Chapter 44 Having the Marquis Write It
Shen Xiao couldn't be happier, and chimed in, "I think it's probably true. She must have learned some seductive tricks to seduce men somewhere, otherwise how could Lord Lin possibly be interested in her?"
Xia Qingqing was extremely surprised and looked around: "Where is Shen Shu now?"
Wouldn't... you go to see Prince Cheng?
Shen Xiao gave her an affirmative look: "You're right, my mother and I prepared early today and waited for her in front of the mansion gate for quite a while."
"But Shen Shu disliked the old and worn-out carriage of the Earl's Mansion and went to the carriage of the Princess's Mansion instead. She was chatting and laughing with Pei Jiming. Just now, she ran away as soon as she got out of the carriage and disappeared. Who knows who she's flirting with this time?"
"My God... what your sister has done is absolutely appalling," Xia Qingqing couldn't help but exclaim.
She now greatly admires Shen Shu.
In the entire capital, how many young ladies could be so shameless?
Shen Xiao said, "Sister Xia, just wait and see. My sister is so shameless, flirting between uncle and nephew. There's a high chance she'll be sentenced to death by His Majesty. Let's watch how Shen Shu digs her own grave."
Xia Qingqing felt that Shen Xiao had hit the nail on the head. She had suffered such a great loss at Shen Shu's hands, and now that she could get revenge, how could she not be pleased? The main thing was that she didn't have to do it herself, which also avoided trouble.
That felt so good!
Shen Xiao pulled Xia Qingqing toward the Buddhist hall, laughing as they walked, they couldn't be happier.
As they approached the Buddhist hall, Xia Qingqing suddenly remembered: "Xiao-mei, didn't you say that Shen Shu grew up in the countryside? Do you think she can read?"
Shen Xiao: "In that remote rural area, what kind of characters could she possibly know? She probably hasn't even seen what a book looks like."
Xia Qingqing: "Then she still dares to come and copy Buddhist scriptures for the Empress Dowager? If she writes them like garbled characters, wouldn't that be cursing the Empress Dowager!"
Shen Xiao was startled by these words: "Wouldn't that be perfect?"
She explained, "By then, Shen Shu definitely won't be able to write many words. Even if she does, it will probably just be scribbles, as you said. If it's sent to the Empress Dowager's palace, how can the Empress Dowager not be angry? If she's angry, she'll blame her, and if she's blamed, she might even be sentenced to death!"
Xia Qingqing suddenly realized: "Then let's lend her a hand!"
As he spoke, he walked into the Buddhist hall, placed the calligraphy brush on Shen Shu's seat on the ground, pressed it down and stomped on it repeatedly until the bristles on the brush tip were all messed up, and then he stopped.
Shen Xiao looked at Xia Qingqing's actions with admiration: "Without a good pen, wouldn't she be even worse at writing? Sister Xia is so shrewd!"
The pens and paper used for copying scriptures were all made in the palace and sent out with each person's name written on them.
Each person had only one pen and one sheet of paper. The purpose was to prevent some officials' wives and daughters from deliberately writing more in order to curry favor with the Empress Dowager, and then selecting the best one to send to the palace. In this way, there was more utilitarianism and less sincerity.
Therefore, His Majesty only prepared one set of paper and pen for each person to prevent this situation from occurring, and also said that no matter how it is written, as long as the sincerity is there, it is acceptable.
Although His Majesty said so, everyone was still determined to write neatly and beautifully, so as to make the Empress Dowager proud.
Perhaps if the Empress Dowager is pleased, not only will she bestow rewards, but she might also be betrothed to a prince or nobleman, which would be a matter of great importance that determines her status for the rest of her life.
Now that Xia Qingqing has ruined Shen Shu's pen, even if she can read and write, she probably won't be able to write anything good.
Forget about any reward, she's lucky she wasn't put to death.
Xia Qingqing was very pleased with Shen Xiao's flattery and felt that she had finally gotten rid of this pent-up anger.
Although what Shen Xiao had just told her was very satisfying, it couldn't compare to the pleasure of taking revenge with one's own hands.
Shen Shu and Xia Qingqing put the pens back in their places and walked out with sly smiles on their faces.
Even at lunchtime, Shen Xiao and Xia Qingqing couldn't stop smiling.
Shen Shu watched the two of them eating and laughing, thinking to herself that they were really two fools.
