Chapter 3: The disparity in betrothal gifts is too great.
The wedding date was quickly set. Fearing that things might change, Shen Mingxuan chose the nearest auspicious day, August 18th, which meant she would be getting married in a month.
Shen Wantang's wedding date was set for September 20th, a month after Shen Mingxuan's.
The mansion became lively, with people coming and going in and out in an endless stream.
As Shen Mingxuan's wedding approached, her courtyard was already filled with dowry chests.
Standing in the courtyard, Madam Qi's expression was not good: "Xuan'er, although your father's official position is not high, we are still an official family with a good reputation. This Liao family is really outrageous. The betrothal gifts are only six loads, and the geese they sent when proposing marriage are not even live geese, but wooden carvings! They are so stingy. Do you know how people outside are laughing at you?"
Shen Mingxuan looked at her unhappily: "Mother, can you please stop being so short-sighted? It's okay if the dowry is a little less. It may seem like I'm at a disadvantage now, but when Liao Youhe is promoted and ennobled, I'll have endless blessings. Then, all those who laughed at me will be proven wrong. They'll all envy me for marrying such a good husband! Humph, even the princess will come to steal my husband!"
Madam Qi sighed heavily: "Although you are certain that Liao Youhe will be promoted and appreciated by the emperor in the future, I still feel uneasy."
Shen Mingxuan said confidently, "Mother, you can rest assured. What I say is always true. Otherwise, why would I marry Liao Youhe? I've never met him before."
Speaking of this, even Madam Qi found it mysterious and profound.
Liao Youhe was originally the husband she chose for Shen Wantang. There were several other candidates as well, but they were either very old widowers or playboys who liked to philander.
She deliberately put these people together and showed them to Shen Guannian. After seeing them, Shen Guannian would naturally choose Liao Youhe as Shen Wantang's husband.
But only the couple knew about this; Shen Wantang didn't know, and Shen Mingxuan had even less chance of knowing.
She immediately recognized Liao Youhe's name and even knew everything about his background and family circumstances.
So when her daughter said that she had lived a whole life before and that this time she had come back to live it all over again, Qi Shi believed her to some extent.
But despite believing it, I still felt very indignant.
Her tone was incredibly sarcastic: "Marriage is a lifelong commitment. Look at Shen Wantang's betrothal gifts, they amounted to a full 108 loads!"
"The Prince Ning's mansion values her so much, even your father treats her differently, wishing he could elevate her to the heavens. She's just a lowly concubine's pet, yet she's worthy of marrying into the Prince's mansion as the heir's legal wife. I'm disgusted!"
"Why should such a good marriage be given to her? If you ask me, even if you don't want it, you can't let her have it so easily! She should live a hard life and be tormented to death by her wicked mother-in-law and sister-in-law. How can you let her go to the royal palace to enjoy a life of luxury?"
Shen Mingxuan recalled the days in her previous life when she was cursed and imprisoned by Xiao Qingyuan, the pain and fear of being bitten by rats and sucked by ticks and fleas in prison, and the nightmares of being beaten and humiliated by the prison guards. She spoke coldly, "How do you know she went to the Prince's Mansion to enjoy herself? The Prince's Mansion is not a place for humans!"
"That seemingly kind Princess Ning is actually a vicious woman! She loves to set rules for her daughter-in-law, loves to make things difficult for people, and even takes out her anger at her son being seduced by a nun on her new daughter-in-law. Shen Wantang will never have a good day after marrying into that family!"
"And then there's Prince Ning. He considers himself a member of the imperial family and looks down on families like ours. I only made a small mistake before, and he almost had me beaten to death! He treats human life like dirt. Shen Wantang has always been unruly since she was a child. After she marries him, she will definitely keep making mistakes. Prince Ning will surely beat her until she's covered in blood soon!"
"But what's most unbearable isn't them, it's that prince! He's like he's been bewitched, protecting that nun who's carrying an illegitimate child like the apple of his eye. He can't even say a bad word about her; if he does, he goes crazy!"
"Moreover, he is most averse to anyone looking like that nun. Anyone who looks like her is seen as a stain on his white moonlight and someone who ruins their face. And Shen Wantang happens to look most like her. Mother, do you think Shen Wantang can have a good marriage? Do you still think she will enjoy a life of luxury after marrying into the royal family?"
Madam Qi listened with trepidation. Could what her daughter was saying be something she had personally experienced in her past life? Was her life really that miserable? Was the seemingly prosperous and beautiful Ning Prince's Mansion actually such a deadly den of dragons and tigers?
Qi Shi's anger suddenly subsided. It was good that Shen Wantang couldn't enjoy happiness; it would be best if the Prince of Ning's son could ruin her face.
Her face is exactly the same as her vixen mother's!
Shen Guannian was so bewitched by that vixen that he slept in her room for seven whole years, ignoring everyone else.
Qi lived a life of widowhood for seven years before finally managing to kill the vixen. Only then did Shen Guannian return to the main courtyard to eat and sleep.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shen Guannian was showing his fatherly love to Shen Wantang, his illegitimate daughter.
"I remember you, like your aunt, enjoy reading and writing. You can take this inkstone and use it!"
Shen Wantang accepted it: "Thank you, Father."
"And this jade bracelet, it was left to you by your grandmother, you can have it too!"
Shen Wantang accepted it anyway, bowing her head respectfully to express her gratitude.
Ever since the marriage with the Prince's family was arranged, Shen Guannian has been sending her gifts.
No matter what he gave her, Shen Wantang accepted it all. By now, her room already contained quite a few valuable paintings, calligraphy, gold, silver and jade ornaments.
In her previous life, Shen Wantang married Liao Youhe. Shen Guannian only gave her a copy of "Admonitions for Women," instructing her to be filial to her parents-in-law and serve her husband after she went to the Liao family. That was all.
The things he's giving her now were all originally given to Shen Mingxuan. Shen Mingxuan was able to survive in prison for half a year by bribing the prison guards with these things.
After delivering the gifts, Shen Guannian routinely reminded Shen Wantang, "They say that once a daughter is married, she is like water spilled from a cup, but that's not true for my daughter, Shen Guannian. Even if you marry into the royal family, you will still be my daughter."
At first glance, these words might seem like he genuinely dotes on his daughter, but Shen Wantang knew he had more to say.
Sure enough, he then added, “You must remember that the Shen family is your home. No matter what, you must do your best to help your maternal family. Your brothers and I are your greatest support. If I rise to prominence, you will have confidence in the Prince’s Mansion. If your brothers have a bright future, you will be more valued in the Prince’s Mansion. The Shen family comes first, then the Prince’s Mansion, and finally yourself.”
Shen Wantang remained respectful: "Father's words will be remembered by your daughter."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
