Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Shen Xuan wore the clothes Xue Fenglin sent...
Chen Xuan wore the clothes and jewelry sent by Xue Fenglin but did not report it to Bai Shi, which made Xue Fenglin proud and Bai Shi was extremely dissatisfied.
Although she didn't say anything openly, she treated Shen Xuan more harshly in secret.
As for daily life, because of Xue Fenglin's instructions, the servants in the house could not deduct anything. But the agreement that we could go out after the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet no longer counts.
Shen Xuan asked Jin Gui to report several times, but Mother You stopped her every time with excuses.
Shen Xuan was upset because he was locked up at home all day, so he could only secretly go to Xue Fenglin's servant Wuwang to ask.
Wuwang just said after hearing this: "Don't worry, brother Chen. The prince has already made arrangements." He didn't say anything else. He just handed Shen Xuan a few books and told him to read them carefully when he had time.
Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of him, Shen Xuan could only wait at home.
Fortunately, now that he knew that the prince was Xue Fenglin, Shen Xuan felt relieved.
Anyway, Xue Fenglin would not harm him, but it was a bit annoying to deal with the things in the Marquis' Mansion.
But now that the two of them are working together, it is much easier for him than if he had to fight alone.
Besides, it is difficult for Xue Fenglin to deal with Bai family alone in the Marquis' Mansion. I don't know if I can help him this time.
As a result, a few days later, Xue Fenglin suddenly sent Wuxin over to ask Shen Xuanshu if he had taken a good look at him.
Chen Xuan was a little surprised. He looked at the books Xue Fenglin sent him. They were all mythological stories, strange tales and stories about knights.
He had flipped through a few of them these days because he was too bored, but the story books available in Dajin were all pretty much the same and were not as exciting as the online novels he had read in the modern world.
"Is this book important? I just glanced at it casually." Shen Xuan said.
Wu Xin heard this and said, "The prince asked me to ask him about it. He said it would be better if he could see through it, but it would not matter if he didn't."
Shen Xuan sent Wu Xin away in confusion. Not long after, someone came to the palace.
It was said that the Queen Mother heard that the Xue family had brought the son of the Shen family to the capital, so she asked him to go to the palace to meet the prince's fiancé in person.
Why would the Queen Mother come in person to meet a country boy like me for no reason? Shen Xuan was shocked and felt completely confused. He really couldn't figure it out.
Even more shocked than Shen Xuan was Bai. Although she was born a concubine and was now promoted to the main wife, she had never received an imperial decree.
Except during festivals, when officials and their families in the capital would come to the palace to pay homage together, the Empress Dowager had never summoned them to see her alone!
"Is he just a country boy? Is he worthy of being summoned by the empress dowager in person?" Bai smashed a set of teacups with a bang.
"Madam, please calm down." Mother You hurriedly advised. She was an old lady who followed the Bai family and knew something about the old stories in the court.
So he said to Bai: "I heard that the boy's biological mother, Madam Shen, often came to the palace when she was young and was very much loved by the Queen Mother."
"That was all a thing of the past. When the Duke's Mansion collapsed, the Queen Mother didn't say a word." Bai said angrily.
"Even so, His Majesty did not punish Duke Shen because of his meritorious service to the emperor." Mother You said, "I don't know who persuaded the Queen Mother to invite that boy Shen into the palace. But how could that boy be presentable? Entering the palace would only bring shame."
"Besides, it's a good thing that he has caught the Queen Mother's eye this time."
When Mrs. Bai heard this, she turned around and nodded, saying, "That's true. Even the Queen Mother has already met him. Xue Fenglin can't refuse to marry her, right?"
The day for entering the palace was set for tomorrow. Early the next morning, Shen Xuan was dressed neatly and was picked up by a carriage from the palace.
He had complicated feelings towards the royal family of Dajin.
To be fair, Emperor Wu of Jin was a wise ruler, and the Jin Dynasty was quite prosperous under his management.
