Chapter 15 Meeting the Princess? Hmm? Does she like Shen Yun?

The woman was beautiful and graceful, with a quiet and composed demeanor.

If it weren't for the fact that her hair was styled in a woman's bun, Madam Chen would probably have doubted which one was actually the second wife's daughter.

"This is the wife of the heir of our Duke's mansion," the second wife introduced.

"It's actually the Crown Prince's wife." Madam Chen gasped in surprise, and when she looked at Lin Shutang again, her eyes crinkled into slits with laughter.

"On the day of the Crown Prince's 100th day celebration, I caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince's wife from afar, but I did not have the honor of paying my respects. I hope the Crown Prince's wife will forgive me."

Lin Shutang nodded, indicating that it was alright. Since they had met here by chance, they had a cup of tea together.

Perhaps because Lin Shutang was there, the Minister's wife treated Shen Zhixi with restraint and did not ask as many questions as a typical matchmaker would.

This made Shen Zhixi feel much more comfortable.

However, this caused Lin Shutang great suffering.

The Minister's wife kept bringing up Shen Yun and Lin Shutang, praising their deep affection for each other, which made everyone in the capital envious. She expressed her wish that her own children could also find such a harmonious and loving husband.

Lin Shutang smiled. Regardless of whether the words of the Minister's wife were more of an expression of envy or mere politeness, or how much sincerity was hidden within them, these words were like thorns in Lin Shutang's back, a fishbone stuck in his throat, and a feeling of sitting on pins and needles.

However, the Minister's wife seemed oblivious to Lin Shutang's increasingly stiff expression and continued to talk incessantly.

The second wife knew the truth behind it all and quickly smoothed things over.

Since it's early spring and greenery is sprouting, why not let these younger ones go up the mountain for a walk and chat, instead of keeping them cooped up here?

The Minister's wife quickly agreed.

Lin Shutang and the others were finally freed from that suffocating atmosphere.

As soon as they stepped out of the pavilion, Shen Zhixi took Lin Shutang's arm and walked very fast, leaving the Third Young Master Li, who was about to speak, behind them.

After walking quite a distance, she finally couldn't help but say playfully, "Second sister-in-law, you've really suffered."

The main topic of today's banquet should have been her and the third son of the Li family, but because of Lin Shutang's appearance, Madam Li's incessant chatter turned to Lin Shutang and her second brother, who didn't even show up.

Shen Zhixi wanted to laugh, but she also felt genuinely guilty.

So he tightened his grip on Lin Shutang's arm, "Today I'm hosting, how about I invite you to the Yin Cui Lou for a drink, Second Sister-in-law?"

"It's rare that you have a conscience." Lin Shutang tapped Shen Zhixi's forehead with his index finger, tilting her head back, and criticized, "You were secretly laughing quite a bit just now."

"Second sister-in-law." Shen Zhixi drawled out her words, gently shaking Lin Shutang's arm and acting coquettishly.

Lin Shutang was helpless and wanted to say something more, but then he saw several young women walking towards him from around the corner of the mountain road ahead.

Upon meeting her gaze, the woman at the head of the group instantly lost her smile and turned cold and hostile.

Lin Shutang wondered to herself, "Does this woman seem to be hostile towards me?"

"Second sister-in-law, let's go this way." Shen Zhixi pulled Lin Shutang and was about to walk into the narrow path on the right. Her movements were somewhat hurried, as if she did not intend to confront the person coming directly.

Lin Shutang was turned around, her head still dazed, and she hadn't even taken two steps when a woman's voice from not far away stopped them in their tracks.

"How dare you! You've seen Princess Changning and you haven't even come to pay your respects?"

Now we know who it is.

Lin Shutang pondered to herself, but when had she ever offended Princess Changning?

"Second sister-in-law, that is Princess Changning, the niece of my eldest aunt."

Having been ordered to stop, Shen Zhixi could no longer pretend she hadn't seen anything. Head drooping, she looked like she'd been forced into a situation.

On her way to meet him, she moved closer to Lin Shutang and whispered a few words of explanation, "She likes Second Brother. Be careful."

When Lin Shutang was taken from Congxi County to Yujing, Shen Yun confined her to a separate courtyard for two years. She finally got a chance to leave the mansion, but was then married into the Duke's mansion by imperial decree.

Although he had been in the capital for five years, for Lin Shutang, Yujing was just a small world, consisting of his villa and the Jingyuan Residence in the Duke's Mansion. The only people he saw there were Shen Yun and the servants whose faces were always blurred and whose heads were always buried.

Therefore, she was unaware of the intricate connections between Yujing and the Duke's Mansion, and thus had no idea of ​​the rumors circulating in Yujing about Changning and Shen Yun back then.

Everyone thought that the Shen family would become true relatives of the royal family, and the Duke's mansion would not give up this opportunity to strengthen ties with the royal family. Shen Yun was destined to be the future imperial son-in-law.

Changning and Shen Yun were undoubtedly a perfect couple favored by the capital back then.

Although Shen Yun, the person involved, has never admitted to this in the slightest.

Unexpectedly, Lin Shutang suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

This tale of a perfect couple, fabricated and fantasized by many, came to an abrupt end.

Changning's childhood wish was to marry Shen Yun, and her resentment towards Lin Shutang was profound. She even once believed that Lin Shutang had bewitched Shen Yun.

But no matter how hard she tried, she never had the chance to see even a glimpse of the face of the woman who was rumored to be marrying Shen Yun.

Shen Yun protected her too well.

She couldn't infiltrate anyone's camp. Even the malicious rumors she spread in the alleys that slandered Lin Shutang were completely dispelled by Shen Yun overnight, and all her people were found dead in the dark alleys.

