In the garden, Shen Wan and Yun Rui were admiring the flowers.
As the weather gets warmer, more butterflies appear. Yunrui uses her embroidered handkerchief to catch butterflies, and soon a fine layer of sweat appears on her smooth forehead.
The two rested in the pavilion, drank a cup of tea, and ate two small snacks. Yunrui glanced at the sun overhead and said, "It's getting late, I should go back. I'll come back another day to keep my cousin company and relieve her boredom."
Yunrui was anxious to know the outcome of her elder brother's marriage proposal, so Shen Wan didn't keep her any longer and had Haitang escort her out of the mansion.
As Shen Wan walked towards Moyuxuan, she saw Chen Feng escorting the Prince of Yanping and his entourage out from afar. Shen Wan was still very curious about which of the three Yun Rui was hiding from.
They have long strides; we might bump into them at the gate.
Shen Wan went back to her room and rested for a while before Haitang returned. Shen Wan asked, "Cousin, did you run into the Prince of Yanping and the others?"
Haitang thought for a moment, then said cautiously, "I don't know if this counts as encountering..."
"Do you know who she's hiding from?" Shen Wan asked.
Haitang shook her head.
Don't you know?
They were hiding so obviously, they shouldn't have failed to notice.
Haitang said, "The young lady asked me to bring her a veil. She wore a veil when she left the manor..."
"As she exited the Prince's mansion, she overheard the Prince of Yanping and his entourage talking. The second cousin glanced back and quickly descended the steps. Before the servant could even put down the footstool, she hurriedly boarded the carriage..."
Shen Wan frowned repeatedly as she listened.
My cousin isn't a timid person, and she's in the Ling Prince's mansion, so why is she hiding from people to this extent?
Shen Wan was curious about which of the three—the Prince of Yanping and his brother—had offended her, and why she was so afraid of being caught. The Prince of Yanping and his brothers had a good relationship with Xie Jingyan and were not the type to hold grudges against women.
As Shen Wan was pondering this matter, Chun'er hurried in and said, "Your Highness, the Marquis went to the Yanping Prince's Mansion to propose marriage on behalf of his cousin, but the Yanping Prince's Mansion did not agree."
A look of disappointment flashed across Shen Wan's face.
Although she was mentally prepared when Xie Jingyan said that the Prince of Yanping's mansion dared not ask for a pardon, she was still quite disappointed when she actually heard it.
However, it wasn't just one or two families that encountered setbacks in their marriage proposals. When it comes to marrying off a daughter, parents always need to see the other party's sincerity before they can feel at ease and agree to the marriage. This matter cannot be rushed. Even though my father is very busy, he still has to make several trips to the Prince of Yanping's residence. Given my father's personality, it's quite a challenge for him. However, with the formation of the Iron Cavalry, my eldest cousin can help my father a lot, such as buying horses.
Only when my older cousin's marriage is settled can I help my father with peace of mind.
The news that the eldest son of the Yun family offered a death-exemption token as a dowry to marry the Princess of Qinghe County of Yanping Prince's Mansion spread like wildfire throughout the capital, becoming the latest topic of conversation in the streets, alleys, teahouses, and taverns.
While Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan were having lunch, the gossip from the teahouses and taverns reached the Ling Prince's residence. Dong'er came in and said, "Your Highness, people outside are saying that the eldest son of the eldest cousin is trying to marry the Princess of Qinghe County. He's like a toad trying to eat swan meat; he has no self-awareness at all..."
Shen Wan was furious.
Her older cousin is a handsome and outstanding person. Those who call him a toad should take a good look in the mirror!
Shen Wan was so angry that she lost her appetite, but then she realized something was wrong and looked at Xie Jingyan, asking, "How did this get out?"
Xie Jingyan said, "This can't be kept secret."
Shen Wan knew, of course, that she couldn't hide it. Her father held a large army, and his visit to the Yanping Prince's Mansion would definitely arouse curiosity. Even if the Yanping Prince's Mansion and the Yun family issued a gag order, the news of her cousin's proposal to marry the Princess of Qinghe County would spread sooner or later. But the news spread too quickly, as if it had been deliberately spread.
