Chapter 13 Returning Home
Shen Wantang understood Xiao Qingyuan's meaning perfectly well; no one knew better than her how infatuated he was with Chu Yanluo.
But who would want to have a child with him? Childbirth is a life-or-death ordeal; countless women have died at this stage throughout history. She didn't give birth in her previous life, and she had no intention of taking that risk in this one.
In his past life, even Chu Yanluo didn't give birth to him.
The carriage arrived at the Shen residence at a leisurely pace. Xiao Qingyuan alighted first, leaving the young maidservant who came out to greet him stunned: "Young...Young Master?"
Shen Wantang also got out of the car, and then saw Xiao Qingyuan say coldly, "Why does your Shen family have no manners at all? You're returning to your parents' home, and you only send a little maid to pick you up?"
Although he disliked Shen Wantang and did not acknowledge her as his wife, she had indeed married into the Prince's Mansion. Now that she had returned, she was, after all, the Princess Consort of the Prince of Ning's Mansion. Yet the Shen family treated her with such disrespect!
Is this meant to slap Shen Wantang in the face, or to slap Xiao Qingyuan in the face?
Or perhaps, because of his actions, the Prince's Mansion lost face, so even a small family like the Shen family no longer took the Prince's Mansion seriously?
Shen Wantang watched the little maid rush in to report, and said softly, "The young master probably doesn't know yet, I'm just a concubine's daughter in the family. It's already quite good that a maid came to pick me up when I returned home."
In her previous life, when she returned to her parents' home, she didn't even have a maid!
Later, after she helped Liao Youhe rise through the ranks, when she returned home, a head steward would lead a line of maids and servants to greet her at the door.
If you marry a man who is incompetent, even your closest family members will look down on you. But if you marry a man who is capable, your family will respect you and will try their best to flatter and please you.
Having experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships, Shen Wantang didn't care about such formalities.
Clearly, the nineteen-year-old prince was very dissatisfied with this. He had not been tempered by a life of hardship and was unruly, arrogant, and disdainful.
"You may be a concubine's daughter, but you've married into the Prince's mansion, and your homecoming represents the Prince's mansion! If they dare to slight you, they're asking for death!"
"Besides, so what if you're a concubine's daughter? Do you look down on yourself like that? You're satisfied with just a maid coming to fetch you? That's so pathetic! Yanluo is also a concubine's daughter, but she never looks down on herself. She's always been proud, and she deserves the best!"
So she had an affair, got pregnant, and was sent by her family to a nunnery to become a nun?
What's there to be proud of?
Shen Wantang certainly didn't look down on herself, but that's just how the world is. Children born out of wedlock are inferior to legitimate children. Whether it's their status in the family, the resources they acquire, or their marriage prospects, they are far inferior to legitimate children. Even in the Dafeng Dynasty, this is the case in the imperial family. Only legitimate princes can become crown princes and inherit the throne, while illegitimate princes can only be granted the title of king.
Xiao Qingyuan was born of the legitimate wife and was the only male heir of the Ning Prince's Mansion. He was pampered and spoiled by the Ning Prince and the Ning Prince's Mansion as he grew up. How could he possibly understand the situation of a mere concubine's daughter in the family of a minor official?
He's had it too easy, so he doesn't have to endure hardship. One minute he's a monk, the next he's committing suicide for love.
Despite her inner grumbling, Shen Wantang remained polite to him: "Young Master, your family is acting this way because of me, not you. They probably thought you wouldn't be coming back with me, so they didn't send anyone to pick you up. However, once you're inside, they will certainly treat you with great hospitality."
"So, you mean your Shen family likes to fawn over the powerful and belittle the weak? You don't know I'm here, you have one face, and you know I'm here, you have another?"
Isn't he usually so insightful? Why is he so unable to see things clearly when it comes to Chu Yanluo?
As Shen Wantang thought about it, she nodded and said, "Yes, you're right."
Her straightforward answer stunned Xiao Qingyuan: "You just admit it like that? Aren't you going to cover for your family?"
“There’s nothing to hide. My family married me off to the Prince’s mansion, which is already a clear message to the world that the Shen family wants to climb the social ladder.”
What decent family would be willing to marry their daughter to Xiao Qingyuan, a love-struck fool who became a monk for love? She'd be living a life of widowhood after marriage.
Shen Wantang didn't say it aloud, but Xiao Qingyuan guessed it.
He was a little displeased. Did Shen Wantang dislike him?
Shen Wantang ignored his displeasure: "Your Highness, please come in!"
Xiao Qingyuan stood still: "I won't go in. If no one comes to greet me, I won't enter this door today!"
Is the young master throwing a tantrum?
He was reluctant to accompany her back to her parents' home, so he took the opportunity to vent his frustration.
Shen Wantang shook her head. This person was indeed difficult to please, and his moods were unpredictable. No wonder Shen Mingxuan tried her best to please him in her previous life, but in the end, she died so tragically.
He refused to come in, so Shen Wantang naturally couldn't leave him there and go in alone. She stood outside with him.
However, she also felt that Madam Qi had gone too far. When she returned to her parents' home, Madam Qi simply sent a lowly maid to fetch her, clearly showing that she didn't take her seriously.
It wouldn't be bad to use Xiao Qingyuan's status as the heir apparent to suppress the Qi family today.
Therefore, marrying up is more comfortable than marrying down; look, she can even use her position to her advantage.
Passersby were all astonished to see the two of them standing at the door.
"Oh dear, isn't this the newlywed Prince Ning's heir? What's with this? He's being left out in the cold! Am I seeing things? Does even the Prince Ning's heir get treated like this?"
"The Shen family has gone mad! The young master accompanied the young master's wife on her homecoming visit, and no one even came to greet them! Does Shen Yuanwailang not want to be an official anymore? The Prince of Ning can make him lose his official hat with just one word!"
"Could it be that the Shen family is unhappy that the young master didn't lift the veil on his wedding night and abandoned his bride, so they're deliberately giving him a hard time?"
“But the young master has already accompanied the bride back to her parents’ home, and he is obviously not as unconventional as before. He is trying to change for the better, so how dare the Shen family not give him face!”
"Oh my, this is going to be good! Back then, when the young master went to the Chu family, they treated him with utmost respect and invited him in. In the end, Lord Chu still lost his official position. Let's wait and see when Lord Shen will lose his position!"
The commotion outside grew louder, and the crowd of onlookers increased.
Xiao Qingyuan was fearless. He always did things his own way and didn't care what others said, so he stood there coldly.
However, he thought Shen Wantang might care, so he turned and glanced at her.
Unexpectedly, she seemed even more indifferent than him, as if she hadn't heard anyone speaking at all, nor seen the large crowd gathered around her.
Xiao Qingyuan frowned slightly: "Hmph, you're putting on quite a show. You're probably imitating Yan Luo again, but your imitation is nowhere near as good! Also, I'm not doing this to vent your anger; I just can't stand the Shen family's way of doing things!"
Shen Wantang didn't say anything, but she moved to the side, a little further away from him—he wasn't very bright, and she was afraid that getting too close would lower his IQ.
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