Chapter 84 Chapter 84 After Bai said this, Lord Xue and...
After Bai finished saying this, Lord Xue and the elders of the Xue family all expressed their agreement.
Marriages between prominent families were a matter of equal status and political alliance. Although Lord Shen is only a fifth-rank official now, he is still an official after all, and there may be a possibility of promotion in the future.
Besides, his children are all from prominent families, so they are more presentable than a country boy of unknown identity. If you must marry with the descendants of the Shen family, then the descendants of the Shen family that Master Shen brought today are better!
Mrs. Ye frowned, picked up the Shen family genealogy on the tray and opened it. Turning to the next few pages, there are indeed records related to Duke Shen and his wife and their eldest son.
She followed the record to the end, only to find that the handwriting stopped at the place where Duke Shen and his wife took their eldest son back to their hometown to worship their ancestors and send off the spirit of their grandmother, Wei.
Going further, there is no record of Duke Shen and his wife, not to mention Shen Xuan who was born a few years later. The last line contained the news of the death of Duke Shen and his wife and their eldest son, which was only briefly mentioned.
According to the records in the family tree, Duke Shen was the fourth son born to the second wife. He was not born of the same mother as the first three branches of the Shen family, and they did not have a close relationship.
His mother had a difficult labor and died of hemorrhage soon after. I left Duke Shen alone to be raised by my grandmother, Wei.
Duke Shen had an average relationship with his biological father and brother, and instead of taking the proper imperial examination path, he ran away and joined the army.
Later, by chance, he met Emperor Wu of Jin, and assisted him, who was still a prince at the time, in his bid to ascend the throne. This achievement was actually achieved by Duke Shen himself and has nothing to do with the Shen family.
After he became the Duke, he did not have close contacts with the Shen family and only kept in touch with his grandmother Wei through letters.
After Wei passed away, Duke Shen never returned to the Shen family again for some reason. He didn't even show up when his biological father, Mr. Shen, passed away. I don't know if there was any conflict between him and the Shen family in the meantime?
Madam Ye put the family tree back on the tray, took a sip of tea and said, "To put it another way, this marriage certificate was originally arranged between my sister and Duke Shen and his wife, and it must be for the biological offspring of Duke Shen's family."
"You said that Shen Xuan's identity is unknown and his relationship with Duke Shen and his wife is questionable. Even if the prince does not want to marry Shen Xuan, there is no need to marry a bloodline of the Shen family's side branch. Since he is not the heir of Duke Shen, why does the prince want to marry him?"
"Now everyone in the capital knows that the prince has an engagement with the Shen family. If he doesn't marry someone from the Shen family, I'm afraid he won't be able to stop the gossip." Bai said hurriedly, "The marquis was impeached every day for this a few days ago, and he was exhausted."
Lord Xue immediately thought of how he was reported in the court and how he was extremely anxious. He nodded and said, "That's right. As a marquis, we should set an example and keep our promises. This marriage cannot be cancelled at will."
The elders of the Xue family beside them also said one after another: "If you want to marry into the Shen family, it would be better to marry a few young ladies and brothers with clear family backgrounds in the Shen family."
"That's right. If I marry someone of unknown identity, and something goes wrong, wouldn't that go against my late wife's wishes?"
…
These Xue family members are only concerned about deals and benefits. How could they really consider the last wishes of the deceased Ye? It's just that she passed away and I can't speak out, so I use her will as an excuse.
The more Shen Xuan listened, the more hypocritical and disgusting he felt. He simply walked over to the tray, picked up the family tree and started reading it.
When Mrs. Bai saw this, she curled her lips and said, "Brother Chen, don't be too anxious. This family tree is full of words. Do you think you can understand it when you get it in your hands?"
As soon as she said this, everyone present, except Mrs. Ye, showed a hint of contempt on their faces.
Shen Xuan ignored her words and just glanced through all the family trees related to his father, Duke Shen. Then he suddenly said, "This family tree was cut off in the 13th year of Jinwu. As everyone knows, my father, Duke Shen, was sent to Yanyun in the 24th year of Jinwu, and soon after he was attacked by the Northern Qiang army and died."
"From the thirteenth year of Jinwu to the twenty-fourth year, there were a full eleven years in between! My father, Duke Shen, was also conferred the title of Duke during this period."
