The next morning, Xiao Anle accompanied Jiang Rong to the Shen residence to visit her.
When the two met Shen Yunjiao, she was leaning against the chaise lounge eating fruit, and the wound on her foot had mostly healed.
When Shen Yunjiao saw the two of them, a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.
She smiled and asked, "Anle, Rong'er, what brings you here?"
"I heard you were injured, so I rushed to the Liang residence to find Rong'er to come and see you." Xiao Anle very considerately brought over two plain brocade pillows and placed them under Shen Yunjiao's waist to make her more comfortable.
Shen Yunjiao felt it was a bit unreasonable for Xiao Anle, a woman of such high birth, to serve her, so she quickly pushed the dishes of dried meat and fruit in front of them: "You two sit down and keep me company while we talk."
Jiang Rong's stomach was growling with hunger, and her eyes lit up when she saw food. Without hesitation, she took some and ate it.
Xiao Anle smiled, "I just finished eating, Songzi, bring the food over." She looked at the palace maid beside her.
The young palace maid quickly replied yes, and brought over a brocade box. Inside, hidden inside, was a small, exquisite-looking bottle.
The bottle is no different from the one Xiao Huaijin gave me yesterday.
"This is a plaster specially made by Physician Xu for the royal family. Only two bottles are produced each year. I saw that you were burned and was worried that the scars would look bad, so I brought it to you," Xiao Anle said gently.
Shen Yunjiao thought to herself, "These two siblings are quite in sync, they even gave each other the same medicine."
She nodded: "I will apply it carefully, thank you for your kindness, Princess."
She's in much better shape now than she was yesterday.
Jiang Rong chattered on for a while, expressing concern for Shen Yunjiao, and then started talking about the rumors circulating outside, all of which were recently circulating in the capital.
The news of Shen Yunjiao's infertility has spread far and wide, with all sorts of opinions circulating. Some people pity Shen Yunjiao, while others think that she deserves to be divorced, since being unable to have children is a serious offense in Dayong.
Jiang Rong shouted that she would tear apart anyone who spoke ill of Shen Yunjiao.
After seeing that Shen Yunjiao's expression remained normal, Xiao Anle asked, "Who leaked this information? Have you found out?"
"I know who it is, but it doesn't really matter anymore," Shen Yunjiao said calmly.
"You're going to let that person go?" Jiang Rong asked indignantly. "Who is it? I'll go teach her a lesson for you."
"She's your aunt, my mother-in-law." The two women were stunned by Shen Yunjiao's words.
Jiang Rong covered her mouth in disbelief and said, "You mean... Auntie deliberately spread this story about you to ruin your reputation?"
“You know she’s disliked me for a long time,” Shen Yunjiao said, stretching her arms. “But she’s doing this for her son and for the future of the Duke of Dingguo’s family.”
“You can’t have children, but that doesn’t mean your concubine can’t. Why does she insist on divorcing you?” Xiao Anle said unhappily.
Shen Yunjiao replied calmly, "She's probably afraid that if the concubine gets pregnant, I'll harm her."
Jiang Rong and Xiao Anle both fell silent.
Although they knew Shen Yunjiao wouldn't do that, the Duchess and the Heir Apparent might not trust Shen Yunjiao's character.
All I can say is that Shen Yunjiao is so pitiful.
"Since things have come to this, just focus on getting better. Put the child's situation aside for now, since you and your cousin aren't together anyway," Jiang Rong tried her best to comfort her.
Shen Yunjiao nodded and replied, "Let's not talk about such unpleasant things. Anyway, I'm perfectly fine now."
Putting aside whether she can have children in the future, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have one with Pei Zhixuan.
Jiang Rong and Xiao Anle stayed at the Shen residence for most of the day, having dinner with Shen Yunjiao before returning home.
Before leaving, Xiao Anle smiled and invited Shen Yunjiao to come to the palace to enjoy the flowers and relax. In a few days, there would be a lotus-picking banquet in the palace.
Shen Yunjiao readily agreed, as she was also eager to see what the Dayong Imperial Palace was like.
The lotus-picking banquet, shouldn't it be held in May? Why is it being moved up by half a month?
"You don't know, this is the Empress Dowager using the lotus-picking banquet as an excuse to find a suitable wife for the Crown Prince," Jiang Rong said with a smile, covering her mouth.
Shen Yunjiao's eyes flickered slightly.
A strange feeling I couldn't quite describe.
The Crown Princess? Is Xiao Huaijin getting married so soon?
—
On the day she was to enter the palace, Shen Yunjiao got up very early.
A few days ago, she was bored and decided to make a face powder compact herself.
She had seen professional teachers make cosmetics before, so she naturally knew these steps.
Shen Yunjiao instructed the servants to prepare all the raw materials.
She first crushed the rice, mixed it with spring water, added a few drops of peach resin, and put it into a silver bowl. She then left it in the yard to dry for three or four days, and it turned into a white and smooth foundation.
I can use it today while doing my makeup.
As Shen Yunjiao was grinning foolishly at her "work" and marveling at her genius, Shen Zhizhang hurriedly entered the courtyard—male ministers were generally not invited to the lotus-picking banquet in the palace, so Shen Zhizhang did not need to go to the palace specifically today.
"Yun Jiao, what are you holding?" Shen Zhizhang asked casually when he saw a small white round object in her hand.
"Father, this is the face powder I'll be using for makeup later," Shen Yunjiao replied after bowing to her father.
Since it was a girl's toy, Shen's father wasn't interested in asking any more questions. He had come to find Shen Yunjiao early in the morning for something else.
"Yun Jiao, it's a good thing that you're going to the palace this time, but you must not cause any trouble. If you encounter the Empress Dowager, you must be even more respectful and not offend her," Shen Zhizhang said slowly, exhaling a breath of stale air.
The Empress Dowager's sudden return to the palace has disrupted the previously stable situation within the court.
"Is the Empress Dowager a good person?" Shen Yunjiao asked curiously.
The novel doesn't even mention such an important character.
Shen Zhizhang sighed, "I don't know either. I only know that the Empress Dowager has been living in a Buddhist temple for a long time, spending her days with the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp. Her return to the palace this time is entirely because of the Crown Prince's marriage."
"Speaking of this, your Aunt Liu asked me yesterday if, since the princess has invited you, you could bring Yunmo along as well."
Shen Yunjiao smiled slightly: "Father doesn't know. The princess said that all the ladies going this time were chosen by the Empress Dowager. I was only invited because I am on good terms with the princess and am already married."
She paused, slightly troubled, and said, "Yunmo is not yet married. I'm afraid if she goes, people will think that our Shen family intends to make her the Crown Princess. Perhaps we should wait until Father asks His Majesty before making a decision."
Shen Zhizhang pondered for a moment, then replied, "That's right, it's best to be careful about these kinds of things."
The father and daughter talked in the yard for a while before returning to their respective rooms.
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