Chapter 532: Snatching Shen Yuezhang's Marriage
Su Tai didn't think much about it, and asked Yu Mei to take the dowry list and give it to Shen Yi, "You show it to your godfather and see what he says. Let's rest for two days. Since we are here, we must go to see Princess Huai'an first."
Shen Yi nodded.
Early the next morning.
Before Su Tai and her son could take any action, Princess Qingkang had already brought Zhao Moli, the second daughter of the Zhao family, to the palace to pay respects to the Queen Mother.
Zhao Moli is as her name suggests, she is pretty and clean, has a sweet smile and is very pure.
It was the first time the Queen Mother had seen her, and her eyes lit up instantly, "Qingkang? Whose girl is this? Why have I never seen you bring her into the palace?"
The Queen Mother of Qingkang County knelt down, her brows full of sorrow. "Your Majesty, this child is Zhao Moli, the daughter of the second wife. I only have two daughters, one is dead and the other has entered Buddhism. I can't live like this any longer, so I took Moli to my side to raise her to comfort the pain of losing my daughter."
The Queen Mother nodded slowly and praised: "He is a good and filial child."
Princess Qingkang kowtowed to the Queen Mother with tears in her eyes, "Queen Mother, Jasmine and Furong are of similar age. Whenever I see Jasmine, I always think of Furong. If Furong hadn't been in trouble, she would have been married to Ajue by now.
I heard that Ajue has returned, and I want to ask the Queen Mother for a favor."
The smile on the Queen Mother's face gradually faded, and she gave Nanny Gui a look.
Nanny Gui immediately sent all the palace servants out.
"Qingkang, you know very well how Furong died. Let me tell you something you may not like. If she had been consistent in her words and deeds, such a thing would never have happened. It was you who failed to educate her properly and caused her to suffer such a fate. No one else is to blame.
Ajue is Huai'an's only son, and his wife cannot be Furong. If the grace you are asking for is related to Ajue, then there is no need to talk about it."
The Queen Mother's words made Princess Qingkang's face turn pale. She clenched her hands under her sleeves, unwilling to cry, and cried even more sadly.
"Queen Dowager, I know Furong deserves the punishment she received, and I dare not excuse her. But Jasmine is different from Furong. She has been well educated since she was a child. She is low-key and not ostentatious. She excels in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. I just hope Furong can marry a good man.
Looking at the entire imperial capital, Ajue is the most outstanding. I hope the Queen Mother will give Jasmine a chance. As long as Ajue meets Jasmine, he will definitely like Jasmine. "
"Nonsense!" The Queen Mother angrily threw the cup and said in a sharp tone, "Qingkang, I thought you were a sensible person who knew when to advance and when to retreat, but I didn't expect you to be so careless and cunning!"
Princess Qingkang begged for mercy in fear, "Queen Dowager, I didn't do that. I just wanted to find a future for Jasmine!"
The Queen Mother sneered, "Gambling for a better future? Gambling for what future? Don't you even consider your own weight when you say such things! Who do you think you are? Are you worthy?"
Princess Qingkang was horrified. She had grown up almost entirely in the presence of the empress dowager. In her impression, although the empress dowager was majestic, she was kind and easy to talk to.
After Furong's incident, the Queen Mother did not pursue the matter. Instead, she gave her some good things as a consolation.
She had always thought that she was different from her other sisters, but she didn't expect to hear the words "she doesn't deserve it" from the Queen Mother today.
Zhao Moli was already trembling with fear, like a little white rabbit waiting to be slaughtered. I felt sorry for her.
"Princess Huai'an, Master Jue is here!"
The voice of a palace maid came from outside the door.
Princess Huai'an and Murong Jue entered the hall one after another and bowed to the empress dowager.
Princess Huai'an glanced at the embarrassed Princess Qingkang, then looked at the Queen Mother leisurely, "Mother, what happened to Qingkang?"
