On the day when Prince Ping took a concubine, Shen Xinyan went to watch the ceremony. Looking at the stiff smile on Prince Ping's face, she shook her head secretly.
It seems that for two lifetimes, this girl from the Kong family has never won the favor of King Ping, no matter whether she is the principal wife or the concubine.
She looked around again but didn't see Zhou Wanning, until she heard a lady from an unknown family not far away mentioning that Princess Ping had been bedridden for several days.
Who would have thought that as soon as that person finished speaking, a slender and graceful figure appeared at the door, and everyone's eyes were filled with amazement.
Shen Xinyan is naturally no exception.
In her impression, Zhou Wanning always preferred light and elegant colors, but now she was wearing a light red long jacket with a phoenix hairpin of the same color on her bun, and her face was painted with just the right amount of makeup. She walked in like this, instantly attracting the attention of everyone in the room.
This includes today's groom, Prince Ping.
When King Ping saw her appear, his expression changed and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing and bowed to the bride with a stiff body.
From the moment Zhou Wanning appeared, the atmosphere in the room became a little strange. The original liveliness instantly disappeared.
Zhou Wanning sat quietly on the side, his eyes fixed on the newlyweds, seemingly oblivious to the whispers around them.
Shen Xinyan originally thought that she would do something, but she just sat there and watched the ceremony. She didn't make any move until the end of the ceremony.
She couldn't guess what she was thinking for a moment, but she had no time to think about it. She sat for a while and then found an excuse to say goodbye and go home.
When she came to say goodbye, Zhou Wanning's tense face finally cracked. His eyes were complicated, resentful and hateful, but he didn't do anything rude. He just nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, Madam, for your kindness today."
"I don't deserve your words, Princess." Shen Xinyan said a few polite words to her.
A few days later, Shen Xinyan went to the palace to pay her respects to Queen Zhao. Coincidentally, Wei Yingzhi also brought Ang'er to the palace that day. The mother and daughter met in Fengkun Palace, and they could not hide their surprise.
"They are truly mother and daughter, and they are so in tune with each other." Queen Zhao said with a smile, her attention always focused on Ang'er who was sitting next to her.
The little fellow, who was about to turn one year old, was white and chubby. He was biting his chubby hand and smiling at her, which made Queen Zhao love him so much that she couldn't let him go after hugging him.
"Everyone says that An Ge'er looks like Lin Fu. Was Lin Fu also so adorable when he was little?" Queen Zhao offered him a seat, held An Ge'er and amused him for a while, then let the wet nurse take him away and asked Shen Xinyan.
Shen Xinyan smiled and said, "Ang'er is more lively, but when he was young, the Marquis was a very well-behaved and quiet child. At a young age, he could study hard all day in his room. Mr. Lu praised him a lot and thought that this child must have a bright future."
"So that's how it is!" Queen Zhao sighed.
Missing out on her nephew's childhood was the biggest regret of her life. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Shen Xinyan, who had watched her nephew grow up.
"When Mr. Lu returned to the capital a few years ago, he learned that his disciple, whom he had high hopes for and hoped would make him proud in the palace examination in the future, had actually been given a title and did not even have to take the imperial examination. He was speechless for a long time." Wei Yingzhi interrupted with a smile.
Queen Zhao burst out laughing.
Shen Xinyan naturally knew even more clearly how much hope Mr. Lu had placed on Pingfu. When he first taught his eldest son, he regretted that due to his status as the eldest son, even if he had extraordinary literary talent, he would never be able to take part in the imperial examinations in his lifetime, and naturally he would not be able to become the teacher of the top scholar.
After much difficulty, he finally took a fancy to Pingfu, thinking that he could at least let this young disciple win honor for him. However, he never expected that this young disciple had an even more powerful background, so it was naturally impossible for him to pass the imperial examination.
The three of them chatted and laughed for half an hour. During this time, concubines from the palace came to pay their respects, so Shen Xinyan and Wei Yingzhi took their leave first.
The mother and daughter walked in front, and the wet nurse followed closely behind them holding Ang'er. As they were about to leave the palace, they suddenly saw a eunuch from the East Palace coming to invite them, saying that the Crown Princess wanted to invite the Duke's wife and the Marquis' wife.