Changning went to great lengths, but it seemed that only on the day of Shen Jun's wedding, when he finally got married and his wish was fulfilled, did he show his rare "kindness" and obtain a portrait of Lin Shutang.

But it was her seductive look when she wore a bright red wedding dress!

Shen Yun is provoking her!

Changning practically wanted to tear Lin Shutang's face out of the portrait and rip it to shreds.

Therefore, even though Changning had never met Lin Shutang, she could immediately recognize the face that she longed for day and night, even if it had turned to ashes.

What a small world!

Changning stared intently at that face, and as Lin Shutang and the other person walked towards them, Changning also uncontrollably took a few steps forward.

The more I looked at it, the more I gritted my teeth in anger.

That face is indeed handsome; no wonder it has captivated Brother Shenyun!

vixen!

Having hidden away in the inner quarters for so many years, are you finally willing to show yourself now?

Did you think that by giving birth to the grandson, you wouldn't have to cling to Brother Shenyun's body every day, and that you could finally rest easy?

"Are you Lin Shutang?" Changning tilted her chin up, looking down at her.

“Princess, she is…” Shen Zhixi quickly spoke first.

My second sister-in-law has never left the Duke's mansion in all these years, nor has she learned the customs of Yujing.

Princess Changning clearly dislikes her second sister-in-law, and Shen Zhixi is really afraid that Princess Changning will use excuses such as not knowing the rules to teach her a lesson.

Even though her second sister-in-law is now the Crown Prince's wife... she's still only her cousin-in-law in name...

After all, Princess Changning has always been spoiled.

"I want her to say it." Changning didn't buy it and immediately interrupted Shen Zhixi, looking up at Lin Shutang again.

Lin Shutang could feel the blatant hostility emanating from Changning on the other side.

She looked up and met Changning's gaze, which was filled with malice.

Hmm? You like Shen Yun?

Lin Shutang shifted her gaze from Changning's face, slowly lowering it to scan her from head to toe. Her eyes gradually lost their earlier admiration, even showing a hint of sadness, as if Changning's entire aura was earned through her own eyes.

Changning was stung by Lin Shutang's gaze.

She felt that Lin Shutang was definitely mocking her.

They felt that she had failed to win over Shen Yun, making her a defeated opponent.

They look down on her!

You slut, you really are a vixen from the countryside.

Shen Zhixi watched from the side, her brows furrowed, worried that her sister-in-law would be bullied given her personality.

But seeing Princess Changning's face suddenly turn dark, Shen Zhixi immediately pouted into a small oval shape.

It turns out that her second sister-in-law, who seems unassuming and unassuming, actually has such a strong attacking power.

"Lin Shutang, how dare you look at me like that?" Changning shouted.

"Don't think you can be so presumptuous just because you have Brother Shen Yun backing you up!"

"Is there something you need, Princess?" Lin Shutang asked, realizing that her gaze might have caused a misunderstanding.

I just wanted to deal with it as soon as possible if there was any.

Lin Shutang's lukewarm attitude finally ignited the anger that had been building up in Changning's chest for years.

How dare a woman from such a small place as Qingzhou act so arrogantly in front of her?

Just as Changning was about to lash out, the woman beside her gently tugged at her sleeve, her voice extremely low, her eyes sweeping over Lin Shutang, "Princess, don't fall into her trap."

Upon hearing this, Changning instantly calmed down a bit.

She glanced at Lin Shutang again, forced a smile, and then slowly rolled up her sleeves. "It's alright, can't I have a chat with the Crown Prince's wife?"

Her tone was calm and composed, as if she hadn't been the one who had just been glaring angrily. "Speaking of which, we're relatives, too."

"Is this your first time visiting Huguo Temple, sister-in-law? Why isn't your brother with you?" Changning asked with a smile.

“I have some peach blossom rice cakes made by Chef Liu from the palace in my carriage. Sister-in-law, please take some back to your cousin. He used to love them the most.”

"I remember when we were little..."

Changning has begun to reminisce about the past.

Lin Shutang felt a little sleepy.

Shen Zhixi tilted her head slightly and, seeing that Lin Shutang didn't seem too upset, felt relieved.

The princess said that just to show how close she was to her second brother.

But everyone in Yujing knew that it was all just her clinging to her second brother, a one-sided love.

"If my cousin hadn't gone to war at the border back then, perhaps I would be his wife. My cousin's wife is truly blessed," Changning said with a regretful tone after recalling the past.

She looked Lin Shutang up and down several more times, shifting her feet slightly as if she wanted to see her back as well.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." She waved her small hand, her shawl fluttering lightly at her wrist, and smiled with great magnanimity. "Now, times have changed, things are different, but I'm sure my cousin's taste hasn't changed. So, my cousin's wife will..."

"Since the princess liked Shen Yun, why didn't she try to win him over back then?"

Lin Shutang frowned at her, his ears aching from listening, and he lost patience to watch her act out her deep affection.

Seeing Changning's eyes widen like copper bells, he couldn't help but say what he was about to say, "Since you are a princess, why not just ask the emperor to marry you off to Shen Yun?"

What a hindsight comment!

If she had acted sooner, perhaps Shen Yun would have focused all his attention on her.

Why bother coming all the way to Xi County to take her away?

What's the point of saying all this now?

This only increased her annoyance.

A note from the author:

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Changning: Blah blah blah... Cousin, open the door, it's me, your sister-in-law!

Lin Shutang: You're really useless. (Angry at his lack of ambition)

Changning: You've been provoking me all along! (Fuming)

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I heard someone calling me [Let me see] so I came~ [cat emoji] Posting early today. Good evening!