Chapter 132: Can't Meet Before the Wedding
Shen Wen was a smart man. He did not ask anything about the girl of destiny. He only spoke politely, waiting for Xiao Yuan to bring up the marriage.
After all, the Shen family is the woman's family. Even if the emperor grants the marriage, they cannot lose their dignity, otherwise they will lose the value of their daughter.
Xiao Yuan looked out several times, and it seemed as if there were nails on the chair. Shen Changhe saw everything and silently lowered his head to drink tea.
After a few simple greetings, Xiao Yuan immediately mentioned the purpose of his visit today, "I am here today to discuss the betrothal proposal tomorrow. The gifts have already been brought into the mansion by the butler."
Shen Wen's expression softened slightly when he heard this, "Fourth Prince is thoughtful. The Emperor has granted the marriage, and you still bothered so much."
"It's my duty." Xiao Yuan took the tea served by the maid and took a few sips.
The so-called discussion of betrothal matters actually means preparing generous gifts and telling the woman that the betrothal will be proposed tomorrow, and asking for her consent.
Shen Wen agreed without hesitation, which made Xiao Yuan's expressionless face show obvious joy.
The three of them sat and chatted for a long time, but Xiao Yuan showed no intention of leaving. Shen Wen also figured out something.
"The Fourth Prince came to visit me personally today, which is a great honor to my Shen family. I am very grateful to you. However, according to the rules passed down by our ancestors, the newlyweds should not see each other a few days before the wedding. It is unlucky. My daughter is embroidering her veil in her boudoir, so I will not see the Fourth Prince off."
"..."How come he has never heard of this rule!
Xiao Yuan had a wooden face and turned his head slightly to look at Qing An behind him. Qing An pursed his lips, nodded slightly, and immediately lowered his head.
He shrugged his shoulders twice, and I couldn't tell if he was laughing.
After getting the confirmation, Xiao Yuan's face turned even worse. So, he wouldn't be able to see her before the wedding?
How can that be possible?
He lowered his head and glanced at the brocade robe on his body, feeling even more depressed.
However, in front of Shen Wen, he did not show it, but nodded slightly, "Master Shen is right, the rules left by our ancestors naturally have their reasons."
The smile on Shen Wen's face became more sincere. When he saw Xiao Yuan stand up, he also stood up immediately and personally escorted him out of the house.
After leaving the Shen Mansion, Qing An could see with his own eyes that his master's smiling face suddenly turned gloomy. He didn't dare to speak, but couldn't help wanting to laugh, so he could only lower his head and remain silent.
Xiao Yuan looked back at the gate of the Shen Mansion, frowning slightly, "Qing'an, is the Yue family also so perfunctory when other families' sons-in-law come to visit?"
“…”
He didn't know about other families, but it seemed that his master's Yue family had some. So he should at least be polite and leave some food for them before letting them leave.
But seeing his master's expression, he still tried to calm things down and said, "It should be like this. After all, this is not the day for a formal engagement."
Hearing this, Xiao Yuan frowned even more, "So, I can't see her during the betrothal ceremony tomorrow?"
Qing An was also stumped by the question, "No way, I heard someone say that on the day of engagement, the fiancé should personally give his fiancée a hairpin to show his love. How can he give the hairpin if he doesn't meet her?"
"Hairpin?" Xiao Yuan tilted his head to look at Qing'an, his stern face becoming wooden again.
How come he had never heard of it?
Qing An pursed his lips, "There is indeed such a rule."
These things should have been prepared in advance by the man's mother, but since Concubine Shu is no longer around, there is no one to worry about it for the master.
"Let's go back home." He lifted the curtain and quickly got into the carriage, urging Qing'an.
Shen Mansion, Begonia Garden.
"He's gone?" Shen Anan asked casually as she was looking through the headdress and wedding dress sent by Mrs. Shen.
Mo Xiang nodded, "Miss, didn't you say yesterday that you had something to ask the Fourth Prince? He finally came today, why didn't you see him?"
Her slender fingertips landed on a phoenix-tail hairpin, and she picked it up and gestured on her head for a few times, and only replied to Mo Xiang, "You don't understand."
"Okay." Mo Xiang's attention was immediately attracted by those bright red things. He picked up one after another and tried them on Shen Anan.
"Girl, this ready-made wedding dress never fits you. If you are not in a hurry, it would be better to have it tailored to your measurements."
