Empress Zhou was surprisingly gentle and kind. She called her forward, took her hand and examined her closely: "Indeed, you are a beautiful woman, just like your younger sister. No wonder Zhan'er likes you so much."
Shen Muyu lowered her eyes shyly: "Your Majesty flatters me. I am far inferior to my second sister."
Empress Zhou chuckled, then stopped talking and had someone bring a stool for her to sit down and talk.
Shen Muyu knew the rules, so after expressing her gratitude, she sat down sideways, but didn't dare to sit down completely.
Ignoring the glare from Princess Xuanci, she spoke quite cheerfully with Empress Zhou.
Perhaps because of Prince Chen, Empress Zhou treated her with unexpected kindness, speaking to her gently and bestowing many gifts and food upon her before she left.
Shen Muyu suppressed her joy and gratitude, but when she smelled the sweet aroma of the pastries, she suddenly couldn't help but gag.
The sudden commotion brought the inner hall to an abrupt silence.
Shen Muyu clenched her fists as if they were beating a drum, her back covered in cold sweat.
After a moment, Empress Zhou's concerned voice rang out: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Should we summon the imperial physician to take a look?"
Shen Muyu's heart clenched, and she shook her head repeatedly. Finally, she found her voice and said timidly, "I dare not trouble Your Majesty. I just ate too much cold lychee syrup this morning, and my stomach is a little upset. That's why I lost my composure. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Summer is hot, but one should not indulge in too much cooling, or it will be too late to regret it later." Empress Zhou did not seem to doubt her words, and after giving her a few more words of concern, she instructed Granny Ruan to escort her out of the palace.
It wasn't until she left Ciyuan Palace that Shen Muyu's pounding heart finally calmed down.
Fortunately, it was kept secret.
Yesterday, Chen Wang specifically told her that being pregnant out of wedlock is not honorable, and asked her to keep the news of her pregnancy a secret for the time being, and to announce it publicly after a month or two.
Shen Muyu was grateful for his thoughtfulness and consideration for her. Although they couldn't consummate their marriage last night, she still tried her best to be intimate with Prince Chen.
Who knew that I would almost be exposed today.
Although the Empress treated her kindly, it was mostly out of respect for Prince Chen. If she knew that she had been secretly having an affair with Prince Chen before marrying into the family, she would probably have some reservations.
Shen Muyu took a deep breath and waited until she boarded the carriage of Prince Chen's residence before feeling that her feet were finally on solid ground.
Little did she know that after she left, Xuan Ci sneered, "Look at her foxy appearance, and Mother was still so kind to her."
Empress Zhou frowned and glanced at her: "How many times have I told you, as a princess you must have the demeanor of a princess. I don't want to hear these words from you again."
Xuan Ci pouted unconvinced, but ultimately said nothing more.
"What did Prince Chen say? Does he really want to keep that bastard child?" Seeing that she had calmed down, Empress Zhou went to ask the female official who was serving her.
The female official said, "His Highness said he would follow Your Majesty's arrangements, but he also instructed that he still has feelings for Lady Shen and hopes that Your Majesty will act discreetly."
Empress Zhou asked in bewilderment, "I think this eldest Shen is far inferior to her younger sister, the youngest Shen, yet she's worth all this trouble. Could it be that Shen used some kind of seductive trick to bewitch Zhan'er?"
“This servant doesn’t think so,” the female official shook her head and said, “His Highness didn’t say much, only that he had his own arrangements.”
Empress Zhou pondered for a while and said, "That's fine. He's been reprimanded by the Emperor these days, and the Crown Prince is in power. He must be unhappy. It's rare for him to have someone he likes, so let him be. Just make sure we don't let the Yang family feel disheartened."
She took off the white jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to the female official: "Send it to the Yang family's daughter in the name of Prince Chen, and tell her that no one will shake the position of the princess, nor will they produce an illegitimate child first. Tell her to prepare for the marriage in peace."
*
Shen Youying stayed for two more days, and only returned to the Prince of Qin's mansion when the Ghost Festival was approaching.
When they returned to the manor, Xue Shen happened to be returning from outside as well. The two bumped into each other in the front yard and were both surprised.
Xue Shen looked her up and down and noticed that she seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Her face, which had been plump and radiant at the Prince's residence, had become thin again after her trip back to her parents' home. Her chin was pointed, and she looked frail and pitiful.
Xue Shen frowned: "Didn't the Shen family feed you?"
Shen Youying couldn't stand him saying anything bad about the Shen family, so she gave him a subtle glare and said in a soft voice, "It's too hot, so I don't have much of an appetite. Plus, my eldest sister got married, and I've been busy for the past few days."
The implication was that she couldn't eat because of the heat and had lost weight because she was also helping with her elder sister's wedding.
It wasn't that her family mistreated her or didn't feed her.
"If you're afraid of the heat, ask Wang Deshun to send more ice to Tingmei Pavilion," Xue Shen replied, then remembered her next words and raised an eyebrow, "Your eldest sister married into the Chen Prince's mansion?"
Xue Shen knew about Shen Muyu's affair with Prince Chen on the day he was at Fanlou.
His tone was unreadable, so Shen Youying carefully observed his expression. Seeing that he showed no signs of anger, she nodded and said, "I was married off on the eighth day of the month."
Xue Shen scoffed: "Your elder sister isn't as smart as you, nor does she have the same foresight."
Shen Youying was stunned for a moment before she realized that this person was actually praising her in a roundabout way.
Shen Youying: "..."
But then I thought to myself, your reputation seems to be even worse than that of Prince Chen.
*
The two met briefly in the front yard and then went their separate ways.
Shen Youying is now the mistress of the Prince's Mansion. Although Consort Xiao and Wang Deshun assist her, she now holds the power and has to make many decisions.
The Ghost Festival is just a few days away, and the household should start making preparations.
Because Emperor Cheng'an of this dynasty attached great importance to the Ghost Festival, it influenced the common people, so the Ghost Festival was celebrated very lively every year. People began to prepare after the Qixi Festival, and peddlers carried various funerary items, boots, hats, gold rhinoceros horn belts, and colorful clothes on racks and hawked them everywhere.
On the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month, every household, regardless of wealth or status, prepares money, dried fruit, fine wine, and seasonal fruits and vegetables to worship their ancestors. Even opera troupes will change their usual repertoire to Mulian opera.
At night, they would burn paper clothes for their ancestors, light lanterns, and offer prayers, among other things.
Shen Youying was unsure how to prepare for Xue Shen's situation, given that both of Xue Shen's parents were deceased and his identity was special. So she went to ask Xue Shen for advice.
To everyone's surprise, Xue Shen waved his hand dismissively and said, "You don't need to worry about this. Someone will take care of it."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
