Chapter 491 Kneeling all day as punishment
While the brother and sister were arguing, Shen Wantang had already stood up and left with her maid.
From afar, she saw Prince Ning and Princess Ning emerge. One of them was scolding Xiao Qingyuan, while the other was coaxing Xiao Qingxi.
Even after returning to Wutong Garden, Shen Wantang could still hear Xiao Qingxi's screams and cries, and it seemed that the commotion wouldn't end anytime soon.
She raised her hand, looked at the blood seeping from the scratch on her palm, and instructed Du Juan, "Bring some ointment."
Du Juan then noticed the scrape on her palm and exclaimed, "Princess Consort, you're injured! Why didn't you say anything!"
As she spoke, she quickly grabbed the ointment and applied it to her.
Qin Xin was both heartbroken and furious: "Your Highness has gone too far. You pushed me for no reason. There is a proper order to marriage. You were the one who married in first. Liu Nanshi wanted to take your place as the principal wife, but Your Highness blamed all the mistakes on you!"
Shen Wantang's face remained expressionless, and she didn't care about the injury on her hand. In fact, she hoped that Xiao Qingyuan would hurt her as badly as possible, so that no one would suspect her and would only sympathize with her.
Everything was progressing as she had envisioned; the foreplay was complete, and the main event was about to begin.
"Qinxin, go and send a message to Lin Rouxin first thing tomorrow morning. Tell her that if Xiao Qingxi returns to the Huo family, she must do everything she can to bring her back."
Qin Xin couldn't understand: "Huh? Princess Consort, why? She's clearly targeting you and making things difficult for you at every turn. Do you still want her to stay in the Prince's Mansion?"
"If she doesn't live in the Prince's residence, who will constantly remind the Crown Prince that the woman he deeply loves is dead?"
Qin Xin found it even harder to understand: "Princess Consort, if she keeps reminding the Prince of this, he will be on the verge of madness every day. This is not good for you either. When the Prince goes crazy, he always likes to take it out on you first."
"It's alright, let him go crazy." She was even afraid he wouldn't go crazy!
Qin Xin had no choice but to nod in agreement: "Yes, I understand. I will go to the Huo family tomorrow."
——
Early the next morning, people arrived at the palace, and a group from the Xuan Ning Prince's residence entered the palace.
Xiao Qingxi had a bruised and swollen face, while Xiao Qingyuan's eyes were red. Neither of them paid any attention to the other, and each took a carriage, following Prince Ning and Princess Ning into the palace.
Shen Wantang naturally had to go as well.
After entering the palace, the three of them were forced to kneel outside the hall, while Prince Ning and his wife were severely reprimanded by the emperor inside the hall.
After the emperor finished his reprimand, the couple were summoned by the empress dowager for further instruction.
Shen Wantang and the other two knelt outside the palace from dawn until sunset.
For the first time, Shen Wantang experienced the pain that Gu Qianhan had suffered when he was forced to kneel. It was nothing short of torture!
No wonder the Empress was heartbroken when Gu Qianhan was punished to kneel last time, and even wanted to summon Princess Ning to the palace to scold her. It turns out that this was really hard to endure, and it could even give you the urge to die.
The excruciating pain traveled from my knee to my calf, and then from my calf to my whole body. At first, it was just pain, then numbness started, and then unbearable dizziness and nausea.
Thirsty and hungry, yet unable to eat or relieve their urgent needs, they had to suppress and endure everything.
By the time the kneeling punishment ended, Shen Wantang was completely unable to stand up.
On the way back to the Ning Prince's Mansion, Princess Ning was scolded all day, but she didn't have time to scold Xiao Qingyuan and Xiao Qingxi. She felt extremely sorry for them and massaged their legs. She also anxiously asked Shen Wantang for some ointment to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis.
Shen Wantang shook her head weakly: "Mother, I left in a hurry this time and didn't bring any medicine with me."
Princess Ning was somewhat disappointed. She touched her son's face and then her daughter's forehead: "You've suffered. Let's go home now. As soon as we get back, I'll apply medicine to you, and the pain will go away."
Xiao Qingxi clung to her and cried, "It's just that Liu Nanshi died, why is the Emperor so cruel to us? Does Father's face not even count as much as that of Grand Secretary Liu? We are punished just because Grand Secretary Liu filed a complaint, what kind of logic is that? The Emperor might as well just appoint Grand Secretary Liu himself!"
Princess Ning immediately covered her mouth: "Don't talk nonsense! Haven't you been punished enough today? Go back to the Huo family for the next two days, don't come back to the Prince's mansion, that way even if something happens, they won't be able to find you."
Xiao Qingxi nodded: "I understand."
After comforting her daughter, Princess Ning went to comfort her son. Seeing that her son wouldn't say a word, she felt heartbroken and burst into tears: "My Yuan'er, can't you make a sound? Are you trying to scare your mother to death?"
Xiao Qingyuan remained silent, so Princess Ning had no choice but to personally serve him tea. When she saw that he swallowed it, she was overjoyed and immediately gave him some snacks to eat.
After feeding this person, she hurriedly went to feed her daughter.
Shen Wantang sat in the corner, watching her mother-in-law take meticulous care of her two children, completely forgetting about her, the daughter-in-law. She tugged at the corner of her lips and licked her dry, chapped lips.
A mother-in-law is just a mother-in-law, and a daughter-in-law can only ever be a daughter-in-law. If she wants to have such a mother, she can't get married; the only way is to be reborn.
After returning to the Ning Prince's residence, the Ning Princess finally remembered her: "Tang'er, you should also go back to Wutong Courtyard and apply some medicine to your wounds. Remember to have someone send the best ointment to Yuan'er and Xi'er, one for each of them, and don't leave anyone out, understand?"
Shen Wantang said in a low voice, "Yes."
He specifically instructed her not to leave anyone out, fearing she might resent Xiao Qingxi and refuse to send her medicine.
You're overthinking it. How could she do something so foolish?
She'll certainly do a good job of putting on a show.
Back at Wutong Garden, Shen Wantang drank hot tea and ate a few pastries. The intense burning and cramping pain in her stomach subsided slightly, and she instructed Du Juan, "Go and get two bottles of bone and blood ointment for Granny Chai, and have her deliver them to Shizi and Xiao Qingxi."
Granny Chai took the medicine and immediately went to deliver it.
A moment later, she returned and reported, "Princess Consort, the medicine has been sent, but..."
"Just what?"
"But both bottles of medicine were thrown to the ground and smashed by the two masters."
Shen Wantang's expression remained unchanged: "Okay, I understand."
Qin Xin said indignantly, "The Crown Princess shouldn't have sent them medicine. They don't know what's good for them! Your medicine is made with rare and precious herbs, and its effects are excellent. It's such a waste to them!"
Shen Wantang said in a calm tone: "So, I didn't let Du Juan bring the good ones, I just brought two bottles that had long lost their effectiveness."
Qin Xin was taken aback: "Didn't you take it?"
Du Juan nodded: "No, the Crown Princess doesn't have any bone and blood ointment here, so as soon as the Crown Princess mentioned it, I knew what she meant."
Qin Xin felt much better after that: "Well done, that's how it should be done!"
Du Juan bent down again to apply medicine to Shen Wantang's knees. As she applied the medicine, she couldn't help but feel heartache: "Both legs are so swollen, and the bruises are frightening. I'm afraid you won't be able to walk tomorrow! Princess Consort, how long have you been kneeling?"
Shen Wantang smiled bitterly: "I entered the palace early in the morning and started kneeling until dark."
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