Chapter 157 She hated Chen Hang, but she hated herself even more…
With the fall of the Chen family, Prince Yu was sent back to his hometown to guard his ancestors' tombs, and yet another prince fell on the road to the throne.
The courtiers were privately speculating about the emperor's intentions: Did His Majesty find the older princes too unqualified and intend to select a younger one to be trained from scratch?
But none of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh princes seemed to possess any exceptional talent.
Not to mention the Eighth Prince, he was still just a baby.
Senior officials jointly submitted a memorial, earnestly requesting Your Majesty to establish a solid foundation for the nation as soon as possible to reassure the people.
Emperor Qingxi ignored all of this and simply announced at the grand court assembly that Wei Youning would be reinstated as Grand General. He also selected members of the Wei family who were skilled in martial arts and proficient in military strategy to be assigned to important positions in various armies, thus taking over all the military resources vacated after the fall of the Chen family.
At the same time, the Xuan Nu Palace was built in the suburbs of Beijing in the name of the royal family, and she was posthumously honored as the Jingci Immortal Master. All the arrangements for the project were entrusted to Princess Tong'an.
Sixteen years later, the Wei family returned to the court with a powerful presence, and Wei Youning was even invited to stay in the palace by Emperor Qingxi for several consecutive days, where they talked all night long.
The Wei family is deeply blessed by the Emperor, even more so than before.
Meanwhile, some astute officials noticed that Princess Tong'an was attending court sessions much more frequently than before.
...
The Xuan Nu Palace was chosen to be located in the southern suburbs of the city. Princess Tong'an acted quickly; no sooner had Emperor Qingxi issued the decree than the blueprints were already drawn up and preparations were underway to purchase timber and stone to begin construction.
The residents living in the south of the city and the suburbs were the first to hear the news and rushed to sign up for work. Some quick-thinking vendors even set up stalls along the way, selling food and tea, their own handicrafts, and fortune telling. Soon, a small market spontaneously formed.
On this day, Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi followed Princess Tong'an's carriage out of the city to check on the construction progress of the Xuan Nu Palace.
"How lively!" Shen Lingyue lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. People carrying loads and baskets came and went in an endless stream, and in the distance were Taoist temples and palaces that were already taking shape. It was a scene of bustling activity.
Princess Tong'an was traveling incognito and did not want to make a fuss. The three of them got off the carriage by the roadside in advance and walked slowly inside.
Yan Yi stopped at a roadside stall selling wood carvings, picked up a palm-sized doll, and asked the stall owner, "What kind of image is this?"
Seeing their expensive attire, the vendor assumed they had important customers and began enthusiastically promoting his product: "Madam, this is the statue of our venerable Empress Jingci! Once the Xuan Nu Palace is built, the statue inside will be exactly the same as this one. If you take one home now, it will surely bless your family with peace and health, and ensure the safety of your mother and child!"
Yan Yi was amused by his quick wit. Looking at the wooden doll in her hand, although the carving was simple and the wood was ordinary, it was indeed the image of the Goddess of Mystery that they had asked Shen Mingda to carve.
Princess Tong'an walked over, took out a piece of silver from her purse, and handed it to the vendor, saying, "We'll buy it."
The vendor was overjoyed and exclaimed a string of auspicious words, "...May the Goddess Xuan Nu bless you!"
She smiled and said to Yan Yi, "These people are clever; they must have seen the statue of the deity I had hung in front of the Xuan Nu Palace."
Yan Yi looked into the distance and saw a woman who had bought a small wooden carving and then knelt down by the roadside to pray devoutly.
Just then, some passersby came up to inquire, and the vendor explained with great enthusiasm, "...Empress Wei is the reincarnation of the Goddess Xuan Nu, and the Wei family is even more famous, with generals who protect the country. Aren't they all protecting our people and keeping us safe and sound? Trust me, buying one won't hurt!"
Yan Yi smiled slightly, withdrew her gaze, and nodded to Princess Tong'an: "Your Highness's move is brilliant."