"Such a big event is not recorded in this family tree, which shows that the record in this family tree is incomplete. I was born during the eleven years when the record is missing. How can you say that I am not the son of Duke Shen and his wife?"
Shen Xuan's speech was well-reasoned, which immediately left the Shen family and the Xue family elders present speechless.
Everyone except Madam Ye was surprised to see that Shen Xuan could actually read, and Master Shen's gaze lingered on him for a long time.
Seeing that Shen Xuan's speech was sonorous, logical, and generous and appropriate, Madam Ye nodded with great satisfaction.
I just feel that Shen Xuan is the one Xue Fenglin likes. His aura is completely on a different level from the other children of the Shen family present.
At this time, he continued with Shen Xuan's words and said, "What Shen Xuan said makes a lot of sense. When Duke Shen and his wife were in the capital, we didn't hear about any close relatives. How come now that they are gone, a relative suddenly appeared?"
"I think the Shen family's matter has become a Rashomon, with everyone having their own story. But this matter is the prince's marriage after all, so we can't be careless. We have to wait until he finishes the exam, ask for his opinion and then discuss it in detail."
"Marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. How can it be the child's turn to decide on his own?" Bai said hurriedly when she heard this. Before she finished her words, a maid suddenly ran in from the door. It was Yin Shuang from Madam Wen's room.
"My aunt said that her stomach hurts a little. Please come over and take a look." As soon as Yin Shuang entered the main hall, she ran to Marquis Xue and whispered in his ear.
"What? Then I'll go and take a look." Upon hearing this, Lord Xue stood up and followed Yin Shuang out. He no longer cared about the engagement between the Bai family, the elders of the Xue family, and the Shen family.
Bai clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her flesh. She stared at the direction where Marquis Xue left, wishing she could poke a few holes in Yin Shuang's body.
This Madam Wen is really like a barking dog. Now she keeps ruining her plans and there is nothing she can do about it!
Lord Xue had a son in his old age, and he attached great importance to the baby in Madam Wen's belly.
Before, Madam Wen had reported the Bai family to the Marquis, which had already put the Bai family at a disadvantage. If anything happened to Concubine Ruwen, the Marquis would probably vent his anger on Bai, making it impossible for Bai to do anything to her.
"Someone, come and get a doctor for Madam Wen?" Bai ordered with gritted teeth. Qiongzhu beside her immediately went out to ask someone to invite a doctor to Madam Wen's courtyard.
Mrs. Ye saw this scene and thought to herself that he deserved it.
Back then, when Bai was still a concubine, Ye treated her well, although not very close to her. However, she repeatedly framed Ye and alienated her from Lord Xue.
Now that she has become the lady herself, she has tasted what it is like. How can one not say that this is the result of karma?
"Since Lord Xue has left, there is no need to discuss this matter anymore. Let's wait until the prince finishes his exams." Madam Ye stood up and said, striking while the iron was hot.
After she finished speaking, she gave Shen Xuan a secret look, and Shen Xuan followed behind and said, "In that case, I will accompany you, Madam Ye, to leave. Madam and I haven't seen each other for a long time since the last banquet. I am grateful for your hospitality and have many words to say to you and Ye's brother."
Seeing the Marquis leave, Madam Ye and Shen Xuan also left the Marquis' Mansion one after another. It was useless for the Xue family elders to stay any longer, so they shook their heads and left first.
Only Bai and Mr. Shen were left in the hall of Xue's mansion, which was a bit awkward.
Seeing that Master Shen also stood up to leave, Bai Shi spoke up, "The Shen family has just arrived in Beijing, and I'm afraid the mansion is busy and there are many inconveniences. I see that the brothers and sisters like it, so why not let them stay in the mansion as guests for a few days, and send them back after the Shen family is settled?"
Bai's real intention was to keep the brothers and sisters of the Shen family in the Marquis' Mansion for a while, so that they would be close to the water and it would be convenient for Xue Fenglin to visit them.
When the Shen family saw that the wife of the Marquis wanted to marry their children to the prince, they were very happy.
Mr. Shen and his wife agreed and left, leaving behind two boys and a girl to stay in the Marquis' Mansion.
