Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 346 - 26: Fishing in Troubled Waters (Part 1)
In October in Hami, it is autumn, the weather is clear and cool, with a fragrance of melons and fruits in the air. The temperature is neither too cold nor too hot, but occasional autumn rains and drops in temperature require attention to adding clothes.
Before coming to Hami, Susu had already learned a lot about Hami from geographical records, and after marriage, she asked Hong Sheng, so she adapted well to the weather here.
By October, she was already two months pregnant and had been staying behind closed doors since returning from Liu Mansion.
But she wasn’t idle either.
Having become Prince Ke’s "father-in-law," Bai Wansan was really at his wit’s end.
First, the businesses everywhere not only suffered from malicious price hikes and reductions, but every shop was also beset with incidents.
There was moldy grain in the granary, dead rotten rats in the dining hall, a fire in the silk and satin shop, and most devastatingly, the bank’s silver vault was emptied overnight.
The most frustrating thing for Bai Wansan was that the Great Chu Army was invincible, and within two months, it had already penetrated the heartland of the Tartars.
But Prince Yong, who was supposed to rescue his people, fell into an ambush while pursuing victory.
He was struck in the chest with a sword; although the Heart Protection Mirror blocked it somewhat, he still suffered internal injuries, vomiting blood incessantly.
Originally, Prince Ke had privately allied with Prince Yong and had been somewhat protective, but now there were signs of a falling out.
Regarding the business setbacks, Bai Wansan clearly knew who was behind it, but he could do nothing about it.
Susu had previously issued him a challenge, "A life for a life, a debt paid in full," stating that unless the Bai Family provided justice for Concubine Song, she would continue to cause trouble.
"I’ll make your family restless and sleepless at night. Let’s see if you can endure longer or if I can cause more trouble."
Bai Wansan couldn’t endure and couldn’t cause trouble, either. To gain Prince Ke’s trust, he had already spent one million taels of silver.
The situation was so aggravating that Bai Wansan was almost tempted to agree to Bashahan’s inside-outside collaboration proposal.
But the Bai family’s members inherently carried a strange pride, and it was still uncertain if Batraj was the "Holy Lord," but Bashahan certainly was not.
They had laid down secret strategies for the Tartars to unify the world, and for sixty years, they had secretly infiltrated Hami, weaving a vast network of relationships.
If the Holy Lord appeared, they could ride the momentum and achieve twice the result with half the effort.
If the Bai family’s sixty years of efforts were wasted due to the rivalry between women, how would he face his ancestors?
For a moment, Bai Wansan even felt discontent with his arrogant daughter.
At this time, he had no choice but to seek out Prince Ke, offering half of his family wealth, and beg him to act as a mediator.
Prince Ke was astonished by Susu’s capabilities and influence.
Was this Hong Sheng’s ability or a trick of the Bai family? Either way, it made him feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Susu received another invitation from Fourth Miss to the villa, but she was directly invited to the outer courtyard.
When she met Prince Ke, she saw a flash of amazement in his eyes, followed by a look of "seeing a ghost" while pointing at Susu.
"You, you, how can your surname be Su?"
Susu bowed to Prince Ke and smiled: "Is Your Highness joking? If my surname isn’t Su, should it be Ruan?"
"It should have been Ruan!" He wasn’t blind. Those bright eyes, even in the Prince’s Mansion’s Ruan Shiniang, like the Late King Liang’s Princess from Duke Li’s Mansion, he had seen them several times.
"This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. I don’t know who gave you the guts to wander around me so recklessly."
Prince Ke thought about it being his trusted Hong Sheng’s wife and was somewhat infuriated. Was Hong Sheng bewitched by beauty and fallen into a trap?
Susu stood three meters away from Prince Ke, "You ask who gave me the guts, wasn’t it you?
Ruan Shiniang is my elder sister, and now she’s your concubine;
Ruan Yu is my elder brother, and all his power is in your hands;
Hong Sheng is my husband and your confidant, fighting life and death for you.
The Song Family is where I was raised, yet it’s your purse.
Everyone related to me is also connected to you. If you report me, what do you think I’ll say!"
Prince Ke squinted, "Are you threatening me?"
Standing was tiring, so Susu simply sat down, "You just realized?"
For the first time in his life, Prince Ke encountered a woman as beautiful as a fairy but as straightforward and blunt to the extreme, leaving him speechless.
He exuded a murderous aura, "Do you believe I could simply wave my hand, and you wouldn’t leave this room alive?"
Susu laughed heartily, "I believe it. To provoke Prince Ke to murder is indeed a skill. But do you know how many people are aware that I, pregnant, have been summoned by Prince Ke to the Prince Ke Mansion?"
"What exactly do you want?"
"I just want justice for Fourth Miss of the Song Family. A life for a life, a debt paid in full. I have no way with His Highness, nor with Bai Lili under His Highness’s protection, but there are always those I can squeeze.
The world often says, pick the soft persimmon to squeeze. For me, Bai Wansan is that soft persimmon."
"You stop, and I will explain to Concubine Song!"
Prince Ke pondered for a long time before speaking; are all beautiful women out of their minds? First, there was Qin Miao; now, there was this mistress.
"Stop?" Susu shook her head!
Prince Ke raged, "Su, don’t think I really dare not kill you?"
Susu chuckled, "No need to be angry, Your Highness. Sixth Brother, Brother Lin’er have handed over the Ruan Family to you; I have no one to use and can only rely on others.
Frankly, my quest for justice for Miss Song is just an excuse for others to act; in reality, someone has targeted the Bai Family.
Your Highness and I are in the same boat; I’m warning you, the Bai Family has issues. Don’t suffer from a temporary loss for trivial matters."
Prince Ke was shocked but maintained a look of puzzlement: "The Bai Family is now righteous merchants; what issues could they have? And who did you seek help from?"
"If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, forget it. I’ve said everything; there’s nothing left to say, and no need to scare me.
My husband is fighting for Your Highness on the battlefield; if his pregnant wife dies in the Prince’s Villa, wouldn’t it be ’too unbearable’?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Ke froze, clearly displeased by mentions of pregnancy or double deaths.
Inwardly, Susu chuckled coldly. What were you doing before, pretending now!
"If Your Highness is done, I’ll go see Concubine Song and Ruan Concubine. I’ve heard Bai Concubine was released; please advise them to stay away from me, the further the better.
After all, Hong Sheng managed to have a child in his twenties; and you’re his mentor. If something happens under your watch, I doubt you’d feel good!"
Susu entered the inner courtyard, and as she went to Yuan Shan Residence, she really encountered Bai Lili.
Seeing Bai Lili in a silver-red jacket, Linlang and five little maids gathered around Susu calling her the master, while in front were Nanny Liu and Wei from the Song Family.
Bai Lili’s maid saw Susu and snapped: "Who are you, not saluting Concubine Bai when you see her?
Wei Rong’s maid mocked: "Our mistress holds the formal Fourth Rank title, awarded by the court and receives a stipend. A concubine is merely a Junior Fifth Rank; how dare you expect our mistress to salute?
We know you come from a humble background; read more in the future, so you don’t disgrace Prince Ke."