The Xuan Nu Palace will take at least another six months to complete, but by relying on the words of ordinary people, its divine name can be spread much sooner and faster, thus creating momentum for the Wei family and for Princess Tong'an.
Princess Tong'an coughed lightly and touched her nose, seemingly a little embarrassed.
"I hope you don't blame me for forcibly linking the Goddess of Mystery with the Empress."
Shen Lingyue fiddled with the small wooden carving in her hand and said casually, "What does it matter? It was just something that Yan Yan and I made up on the spot. As long as it can help more people, I don't think the Goddess Xuan Nu will care."
At first, they just wanted to find a medium for their "feigning supernatural powers," so they fabricated a mysterious goddess.
But later, as Yan Yan's magical golden finger seemed to gain the power to take on a human form, it was as if He had also recognized this form in the dark.
Buddhist scriptures say that Guanyin Bodhisattva has thirty-three manifestations, so why can't Empress Wei be one of the incarnations of the Goddess of Mystery?
"Besides, the more people worship the Goddess of Mystery in the future, the greater the benefits for Yan Yan."
Shen Lingyue winked at Yan Yi and said with a smile, "Let's just say we've benefited from the merits of the Goddess Xuan Nu."
Yan Yi also comforted Princess Tong'an: "Your Highness, there is no need to worry. Didn't we also consult the divination blocks before making this decision?"
If the Holy Grail is cast three times in a row, it means that even the gods have agreed.
As they spoke, they arrived at the construction site. Shen Lingyue, with her sharp eyes, waved to the opposite side, "Second Sister-in-law!"
Shao Minqing was giving instructions to several stewards when she turned around and saw this. She quickly walked over and bowed to Princess Tong'an.
"Your Highness, the next batch of timber will arrive the day after tomorrow. I have arranged for the most experienced old craftsmen from the Shao family to be in charge of checking and inspecting it to ensure that the materials are sufficient and that every piece of wood is intact."
Princess Tong'an nodded and smiled, praising, "I naturally trust Miss Shao to handle things."
Shao Minqing stood up, her gaze towards Shen Lingyue filled with gratitude.
If it weren't for her unexpected meeting and falling in love with Shen Mingda, how would she have met Shen Lingyue and been introduced to Princess Tong'an by her?
Nowadays, all the timber needed to build the Xuan Nu Palace is purchased from the Shao family, which not only allows them to make a fortune but also gives them a legitimate reason to get on board with the Princess's Mansion.
Princess Tong'an also promised her that after the Xuan Nu Palace was completed, she would send someone to Shuntian Prefecture to inform them that her family of three would be separated from the Shao family genealogy and established as a separate clan, so that they would have no further connection with those troublesome relatives.
With this carrot dangling in front of her, Shao Minqing worked even harder, spending most of her time in the south of the city as a supervisor, doing everything herself and not daring to be negligent.
Shen Lingyue looked around and asked, "Where's my second brother? Did he come here today too?"
Shao Minqing smiled and nodded, then pointed behind her, "His Highness invited a master sculptor to sculpt the statue of the Goddess Xuan Nu in the main hall. Your second brother is currently assisting him and learning the craft."
Since waking up, Shen Mingda has not gone home. He has been staying at Shao Minqing's house and refusing to leave, claiming that he is experiencing the life of a live-in son-in-law in advance.
Now that Shao Minqing has been assigned the task of supervising the construction of the Xuan Nu Palace, he has become a half-supervisor. He is like a mouse that has fallen into a rice jar, following her to the construction site every day to observe and learn how to build a Taoist palace from scratch. He is extremely happy.
Shen Lingyue was genuinely happy for her second brother. Although he was seen as a deviant by outsiders, life is so short, and how many people can live as they please?
It doesn't matter if he doesn't take the imperial examinations or pursue an official career; he has already found a true passion and hobby that he is willing to dedicate his life to.
