Chapter 101: Close Relationship
In the afternoon, Li Wan'er returned home in a bad mood. She thought of Li Shuang and went to find her mother-in-law. She asked her mother-in-law why she didn't chase her away even after she recovered from her illness. Was she going to take her room back?
My father told my father-in-law at that time that Li Shuang must be driven away.
Third Aunt has received a letter from her husband, saying that he will go to Beijing in the next two days, so she cannot leave.
She had no choice but to say that Li Shuang was still sick.
The Duke's wife couldn't really ignore sisterhood and just say that she would stay for five more days.
When Shen Shurong and Xie Yunzhao learned about it, it made no sense, and the excitement of Xie Yun’s dispute had just begun.
The two of them were drawing up an invitation list in the house and were going to go to their own horse ranch to race in two days.
On August 20th, the day for them to have dinner together, my third uncle finally arrived after rushing around.
Out of consideration for their friendship, Duke Lu invited the three members of the Li family to dinner.
When Li Shuang came in, Li Wan'er looked very unhappy and her eyes were long.
After the greetings, everyone took their seats.
To take my eldest daughter-in-law's mood into consideration, we sat at a separate table today.
The Duke of Lu and his wife sat at the main table, Xie Yunzheng and Li Wan'er sat at the first table on the left, followed by Xie Yunzhao and his partner, and then the two concubines.
A family of three sat across from us, splitting up into two tables.
Because it was a low table, Xie Yunzhao had nowhere to put his long legs. He leaned against the table and looked at Li Shuang across from him, "Is my cousin well?"
Li Shuang has been stealing glances at Xie Yunzhao several times since she came in. Although he bullied her, she still couldn't help but like him.
This is also the reason why she is reluctant to leave the Duke's Mansion.
At this moment, hearing her second cousin concerned about her health, she was in a very good mood and said, "Thank you for your concern, second cousin. Shuangshuang is much better."
Xie Yunzhao quickly waved his hands: "I'm not concerned about you, I'm just worried that you haven't recovered completely and will pass on your illness to others."
The faces of the three members of the Li family turned red, and the third aunt quickly said that Li Shuang was fully recovered.
For the first time in history, the Duke of Lu did not mention his son. Although his words were a bit blunt, they were not wrong if one thought about them carefully.
The Duke's wife couldn't do that, but she still had to save face and pretended to scold, "Yun Zhao! Speak properly."
"It's good that everything is fine. I didn't say anything wrong."
"Shut up."
Li Shuang began to feel sad again. Is he only nice to Shen Shurong?
Xie Yunzhao was picking out fish bones and put the picked meat into Shen Shurong's bowl.
"Hmm~"
"What's wrong?"
"There's a little thorn."
"Oh, I'll pick it carefully again." Xie Yunzhao took the handkerchief and caught the small thorns she spit out.
Simple actions, simple conversations, stunned everyone in the room.
Duke Lu’s eyes widened into cow’s. Was this his naughty son?
How can she be so considerate like someone's little girl?
If he hadn't just spoken so bluntly, he would have thought his son was doomed and replaced.
The Duke's wife felt sad, as she had never seen such a caring son in her life.
Li Wan'er looked at the dish that Xie Yun had fought for on her chopsticks and silently put it into her own bowl. At this moment, she admitted that she envied Shen Shurong.
Li Shuang's eyes seemed to be glued shut. If he treated her like this, even just once, she would be willing to die.
Xie Yunzhao had no idea what everyone was thinking. He had already put another piece of fish meat with bones removed into Chen Shurong's bowl: "I promise there will be no bones this time."
Xie Yun couldn't eat anymore. It was such blatant favoritism that he could have given the dish to Yongjia.
No, he was the one who was supposed to do this!
He poured a glass of wine and drank it in one gulp.
The spicy wine stimulates the esophagus and stomach, as if it can relieve some of the pain in the heart.
Li Wan'er retracted her gaze, still thinking about the business, "Since my cousin is well now, and my third aunt also said she missed home, I will arrange a carriage to take you back in the next two days."
