A few days later.
Word had it that the managing eunuch got up in the night, stepped on crushed ice, accidentally hit his head, and died on the spot.
It was a pity to lose such a good manager.
The young eunuchs at the dog-rearing quarters even shed a few tears.
This memory ended with De Shun saving an outside minister's daughter from a dog's mouth, earning him a transfer to a better position. Su Ning watched him silently bury the dog he had raised for two years—
A pet that had harmed someone, no matter how precious, would not be allowed to live in the palace.
Have a safe journey to the afterlife.
Su Ning silently prayed in her heart. He shouldn't be blamed; the dog had an incurable disease anyway, so living was just torture. It was better to pass on early and be reincarnated sooner.
Once out of the dog-rearing quarters, De Shun was like a dragon entering the sea.
The memories began to skip continuously.
Sometimes, Su Ning saw him forming cliques and plotting to frame his rivals. Other times, he angered his masters and was beaten so badly he couldn't get out of bed, hovering near death.
But mostly, he was learning, watching, and listening.
He learned the palace etiquette and rules, how to walk, sit, lie down, live, and eat. He mastered the masters' preferences, studied poetry, the Four Books and Five Classics, and learned to gamble with Pai Gow and dice.
From heaven to earth, he had to learn everything.
Su Ning also saw Half-Immortal Su when he was a child. Eunuchs had no heirs, so when De Shun climbed to a certain position, he also considered adopting an heir for himself.
He held grudges and was petty.
No matter how much his biological brothers begged and made a fuss, he refused to adopt their children.
Instead, he picked from within the clan.
After much selection, he chose a clan nephew who was already married with children. This massive pie falling from the sky not only stunned the nephew but also left the other Su clan members bewildered.
No, why was that?
Didn't people usually adopt young children so they could raise them to be loyal? If not, shouldn't they choose someone smart, educated, and promising?
Because the father's status was elevated by the son!
Su Ning sighed. It was truly strange. Half-Immortal Su and De Shun were separated by more than five generations of blood, yet they looked sixty or seventy percent alike.
And that was only because Half-Immortal Su was still young.
When he grew older, they might look even more alike!
So facts proved that Half-Immortal Su truly had great luck. Su Ning made a decision in her heart: from now on, whenever she was undecided, she would consult Half-Immortal Su.
Days passed by one by one.
As he grew older and his position stabilized, De Shun's memories passed even faster.
A single skip would often cover several years, and it wouldn't last long before moving to the next segment. The longest and most profound part was when he fled the palace with his masters, leading a life of wandering and hardship.
By then, half of De Shun's hair had turned white.
Su Ning thought several times that he would die on that journey, but in the end, he returned to the palace alive. Having shared hardships with his masters, his power grew even greater.
It seemed he would continue to be illustrious forever.
Eight years later.
Under the Empress Dowager's orders, De Shun delivered nourishing medicinal meals to the frail and sickly Emperor. Once, while delivering ginseng chicken soup, he felt the smell of the ginseng was a bit off, wondering if it wasn't aged enough.
Fearing someone was playing tricks to get him punished.
Taking the opportunity to taste the dish, he drank a small half bowl. He felt nothing at the time.
However, it flared up after he returned. He suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhea, and later even began vomiting blood. Knowing things were bad, he covered his face and secretly sought a doctor for treatment.
The answer he received struck him like lightning.
He was certainly going to die.
Sure enough, someone from the palace soon came to summon him. They called it a summons, but it looked like if he refused to go, he would be dragged in. De Shun accepted his fate.
Before leaving, he didn't even leave half a word for his family.
Inside the towering, warm palace, the person behind the bead curtain didn't even look at De Shun and let out a long sigh:
You, you've been cautious your whole life, why did you have to taste that mouthful of soup?
Still lack the blessing.
Su Ning left the memory.
Her last thought was, yes, the Su family seemed to have no blessings, starting from Eunuch Su.
......
After returning to reality.
