Chapter 6: Goddaughter, do you love him so much? I must marry him...
The soft and warm candlelight fell on Tang Lin'er's face, making her look particularly quiet and gentle, like a lady from a noble family.
She pushed the door open so appropriately, attracting everyone's attention on her. Shen Xingwan knew exactly what An was thinking.
She was worried that the Third Prince was not a good man. He had hurt her to this point in her previous life. She didn't want to implicate innocent sisters. Since Tang Lin'er was eager to get close to him, she naturally had to fulfill her wish.
She wanted to see whether this pair of lovers could still love each other deeply and stay together forever in this life.
Shen Xingwan thought for a moment, then stood up and took Tang Lin'er's hand, "My dear sister, I forgot about such a wonderful person like you."
Deliberately ignoring the flash of joy in Tang Lin'er's eyes, Shen Xingwan took her hand and walked to his parents affectionately.
"Sister Lin'er has lived and ate with me in the mansion for the past few years. We have become like real sisters. She has been brought up by our mother for many years. She is kind-hearted and has a good character. Isn't she a ready-made daughter?"
"this......"
Madam Shen hesitated a little and glanced at Prime Minister Shen, "His character and behavior are of course good, but...is Lin'er willing to accept this arrangement?"
Prime Minister Shen also nodded. "When her father was dying, I entrusted him to me. I promised to find a good marriage for her. I would arrange a marriage for her as long as she found someone she liked. How could you treat her like this?"
Shen Xingwan smiled, "The Third Prince is a royal family, and he has a promising future. My sister will marry him as his principal wife, so how can it not be a good marriage?"
"Besides..." Shen Xingwan looked at Tang Lin'er meaningfully.
"How do you know that the Third Prince cannot become my sister's sweetheart?"
Shen Xingwan deliberately emphasized the word "sweetheart". Tang Lin'er's face froze and a hint of panic flashed across her eyes.
"That being said, in the end..."
No matter how good the Third Prince is, Shen Xingwan had rejected the marriage proposal after all. Madam Shen felt bad about involving Tang Lin'er in this way.
She looked at Tang Lin'er who was standing in front of her with her head bowed, and asked tentatively, "Good child, what do you think?"
Tang Lin'er pursed her lips, suddenly leaned forward and knelt on the ground, kowtowed sincerely and said: "Lin'er has been favored by Prime Minister Shen and his wife, and has been raised for many years. I have long regarded the wife as my mother. Now that my sister is in trouble, if Lin'er can help her with her own body, it will be considered as repaying my mother's kindness in raising me."
Haha, she's really good at pulling down others. She's calling her mother already. Shen Xingwan couldn't help but roll her eyes in her heart, but she said nothing and just watched her performance quietly.
"Good boy, stop doing this, get up quickly."
Madam Shen was moved. She stood up and held up Tang Lin'er, her eyes tearful. "It's hard for you."
Tang Lin'er took out her handkerchief and wiped away Mrs. Shen's tears, "Mother, please stop crying and take care of your eyes."
"A woman's marriage is an important matter and she should obey her parents' arrangements. My sister is of noble birth and has her own ideas. I admire her. I will obey our mother's arrangements. Mother, please be at ease."
Mrs. Shen felt pity for Shen Xingwan with these words. She sighed and glanced at Shen Xingwan, then turned around and patted the back of Tang Lin'er's hand. "What noble or not, my good child, I never realized that you have such a heart before. Don't worry, I will personally take care of your dowry and treat you like my own daughter. I will never treat you badly."
"Thank you, mother."
Shen Xingwan looked coldly at Tang Lin'er who was pretending to be a loving mother and a filial son in front of her. She was completely different from the person who forced Wei Zilin to massacre her entire family in her previous life.
That night Shen Xingwan sent Feiyun to deliver some jewelry to Tang Lin'er. Feiyun was gone for a long time, but when she came back she was very angry and even seemed absent-minded when pouring tea for Shen Xingwan.
Shen Xingwan picked up the teacup and asked her casually, "What's wrong?"
Feiyun curled her lips, "I didn't want to say this, but Miss Tang is too annoying."
"Oh? Why are you upset?"
