Chapter 4: I hope Miss Shen will be mindful of her behavior.
Chapter Four: I hope Miss Shen will be mindful of her actions.
Shen Tang turned around and asked politely, "Is there anything I can help you with, Young Master Meng?"
Meng Huaiyan looked at the person in front of him; this was the first time he had seriously examined the person before him.
She always maintained a gentle, virtuous, and dignified image in front of him.
Unfortunately, her acting skills were not very good, which made her seem pretentious and uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, her true nature was exposed today: arrogant, domineering, and bullying others.
A hint of impatience flashed in Meng Huaiyan's eyes, and his tone became even colder: "I'm just reminding Miss Shen that you are now living in the Meng family, and your words and actions represent the Meng family."
"When you're out and about, it's best to be mindful of your actions."
Although Meng Huaiyan spoke politely, his tone carried the arrogance typical of scions of prominent families.
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's face turned pale, and she felt somewhat embarrassed.
Wang Xi, who was standing to the side, frowned and was about to step forward to explain, but Shen Tang stopped her.
Ignoring the slight stinging sensation in her heart, she replied, "Your Highness Meng is right, I understand."
Seeing that she had taken his warning to heart, Meng Huaiyan said no more and strode out.
After Meng Huaiyan walked away, Wang Xi suppressed her anger and said, "Why don't you explain? It was clearly Chen Ying who insulted your aunt first and used her power to oppress her. You were just retaliating!"
Shen Tang shook his head and explained, "Regardless of the motive, I did indeed bully others today in the name of the Meng family, and that is an indisputable fact."
“If I were a member of the Meng family, it would be fine, but I am not, so there’s nothing to argue about.”
Moreover, today's events have also dragged my aunt into it.
My aunt's situation in the Meng family has only improved slightly in recent years. If things get out of hand and reach the old lady, who is already dissatisfied with my aunt, I'm afraid...
She didn't want to cause trouble for her aunt.
Wang Xi was unaware of the intricacies involved and felt very indignant on Shen Tang's behalf.
Seeing that she looked unwell, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
He muttered under his breath, "Hypocrite."
Shen Tang was close to her, so she naturally heard it.
Somewhat surprised: "You hate him?"
Wang Xi made no attempt to hide her disgust for Meng Huaiyan: "Yeah, if it weren't for the fact that you like him, I would have said even worse things."
"Why?"
"It's because they're hypocritical. Those scions of noble families appear to be gentlemen on the surface, always amiable to everyone, but in reality, they look down on everyone."
"They say one thing to your face and another behind your back, unlike us soldiers, who like what we like and dislike what we dislike."
"Especially that Jiang Congyu. Meng Huaiyan can get along well with Jiang Congyu. What kind of good person can he be?"
Jiang Congyu was the eldest son of the Marquis of Yongning, and her mother and Meng Huaiyan's mother were cousins.
The two families are very close; the two of them grew up together and have an excellent relationship.
Shen Tang and he only had a casual acquaintance and were not familiar with each other.
Judging from Wang Xi's tone, which sounded as if she wanted to tear Jiang Congyu to pieces, did they know each other?
Shen Tang was somewhat surprised and asked, "You have a grudge against Jiang Congyu? How come I've never heard you mention it?"
The usually carefree Wang Xi stammered at this moment, somewhat indignant and annoyed: "Well, anyway... just stay away from them."
Seeing that she was unwilling to elaborate, Shen Tang didn't ask any further questions and nodded obediently.
*
March 14th was Shen's 28th birthday.
Since it wasn't a full birthday celebration, Madam Shen didn't make a big fuss; it was just a meal with the second branch of the family and Shen Tang.
It's rare to see Meng Huaili here today. Meng Huaili is my aunt's son, ten years old this year, and he studies at the Imperial Academy.
The academy has extremely strict requirements for its students. Unless there are special circumstances, students are usually allowed to go home to visit their families only once or twice a month.
Therefore, Shen Tang didn't have much contact with him and they weren't very familiar with each other.
After the meal, Shen Tang gave the prepared gift to her aunt.
After staying for a while, I got up and left.
When they reached the courtyard gate, they unexpectedly ran into Meng Huaiyan and his group.
Shen Tang couldn't help but feel uneasy. In the past, when she wanted to meet someone, she might not be able to see them even once every ten days or half a month.
