Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 859 - 857_1

Chapter 859: Chapter 857_1

The Nangong Emperor was skeptical, and for good reason, as he had sent a eunuch to supervise the grain transport, who witnessed the entire process.

According to the eunuch’s report, the Emperor concluded that they had been putting on a show! It was ridiculously fake!

At this time, grain was generally transported using mule carts or horse carriages. A mule cart can carry about two hundred catties of grain, while a horse carriage can carry even less.

The two granaries, containing hundreds of thousands of catties of grain, would require a vast number of mule carts to transport them all in one night. How could such a huge caravan move without making a noise?

Moreover, Nangong Country had not invented cement yet. The official road was not a cement road, but an ancient loess road. It had rained heavily two days ago, and the surface of the official road was still not dry, with some low-lying areas a bit muddy!

Therefore, if numerous grain-laden mule carts had passed, they would have left many wheel imprints. But there were no such imprints on the road, except for a few tiger footprints found on a section of the road. There were no signs of loaded carriages passing (the depth of the tracks left by carriages loaded with goods and those unloaded are different, which can easily be differentiated.).

So, the Nangong Emperor suspected that Gong Qinghua did not want to surrender the grain and deliberately fabricated a lie to deceive him!

However, this time Gong Qinghua was truly wronged!

He had a hunch this was something to do with Shangguan Xuanyi, but he couldn’t find any evidence and couldn’t figure out how he managed it!

After Gong Qinghua left, Xiao’er tidied herself up and then took some prepared gifts to visit Shangguan Wanru.

Crown Prince’s Mansion

Xiao’er and Shangguan Xuanyi were led into the flower hall by a maid.

Nangong Country was truly rich, with the Crown Prince’s Mansion shimmering in gold,

Shangguan Wanru directly gave Xiao’er a bear hug: "I’ve missed you terribly!"

Upon hearing this, the nanny hurriedly said, "Tut-Tut-Tut, none of this ’missing to death’ talk! You can’t say such things in the future, Princess!"

Shangguan Wanru couldn’t resist rolling her eyes exasperatedly!

"You’re about to become a mother now, yet you still act like a child!" Xiao’er couldn’t resist poking fun at her.

In response, Shangguan Wanru stuck out her tongue at Xiao’er, whispering, "She nags me every day, my ears are about to grow callouses!"

On hearing Shangguan Wanru’s words, Nanny couldn’t help but wipe her tears: "Princess, I know you think I nag too much, but I truly care about you and the baby. Pregnancy comes with so many restrictions. First, you can’t just eat anything you want, especially cold food like watermelon, coix seed, crab...".

Shangguan Wanru gave Xiao’er a ’here she goes again’ look, then turned to Nanny with her hands clasped together: "Nanny, I get it, I won’t do it again! I remember everything you say over and over each day. I’ve got relatives visiting today, so I don’t want to hear it!".

Having said that, Shangguan Wanru pulled Xiao’er into the house.

Xiao’er took one look at Nanny’s aggrieved face and couldn’t help but laugh.

Once she got inside, Shangguan Wanru finally breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Xiao’er, who wore a full smile: "You have no idea how long-winded Nanny is. She can recite the ’Ten Pregnancy Taboos’ a hundred times a day!

The mere sight of her makes me want to run in the opposite direction!"

Shangguan Wanru beckoned them to sit, and before she had to say anything, a maid came forward with brewed tea.

Seeing Shangguan Wanru back to her lively premarital state, Xiao’er was finally reassured. It seemed that she had been living a good life during the past few days.

"Nanny means well. Pregnancy indeed comes with a lot of restrictions, you can’t just ignore them!" Xiao’er said, laughing.

Hearing this, Shangguan Wanru gave Xiao’er a pitiful look: "Are you here to lecture me too? Does life ever get any easier!"

At this point, Shangguan Xuanyi spoke up: "What are some taboos associated with pregnancy?"

Although he and Xiao’er had not yet planned on having children, it would be useful to know in advance.

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wanru looked at Xiao’er’s stomach: "Xiao’er, are you expecting too?"

Xiao’er shook her head: "No, I’m still young. I plan to have children in a few years."

"You’re waiting a few more years to have children? Aren’t you over twenty already? If you wait a few more years, won’t you be an old man?" Shangguan Wanru looked at Shangguan Xuanyi with astonishment.

In Shangguan Wanru’s view, the unorthodox thought of waiting a few more years to have children must have been Xiao’er’s idea, so she asked why Shangguan Xuanyi indulged her.

"Pfft!" Xiao’er couldn’t help but spit out her tea! An old man! Ha-ha...

Shangguan Xuanyi’s face darkened: an old man? How old could he be! This is called mature and steady, okay?

Seeing the sour expression on Shangguan Xuanyi’s face, Shangguan Wanru was a bit scared, so she quickly waved her hands in denial:"I misspoke, you’re not an old man, you’re the well-known and handsome Prince Rui of Minze, in the prime of your life! Vibrantly young!"

Youthful and vibrant! Ha-ha...

Forgive Xiao’er, but she couldn’t help laughing again!

"Nobody called you dumb when you were silent!" Shangguan Xuanyi couldn’t stand it any longer, he snapped back.

"How could you be so mean to a pregnant woman! Besides, she didn’t say anything wrong. In a few years, you’ll be nearly thirty, right? If that’s not an old man, then what is?" Xiao’er reproached him.

"..." Shangguan Xuanyi glared at Xiao’er: The cheek of this girl! She dared to make fun of her own man with an outsider! He was going to show her tonight whether he was an old man or not!

An old man with his stamina? Even in a few years’ time, he was capable of making her pregnant once a year, ten times in a row!

Shangguan Wanru was beginning to admire Xiao’er. Despite Shangguan Xuanyi’s angry look, she dared to say such provocative words. But she worried that Xiao’er’s banter might upset her unborn baby, so she quickly played peacemaker: "In fact, our Prince Rui is handsome and dashing, youthful and vigorous! Even at thirty years old, he will look like an eighteen-year-old, fresh and crispy!"

"Your Highness, aren’t you being dishonest with your words? In a few more years, I’ll still be a youthful beauty while he’ll be an uncle. It’s a pity that my tender grass has been eaten by such an old cow!"

Shangguan Xuanyi: "..."

A private lesson for sons in public, a private lesson for wives in private, he will bear it! He would handle it in bed tonight and let her see what it means for an old cow to eat tender grass!

"Ha-ha... old cow!" On hearing this, Shangguan Wanru couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The only person in the world who dare to speak this way to Prince Rui was Xiao’er.

If his wife was too tender-hearted to discipline in public, other people wouldn’t be!

Shangguan Xuanyi cast a cold glance at her.

Shangguan Wanru was so scared she immediately shut up, then started hiccuping. She grabbed her mouth as her face turned red from shyness!

The maid hurried to cater to her with water.

Xiao’er glared at Shangguan Xuanyi: Look at you, you scared her into hiccuping!

Shangguan Xuanyi: She was just too easily frightened!