In the Confucian Temple on the outskirts of Yanjing, there lived a dozen poor students. At daybreak, Shen's mother sat under the eaves weaving cloth, the old loom creaking.
Mother Shen was old and could only weave four feet of cloth every day, and she saved the money from selling the cloth.
Mother Shen had already made plans. If Shen Wei died in the palace in the future, she would kowtow to the princess and ask for Shen Wei's body back. Mother Shen would use the money she had saved to buy a good cemetery and bury Shen Wei.
This is the only thing a mother can do for Shen Wei.
"Mom, I'm going out for a while and will be back at noon." Shen Xiuming walked out of the house and stretched.
Mother Shen paused in her weaving, and she helplessly discovered that her son was not a man of strong will. After being humiliated in the back alley of the inn, Shen Xiuming decided to study hard and become stronger.
But after more than ten days of hard work, there was a tendency of "the first effort was strong, the second was weak, and the third was exhausted".
He no longer gets up early to study these past two days, and always wants to go out to gamble.
Mother Shen was quite disappointed.
I have beaten him and scolded him, but it is really difficult to change a person's temper in a short period of time.
"Auntie, I'm here to collect the cloth." Outside the house, a hearty voice came from afar. It turned out that the female merchant who collected the cloth had arrived.
Seeing this, Shen's mother hurriedly asked Shen Xiuming to move out the cloth she had woven in the past few days. While counting the number of cloths, the female merchant gossiped with Shen's mother: "Aunt, I went to the Prince of Yan's mansion yesterday to deliver cloth. I heard from the maids in the mansion that the Prince of Yan has recently favored a new concubine."
Mother Shen’s expression froze and she clenched her sleeves.
Shen Xiuming's steps, which were about to leave the Confucian Temple, suddenly stopped.
The female merchant was still gossiping: "The women in the backyard of the Prince of Yan's mansion, ah, their lives are so miserable. The concubines and maids who have fallen out of favor live worse than the servants, and they still wear the worst fabrics. A few months ago, a concubine couldn't bear the pain and jumped into the water to commit suicide."
Mother Shen's heart was broken, her third daughter was also one of the miserable concubines in the backyard of the palace.
Shen Wei is able to survive now, relying on her last breath, hoping that Shen Xiuming can become successful and save her from danger.
Shen Xiuming also knew what his third sister expected, and when he thought about his recent slackness, he couldn't help but feel guilty.
"Here's two taels of silver." After checking the cloth, the female merchant praised Shen's mother's weaving skills.
Mother Shen collected the two hundred coins and politely sent the female merchant out. Not long after the female merchant left, an ordinary horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the Confucian Temple.
The curtain was lifted and Madam Rong swaggered into the Confucian Temple. She saw Shen's mother weaving under the eaves, and a long snort came out of her nostrils.
Mother Shen was shocked: "You...why are you here? Where is my third girl? Did something happen to her?"
Shen Xiuming, who was reading in the room, was also alarmed. He ran out vigilantly and protected Shen's mother.
Rong Mama sighed and said sarcastically, "I passed by the Confucian Temple and was asked by Shen to give you some money."
Madam Rong opened her purse and threw a bunch of money over. The string of coins slammed down onto the stone steps, and the copper coins scattered all over the floor.
"This is Shen's monthly salary, keep it well." Aunt Rong said sarcastically, "Shen is really naive. She has a useless mother and a useless brother, but she still dreams of her brother becoming a useful person. It's just wishful thinking."
Madam Rong’s portrayal of a domineering nanny in the royal palace was deeply rooted in people’s hearts.
Shen Xiuming's teeth were clenched.
Madam Rong let out a sharp and piercing laugh and walked away slowly.
In the courtyard of the Confucian Temple, tears fell from Mother Shen's eyes. She knelt on the ground and collected the scattered copper coins.
Both mother and son knew that Aunt Rong must have withheld Shen Wei's monthly salary. But how could Shen Wei, a concubine who had fallen out of favor, dare to resist?
Even though she was in dire straits, Shen Wei was still thinking about her mother and brother.
Shen Xiuming wiped away his tears, a look of determination welled up in his eyes, and he turned around and went back to the house to read!
...
After leaving the Confucian Temple, Rong Mama returned to the carriage. Madam Rong wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was not easy to play the role of a cunning villain.
I hope Mr. Shen will never come to settle accounts with her when he becomes successful in the future.
Just as Madam Rong was trembling with fear, the voice of Fugui, the palace steward, suddenly came from outside the carriage.
"Madame Rong, where are we going today?" Fugui asked with a smile.
Aunt Rong got off the carriage and saw the wealthy steward in a brocade robe. Fugui and Rong Mama are of similar age, work in the same palace, and are from the same hometown, so they have a good relationship in private.
Aunt Rong looked at Fugui and thought of Shen Wei's instructions.
Shen Wei once told Rong Mama: [When necessary, you can mention Shen Xiuming in front of Fugui and the prince. 】
Rong Mama smiled and said, "I am doing this for Master Shen. Master Shen's younger brother is studying in the Confucian Temple, and the master asked me to send some money every month to help him."
Fugui only knew that Shen Wei was born a peasant girl, and didn't know that she had a scholar brother.
Rong Mama mentioned casually, "Master Shen's younger brother passed the imperial examination at a young age. He is now staying at the Confucian Temple to prepare for the next spring imperial examination."
When Fugui heard this, he was shocked.
I didn't expect that Master Shen's younger brother was a juren! If Master Shen passes the imperial examination in the future, wouldn't his status rise?
Fugui knew that Shen Wei would not fall out of favor in the short term, she was completely different from the other women in the palace’s backyard, and the Prince of Yan had already taken a fancy to her.
With the favor of King Yan, when Master Shen gives birth to a child in the future, and with the protection of her younger brother's official position, the position of concubine will be within her reach.
Fugui was very smart, and he immediately said with a smile: "In that case, we will go to visit the Confucian Temple later."
Rong Mama hurriedly stopped him and said seriously: "The candidates like quiet time when studying, so you, the rich and noble manager, must not disturb them. If you delay the studies of Master Shen's brother, we cannot afford the consequences."
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