Chapter 211 Prey
The Duke Dingguo's Mansion provided a topic of conversation in Kyoto after dinner, and the old lady's condition worsened again and again.
The second master had his leg broken at the doorstep, and the grandson who was expelled from the house got into trouble again. This time even his own uncle couldn't tolerate him. The old lady, who was already ill, couldn't bear it.
The second branch of the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion is rotten to the core. Whenever the second branch of the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion is mentioned, no one fails to despise it.
There were even more people making fun of the Cen family. They were living a good life, but they caught a louse and put it on their body to bite themselves. The young master, who was not wanted by the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, was picked up by the Cen family as a treasure. The Cen family had several girls, and after such a thing happened, who would dare to come and propose to them?
Shen Wancai went back to visit the old lady, but the old lady's condition worsened, so Shen Wan didn't go back.
But after a few days, there was still no news of Mrs. Zhou coming to Beijing.
It shouldn't be.
In her previous life, Old Madam Zhou came to the capital to ask my father for help, but my father was too busy. On the day Old Madam Zhou arrived at Duke Dingguo's Mansion, my father was in the military camp and did not see her. But as long as Old Madam Zhou was in Kyoto, my father would always meet her for the sake of the late old madam.
Because Mrs. Zhou died suddenly due to poor acclimatization, her father felt a little guilty and regretful.
The old lady's status in this life is not as high as in the previous life, but my father is the same as always. Old Lady Zhou came to Beijing to find my father, not to find the old lady. Even if something delayed her for a day or two, she should have come to Beijing for help.
No matter how Shen Wan thought about it, he felt that Madam Zhou's sudden death in her previous life was unusual, especially the old lady's enthusiasm. She asked the second master to send Madam Zhou's coffin back to Beijing, and finally the entire Zhou family died out.
Knowing that the old lady was not a warm-hearted person, Shen Wan was particularly concerned about this matter. She reminded her twice that she wanted the old lady Zhou to go to the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, and Yun would definitely send someone to tell her.
All I can do is wait patiently.
However, Chen Wan spent the whole day in fear.
Xiahou Yi, the third prince of Beiyue, is causing trouble again.
An assassin broke into the Xixing Palace and it was burned down. The emperor asked Xie Jingyu to investigate the assassin's case. Xie Jingyu has been going out early and coming back late these days.
Because Xiahou Yi wanted to find out the assassin before setting off again, the Prince of Gaoyang in Dongliang also changed his return date and took the opportunity to appreciate the scenery near Kyoto.
Xiahou Yi wanted to go hunting, and Prince Gaoyang also had the same idea, so the emperor arranged for Xie Jingyu to accompany him.
When Chen Wan got up in the morning, Xie Jingyu had already left the house. Xiahou Yi had ulterior motives, and Chen Wan was worried that there would be an ambush during the hunt. Although she had reminded Xie Jingyu again and again, she still couldn't help but feel nervous and was absent-minded in everything she did.
Chen Wan sat on the small couch and made a brocade robe for Xie Jingyu, but she only embroidered two auspicious clouds in a day.
Shanhu said, "Don't worry, Princess. The prince is just going hunting. He will be fine."
"Who, who is worried about him..."
Shen Wan denied it, but her ears were a little red.
Shanhu was very confused. The Crown Prince's Concubine was obviously very worried about the Crown Prince, so why didn't she show any concern when the Crown Prince was in the mansion? Others were attentive to their husbands in front of others, fearing that their husbands didn't know, but the Crown Prince's Concubine was different. She was cold and indifferent in front of others, but worried about him silently behind his back.
Shen Wan lowered her head and continued embroidering. After only a dozen stitches, Chun'er came in and said, "Princess, the prince is back from hunting."
Finally I'm back.
Chen Wan's heart, which had been hanging in the air all day, fell back into her stomach. She put down the embroidery frame in her hand and stood up.
As soon as I went out, I saw Xie Jingyu entering the yard, followed by Chen Ping carrying the prey, and two servants, whose hands were also full.
Returned unscathed with a full load.
Shen Wan asked, "Why did you kill so many prey?"
