"But what happened?" Shen Xinyan asked worriedly.

"It's nothing, just some people want to use their seniority to intimidate me." Wei Yingzhi disagreed.

"Is it Madam Zhao Peng?" Shen Xinyan understood as soon as she heard it.

"Who else could it be except her? It's just that she has been holding a grudge about the failed inheritance back then, but she dared not do anything to the legitimate Linfu. Maybe she saw that I had just married into the family and the new daughter-in-law was shy, so she thought she should suppress it first so that she can control me in the future!" Wei Yingzhi poured herself a cup of tea and refilled the tea for Shen Xinyan.

"You didn't have any conflict with her, did you?" Shen Xinyan was a little worried.

"Don't worry, mother. I know my limits. She only dared to say a few innuendos. I pretended to be dumb, or I asked her directly. She was a person who cared about her reputation, so she naturally didn't dare to admit it. In the end, she was suffocated to death."

Shen Xinyan thought about her daughter's straightforward nature, imagined the scene at that time, and poked her forehead with amusement.

Others come to you secretly, but you insist on saying it openly. And some things really can't be said face to face. If you do this, won't the person saying it be suffocated to death?

"Maybe people are making fun of you behind your back, calling you a fool!" she joked.

Wei Yingzhi laughed: "Let them be fools, they can't take advantage of me anyway! They are the ones who always want to get benefits from me, do I have to coax them?"

Knowing that she was clear in her mind, Shen Xinyan felt relieved.

"When you entered the palace, did the Imperial Concubine say anything?"

"It's nothing, just some words of blessing, asking me and Lingfu to live a good life." After a pause, Wei Yingzhi's tone became a little unhappy, "Anyway, this is my personality in this life. I can't learn to be smooth and tactful..."

The girl that the Royal Concubine had her eyes on at first was Murong Wenyan, the eldest daughter of the Zhenguo General's Mansion. She was truly a very versatile person, and everyone who had met her had good things to say about her.

But Wei Yingzhi didn't like her, always felt that her smile was not sincere at all, and she was not as likable as her straightforward sister Murong Wenqi. However, the elders obviously preferred Murong Wenyan.

On the day she entered the palace, although the Royal Concubine was as gracious and kind as ever, Wei Yingzhi could clearly feel that her smile to her was not as strong as before, as if it was a smile that came from the bottom of her heart.

She could probably guess the reason for this change. Perhaps it was because Lingfu did not choose Murong Wenyan, whom she had chosen, but insisted on marrying her.

Shen Xinyan did not miss the flash of sadness on her face. After a moment's thought, she guessed what was going on and said softly, "Nothing in the world is perfect. The queen is a wise person. Since she agreed to this marriage, she has recognized you. As for the rest, you don't have to take it to heart. Just live your life with Pingfu in peace."

"I understand." Wei Yingzhi nodded, not wanting to dwell on it any further.

While the mother and daughter were whispering, Xiangger was pestering Linfu in the study.

"Fourth brother-in-law, this osmanthus candy is so delicious, try it!" Xiangger grabbed a piece of osmanthus candy with his chubby little hand and stuffed it into Pingfu's mouth.

Lin Fu had no choice but to open his mouth and take it in. The sweet taste immediately filled his mouth.

"Is it delicious?" The little guy blinked his eyes and asked expectantly.

Pingfu nodded: "It's delicious. Thank you, Brother Xiang."

"Then I'll give them all to you." Xiangger generously stuffed the bag of osmanthus candy in his hand into his arms.

The normally protective little fellow was surprisingly generous this time. Ping Fu was flattered at once, and was unaware of Wei Junhang's expression of enjoying the show.

"Thank you, Xiang'er!" Although he was no longer at the age where he loved sweets, he could not refuse a child's kindness, so he took the bag of osmanthus candy with great gratitude.

It was indeed different. From being Brother Pingfu to being Brother-in-law, his treatment immediately rose several levels. Pingfu happily took another piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

"You ate my osmanthus candy, so Fourth Sister must give it back to me!" Xiangger's next words almost made him choke on his saliva.

"W-what?" He didn't understand.

"If you eat my osmanthus food, Fourth Sister will be mine again. You are not allowed to take her away again!" Xiangger glared at him angrily.

"This..." Pingfu finally came to his senses. He couldn't swallow or spit out the candy in his mouth.

Wei Junhang couldn't hold back his laughter any longer and just pretended not to notice the look of help he was giving him.

"After eating my Xiang'er's candy, you have to return the fourth sister to Xiang'er, right?"

"Yes, yes, daddy is right!" Brother Xiang nodded his little head like a chicken pecking rice, his big eyes were shining, his little mouth pursed, and soon he smiled happily. The next moment, he ran out in a hurry, "I'm going to play with my fourth sister..."

"Xiang'er, wait a minute, wait a minute..." When Fu saw him, he immediately chased after him.

