Chapter 91 I'm willing to grant your wish
Everyone in the hall was taken aback.
Shen Shu looked up and saw Pei Jiming standing in front of the palace gate, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, the hem of his robe damp with night dew, and his hair still covered with frost.
Pei Jiming's gaze passed over the numerous palace servants and landed directly on the jade bracelet on Shen Shu's wrist.
That emerald green stung his eyes, and a metallic taste rose in his throat: "Mother wants to recognize Miss Shen as her goddaughter?"
The princess's heart pounded wildly, knowing that she wouldn't be back for two days, until tomorrow night.
She had been riding at breakneck speed all the way here, and only arrived today. But how could Jiming have come so quickly? The princess forced herself to remain calm: "Jiming, why are you back? Her Majesty the Empress hasn't summoned you yet. How could you just barge in like this!"
Pei Jiming's face darkened, completely unlike his usual amiable self: "Why did Mother keep it a secret from me if she wanted to adopt a goddaughter!"
If Pei Jiming hadn't been kept in the dark by his family members after the princess left Jiangzhou, when they inadvertently revealed that the princess's adopted daughter was Shen Shu.
These past few days, I practically wore out two horses trying to catch up with my mother.
Despite traveling day and night, they could not stop the princess from entering the palace.
The princess suddenly stood up: "Jiming! How can you be so insensible? Your mother is doing all this for you..."
"For me?" Pei Jiming suddenly chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the princess like a knife. "If Mother wanted me for her sake, she shouldn't have recognized Shen Shu as her goddaughter. If Mother wanted her to be included in the Pei family genealogy, there are many ways, and..."
"Shut up!"
The princess abruptly interrupted him.
Has he gone mad?!
Do you dare to say anything in front of the Empress?
The hall was deathly silent.
Although Pei Jiming didn't say the rest of his words, everyone knew what they meant.
Shen Shu suddenly felt that the jade bracelet on her wrist was terribly heavy. She tried to pull her hand away, but the princess held it tightly.
"Jiming, you're drunk." The princess's voice was strained. "Someone, escort the young master back to his residence."
"I'm not drunk." Pei Jiming suddenly knelt down and kowtowed heavily.
"Your son absolutely disagrees with recognizing Shen Shu as the Pei family's adopted daughter. I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree and ask Mother to grant my request."
The teacup in the Empress's hand fell to the table with a clatter, splashing tea onto the bright yellow brocade.
"Nonsense!" The Empress slammed her hand on the table and stood up.
The Pei family wanted to adopt her as their goddaughter, and the Pei family also disagreed.
Are you suggesting we treat them like a joke?
Pei Jiming acted as if he hadn't heard: "If you want me to agree, I'll have to die."
The princess felt a buzzing sound in her head.
"Jiming, have you gone mad?" The princess slumped into a chair. "Shu'er is all alone now, how can you bear to leave her alone in that old mansion?"
"Your subject understands." Pei Jiming raised his head, his gaze piercing. "Mother knows that there is only one way to bring Shen Shu into the Pei family..."
Pei Jiming's words caught in his throat, and the atmosphere in the hall was so stagnant that it seemed as if water could drip from it.
"Enough!"
Even the Empress, who was usually slow to react, had finally realized what was happening.
Pei Jiming wants to marry Shen Shu!
But Shen Shu is already betrothed to Awei, so what kind of situation is this?!
The Empress made a decisive decision: "Pei Jiming, get out and kneel outside. You may get up when you've come to your senses."
If she didn't do this, and Pei Jiming said something even more outrageous, and it reached the Emperor's ears, that would be bad.
Shen Shu and Lin Wei's marriage was arranged to bring good fortune to the Empress Dowager.
The main thing is that the Empress Dowager was actually revived by the flood.
How could the Emperor allow anyone to break up this marriage? Wouldn't that be cursing the Empress Dowager?
The princess, her face deathly pale, looked at Pei Jiming: "Jiming...you..."
Pei Jiming didn't look at the princess; instead, he went straight outside and knelt down.