Xie Jingyu didn't say anything. Chen Ping said, "These were shot by the Crown Princess's brother. I hunted a deer and asked him to bring it back as a tribute to Duke Dingguo."
Big brother is going too?
Chen Wan didn't know that not only Chen Li was there, but Xie Jingyu also called Prince Yuzhang, Chu Yang, and Prince Yong of Zhao Ang.
He said that he was accompanying the Third Prince of Beiyue and the Prince of Gaoyang of Dongliang on a hunt, but in fact, he was just calling a group of good brothers to go to the Emperor's hunting ground under the guise of companionship.
Xie Jingyu didn't know whether the Third Prince of Beiyue and the Crown Prince of Gaoyang of Dongliang had a great time, but he and the Prince of Yuzhang did.
Shen Wan asked, "Did my eldest brother really take it back?"
Brother, why are you so stupid?
It's just a deer. Although it's a filial gift to my father, I can't really accept it. Let Xie Jingyu take it back home, and then divide half of it and send someone to deliver it to Duke Dingguo's Mansion.
Chen Ping said, "I forced it on you, you have to take it with you."
"Why?" Shen Wan was puzzled.
“…”
Chen Ping's mouth twitched, not knowing how to answer.
Shen Wan reacted and was extremely embarrassed.
Deer meat is aphrodisiac. Xie Jingyu is at a young age with full vigor. If he eats venison again, he will probably have to spend the night in the bathtub. The princess is sick and it is not suitable for the prince to eat it. If he gives it to her father, he can also gain the reputation of being a filial son-in-law, killing two birds with one stone.
Looking at the prey piled up in the yard, Mother Xu said, "There's too much prey. If we don't finish it, it will go bad..."
Xie Jingyu looked at Chen Wan and said, "Send some to each room."
Xie Jingyu was sweating all over and couldn't stand it anymore, so he went to take a shower.
Shen Wan counted the prey and sent people to deliver them to the old lady, the princess, the second, third and fourth wives.
Mother Xu asked, "Do you want to send it to Concubine Wen?"
In one sentence, Shen Wan looked sideways at Mother Xu, curled her lips and said, “Do you think I should send it?”
The half-smile in his eyes made Mother Xu feel a chill down her spine.
Mother Xu knew she had spoken out of turn and quickly admitted her mistake, "It was my fault for speaking too much."
There is a lot of prey, so it is not a bad idea to send a pheasant or rabbit to Concubine Wen, but Concubine Wen is just the prince's concubine. How can the prince go hunting and share the prey with the prince's concubine? Wouldn't this just cause trouble to his own mother?
What's more, Concubine Wen and her daughter repeatedly made things difficult for her. If it weren't for the fact that there were too many prey and she cared about her face, Shen Wan wouldn't even want to give it to the second and third wives' old ladies. But there were too many of them and she couldn't tell them apart, which gave people something to talk about.
Concubine Wen doesn't have to give it, so why should she share it?
Concubine Wen is not short of this piece of wild game, but Mother Xu, isn't she the princess's person? She actually remembers Concubine Wen for such a small matter. Has she received many benefits from Concubine Wen, or is she actually Concubine Wen's person?
After the distribution was completed, Shen Wan returned to the house, and the maids delivered the game to each courtyard.
The Jingbei Prince's Mansion was wealthy and powerful, so there was no shortage of food. However, this was what Xie Jingyu had hunted himself and brought back to the mansion, so it was certainly something special. The old lady was happy and immediately ordered the kitchen to prepare it so that they could have dinner.
But Concubine Wen was unhappy because she didn't have it.
She was not short of food, nor was she angry about a few wild game, but she had already told Shen Wan that she was the prince's biological mother. The prince did not prioritize her biological mother when hunting prey. Every room in the mansion had game. The princess was weak and needed light food, so she received the most. On the contrary, she did not have any wild game.
Concubine Wen was so angry that she smashed the teacup on the table to pieces.
Inside the room, the princess leaned on the large pillow and rubbed her solar plexus. She didn't have the strength to get out of bed and walk around, but after lying there for so long, her head felt a little dizzy.
