Chapter 50: Less than a year after the marriage, eight out of ten things went against one's wishes...
"Your Highness, the Princess, may I live forever. I apologize for any disrespect to your kind face. I beg your pardon."
I, a humble and humble woman, was blessed by Heaven to marry into the Zhu Mansion. However, within a year of our marriage, things have gone against our wishes. I suppose it is my fate, my fateful fate, my limited blessings, that I will never be able to enjoy the presence of Your Highness...
The bond between husband and wife is one of deep affection and profound meaning. Discussing the cause of their shared existence, they swear vows and cherish deep emotions. The bond that binds us together stems from three previous lives, conjugating us into this one. If the bond is not harmonious, it is likely a sign of enmity, a sign of hostility. Like cats and mice, they hate each other; like wolves and sheep, they coexist.
Lin Meizhu knelt in the center hall, holding the small sandalwood box containing the palace's keys and seal high above her head. "If we continue to force our marriage, we'll end up like a withered vine entwined with a tree. I now boldly ask the Princess to allow me to return to my family, and to allow us to part forever, so that the royal family's imperial records will not be tainted by dust!"
The room fell into a long silence, and the sound of the burning incense being eaten away bit by bit and collapsing could be clearly heard.
After a long moment, a question came from the leader, his voice deep and slow: "Is this all you have to say?"
Li Jieyi had changed back into her regular clothes, a plain white silk gown with dark patterns waving as she moved, like silver threads like blades. She stood with her back to the waist, her eyes like stars hanging in a cold pond, their darkness revealing an imperceptible coldness. Being looked at in such a way, Lin Meiju's heart skipped a beat, and even her breathing became irregular.
Before meeting Li Jieyi, Lin Meizhu had high hopes. Perhaps it was because after they got married, Li Jieyi told her that Shen Changfeng was blind, or because Li Jieyi had told her before leaving that she could go to Taiqing Temple if she had any problems, or perhaps it was because she knew that Li Jieyi had been a medical officer, had been to sea, and had seen the world, unlike ordinary people. Lin Meizhu always felt that Li Jieyi would agree to her request.
But now she couldn't understand what Li Jieyi meant.
She caught a glimpse of the cold, arrogant features that mirrored Shen Changfeng's, and saw her jawline tense with displeasure. A terrible panic gripped her heart, and she wondered, "Has Li Jieyi heard some other rumors? Will she think I'm being unreasonable? Divorce is ultimately a scandal, and Shen Changfeng is her biological son. What makes you think she'll side with you? After all, you're just a stranger to her. Lin Meizhu, how could you be so foolish!"
What to do? Shen Changfeng refused to let go, placing all his hopes on Li Jieyi, hoping to ask for the emperor's approval in her name. But if she didn't agree, what to do! What to do! !
Lin Meiju's mind went blank at the thought that all her efforts and patience would be burned to ashes. Her lips moved, but she didn't know how to explain. She told herself that she must keep calm. People like the eldest princess must not like to see others crying. She must find a way to persuade her again. There must be a way, right?
But her body showed its weakness earlier. After her hopes were dashed, she felt as if she was immersed in cold water. The fingertips holding the small box were pinched white, and her slender back began to tremble uncontrollably. After taking a deep breath, she gritted her teeth and raised her head, with sparkling tears in her eyes.
"sorry."
Lin Meiju looked at Li Jieyi, who had squatted down without her knowing when, and was stunned for a moment: What did she say?
Li Jieyi looked at Lin Meiju, whose face was filled with panic, and felt extremely ashamed.
Over the years, Li Jieyi had become accustomed to searching the world for people, so this time, after receiving a clue, she set out as usual. The only difference was that her son, Shen Changfeng, had married a beautiful woman. She knew Shen Changfeng was erratic and domineering, but she felt that he would know when to stop. Moreover, with Shen Zhongda around, he could at least keep his son in check. She hadn't expected Shen Zhongda to leave Beijing as well, and even less had she anticipated the events that unfolded since her departure.
The scene of Lin Meizhu and I chatting in the carriage before departure is still vivid in my mind. She would be a little reserved but not embarrassed when facing the elders. She would smile shyly when talking about Shen Changfeng. She could not hide her surprise when she heard my evaluation of the Shen family... She was so cute and lively at that time, full of energy, with watery eyes that made people unable to look away, and her whole body was full of fascinating vitality.
She was definitely not like now, with her face full of weariness, her movements graceful and dignified, but she was also full of deadness, and she was like a frightened bird at the slightest sound. She became extremely sensitive and uneasy, and would become startled and terrified at the sight of others.
When Li Jieyi heard the way she asked for a divorce, and saw that she did not mention Shen Changfeng's fault at all, but only said that she had "a shallow fate and little fortune", she felt even more uneasy: she just wanted to ask her what grievances she had suffered, and wanted to tell her not to cover up Shen Changfeng's crimes. Who would have thought that such a simple sentence would make her so scared?