Shen Xinyan naturally would not refuse, after all, she was also concerned about the situation of the Crown Princess's current pregnancy.
"Please get up quickly!" When they saw the Crown Princess, the mother and daughter bowed and greeted her. The Crown Princess hurriedly got up from the couch and ordered the palace maids to help them up.
"Is this Ang'er? Let me hold him." The Crown Princess' eyes lit up as soon as she saw Ang'er in the wet nurse's arms.
"Your Majesty, you can't do that. Children are naughty and active. If they accidentally bump into the little prince in your belly, it would be a sin." Shen Xinyan hurriedly stopped him.
The Crown Princess also knew that she had not thought it through, but when she saw the fair, tender and chubby Ang'er, she was very happy in her heart, and she only hoped that she could give birth to a child like Ang'er this time.
Shen Xinyan took the baby boy from the wet nurse's arms, carried him to the Crown Princess, and taught him how to greet her.
The little guy found it very interesting and shook his fists with a giggle, which made the Crown Princess even happier.
She gently held the boy's small, tender fist, and pinched his chubby cheeks, and said enviously to Wei Yingzhi who was standing beside her with a smile: "This child is so lovable, Sister Yingzhi is so lucky."
"He only acts like a good boy in front of the queen, but he makes a lot of noise behind the scenes. It really makes us not be able to relax at all."
After a while, another palace maid came in with two little princesses born to the Crown Princess, and naturally they were polite again.
After everyone had left, even Wei Yingzhi took Anger and went outside to play with the two little princesses. The Crown Princess then looked at Shen Xinyan, with an expression that seemed as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions." Shen Xinyan said softly, her mind moving.
The Crown Princess bit her lip lightly, then smiled and said slowly, "Madam, you also know that I have been married to His Highness for many years, and we only have two daughters. Now everyone in the court is staring at the child in my belly."
Having said this, the Crown Princess took a deep breath, her face looking somewhat bitter.
If this baby was still a girl...she couldn't even imagine it.
"Madam, you have a child at the age of over 30, and sister Yingzhi also gave birth to a boy. Do you have any secret to giving birth to a boy?" When asking this question, the Crown Princess's face was full of anticipation.
Shen Xinyan was a little amused.
So, it has become a legend that she, an old oyster, gave birth to a boy with a penis?
However, when the Crown Princess asked this, she knew that the other party had reached the point of being desperate and trying any possible means. If someone handed her a prescription that "guaranteed to give birth to a son" and asked her to take the medicine according to the prescription, she would probably do it without saying a word.
"Your Majesty, you are joking. Whether the baby is a boy or a girl is determined by God. How can it be controlled by human power? Your Majesty does not need to worry too much. Just take care of the baby and you will give birth to a healthy little prince in the future." Shen Xinyan could only persuade her like this.
It's a pity that she didn't remember whether the Crown Princess in her previous life gave birth to a son, because at this time in her previous life, she was already a little mentally ill and would not pay attention to the affairs of outsiders.
The Crown Princess was unwilling to give up. She grabbed her hand and said, "I regard you as my closest person. I just hope you don't regard me as an outsider. If you really have a secret to having a child, please teach me. If you can have a boy this time, you will be my benefactor for the rest of my life."
As she spoke later, her tone became more pleading.
Shen Xinyan had a headache, she felt that she couldn't explain herself clearly. The Crown Princess had been bewitched. If she was convinced that she must have the secret to having a child, then no matter how she explained, she would not be able to convince her. She might even think that she was unwilling to share the "secret".
"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but there really is no secret. Please listen to me, Madam. Right now, nothing is more important than keeping your baby safe. If you insist on saying there is a secret, it is that you should not worry too much during pregnancy. Just stay happy and make yourself and the baby in your belly live a relaxed and comfortable life."
When the Crown Princess heard her say this, she couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or something else. She could only force a smile and said, "I'll remember what you said, Madam. Thank you, Madam!"
Shen Xinyan didn't know if she really believed that she didn't have any secrets to having children, and she took her advice to heart. After all, she and the Crown Princess weren't very close, and it was a taboo to talk about deep things with a shallow relationship, so she didn't say anything more.
