Chapter 403 Shen Da

Li Mingde shoved Lin Changning from behind, saying, "Stop talking nonsense and go to the main hall to see what's going on."

Qi Rong also looked at Li Mingxiu with slight disapproval: "Brother, it's too hasty to push Xiao Liu up to take the blame. Let's go to the main hall and see first."

After saying that, Qi Rong glanced at Lin Changning and said, "Come with us to the main hall first, and we'll see what's going on before we talk about it."

Since Brother Qi had spoken, Lin Changning naturally couldn't refuse anymore. However, her heart sank to the bottom. The princess knew her own identity, and marrying anyone else would be better than marrying her. But for now, she should go to the main hall to see what the situation was.

The four of them walked quickly to the main hall. When Lin Chang arrived at the door, he saw the pale-faced, unsteady-stepping young man standing in the middle.

His appearance was certainly not bad, but his dark circles and overall unpleasant demeanor made him look like a spoiled brat at first glance.

Shen Shijia stood in the center, bowing respectfully to the Prince of Chu: "Your Highness, I promise that I will be extremely considerate to the Princess after the marriage. From now on, if the Princess points east, I will never dare to go west, and I will certainly respect the Princess."

The King of Chu did not look too good. The head of the Shen family only had this one legitimate son, who was born a playboy who was proficient in eating, drinking, gambling and whoring.

If he were just a playboy, that would be one thing, but the eldest son of the Shen family had two wives. It is said that the first one was beaten to death, and the second one died in a power struggle within the inner quarters.

Shu'er is kind-hearted and dislikes conflict. If she were to marry into the Shen family...

After a moment of contemplation, the King of Chu looked at the eldest son of the Shen family and asked, "Why do you suddenly ask to marry Shu'er? You should know that my Shu'er has already been married and has a daughter with the man from the Ji family."

The eldest son of the Shen family nodded: "Of course I know, but Your Highness also knows that I have lost two wives. It would be somewhat unsuitable for me to marry the young princess. If it were the eldest princess, since she is divorced and I am a widow, we would be a perfect match."

The King of Chu gripped the teacup tightly, and with a crisp sound, the teacup shattered in his hand. The eldest son of the Shen family continued to speak arrogantly below.

The King of Chu casually tossed aside the shards in his hand, took the handkerchief handed to him by the eunuch, and without a trace of expression, gently wiped his palms behind the table.

The eldest son of the Shen family had his own calculations for wanting to marry Li Mingshu. The Shen family's dispatch of 5,000 troops to assist the Prince of Chu was not for nothing. If it weren't for the princess's fiery and difficult personality, the eldest son of the Shen family would not have considered the princess who brought a daughter with her.

What the Shen family wanted was for them to profit after the King of Chu succeeded. The most convenient and stable way to form an alliance was to ask for a princess in marriage. They would lend the King of Chu troops, and the King of Chu would marry one of his daughters to him.

If things go smoothly, the next successor of the Shen family will be the son-in-law of the Prince of Chu and the consort of the princess's mansion. Although the consort may not have much real power, having this connection will allow the other members of the Shen family to climb the social ladder.

The head of the Shen family knew his eldest son's character, so he started planning for his son's future. When he happened to come across the banquet where the King of Chu was looking at his two sons, he had an idea to ask for a princess for his son.

Shen Shijia had his own plans. The eldest princess was known for her gentleness and virtue when she was still a young lady, a model of a noblewoman. He currently has three concubines, each with a son. If he were to marry the fiery young princess, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't harm his concubines and children in the future.

If the couple's marriage is not smooth, they are likely to fall out with the Chu King's family. Everyone knows that the Chu King loves his children. After thinking it over, he decided to ask for the hand of the gentle and kind eldest princess.

However, the eldest princess already has a daughter, so the two are not a good match. If she is to enter the Shen family, this child certainly cannot enter the Shen family with her.

Thinking of this, the eldest son of the Shen family bowed to the Prince of Chu again: "Your Highness, the troops will arrive in Taiyuan by the end of this month. What do you think of my marriage to the princess?"

As Li Mingxiu strode into the main hall, the members of the noble families sitting on both sides quickly stood up and bowed to him.

Li Mingxiu, followed by Qi Rong and a few others, casually waved his hand and stared at the eldest son of the Shen family with an unfriendly expression, loudly refusing, "My sister will not marry into your Shen family! Young Master Shen, you'd better give up on this idea!"

The eldest son of the Shen family turned his head and saw Li Mingxiu walking past him. His expression stiffened, but he still remembered his manners and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Li Mingxiu and the others.

Li Mingxiu stood beside the eldest son of the Shen family, watching his father bow. After standing up, he said, "Father, Shu'er has just returned home. There's no need for her to rush into marriage."

The eldest son of the Shen family stared at Li Mingxiu with a displeased expression, and said politely, "I wonder what dissatisfaction the young master has with my Shen family? I have come here sincerely to ask for the hand of the eldest princess, and my troops will arrive in Taiyuan at the end of the month to assist the prince in his uprising!"

Li Mingxiu flicked his sleeves and stared at the eldest son of the Shen family with disgust in his eyes: "I'm not dissatisfied with the Shen family, I'm dissatisfied with you. You lost two wives, have countless concubines in your harem, and even have quite a few illegitimate sons, right? How dare you ask to marry my Shu'er?"

The eldest son of the Shen family pursed his lips, anger rising in his heart, but he still remembered that this was the territory of the Prince of Chu. He clenched his fists tightly and looked at Li Mingxiu, saying, "The concubines I took in out of ignorance will not affect the princess's status in the mansion. Moreover, the Ji family announced the letter of divorce to the world a few days ago. I believe my family background is good, and I am here with the sincerity to help the Prince of Chu and the heir. If they do not choose me, I doubt that other noble families would dare to marry a woman who has been divorced!"

Li Mingxiu's face flushed with anger, his fists clenched tightly: "You! How dare you insult my sister!"

The eldest son of the Shen family bowed respectfully to Li Mingxiu again, but his tone contained a hint of threat as he said, "I dare not, I am merely stating the facts. Young Master, my Shen family is indeed going to provide five thousand troops. If you do not wish for the Shen family to assist, then just pretend I did not say anything. It was my abruptness."

Qi Rong frowned as he watched the eldest son of the Shen family look at the King of Chu with a threatening tone.

The King of Chu was getting a headache from the noise. He certainly wanted the Shen family's soldiers, but Shu'er had already traded her marriage for her elder brother's safety and Taiyuan's peace for so many years, giving him time to accumulate strength. Now, if he were to sacrifice Shu'er's happiness again for 5,000 soldiers, the King of Chu really couldn't bear it.

As Lin Changning listened to Li Mingshu being openly and subtly belittled by the eldest son of the Shen family, she gritted her teeth. She really wanted to punch this arrogant person.

However, seeing the gloomy-faced prince above, Lin Changning ultimately did not dare to make a move. The importance of the Shen family's five thousand soldiers to the prince at this moment is self-evident.