Chapter 81 Chapter 81 He finally returned home.

Zhu Yinluan was too direct, and Mrs. Shen was stumped by her question.

For a moment, there was silence.

She originally thought that it would take some more effort to bring up this topic, but she didn't expect Zhu Yinluan to actually say it.

There was no warning, it happened unexpectedly.

What she saw was Zhu Yinluan looking at her seriously, and there seemed to be no jealousy in her eyes.

Maybe? After all, Chen Kouyu said that Zhu Yinluan also liked Shen Jingzhan.

If you like it, then you must care about it.

All women should be generous. It is one of their responsibilities as mistresses to take concubines for their husbands and expand the family.

Zhu Yinluan knew the general situation. Maybe she really cared about it, but it was not obvious.

It's a good thing to be able to pretend. She did a good job today at the Meng family.

Mrs. Shen came back to her senses and put down the teacup in her hand.

"You noticed?" she said, choosing her words.

Zhu Yinluan nodded but didn't say anything.

Mrs. Shen felt embarrassed for the first time, but fortunately, there were only two of them at the moment, and Zhu Yinluan's personal maids were not around. If she talked to her, those people would not hear her, so she was not so worried that the conversation would reach Shen Jingzhan's ears.

Mrs. Shen was well aware of her own son's nature. If she wanted to take a concubine from him, she was afraid that it would be impossible to stop him and he might even talk back at her.

The best way is to follow Zhu Yinluan's approach, convince Zhu Yinluan first, and let Zhu Yinluan convince Shen Jingzhan.

"Mother-in-law also knows that you will be unhappy if I bring up the matter of Xiaofang at this critical juncture, but... there is nothing we can do about it."

Madam Shen's tone softened, and for the first time she called her affectionately, "Yinluan, just think of it as your mother-in-law apologizing to you."

"Some of these words may not be pleasant to hear, but I know you are a sensible girl and won't take it to heart. I will discuss this with you today, and I think it will comfort you, but don't take it to heart."

Zhu Yinluan looked at Madam Shen and nodded quietly without saying anything.

Seeing her move, Madam Shen heaved a sigh of relief and said to her, "You have seen Ting Lan's current situation in the court. He is walking on thin ice. Even with the help of the Shen family and your father-in-law, there will always be times when he can't protect you. If you make even the slightest mistake, you will be doomed."

"When aristocratic families marry, it doesn't matter if they are evenly matched in strength, but they must be well matched in social status. You have good temperament and ability, but your background is really too poor."

In short, there is no way to help Shen Jingzhan's career.

"Of course, I'm not picking on you, your mother-in-law. You've been married for a few months. Take a look at how the people in your family treat you."

Zhu Yinluan nodded again, and this time she spoke, her voice as soft and gentle as ever, "My family treats me very well."

To be honest, it was already very good that a noble family like the Shen family could treat her well.

The Wei family is not as well-off as the Shen family, and the Wei family always despises and hates her. Her life in the Shen family is a thousand times more comfortable than in the Wei family. The two are completely incomparable.

"My mother-in-law is generous, my grandmother is kind, my father-in-law is amiable, and my aunt is even better." Chen Kouyu has a righteous heart. She has never looked down on her because of her background. She even speaks for her, asking Madam Shen not to take a concubine and to cherish her like a daughter.

"You said yourself that our Shen family treats you well, right?"

Zhu Yinluan nodded again, feeling a faint bitterness in her heart.

Madam Shen continued, "I also know that your birth is not something you can decide. It's just that you were not born into a good family."

She sighed and continued to persuade him earnestly, "Yinluan, I know that Tinglan loves you very much and values you. In order to marry you, you may not know that he almost turned the whole family upside down. Your father-in-law, your grandmother, and I were all... "

Speaking of this, Mrs. Shen sighed heavily.

Even when Old Mrs. Shen pretended to be sick, he ignored her and still spoke the same way. As a mother, she could do nothing about it.

Everyone said that Shen Jingzhan loved and valued her.

Is this true?

Zhu Yinluan was silent, her thoughts were gripped and squeezed by these two sentences, entangled in them. She could no longer tell whether it was true or not. The things she had discovered in the past were lingering in her mind, making it difficult for her to feel cheerful for a long time.

Mrs. Shen didn't know what she was thinking, but she continued talking.