The Crown Princess looked tired and slowly picked up the teacup.
Hearing the music and knowing the elegant meaning, Shen Xinyan understood the situation and stood up to say goodbye, and sent a palace maid to invite Wei Yingzhi and her son.
Ever since Wei Junhang learned from his wife that the Second Lady of the Chen family was looking for the secret recipe for having a child, he has been secretly sending people to keep an eye on the situation. After just over half a month, the people he sent out received a response, saying that the Second Lady of the Chen family had indeed found the "secret recipe for having a child".
It is said that this secret recipe was passed down by a miracle doctor from the previous dynasty. If a woman takes it, she will give birth to a son. Therefore, many women who are eager to have children regard it as a treasure. It is truly priceless.
Mrs. Chen Er spent a lot of manpower and financial resources to get it from a lady who had five sons.
He tapped the desk again and again, frowning, not knowing what he was thinking. After a long while, he suddenly ordered, "Think of a way to steal the secret recipe and let me have a look. I want to see what kind of divine secret recipe this is that is so powerful!"
The subordinate agreed and left quietly.
When the couple lay side by side in bed at night, Shen Xinyan told him in detail what happened when she entered the palace during the day.
Wei Junhang had been busy all day and was already extremely sleepy. Then he heard his wife's soft and gentle voice in his ears, which was like the spring breeze in March or the warm current passing through the cold winter. Unconsciously, he became even more sleepy.
"...I don't know where the Crown Princess heard this from. She actually thought that I must have some secret recipe for having a child since I was over 30 years old..."
In a daze, he heard these words, which shocked him and made him sober up a lot.
"What secret to having a child? The Crown Princess asked you for the secret to having a child?" Wei Junhang asked.
"Yeah, I don't have any secret to having a baby, so naturally I can't satisfy her. But there's nothing I can do. If there's no secret, then there's no secret. How can I make it happen?" Shen Xinyan yawned, shrank into his arms, and muttered.
Wei Junhang stroked her back habitually, his brows furrowed, as if thinking about something.
It seems that the Crown Princess is really under such great pressure that she is almost losing her mind. If she is not carefully watched, she will probably get into trouble sooner or later. Then, it will bring trouble to the Crown Prince.
A few days later, Wei Junhang received the "secret recipe for having a child" copied back by his subordinates.
He looked left and right and saw that the herbs listed above were all beneficial to pregnant women, and he couldn't see anything wrong with them.
Naturally, he couldn't possibly believe that there was any secret recipe in the world that would guarantee having a child, but he was always skeptical about the secret recipe in his hand.
"When did you start studying medicine prescriptions?" Shen Xinyan pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing him staring at a prescription, she joked.
Seeing that it was her, Wei Junhang smiled and put down the recipe: "If you really have that kind of talent, it would be great. At least you can figure out what this so-called secret recipe for having a child is all about."
"Secret recipe for having a baby? Where did you get the secret recipe for having a baby?" Shen Xinyan took it curiously and took a quick look at it.
"These herbs are what doctors usually prescribe to pregnant women to nourish their bodies. Could it be that putting them together can become a secret recipe for having a baby?"
"I can't figure it out either. I'm planning to find a doctor to help me take a look." Wei Junhang took a sip of tea, his tone somewhat helpless.
"Where did you get this recipe?" Shen Xinyan was more curious about this.
"I got it from the second lady of the Chen Mansion." Wei Junhang did not hide it from her and told her the truth.
"So, this is the 'secret recipe for having a child' that Madam Chen Er found for the Crown Princess?" Shen Xin frowned.
"What are you going to do? Are you trying to convince the Crown Princess that this prescription is useless? Even if you can make her believe you, there is no guarantee that she won't ask someone else to continue looking for a prescription that works. If she keeps thinking about this in her mind, how can she calm down and keep the baby safe?"
"I originally planned to report this matter to the Crown Prince, and ask him to talk to the Crown Princess in person." Wei Junhang said.
Shen Xinyan still shook her head: "This is not appropriate. Even if the Crown Princess is under pressure from the Crown Prince and dares not use any secret recipe for having a child, it would be good if she gives birth to a son in the future. If she gives birth to a daughter, she may blame us for making a mistake."