Mother Zhao came in with a big smile on her face. The princess asked, "What's the matter? Why are you so happy?"
Mother Zhao smiled and said, "The prince went out hunting today and brought back a lot of prey. He also gave a lot to the princess."
The princess chuckled softly, "Isn't this a common occurrence? I've never seen you so happy before."
Mother Zhao smiled and said, "This time, the Crown Prince's Consort was in charge of dividing the prey. The old lady and each of the rooms received gifts, but Concubine Wen didn't receive any."
Although Concubine Wen could not shake the princess's status, she was still the prince's concubine, so how could the princess not feel uncomfortable with her? Especially since Concubine Wen got along well with several sisters-in-law in the mansion, even better than the princess.
Although they were just a few prey, the Crown Prince's Consort was able to take the Princess' feelings into consideration and ignore Concubine Wen's mood. The Crown Prince's Concubine put the Princess first, and Mother Zhao, who was loyal to the Princess, must be happy.
The next day, Shen Wan went to pay her respects to the old lady and ran into Xie Zhihuan at the gate. Xie Zhihuan directly attacked Shen Wan, "Sister-in-law, do you think my mother is missing that piece of wild game?!"
Shen Wan smiled and said, “Since there is no shortage, why are you so angry?”
"you!"
Xie Zhihuan was so angry that she went crazy, but there was nothing she could do.
Shen Wan went to pay her respects to the old lady, who asked, "Were you the one who divided up the prey the prince brought back home yesterday?"
"I divided it."
The old lady asked, "Why didn't Concubine Wen get any share?"
I have never seen anyone who is so partial to the prince's concubine. Another confused old lady.
Shen Wan was shocked. "Isn't the Jingbei Palace the most rule-abiding? How can a prince's consort like me bypass my mother and send something directly to my father's concubine?"
In one sentence, the old lady was almost choked to death.
The room was dead silent.
Shen Wan's words almost said that the old lady was unruly and wanted to teach her, the prince's consort, to do unruly things. No one thought there was anything wrong with it before, but when Shen Wan pointed it out, it seemed that it was indeed inappropriate.
The Second Madam tried to make amends, "Concubine Wen is not an ordinary concubine..."
Chen Wan said, "I don't see anything unusual. My mother is ill, and my father didn't even allow Concubine Wen to accompany him to the palace for the banquet."
A room full of people, "..."
No Crown Prince's wife would stab Concubine Wen in the heart like this.
Concubine Wen was so angry that tears came out, and she suddenly stood up and left.
Xie Zhihuan chased after Concubine Wen. Before she left, her eyes looked as if she wanted to eat Shen Wan alive.
The Second Lady said, "What the Crown Princess said is too hurtful."
Willing to be a concubine, but wanting special treatment, what a good thing she is thinking about.
Shen Wan looked innocent, "It was because Second Aunt said that Concubine Wen was unusual that I told her what I saw. Besides, isn't this something that everyone in the mansion knows?"
Second Madam, “…”
The second wife had nothing to say.
The Crown Prince's wife's mouth is like a knife, and it's the kind that's been poisoned.
The news that Concubine Wen was so angry that she cried and left reached the ears of the princess before Chen Wan even arrived at Liuli Courtyard. Chen Wan went to pay her respects to the princess, but the princess said nothing and gave Chen Wan a jade bracelet.
Chen Wan knew why the princess rewarded her, and she was happy to receive the reward. It was a pity that her wrist was occupied by the gold and jade bracelet given by the old lady. She didn't like wearing bracelets on both wrists, especially her right hand, as it was easy to bump into something. The more she liked the bracelet, the less she dared to wear it on her right wrist.
Back at Zhaolanxuan, Chen Wan took off the bracelet and asked Shanhu to take it away and keep it.
Shen Wan drank a cup of tea and then sat down to embroider her belt. She didn't leave the house for the entire morning.
When it was almost time for lunch, there was a knock on the window. Chen Wan wondered if Chen An had returned. Just as she was about to get off the couch, Chun'er came in and said, "Prince's Consort, something happened to the third young lady..."
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