The carriage stopped in front of the grand and imposing gate of the Prime Minister's mansion. Shen Yunjiao gently lifted the curtain with her finger to peek out curiously.
Wow, this Prime Minister's residence is huge!
She thought the Duke's Mansion was already the most luxurious mansion in her knowledge, but the Prime Minister's Mansion was far more extravagant.
As expected, her father, the prime minister, was truly wealthy.
Finally, we're going to live a good life!
As Shen Yunjiao happily thought about it, she stepped off the carriage using a wooden stool.
The vermilion gate opened wide, and a beautiful and graceful woman stood elegantly at the bottom of the steps.
Upon seeing her, he waved eagerly and said, "The young lady is back."
Shen Yunjiao turned her head and asked quietly, "Who is Granny?"
"Have you forgotten, young lady? She is Aunt Liu."
Oh, so it's Aunt Liu from the original story, who quickly married off her daughter to her second husband after her death.
After carefully recalling what was written in the novel, Shen Yunjiao immediately became wary of this Aunt Liu.
This woman is the villain in the novel.
The original owner lost her mother at a young age, and Aunt Liu's gentle love and affection fulfilled her longing for a mother.
Therefore, she treated Aunt Liu and her half-sister very well, and even regarded Aunt Liu as her own mother.
The poor original owner never knew that her aunt, whom she regarded as her mother, was overjoyed upon learning of her death and happily sent her own daughter to the Pei family.
Not only did she scheme to make her daughter the matriarch of the Pei family, but after Shen Yunjiao's death, she also wantonly spread her shameful past to highlight her daughter's nobility and purity.
"Aunt Liu is so attentive to the young lady, she's been waiting outside for ages," Fu Xia said softly.
Shen Yunjiao smiled faintly, "Is that so?"
This Aunt Liu may seem virtuous and gentle, but she's actually quite cunning.
She dressed up beautifully and stood at the door so that passersby could see that her status and position in the Shen family were incomparable to that of ordinary concubines.
After all, in the Dayong Dynasty, a place that values etiquette and dignity, concubines were not allowed to stand at the gate and show their faces in public.
Shen Yunjiao had only taken a few steps when her aunt came up to her and took her soft hand in hers.
Shen Yunjiao was startled.
Aunt Liu was visibly agitated, her eyes brimming with tears: "My dear girl, you've been wronged."
Shen Yunjiao quickly pulled her hand away from Aunt Liu's tightly clenched palm.
“Good girl, quickly tell your aunt why Prince Pei sent you home. Your aunt will help you get justice.” Aunt Liu raised her voice, and people walking in front of the mansion couldn’t help but turn to look.
Shen Yunjiao raised her eyebrows: "Auntie is too impatient. I just returned to the manor. Let me go back and rest first."
After saying that, she walked past Aunt Liu and went straight inside.
"Wait, young lady!" Aunt Liu called out from behind, waving her handkerchief.
Shen Yunjiao paused, slowly turned around and glanced at her before saying, "Auntie, as a concubine, you shouldn't stand outside all the time. People who don't know better might think that the concubines in the Prime Minister's mansion don't follow the rules."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu's face turned pale instantly. "Young lady, what do you mean by this?"
"It was just a casual remark, please don't take it to heart, Aunt." Shen Yunjiao smiled and continued walking forward without looking back.
Only Aunt Liu and a group of servants remained standing at the door.
—
As soon as Shen Yunjiao entered the mansion, she was captivated by the scene at the entrance.
The original owner's father, Shen Zhizhang, did not like composing poems and essays, but preferred to play with strange stones and exotic plants. Upon entering the gate, there was a huge rock as large as a mountain as a barrier.
It actually looks particularly wild and natural.
Fu Xia walked ahead carrying a black brocade box with gold trim, while Shen Yunjiao followed behind her at a leisurely pace.
After bypassing this massive stone barrier and passing through a long, narrow corridor, you arrive at the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence.
Her father, Shen Zhizhang, was standing at the door, eagerly awaiting her arrival.
When he saw her arrive, his eyes were filled with overflowing affection.
