Shen Zhiyi never expected her father to have such a childish side. She brewed another pot of tea for him, and as she poured it for him, she heard him ask, "Zhiyi, what do you see in him?"
"I……"
She stammered, unsure how to begin.
Too many things have happened, the key being her rebirth, which she doesn't know how to explain.
Seeing the troubled look on her face, Shen Chongde frowned and asked, "You like his face?"
"..."
"They say beautiful women are a source of trouble, but a man who is too handsome is also a source of trouble."
Shen Zhiyi pursed her lips. She was really curious about what her father and Zhou Xuance had talked about, but when she tried to ask again, her father had already left.
**
That night, Shen Zhiyi didn't sleep well and got up a little late. She was worried about how to face her father when she heard that he had gone to court during her meal.
Even after the court session ended, her father had not returned, but she received a message from the palace.
The Empress sent someone to inform us:
"Miss Chen, Her Majesty the Empress requests that you come to the palace as soon as possible. After the court session, the Duke seems to have gotten into a dispute with His Majesty over the matter of withdrawing the bestowed marriage, which has angered the Emperor."
Chen Zhiyi's breath hitched.
He casually ordered his horse to be prepared and hurriedly entered the palace.
But as soon as she entered the palace, she saw her father coming out of the imperial study.
"father?"
"Let's go home." Shen Chongdala led his daughter toward the palace gates, but was stopped by the Empress and her entourage.
“Duke Shen, His Majesty is angry. As you know, His Highness the Regent is his Achilles' heel. Besides, the decree of marriage has already been issued, and there is no reason to take it back. But you cannot threaten him with military power.”
"You are a pillar of the state, and His Majesty will still need to rely on you once his anger subsides."
"You can take a break during this time and spend some quality time with Miss Chen."
Shen Zhi was horrified.
Father's military power...
Was it taken away?
She thanked the Empress for her reminder and comfort, and took her father's arm as they walked out.
After leaving the palace, Shen Zhiyi asked in a low voice, "Father? You..."
"Even if the regent is in good health, the royal family is involved. He has distinguished himself in military service, but he is still young. No matter which prince inherits the throne in the future, it will be difficult for him to be tolerated."
Chen Zhi remained silent.
"However, His Majesty's mind is made up. Even if I threaten you with military power, it will be useless. Once you enter the Prince's Palace, you will need to take good care of yourself."
"But your military power..."
"You don't need to worry about Father."
Soon, news spread throughout the capital that the Duke had been stripped of his military power for trying to persuade His Majesty to rescind the marriage decree.
However, the Emperor only said to the public that Shen Chongde had a chronic leg ailment and needed to rest, but everyone knew the real reason.
As soon as Shen Zhiyi returned to the mansion with her father, she saw her second brother jumping around in the courtyard.
"Father? How could Your Majesty do this? Our Shen family..." Shen Muzhi said anxiously.
"Shut up!" Shen Chongde glared at him angrily. "I warned you long ago not to speak ill of His Majesty. Every decision he makes must have its reasons."
Shen Mu's anger:
Loyalty to the emperor and love for the country
But Father's loyalty is simply blind.
"Before your sister gets married, you must stay at home and not go anywhere. If I find out that you have left the manor without permission, I will break your legs!" Shen Chongde warned.
Shen Muzhi was speechless: "Father, why didn't you warn my eldest brother and younger brother? Why did you only warn me?"
"Of the three brothers, you're the least bright and always getting me into trouble."
"I……"
Shen Muzhi was furious and wanted to speak again, but he was scared away by a look from his father.
Why resort to personal attacks and call him stupid instead of talking to him nicely?
Shen Muzhi was unconvinced, but there was nothing he could do.
**
In the days that followed, despite the many rumors circulating in the capital and the fact that the Shen family was caught in the vortex, they focused solely on preparing for the wedding.
The Regent's Palace sent many betrothal gifts, so the Duke's Mansion prepared a very generous dowry for Shen Zhiyi, several times more than when she married into the Marquis's Mansion.
Xu Yunyi never imagined in her life that she would be able to send her daughter off to marriage twice, and she naturally had many feelings in her heart.
Until their wedding day, Shen Zhiyi never saw Zhou Xuance again.
Wedding Day
Shen Zhiyi was woken up early, and Hongrui brought in a bowl of green rice porridge and a plate of magnolia pastries.
"Miss, this was sent by someone from the Prince's residence. They said the wedding ceremony is complicated and they were afraid you wouldn't have time to eat, so they wanted you to have something to eat first." Hongrui sighed, "His Highness the Regent is so thoughtful."
pity……
They won't live long.
After Shen Zhiyi ate some food, someone specially helped her with her hair and makeup.
They were all maids from the palace. After all, she was going to enter the Prince's mansion as a concubine. The maids had arrived a couple of days ago and taught her some court etiquette, which was quite tedious.
The wedding dress was heavy, and it was summer, so she started sweating as soon as she put it on.
When she started putting on the hair accessories, she felt like her neck was going to fall off.
“Miss, these headdresses were specially made by the palace craftsmen overnight at the prince’s request. Some of them are even old items that belonged to Consort Xiao, which shows how much the prince loves you.”
"Once you enter the manor, the prince will surely be cured of all his ailments, and your good days will begin."
The old woman had a sweet tongue and coaxed her.
Upon hearing that these headdresses were prepared by Zhou Xuance, Shen Zhiyi felt a surge of rage, wishing she could kill him.
Is he trying to work her to death?
“Young lady, look at this necklace. It was a gift from the Empress Dowager. Every gemstone inlaid on it is priceless.”
Shen Zhiyi glanced at the necklace placed to one side.
I feel like my head is about to explode!
Wearing this thing around his neck would surely break his neck.
“Zhiyi…” Wen Qing led Shen Qi’an into the room.
Shen Qi'an was a sweet talker. "Sister, you look so beautiful today, even more beautiful than the fairies in the paintings."
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