"If someone with ulterior motives stirs things up again, it's not impossible for them to harbor resentment towards the Duke's Mansion."
"Madam, what you said makes sense. In your opinion, what should I do to be more appropriate?" Wei Junhang thought for a moment, agreed with her, and asked for her opinion, which was rare.
"Of course, we can't pretend we know nothing and let the Crown Princess plunge into it. Doing so will completely destroy the years of relationship between our family and the Crown Prince and the Empress. It's really disheartening." Shen Xinyan analyzed the situation with him in detail. Seeing that he was listening seriously and nodding slightly from time to time to show his agreement, she was immediately determined.
This was the first time that Wei Junhang asked for her opinion about something he was doing outside. Although she was happy, she was also afraid that her carelessness would affect his judgment, so she did not dare to take it lightly.
"Madam, what you said is absolutely right. The Queen and the Crown Prince have taken good care of our Duke's Mansion. We cannot let it go when we know it is wrong just for our own selfish reasons."
Shen Xinyan nodded and continued, "In my opinion, it would be better to let the Crown Princess take the secret recipe for having a child and put her mind at ease. Even if the princess still gives birth in the future, it will only prove that the so-called secret recipe for having a child is nothing but empty talk."
"However, the content of this prescription needs to be changed. You, the Duke, have to personally take charge of this matter. Ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to find a skilled and trustworthy imperial physician to prescribe a prescription for maintaining pregnancy. Then, you can give it to Madam Chen Er and have her present it to the Crown Princess."
Wei Junhang thought about it carefully for a moment, and finally smiled and said, "Madam, this method is indeed the best. It really achieves the best of both worlds."
Having said this, he stood up, brushed off his robe, and then bowed to Shen Xinyan: "Thank you, Madam, for your advice!"
Shen Xinyan quickly moved aside and glared at him unhappily: "You are already old, but you are still so stupid!"
Wei Junhang laughed loudly, and on a whim, he suddenly hugged her and kissed her hard on the face, scaring the unsuspecting Shen Xin so much that she almost screamed.
Wei Junhang laughed even harder.
"You really should let the children come and see this, so they can see how you can act serious in front of them in the future." Shen Xinyan covered her face where he had kissed her, and then lightly punched him on the chest.
Wei Junhang smiled and took her wrist, holding the soft hand in his palm.
Things could not be delayed. Having made up his mind, Wei Junhang ordered his men to prepare the carriage and horses after lunch, intending to go and meet the prince.
Shen Xinyan knew that he was busy, so she tried to coax Xiangge, who was a little unhappy because he couldn't find his father. Until Wei Chenglin appeared, the little boy's eyes lit up, and he immediately rushed over, hugged his legs and called out loudly: "Big brother!"
Shen Xinyan breathed a sigh of relief, watching her eldest son pick up Xiang Ge'er with some skill, and said helplessly: "The older he gets, the harder it is to coax him. He either wants daddy or brother all day long."
Wei Chenglin had a gentle smile on his face as he held Xiang Ge'er in his arms and placed him on the chair.
"You came back earlier than usual today. Have you finished your work?" Shen Xinyan asked after the mother and son sat down.
"It's over for now. Since I have nothing to do today, I'll come back early. Where's father?" Wei Chenglin asked casually.
"He went to the palace." Shen Xinyan answered briefly. With the corner of her eye, she noticed a white and tender paw secretly reaching out from the unfinished plate of snacks on the table. She immediately slapped it mercilessly and slapped the little paw away.
"You have already used up today's portion, so don't eat it secretly!" She had a fierce face and glared at Xiang Ge'er, who was touching the back of his hand that was hurt by her slapping, with a look of grievance.
"Big brother..." Xiangger turned around and threw himself into Wei Chenglin's arms for comfort.
Wei Chenglin touched his head and coaxed him with a few words like Shen Xinyan did in the past, but he did not dare to challenge his mother's authority and let the little guy eat the gluttonous worm.
He didn't know why, but the children who grew up with their mother, his sister, Pingfu and Xiangger, loved sweets since they were young. He still remembered that when his sister and Pingfu were young, their mother also restricted the amount of sweets they could eat every day, just like Xiangger now.
