Chapter 75 Why He Still Won't Let Her Go Despite the Dowry

On the fifth day after Shen's father was ordered to go to Luoyang to oversee the procurement of sacrificial offerings for the imperial mausoleum, the mansion was unusually quiet.

Fangru was practicing calligraphy in her study. A light rain was falling outside the window, and the scent of ink mingled with the damp smell of grass and trees. It should have been a peaceful afternoon.

"Miss, your aunt has arrived," Chun Tao announced softly.

Fangru put down her pen and stared at the blob of ink, lost in thought.

My aunt, Madam Shen Lin, was my father's younger sister, and we were close in the past. But her visit this time was definitely not just a simple visit.

She straightened her sleeves, tidied her hair in front of the bronze mirror, and then slowly walked towards the flower hall.

In the flower hall, Madam Shen Lin held a Ru kiln teacup, but her gaze was fixed on Fang Ru's waist and abdomen. Her eyes seemed to have hooks, making people feel uncomfortable.

After two rounds of tea, she finally put down her teacup and sighed softly, "Ru'er, your father repeatedly told me to take care of you before he left. He loves you and doesn't care about those rumors, but your cousin Li Shuo is still struggling for his career in the Ministry of Personnel!"

Madam Shen leaned forward, her tone urgent, "Several prominent families are interested in him. If word gets out that you're pregnant out of wedlock, which girl would still be willing to marry him?"

Before Fangru could speak, she pulled a gold-flecked name card from her sleeve and pushed it in front of Fangru: "These gentlemen were all handpicked by me. They come from respectable families, are of good character, and know you are pregnant. They all say they are willing to treat the child as their own. Look at this one—"

“Aunt,” Fangru said, her fingertips touching the coolness of the name card, then gently pushed it back, her voice calm but firm, “You’ve gone to so much trouble, I don’t need it.”

"Why are you so stubborn, child?" Madam Shen Lin said anxiously. "A woman always needs a place to belong. Do you really expect your father to support you for the rest of your life?"

"My father said he would support me for the rest of my life." Fangru looked up, a faint smile playing on her lips, but a hint of weariness was hidden beneath.

After seeing her aunt off, Fangru stood alone under the eaves for a long time.

Three days later, at dawn, as the vermilion gate of the Shen residence was pushed open halfway, Shen Linshi was seen standing under the porch with two figures.

She was wearing a brand-new royal blue satin jacket, her face beaming with a warm smile. Without waiting for the servants to announce her arrival, she pulled the person inside, saying, "Is Ru'er home? I've brought two distinguished guests."

Fangru was combing her long hair by the window when she heard the voice and knew it was her aunt.

She put down the peach wood comb, casually picked up the moon-white embroidered orchid vest and put it on. As she slowly walked out to greet them, she bumped into Madam Shen Lin leading the two of them toward the main hall.

Leading the way was the young master of Chen's Silk Shop in the east of the city, dressed in a lotus-colored Hangzhou silk robe with a lustrous jade pendant tied around his waist. The pendant swayed as he walked, and his eyes kept glancing at Fangru with a hint of deliberate obsequiousness.

Following behind was Liu, the second son of the Hanlin Academy editor. His blue cloth robe was worn and faded, with ink stains on the cuffs. Upon seeing Fangru, he hurriedly lowered his head, twisting his fingers around the hem of his robe, and said repeatedly, "Greetings, Miss Chen."

"Ru'er, this is Young Master Chen, from a wealthy family, and an upright man; this is Young Master Liu, well-educated and reasonable, with a promising future."

Madam Shen Lin took Fangru's hand and introduced the two women to each other, her tone full of matchmaking intent, "Both of you came here sincerely, knowing your situation, and you don't mind..."

Fangru withdrew her hand, sat down in the main seat, and gently stroked the crackled ice pattern on the edge of the teacup with her fingertips.

The warm tea failed to dispel the chill in her heart. She looked up at the two men, her voice calm yet firm: "Thank you for your kind offer, gentlemen, but I have no intention of getting married at the moment and dare not delay you."

"Miss Chen!" Young Master Chen exclaimed anxiously, taking half a step forward. "I truly don't mind that you're pregnant. I will treat the child as my own, and the family business will ensure that you and your daughter have no worries about food and clothing..."

“I mind,” Fangru interrupted him, gently placing the teacup on the table.

The crisp sound of porcelain colliding with the mahogany tabletop, like a soft clap of thunder, instantly silenced the noise in the hall.

She looked at Chen Gongzi's hand, which was frozen in mid-air, and then at Liu Gongzi's flushed face, and added, "I don't want to wrong myself, nor do I want to delay your future. I hope you will understand."

After seeing the two off, Madam Shen paced back and forth in the hall, her handkerchief twisted into a ball in her hand. "Ru'er, you're so stubborn! Young Master Chen is wealthy, and Young Master Liu is learned. Wouldn't either of them be a good match? But you insist on..."

“Aunt,” Fangru interrupted her softly, “this is no child’s play. I will come to your courtyard in person tomorrow to explain in detail. Let me have some peace and quiet today, okay?”

Seeing that she looked haggard, Madam Shen Lin didn't say anything more and just sighed as she left.

The next day, as soon as it was light, Fangru got up to wash and dress.

She chose a simple light pink silk dress, covered with a silver-gray embroidered bamboo vest, and loosely tied her black hair into a round bun, adorned only with a jade hairpin.

The drizzle had just stopped, and shallow puddles of water clung to the bluestone path, reflecting the gray sky. She walked slowly through the puddles toward the west courtyard where her aunt was staying, knowing that this trip would inevitably require a lot of persuasion.

