Shen Wan poured a cup of tea for Princess Qinghe, who then found it difficult to leave. She started talking about interesting things that had happened in the capital, and Shen Wan responded in agreement, creating an atmosphere that was both harmonious and strange.
Just then, a palace maid came over, beckoned to Yinshuang, asked her a few questions, and left.
When Yinshuang returned, Chenwan asked, "What's wrong?"
Yinshuang replied, "The eldest daughter of the Duke of Maoguo's mansion lost a jade pendant, and the palace maids are helping to look for it. She had been in the pavilion before, so the palace maids came to ask her."
Neither Shen Wan nor Princess Qinghe took such a trivial matter to heart.
The two sat for less than a quarter of an hour. Princess Qinghe's maid, Ruixin, left for a short while and returned to say, "I just came over and heard the young ladies from the other families say that the Empress praised the newly appointed Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, the eldest daughter of the Xu family, for her honesty in returning lost money. So I inquired and found out that the jade pendant lost by the eldest daughter of the Duke of Maoguo's mansion was found by her and given to the Empress."
Upon hearing this, Shen Wan raised an eyebrow.
In her past life, the young master Xu shone brightly at the birthday banquet held for her, earning the emperor's constant praise. Will it be the young lady Xu who becomes famous in this life?
However, since the Duke of Maoguo is the eldest prince's maternal uncle, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Maoguo's family should not cooperate with Miss Xu.
But Shen Wan didn't believe that the Xu family, who had tormented Yun Rui so much in her previous life, could raise a daughter who would return lost property. However, even the most greedy person wouldn't dare to keep a jade pendant found in the palace, because if it got out, their life would be ruined.
Shen Wan sipped her tea when she heard footsteps. She turned her head and saw Shen Ying walking in.
Shen Ying stepped into the pavilion and said with a smile, "Princess Qinghe is here too."
Princess Qinghe rose and bowed to Shen Ying, guessing that Shen Ying had come to see Shen Wan for something. Without disturbing their conversation, she left the pavilion with her maid.
Shen Wan guessed that Shen Ying hadn't come to see her casually; she must have something to say. She put down her teacup, and Shen Ying sat down, saying, "Have you heard about the Empress praising Miss Xu, elder sister?"
Shen Wan said indifferently, "I've heard about it."
Shen Ying said, "I just spoke with Miss Xu for a while and learned that the Xu family intends to form a marriage alliance with the Yun family, but the Yun family has not yet agreed to the marriage."
The Yun family had been hesitant to agree to the marriage, which made these people anxious. They even came to her as intermediaries for Young Master Xu.
Shen Wan was displeased, but she remained outwardly calm and said, "I know about Madam Xu's visit to propose marriage."
Shen Ying frowned and asked, "Then why doesn't the Yun family allow the marriage?"
Shen Wan looked at Shen Ying, "Isn't Second Sister being a bit too nosy?"
As the granddaughter of the Yun family, she shouldn't interfere too much in her cousins' marriages, let alone her, Chen Ying.
Shen Ying's face stiffened for a moment, and she said, "The Yun family has treated my eldest sister well, and I have benefited a lot from the Yun family's kindness as a result. Otherwise, I would not bother with other people's business. Young Master Xu is handsome and talented, and his family background is a perfect match for the Yun family. Miss Yun has already suffered a setback once. Now that a talented young man like Young Master Xu is asking to marry her, the Yun family actually refuses. This is not just being arrogant, it is an insult to the Xu family."
Shen Wan didn't want to turn hostile, but Shen Ying's words were too harsh. She couldn't bear it any longer and sneered, "Even if Young Master Xu is perfect in every way, just because the Xu family is asking for his hand in marriage, does the Yun family have to agree to the marriage? It's none of your business who the Yun family's daughter wants to marry."
Shen Ying didn't expect Shen Wan to react so strongly. She said, "I'm doing this for Miss Yun's own good, afraid that she'll miss out on a good marriage. If you don't appreciate it, then fine, but why hurt me with your words?"
For the good of the Yun family?