Shen Lingyue solemnly entrusted: "Second sister-in-law, my second brother will depend on you for support from now on. Who knows, he might become a great sculptor in a few decades."
Shao Minqing couldn't help but chuckle and agreed with a smile, "Okay, consider it as me making an exclusive investment in him decades in advance."
After chatting for a few minutes, someone else came to ask Shao Minqing for instructions. She nodded and apologized to them before hurrying off to do her work.
Princess Tong'an rubbed her shoulders as she saw how well and methodically she arranged everything, and said to Shen Lingyue, "Your future second sister-in-law is very capable, which saves me a lot of trouble."
“Of course, otherwise Old Master Shao wouldn’t have passed on such a large family business to her,” Shen Lingyue said with pride.
The group continued walking towards the backyard, where they met Shen Mingda and the renowned sculptor.
The room was filled with portraits that were half a person tall, all of which were drafts prepared by the master before starting the work. The painting skills were also very beautiful and exquisite, just like entering an art gallery.
Shen Lingyue pulled Yan Yi to admire each painting one by one, occasionally expressing her admiration. Yan Yi stopped in front of a portrait in the corner. This portrait was different from the others, and had a touch of traditional meticulous brushwork in the style of a lady painting.
"Once the Xuan Nu Palace is completed, the main hall will enshrine the Xuan Nu Goddess herself, and there will be several guardian deities in the side halls."
Princess Tong'an came over and explained, her eyes filled with a hint of melancholy as she looked at the portrait.
"This painting is based on the image of my birth mother. She had a deep affection for my mother during her lifetime, and I would probably like to stay by her side and enjoy the incense offerings of the world."
Shen Lingyue overheard this and her eyes widened in surprise, "Your birth mother?"
"Silly girl, I wasn't born from a rock, of course I have a biological mother." Princess Tong'an chuckled and shook her head, playfully flicking her nose.
Yan Yi seemed to be deep in thought. "Everyone knows that Your Highness was raised by the Empress, but no one has ever heard of your birth mother."
Princess Tong'an's smile faded slightly.
"If Father Emperor is unwilling to mention Mother Emperor because he is too deeply in love, then my birth mother... is probably someone he has long forgotten, just an unknown woman in the harem."
She shrugged self-deprecatingly. "She was a concubine's daughter sent to the palace by the Xie family of Chenliu. My father disliked aristocratic families and hated the Xie family for using a concubine's daughter to appease him. So my mother lost favor after giving birth to me. Before she died, she entrusted me to my mother and deliberately erased all traces of her in the palace, just to pave a safe path for me."
She did indeed achieve this, completely imprinting her own daughter with the Wei family's mark.
But Princess Tong'an would not forget her, and Empress Wei did not intend for her to forget her either.
This is an unspoken secret among the three women, two pairs of mothers and daughters.
"The Xie family of Chenliu?" Shen Lingyue blinked and muttered, "Why does that name sound so familiar..."
She thought for a long time but couldn't remember, so she simply put it aside and pulled Yan Yi to look at the sketch with great interest.
Princess Tong'an gazed at the two inseparable figures from behind, a look of longing rising in her eyes.
She was taken to her mother's palace when she was three years old. Everyone thought she was too young to remember anything and had long forgotten who her birth mother was and what she looked like.
But perhaps she was born precocious, because Princess Tong'an still remembers what she heard and what happened when she was one or two years old.
She thought that perhaps she had already seen another "celestial being" before she met Yan Yi and A Yue.
She spent her short life confined to the deep palace, yet a small seed was planted in the heart of her only child, which has finally sprouted and blossomed to this day.
...
In a few days, it will be the day when the Third Prince sets off to return to his hometown to guard the tomb.
Shen Hang tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Finally, having exhausted all other options, he hesitantly went to Zhao Lan for advice.
"Yi'er did something foolish in a moment of confusion. She's still so young, she can't be confined to the Third Prince's backyard for the rest of her life, can she?"