However, Duke Shen and his wife had been loyal to the Jin Dynasty for many years, but because of their great power, they were eventually feared by Emperor Wu of Jin. He was sent to the Yanyun border on a pretext, and his entire family died in battle there.
The cunning rabbit dies and the running dog is cooked. This is just a trick repeated by the royal regime in countless dynasties, and the family of Duke Shen is no exception.
Shen Xuan didn't like the cruelty of the imperial power, but when it comes to hatred? He doesn't know who he hates?
Since he traveled to the modern world and came back again. In two lifetimes, too much time has passed.
He almost forgot what Duke Shen and his wife looked like, let alone the grievances between their fathers.
After entering the palace, the carriage was replaced by a sedan chair.
Shen Xuan was carried all the way to Changning Palace where the Queen Mother lived, and was invited down outside the palace gate.
"The Queen Mother and the Empress are talking inside. Please wait here." A young eunuch came forward and said to Shen Xuan.
Shen Xuan waited for an incense stick of time before the palace called him in.
He straightened his clothes, held his head high and strode in.
After passing through a courtyard, we arrived at the Queen Mother's bedroom. Inside, an incense burner was burning, emitting the faint fragrance of osmanthus. The Queen Mother and the Queen sat on two chairs, drinking tea and talking while watching Shen Xuan walk in.
Shen Xuan took a closer look and saw an older lady with a lot of white hair on her temples. Her clothes were dark in color and elegant in style; she must be the empress dowager.
The other one was younger, with particularly gentle features and wearing a dark green dress. She should be the queen.
"I am Chen Xuan, a commoner. I am honored to meet the Empress Dowager and the Empress." Shen Xuan knelt down in the direction of the two ladies and kowtowed to them according to the palace rules.
When he was a child, he was brought up by Madam Shen and learned some rules. Fortunately, he has not forgotten them all now, so he can use them now.
Shen Xuan's open and frank kowtow and kneeling ceremony surprised both the Queen Mother and the Queen, and they looked at each other.
There were many wives of officials and noble ladies who were summoned to the palace every day, but most of them were entering the palace for the first time and were inevitably nervous. Not only did he appear to be at a loss, but he also often spoke haltingly.
However, Shen Xuan was just a boy raised in the countryside. It was surprising that he behaved so calmly when he entered the palace for the first time.
The Queen Mother took a close look at the boy kneeling on the ground. I saw that he was very tall, as tall as a man, and his back was very straight.
He has a pair of big eyes and a high nose bridge. Although his appearance is not delicate, it is quite handsome.
His bold appearance immediately reminded her of his biological mother, Jiang Shu, also known as Madam Shen.
The Queen Mother suddenly felt a little emotional, and called Shen Xuan to stand up and give him a seat. Then he said to the queen beside him: "Look at this brother Chen's personality, isn't it very similar to Shu'er?"
"After all, they are mother and son, how can they not look alike?" The Queen laughed and said, "Thinking back to the time when we entered the palace together, you favored Sister Shu'er the most, which made me jealous."
When the Queen Mother heard this, she seemed to recall the happy times in her youth and started laughing too. Then he said to Shen Xuan: "I think your mother used to come to my place often, but that was 20 or 30 years ago."
"I heard that you've been living alone in the countryside these years, and you've suffered a lot?"
After hearing this, Shen Xuan thought for a while before shaking his head and said, “Returning to the Queen Mother is not that hard, life in the countryside has its own fun.”
The collapse of the Shen family and Shen Xuan's exile to the countryside were all caused by the decision of Emperor Wu of Jin.
If Shen Xuan complained in front of the empress dowager, wouldn't it be suspected that he was blaming Emperor Wu of Jin?
As a mother, the Queen Mother would never be willing to hear others blame her son. So Shen Xuan only took a moment to decide that the answer was not bitter.
Sure enough, after hearing his answer, the Queen and the Queen Mother looked at him differently.