It seems they're really going to stick to their guns.
Before anyone could react, Shen Shu chased after Pei Jiming.
Along with the princess's panicked voice, came the cry: "Shu'er, where are you going!"
Shen Shu didn't reply. Instead, she went outside and knelt down next to Pei Jiming.
“If my elder brother does not agree, I will remain kneeling.”
Pei Jiming could hardly believe what he was hearing: "Do you really have to do this?"
Was his last glimmer of hope just destroyed like that?
"Lin Wei is very good to me. He likes me a lot, and so do I."
"The Princess has treated me very well; she treats me like her own daughter. I cannot betray this kindness. Why is my brother so stubborn?"
Shen Shu lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a light shadow beneath them.
Pei Jiming watched her kneel beside him on the cold palace bricks, her thin shoulders ramrod straight, her resolute appearance like a dull knife, repeatedly cutting into his heart.
After a long silence, Pei Jiming finally loosened his clenched hands.
He slowly raised his head, looked at the gray sky, and his Adam's apple bobbed a few times: "If this is your wish, I am willing to grant it."
As he spoke, he slowly rose and walked step by step toward the outside of the hall.
...
Three days later.
The Princess's Mansion and the Earl's Mansion held a sizable banquet.
Since the two families were close neighbors, they directly connected the two government offices and merged them into one.
However, Pei Jiming made an excuse that he had other matters to attend to in Jiangzhou and was absent.
The princess knew he was unhappy, so she didn't force him and just let him be.
On the day of the banquet, Wen Hengzhi came to congratulate Shen Shu.
Looking at this man, Shen Shu felt a chill creep up her spine for no apparent reason.
His so-called pledge of allegiance is something most people wouldn't dare accept.
Wen Heng stepped forward and said, "Congratulations, Miss Chen."
Shen Shu noticed that he was carrying a bundle, which seemed to indicate that he was about to leave.
"Cousin Wen, are you leaving? The imperial examination is just around the corner, aren't you going to stay at the Uncle's residence?"
Wen Hengzhi smiled faintly: "Thank you for taking me in these days, Miss Shen. However, Lord Lin has already found me a place to stay. Now, only Miss Shen is left in the manor, so it is not appropriate for me to stay any longer."
Shen Shu suddenly realized who it was when she heard it was Lin Wei.
No matter how Lin Wei changes... he's still a stingy person...
Wen Hengzhi probed, "As for the matter of Lord Bo, I wonder what the Second Miss thinks?"
It's not that he isn't afraid.
Actually, what he originally wanted to do was to expose the relationship between Tang'er and the Shen family father and son.
This caused the sinking chain to completely fall out of favor.
But this resulted in a death, which was beyond his expectations.
He also thought that Shen Shu was, after all, the biological daughter of the Shen family, and it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't harbor thoughts of revenge against Wen Hengzhi. If she turned around and bit him, all his efforts would be in vain.
Shen Shu looked up at him, her eyes calm and unwavering: "It was Shen Qiushan and Shen Lian who brought this upon themselves by breaking the law. It has nothing to do with anyone else, nor is it something anyone could scheme against. Cousin Wen, there is no need to worry."
Wen Hengzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile spreading across his face: "Second Miss is very understanding and righteous; Hengzhi is deeply grateful."
He paused, then stood up to take his leave: "In that case, Hengzhi will not disturb you any longer, so I will take my leave now."
When Wen Hengzhi reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Shen Shu, his eyes filled with a complex and profound meaning.
"Second Miss, if you ever need Hengzhi's help in the future, just send a message to the Imperial Academy, and Hengzhi will do his best."
Having said that, he was about to turn around when he saw a flash of sword light appear from the shadows behind Shen Shu.
Wen Hengzhi almost instinctively lunged at Shen Shu: "Miss Shen, be careful!"
The person in the shadows, realizing they had been discovered, suddenly rushed out, their eyes blazing with undisguised malice: "Shen Shu! You'd better die!"
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