She remembered that Shen Xinlan's eldest son was already sixteen this year, and her daughter was thirteen. At this age, they were not too old, nor too young, but their personalities were already formed and could not be changed easily.

She had no contact with these two children in this life, and it was too long ago in her last life that she had a shallow impression of them. She had no idea what their personalities were like.

But no matter what, since the two children have the surname Qi and there are people on their father's side, they should not be the responsibility of the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion.

She still needs to find a chance to talk to her brother about this.

After Emperor Yuanyou dealt with the rebellious officials and thieves, it was naturally time to reward them according to their merits.

Duke of Ying, Wei Junhang, was already a super-rank duke, and there was no more title to be given. Emperor Yuanyou only issued an edict of commendation and rewarded him with many rare treasures. On the contrary, the crown prince, Wei Chenglin, was promoted to a fourth-rank general. Other meritorious soldiers also received corresponding awards.

The general who defended the state was granted the title of Marquis of Zhenbei and conquered three generations.

The general trembled as he knelt down to thank the emperor, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings. He thought that the emperor was truly a benevolent monarch who did not implicate the Murong family because of the rebellious son, and did not erase the Murong family's merits.

Wei Junhang knew that if it weren't for Murong Tao, the title of Zhenbei Marquis would not have been inherited for only three generations, but would have been inherited from generation to generation. Of course, the things Murong Tao did could not be made public, but it did not mean that Emperor Yuanyou did not have any grudges in his heart. Just look at this "third generation" marquis and you will know.

Zhou Mao lowered his eyes, as if he didn't care about what happened in the palace at all. He just glanced at Xie En, the Marquis of Zhenbei, quickly, and then lowered his eyes again, looking calm and composed.

On the day Shen Huiran got married, Shen Xinyan and others arrived at the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion early in the morning.

Nowadays, the inner house of the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion is managed by Cui, the wife of Jing'an Marquis's eldest son Shen Feng. Cui is young after all, and it is her first time to preside over a wedding. She was a little flustered for a while, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Shen Xinyan coming.

No matter what, it is always more reassuring to have an elder to keep the peace, especially when the elder is respected by the husband's family.

Shen Xinyan was held hostage by Cui and talked for a long time. After finally getting away, she went to Shen Huiran's room.

When she entered the room, she saw that besides Wei Yingzhi, there were also several nieces from the next room. They were talking to Shen Huiran. When they saw her come in, they hurried forward to greet her.

When they thought that the Bo Mansion would be implicated by the Liang family, the second and third branches hurriedly proposed to separate. Since then, Shen Xinyan has had fewer contacts with the two families, just maintaining superficial courtesy so as not to make people laugh at them, but if they wanted to get closer, it would be gone.

Now when she saw the people from these two rooms again, she didn't feel too much and responded with a smile.

"I haven't seen you for a while. Aunt looks younger and more radiant!" the girl from the second room said first.

"That's right! If you walk with cousin Ying'er, people who don't know you would think you two are sisters!" The girl from the third room was unwilling to be left behind.

"I see that you girls have become more talkative after not seeing you for quite a while." Shen Xinyan was in a very good mood as her niece was getting married, and she rarely joked with them.

Seeing her smiling face and friendly tone, the girls were immediately excited and began to flatter her even more.

"Your cousins ​​are really good at talking. Look how happy they made my mother smile." Wei Yingzhi whispered jokingly into Shen Huiran's ear, who had already finished dressing up.

Shen Huiran glared at her and pinched the corner of her mouth like she did when they were little: "If you were to take action, wouldn't it be easy to make Aunt smile?"

Wei Yingzhi giggled and adjusted the hairpin on her bun. Then she heard Shen Huiran ask, "Did you bring An Ge'er here today? I haven't seen him yet! I don't know if he looks more like you or the Marquis."

"How dare I bring him here when there are so many people coming and going? If he starts crying, wouldn't that ruin this great day? As for who he looks like, my grandmother and mother both say he looks more like Linfu. Now Linfu is showing off in front of me all day long, saying that my son looks like him. It's really infuriating!" Wei Yingzhi felt uneasy when she thought of Linfu's smug look.