She can't even fool herself with these words, yet she still dares to try to deceive her.
To avoid ruining her plans, Shen Wan suppressed the anger rising in her head and said, "My cousin's marriage has already stumbled once, attracting a lot of criticism. The Yun family will be extremely cautious about her marriage. Master Xu has just been promoted to the capital and is at the height of his fame. The Yun family believes that we are not worthy of him. Before we are sure that the Xu family is sincere, the Yun family will never agree."
Shen Ying had no doubt about these words. The Yun family had always been self-aware, and it was normal for them to learn from their mistakes. Shen Ying said, "Being cautious is good, but being too cautious is not good. Young Master Xu is very talented, and many noble ladies have praised him highly."
Whoever thinks highly of Young Master Xu should marry their daughter to him; the Yun family will not let their daughter jump into the Xu family's fire pit again.
Thinking of something, Shen Wan smiled slightly, picked up her teacup and said, "Grandfather really wants a talented grandson-in-law, and I hope he can get his wish. Since the Xu family is so sincere in asking my cousin to marry me, I'll have my husband test him tomorrow. If he's really good, I'll persuade the Yun family to agree to the marriage."
Shen Ying probably didn't know that Young Master Xu was not very literate, so she didn't show any worry about him failing the test. Instead, she was dissatisfied with the Yun family, feeling that they had money but didn't take the young master of the Vice Minister's mansion seriously. She thought they were being incredibly disrespectful.
After sitting for a while, a palace maid came over and said, "Princess Consort of Jin, Princess Consort of Ling, the banquet is about to begin."
Today's palace banquet was specially prepared for them. Shen Wan was cautious, and Shen Ying valued it even more. She immediately got up and took the lead out of the pavilion, while Shen Wan lagged behind a few steps.
The banquet was held in Cheng'an Hall. When Shen Wan walked to the entrance of the hall, she saw Xie Jingyan coming over. However, it was not Shen Du who pushed him, but the Eighth Prince Xie Jingxuan.
Upon seeing Shen Wan, Xie Jingxuan said, "Sister-in-law, I'm entrusting Sixth Brother to you."
After saying that, the Eighth Prince ran off before Shen Wan could agree.
Running in such a hurry, Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan and asked, "What did you do to the Eighth Prince?"
"It's nothing, I just threatened him a little," Xie Jingyan said casually.
"..."
He was in a wheelchair and still wanted the Eighth Prince to push him around. He even threatened the Eighth Prince. That was too much. The Eighth Prince helped him with the wedding procession and even sent condolence gifts for him.
Xie Jingyan could tell what Shen Wan was thinking at a glance. He glanced over and said, "He said I'm not a proper husband."
Although it was all fabricated, Shen Wan still blushed. "Threatening him won't work. You should beat him up."
A smile bloomed in Xie Jingyan's eyes, more beautiful than the stars in the sky. He said happily, "Okay, let's do it this way next time."
As for the Eighth Prince, as soon as he sat down, a chill ran down his back, making him shiver.
Although Shen Wan was very curious as to why the Eighth Prince said that Xie Jingyan was not a proper husband, she did not dare to ask. After entering the main hall, she pushed Xie Jingyan to sit in their seats, which were right opposite Shen Ying and Xie Jingyin.
Seeing how respectful and courteous Shen Ying and Xie Jingyin were to each other, Shen Wan felt that she and Xie Jingyan were overdoing it. She felt that Shen Ying and Xie Jingyin were more like a fake couple than a real one.
The palace staff probably deliberately made things difficult for Xie Jingyan. The table they prepared was the same as everyone else's, without considering that Xie Jingyan was in a wheelchair and it was inappropriate for him to sit at such a table. However, Xie Jingyan didn't care. He could walk for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea now. He raised his hand, and Shen Wan helped him up. Chen Feng pushed the wheelchair away.
After they sat down, Shen Wan noticed that no one was paying attention to them, and quietly slipped a piece of paper into Xie Jingyan's hand.
Xie Jingyan, “…???”
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