"Yun Jiao, my good daughter, come here quickly and let your father take a look."
Shen Yunjiao felt a little embarrassed and hesitated a short distance away.
When she first met Shen's father, she really didn't know how to greet him.
Fortunately, a loud voice came from behind: "Is my sister home?"
Shen Yunjiao was secretly delighted and turned around to look.
Shen Qinghuai, dressed in a crimson official robe and wearing an official hat, was seen hurrying towards them.
"It's good that you're back." Seeing his daughter become silent and reserved, Shen Zhizhang felt a pang of heartache.
Seeing his younger sister still standing at the door, Shen Qinghuai quickly pulled her into the hall. "It's only been a short time since you last saw Father. Why are you already acting like strangers?"
Shen Yunjiao walked closer and looked at Shen Zhizhang with a somewhat stunned expression.
Shen Zhizhang bears a striking resemblance to Shen Yunjiao's deceased father, a resemblance that is nine-tenths.
Shen Yunjiao's parents tragically died in a car accident when she was three years old, leaving her only a few photographs as mementos.
Seeing Shen Zhizhang now is like seeing his father in a photograph.
Shen Yunjiao's eyes welled up with tears, and two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks like broken pearls.
She took a deep breath and knelt down to pay her respects to Shen Zhizhang.
"Father, your daughter misses you so much."
She cried sadly, as if she had been greatly wronged.
In fact, Shen Yunjiao knew that she was crying because of family affection.
Seeing this, the usually deep and composed Shen Zhizhang quickly comforted her, saying, "My dear daughter, don't worry, your father will definitely get justice for you!"
"Sister, you wait, I'll go to the Censorate tomorrow to settle accounts with Pei Zhixuan!"
Seeing the two men in front of her getting anxious and upset for her sake, Shen Yunjiao felt a warmth in her heart and smiled through her tears.
She tucked a handkerchief into her eyes, wiped away her tears, and said, "Father, brother, I'm not wronged. I just really want to go home."
"Your father and brother miss you very much."
Shen Zhizhang's eyes were full of concern and affection.
He had two daughters and one son. Shen Yunjiao was his legitimate daughter and the one he loved the most among his three children.
Therefore, when he heard that Shen Yunjiao had been sent back to her parents' home by Pei Zhixuan, he was both angry and anxious, and even wanted to go to the Pei family to confront them immediately.
But now that Shen Yunjiao has returned to the mansion, comforting her daughter is the most urgent task.
"Yun Jiao, it's alright. I'll go find that scoundrel tomorrow and make him come here in person to apologize and take you back home."
Shen Yunjiao was so frightened that she quickly shook her head: "Father, please don't go looking for him!"
"Father doesn't need to go, I'll go!" Shen Qinghuai replied through gritted teeth.
"Hey! None of you are allowed to go to him!" Shen Yunjiao was so anxious that she was about to cry again.
"I really don't understand, what's so great about Pei Zhixuan? Why are you still defending him like this!" Shen Zhizhang was both angry and helpless, and could only sigh several times.
Shen Yunjiao nodded, "You're right, he's not good at all."
Seeing that the Shen father and son were somewhat stunned.
She quickly pulled them down to sit, and said solemnly, "Actually, I've long wanted to divorce Pei Zhixuan."
Shen Qinghuai looked at his father and said, "Father, you see, what I said that day was true, wasn't it? My sister really wants to divorce Pei Zhixuan, but you still don't believe me."
"Yun Jiao, is this really true?" Shen Zhizhang asked, frowning.
“Absolutely true,” Shen Yunjiao replied.
Shen Zhizhang rubbed his knees with his hands, and after a long while, he slowly sighed, "Then I will go and tell His Majesty tomorrow."
“Father, no, this matter of divorce can only be brought up at the Pei residence,” Shen Yunjiao hurriedly said.
Then she repeated what she had said to Shen Qinghuai before.
“Father, serving as an official in the court is like walking on thin ice. Don’t worry about this matter, I will handle it myself.”
"Yun Jiao, you've really grown up." Shen Zhizhang was taken aback for a moment after hearing this, and then he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
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