To put it bluntly, that was actually the case. Her family background was not high enough to help Shen Jingzhan. If something happened to Shen Jingzhan in the future, she could only worry about it and then talk about the clean civil servants of the Meng family.

In the officialdom, he could provide some help to Shen Jingzhan to a certain extent.

She also said that he was the person she had carefully selected. Meng Yun had a quiet temperament, did not make noise, and would not compete for favors. It would save her a lot of trouble to have him in the room in the future.

"You are now nearly four months pregnant, so you must have been born before her. To make up for you, if your child is a boy in the future, I will let your father-in-law decide and pass on the title to Tinglan, who will inherit it. I will ask all the relatives in my family to witness this matter. Are you relieved?"

Zhu Yinluan didn't say anything, nor did she nod this time.

She was wondering, did Mrs. Shen know that Shen Jingzhan had told her that if he took a concubine, he would be dismissed from office and stripped of his title?

You probably don't know, right?

"If someone from the Meng family comes to marry into the family, it will not only help Tinglan in the future, but also be a benefit to your offspring. You are a girl from a poor family, so you must know the pain of struggling in misery, right? Is it possible that you also want your son and daughter to live such a life in the future?"

When persuading someone, one must speak to the heart, so Madam Shen began to tell Zhu Yinluan what benefits would come to her if this marriage went through.

"I understand your concerns, and don't worry. As long as your father-in-law and I are here, we will never let anyone from the Meng family dominate you."

“What do you think?” As they were almost at the Shen family’s house, Mrs. Shen lowered her voice.

No matter good or bad, Mrs. Shen had said it. What else could Zhu Yinluan say? She nodded and said, "My wife knows."

Although it was not stated directly, Mrs. Shen felt much more at ease with these words.

Today, Shen Jingzhan still didn't come back, but he asked someone to send back silk and cakes.

Silk is the material for tribute. Looking at the entire capital, there are only a few in the palace. His subordinates said that it was a reward from Shen Jingzhan for his merits, and asked her to give it to the little maid to make clothes for her. As for the cakes, they were freshly made from the imperial kitchen, so she could try them.

Jiaohui didn't dare to get close to Zhu Yinluan these days, and just did the rough work in the yard. Chen Jingzhan asked her to look after Zhu Yinluan and she couldn't leave.

Zhu Yinluan has been very quiet these days and has never called her over to ask questions, which is indeed a bit unsettling.

Today she observed Zhu Yinluan's reaction through the window.

She looked quietly at the beautiful silk, stroked it with her hand, and then stared at the cakes in a daze.

When everyone around her thought she wouldn't eat it, she picked up the cake, tasted a piece, and ate it slowly and quietly.

Shen Jingzhan's subordinates said, "Your Excellency has been busy lately, and I dare not say much about the affairs of the court. I will explain it to you when he comes back."

Explain what?

To explain his busyness these days, or to explain the things he did secretly?

"Your health is precious now, you must rest well and never get angry."

"The Lord also asked me to tell you that he is very concerned about you."

Hearing this, Zhu Yinluan's hand paused slightly, "......"

Perhaps because they were afraid that Zhu Yinluan would leave secretly, many more people were sent to the courtyard during these days. Not only were they keeping an eye on Zhu Yinluan, but they were also keeping an eye on the servants in the courtyard.

Those sent here are all masters from the Palace.

Moreover, every day when Zhu Yinluan went out, she had to report to Shen Jingzhan who she met and what she said, and not a single word could be wrong.

"Yeah." Zhu Yinluan finished a small piece of cake, nodded, and went to take a bath.

While Mingya was helping her wash and dress, she asked her how she felt about staying at the Meng family today.

Zhu Yinluan closed her eyes, thinking in silence about what Madam Shen had said to her today.

Ming Ya and the maids who accompanied her probably didn’t hear what Madam Shen said to her.

Therefore, it was not clear that she had already spoken to Mrs. Shen.

Seeing that she remained silent, Ming Ya continued, "I feel that Madam seems..."

"Seems what?" Zhu Yinluan spoke at this time.

"It seems like you want to marry into the Meng family?" Since it concerns the reputation of the two families, Ming Ya spoke in a rather vague way and in a low voice before the matter was officially finalized.

"I don't know." Zhu Yinluan played dumb.

"Miss, you are recovering from your illness now, so you shouldn't worry too much about these matters." Mingya saw that Shen Jingzhan still loved Zhu Yinluan very much. Although he was extremely busy with the affairs of the court, he never forgot her.