Shen Xingwan laughed, put down the teacup and looked at Feiyun.
"Miss, you don't know, when I went to deliver the headgear, Miss Tang's maids were saying bad things about you."
"What did you say?"
"They said that you are unlucky and cannot handle this overwhelming wealth. It is their Miss Tang who is amazing. She easily went from being a concubine of a fifth-rank official to the daughter of a prime minister. She will become a prince's consort in the future, maybe even a royal concubine or even a queen!"
"Shut up." Shen Xingwan scolded, "Don't talk nonsense."
Feiyun suddenly realized that he was being disrespectful and immediately covered his mouth in fear.
She looked around, went to close the doors and windows, and then came back and said aggrievedly: "I didn't say anything nonsense, they really said that, and when they said that, Miss Tang was also in the room, trying on the new clothes that Madam gave her in front of the mirror."
"So how did you do it?"
Feiyun blinked, "I stepped harder, and they stopped talking. I went in, delivered the headgear, and came back."
"Well done." Shen Xingwan reached out and tapped Feiyun's forehead, "You've improved."
Feiyun smiled slightly complacently and helped Shen Xingwan wash up and go to sleep.
The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, there was already a bustling crowd outside the Shen Mansion. The team that sent out the betrothal gifts from the Regent's Palace stretched for dozens of miles, with no end in sight.
The number of betrothal gifts was so huge that Prime Minister Shen and his wife were so amazed that they had to open up a few more courtyards to serve as storehouses to store the treasures.
Everyone seemed to like joining in the fun. When the steward of the Shen Mansion was busy checking the gift list, the Third Prince, with a gloomy face, walked past the betrothal gift team and came to the Shen Mansion with Chief Steward Guo.
Upon receiving the urgent report from the steward, Prime Minister Shen immediately came out to greet him, but he did not expect that Chief Steward Guo was here to deliver the imperial decree granting marriage.
This time, the Third Prince personally delivered it, and Prime Minister Shen could no longer refuse no matter what.
He quickly called everyone out, led the whole family to face the imperial palace, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, thanked the emperor for his grace and accepted the emperor's order.
Seeing that the progress was so smooth, Wei Zilin's expression eased a little, and General Manager Guo was happy to return to the palace to report.
Wei Zilin was dressed in scarlet prince's uniform today, with an upright posture showing his imperial majesty. He walked to the side of Prime Minister Shen with his hands behind his back, frowning and glancing at the servants who were hurriedly carrying the betrothal gifts in the distance.
"Since you have received the order, quickly return the pile of junk. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will send the betrothal gifts according to etiquette later."
Prime Minister Shen was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He looked at the Third Prince, then at Shen Xingwan and Tang Lin'er. After hesitating for a while, he finally called out, "Lin'er, come forward."
Tang Lin'er looked shy when she heard the call. She was dressed extra elegantly today. Her skirt with silver and red scattered flowers swayed with her steps. The tassels on her cloud-like bun danced gently, making her look as delicate and beautiful as a winter jasmine.
She walked gracefully to the front of the Third Prince and saluted with her eyelashes drooping.
"Your humble servant Tang Lin'er greets the Third Prince. I hope the Third Prince is well."
Wei Zilin called for everyone to stand up, and seeing Tang Lin'er standing up and looking at him shyly, he looked at Prime Minister Shen with a little confusion.
Prime Minister Shen smiled and said, "This is my adopted daughter Tang Lin'er, she is both beautiful and virtuous, so she will receive this imperial decree."
"presumptuous!"
Wei Zilin was furious, breathing heavily, "Are you kidding me?! I, Wei Zilin, am going to marry the daughter of the Shen family, how dare you just pick someone to fool me?"
Tang Lin'er's shy smile froze on her face, like a withered flower in late autumn. Her cheeks had lost all color, and she looked at Wei Zilin in disbelief.
Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Shen hurriedly bowed and explained: "Third Prince, calm down. The Emperor has issued an oral order to marry my legitimate daughter Shen Xingwan to the Regent, and ordered me to adopt another daughter..."