Li Shuang suddenly became nervous and refused to leave.
The third uncle came here this time to let his daughter become the prince's concubine, so why would he take her back?
"Thank you, Madam. But Shuang'er has already followed the prince. The whole capital and Qingzhou know about this. I hope Madam will understand."
Li Wan'er's hands were shaking with anger. What does it mean to follow the prince?
Is this something a fifth-rank official would say?
She turned to look at Duke Lu: "Dad, how did you and my dad agree on this?"
Before Duke Lu could say anything, Xie Yunzhao said in a sly voice, "Sister-in-law, the decision between Minister Li and father is valid, but we also have to look at the actual situation. Didn't you hear what Third Uncle said? Everyone in Qingzhou knows about the matter between cousin and elder brother. Sister-in-law still wants cousin to go back. She might as well just tell her to die."
What? Forget it. I can't afford to bother with him.
The third uncle nodded in agreement. He had heard that his daughter had fallen in love with a servant boy, and if the news got out he would lose all face. Although he didn't have much money left now, he would not accept the servant boy as his son-in-law.
He winked at his wife.
The third aunt immediately started to cry: "Eldest sister, this is my only biological daughter. She has no other way to go in this life. Please, elder sister, please let Shuangshuang stay."
"Stop crying. We're eating. It's so ugly to cry. Besides, my elder sister and brother-in-law will never watch Li Shuang suffer." The third uncle handed a handkerchief to the third aunt.
The Duke of Lu and his wife looked at each other and glanced at Li Wan'er with some embarrassment.
They are all singing the same tune. Who are you trying to force? Li Wan'er was so angry that she couldn't even hold the handkerchief. Just as she was about to stand up, Xie Yunzheng pulled her back and said, "Sit down."
Li Wan'er was stunned, thinking that he was going to speak for her, and sat back proudly, she also had the support of her husband.
Duke Lu looked at his eldest son, "Yun Zheng, what do you think?"
The three members of the Li family stared at him, including Li Shuang. She had already accepted her fate. As long as she could stay in the Duke's Mansion and see her second cousin, she didn't want to go back to her hometown and never see him again in this life.
Xie Yunzheng knew what Xie Yunzhao meant. He must be hoping that he would accept Li Shuang, so that Yongjia would be disappointed in him and would be inclined towards him.
Xie Yunzhao was forcing him to accept it, but he wanted Xie Yunzhao to see that Yongjia didn't want that and that Yongjia still had him in his heart.
He looked around and couldn't ask Yongjia directly, "I want to hear the opinions of my parents and my second brother, the princess."
Chen Shurong was enjoying his meal and didn't expect that he had his own things to do.
The third sister and her husband were both there, and they also agreed to let Li Shuang be a concubine. The Duke of Lu and his wife felt that they could not say anything against it, but they had promised the Li family so much that they felt sorry for their eldest daughter-in-law if they agreed directly, so neither of them expressed their opinion.
Li Wan'er gritted her teeth in anger. Is this the promise of a first-rank duke?
Xie Yunzhao's opinion was not surprising. His elder brother was the crown prince and would take a concubine sooner or later. It would be good for him to have a closer relationship with his cousin.
Xie Yunzheng ignored it and looked at Shen Shurong: "What do you think, Princess?"
Chen Shurong put down her chopsticks and looked at Li Shuang opposite her. As they were former sisters, she would be reluctant to part with them.
"My eldest brother is the prince of a prefecture. Yongjia feels that the prince's ability and reputation are equally important."
Xie Yunzheng frowned. What does that mean? Yongjia agrees?
"Yongjia has something to say to my sister-in-law. My brother is not alone. He has the entire Duke of Lu's Mansion behind him. He carries a heavy burden. If there is any flaw, the opponent will seize the opportunity to suppress him."
"My eldest sister-in-law can't share his worries in the officialdom, and the rear house is strictly guarded, so my eldest brother has no worries."
Li Wan'er understood. If someone made trouble for Li Shuang, it might be detrimental to the prince.
She lowered her head and said nothing, and the room fell silent for a moment.
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