Mo Xiang felt a little melancholy when she saw the wedding dress which was either too big or too tight for her body.
Shen Anan didn't care, "It's just for one day, it's fine."
"Wedding only happens once in a lifetime, how can we settle for it?" Mo Xiang pouted.
Shen Anan didn't take it seriously and asked her to put the things away. She also took a symbolic glance at the dowry list sent by Mrs. Shen and sent someone to report to Mrs. Shen.
A once-in-a-lifetime wedding sounds wonderful, but in this life, she is no longer a fool who is happy and excited just because of a girl's spring love.
The night was as cold as ever. Big red lanterns were hung everywhere in the Shen Mansion. The white silk was taken down and replaced with dazzling red. Red was supposed to be a warm color for life, but when Shen Anan stood in the yard, she only felt colder.
Mo Xiang took an oil-paper umbrella, intending to shield her from some of the cold wind.
"Give it to me." Shen Anan took it from her and walked outside.
"Girl, where are you going?"
"Ancestral hall."
She is going to get married in a few days, so she has to tell her grandmother so that she can rest assured.
Xiao Yuan was the person that her grandmother favored the most when she was alive. Even before she passed away, she still earnestly advised him to protect her.
However, people's hearts change rapidly. How can we know that this is not just a dream? In the end, the only one who can protect ourselves is ourselves.
But there is one thing that my grandmother said is right. When you are at a disadvantage, you should learn to be patient, and then you can make great achievements. The high tiles and deep walls of the Fourth Prince's Mansion can at least give her temporary stability.
In the Fourth Prince’s residence, the candles in the study were lit all night long.
At daybreak, the mansion became bustling with activity, the lights were on, servants were coming and going carrying things to the front yard, and the sound of firecrackers kept people in the nearby streets awake.
At noon, the sound of gongs and drums could be heard. The people who heard the noise gathered at the gate of the Fourth Prince's mansion to watch.
The people that the emperor originally transferred were withdrawn after he canonized Shen Anan as the principal wife. Now the ones in charge are Ling Chenyi and Li Huaiyan.
The two noble young men did their work and complied with Xiao Yuan's instructions, and they were as ostentatious as they wanted.
"Where is Xiao Yuan?" The team and the betrothal gifts were all ready, and the eldest princess had arrived, but there was no sign of Xiao Yuan yet. Ling Chenyi couldn't help but ask.
Qingan touched his nose and said, "Maybe she is still choosing clothes. It will be done soon."
Miss Shen didn't see the fancy dress yesterday, but today, for such a formal occasion, the master must dress more carefully.
"..." Ling Chenyi curled his lips, speechless.
The eldest princess glared at him and said, "What do you know, you old bachelor."
"..." It's true that he had never had a good relationship with a woman, but he was only in his twenties and couldn't be called an old bachelor. But seeing the disdainful look in his mother's eyes, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.
The eldest princess was also wearing something festive today, wearing bright colors that she hadn't tried in many years. The smile on her face was even deeper than when her son got married.
A quarter of an hour later, Xiao Yuan finally arrived.
Ling Chenyi and Li Huaiyan stared at the person walking out of the mansion gate. Maybe it was because the sun was particularly scorching today, or maybe it was because the smile on someone's face was too eye-catching, the two of them just felt their eyes sore.
"Okay, okay," the princess pulled him to her side, tears streaming down her face, "I've finally waited for this day. Your mother will be very happy to see this."
Xiao Yuan's eyes dimmed for a moment, then he raised the corners of his lips again, "Thank you for your help today, aunt."
"We are one family, why are you talking so differently?" The eldest princess glanced at the team and didn't see anyone from the palace, so she frowned.
"No problem, we can also hold a beautiful and grand wedding ourselves."
As soon as the betrothal team from the Fourth Prince's Mansion set out, someone immediately reported the matter to the Shen Mansion.
If it were the Shen family of the past, today would surely be filled with guests and extremely lively. However, although many officials came to attend for the sake of the Fourth Prince, the atmosphere was quite deserted.
They all sat in their seats, and except for a word of congratulations when entering the door, no one talked to the host, as if they were afraid of being contaminated by bad luck.
Shen Wen had long seen through the fickleness of the world, so he just told the maids to take good care of the guests and didn't talk to them.
At least the atmosphere was harmonious, but Shen Anan's Begonia Garden was not so harmonious.
