She returned the betrothal letter to the old woman, her beautifully made-up face now cold and aloof, and politely saw the guest off: "The betrothal letter has been returned, the marriage is off, please leave."
That old woman was all talk and no action, but no wit or sharp tongue. She was speechless, stunned by her words.
Seeing this, Bai Luo immediately stepped forward to shoo them away: "You've taken the betrothal letter and you're still not leaving? Do you expect us to feed you?"
The old woman stumbled from the push, but seeing that they outnumbered her, she dared not act arrogantly any longer. She could only leave, grumbling and cursing, with the betrothal letter in her pocket.
Danzhu looked at Shen Youying with concern, not yet knowing how to comfort her, when a shrill voice came: "Oh, what's all the commotion about?"
The crowd went to look at the sound and saw a pale-faced, beardless man dressed as a eunuch slowly walking towards them.
Madam Fang recognized the man as Wang Deshun, the chief steward of the Prince of Qin's residence. She quickly put on a smiling face and went to greet him, saying, "I didn't know the chief steward of the Prince of Qin's residence was here. I'm so sorry for not welcoming you sooner."
Chief Secretary of the Prince of Qin's Palace?
What is such a menacing figure doing at the Shen family's place?
Bai Luo and Dan Zhu looked at each other, while Shen Youying slowly frowned, feeling a bad premonition.
Prince Qin, Xue Shen, was the only son of Emperor Taizong and the current emperor's nephew. When he was young, the Prince Qin fell from his horse while hunting and broke both his legs. Empress Shude, shocked and distressed by her son's illness, wept constantly and soon passed away. Emperor Taizong, who was deeply devoted to Empress Shude, was also overcome with grief and followed her in death. Before his passing, he entrusted the throne and his disabled son to his younger brother, Xue Jia, who is now the Emperor Cheng'an.
Because of the late emperor's entrustment, Emperor Cheng'an greatly indulged and doted on Prince Qin. The regulations and expenses of Prince Qin's residence were comparable to those of the Crown Prince, and even exceeded them in many ways, surpassing even those of his own children.
Over the years, Prince Qin, relying on the emperor's favor, has become increasingly arrogant and domineering. Moreover, he is different from other纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families) in Dongjing (Kaifeng). Because of his disability in both legs, he is unable to walk properly, and his personality is even more twisted and cruel. It is said that dead bodies are carried out of Prince Qin's mansion every few days.
The King of Qin was known for his cruelty, to the point that people were terrified at the mere mention of his name.
Wang Deshun was the most trusted person of the King of Qin.
"Of course there is good news." Wang Deshun was welcomed in by Madam Fang and sat down. His gaze swept over Shen Youying, and he said, "This must be the second young lady of the household, right?"
He openly scrutinized Shen Youying.
This second daughter of the Shen family truly lived up to her reputation as the most beautiful woman in Tokyo. Her eyebrows were like emerald feathers, and her skin was like frost and snow. Her hair was thick and lustrous, and her face was almond-shaped with peach-like cheeks. Standing with a slight curtsy, her slender neck and waist were graceful and her figure was as delicate as a peony flower covered with morning dew, extremely precious and extremely pitiful.
No wonder the King of Qin, who had been reluctant to marry, immediately sent him to propose marriage when he heard that the Shen family was in trouble.
Such precious and delicate flowers can only be cultivated by noble families.
When Shen Youying was called upon, she could only step forward and perform a curtsy.
Wang Deshun withdrew his gaze and looked at Madam Fang, asking, "Was it someone from the Lu family who came to annul the engagement just now?"
This question was awkward; who would ask such a question after watching a play? Fang didn't know whether to laugh or not, so she could only bite the bullet and reply, "Yes, it turns out our horoscopes don't match, so we'll just let it go."
Wang Deshun nodded and said, "That's quite a coincidence. Our Prince has been waiting for a proper wife, and a few days ago he took a fancy to your second daughter. But he was afraid of being too forward with her, so he specially sent me to find out what she thought."
He speaks nicely, but who doesn't know the King of Qin's temperament? Once he's set his sights on someone, can he easily let go?
Madam Fang glanced at her silent stepdaughter, then forced a smile while clutching her handkerchief, saying, "This... I would naturally agree to this marriage. But as you know, our master's darling is very much here, and now that he's not around, I dare not make decisions about her marriage on my own..."
"Since ancient times, marriages have always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Now that Duke Shen is no longer here, it is naturally your place to make the decisions. Would the Second Miss dare to disobey her mother?" Wang Deshun chuckled, picked up his teacup, skimmed off the tea foam, glanced at Shen Youying beside him, and said meaningfully, "The Shen family's case is still under trial. The Emperor is furious and has ordered the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice to conduct a strict investigation. But if the Shen family forms a marriage alliance with the Prince of Qin's mansion, given the Emperor's favor towards His Highness the Prince of Qin, perhaps..." He deliberately raised his hand slightly, "Does Madam understand my meaning?"
Fang repeatedly said that she understood.
"It's good that you understand, Madam." Wang Deshun didn't stay long, but stood up and said, "I still have to report to the Prince of Qin, so I'll head back now."
Before leaving, he took out a long, narrow brocade box from his sleeve, presented it to Shen Youying with both hands, and said, "His Highness Prince Qin has another item for me to entrust to Second Miss. Please accept it."
Shen Youying didn't want it, but knowing the King of Qin's meaning, she knew she couldn't refuse, so she could only purse her lips, accept it, and thank him.
Wang Deshun glanced at her again, thinking to himself that this was most likely to be the future Princess Consort of Qin, and his expression immediately became much more respectful: "This servant will take her leave now."
After everyone left, Madam Fang glanced at the brocade box in Shen Youying's hand and slightly pursed her lips before gently advising, "Second Miss, you heard what the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Qin said. The Prince of Qin is favored by the Emperor. If this marriage is arranged, it might be able to save the Master..."
Fang glanced at Shen Youying's face, and for some reason, her voice grew softer and softer.
Speaking of Shen Youying, she was the youngest daughter in the family and the legitimate daughter of the first wife, Ye Shi. She was more favored than her two older brothers and sisters, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was the apple of the Duke Shen's eye. A girl raised in a wealthy and pampered environment, she was also gentle and docile.
But after the incident at the Shen family, Shen Youying rarely smiled anymore. Her beautiful face turned cold, and she even had the air of the Duke of Shen, which made Fang feel intimidated.
“I’m not forcing you to marry, but you know our family’s situation. The Lu family has now broken off the engagement, so you have to think about your father…”
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