Chapter 144: The Mouse Has Skin, But the Man Has No Manners
"There are so many people I want to help, from my brothers and sisters to my extended family, but which one of them doesn't have strengths?"
"I don't see your value, so why should I help you? Are you forcing a woman I don't even want on me?"
"Examination, military examination, which one is not a path? How can I help you if you want me to?"
"You've disregarded my reputation, my future, and the future of the Anguo Mansion. I've stuffed you into the court and the army to eat and drink and wait for death, or let you cling to our Anguo Mansion and suck our blood? You're a bunch of hopeless scum."
"It is the responsibility of the descendants of Guangde County Prince to support the Guangde County Prince's Mansion, not me, the Prince of Anguo. What are you asking me for?"
Zhou Erye's face looked grim, and Zhou Tingxiao was speechless. The pain and Mingzhao's merciless rebuke made his head buzz.
The Princess of Guangde's lips moved, her thin body trembled slightly, and her eyes were red.
"The Princess is indeed my grandfather's sister. I have some feelings for her, and I can certainly help you. But you must walk out of Taozhou with integrity and come before me with dignity."
Mingzhao still stepped on Zhou Tingxiao's shoulders, turned him over, and looked at the fat on his body. "The rat has skin, but the man has no manners. A descendant of the royal family? Just a rat."
Patting the corners of his clothes, Mingzhao also bowed to the Princess of Guangde County and said, "Princess, I will take my leave."
He then looked at the old lady and the others, performed the younger generation's salute, and said respectfully: "Grandmother, father, mother, second uncle, second aunt, please return it."
After saying that, he strode away.
The old lady, who had been silent all this time, took a sip of tea slowly.
Affection, dignity, and majesty were all shattered to the ground. The Princess of Guangde looked dejected. She lowered her head and dared not look at anyone. The silver hair on her temples was so white that it was dazzling.
Ming Weisu, Yuan Yuhe and the other three glanced at the Princess of Guangde County, and then took their leave with the old lady.
The old lady asked someone to "invite" Zhou Siyao, Zhou Tingxiao and Zhou Erye out of the hall. She glanced at the Princess of Guangde who was sitting on the ground, and then looked at the sky outside which was getting darker.
Mingzhao went out with a cold face, but when he saw Shi Jianli standing outside looking at the setting sun on the branches, his expression softened.
He walked up to her and took her hand, "Let's go back."
Shi Jianli looked at him, smiled and nodded.
Back at Langgan Courtyard, Mingzhao held her in his arms and rubbed her smooth cheek. "Madam is right, they are indeed very annoying."
Shi Jianli looked up and asked, "What did they say?"
"You're so shameless of you to let me marry a concubine. Half of my body is buried in the earth, and you still kneel down to me, a junior, and talk to me about the deep brotherly love we had decades ago." He took a deep breath of her fragrance. "Yaoyao, I only want you, just you, my husband."
Shi Jianli blinked and touched his head.
Mingzhao was still slightly stunned, so he held her hand and kissed the back of her hand.
…
As dusk fell, the old lady, still sitting upright in her seat, finished the tea in her hand.
"Resentment?" she asked in a light voice.
"Who can I blame?" Princess Guangde stood up again, trembling, and sat on the chair, not daring to look at the old lady. "I know I am shameless, but what can I do? As a wife of the Zhou family, I can't watch my family fall into decline."
"I thought you would blame Zhao for not helping you."
The Princess of Guangde moved her lips, not knowing what to say.
The old lady put the teacup back on the table. "You should blame yourself, your son, your grandson, and even your dead husband."
"The Six Arts, the Eight Arts, the Four Books, the Five Classics—what haven't you learned? Why don't you blame yourself for not teaching your son and grandson well?"
"Why don't you blame your son for not making progress, your grandson for not being a good person, and your late husband for not teaching you well? You should blame them all."
"Mrs. Zhou?" The old lady laughed. "For the sake of your husband's family, you're causing trouble for your own family and disturbing their peace. Have you forgotten that you're a daughter of the Ming family?"
"Since she is a Zhou family woman, why do you want my Ming family to help your Zhou family?"
"From the moment you asked about returning the photos to them, I knew you had ulterior motives, but since you didn't say it, I didn't point it out. I just assumed you were concerned about the younger generation."