"Madam, everything for Prince Ping's mansion has been prepared, but do you want us to send it over now?" At this moment, Zi Yan came in through the curtain and asked.
Wei Chenglin's heart tightened, he pursed his thin lips, lowered his eyes and gently patted Xiangger's back, as if he didn't hear Zi Yan's words.
Shen Xinyan let out a faint sigh and shook her head: "Let Nanny Wang take it!"
Princess Ping, Zhou Wanning, has been ill for a long time, and all the governments have expressed their condolences to her in some way. Shen Xinyan will naturally take care of such interpersonal relationships.
Zi Yan took the order and left. Seeing that Wei Chenglin was still patiently coaxing his young son, Shen Xinyan acted as if nothing had happened.
Despite this, she still knew that Zhou Wanning would always be a hurdle that the eldest son could not get over, especially now that Zhou Wanning's life was obviously not very good. Given the eldest son's character, he might feel even more guilty.
She felt that as long as her eldest son could not resolve this knot in his heart, he would probably not agree to get married.
Ever since Prince Ping's concubine came into the family, the atmosphere in the entire Zhou Mansion had become quite depressing, especially since Zhou Wanning had always been ill, which made Wen Shi extremely distressed.
On this day, while Zhou Mao was on leave, the couple were worried and went to Prince Ping's mansion to visit their sick daughter.
When he arrived at Prince Ping's mansion, Zhou Mao was startled at first sight of Prince Ping, who had obviously lost a lot of weight. Then he sighed again, patted him on the shoulder, and could no longer utter any words of blame.
Wen was led by her maid to see Zhou Wanning.
"Where is the princess? Why isn't she here?" But when they arrived at Zhou Wanning's room, they found that she was not there, and Wen suddenly became anxious.
"Madam, don't worry. The princess seems to be in better spirits today and has gone to the waterside pavilion." The maid in the room said hurriedly.
"She is still weak. Why doesn't she have a good rest but has to go outside?" Wen was a little unhappy, but she didn't know what to say. She followed the maid to the waterside pavilion, and sure enough, she saw her daughter standing by the railing, staring at the lotus pond in a daze.
"You haven't even recovered from your illness yet, why don't you stay inside to recuperate instead of coming out here to get caught in the wind? Are you deliberately trying to make mother feel uneasy?" Wen's reproachful words rang out, bringing Zhou Wanning back to her senses.
"Mom, you're here!" Seeing that it was her mother, she gave a somewhat weak smile.
"I'm really bored in the house, so I came out to get some fresh air. You guys go down and let us have a good talk."
The maids knelt and bowed, leaving the space for the mother and daughter.
"How could you become so thin? Now that things have come to this, you should be more open-minded. After all, you are the real mistress of this mansion, and that other woman is just a concubine. There is no need for you to do such a thing to herself." Wen held her hand with concern.
"What does Kong mean to me? How could I take her seriously?" Zhou Wanning said in a low voice.
"If you don't take her seriously, do you mean to annoy His Royal Highness Prince Ping?" Wen frowned.
"Mother, do you think I shouldn't be upset? When he came to ask for my hand in marriage, he said that he would only marry me for the rest of his life, but what about now? The oath is still ringing in my ears, but he has taken someone new."
"This..." Wen didn't know what to say for a moment.
Zhou Wanning became increasingly unwilling.
After all, they are different. How can King Ping compare to her elder brother Wei in the previous life?
She thought this in her heart and said it out loud unconsciously, and Wen heard it all.
"It's already so late, are you still thinking about Wei Chenglin?" She was shocked and couldn't help but hold her daughter a little harder, causing Zhou Wanning to frown uncomfortably.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Wen Shi became even more anxious: "Tell me, are you still thinking about Wei Chenglin?!"
All kinds of grievances surged in his heart, and Zhou Wanning finally couldn't help shouting out: "Yes, I still miss him! How could I be willing to let him run away without saying a word! I tried every way to see him, but he actually said such cruel words, I..."
"Have you met him? When have you met him?!" Wen sensitively caught her words.
"Could it be the last time you were taken away by Murong Tao? But how can you say that you tried every possible way to see him? Could it be that you followed Murong Tao voluntarily?" She became smart, which was rare for her.