Su Ning sat blankly in her chair for a long time. Looking at the resplendent decorations of the Peiping Grand Hotel, her mind recalled scenes that were even more luxurious and majestic.
Host, Host, are you alright?
The system asked carefully.
Seeing that she still had no reaction, it suddenly grew anxious. It had finally found a host with a chance of success, it couldn't just let her be ruined like this.
Suddenly, a message popped up on the interface.
Overjoyed, it turned up the volume.
Ding, detected task target being heartless in wealth, first-tier plot character Guan Jixing, second-tier plot characters Guan Wenwu, Madam Guan, née Liu, third-tier plot characters...
A loud broadcast voice, a series of shocking names.
Sure enough.
Su Ning's eyes instantly shifted from blank reminiscence to sharp scrutiny. She stood up and carefully studied the list, immediately spotting the name of the male lead from the original story arc.
The other names were also familiar.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. She had long investigated everyone of any importance in the Guan family; they were all plot characters!
Could it be that in the real world, more than just a second has passed, but rather half a month?
Su Ning felt this doubt was very familiar, as if she had had it before. So, why was it that these people always got bullied on their own and dropped rewards without her even having met them?
It really made one doubt oneself, alright!
At least go through the process properly.
Are you saying the Guan family wants to raise the price?
In the car, upon hearing Lin Sen's report, Su Ning's eyes and brows radiated surprise. Wanting to raise the price wasn't strange; sellers of houses at all times and in all countries shared this mindset.
But she hadn't even finalized that she would definitely buy it, nor had she even made an offer yet.
Was this the confidence of an arc protagonist?
Yes, Eldest Young Madame Jin sent someone over to apologize first, saying her maiden family was too anxious and their minds weren't clear. She blamed herself for not handling things well and asked you not to be angry.
Lin Sen answered carefully.
In his heart, he couldn't help but curse the entire Guan family. They didn't bring it up earlier or later, but chose to make a fuss right when the Miss was heading to their house.
Now he also bore the responsibility for an oversight!
He looked up to observe Su Ning's expression, but suddenly his gaze paused.
Was it an illusion? Why did he feel the Miss was different from before? It was clearly the same face, but her whole being was more relaxed and composed... and more majestic.
It actually reminded him of the destitute princes of the previous dynasty he had seen when he used to mix on the streets...
This thought flashed by.
Lin Sen didn't think too much about it, turning instead to lower his head slightly and softly ask for instructions:
Miss, the Guan family is being so nonsensical, we should show them some color. How about we skip going to the Guan family today, and I'll go have a chat with their creditors instead?
Still wanting to raise the price, bah.
Once massive debts came knocking, it would be the Guan family begging them to buy.
We already made an appointment, how can we go back on our word?
Su Ning surprisingly rejected his proposal, though her indifferent face harbored unmelting frost. She waved her hand, signaling the car to start.
They sped all the way, kicking up large clouds of dust.
The servants arranged by Guan Xiunian saw them from afar and hurriedly went to report to their masters. The other Guan family masters also received the news, and their hearts immediately settled.
They felt there was still a lot of hope for a price increase.
See, Su Ning came after all.
Mrs. Guan couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth, urging her husband: A visitor is a guest. Even though the house can't just be sold like this, we still need to meet her.
The others thought it made sense and joined in persuading him. Master Guan half-heartedly agreed.
They opened the main gate.
A group of people stood not far from the entrance. Spotting the imposing motorcade and the crowd approaching from a distance, they subconsciously smoothed out their clothes. Old Master Guan cleared his throat, having already rehearsed exactly how he would emphasize the preciousness of the old family estate and bemoan their recent hardships.
"Don't stop. Keep driving straight."
Su Ning instructed coolly.
The driver hesitated in surprise for a brief second before choosing to carry out the order. Slamming his foot on the gas pedal, he charged straight through the main gates. The mud kicked up by the spinning tires splattered right across the faces of the Guan family.
Then came the second car...