Princess Qingkang quickly wiped away her tears, and pulled Zhao Moli to pay her respects to Princess Huai'an as if nothing had happened, saying, "Your Highness, this is Moli. I have her by my side now. She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and has been taught etiquette since she was a child."
Princess Huai'an looked at Zhao Moli for a moment and smiled, "She's just a little petty."
Zhao Moli felt a black screen before her eyes and she almost fainted.
Princess Qingkang's expression changed, and she forced a smile. "It's her first time in the palace, so it's normal for her to be nervous. I'll just bring her here more often to pay respects to the Queen Mother."
Zhao Moli's father was only a sixth-rank official with limited abilities, so it would be difficult for Taifu Zhao to help his second son too obviously.
Because her father was not a high-ranking official, Zhao Moli was not taken seriously in the Zhao family. If Zhao Furong had not been in trouble, she would never have been brought to Princess Qingkang. How could she be generous?
But what does it matter? Captain Murong Jue even likes Shen Yuezhang, who became a lady from an official family halfway through her career in the countryside. Zhao Moli must be a hundred times or a thousand times better than Shen Yuezhang.
Princess Huai'an did not comment, but turned her head and said to the Queen Mother, "Mother, Ajue brought her fiancée to the imperial capital this time. I originally planned to bring Yuezhang to pay her respects to you today, but then I thought, they just arrived in the imperial capital yesterday, and they need two days to wait, so I decided to bring this brat to see you."
Murong Jue stepped forward respectfully, clasped his fists and bowed, "Grandmother."
The Queen Mother looked at Murong Jue, who was handsome and dignified, and was very satisfied. A smile gradually crept onto her face. She called him to her side and asked about his well-being. "You have suffered a lot in such a poor and remote place like Zhaohua County these years!"
Murong Jue lowered his eyes and smiled sensibly, "I don't feel bitter about being able to share the worries of the Emperor's uncle, and Zhaohua County is not a poor place at all. The roads in the county are wide and long, enough for three carriages to drive side by side. There are shops everywhere, and the people are well-fed and well-clothed, living and working in peace and contentment. The atmosphere of literature and calligraphy is strong. It is a good place."
Seeing that he spared no effort to praise Zhao Huaxian, the Queen Mother's eyes became more teasing, "Do you like Miss Shen so much?"
Princess Qingkang and Zhao Moli changed their expressions again.
She had already made it clear just now, and had been praising Zhao Moli non-stop in front of Princess Huai'an. Her intentions were obvious, but she didn't expect that the Queen Mother would not give her any face at all and say such slapping words to her face.
Zhao Moli was already crying, but she didn't dare to cry out loud and was just holding it back.
Murong Jue nodded vigorously, his eyes full of determination, "Grandson has been waiting for her to grow up for several years, and grandma will definitely like her when she sees her."
Princess Huai'an glanced at Princess Qingkang and said, "As soon as the Shen family entered the imperial capital yesterday, the dowry list was delivered to me. Please take a look, mother."
The Queen Mother followed Princess Huai'an's instructions and took a look. The more she looked, the more frightened she became. "Did the Shen family prepare all this? Did Marquis Yong'an not interfere?"
Princess Huai'an shook her head slightly smugly, "Marquis Yong'an did prepare it, but after seeing the dowry prepared by Madam Shen, he stopped thinking about it and only sent this list."
The Queen Mother carefully read the dowry list and raised her eyebrows to ask, "Didn't the Shen family come from a peasant family with no background? How did they save up so many good things?"
Murong Jue explained, "Grandmother, you don't know that Madam Shen is a business genius. The Shen family's business depends on Madam Shen. Even the entire Shenjiazhuang is rich because of Madam Shen. The Shen family's business is huge. It's not an exaggeration to say that it is the best in Lizhou. It's just that the world only knows about Shenjiazhuang, the richest in Zhaohua County, Lizhou, and no one knows about the Shen family."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