The son she gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy was said to look like his father in every way except for his eyebrows and eyes.

"It's better if the son looks like his father. If he is as diligent, studious, well-behaved and obedient as the Marquis was when he was a child, then you as his mother will be blessed." Shen Huiran chuckled.

As the two sisters were talking, Shen Xinyan, who had finally sent away the other girls, walked in. She heard the conversation between the two and said with a smile, "Ang'er looks like his father, but his noisy personality is more like his mother."

"Mom!" Wei Yingzhi heard her teasing and said angrily.

The three of them laughed for a while, and then Wei Yingzhi was called away by Cui.

"Aunt, my mother asked me to give this to you." When only the aunt and niece were left in the room, Shen Huiran took out a gold-painted box and gently pushed it in front of Shen Xinyan.

"Your mother gave it to me? What is it?" Shen Xinyan asked in confusion. She took the box and opened it. She saw a thick stack of banknotes inside. Wow, the amount on each banknote was not small.

"My mother said that this is what she owed you back then, and now she is returning it all to you with interest." Shen Huiran said softly.

Without waiting for Shen Xinyan to say anything, she quickly replied, "Don't worry, auntie. My mother said that all this money was earned from her business over the years. She saved it for a long time. It's all clean money."

Shen Xinyan's eyes were a little complicated. She didn't expect that Liang still remembered that she had embezzled the money in her dowry shop, and had been quietly saving money to pay her back.

In fact, in recent years, Marquis Jing'an would return a sum of money to her on behalf of Liang every month. Most of that money was used by her on Shen Feng and his sisters in various ways. After all, Shen Xinyan had a rough idea of ​​Marquis Jing'an's family wealth. He returned her such a large sum of money every month, so relatively speaking, there must be less money left in the mansion.

"I can't take this money. She owed me all that money back then, and your father has already paid it off on her behalf over the years. So, she doesn't owe me anything anymore." Shen Xinyan pushed the brocade box back again.

"Aunt, you must accept it, otherwise I won't be able to explain to mother. She won't feel at ease either." Seeing that she refused to accept it, Shen Huiran became anxious.

Shen Xinyan thought about it and decided not to force it anymore.

It would be better to accept it. Not only the Liang family, but also the Shen Feng brothers and sisters would feel at ease.

Seeing that she was finally willing to accept it, Shen Huiran breathed a sigh of relief and a relaxed smile instantly appeared on her face.

Seeing this, Shen Xinyan felt that her decision to accept the gift was correct. No one wants to owe someone something for a lifetime, Liang was like this, and so were the siblings Shen Feng and Shen Huiran, who learned about the incident.

"Aunt, I want to ask you for someone." Shen Huiran said again.

"Oh? Are you interested in someone around my aunt?" Shen Xinyan was a little surprised.

"It's Zhu'er. I guess I'm used to having Zhu'er serving me. Since I returned home, I always felt like something was missing." Shen Huiran blushed.

Zhu'er? Shen Xinyan was stunned for a moment, then she felt that this was within her expectations.

Zhu'er was the one she specially assigned to serve Shen Huiran when she came to stay at the Duke's Mansion. Although she was called upon to serve, Zhu'er was actually responsible for observing Shen Huiran's words and deeds, for fear that she would fall into the inappropriate feelings she had for Wei Chenglin in her previous life.

Although Shen Huiran still had unnecessary thoughts about Wei Chenglin in this life, she was no longer as stubborn as she was in her previous life, and she didn't care about the modesty of a girl or the pride of being the eldest daughter of a rich man. Instead, she resolutely cut off her feelings.

"If you don't mind her, I will have someone send her indenture to the Chen Mansion someday. This will be considered a blessing for her."

"Thank you, auntie!" Shen Huiran breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that it was almost time, Shen Xinyan touched up her makeup herself. Soon, Cui and the bridesmaid came in one after another. Shen Xinyan didn't want to disturb them, so she went to the flower hall which was full of guests coming to congratulate her.