The marquis's mansion is several times larger than the Shen family's four-courtyard house. Bai had several members of the Shen family settled in the guest house.
This is the guest house of the marquis's mansion, which also has carved beams and painted buildings. It was renovated to be even more beautiful than their main house in the Shen Mansion.
Each room has an annex, which is just enough to accommodate the servants they brought from the Shen family.
After being brought to the guest house by the servants of the Marquis' Mansion, the three members of the Shen family each chose the room they wanted to live in.
The guest rooms in this mansion are also bright and ventilated, and the furniture in the house is exquisite and complete, all made of mahogany. The bedding and curtains on the bed are also made of top-quality materials.
"This vase is really beautiful." Feiyan, Shen Congyu's attendant, looked at the exquisite pink-rouge butterfly-shaped plum vase on the windowsill and said, "I have seen a vase like this in the Madam's room before, but the pattern was not as detailed as this one."
"I heard from Sister Ling'er in the Madam's room that a vase like this is worth more than fifty taels. It was originally a pair, and when the Madam let the eldest daughter get married, she gave one of them as a dowry."
Although Shen Congyu was born of a legitimate family and had been favored by the second branch of the Shen family since childhood, he had never seen such a grand ceremony.
The Shen family is considered a good family in Qizhou, but it cannot be compared with the capital, let alone the wealth of the Marquis' Mansion!
Today, when he followed Master Shen into the mansion, he was already dazzled by everything in the mansion. Now that he saw that even the guest rooms in the mansion were so exquisite, he naturally felt a little flattered.
He fantasized in his heart that if he became the prince's husband in the future, all the wealth and grandeur in the marquis's mansion would belong to him, Shen Congyu!
Besides, Shen Congxin was a girl, so she was taken by the servants to another guest house and lived separately from Shen Congyu and Shen Congshuang.
Although the courtyard was not big, it was closer to the main courtyard of the Xue family. Shen Congxin was also happy, and felt that the Marquis' Mansion treated her, a woman, more favorably, differently from other brothers.
After she settled down, she felt bored again, so she asked the servants around her to invite Shen Congshuang to come over and talk.
After Shen Congshuang came over, Shen Congxin pulled him aside and asked if Shen Congyu had anything to say?
Chen Congshuang smiled and said, "Sister, this is really difficult for me. This is the Marquis's Mansion, not my home. There are several rooms between me and Brother Congyu. How can I hear what he said?"
"That's right." Shen Congxin felt a little regretful when he heard that, and asked Shen Congshuang how his room was. How does it compare with my place?
"Of course your yard is better, sister. It's especially quiet to live alone." Shen Congshuang smiled and followed Shen Congxin's words.
In fact, all the guest rooms in the marquis's mansion are equipped with standard settings and there is no difference. For example, the pair of pastel vases in Shen Congxin's room were also in his room. Even the bed curtains are just different in color and embroidery, the fabrics and styles are similar.
Shen Congxin was naturally happy to hear what Shen Congshuang said, and said to him very proudly: "Look at the way the Xue family treated Shen Xuan today, they must not like this brother very much."
"I see that he is wearing simple clothes and doesn't even have a decent piece of gold or silver on his head. I guess he has never seen much of the world. If compared with him, the prince would naturally choose a lady from a noble family like me."
"When I marry into the Marquis's Mansion in the future, I will definitely not forget my brother, and I will occasionally invite you to stay in the mansion for a few days to enjoy a peaceful life."
Shen Congshuang smiled slightly but didn't say anything. His fingers quietly clenched into fists under the table.
On what basis should the honor of marrying into the Xue family’s mansion definitely belong to them?
He thought of the scene he saw at the Xue family today, where Marquis Xue hurried over after hearing the news that his aunt had abdominal pain. She thought that as long as she could marry into the marquis's mansion, even if she was just a concubine, as long as she could gain the favor of the prince, it would be considered a great success.
As a bastard's son, even if he stayed in Qizhou, he would most likely be promised to the local gentry as a concubine.
Although both are concubines, the concubines of the prince are different from those of ordinary aristocratic families.
If he could marry into the Marquis's Mansion, his mother would be able to hold her head high in the Shen family and no longer have to live a life of submission and submissiveness.
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