Chapter 14 Egg: Let him get in here!
Seeing that Shen Yan smiled, Qi Jingxuan smiled too, and then pressed on to talk about marriage.
"Just marry me. If you marry me, that person won't hurt you."
He initially proposed to Shen Yan simply to keep an eye on her and prevent her from committing suicide, but the more he thought about it over the past half day, the more he felt it was a good idea.
The person behind the scenes dragged Shen Yan into this mess simply to frame him. If Shen Yan agreed to marry him, the Shen family and the royal family would become in-laws, and the other party's plan would fall through.
How could someone who had already agreed to marry into the Prince of Jin's household suddenly commit suicide out of the blue?
Even if something really happens to Shen Yan then, it would be hard to believe that Qi Jingxuan forced her to her death. If the other party were to try anything against Shen Yan at that point, it would not only be ineffective, but might also expose their true colors.
The person behind this isn't stupid; they wouldn't do something so thankless and exhausting, so Shen Yan is safe. As long as Qi Jingxuan keeps an eye on Shen Yan and prevents her from committing suicide, the chances of her getting into trouble are very low.
Qi Jingxuan didn't know if the other party would come up with any other ways to deal with him, but at least he wouldn't be demoted from the capital again because of Shen Yan's suicide.
As long as he wasn't banished from the capital, he would have plenty of time to find out which bastard was behind all this trouble, causing him to die eight times over.
His gaze was sincere, his words earnest, and he wholeheartedly wanted Shen Yan to marry him, but Shen Yan remained silent.
Although both she and Qi Jingxuan were framed, the fact that they slept together in disheveled clothes had already spread.
Qi Jingxuan wasn't worried that no one would be willing to marry him as the Princess of Jin, but it would be difficult for Shen Yan to find a husband in the future, at least in the capital, no one would dare to marry her.
Under these circumstances, marrying Qi Jingxuan is the best choice.
Shen Yan was well aware of this, but she had only just met Qi Jingxuan today and had never thought of becoming the Princess Consort of Jin before. It was indeed difficult for her to make such a hasty decision about her life's major event.
Seeing that she remained silent, Qi Jingxuan tugged at her skirt again: "I will definitely treat you well. From now on, whatever you say in the entire Prince Jin's mansion will be law! I will listen to everything you say!"
His eyes were sincere and earnest when he said this, making it hard to tell whether he was just trying to cope with the predicament or genuinely asking for her hand in marriage.
Shen Yan avoided his gaze and said, "Let me think about it."
After saying that, she looked at the slap mark on his face and changed the subject: "Does it hurt? Should we have Physician Zhou take a look?"
Qi Jingxuan, however, was not swayed by this. He sniffed, shook his head, said "It doesn't hurt," and then began to plead again.
Shen Yan was really struggling to cope, and seeing that his right cheek was really swollen, she called out to Shen Mingshan, who was guarding outside the door, and asked him to have a palace maid boil two eggs and bring them in.
Shen Mingshan had been waiting anxiously outside. When Shen Yan asked for eggs, he was a little confused, but he still ordered the palace maid to cook them. Then he asked Shen Yan if he could come in. After Shen Yan said yes, he hurriedly pushed open the door and went into the room.
Qi Jingxuan had been kneeling at Shen Yan's feet and refused to get up. When he saw Shen Mingshan coming in, he was afraid that Shen Mingshan would be unhappy if he saw him too close to Shen Yan and would be even less willing to marry his daughter to him. So he got up from the ground and sat back on the stool.
As soon as Shen Mingshan entered, he saw Qi Jingxuan give him a bright smile, but the smiling face was swollen and had a clear handprint like a stamp on it.
He was startled at first, then became alert, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men before he demanded, "What did you do to my daughter?"
His Aci would never easily resort to violence; if she did, it must be because Qi Jingxuan had done something extremely offensive.
Seeing her father's suspicion, Shen Yan wanted to explain to Qi Jingxuan, but before she could speak, Qi Jingxuan hurriedly said, "No, no, I didn't do anything!"
After saying this, seeing that Shen Mingshan didn't believe her and was still staring at her face, she realized what had happened and hurriedly said, "I hit myself. I... I was really too outrageous at the Marquis's residence today. I wanted to apologize to Miss Shen, but I didn't know how to express it, so... I hit myself."
He couldn't very well say that he slapped himself because he was remembering his experiences from previous lives, so he could only use this excuse.
Shen Mingshan was still half-believing and half-doubting. He looked at Shen Yan and saw that there was nothing wrong with her. She even nodded to him, and only then did he believe Qi Jingxuan's words.
Qi Jingxuan hadn't gotten a definite answer from Shen Yan earlier, so when he saw Shen Mingshan enter, he quickly stood up to offer him a seat and respectfully said, "Since Lord Shen is here, why don't we discuss my marriage to your daughter?"
Shen Mingshan's expression, which had just eased a little, darkened again, and he flatly refused: "Your Highness, there's no need to mention it anymore. There's nothing to discuss. I will not marry my daughter to you."