After the wedding firecrackers started to be set off, not long after, the joyous voice of "the groom is coming" was heard.

After a moment, the figure of the third son of the Chen family, who was full of joy, appeared in front of everyone. The man had an upright posture, a handsome face, and an undisguised joy on his face. The hurried steps broke his apparent calmness.

In just that instant, Shen Xinyan's heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally came to terms with reality.

She thought that in this life, her niece finally had a husband and an embrace that belonged to her alone. There was no need for her to be jealous and she just needed to manage her life with peace of mind.

Wei Chenglin was also among the guests. He watched from afar as the young master of the Chen family took the person away. Somehow he thought of Zhou Wanning's crazy words earlier and shook his head helplessly.

As soon as he turned around, he met the complicated eyes of a woman. He was stunned for a moment, and immediately recognized that the other person was Princess Changning.

Ever since he personally escorted Princess Changning to the mountains to recuperate, the marriage between the two families was cancelled soon after, and he has not seen Princess Changning again. He only knows that she recovered from her illness and returned to Beijing, and he doesn't know anything more.

However, even though he hadn't seen her for many years, he always remembered this woman who was praised by his family. Especially after he knew that her illness was caused by his aunt, he felt more guilty towards Princess Changning.

"Princess!" He calmed himself down and bowed.

"Your Highness, there is no need to be so polite." Princess Changning also felt a little complicated. She did not expect to meet him again.

No, in fact, she should have thought of it a long time ago. After all, Jing'an Bo is his uncle and today's bride is his cousin.

Even, she subconsciously chose to go to the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion instead of the Chen Mansion because she wanted to meet him.

The two were speechless for a moment.

After a moment, Wei Chenglin spoke first: "Is the princess well?"

"Thank you, Prince. I am safe now." Looking at the man in front of her who had long lost his youthful vigor, Princess Changning sighed. She lowered her eyes to hide her sadness and said with a smile, "I have never congratulated you on your triumphant return to the court. Today I would like to take this opportunity to say congratulations. Congratulations to you on your triumphant return and your fame."

"Thank you, Princess."

Again, they were speechless.

Wei Chenglin was a taciturn person to begin with. Although he and Princess Changning were once an engaged couple in name, they had actually met only a few times and had never had any private contact. They didn't know much about each other, and he still felt a little guilty, so he naturally spoke even less.

Princess Changning felt a little upset, and suddenly she didn't know why she came to see him today. Was she here to see him? Or to congratulate him for his extraordinary achievements at such a young age?

"Brother, so you are here. Mother has been looking for you!" At this moment, Wei Yingzhi came over. She was surprised to see her brother talking to a woman. She looked again and recognized that the woman was Princess Changning whom she had not seen for many years. She was overjoyed.

"Princess!"

"Sister Yingzhi!" Princess Changning breathed a sigh of relief inconspicuously. The moment Wei Yingzhi appeared, the lingering embarrassment and discomfort disappeared instantly.

"The princess is also here, why don't you come to see me? We haven't seen each other for many years. Are you feeling better now?" Wei Yingzhi took her arm affectionately and asked with a smile.

"You are a very busy man right now, so I can't disturb you. I am well now, thank you for always thinking about me." Princess Changning smiled.

"No matter how busy I am, I can't be as busy as you, the princess! When did the princess return to the capital? How come I don't even know?"

“I just came back last month.”

Princess Changning spent more time living on Yunyan Mountain these years, only returning to Beijing from time to time to visit her parents. Although Princess Ning was reluctant to let her daughter go, her daughter's condition improved soon after she went to Yunyan Mountain, so she felt that it was indeed a blessed place, so she did not stop her.

After this experience, nothing can compare to my daughter's health.

Wei Chenglin saw the two people holding hands and talking intimately, and unconsciously, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. After a moment, as if he thought of something, his smile became a little sad, and he sighed inaudibly, not wanting to disturb the two people, and quietly left to meet Shen Xinyan.