Shen Hang pleaded with her in a humble voice, "Madam, could you please find a way to get her out? Even if it's just to send her far away to another place later, that would be fine."
Zhao Lan remained unmoved and coldly said, "Was she confused for a moment? She's obsessed with currying favor with the powerful and wealthy, otherwise why would she go to the Marquis's mansion to cause trouble for Yue'er? What makes you think I would repay evil with kindness?"
Shen Hang stammered in defense: "After all, you are her legal mother and have the responsibility to raise your children... Besides, Jia'er and Yue'er have a sister with a criminal record, which is not good for their reputation."
"Is the master threatening me with my own daughter?" Zhao Lan's eyes flashed sharply. "Then I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?"
Shen Hang nodded repeatedly.
"It's very simple. Master, go to the palace and beg His Majesty to pardon the Second Miss. In exchange, you can exchange your position as Minister. I think His Majesty will definitely agree."
After Zhao Lan finished speaking, she successfully saw Shen Hang's expression change. "How can this be allowed!"
He worked hard for most of his life to become the Minister of Rites, and he wanted to retire peacefully in his position as a second-rank official.
Zhao Lan knew he was reluctant, and scoffed lightly: "Even you, sir, are reluctant to take your own flesh and blood, so don't make things difficult for a mere woman like me."
She slowly stabbed Shen Hang in the heart again.
"Speaking of which, it's not appropriate for Mingda to live in the Shao family without any official status. We should choose an auspicious day and get his marriage to Miss Shao done as soon as possible."
When Shen Hang thought about how he not only had a daughter who was to become a concubine of a deposed prince, but also a son who was to become a live-in son-in-law, his vision went black and he covered his face and staggered away.
Zhao Lan calmly lifted the blanket and instructed Liu Mama, "Close the door and turn off the lights."
...
On the day the Third Prince's family set off, Shen Hang couldn't contain himself and secretly left the city, wanting to see his daughter one last time.
The carriage stopped in front of the Zheliu Pavilion. The Third Prince got out of the carriage with a dejected look on his face. He waited and waited, but no one came to see him off.
He was seething with anger. He strode over to the carriage behind him and heard a crisp slap coming from inside.
"You idiot! You can't even do something as simple as pouring tea properly. What use are you!"
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Shen Songyi ran out crying, her face half red and swollen. "Your Highness, she hit me again..."
"Stop crying. Do you want everyone to hear this?" The Third Prince asked her patiently, "I asked you to write a letter to Minister Shen. Did you write it? Why hasn't he responded yet?"
It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because the mention of it made Shen Songyi even more aggrieved, her eyes reddening: "I wrote so many letters and sent them home, but Father hasn't replied to any of them..."
How could this be? Shen Songyi still can't understand how Prince Yu was suddenly demoted to a prince and sent back to his hometown to guard the ancestral tombs.
What's the difference between this and crippling him?
She refused to marry out of the capital, which is why she went to great lengths to enter the Prince Yu's mansion. How come she was sent even further away instead?
...It's all the Third Prince's fault! She actually had a mother who was so audacious as to plot against the Empress!
His Majesty's decision not to punish her was already an extraordinary act of mercy, yet she still dared to act arrogantly and torment him in every way, relying on her status as the principal wife.
Shen Songyi threw herself into the Third Prince's arms, feeling wronged. "Your Highness, my father is probably hesitant to intervene immediately due to the situation, but he always loves me the most. If we leave the capital to avoid trouble, and I write him a few more letters to plead for us, he will definitely find a way to help us..."
"Minister Shen dotes on you the most? I didn't see that coming." The Third Prince shoved her away with a cold face and said irritably, "I've figured it out now. He has no intention of siding with me at all. You're the one who's been eager to curry favor with me. I... I've never seen such a self-degrading woman!"
He used a lot of force, and Shen Songyi was caught off guard and pushed to the ground, scraping her palm and feeling a burning pain.