"By the way, I heard something about the Zhu family. Do you want to know?" Ming Ya asked while wiping her hair.

"What's up?"

"Miss's matter."

Zhu Yinluan opened her eyes and looked over. Mingya took a handkerchief from the side and said, "The eldest lady was unable to change her mind, so she got married anyway. On the day of her wedding, that..."

"Go on." Zhu Yinluan was waiting for the next words.

Mingya stumbled, "On the day the eldest lady got married, Madam Wei choked."

Pangzi, is she dead?

Zhu Yinluan's pupils suddenly shrank. The last time she heard news about her was also from Mingya, who said that she seemed to be dying. But unexpectedly, she actually died on the day her eldest sister got married.

"Are the Zhu and Wei families still in contact?" Zhu Yinluan asked.

"It seems to be gone." Mingya wiped the water droplets on the back of her neck, applied some hair oil and wrapped it up.

"Then how could Madam Wei die on the day of my eldest sister's wedding?"

"Perhaps he was provoked by something. Miss, you also know that the Zhu family and the Wei family were originally going to get married."

This is indeed the case. Ponzi is arrogant and easily gets angry most of the time.

"The eldest lady didn't hold a wedding banquet."

"Didn't you do it?" Zhu Yinluan looked uninterested.

Ming Ya nodded, "Yes, they said that a second marriage doesn't need a big celebration, so they sent the bridal sedan to the door after choosing a date, and even Old Prince Guo didn't go to pick up the bride."

"Also, Mrs. Zhu is also ill."

"Fell sick?" Unexpectedly, so many things happened in the Zhu family.

"Yes, the Zhu family doesn't have a manager now. I also heard that the eldest daughter doesn't have much dowry because the Zhu family can't make ends meet. They have to keep some money in hand to find a way to talk to the eldest master. After all, the lawsuit has not been resolved yet."

Zhu Yinluan stopped talking.

"The prince didn't let you go out a while ago, perhaps because he was afraid that the Zhu family would pester you. I heard from the old lady who was watching the corner gate that there was always someone sneaking around the door. We caught him and questioned him, and found out that he was sent by the Zhu family. This matter was not reported to the public, so the lady and the old lady didn't know about it."

Seeing that Zhu Yinluan seemed to be less interested in Shen Jingzhan these days, she mentioned him appropriately and at the right time.

How could Zhu Yinluan not sense her "ulterior motives"? She glanced at her and said nothing.

Mingya felt a little guilty when she looked at her, and didn't say anything.

When Zhu Yinluan came out of the bathtub and was wiping her body, he spoke, "Dresses are not thin in autumn. You are only wearing underwear, but your figure can still be seen."

Zhu Yinluan lowered her eyes and saw that her belly was slightly bulging.

During the day, Mrs. Shen and Old Lady Shen both said that she didn't show her figure, but in fact, no one could feel it more than she did. She felt the baby in her belly growing day by day, and now it was almost April.

"Miss, what on earth is that perfumed lotion you mentioned earlier?"

Even though Mingya listened to the whole process, she had no idea what had happened. When she asked Jiaohui, she also said she didn't know.

"It's nothing, it's just that this scented dew is a little strange. Keep it carefully, and I will give it to my husband when he comes back."

Mingya reassures her.

"I'm a little sleepy, let's take a rest." Anyway, Shen Jingzhan will not come back today.

Even if Mingya wanted to continue speaking, she could not say anything more. She extinguished the candle and left only a small glass lamp.

Zhu Yinluan originally just closed her eyes and dozed off, and fell asleep unknowingly.

The next day, when she got up, Mingya said that fresh and hot cakes and porridge had been delivered from the palace.

"The cooking skills in the palace look good. Miss, please try it soon." After washing up, Ming Ya had already brought the food to Zhu Yinluan.

It really whets your appetite.

Since he is busy, why should he care about her?

After staring for a long time, Zhu Yinluan finally moved the silver spoon.

Madam Shen originally wanted to ask Zhu Yinluan to come over for dinner, but when she heard that Shen Jingzhan had brought it to her from the palace, she did not send anyone to call her.

After breakfast, she asked Zhu Yinluan to come over to help, assigned her some light work, and asked her to help with the accounts.

Zhu Yinluan did not look at it as quickly as before, but checked the accounts slowly.