Wei Junhang burst into laughter when he saw this.

I won't talk about how the newlyweds in the Marquis of Loyalty coaxed Xiang'er to hold onto his sister's legs and not let her go before they returned home. I will just say that after lunch the next day, Shen Xinyan took her son to the garden for a walk to digest the food. She accidentally saw Chunliu talking to a maid in the mansion. When she walked over to them, she casually asked, "What's the matter?"

"Miss Hui's marriage is about to be arranged." Chunliu replied.

Shen Xinyan was stunned for a moment, and looked at her in surprise: "I wonder which family's son you ordered?"

"Madam, I'm sure you have some impression of this engaged family. It's the Chen family that changed its mind at the last minute and rejected the eldest son's marriage proposal!" Chunliu was still a little unhappy when the Chen family was mentioned.

"So it's their family. They're a pretty good family!" Shen Xinyan thought for a moment and asked, "Which son of the Chen family did you book?"

"Mr. Chen San, the Crown Princess's cousin."

Shen Xinyan's eyebrows were a little worried. "What kind of character and talent does this Third Master Chen have? Has Big Brother asked someone to find out about him in detail?"

But on second thought, I was probably thinking that my brother also thought that the Chen family was a pretty good family. They were asking for their son to marry their daughter, so I guess he agreed without thinking too much. After all, Shen Huiran would be seventeen in a month or two, and this marriage could not be delayed any longer.

"I think it won't be too bad. Master has only one daughter, Miss Hui, so he would have chosen her carefully. Madam, don't worry!"

"I was afraid that he was anxious and just thought the Chen family was a good family, so he made the engagement hastily."

When Wei Junhang returned in the evening, Shen Xinyan couldn't help but ask him about the third son of the Chen family.

"Ma'am, don't worry. This marriage can be successful. The Chen family has a clean and upright tradition. Although the third son of the Chen family is not as talented as his brother, he is a down-to-earth child and a good match." Wei Junhang replied.

"How come the Chen family, with such a prominent family background and a relationship with the Crown Princess, would suddenly come to the Earl's Mansion to propose marriage?" Shen Xinyan was still somewhat worried. She felt that this marriage came too suddenly. It was not that it was bad, but that it was too good, which made her feel as if her heart was hanging.

"The family of the Bo family is not low, and Hui'er is the only legitimate daughter. She is both virtuous and beautiful. She has been raised by you for many years, and her manners and bearing are no less than those of any daughter of a prominent family. In recent years, there have been many families who have come to us to seek marriage, but my uncle has been so picky that he is always worried, so he has been delaying the process."

"Mrs. Chen is a woman with good vision. It's not surprising that she chose Hui'er for her grandson. Of course, this does not rule out the possibility that she wanted to ease relations with you and our family through marriage." Wei Junhang analyzed to her.

Last time, the Grand Princess and Old Madam Chen had privately reached a consensus on a marriage between the two families. However, when the official media came to the door, the Chen family repeatedly rejected the marriage. Although there were reasons for it, it was a breach of promise after all, and they couldn't help feeling a little guilty. It was not surprising that they took a detour to seek reconciliation.

Shen Xinyan thought about it and felt that what he said did make some sense.

"As long as Mr. Chen San is a good person and can treat Hui'er sincerely, nothing else matters." Shen Xinyan sighed.

In fact, her niece's marriage has become a source of worry for her.

Ever since the incident of avoiding Shushan Manor, Shen Huiran has obviously reduced the frequency of his visits to the Duke's Mansion, and even less in the past six months.

"Don't worry about this! Old Madam Chen loves her children and grandchildren, so if the Third Master Chen didn't agree, she wouldn't easily invite a matchmaker to come. Besides, if the Chen family didn't really like Hui'er, why would they send out a legitimate son?"

"You're right." Shen Xinyan finally put her mind at ease.

The deaths of her children and niece in her previous life dealt her a heavy blow. But now that she can see them finding good families one after another in this life, she can finally feel truly at ease and think that her life has not been lived in vain.

On the day when the Chen and Shen families arranged the marriages for their sons and daughters, Shen Xinyan made a special trip back to the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion. Looking at her brother who was very happy, and then at her nephew Shen Feng who had become more and more stable in recent years, and thinking of Wei Junhang's praise for him, she couldn't help but smile.

"My sister is shy. She is hiding in the house and dares not come out to see anyone!" Shen Feng's wife Cui said with a smile while she was four or five months pregnant.

Shen Xinyan chuckled, her eyes fell on her belly, and she smiled softly: "It's almost five months, right? Is this child bothering you?"

"It will be five months in half a month. I have to tell you, aunt, this child is really very noisy. I'm afraid we won't be able to rest assured even after he is born." Cui said helplessly, but with a smile on her face.