You have to know that Duke Shen's Mansion was second to none in the Jin Dynasty. Who wouldn't feel resentful after falling from such a high position into the mire?
This Brother Chen is strange. I wonder if it is because he was too young when the accident happened that he can say the word "not bitter" so casually.
So this time the queen asked, "You said that life in the countryside is fun. Why don't you tell us what the fun is?"
Shen Xuan listened, thought for a moment and replied: "The stream water is very cold in spring. It comes from the ice and snow melted from the mountains. The fish in the stream will be frozen when they encounter the snow water and swim very slowly."
"At that time, we could catch fish every time. When we were hungry, we could grill the fish by the stream, which was quite interesting..."
"In the summer, there are many fireflies in the countryside. Children would sew bags with gauze to catch them and hang them in the house to make a firefly lamp..."
"In autumn, the mountains are most abundant in products. Villagers often dig traps and put rice bran as bait to catch pheasants and rabbits..."
"It's very cold in the winter, but after it snows, covering the outside of the house with snow can keep it warm. And the whole mountain is covered with snow, which looks particularly beautiful..."
Shen Xuan talked about things that had never been seen in the palace, which made the Queen Mother and the Queen listen with great interest.
But after listening to it, the Queen Mother asked: "Listen to what you said, Brother Shen, these are all the benefits of the countryside, but it is said that the most miserable and difficult people in the world are farmers. Haven't you ever encountered a difficult thing?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Xuan laughed and said, "Empress Dowager, how can there be no difficulties in this world? But if you only see difficulties everywhere, won't you see only hard days?"
"It is said that orchids grow in secluded valleys, and they are not without fragrance even if there is no one around. Isn't it difficult for orchids to grow on cliffs? Even if no one appreciates it, won't it still bloom beautifully on its own?"
After Shen Xuan finished speaking, the Queen Mother and the Queen took a deep breath and remained silent for a while.
At this time, the Queen Mother looked back at the Queen, and the Queen spoke up, "That's a very good point. I didn't expect that you, Brother Chen, who grew up in the countryside, could speak these words of the saints so fluently. Aren't you just like an orchid, independent and detached from the world?"
Shen Xuan was a little surprised to see the queen praising him so much.
At this time, the Queen Mother said, "When I heard that you were the husband of the young man from the Xue family, I was a little worried that you two wouldn't be a good match. Now it seems that I was worrying too much."
It was obvious from his words that he admired Shen Xuan very much.
Because the Queen Mother had a very good impression of Shen Xuan, after she met him, she also kept him for dinner.
Shen Xuan was quite eloquent, and he told many anecdotes and interesting stories from outside the capital, mixed with a lot of fantastic stories, which made the empress dowager laugh so hard that she couldn't stop.
After Shen Xuan left the palace, the queen said to the queen mother again: "Mother, this brother Shen is very smart and has a clear personality. I like him."
"But he is of a lower status after all, and he has not yet married the Xue family's prince. It is not decent for him to live in the Marquis' Mansion. He might be looked down upon."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother raised her eyebrows, glanced at the Queen and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of this? But what other ideas do you have?"
Queen: "Someone recently presented me with a house in the east of the city, but it is a small courtyard with three entrances. I thought that such a small courtyard would be useless, so I could only give it to someone else. It would be better to give it to Chen Ge'er in the name of the queen mother, so that he can have some respect in the capital, and it can also be regarded as a sisterhood between me and Sister Shu'er."
The Queen Mother was moved when she heard the Queen mention Jiang Shu. She originally admired Shen Xuan, but he was different from Jiang Shu, who had grown up under her lap.
After hearing the Queen's proposal, she felt that there was nothing wrong with it and agreed.
Afterwards, he had someone write an imperial decree, giving a small courtyard in the east of the city to Shen Xuan, and also sent a hundred taels of reward and some imperial gifts to the Xue Mansion.
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