"This is ridiculous!" Wei Zilin interrupted Prime Minister Shen, "It's clear that Shen Xingwan and I were married first, so she should marry me. Why did this adopted daughter come up? Can anyone take my position as the Third Prince's principal wife?"
Everyone was silent for a moment, lowering their heads and not daring to speak.
Wei Zilin flicked his sleeves, walked past the crowd in a few steps, grabbed Shen Xingwan's arm and walked towards the garden in front. Seeing this, Madam Shen was anxious and wanted to stop him, but Wei Zilin glanced at her and growled, "Everyone, get out!"
"......"
The third prince was furious and the emperor was intimidating.
He was originally a popular candidate to succeed the throne. His mother was the imperial concubine of the current dynasty, his mother's family was powerful, he was tall and handsome, good at riding and shooting, and had outstanding political achievements. If he could get more help, he would have a good chance of becoming the crown prince.
Therefore, no one dared to say another word and could only retreat nervously.
Wei Zilin dragged Shen Xingwan to a ginkgo tree regardless of her struggles. He stretched out his long arms and easily pressed her against the trunk.
The golden ginkgo leaves fluttered down due to the vibration and scattered around the two people.
"Let go! You're hurting me."
Wei Zilin slightly reduced his strength, and Shen Xingwan struggled to pull his hand free. He frowned and lowered his head to rub his wrist which was covered with red marks.
The crimson sleeve slipped slightly, revealing a small piece of snow-white skin with red marks, so white that it was dazzling, and Wei Zilin's eyes couldn't help but fall on it.
Shen Xingwan was startled and immediately lowered her hands to hold her sleeves. She said in a cold tone, "The Third Prince asked me to come here to talk to you about something. If it's nothing important, I'll take my leave."
After Shen Xingwan finished speaking, she bowed, turned her head and was about to leave. Wei Zilin leaned forward to block her way and took two steps towards her.
Shen Xingwan was forced to retreat, but there was a ginkgo tree trunk behind him, so he had no way to avoid it. He could only ask impatiently, "What exactly is the Third Prince going to do?"
"You're just hiding from me like this?"
Wei Zilin frowned and stared into Shen Xingwan's eyes, "Do you hate me?"
Isn't that obvious enough?
Shen Xingwan rolled her eyes in her heart, but she hadn't fallen out with him yet. If she did, she would not be in any good situation, so she had to maintain her superficial decency first.
She sighed helplessly and said patiently, "The third prince and I are just strangers. We will not have any intersection in the future, so why should we hate each other?"
"Strangers?" Wei Zilin sneered, "You are my princess, how could you have no connection with me?"
Shen Xingwan really couldn't stand his repetitive talking over and over again.
"I will say this one last time. The husband I was betrothed to is the Regent King Yan Jinghuan. It is inappropriate to meet with a man outside of yours. Please excuse me and take my leave!"
Wei Zilin grabbed Shen Xingwan's arm, his anger surging, his eyes slightly red, his breath slightly disordered, and he asked sternly: "Why do you have to marry him?! You clearly had feelings for me before, why have I never seen you interact with him?"
The heat from his palm penetrated the silk fabric and ironed the skin of her arm, making her shiver for a moment.
She had also been cared for by these hands. They rubbed her palms and covered her hands when it was cold, and held her hands while she wrote poems and painted when spring came and flowers bloomed.
These hands had wielded the sword to kill her enemies, picked flowers and fruits for her, and even peeled shrimps for her.
But it was also these hands that wrote the imperial edict to massacre her entire family, and pushed her into the abyss of no return.
The warmth on his arm made her feel sick and filled with hatred. She could no longer pretend and pushed him away.
"you!"
Wei Zilin looked at the inexplicable hatred in Shen Xingwan's eyes in surprise. Somehow, his heart suddenly felt sour and painful for a moment.
"Do you love him so much? Do you have to marry him?"
Wei Zilin gritted his teeth, "What on earth did he give you? Can't I give it to you?"
Shen Xingwan looked at him in silence.
"Do you really think he is strong?"
Wei Zilin sneered, stood up straight, and stared at Shen Xingwan, "To put it nicely, he is the regent sent by Yan State, but to put it bluntly, he is just a hostage abandoned by Yan State."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