"It looks like he must be a naughty boy!"

"Thank you, aunt."

While the two were chatting and laughing, Cui led her to Shen Huiran's place, sat there for a while, and then left.

Seeing the shyness on Shen Huiran's face, Shen Xinyan couldn't help but make a few jokes, which made her face turn even redder with shame.

"Okay, auntie won't laugh at you anymore. Hui'er is a grown-up girl now. Third Master Chen... your uncle has made careful inquiries and he is a good person." She gently held Shen Huiran's hand and said with a smile.

"That Third Young Master, I, I have seen him before..." Shen Huiran said with a shy face, like a mosquito.

"Have you seen it?" Shen Xinyan was extremely surprised.

"Well, I saw him briefly on Ying'er's wedding day, but I didn't know he was the Third Master Chen at that time."

so it is……

It seems that the third Master Chen was the first to take a liking to this marriage, which is even better, as it will make the marriage more pure.

Shen Huiran sat for a while and then a maid came to call her on the orders of Earl Jing'an.

Shen Xinyan sat in the room for a while. A gust of wind blew in, causing several scrolls on the table to fall to the ground. She walked forward and picked them up one by one.

She didn't know where she touched, but one of the scrolls suddenly opened. She reached out to roll it up and put it back on the desk, but her attention was attracted by the person in the painting. When she saw the person's face clearly, her face changed suddenly.

The painting depicts a young man with a handsome face and a barely visible smile at the corners of his eyes and eyebrows. It is none other than her eldest son, Wei Chenglin!

Shen Huiran had been by her side for many years, so she naturally recognized her handwriting. Therefore, she knew who painted this painting at a glance.

Why? Why did Hui'er hide the portrait of Lin'er? Although she was not a good painter, she could tell from every stroke of the painting that the artist had deep feelings for the person in the painting, as well as the resentment that he wanted to express but could not.

A thought suddenly came to her mind and her pupils shrank sharply.

Hui'er, is she like Lin'er? Will she? Probably not? Although Hui'er has been in the Duke's Mansion for many years, she has not met Lin'er very often, and they have never been alone together. She is still very sure of this.

But the painting in her hand slapped her in the face loudly, making her realize that it was all true. Her niece did have such thoughts about her eldest son, and all of this happened exactly the same way as in her previous life.

"Auntie..." When Shen Huiran walked in, her face changed drastically when she saw the painting in the hands of the person in the room. She wanted to say something to explain, but she couldn't utter a word.

"When did it happen? Why have you never..." Shen Xinyan didn't know whether to blame herself for being careless, or should she sigh that Shen Huiran concealed her thoughts so well. Not only her, but also Wei Yingzhi who was with her day and night, and even Zhu'er, the maid who served her personally, did not notice her thoughts.

Shen Huiran's pretty face turned pale. The secret she had hidden for many years was exposed in one day. The person who exposed her was her most respected aunt. She was immediately ashamed and wished she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself.

"Aunt, I, I..." She stammered, not knowing how to explain. She could only purse her lips tightly and said nothing more.

The aunt and niece stood facing each other, and oppressive silence lingered around them. After an unknown amount of time, Shen Huiran finally smiled bitterly and said softly, "I don't know when it started. By the time I discovered it, it was already too late."

"I know that Cousin Chenglin is such an outstanding man, and there are more than just me who likes him. I also know that neither you, my aunt, nor Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess, have ever thought of letting Cousin Chenglin marry me. And I, who also covet the warmth in the Duke's Mansion, can only suppress my feelings and dare not let anyone find out."

Thinking of those sad yet secretly happy days when she secretly cared for the man she loved, tears welled up in her eyes unconsciously.

She knew that she was not worthy of such an outstanding cousin. Whether it was Princess Changning, Miss Xie or Miss Chen, none of them could compare to her. Only girls from such families could be worthy of that man. And she had no other choice but to silently pay attention to him and be his cousin for the rest of his life.

"But don't worry, auntie. I have let it go. Not long after I came back from the summer resort that year, I learned to let it go slowly. I chose the Third Young Master Chen myself. Without my consent, father would not have easily agreed to the marriage." She took a deep breath and smiled with tears in her eyes.

Shen Xinyan looked at her with complicated eyes, wanting to tell her that neither she nor the Grand Princess thought that she was unworthy of the eldest son.

"I was planning to find this painting and burn it, but I didn't expect my aunt to see it. But it's okay. I have hidden it for so many years, and it's not until today that I feel relieved."

It's really hard to secretly love someone who will never belong to you, especially when that person's eyes have never fallen on you. She suppressed herself, helplessly watching the love in her heart take root and sprout, growing bigger and bigger, but she was helpless.

Until later, she found out that the man she loved already had a girl whom he loved so much that he would not marry anyone else. Then she knew it was time to give up and dig out the "love tree" from her heart.