"The prince just met Princess Changning." Inside the room, Zi Yan reported to Shen Xinyan in a low voice.

Shen Xinyan was surprised: "Princess Changning is here too?"

She was filled with mixed emotions at the moment. If Fang had not been secretly plotting back then, Princess Changning would have already become her daughter-in-law by now, and might even have given birth to a child.

After all, it was because her son did not have this blessing, and these two people lacked the fate to be husband and wife.

"Mother, Ying'er said that you are looking for me. Is there something wrong?" Just as she was thinking about it, Wei Chenglin walked in.

"It's not a big deal. Your cousin Feng is a bit busy over there and wants you to go over and give him a hand." Shen Xinyan came back to his senses and didn't intend to ask him about his meeting with Princess Changning. He answered with a smile.

"Got it. I'll go there right away." Wei Chenglin didn't refuse. He asked where Shen Feng was and went there.

"It seems that Princess Changning is still unmarried, and Lin Ge'er has never married either. Maybe these two are destined to be husband and wife. Even though they had no choice but to break off the engagement back then, they are still unmarried after all these years." Yang had just seen Wei Chenglin meeting Princess Changning, and found a time to tell Shen Xinyan about it.

Shen Xinyan shook her head slightly, but didn't know what to say.

"I think it would be better to tie the knot between these two people. This way, you, mother, and even Princess Ning can all put their worries to rest." Yang said with a smile.

Shen Xinyan sighed softly: "This matter is not something I can decide, let's wait and see!"

Seeing her like this, Yang didn't know what to say. After all, he was not her son, so why should she be so anxious?

When the guests gradually dispersed, Shen Xinyan was ready to say goodbye and leave, but she saw Cui's face full of hesitation, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"But is there anything you want to say?" she asked.

"Brother Rong and Sister Fang, who were left behind by my third aunt..."

Shen Xinyan was stunned for a moment before she remembered this matter and immediately slapped her forehead.

Look at her memory. She had clearly planned to talk to her brother about Shen Xinlan and her children before coming here, but today she completely forgot about it.

Judging from Cui's expression, she was not very happy to let the two children stay. It was no wonder. First of all, the two children were surnamed Qi, and the Qi family was not without relatives. It was not their turn for the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion to raise them. Secondly, the child's father was involved in the case of treason by the Prince of Cheng. Even though he was not executed and his relatives were not implicated, the crime of treason would not end well for anyone involved.

"I have an idea in my mind about this matter. Don't worry, I will go talk to my brother now." Shen Xinyan patted the back of her hand comfortingly.

Cui Shi then realized that she had softened her tone, and as if she was afraid that Shen Xinyan might misunderstand her, she hurriedly added, "It's not that I can't even tolerate two children, it's just that..."

"I understand. What you worry about is exactly what I worry about." Shen Xinyan knew what she was thinking.

After a pause, she asked, "Where are the two children?"

"Brother Rong is staying in the front yard temporarily, and Sister Fang is staying in the house where her mother used to live. If Aunt wants to see her, I'll have someone call her over."

"Let's not meet him for now!" Shen Xinyan shook her head and decided to meet her brother first.

Earl Jing'an was sorting his books in the study. His daughter's marriage had relieved him of a worry, but he felt empty inside, so he simply found something to do so that he wouldn't keep thinking about his daughter becoming someone else's wife.

Hearing that his sister was coming to see him, he quickly put down the book and was about to stand up when he saw Shen Xinyan pushing the door open.

When Shen Xinyan saw him pretending to be busy, she knew that he was reluctant to leave his daughter. She smiled and comforted him with a few words. After they sat down, she mentioned the purpose of this trip.

"Brother Rong and Sister Fang...they are good kids. Little sister, you don't know that the Qi clan members treat them like monsters and bully them because they have no one to support them. They even snatched away the few taels of silver that Third Sister had left."