She looked up in disbelief. "How could you say that about me? I am the daughter of a high-ranking official, with plenty of excellent marriage prospects to choose from. If I hadn't admired His Highness's talent and character, how could I have disobeyed my father and run away from home..."
"You can fool others with that, but how could you believe it yourself?"
The Third Prince's eyes were cold. "A concubine's daughter who's neither good enough for high-class nor low-class, picky and choosy, has dragged out her marriage for years without any agreement. Does she really think I'm a garbage collector who will take anything?"
If it weren't for the fact that her father still needed her... A murderous glint flashed in the Third Prince's eyes. He walked to the carriage and instructed the Third Prince's wife inside: "Shen doesn't know the rules. You'll have to teach her a lot along the way."
The Third Prince's Consort sat in the dark carriage, her eyes filled with malice. Ever since the Chen family was wiped out, she had become increasingly irritable and unpredictable, even killing several of her maids.
Hearing the Third Prince's instructions, she raised one corner of her lips, revealing a dangerous, cold smile.
"You can rest assured that the Shen family is in my care."
She's always been the best at dealing with these little vixens.
...
As the Third Prince's entourage gradually drove away, Shen Hang remained hidden inside the carriage, not daring to show his face.
Even though he watched helplessly as Shen Songyi was pushed down by the Third Prince and then dragged back to the carriage by the Third Prince's wife to be beaten and scolded, he simply closed his eyes tightly, pretending that he hadn't seen it.
"Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, children are all debts. It's her own fault for not listening to me, so I'll accept it, I'll pretend I never had this daughter..."
Shen Hang repeatedly told himself this, and immediately ordered the driver to turn around and return to the city.
Little did he know that not far behind him, there was a very inconspicuous blue cloth carriage that had been hired from outside.
"See? That's the kind of person Shen Hang is. He only cares about his own official position and reputation, and he doesn't care about the lives of you three at all."
Zhao Lan spoke calmly as she took out the handkerchief that had been stuffed into Aunt Liu's mouth.
Aunt Liu gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face. Her hands and feet were bound, and she could only lean forward with difficulty to make a kowtowing gesture.
"Madam, Madam, I truly know I was wrong. I failed to raise Yi'er properly, allowing her to stray into my old ways..."
After being taken away by Princess Tongan, Aunt Liu thought she was doomed, but she somehow ended up in the palace as a witness and was then sent back to Zhao Lan.
Emperor Qingxi was busy with countless affairs of state and naturally disdained to deal with a mere concubine.
Zhao Lan deliberately chose today to take her out of the city so that she could see with her own eyes how selfish the man she had relied on all her life was when it came to his own safety.
Aunt Liu was imprisoned for several days and cut off from the outside world. Only then did she learn that Shen Songyi had secretly run away to Prince Yu's mansion. As a result, she did not enjoy her wealth for long before she was demoted to guard the imperial tombs.
At this moment, she was utterly despondent, hating Chen Hang, and hating herself even more.
If it weren't for her vanity and constant desire to take shortcuts and be opportunistic, Yi'er wouldn't have been influenced by her while growing up.
If she were to choose a diligent and ambitious husband for Yi'er, she might be able to wait until the day when she is granted a title and her children are honored. At that time, Yi'er would be a glorious legal wife and a lady of high rank. How wonderful that would be.
“Miss Shao has recently gained the favor of Princess Tongan and is helping her oversee the construction of the Xuan Nu Palace. Her mother and I have discussed it and decided to set the wedding date for next month. We want to get it done as soon as possible so that the two children can be together legitimately.”
Aunt Liu's eyes were vacant; it was unclear whether she had listened at all.
Zhao Lan sighed and said calmly, "If you saw Mingda like this, you would know how happy he is. When they get married next month, I will let you see him from afar."
Then I can send her on her journey without any worries.
-----------------------
Author's note: Two boxed lunches have been heated up.
The white moonlight is waiting in the wings—
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