After all, her age no longer allowed her to delay her marriage, and marrying with someone else in mind would be too disrespectful and unfair to her future husband; she couldn't do it.

After speaking out what was hidden in her heart, she truly felt relieved and was ready to face the scolding from her most respected aunt.

But she didn't expect to hear these words: "I brought you up personally. There is no man in the world that you are not worthy of. You must remember this!"

"Aunt..." She suddenly widened her eyes and stared blankly at Shen Xinyan, who had a calm expression, with even some tears in her eyes.

Shen Xinyan sighed and walked forward, gently wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You don't have to belittle yourself. I am unlucky that I can't return your kindness."

"Aunt..." Shen Huiran sobbed and finally burst into tears.

No one would know that she was more afraid of seeing disappointment and disgust in the eyes of her aunt who had always loved her than being discovered of the feelings she had for her cousin.

"Wipe your tears. From now on, let the past be completely over." Shen Xinyan said as she wiped her tears.

Shen Huiran covered her mouth and nodded vigorously, but tears kept falling like beads from a broken string.

After a long time, she took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, picked up the painting of Wei Chenglin on the desk, and tore it apart without hesitation.

With a "hissing" sound, the scroll was torn into two pieces.

"Aunt, I know what I want, and I know who I want to cherish. Mr. Chen San is my future husband. I will keep him in my heart for the rest of my life, and only him."

"The fact that you think this way shows that you have truly grown up. Auntie is relieved," Shen Xinyan said with both relief and a little regret.

It was the same and yet different. After two lifetimes, her most beloved niece also fell in love with her outstanding eldest son.

But the difference is that Shen Huiran in this life is no longer as obsessed as in her previous life. She has learned to let go and knows how to make her life better.

The hardest thing in the world is not to 'pick up' but to 'put down'!

In her previous life, Shen Huiran was always obsessed and couldn't let go. She trapped herself in love and couldn't get out. Even when the man she loved had already married, she still refused to give up. She even gave up the pride and reserve of being the eldest daughter of a noble family, just to find a place by that man's side.

Her obsession was like a double-edged sword, which ultimately hurt herself and those who cared about her.

Fortunately, in this life she finally learned to give up, learned to be kind to herself, and learned to cherish the people she should cherish.

After leaving the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion, Shen Xinyan felt relaxed. Seeing that she was in a good mood, Chun Liu beside her said with a smile, "Ms. Hui is engaged, and Madam is finally relieved. Now we just have to wait for the eldest son to come back, marry a daughter-in-law, and give birth to a chubby grandson. Then we can live a happy life with our grandchildren."

Playing with grandchildren? Shen Xinyan stroked her temples and laughed dumbly.

It turns out that she is old enough to have grandchildren!

But when she thought of her eldest son who was far away in Xiyan, she sighed again.

I’m afraid that the day when I can hold my grandchildren in my arms is still some distance away!

"Okay, let's not talk about anything else. What about your marriage? Are you really determined not to get married for the rest of your life?"

Chunliu's marriage was also a headache for her. She picked one after another, but she never agreed. Qiutang and Xiahe had children one after another, and the eldest was already able to take care of the household affairs, but the one next to her still had no place to go.

She had been anxious before, and even cursed at him, but Chunliu remained as calm as a mountain.

"Oh, Madam, why are you saying all this? I'm already this old, why should I get married? I'd rather be a nanny to your fat grandson in the future." Chun Liu said seriously.

At her age, she would no longer be like a little girl who was too shy to speak when talking about getting married.

"You're getting more and more shameless at your age!" Shen Xinyan glared at her unhappily.

In the past few years, the maids trained by Chunliu have gradually become able to stand on their own. Now she is only focused on managing the Funing Courtyard for Shen Xinyan, and no longer does other servant work.

As the master and servant were talking, the horse suddenly neighed and the carriage stopped abruptly. Neither of them was able to touch the ground and was almost thrown out. However, despite this, their foreheads hit the carriage heavily, and Shen Xinyan was in so much pain that tears came out of her eyes.

"It's an accident, it's an accident, someone's been hit, someone's been hit!" The chaotic shouting outside the car also made Shen Xinyan, who was hit all over, feel nervous. She didn't even care about the pain on her forehead. She opened the car curtain and asked, "Who did you hit? Go and check it out, it's urgent!"

"It wasn't our carriage that hit anyone. It was someone in front who was making a fuss and riding a horse, which startled a passing carriage and threw the person out." Soon a servant went to find out what happened.

"Running horses in the streets? How ridiculous! Is the person in the carriage injured?"

The attendant hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward and lowered his voice a little: "He should not be injured. The Third Prince happened to pass by and rescued him."

Shen Xinyan was surprised.

The attendant lowered his voice even more: "I saw the markings on the carriage, it looks like it belongs to Lord Zhou's mansion."