Chapter 109 Thirteen years ago
“Oh hehe…”
Madam Li sent Xiao Zhuo, Shen Yuexi and their group away, and then returned to the house and began to laugh heartily. She laughed too much, and her broken front teeth seemed to hurt again, so she covered her mouth and gasped.
"Hiss, it hurts again."
Li Wan couldn't bear to watch it any longer and advised, "Mom, what's the matter that makes you laugh like that?"
During the war in the north, the mother and son were as nervous as the villagers of Xiaogang Village. It was not until the news of the great victory came that they finally put their hearts at ease.
Outside, the villagers were singing and dancing in celebration. She mustered up the courage to get busy in the kitchen, intending to make Xiao Zhuo something delicious to show her affection. Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhuo, Shen Yuexi, and a man dressed as a scholar hurried back home and spoke to her mother in her room for a long time, seemingly asking her questions.
Due to her upbringing, she did not listen to what they said, but asked the sergeant at the door. The sergeant at the door said that it was the prince of Xiliang who asked them to come and ask about the wife of the Marquis of Pingyang, saying that the wife of the Marquis of Pingyang knew some of the events of the past.
After Xiao Zhuo and his group hurriedly left, his mother's confused expression changed to this, with her mouth wide open.
This was the first time Mrs. Li had laughed so happily since she left the capital.
Madam Li glanced at her and said mysteriously, "Well, good! Your marriage to your cousin is now possible."
"No way," Li Wan lowered her head and tugged at her handkerchief, "I think my cousin and Miss Shen are always together and have a good relationship."
She wasn't blind to the truth; she could see Xiao Zhuo's feelings for Shen Yuexi, and there was no room for her to interfere. If it weren't for her mother's constant troublemaking, she would have given up long ago.
"Okay, okay? They have the final say, haha." Madam Li sat down at the table, picked up a snowflake pear, looked it over, and put it down without daring to bite. "It's normal that you don't understand. Even I forgot."
"Is it related to Shen Yuexi?"
"Well, but it has to start from thirteen years ago."
Thirteen years ago, Shen Yuexi's father passed the imperial examination, and the couple rushed to Liangzhou to take up their posts. Shen Yuexi was three years old at the time, sitting in a sedan chair held by her mother.
In his haste, Shen Yuexi's father missed his lodgings. On the mountain road, he encountered bandits. His followers were killed, Shen Yuexi's father was killed instantly, and Shen Yuexi's mother was seriously injured. Fortunately, Mei Cheng, then the crown prince of Xiliang, happened by and fought off the bandits, saving the mother and son. He then learned the family's origins.
Shen Yuexi's mother was seriously injured and could not be saved. Perhaps she knew she could not protect Shen Yuexi, so she made a promise with Mei Cheng on her deathbed:
Mei Cheng escorted the bodies of the couple and Shen Yuexi safely back to the Duke's Mansion in the capital.
As a reward for their help, the Shen family let Shen Yuexi marry Mei Cheng's six-year-old son Mei Pu after she came of age.
Originally unrelated to Mei Cheng, Shen Yuexi suddenly became his future daughter-in-law. Mei Cheng safely returned her to the capital, then dispatched troops to exterminate the bandits, avenging his in-laws.
The wife of the Marquis of Pingyang was visiting the Duke's residence at the time and witnessed the scene firsthand. Duke Shen was heartbroken over the loss of his son and daughter-in-law. He didn't take Mei Cheng's proposal seriously and simply agreed to it.
Later, something happened to the Crown Prince. Duke Shen was old and forgetful, and he had apparently forgotten about the engagement with Mei Cheng. He only wanted to keep Shen Lan, so he hurriedly gave Shen Yuexi to Xiao Zhuo.
"Shi Meicheng told me all this in person back then, and I had forgotten it all. Only when they asked me about it just now did I remember that this happened."
Mrs. Li paused for a moment and then continued:
"Now we're on their territory. Meipu has arrived with his troops, specifically requesting your cousin to deliver Shen Yuexi. Wan'er, think about it, they're bringing 10,000 cavalrymen with them. Your cousin, as a man of integrity, shouldn't he just hand Shen Yuexi back?"