Li Jieyi gently held Shanglin Meiju's hand, feeling sad and angry, and extremely distressed: how many times must she have experienced such bad things to become like this.
Li Jieyi sighed deeply: "I'm sorry."
I'm sorry I came late and caused you so much injustice.
This time, Lin Meizhu was certain she had heard correctly. She pursed her lips tightly, trying her best to stifle a choked sound, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling like pearls from a broken string. She squeezed Li Jieyi's hand even harder, resting her forehead on the back of their clasped hands, and burst into tears.
Fortunately, fortunately someone said sorry to her.
She was very grateful for the apology.
Finally someone told her that it wasn't her fault.
She just accidentally fell in love with someone who wasn't that good, and it wasn't unforgivable that she wanted to leave. It was just a small, unpleasant episode in her life, nothing more.
Shen Changfeng's eyelids moved, and he slowly and stiffly moved his neck, slowly putting his ear against the black lacquered door.
He heard her cry.
There was a heavy rain in his heart, the raindrops were swift and fierce, hitting the softest part of his heart and causing it great pain.
He thought, when she cries uncontrollably, she likes to wring her fingers. Is there anyone holding her hand to prevent her from pinching her palm? If she cries too hard and for too long, she'll get a migraine. He should ask her to drink some tea to calm her down before continuing. He also thought, if she cries like this, tomorrow she'll definitely feel like her eyes are swollen like walnuts and she won't be able to see anyone, and won't want to go out...
Recalling the look of Lin Meizhu secretly looking at herself in the mirror and feeling secretly annoyed, Shen Changfeng pulled the corners of his mouth weakly.
The guard outside Tingyun Pavilion, his gaze fixed fixed, suddenly heard a faint knock. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man kneeling by the door, one hand extended, his fingertips trembling as he reached upward. His deformed, swollen forearm was wrapped in blood-stained gauze, and sticky plasma oozed out, winding its way to his elbow, dripping slowly and dully. His movements were slow and sluggish, like a mechanism covered in rust. His hand reached a certain point, unable to move forward, only his fingertips persistently tapping the door knocker.
This guard was also an old man serving Li Jieyi. He had seen such a scene before. The difference was that at that time, Shen Changfeng was tied to a tree and beaten half to death, but now he was still conscious. Even the blood in the cracks of the blue bricks had dried up, and he showed no signs of getting up.
The guard knew that Shen Changfeng had been unconscious for most of the day after being trampled by horses in the paddock, but he didn't understand why he didn't take good care of his injuries, but ran to Tingyun Pavilion and knelt there refusing to leave. Didn't he know that Li Jieyi had ordered that outsiders were not allowed to enter, and outsiders specifically referred to members of the Shen family?
But the guards did not dare to rush Shen Changfeng away because he looked like he was about to fall apart. Even with the door panel supporting his huge body, he looked shaky.
Anyone could tell that Shen Changfeng was seriously injured, after all, his body was wrapped with gauze to stop bleeding, but the guard was a martial artist, and he could tell that Shen Changfeng's lips and hair were raw, his skin was wet and cold, his internal energy was disordered, and his breathing was rapid and weak, showing signs of being on the verge of death!
The guard was frightened and tried to persuade him to leave by avoiding the bloodstains on the ground. However, he saw Shen Changfeng's lips, which were covered with brown-red blood scabs, moving slightly. When he got closer to listen, he could only hear him mumbling something.
After listening for a while, I could vaguely make out the following: "Let me see her. Let me see her. Let me see her..."
There were only these few sad words repeated over and over again, nothing else.
The sobbing and vague mumbling made people feel sad. The guard couldn't help but sigh, knowing that this was all due to his strong willpower. If he relaxed his willpower, it would be hard to say what would happen.
The guards couldn't bear to see someone get into trouble right in front of them, but Li Jieyi was adamant, clearly not caring whether Shen Changfeng lived or died. The prince was still cleaning up the mess in the palace, and Shen Changfeng refused to leave. What could he do? Just as he was in a dilemma, he suddenly remembered the woman who had broken the deadlock that year—it was also a gloomy sky, with heavy dusk and scattered snowflakes, and she approached gracefully with an oil-paper umbrella.
But this time, there was a boy of eight or nine years old with her.
Aunt Liu took Shen Chali forward and saluted the guard: "Brother Zhang, how are you?"
The guard dared not stand for it and quickly stepped aside, returning the greeting: "Second Miss, you are embarrassing me. I will go and pass the message to the eldest princess."
After the guards left, Concubine Liu walked over to Shen Changfeng, gently supporting his head and letting him lean against her, still standing quietly with her umbrella. The wind and rain grew stronger, and snowflakes swirled into his collar and sleeves. Shen Chali shivered, and Concubine Liu lifted her cloak and wrapped him in it.
When the guards came back, they saw this scene. Aunt Liu used a small, half-worn cloak to protect her two sons from the wind and snow, one on each side, like a female bird protecting her chicks with its wings.
