The candlelight was dim, and the atmosphere in the Shen family's main hall was tense.
Minister Shen sat in his chair with a livid face. He had been in this position ever since Madam Shen returned and began talking about Song Yue.
It has been three full hours, and it hasn't moved an inch.
The Duke of Jingguo entered: "Lord Shen."
Minister Shen snapped out of his reverie upon hearing the voice, his sharp gaze fixed on the Duke of Jingguo. He slowly stood up, his eyes filled with sarcasm: "So late, what brings you here, Duke?"
Hearing the sarcastic remarks, the Duke of Jing frowned: "Does Lord Shen have some misunderstanding about me?"
"Misunderstanding?" Minister Shen sneered, as if he had remembered something: "I plan to have the two children marry ahead of schedule. What does the Duke think?"
He wanted to see how the Duke of Jingguo would react if he married his daughter off. If the Shen family was in trouble, they would definitely hold on to the Duke of Jingguo's mansion tightly!
Duke Jingguo hesitated for a moment.
"The two children are not young anymore, why delay any longer? How about we set it for next month?" Minister Shen's tone was seemingly inquiring but his attitude was actually firm.
Duke Jing pursed his lips. This matter was somewhat sudden to him. He said awkwardly, "Did my daughter say something to Madam Shen today that caused the Shen family to misunderstand?"
“My lord, the Jingguo Duke’s Mansion and the Shen family are now interdependent, sharing both prosperity and adversity. Since they are going to get married sooner or later anyway, why worry about when?” Minister Shen said in a deep voice.
The marriage was arranged, and he forgave the past.
If the wedding is delayed, Minister Shen will have to break off all pretense of civility.
Unable to withstand Minister Shen's aggressive questioning, the Duke of Jingguo relented: "As you wish."
Seeing that the Duke of Jingguo agreed so readily, Minister Shen's livid expression softened considerably.
The two talked for an hour with forced smiles before quickly parting ways.
As soon as everyone left, Madam Shen came out from behind the screen. She looked at Minister Shen and said, "I think the Duke of Jingguo seems unaware of this. Could it be that we have misunderstood?"
“They all share the same surname behind closed doors; we can’t afford to gamble with that,” Minister Shen said in a deep voice.
Madam Shen nodded.
“These days, take Yun’er to the Duke of Jing’s mansion more often to find out about Song Yue. It can’t be that the rumors are baseless.” Minister Shen was also extremely anxious. Now that he was being watched, his every move was restricted.
There are also treasures hidden in the mansion; if they were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Don't worry, sir, I will visit the Duke of Jingguo's residence tomorrow."
...
Early the next morning
Before the morning court session, the Duke of Jingguo went to the Grand Madam's courtyard and instructed her, "The Shen family should move up the wedding date; the wedding will take place next month."
"So urgent?" the old lady asked in surprise.
"Lord Shen means that both families will prosper together; otherwise, things will turn sour." Duke Jingguo dared not offend the Shen family.
The Shen family, the Duke of Jingguo's mansion, and the Prince of Zhennan's mansion are interdependent; if their relationship is broken, they will inevitably be targeted by the Emperor of Northern Chu.
So, after much thought, they decided to get married.
After a moment of contemplation, the Grand Madam nodded: "Things have come to this point, and there's nothing we can do about it. I'll go see Yue'er in a bit."
She wanted to know what Song Yue had said that made the Shen family so wary.
It had been a long time since she had set foot in Yuehua Pavilion. As she entered again, she vaguely heard a silvery laugh, which made the Madam frown repeatedly. The masters of the Duke's Mansion all looked worried. How could someone dare to laugh so recklessly?
Looking up, the old lady saw the source of the laughter. Song Yue was sitting on the swing, her legs dangling in the air and swinging gently. She held a book in one hand and held the swing rope with the other, swaying back and forth leisurely. The sunlight slanted off her back, giving Song Yue a halo.
Upon seeing this, the old lady was shocked and staggered backward, almost losing her balance. Her maid quickly steadied her, asking, "Old lady?"
The old lady's mind went blank for a moment.
She actually saw Princess Jia Hua sitting on the swing?
Song Yue noticed someone was there, stopped swinging and got off, walking step by step toward the Grand Madam. The smile on her face gradually faded, and her steps became composed.
"No, don't come any closer!" the old lady shouted at the top of her lungs.
Song Yue frowned and stood still.
"Madam, this is the Third Young Lady," the maidservant reminded her.
The old lady was no longer listening; her mind was filled with the image of Princess Jiahua holding the baby, staring at her with a resentful look.
"Grandmother?" Song Yue took a few quick steps and stood in front of the Grand Madam, startling her so much that the Grand Madam turned and left, seemingly forgetting the purpose of her visit.
After the person left, Song Yue's lips curled into a smile.
Yun Dong asked, puzzled, "Miss, why is the Grand Madam so frightened?"
"She's feeling guilty!" Song Yue pouted. It's no wonder the Grand Madam would mistake her for someone else. The clothes she was wearing today happened to be the ones her mother had worn. The Grand Madam must have thought of something.
Granny Zhang said worriedly, "The Third Miss's outfit does indeed resemble that of the Princess."
Not to mention the Dowager Madam, even she was stunned when she first met her. Wasn't this exactly how the Princess looked when she first married into the family?
“It’s not normal for a daughter to resemble her mother so much. If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.” Song Yue said dismissively, walking straight into the house and rubbing her lower abdomen. “Serve the meal.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Dong rushed to the small kitchen.
Only Zhang Mama was left to serve her. The more she looked, the more terrified she became. She had served the madam for several years and knew that the third young lady had been abandoned in the other courtyard and ignored. She was illiterate, behaved rudely, and was not even as good as a country bumpkin.
But now the Third Miss's manners are even more standard than the Second Miss's. Every move she makes is as elegant and graceful as flowing water. She has even taken a liking to an extremely complicated book. Seeing the Third Miss's expression of being engrossed in the book, she was certain that the Third Miss had understood it.
Once again, Granny Zhang was relieved that she hadn't betrayed the young lady.
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