Upon entering the west courtyard, Madam Shen Lin was sitting under the eaves drinking tea.

Upon seeing Fangru arrive, she put down her teacup, her expression still showing some displeasure: "So you've come. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"

Fangru sat down beside her, reaching out to grasp her aunt's slightly cool hand, her voice earnest: "Aunt, I know you mean well, but I really don't want to get married. Father said he'll support me for life, and all I want to do is stay with him and live a peaceful life." She paused, then added, "Please don't bring up marriage proposals again."

Just as Madam Shen was about to retort, the sound of the steward's hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

He was sweating profusely from running, and before he could even catch his breath, he shouted in a panic, "Miss! Madam! Something terrible has happened! Someone delivered several boxes of betrothal gifts to the door, dropped them off, and left without even leaving their name!"

"Nonsense!" Madam Shen frowned, her tone tinged with anger. "What kind of betrothal gifts are these? Not even a name left! Are you here to cause trouble? Bring them in and let us see!"

Before long, eight heavy mahogany chests were laboriously carried into the courtyard by four servants.

The box was decorated with bright red "double happiness" characters, which stood out against the dim light of the day. Next to it were two small black lacquered mother-of-pearl boxes, which were carved with exquisite lotus patterns and looked like they were not ordinary objects.

Shen Lin's curiosity overcame her anger. She stepped forward and lifted the lid of the first mahogany chest. Inside, a layer of bright yellow brocade was laid out, upon which were neatly stacked several bolts of fine cloud brocade—red, orange, yellow, and green—the colors vibrant and shimmering with a soft sheen in the light. "This material is quite nice," she nodded with a smile. She then lifted the lid of the second chest, which contained a complete set of red gold headdresses: phoenix hairpins, hair ornaments, bracelets, and earrings. Each piece was exquisitely crafted and clearly of considerable value.

The third box contained pearls from the East China Sea, each one round and full, the largest being the size of a thumb; the fourth box contained Hetian jade, carved into jade ruyi scepters and jade ornaments, warm and translucent. Madam Shen Lin grew increasingly pleased with what she saw, turning to Fangru and smiling, "It seems this family is quite wealthy; perhaps they are some noble or royal family..."

As she spoke, she reached for the two black lacquered mother-of-pearl boxes, wanting to see what valuable items were inside.

The moment my fingers touched the clasp of the box, I gently pried it open.

But the next second, Shen Linshi's smile froze on her face.

"ah!"

A piercing scream shattered the morning tranquility, startling the sparrows outside the courtyard into a flurry of flight.

Shen Linshi's eyes rolled back, and her body fell straight backward. Fortunately, the maid behind her reacted quickly and stepped forward to support her, preventing her from falling to the ground.

Fangru heard the scream, her heart tightened, and she quickly ran over.

Following her aunt's horrified gaze into the boxes, her face instantly turned deathly pale. Inside the two boxes lay the heads of Young Master Chen and Young Master Liu, who had visited the day before! Their eyes were wide open, their pupils filled with extreme terror, and dark red blood was seeping from the severed necks. The blood dripped down the seams of the boxes, staining the bluestone slab with a small, dark mark.

Fangru felt a churning in her stomach and hurriedly covered her mouth with a handkerchief. She took several steps back until her back hit a pillar, at which point she could barely stand.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and her voice quivered: "Quick... quick, get a doctor! Help my aunt inside! Hurry!"

The maids hurriedly responded and helped Madam Shen into the inner room.

The courtyard fell silent instantly, with only Fangru's rapid breathing remaining. The bright red of the "double happiness" character on the mahogany box and the dark red of the blood inside intertwined in a blinding red before her eyes.

Fangru suppressed her nausea and slowly moved towards the boxes.

She dared not look at the two boxes again, her gaze sweeping over the betrothal gifts in the other mahogany boxes: sandalwood screens, ivory carvings, calligraphy and paintings by famous people... each item was priceless, but at this moment, in her eyes, these precious things seemed to be stained with blood, exuding a suffocating eeriness.

"Investigate..." she ordered the arriving butler, her voice trembling, "Investigate immediately who sent these things! Find out their origins!"

Just as the housekeeper was about to respond, Fangru suddenly stopped.

Such ruthless methods, such an arrogant style, such a disregard for human life... who else could it be but that person?

But just as this thought crossed his mind, the wound on his right abdomen suddenly began to throb.

She instinctively covered the wound; the scar hadn't fully healed, and even a slight touch caused a sharp pain.

She recalled that day at the Dark Fragrance Pavilion when she was stabbed by Huang Jiang, her clothes soaked in blood. Zhou Ling was standing not far away, yet he didn't even glance at her, turning away without hesitation to chase after the fugitive. She also recalled the days since she'd heard a single word from the palace; it was as if he'd completely forgotten her, his indifference utterly inhuman…

"Impossible..." she murmured to herself, her fingertips icy cold. "He clearly... clearly didn't care about me anymore... how could this be..."

"Miss! Miss!" Chun Tao rushed out of the inner room in a panic, her face as pale as paper. "It's terrible! Auntie has woken up, but she's been trembling and can't speak! Young Master has arrived and is in the room with Auntie now!"

Fangru suddenly came to her senses and took one last look at the boxes. The bright red "double happiness" characters, the valuable betrothal gifts, and the horrifying heads were like a bizarre painting, deeply imprinted in her mind.

She turned and walked into the inner room, her skirt sweeping across the puddles on the bluestone slabs, leaving some water stains, but her steps were heavier than when she came.

If it really is him... what exactly does he want? In this life, she only wants to stay away from the palace and away from him, so why won't he let her go?