignore his plight."

"As long as you save him, I will not only exempt Nanny Wu from all chores and provide for her retirement, but I will also have her returned to your courtyard to keep you company. How about that?"

Fury surged within Yu Shengsheng like a tide, scorching her very heart. Yet, with Nanny Wu in Lady Su’s hands, no matter how reluctant, she was forced to yield.

The two stood in a deadlock.

Around the corner, under a tree, Su Yanshu lowered his eyes and listened quietly. He had arrived just as Yu Shengsheng came out to see Lady Su. He knew his mother’s intentions—she simply wanted to see if Yu Shengsheng would agree.

The entire incident today, with Hao Mengye’s arrival, was too coincidental. While it appeared to be an investigation on the surface, he could not be fooled. Hao Mengye had come to save Yu Shengsheng.

What was the true connection between Yu Shengsheng and the Red Dragon Guard? Su Yanshu was truly curious. It was not just him who wanted to know; the Crown Prince was also waiting for his report.