I don't want to see him now. I've run into him several times in just a few days, it's like I've seen a ghost.
Shen Tang gave him a proper bow and left without saying anything more.
Inside the Pear Blossom Courtyard, Meng Yunzhou was playing chess with Meng Huaili when he heard a servant announce that the young master Meng was visiting. He was overjoyed and quickly told someone to invite him in.
Meng Huaiyan entered and greeted Meng Yunzhou and Madam Shen.
Meng Yunzhou helped him up, saying, "Why are you being so polite with us?" He then instructed a maid to make tea.
"The rules cannot be abandoned."
Meng Huaili, who was standing next to him, also bowed respectfully to Meng Huaiyan and excitedly called him "Big Brother".
Meng Huaili greatly admired his elder brother, and the teachers in the academy praised him highly, often using him as a role model among the students.
Whenever his elder brother is mentioned, he feels proud and his face shines with pride.
Meng Huaiyan patted Meng Huaili on the shoulder, then turned to Qingyang and gave the prepared gift to Madam Shen: "Second Aunt, this is a small gift that your nephew has prepared for you. I wish you a happy birthday."
Madam Shen was touched. This child had always been quite polite. He remembered her birthday every year, and even when he was not in the capital, he would ask someone to send her a gift.
She comes from a good family, is well-educated, and is good-looking, but unfortunately she doesn't like her son Tang'er. Shen sighed softly in her heart.
She instructed Qinghe to take the gift, and after exchanging pleasantries for a while, seeing that Meng Huaiyan seemed to have something to say to her husband, she tactfully pulled the reluctant Meng Huaili away.
Meng Yunzhou pointed to the chessboard: "Want to play a game?"
Meng Huaiyan readily agreed.
The two quietly practiced their chess skills, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the crisp sound of chess pieces falling onto the chessboard.
Halfway through the game, Meng Yunzhou stretched his shoulders and neck and asked, "I heard you've been investigating a salt smuggling case recently? Any leads?"
Meng Huaiyan frowned slightly upon hearing this: "The person behind this is very cautious. As soon as they got a clue, that person was silenced."
However, it's not entirely without clues; this matter is likely related to Prince An.
In recent years, the Crown Prince's prestige has been too high, and with the support of the two great families, the Meng family and the Yongning Marquis's Mansion, his prestige has become even greater.
The Emperor had long harbored suspicions and, for the past two years, had been supporting those from humble backgrounds while suppressing powerful clans.
He promoted Consort Zhao and her son, Prince An, and as a result, the power and prestige of Consort Zhao's maternal family rose accordingly.
The influence of Prince An's faction in the court should not be underestimated; they are already showing signs of becoming a rival to the emperor.
The Crown Prince's faction could only temporarily avoid his sharp edge, biding their time and waiting for the right opportunity.
Recently, private salt trade has been rampant in the capital. Meng Huaiyan meticulously investigated and discovered that it was somehow connected to Wang Gan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.
Wang Gan came from a poor family, and his family did not provide much assistance in his official career.
However, he was able to climb to the position of a third-rank official in his thirties, which was naturally due to the support of Zhao Yunhong, the Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat.
For so many years, he followed Zhao Yunhong's lead and did many despicable things that were not worthy of being discussed in public. And this Zhao Yunhong was none other than Prince An's maternal uncle.
However, the clues have now run dry, and there is no substantial evidence, so there is no way to arrest Wang Gan and interrogate him in the imperial prison.
Thinking of this, Meng Huaiyan felt somewhat melancholy.
Meng Yunzhou was somewhat alarmed upon hearing this. This was still the capital city, right under the emperor's nose, yet these people dared to commit murder.
The person behind this is truly unscrupulous and ruthless.
He couldn't help but feel a little worried and advised, "You still need to be more careful in your actions and not be greedy for quick success or act rashly."
“Selling smuggled salt is a serious crime, and the person behind it must be extremely cautious. If you find any evidence, they might kill you.”
Since Meng Huaiyan took office in the Censorate, many people have flattered and fawned over him, while many others have wanted him dead. He has survived no fewer than dozens of assassination attempts, both large and small.
Meng Huaiyan was already used to it. Seeing Meng Yunzhou's worry, he replied, "Uncle, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Having figured things out in mind, Meng Yunzhou felt relieved and stopped talking, focusing on the game of chess.
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