Chapter 1306 - 2: Nonsense_2
The guard glanced at Marquis Jibei, and Yun Chu naturally realized that this was his horse.
But this horse was stolen by her.
Of course, she couldn’t admit to stealing the horse, especially since the horse seemed to know them.
Yun Chu blushed and lied, "Is this really your horse?"
"But the person who lent me the horse was very young..."
Saying "lend," Yun Chu’s voice was quite shaky.
Marquis Jibei laughed, "That was my son."
Yun Chu, "...."
It’s over.
She got caught stealing the man’s son’s horse by the man himself.
Yun Chu silently loosened her grip on the reins, calculating whether she could still manage to flee.
Even though she didn’t know which marquis he was, he was still a marquis, high-ranked and powerful, so she couldn’t escape.
She had already lied, so she had to lie a bit more. Yun Chu blushed and said, "I didn’t know this was your horse. I just borrowed it for a few days. Now that I’ve seen you, I’ll return the horse to you."
Saying this, Yun Chu took out a silver note worth ten thousand taels from her purse and said, "And here is the ten thousand taels silver note that the young master lent me. Please pass it back to him."
Looking at the silver note, Marquis Jibei’s eyes grew more kindly.
No more doubts.
This must be his future daughter-in-law.
That kid...
He was supposed to leave the Capital City with money to attend to some matters, but instead, he ended up giving the money away on the journey.
But the money went straight to Marquis Jibei’s heart.
Ten thousand taels of silver notes are no small amount, yet this girl wasn’t tempted and wanted to return it.
Could it be that she wasn’t interested in his son?
The money was his, but since his son gave it away, he couldn’t take it back.
"Since my son gave it to the lady, it belongs to the lady now. Even if it needs returning, it’s not to be returned to me," Marquis Jibei said with a smile.
"As for this horse, it has accompanied me in many battles, so I must take it back."
Yun Chu nodded repeatedly.
As long as they didn’t cause her trouble, she was satisfied.
The horse belonged to them, so taking it back was right.
But the silver note—
Unless Yun Chu confessed she accidentally took it, it wouldn’t be easy to get rid of.
The guard dismounted, leading Liehuo.
Yun Chu stepped aside, made a formal greeting, and Marquis Jibei gave her a couple of extra glances before riding away.
His son had a romantic interest; he couldn’t wait to share the exciting news with his wife.
Especially since Lady Ji Bei had been worried about their son’s marriage these days.
Shen Junshan was hot-tempered and often got into fights; even as the son of Marquis Jibei, marriage was a tough matter.
Not that he couldn’t get a wife, but the well-cherished noble daughters were reluctant to marry him for fear of being bullied, and the families of concubines dared not propose, nor would Lady Ji Bei agree.
When Lady Ji Bei heard the news, she still couldn’t believe it, "You’re not tricking me, are you?"
"How could I deceive you about something this big?" Marquis Jibei laughed.
"That brat went as far as giving money and a horse to a girl. Since when did our son ever suffer such losses with no benefits?"
Lady Ji Bei gave Marquis Jibei a playful glare.
What father speaks of his son this way?
But she also believed her son had taken a fancy to the young lady and was trying hard to win her favor.
"It’s good to know he has someone in his heart. I was really worried that over the years we might have neglected him, causing him to run wild and spoil his peach blossoms," Lady Ji Bei said warmly.
Marquis Jibei dared not mention that the girl returned the money for fear that Lady Ji Bei would worry that this rare chance for romance might wither.
Once that brat returned, he’d have to encourage him to marry the girl soon.
Marquis Jibei still had matters to attend to, so he left the estate.
He only returned to share the joyous news with Lady Ji Bei and also to prevent her from arranging marriage decisions.
After all, the person marrying his son for life should also be to his son’s liking.
His son had a stubborn temperament, and any bride not to his liking, he wouldn’t marry willingly.
To avoid unnecessary complications, some things had better be avoided.
After Marquis Jibei left, the more Lady Ji Bei thought, the happier she became.
Before Shen Junshan returned, she already imagined a life full of grandchildren.
Shen Junshan sneaked back home, having lost money and his horse, afraid his father might beat him half to death.
Losing money was not a big deal, but losing the horse was serious.
Shen Junshan had a big issue with that horse. Every time he wanted to ride it, the horse wouldn’t let him. Yet it didn’t make a peep when someone else stole it.
If only it had neighed once, he would’ve noticed.
Until he regained the horse, he had to stay far, far away from his father.
Fearing Lady Ji Bei might worry, he quietly returned to reassure her, then quickly left.
As he approached the house, Shen Junshan overheard a maid saying, "The second young master’s marriage has been sorted, and Madam is in much better spirits."
Shen Junshan frowned and stepped forward.
The maid quickly greeted him, "Second young master has returned."
"Did my mother arrange a marriage for me?" Shen Junshan asked directly.
The maid nodded.
Shen Junshan frowned even more, "Which family is the girl from?"
"The maid doesn’t know," the maid replied.
Shen Junshan strode into the room.
Lady Ji Bei, being anxious, was already contemplating the engagement gifts.
Shen Junshan approached and said, "Mom, I have no plans to marry yet. Please cancel the arrangement for me."
Lady Ji Bei chuckled.
These maids, making a mountain out of a molehill.
Just having a romantic interest somehow turned into an engagement?
Lady Ji Bei teased her son, "Having a sweetheart and not even telling your mom?"
Shen Junshan, "...???"
He had a sweetheart?
How come he didn’t know?
He was away from the Capital for just over half a month, and rumors had already reached his mother’s ears?
He had planned to leave quietly, but without teaching them a lesson, who knows what the rumors would become when he returned.
"Who told you, Mom?" Shen Junshan asked.
"Your father, of course."
"..."
His father?
Poor Shen Junshan, even his fists itched, but hearing it was his father spreading the rumors, he deflated.
Having lost the horse, he dared not question his father about who was talking nonsense.
Shen Junshan quickly said, "It’s not true, Mom. Don’t listen to dad’s nonsense."
This was the honest truth.
But to Lady Ji Bei, it was her son being too shy to admit it.
But was her son the kind of man to be shy?
Lady Ji Bei looked at her son’s face for several moments.
He hadn’t lost weight and looked vigorous.
Seeing this, Shen Junshan said, "Mom, I’m telling the truth."
Lady Ji Bei mercilessly exposed him, "What truth?"
"You were born to me; how could I not know your character?"
"If you hadn’t fallen for a girl, would you have given your father’s horse and a ten thousand tael silver note to the girl?"
Shen Junshan, "...???"
When did he give his father’s horse to a girl?
Frowning, Shen Junshan quickly realized the truth.
This rumor was spread by the horse thief!
Goodness gracious.
Quite gutsy indeed.
Stole his horse, stole his money, and even dared to spread rumors.
The worst part was, while he had chased another trail for three days and returned late, his parents were deceived into thinking that girl was his sweetheart.
Shen Junshan considered explaining, but admitting to his own mother that he was nearly stripped bare after being stolen from, he couldn’t bear the shame.