"But...but my cousin has already married Miss Shen."
Mrs. Li slammed the table, making Xuehuali jump up:
"The imperial decree granting the marriage clearly states that your cousin's legal wife is Si Chenlan, not Si Chenyuexi. They were not arranged by their parents, nor were they in love with each other. They were forced together."
Li Wan's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again: "Then...even if Shen Yuexi is gone, what about Shen Lan?"
"Silly girl," Madam Li rolled her eyes at her and picked up the snow pear again. "Why did the Duke's Mansion push Shen Yuexi out in the first place? Wasn't it to keep Shen Lan?"
"What exactly is the Duke's Mansion planning?"
"Wan'er, your mind is empty all day long. You don't think about these things. When your cousin was deposed, so many people were implicated, but only the Duke's Mansion remained fine. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Everyone knows that Prince Jing's sweetheart is Chen Lan. The Duke's Mansion wanted to marry your cousin, but he refused. On the day of the wedding, the Duke's Mansion panicked and forced Shen Yuexi to go. That night, they prepared a generous gift and sent Chen Lan to Prince Jing. Only then did Prince Jing agree to protect them. Chen Lan can no longer stand in your way."
"If it weren't for Prince Jing's intercession, would His Majesty have easily let the Duke's Mansion go?" Madam Li spoke with increasing enthusiasm, habitually taking a bite of a snowflake pear. "But considering His Majesty's arranged marriage, I'm afraid... it was a ploy to lure your cousin back from the front lines in the northern border."
Li Wan asked in surprise, "Mom, do you also think that my cousin was wronged?"
"The Duke's Mansion is guilty of deceiving the emperor by substituting one thing for another. Your Majesty didn't even ask, which shows that Your Majesty was not sincere in arranging a marriage for your cousin. The subsequent witchcraft incident is naturally unbelievable."
Li Wan said, "I've always felt that my cousin isn't that kind of person. He's capable of personally leading the troops on the battlefield. Why would he resort to witchcraft to frame Your Majesty?"
"That's all," Madam Li said, chewing the pear clean and placing it on a plate. "Let's not talk about that. It doesn't matter whether your cousin was wrongly accused or not. What matters is that if you follow him, you will surely enjoy wealth and prosperity in the future."
"So what should we do now?"
"Mother was quite worried at first, but things are different now," Mrs. Li leaned back in her chair. "Now we can just sit back and watch the fight... Hey, Wan'er, does my tooth seem to have stopped bleeding?"
"That's right, Mom, you just ate a pear."
"This is a good omen, oh ha ha ha," Mrs. Li went to get another pear from the basket nearby, "Then I'll have another one."
"Mom, please stop laughing."
…
After Shen Yuexi understood the whole story, her mood was exactly the opposite of Mrs. Li's.
I never dreamed that something like this would suddenly happen.
The original owner was probably just learning to walk when she was three years old. Even if her mother agreed to the marriage out of necessity, it had nothing to do with her, who had traveled through time.
The original owner had died on the way to exile. Now she has nothing to do with the Duke's Mansion, and she doesn't have to be responsible for anything the original owner's parents promised.
But the point is that Mep didn't think that way. He started the negotiation in such a fierce manner, obviously because he was angry.
Under normal circumstances, she could have easily gotten rid of the problem with a simple refusal. But now was different. The other side had 10,000 cavalrymen waiting eagerly for her. If Xiao Zhuo refused, they might actually send troops to attack.
Walking on the road with Xiao Zhuo, she grabbed Xiao Zhuo's sleeve with some concern and asked:
"Husband, are we really going there?"
She had shared hardships and sleep with Xiao Zhuo, and the relationship between them had long been growing stronger. She was absolutely unwilling to leave Xiao Zhuo.
Xiao Zhuo said, "Of course I have to go. The King of Xiliang was originally a pawn in my plan. How could I give up just for a little accident?"
Shen Yuexi didn't listen. She was thinking about how to deal with Meipu.
As if sensing her nervousness, Xiao Zhuo looked ahead and said calmly:
"Don't worry. You're mine, and no one can take you away."
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