She stepped on the sticky blood plasma, and the hem of her cloak was soaked with blood, and large bright red flowers appeared from bottom to top.
Seeing the guard's embarrassed face, she smiled gently: "It's okay, I'll wait a little longer."
Another half hour passed, and the guard wiped a handful of snow from his brow and advised, "Look, it's better to go back quickly. It's not easy to walk down the mountain in the heavy snow." The guard originally thought that Concubine Liu was here to break the deadlock, but he didn't know that she was also here to stand guard. Now he not only had to find a way to send Shen Changfeng away, but also Concubine Liu and her son away. What's more, Concubine Liu and her son were not in good health. If they stood in this windy and snowy weather for half a night, it would be strange if they didn't get sick! This was a losing business!
Aunt Liu didn't answer, but suddenly started coughing. She coughed a few times and cleared her throat, still looking calm and composed: "I'll wait a little longer." Having said that, the coughing became more and more frequent, and then Shen Chali also started coughing, and it seemed like they were coming one after another.
Just as the guard was getting anxious, the door creaked open.
Li Jieyi sneered at Aunt Liu: "What excuse are you going to use this time?" Twelve years ago, she used sweet words and borrowed Song Jiusi's name to gain sympathy and save Shen Changfeng's life. Did she think she would be fooled again?
Aunt Liu bowed gracefully, her usual calm smile tinged with joy. She said, "I missed the eldest princess. I heard that she had returned, so I came here."
Li Jieyi came over angrily, punching the cotton with her fist. Her breath was stuck in her chest. She looked at Liu Ruhua's pale face twice and said angrily, "I've seen it all, let's go home!"
Liu Ruhua replied meekly, "Yes," but remained motionless, watching Li Jieyi's back. The guard was secretly shocked, wondering how Concubine Liu had managed to endure such a temper all these years.
But Liu Ruhua really hoped that Li Jieyi could talk to her more, and it would be better if she could scold her.
Shen Zhongda married Liu Ruhua because he wanted to have a child to be adopted under his wife's name. She agreed to marry him to repay his kindness, but at that time she didn't know that Shen Zhongda's wife was her good friend Li Jieyi.
Liu Ruhua will never forgive herself in her life.
This was a betrayal, and the price of betrayal was the rupture of their relationship. This illness was punishment for her betrayal, and Liu Ruhua endured it without complaint.
Soon after she married, she learned that Li Jieyi was pregnant. She was like a hot potato. Shen Zhongda's first move was to give her contraceptive medicine and considered sending her home. But with all her relatives scattered, where else could she go? In the end, Li Jieyi spoke up and took her back.
Later, she accidentally became pregnant. She knew that Shen Zhongda would definitely not agree to let her keep the child. She knew that there was no hope in this life, and this child was her only hope for the rest of her life. Therefore, she secretly concealed it, took folk remedies to make her belly look less big, and wrapped her bulging abdomen with cloth strips... But the fetus was discovered when it was four months old. She was forced to take abortion drugs, and in the end it was Li Jieyi who saved her.
Shen Zhongda always put Li Jieyi first. Shortly after Shen Changfeng was born, he submitted a petition requesting that he be named the Crown Prince. His illegitimate son was named Chali, with the courtesy name Rang. He wanted both mother and son to always remember their respective identities.
Liu Ruhua knew full well: Li Jieyi married Shen Zhongda out of revenge. She had agreed to marry into the Shen family with the genuine intention of overthrowing the family's fate. But did she truly have no feelings for Shen Changfeng? If so, why didn't she abort the pregnancy immediately upon discovering it? Why did she risk her life to give birth to this child on the boat, even naming him herself?
Shen Changfeng, Shen Du.
Ride the wind and waves, and break through the maze.
When Li Jieyi gave birth to this child, did she ever feel a little hesitant, wanting to let go of the past and return to her normal life?
Liu Ruhua didn't want Li Jieyi to regret it. The wind blinded her eyes, the snow choked her throat, and she began to cough rapidly.
Li Jieyi, who had just vowed to give the man a good scolding, suddenly turned around and said fiercely, "Didn't you say you wanted to see me? What are you still standing there for?"
Liu Ruhua smiled softly and glanced at Chen Chali. Chen Chali emerged from his warm coat, his eyes sparkling as he said, "I'll hold an umbrella for you, big brother!"
After saying that, he took the warm umbrella handle, moved to where Liu Ruhua was standing, carefully supported Shen Changfeng's head on his body, put his arm around his shoulders, and gave Liu Ruhua a look that said "Leave it to me".
Li Jieyi was furious: Look, other people’s sons are so worry-free and sensible, but what kind of a jerk is the one I gave birth to!
She folded Shen Chali's umbrella, pulled Shen Changfeng up from the ground, and threw him into a half-high snowdrift. Shen Changfeng was so cold that he shuddered and woke up from his slumber.
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