"I really felt sorry for them and couldn't bear to see them wandering outside, so I brought them back and also wanted to give them a place to live," said Earl Jing'an frankly.

Before Shen Xinyan could explain the pros and cons to him, he interrupted her and said, "As for what my sister is worried about, I understand it all, but how can everything in this world be clear? No matter what their parents are like, these two children are always innocent, and their families are not guilty. Even His Majesty only punished my third brother-in-law and did not involve his relatives. It can be seen that my third brother-in-law was not involved too much that day."

"Your Majesty is a wise and benevolent ruler. Now that the matter has been dealt with, he will not hold on to it in the future."

Although Jing'an Bo was a soft-hearted person, he would not tolerate anyone opposing his decision. Seeing him like this, Shen Xinyan knew that she had come here in vain. She sighed helplessly, but still felt a little unwilling: "Brother, just remember to be on guard against others. As for the rest, I, as your younger sister, can't say anything more."

Jing'an Bo nodded: "Okay, it's getting late, you should go back."

Shen Xinyan then stood up and said goodbye.

Only after her figure disappeared did a young man appear from the corner outside the door.

The young man looked in the direction she left, then looked at the door that had closed again, his eyes filled with complexity.

Now, have they become people that others avoid?

***

Ever since she met Princess Changning again at the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion, Wei Yingzhi would run to Prince Ning's Mansion whenever she had time, under the pretext of reuniting with her sister, the Princess, but in fact she had other plans.

Princess Changning had seldom seen her former good friends since she left the capital after her illness. In addition, they had started families in the past few years, so they saw each other even less often. Therefore, she welcomed Wei Yingzhi's arrival.

Princess Ning was also happy to see her daughter getting close to Wei Yingzhi.

Wei Yingzhi is different now. She is the only niece-in-law of Concubine Rui Gui and the wife of Marquis Zhongyi. Marquis Zhongyi has military merits now and is no longer a marquis with an empty title. Being on good terms with her is extremely beneficial to both my daughter and the palace.

"I only feel a little peace when I come to the princess's place. You don't know, the boy in my family makes a lot of noise all day long, which makes me very headache. And everyone protects him very closely, and I, as his mother, can't do anything about him." That day, Wei Yingzhi came again and was personally welcomed into the room of Princess Changning by Princess Ning. When she and the princess were the only ones left in the room, she sighed.

Princess Changning picked up a piece of red bean cake and put it to her mouth. She smiled when she heard it: "Who wouldn't love a child as adorable as An Ge'er? But you love to complain!"

Wei Yingzhi chewed the cake a few times and swallowed it, wiped the corners of her mouth, sipped a few sips of tea, and then moved closer to her.

"My mother and grandmother are particularly partial. It was clearly Ang Ge'er who was being naughty, but when I said a few words to him, they actually blamed me!"

"He's just a baby, and you're still scolding him? Don't you even check if he can understand what you're saying?" Princess Changning wanted to laugh.

Wei Yingzhi pursed her lips and said, "Although he is young, he is very smart and courageous. Other children dared not approach my brother, but as soon as he saw my brother, he opened his arms and cried for me to hold him."

It was not missed that Princess Changning's smile froze slightly when she heard Wei Chenglin. She gritted her teeth and said tentatively: "My brother has been alone for many years, and my sister is still... visible..."

"I'm already engaged!" Princess Changning suddenly interrupted her.

"Engaged?" Wei Yingzhi was surprised and her eyes widened in disbelief.

Princess Changning nodded: "He was the top scholar in the last exam. When we were in Yunyan Mountain, Master Jingxu witnessed it and my mother decided to marry me to him. My father also agreed. Now he is going back to his hometown to worship his ancestors, and we will get married after he returns."

Wei Yingzhi opened her mouth slightly, finally believing what she said. She was a little disappointed, but then she became happy for her again and said sincerely, "In that case, I congratulate you, sister, and I wish you and your husband a long and happy marriage."

Princess Changning's eyes flashed with tenderness, and she said generously, "Then I will accept your good words!"