Mrs. Fang looked at Shen Shu with concern. Not to mention Shen Xiao, she was also very worried.
What if the second young lady can't read or write?
But Madam Fang didn't dare to say it directly, fearing that Shen Shu would mind, so she said indirectly, "Second Miss, why don't we take it back to the meditation room to write?"
Madam Fang had already planned it all out in her mind: she would have Lord Lin come over to write it for her.
Shen Shu was puzzled and looked at Fang's mother with a strange expression.
Although she had only met the Empress Dowager once, the Empress Dowager had given her many gifts last time and even cared about her poor attire, wondering if she was from a poor family. In Shen Shu's eyes, she was a kind and gentle old lady.
Since the Empress Dowager has not yet recovered, she naturally hopes that the Empress Dowager can get better.
Taking it back to the meditation room to copy it down shows a lack of sincerity.
So, ignoring what Fang's mother said, he got up and went to the Buddhist hall after finishing his lunch.
Shen Shu was unaware that in Fang's mother's eyes, she had become an illiterate person who couldn't read a single word.
So when Shen Shu sat down at the desk, Fang's mother broke out in a cold sweat.
Shen Shu looked at the brush with its tip already in disarray and gave a cold smile.
Now she finally understood why Shen Xiao and Xia Qingqing were laughing so disgustingly; they were probably just waiting for her to embarrass herself.
Fang's mother naturally noticed the calligraphy brush as well: "Good heavens! Who did this?!"
Shen Xiao pretended to be passing by unintentionally and said with schadenfreude, "Could it be that my sister doesn't know how to read and write, and deliberately messed up the pen like this? If my sister doesn't know how to read, she should have said so earlier, instead of coming here to embarrass herself."
Mrs. Fang was furious: "Young Miss! How dare you speak like that!"
So what if the second young lady can't read? It's not a big deal!
So what if the eldest young lady can read? She's still no match for the second young lady.
Xia Qingqing advised Shen Xiao, "Sister Xiao, let's go copy the scriptures quickly. Don't bother with these illiterate fools."
Madam Fang's face turned ashen: "Second Miss, perhaps we should return to the meditation room..."
Shen Shu acted as if she hadn't heard their sarcastic remarks: "Aunt Fang, go and pick some osmanthus for me, the brighter the better."
Seeing that Shen Shu changed the subject so quickly, Madam Fang was a little confused. Was the second young lady so angry that she lost her mind?
But since Shen Shu had given the order, she had no choice but to obey. After much hesitation, she went outside to pick flowers.
This was the first time Shen Xiao had ever seen Shen Shu scold without retaliating. She assumed that Shen Shu had been caught red-handed for being illiterate and felt embarrassed.
Overjoyed, she exchanged a glance with Xia Qingqing, looking smug: "What's the use of not being able to write about picking flowers?"
Xia Qingqing's gaze remained fixed on Shen Shu: "Little sister Xiao, what do you know? This is called absorbing some noble air. Maybe even your scribbles will look better."
Shen Shu didn't even look up. She picked up the scissors beside her and trimmed off the excess hair, leaving only a small tuft, which was still enough to write on.
When Shen Xiao and Xia Qingqing saw that she actually dared to put pen to paper, their smiles deepened.
They exchanged a glance and began copying the scriptures on their own. After all, copying their own scriptures well was the more important thing than mocking Shen Shu.
If they could gain the Empress Dowager's approval, they could salvage some of their reputation and perhaps even marry into a good family.
When Fang's mother returned with the flowers, she placed the osmanthus blossoms on Shen Shu's desk and discovered that Shen Shu was indeed writing.
Fang's mother opened her eyes wide, because she found that although Shen Shu's writing was not very good, it was still neat enough to be seen by others.
So... the second young lady can write!
Shen Xiao and Xia Qingqing were busy copying scriptures and naturally did not notice Fang's mother's expression.
The more she wrote, the more she felt that Shen Shu's floral fragrance was unusual, so fragrant that it made her nose itch.
In the morning, Shi Feng's horse splashed her face with urine and feces, and some liquids and objects also got into her nose. She was already feeling a bit uncomfortable, but she felt that it was unseemly for a young lady like her to wipe her nose, so she endured the discomfort in her nose.
But now, overwhelmed by the fragrance of these flowers, I really can't resist.
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