Regardless of what happened at the Cheng'an Marquis's residence today, he will not allow his daughter to marry into the Jin Prince's residence and become the Jin Prince's consort.
Not to mention that they are not a good match for the Prince's family, their humble family is not a good match for the Prince's family. If their daughter marries into the family, she will not be able to hold the position of Princess. In the future, she will not be able to control whether the Prince of Jin wants to appoint a concubine or take a concubine. She may not even be able to hold the power to manage the household. If things go wrong, she will have to suffer in the backyard of the Prince's mansion for the rest of her life.
Even if the families are well-matched, if something like this happens between the two, and he rushes to marry his daughter off, she will still not have a good reputation.
This world is harsh on women. Even if Aci was not at fault, and even if the Prince of Jin took all the blame, there will still be people who make sarcastic remarks.
His beloved Aci was a perfectly good young lady, intelligent, quick-witted, and well-educated. Why should she have to suffer such gossip and criticism because of Prince Jin, and even have to sacrifice her entire life for him?
Shen Mingshan had already made up his mind. Tomorrow he would go to the palace to meet with the emperor and ask him to investigate the matter thoroughly. Once the matter was resolved and his daughter's innocence was cleared, he would apply for a transfer to a remote area, away from the capital, to find a good marriage for Aci in a place where few people knew them.
If the emperor refused, he would resign and return to his hometown with his daughter.
In short, no matter what, we cannot let our daughter end up in a place like the Prince of Jin's mansion.
Hearing this, Qi Jingxuan became somewhat anxious again: "I am sincerely asking for your hand in marriage, so please, Lord Shen, give your daughter to me in marriage! Otherwise, please consider my previous suggestion; I am willing to marry into your family!"
Shen Mingshan snorted coldly: "Your Highness is joking. You are the dignified Prince Jin, a prince and grandson of the emperor. Who would dare to ask you to marry into his family?"
"If I say yes, then yes!" Qi Jingxuan said. "You don't need to think about anything else, just tell me if you agree or not. As long as you agree, I will marry into your family immediately and will never go back on my word!"
Shen Mingshan paid no heed to his nonsense and ignored him completely. Instead, he asked Shen Yan, "Aci, have you finished saying what you have to say? Then go and keep your mother company. She's worried about you."
Although Imperial Physician Zhou and the palace guards and maids were outside, there was still a difference between men and women, and it was not appropriate for Shen Yan and Qi Jingxuan to stay alone in the room for too long.
Shen Yan nodded and said, "I'm done talking. I'll go keep my mother company now."
After saying that, he got up and walked out with Chen Mingshan.
Seeing this, Qi Jingxuan hurriedly followed, persistently insisting that he must marry Shen Yan.
But before he could even finish expressing his determination and step out of the outer room, the imperial guards outside said, "Your Highness, Consort Shu has sent someone to say that you must return to the palace immediately."
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingxuan immediately grabbed the table leg with both hands and feet like an octopus, refusing to leave no matter what.
Although the Imperial Guards were unwilling to anger Prince Jin, they dared not disobey Consort Shu's orders. They immediately pulled Qi Jingxuan off the table leg, and four of them carried him out by his arms and legs.
Unable to break free, Qi Jingxuan began to wail and howl again, causing the neighbors who had been listening intently to the Shen family's movements to crane their necks, eager to see what commotion was going on.
Just then, a palace maid brought out boiled eggs from the kitchen, placed them in a bowl, and presented them to Shen Mingshan.
Qi Jingxuan slapped himself, and Shen Mingshan didn't want to interfere, but he didn't want people to think that the Prince of Jin had been slapped by his own daughter and that no one was taking care of it. So he signaled the palace maid to hand the eggs to Qi Jingxuan.
Qi Jingxuan was carried out of the Shen family's gate, clutching two warm eggs. As he left, he struggled to turn back and shout, "Miss Shen, please think about this seriously! I'm sincerely asking you to marry me!"
………………
In the palace, Consort Shu leaned listlessly against the daybed, a bowl of medicine that had almost gone cold on the kang table. No matter how the palace servants tried to persuade her, she refused to drink it.
Upon hearing the news, the Emperor rushed over and was deeply distressed to see the situation. He dismissed the servants around him, sat down beside Consort Shu, and said gently, "Why are you refusing to take your medicine again?"
Consort Shu and the Emperor were childhood sweethearts. When she was young, she was seriously injured while saving him. Although she survived thanks to the excellent medical skills of several imperial physicians, she was left with a chronic illness and had to take medicine all year round.
As a result, Zhaohua Palace was always filled with the fragrance of medicine, but the emperor did not dislike the place because of this; on the contrary, he often came here.
Therefore, everyone in the palace knows that the Empress is the mother of the nation, and the Consort is of the highest rank and most precious, but if we were to say which one His Majesty favors the most, it would undoubtedly be Consort Shu.
Whenever Consort Shu suffered from a headache or fever, the Emperor would come in person, sending all sorts of precious medicinal herbs and tonics to Zhaohua Palace as if they were free. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy wished he could dedicate himself solely to taking care of Consort Shu.