The Prince of Yanping's Mansion is unlikely to agree. Even if they look down on the Yun family, the pardon is still a significant asset. Furthermore, it was the father who helped propose the marriage. The Prince of Yanping's Mansion wouldn't do something so humiliating, and the Yun family is even less likely to agree. The more word gets around that the Prince of Yanping's Mansion didn't agree, the more disgraced the Yun family will become.
Xie Jingyan also found it a bit strange, but Dong'er had someone she suspected. She said, "The Marquis went to the Yanping Prince's Mansion quite late today. When he arrived, the Duke of Du and his wife were helping the Duke of Du's heir to propose marriage to the Princess of Qinghe County. When they learned that the Marquis was there to help someone propose marriage, the Duchess of Du was already being sarcastic. When she learned that the Marquis was there to help her cousin propose marriage, she became even more sarcastic. The Marquis took out his pardon to present the betrothal gift, and only then did the Duchess of Du shut up."
"It must have been spread by the Duke of Du's mansion."
Shen Wan's lips twitched as she listened.
Is the Duke of Du's mansion really having a run of bad luck lately...?
The heir of the Duke of Du took a fancy to the Princess of Huai'an. The Duke and Duchess of Du took their son to the Prince of An's mansion to propose marriage. However, the heir was beaten and carried out of the Prince of An's mansion, and the marriage was not settled. The Princess of Huai'an was betrothed to her elder brother by the Emperor. The Duchess of Du was already angry with the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion. Now she wanted to help her son ask for a marriage with the Princess of Qinghe County. But then she encountered her father going to propose marriage for her elder cousin, and he even had a get-out-of-jail-free card with him.
The Yun family may not be of high social standing, but their sincerity is undeniable. In addition, the heir of the Duke of Du is mediocre among the sons of noble families. Although he is not into cockfighting, dog walking, or dalliances, he can be said to be neither good at literature nor martial arts. Even the heir of the Prince of An, who is two years younger than him, can pin him to the ground and beat him up. It is truly shameful.
The Duke of Du's mansion was furious and spread the word, so this possibility cannot be ruled out.
Thinking of the Duke Du's mansion, Shen Wan wondered if the Duke and Du's good fortune had all been used up twenty years ago.
It's no exaggeration to say that Duke Du's title of Duke was practically handed to him by chance.
Duke Du was born to a second wife. He had an older brother who was superior to him in every way and was made heir apparent at a young age. However, his brother gave up the position of heir apparent in order to marry Princess Huyang.
Yes, the Duke of Du's elder brother was the husband of Princess Huyang.
The Duke of Du's family was granted the title based on military merit. The heir will inherit the title and military power in the future, but there is a rule in the Great Chu that the son-in-law does not have military power.
Twenty years ago, when the late emperor issued the imperial decree to bestow the marriage, the eldest son-in-law resigned from his position as heir apparent and handed it over to his younger brother, who is now the Duke of Du.
Such good fortune is still talked about today. However, the eldest son-in-law and Princess Huyang only had one son, who was accidentally killed by the heir of the Prince of Yanping. Princess Huyang could not bear the pain of losing her son and fell ill. Shen Wan still remembers the haggard appearance of the eldest son-in-law when she saw him in her previous life, after losing his beloved son.
After the death of the old Duke Du, Duke Du inherited the title. However, Duke Du was really bad at leading troops. He spent half a year at the border, suffered several defeats, and could not bear the hardships of the border wind and sand. So he returned to the capital in disgrace. Although he still held a military position, the emperor did not take it back because he was considering that the eldest son-in-law was underutilized. Duke Du did not hold any real power.
In the court, ten dukes who held titles but no real power were not as powerful as one Shen Jing.
Shen Wan shook her head, trying not to overthink it. Her older cousin was resilient and wouldn't take these rumors to heart.
Shen Wan was quite certain, but after she woke up from her afternoon nap, Dong'er ran in and said, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The eldest son of the eldest cousin has beaten up the eldest son of General Changwei's mansion!"
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