The two stayed overnight at Shenjiazhuangzi, and after breakfast the next day, they returned to Tokyo.
On the way back, Shen Youying sat far away to the side, too angry to speak to Xue Shen.
Last night, Xue Shen insisted on dragging her around and making a scene. In the end, Shen Youying couldn't help but make a sound. She didn't know if the people outside heard her, but she felt that when she woke up this morning, the servants in the house looked at her and Xue Shen with particularly ambiguous eyes.
The thought that the servants had heard the commotion last night and that it might reach her parents' ears made her extremely uneasy. After a quick breakfast, she hurriedly found an excuse to return to Tokyo.
But after getting into the carriage, seeing that Xue Shen's expression was normal and he seemed to be doing nothing, she became angrier and angrier, so she simply left him to his own devices.
Seeing that she ignored him, Xue Shen clicked his tongue and said, "After we get back, I'll send someone to see your sister and ask her what she thinks."
He suddenly became serious and started talking about important matters, which surprised Shen Youying.
But this was originally a family matter for the Shen family. Since he was kindly helping out, Shen Youying couldn't keep ignoring him any longer, so she could only ask in a low voice, "What are your thoughts?"
“You all hope that Shen Muyu will leave the Chen Prince’s Mansion and return to the Shen family, but I think… she may not want to come back.”
Shen Youying was puzzled: "Prince Chen is worse than a beast, and he's been imprisoned. What is she doing staying in Prince Chen's mansion?"
“But even if she comes back, the outcome may not be good,” Xue Shen said. “Although your father brings her back, he won’t let her off easily. If he’s ruthless, he’ll probably send her to a nunnery to live a life of solitude and Buddhist devotion; even if he’s soft-hearted, he’ll at least find a remote estate to keep her under guard, and that will be her fate for the rest of her life. Can your sister bear that?”
Shen Youying thought about it and also felt that Shen Muyu couldn't stand it. She had stayed in the Chen Prince's Mansion before because she was unwilling to accept it.
But back then, Prince Chen might not have revealed his true colors, and she still had a glimmer of hope. Now things are different, and Shen Youying can't think of any reason why she should stay in Prince Chen's mansion.
Seeing this, Xue Shen said, "How about we make a bet? If your sister is willing to return to the Shen family, I'll grant you one request. If your sister isn't willing to return to the Shen family, you grant me one request, how about it?"
Shen Youying looked at him warily: "What are your conditions first?"
Under her wary and guarded gaze, Xue Shen leaned close to her ear and whispered something.
Shen Youying's ears turned redder and redder as she listened, and she began to hesitate.
Xue Shen raised an eyebrow: "Zhao Zhao is scared already?" He slowly threw out the bait: "If you win, I can grant you one request, anything is fine with me."
Upon hearing this, Shen Youying was indeed swayed by him.
She pursed her lips slightly, raised her chin slightly, and her eyes were filled with tears: "Let's bet."
Xue Shen smiled, summoned his secret guards, and instructed them to make a trip to Prince Chen's residence.
*
Shen Muyu's days at the Prince Chen's residence were not good, but during this time the Prince Chen did not have time to care about her, so she was much more relaxed than before.
With nothing to do each day, she would sit in the courtyard embroidering the pair of knee pads that she had yet to finish, occasionally watching the commotion at Prince Chen's place.
After Prince Chen suddenly left that day, he summoned several concubines to his bedchamber that very night.
I heard that when the concubines came out of Prince Chen's house, they were all pale-faced, and one of them even died not long after returning home.
The servants whispered among themselves that Prince Chen was being held captive, harboring resentment, and taking it out on his concubines. The women in Prince Chen's backyard were all terrified, their faces pale with fear. Before, they had fought and vied for Prince Chen's company, hoping he would spend a few more nights in their rooms; now, they wished he would forget them altogether.
The only two people who were not affected by this turmoil were Princess Chen and Zhou Zhenrong.
Princess Consort Chen came from a prominent family and was raised like a lady of high society. Naturally, she could not tolerate Prince Chen's absurd behavior and tried to persuade him several times, but each time she was driven out in a rage by Prince Chen.
She was willing to marry Prince Chen because he was a likely successor to the throne, and the Yang family needed her to bind him to their side. Moreover, Prince Chen was indeed handsome and gentle, though somewhat philandering; but what noble young man doesn't have several beautiful women in his harem?
All she needs to do is secure her position as princess and give birth to a legitimate son as soon as possible.
When she first married into the Chen Prince's mansion, everything went as she had imagined. But in just a short time, the Chen Prince's temperament changed drastically, as if the gentle and considerate person from before was just an illusion.
"This can't go on." No matter how dignified Yang Chun appears in public, she is actually just a young woman who has just left home. She was raised at home and married Prince Chen, who has always treated her with gentleness and care. This is the first time she has suffered such grievances.
She even regretted marrying Prince Chen and asked the nanny beside her, "What did Father say?"
"My lord tells the young lady to calm down and observe the situation a little longer."
Yang Chun pouted unhappily: "Then please don't call me to this front yard again in the future. It's so messy and annoying to look at."
The old woman knew she was upset and said with heartache, "If you don't want to come, then don't come. But we can't just sit here and wait to die while we're locked up in the mansion. We have to find out what happened to Prince Chen that caused his personality to change so drastically."
Yang Chun said, "We can't get anything out of the people around Prince Chen, so how are we supposed to figure this out?"
The old woman said, "Prince Chen began frequently summoning his concubines to his bedchamber after he returned from the Banana Garden. That concubine in the Banana Garden is the elder sister of Princess Qin. Prince Chen's sudden confinement also occurred after Princess Qin came to the mansion..."
Yang Chun, having been enlightened by her words, said, "Then I'll go and sound them out myself."
*
Just as Princess Chen went to the Banana Garden, an uninvited guest arrived at Shen Muyu's courtyard.
The other party showed their identification badge, and Shen Muyu knew they were from the Prince of Qin's residence, so she sat down again. She slumped listlessly on the chaise longue: "What does the Prince of Qin want with me?"
"I'm here on behalf of Princess Qin to ask if you, Madam, would be willing to leave the Chen Prince's residence and return to the Shen family."
Shen Muyu's lazy expression froze for a moment before she chuckled, "Why can't she learn her lesson?"
The guard did not answer, as if waiting for her reply.
Shen Muyu dropped her nonchalant expression, lowered her eyes, and stared expressionlessly at the bright red nail polish on her fingers.
After a long silence, she spoke with difficulty: "Go tell Shen Youying that I have no face to go back."
She took out the pair of knee pads she had finally finished embroidering and handed them to the guard: "Please take these back to her for me, and also tell her that I probably won't be able to attend Father's birthday celebration, so please have her give these knee pads to Father."
She paused, then added, "Don't say it was done by this unfilial daughter of mine."
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