Upon hearing that Consort Shu had thrown a tantrum and refused to take her medicine, the Emperor rushed over again.
Consort Shu is thirty-six years old this year, which is not considered young among the concubines. However, she is born with a beautiful face, graceful and charming, with beautiful hair and a lovely face. Even though she is older, she only has a few more charms than the younger concubines and does not look old.
Most people who are bedridden for years have a sallow complexion, but although she was also weak under the careful care of the imperial physician, her complexion was only slightly pale. Coupled with her slender and thin figure, she gave people the feeling that she was too weak to bear the weight of her clothes, which made people feel sorry for her.
Upon seeing the emperor arrive, she merely raised her eyelids slightly, without rising to greet him or even offering a curtsy. She simply said in a flat tone, "He's going to die of anger anyway; what difference does it make whether he takes the medicine or not?"
Before the Emperor arrived, he had already heard that she had sent someone to bring Qi Jingxuan back to the palace, and knew that she knew about what happened at the Cheng'an Marquis's residence today. He glared at the palace servants serving at Zhaohua Palace through the door and said, "Which ignorant person dared to speak so presumptuously in front of you?"
Consort Shu curled her lips into a cold smile: "Your Majesty need not blame them. Countless people in the palace are waiting to see me make a fool of myself. Now that such a thing has happened, even if you intend to keep it a secret, there are plenty of people eager to let me know."
The palace is the place where secrets are hidden deepest, yet it is also the place with the fewest secrets. You can see what's going on there and who's in trouble.
Upon hearing this, the emperor knew that someone had deliberately leaked the information to Zhaohua Palace. He was very annoyed and explained, "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I was afraid that you would get angry and hurt your health if you found out."
Consort Shu straightened up slightly from the pillow, finally giving him a proper look: "How long do you think this can be kept secret? I won't be angry if I find out later."
The emperor was speechless for a moment. He knew he couldn't hide it from Consort Shu for long, but he wanted to wait until he met Shen Mingshan the next day to tell her.
If Shen Mingshan agrees to marry his daughter to Qi Jingxuan, then everything will be fine, a bad thing will turn into a good thing, and even if Consort Shu finds out, there will be no need to worry.
If Shen Mingshan doesn't agree, it's not too late to tell Consort Shu.
Seeing that he remained silent, Consort Shu said, "Xuan'er has always been dissolute and often gets into trouble. I told His Majesty long ago that if anything happens to him, he must tell me immediately. Firstly, so that I can discipline him, and secondly, so that I can investigate the matter thoroughly."
"If I had known about today's events earlier, I would have summoned him and the people from the Cheng'an Marquis's mansion to ask them a question. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the Shen family to cause trouble and stir up a storm in the city."
"Now it's all over. Before the matter has even been investigated, everyone is saying that he wronged Miss Shen. Even if I wanted to turn things around, there's nothing I can do."
Speaking of this, the emperor felt somewhat wronged and said, "I have already summoned him to the palace for questioning. He admitted in person that he has long admired Miss Shen. Today, he drank a few too many cups at the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence, and in his drunken state, he confused himself and ruined Miss Shen's reputation."
"So His Majesty believed it and genuinely thought it was him, without verifying anything at all."
Consort Shu asked.
Otherwise, why would he admit to doing it if he didn't do it? Why would he cry and beg me to grant him and Miss Shen a marriage?
The emperor inwardly grumbled, but dared not voice it, fearing he would further anger Consort Shu.
Seeing that Consort Shu's complexion was getting worse and worse, clearly she was very angry, he was thinking about how to appease her when he heard a palace servant announce that Prince Jin had arrived.
Finally free from facing Consort Shu's wrath alone, the Emperor hurriedly said, "Let him get in here!"
The door opened slightly, and the culprit, Qi Jingxuan, rolled in.
He had just barely managed to step into the Shen family compound, and was very unwilling to be taken away like this.
But seeing that he had already entered the palace and was here with his own mother, he knew that wailing would be useless and might even upset his mother. So he put away his unruly demeanor outside, put on a well-behaved appearance, and entered the room with his head down and eyes lowered.
Upon entering the room, he saw that the Emperor and Consort Shu both looked very angry and displeased. He couldn't help but shrink back, unsure of what to say. Looking down at the two eggs in his hand, he instinctively reached out and offered them to them, forcing a smile as he said, "Father, Mother, would you like some eggs?"
A note from the author:
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Just a heads-up, please back up your important data on your phone. My phone suddenly broke down without warning a couple of days ago. One second it was running smoothly, the next it was a black screen and endlessly rebooting. I tried everything but couldn't boot into the system interface, and in the end I had to send it back for repair. Some data was exported, but I don't know if the rest will be salvageable. I'm so heartbroken. Back up your data regularly, and it's best to have a cheap backup phone. That way, if your phone breaks, at least you have another one to tide you over. Otherwise, you won't be able to scan the code to ride a shared bike, you'll have to pay for the bus without a card, and you'll have to worry about whether the taxi driver has change...orz
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