"To be honest, I don't think highly of your granddaughter. I don't think highly of her at all. She claims to be superior to others, but she lacks the knowledge and ability to support her nobility. She is frivolous and has no strategy."
"Being a concubine is not acceptable. It will disturb the harmony of my family."
After being scolded by Mingzhao in a roundabout way and then being expressed disgust by the old lady in a straightforward tone, the Princess of Guangde closed her eyes.
"Study and ask the Master, and memorize the sage's words. Ride a horse and scatter the flying arrows, and dare to climb the high mountain. Time has passed, and today the road is long and far."
"Ming Junyi, you have changed beyond all recognition."
After several decades, Princess Guangde was in a trance for a moment when she heard her own name again.
"Back then, they said one should marry a man from the Ming family, and one should marry a woman from the Ming family." The old lady laughed for no apparent reason. "This saying stems from power and reputation."
"What the Ming family gave you and taught you is what will allow you to live a good life and teach your descendants well, but you don't have it."
She stood up and walked out slowly, "Go back, go back to your Taozhou, go back to your Prince's Mansion. From now on, the mountains are high and the roads are long, and we will never meet again."
"When you are buried in the earth, we will not send anyone to pay homage to you."
The old lady's figure disappeared in the completely enveloping dark night.
The Princess of Guangde looked up at the darkness and closed her old eyes in pain.
The next morning, the Zhou family quietly left the capital in a carriage.
When the pears were ripe, Mingzhao had already gone to court. She had breakfast and sat on a chair in the yard, peeling and eating lychees.
Ming Yuelin came in from outside and sat down next to her, "Sister-in-law~"
"Hmm?" Shi Jianli handed the peeled lychee in her hand to her lips.
Ming Yuelin opened his mouth and ate it in one gulp. After chewing and swallowing, he asked, "Do you know what happened last night?"
"I know." Shi Jianli nodded and peeled another lychee.
"I won't be like my great-aunt in the future." Ming Yuelin said seriously, "When I think about it carefully, I can't accept myself becoming that kind of person."
"She doesn't ask her own children and grandchildren to make progress. Instead, she pushes her granddaughter to someone else to tie them up and get them to help her Prince's Mansion. How shameless."
"If they want to revitalize the family, shouldn't they rely on themselves? Why rely on Big Brother?"
My eldest brother is the prince and the central figure in this mansion, so he will naturally be the first target.
Shi Jianli wiped her hands with a handkerchief and pinched her face. "You are not my great-aunt, so you are naturally not like her. Sister Lin is the best. She is sincere and straightforward, lovely and bright."
Ming Yuelin smiled with her eyes curved: "Sister Li, I want to be with you forever. I don't want to be old and only be around my children and grandchildren, and only revolve around them. I also want to talk to you from the heart and make plans to go out and play with you."
"Okay." Shi Jianli's brows relaxed. "I'm going to check out the shop later. Do you want to go out with me?"
"OK."
Shi Jianli looked at Zhiyun who came to serve tea and said, "Go and get the draft I drew yesterday."
"Yes, Princess."
"Is Hua Shi Meng going to release new clothing styles again?"
"No, I drew this for you." Zhiyun came out, and Shi Jianli took the drawing and the pen and handed them to her. "If you like it, I'll have them send it to Hua Simeng."
Ming Yuelin took the drawing and looked at it for a while, then added some patterns he wanted before handing it to her. "It looks good, thank you Sister Li."
Shi Jianli asked Zhiyun to deliver the pear to Lanxing, and left the house with Mingyuelin.
When we arrived at Qun Yu Pavilion, there were quite a few people in the shop.
After entering, I saw a man who looked familiar, and next to him was a young woman dressed like a woman.
Unlike the last time they were seen, the man now had a gentle expression and the woman was smiling like a flower. The two looked particularly affectionate.
The man took a box of rouge and handed it to the waiter. Turning around, he saw Shi Jianli and Mingyuelin, and brought the woman forward and bowed.
"Madam of the Crown Prince, Second Miss Ming."
Shi Jianli nodded, looked at the young woman beside him, and asked curiously, "Is this the sweetheart that Master Yu mentioned before?"
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