I have been in Mrs. Shen's yard all day checking accounts with the wives of the housekeepers. Silver is taken from the accounting office and will be distributed to the maids soon.

Naturally, dinner was eaten at Mrs. Shen's place.

The imperial court will probably be in turmoil in the future, because Lord Shen was sent to the camp outside the capital and has not returned for several days.

The next day, when he went to visit the old lady, the imperial physician who came to the house checked the old lady's health and took Zhu Yinluan's pulse.

The imperial physician said that Zhu Yinluan's pulse was better than before, and her complexion also looked much better.

Chen Kouyu's prescription was indeed effective, but Zhu Yinluan did not mention it in front of others.

Hearing the imperial physician say this, Madam Shen and Old Lady Shen felt relieved.

Madam Shen sent the doctor out. Old Madam Shen looked at Zhu Yinluan, beckoned her to sit next to her, took her hand and looked around, "Not bad, you look much better than a few days ago."

Mainly her complexion, it seems to have recovered a lot.

"Thank you for your concern, grandmother. You must take good care of yourself as well." The imperial physician said that Mrs. Shen's illness might not be cured. As people age, their bodies are always unable to do what they want.

"I'm fine, but don't worry, I'll be able to hold on until the day you give birth." Old Mrs. Shen glanced at Zhu Yinluan's belly.

There was still no sign of pregnancy, but after hearing what the imperial physician said, Mrs. Shen felt a lot more relieved.

She also asked Zhu Yinluan about her recent diet and daily life, and Zhu Yinluan told her everything.

When she heard her say that she had eaten some cakes and porridge sent from the palace, Old Lady Shen smiled and said, "I was saying, Tinglan, I always think of you."

Zhu Yinluan curled her lips and smiled along with Old Lady Shen.

"By the way, I heard from my mother that your mother-in-law took you to the Meng family the other day?"

"Yes." Zhu Yinluan still let Old Lady Shen hold her hand, and the other party was observing her expression.

"Your mother-in-law's mind can never stop."

Zhu Yinluan is not stupid. It is impossible that Old Lady Shen only found out today that Madam Shen took her to the Meng family. Moreover, the two families have been in contact for so long, and Madam Shen had previously let Meng Yun live in the Shen family for some time.

Even though Old Madam Shen has been recuperating in Yunmei Hall and has never left the house, people around her tell her about the Shen family's affairs every day.

Therefore, Zhu Yinluan knew very well that Old Lady Shen was not asking questions, but testing her attitude.

That day in the carriage, Madam Shen said a lot to her, but she did not express her attitude directly. In the past few days, Madam Shen might have been anxious.

But it was not convenient to ask directly, so Old Lady Shen stepped in.

Zhu Yinluan understood it all, but at this moment she didn’t know what to say. Should she refute?

After thinking about it, Zhu Yinluan just smiled.

Old Mrs. Shen looked at her little face, patted the back of her hand and let go of her hand.

After a moment, Mrs. Shen asked, "Do you disagree with your mother-in-law's decision?"

Zhu Yinluan shook her head, "...No, it's just..."

It’s just that she felt sad, with an indescribable bitterness and depression.

She didn't know what to say.

Knowing what she should say, she also tried to say something that Mrs. Shen wanted to hear.

But it seemed that this matter would not end until she got to the point.

"Just what?" asked Old Mrs. Shen.

Zhu Yinluan choked for a while, then she shook her head and said it was nothing.

The two hands hanging under the wide sleeves were clenched.

Old Madam Shen noticed her movements and raised her hand to let the old ladies serving around go down. Then she spoke to Zhu Yinluan, "There's no one around now. Talk to grandma. What do you think?"

Even if there were no outsiders around, Zhu Yinluan still couldn't completely let down her guard. She had become accustomed to concealing herself.

"Grandson's wife has nothing to say."

Old Madam Shen hit the nail on the head, "You don't want to hear that Lan has accepted Meng's concubine, right?"

Zhu Yinluan paused for a moment, and there was no reaction on her face for a long time, but her hands hidden under her sleeves were clenching extremely tightly.

After a long moment she nodded, but then shook her head.

Old Madam Shen said, "Why hide anything from grandma? If it's yes, it's yes. If it's no, it's no."

"I don't know..." Zhu Yinluan murmured this sentence after a long silence.