She looked at the uninvited guest sitting in the room, her clear almond-shaped eyes slightly cold.
"My third sister and I grew up together, and I know exactly what kind of person she is. I felt strange when she was praised as the girl of destiny. It was not until yesterday that I accidentally overheard the conversation between my grandmother and my mother that I realized that all this was just a calculation."
Duan Yingying smiled, but her eyes were cold, "I have to say, the Fourth Prince and Miss Shen are really good at scheming."
She knew that Duan Mengmeng would not be able to successfully marry into the Fourth Prince's mansion, but she did not expect that she would fail in such an unexpected way.
"I don't understand what Miss Duan Er is saying. If you are here as a guest today, then I welcome you. If not, please leave."
Shen Anan drove people away in a cold voice.
Duan Yingying smiled faintly again, not taking it seriously, "I just expressed my feelings, don't worry, Miss Shen, I don't like her any less than you do, I won't tell anyone about it."
Shen Anan sneered when she heard this, "I'm not afraid that Second Miss Duan will tell others. After all, your third sister is a female official appointed by the emperor. If she questions the emperor, I don't even need to say anything."
"But..." She tilted her head slightly and stared at Duan Yingying, "You are more likable without your disguise than before."
"Miss Shen, you are so kind. I am where I am today thanks to Miss Shen's help." She didn't smile much and gave a wink to the maid beside her.
The maid immediately took out a brocade box from her sleeve and handed it to Mo Xiang.
"This is the gift I prepared for Miss Shen. I will come back to give her some makeup on her wedding day. I won't bother you today. My silly sister probably doesn't know about this yet, so I'll go and comfort her."
Duan Mengmeng is still dreaming of Xiao Yuan seizing power and marrying her as his queen. With such a good opportunity, how can she, as her sister, not help her face the reality?
Nothing is more heartbreaking than this. Shen Anan was extremely disdainful of Duan Yingying's behavior of adding insult to injury.
But it was her sisters' business and had nothing to do with her.
"Second Miss Duan, please go. There will be many people at the wedding, and I am afraid that I cannot entertain you well. Second Miss, you don't need to come."
Duan Yingying's smile only paused for a moment, then immediately rose again, her bright red lips curled up in a sarcastic arc.
"Miss Shen is truly heartless. Do you know what I have been through in the Minister of Personnel's Mansion because of your schemes?"
Although the young master of his family was a playboy, at least he had a good family background and was handsome, which made him a good choice for her. But now, all of this was indirectly ruined by Shen Anan.
After hearing this, Shen Anan just found it ridiculous.
"The Second Prince's Consort is an enemy of Duan Mengmeng. She is making things difficult for you because of Duan Mengmeng. What does it have to do with me? If Miss Duan is not in a clear mind, don't go out next time, lest you be laughed at!"
Duan Yingying's eyes were stained with cold red, "Miss Shen's push is clean. If it weren't for your calculations, how could the Duan family spread the rumor that Duan Mengmeng was the girl of destiny and made people laugh, angering the second prince's wife, and causing me to suffer an unprovoked disaster."
"That's also a joke of your Duan family. If you want to blame someone, you should blame your Duan family. Don't blame my Shen family for being so wild."
"Mo Xiang, show the guest away."
She was extremely impatient with Duan Yingying. This woman's way of thinking simply left her speechless.
"Haha." Duan Yingying smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss Shen. I can find my way out by myself. But, I have something to say."
"In the beginning, you did everything you could to stop Master Shen and me, and you were optimistic about Miss Lin. Now that the Shen family is in trouble, Miss Lin is hiding far away. It shows that your vision is really not very good."
Although she didn't want to marry Shen Changhe anymore, she still felt unwilling in her heart and had some feelings for that man.
Even the breaking off of the engagement with the Lin family made her feel very comfortable.
That night, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the man with a slender figure and a handsome face pulled her out of the icy lake like a god. That scene was like a brand that she would never forget for the rest of her life.
"It's better to have a bad vision than a bad character." Shen Anan looked at her coldly, "Miss Duan Er, when you have time to criticize others, look down at yourself first to see if you are covered in mud!"
Duan Yingying's face froze for a moment, but soon returned to normal. "There is something you may not know. The love affair between Miss Lin and Mr. Shen is now all over the world."
"The two of them had made a vow to be together forever, but because the Shen family fell into poverty, the lovers could not finally be together. Many people felt sorry for them."
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