Old Mrs. Shen looked at her furrowed brows and extremely conflicted expression.

I was shocked to find that there might be a problem between Zhu Yinluan and Shen Jingzhan, and it was a big problem.

Otherwise, Zhu Yinluan’s mood would not have become like this.

Mrs. Shen, who originally wanted to intervene in the affairs of the Meng family, hesitated. She first asked Zhu Yinluan tentatively, "What happened recently? Are you too tired?"

Zhu Yinluan said no, and she did not continue the conversation with Old Lady Shen. She said directly, "Mother-in-law has already told granddaughter-in-law about marrying into the Meng family, and has analyzed the pros and cons. Granddaughter-in-law understands and accepts..."

Accept... but I'm still not very willing to do so.

Old Mrs. Shen looked at her for a long time, and finally decided to ignore the matter.

The main reason is that she doesn't have the energy to get involved.

Since Zhu Yinluan is unwilling to say it, then just wait for Shen Jingzhan to come back and coax her.

As for the Meng family, whether things can succeed depends on luck.

In her opinion, this matter might cause more trouble.

Mrs. Shen was still unaware of Shen Jingzhan's obsession with Zhu Yinluan, and was only concerned about the expansion of the eldest branch of the family.

"Since you already know the answer, I won't ask you any more questions, so as not to disturb your mind." Old Mrs. Shen changed the subject.

"......"

In the next few days, Mrs. Shen took Zhu Yinluan to the Meng family.

Listen to opera, play cards, appreciate flowers, and have meals.

The two families had close contacts, and other aristocratic families noticed it and speculated that the Shen family was very likely to marry into the Meng family.

Shen Jingzhan was very popular in the capital. Even if he just wanted to take in a concubine, many noble families were interested in him and sent invitations to the Shen family. Mrs. Shen accepted some of them at her discretion.

On the day when Shen Jingzhan finally returned home, Mrs. Meng and Meng Yun were guests at the Shen family, in addition to them, there were also people from the Qi family.

The Qi family had something urgent to do and did not stay for dinner.

The feast had just begun when Shen Jingzhan came back.

The servant said he had returned home. Mrs. Shen excitedly asked someone to quickly buy more bowls and chopsticks. Zhu Yinluan was stunned. She put down her silver chopsticks and did not dare to look towards the door of the main hall.

While avoiding his gaze, he noticed the shy look on Miss Meng's face. She was secretly adjusting her dress and makeup.

Miss Meng Yun has always been elegant, and today was no different, without much rouge on. But at this moment, her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes would glance over from time to time, stealing glances at the tall, long-legged, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted minister of the emperor, the eldest son of the Shen family.

Zhu Yinluan looked at the other person in a trance.

She heard Shen Jingzhan's voice and footsteps approaching, but she still didn't dare to look at the door. While she was distracted, the handsome man who had been busy for a long time washed his hands, strode to her side and sat down.

A cool breath lingered around her, and the figure beside her was hard for her to ignore. Zhu Yinluan became more and more nervous.

She strangely discovered that after so many days, her fear and terror of Shen Jingzhan had almost dissipated.

At this moment, he sat beside her and gently called her Luan'er. Hearing his gentle voice, she actually felt a little sad and wanted to cry, and her heart was bitter and blocked.

She never looked at Shen Jingzhan, avoiding the man's burning gaze, and said quickly, "My husband is back, you must be hungry too, so it's a good opportunity to have a meal together."

"I came back in a hurry today and didn't send anyone to pass the message to Luan'er. Don't be angry, Luan'er." He explained to her in a soft voice.

Zhu Yinluan felt more and more that the things she learned were like a dream. She never imagined that it was planned by Shen Jingzhan, who was as gentle as jade.

After all, they were in front of others, so Zhu Yinluan finally looked up at him and said, "…It's okay."

Even though she had prepared herself mentally in advance, she still couldn't help but feel her heart beating faster when she saw the man's picturesque features and his deep, dark eyes filled with smiles.

"I'm glad Luan'er isn't angry." Shen Jingzhan chuckled and reached out to touch her hair as if no one was around.

Zhu Yinluan wanted to hide, but when she thought about being in front of others, she held back.

Seeing that she didn't hide, Shen Jingzhan's smile deepened, and he took over the work of the little maid next to him, taking care of her and adding soup to her.

Seeing this, Madam Meng smiled and said, "Prince Shen really loves Madam..."