Chapter 90: This Marquis is Chen Shuwei’s Father
Madam Li suppressed her resentment, pulled out a ruby hairpin from her hair, forced a smile and put it into Shen Shuwei's hand, "Your Highness is right. I only thought about finding a good marriage, but I forgot that my children have grown up and have their own thoughts."
"This hairpin was brought back by a merchant from the Western Regions some time ago. My unworthy eldest son spent a lot of money to buy it. It is my aunt's apology for disturbing you today."
Even now, Madam Li still didn't forget to save face. Chen Shu smiled calmly as he took the hairpin and gave it to Madam Li. "I accept Madam's kindness. Please tell Master Li clearly when you return home that I have no feelings for him and there's no need to bother me anymore."
Madam Li's face almost fell again, but Princess Rongyang was sitting at the top looking at her. She forced a smile and said, "I will explain it to Jue'er when I get back. Jue'er and I were instigated by someone with ulterior motives."
When she said this, Madam Li scowled at Marquis Jingning who was standing silently beside her.
After delivering the apology gift, Mrs. Li left in a hurry with a downcast face.
Marquis Jingning, that idiot, really made her lose face today. Thinking of her youngest son who was still at home and was looking forward to her taking Shen Shuwei back as a concubine, Madam Li couldn't help but get angry with him too.
If she were to ask herself, she knew that Shen Shuwei had done nothing wrong. Although none of the four sons in the family were very ambitious, at least the first three still had serious things to do.
As for Li Jue! He was idle at home all day, refusing to go to the Imperial Household Department Temple that he had asked him to go to because he thought it was too tiring. He was just playing with cats and dogs at home, and even licked his ex-fiancée who had broken off their engagement, causing her, as a mother, to be scolded.
After Madam Li left, Marquis Jingning also wanted to take his leave. How could Princess Rongyang let him go so easily?
She knew that Marquis Jingning had attached himself to the Third Prince and had often used him as a pretext to bully others. She disliked the three of them, Concubine Rou and her son, and Marquis Jingning had just happened to run into her.
"Is Marquis Jingning deaf? Didn't he hear what I said earlier?" Princess Rongyang looked at him meaningfully. "You've shown off enough power at the Shen family and you want to leave?"
Marquis Jingning's brows knitted together as he listened to Princess Rongyang's questioning. He had already been deeply dissatisfied with Princess Rongyang. A married woman should have been conscientiously tending to household chores in the inner chambers. It was inappropriate for her to be out and about all day, and now she was lecturing him.
Although Jingning Hou thought so in his heart, he did not dare to show it on his face. He said with a stern face: "Your Highness, this is wrong. I am Chen Shuwei's father after all. According to the Confucian Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, it is natural for a father to teach his daughter."
“This marquis apologized to Chen Shuwei, and she is not afraid of shortening her life.”
The more Jingning Hou spoke, the more he felt polite, and his back straightened.
The eldest princess is just a woman, how could she understand the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues? Asking him to admit his mistake like Chen Shuwei is really going against the will of heaven.
Princess Rongyang noticed the arrogance on his face, suppressed Shen Shuwei's words, and sneered playfully, "Even my brother doesn't dare to say anything about me, and yet Marquis Jingning is giving me a lecture. He's really very bold!"
"Come here, give my brother a sealed letter. Marquis Jingning is so lawless that he not only broke into the Shen family but also dared to scold me for not understanding ethics and moral principles."
"I'd like to ask my brother, who is really backing Marquis Jingning? He's so confident!"
Princess Rongyang slammed the table.
Marquis Jingning was panicked, but he was more angry at himself and felt that Princess Rongyang was making a big deal out of nothing.
He gritted his teeth and was about to throw his pride aside and plead for himself when the people brought by Princess Rongyang swarmed over and took him away.
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Chen Heng was the first person to discover that something had happened at home. Something had happened at the home of his mentor, so he had to rush there. After half a day of handling the matter, he returned home and found that many guards with stern faces were standing in front of his house. Chen Shuwei was accompanying Princess Rongyang to get on the carriage.
Shen Heng was stunned for a moment, then quickly stepped forward to greet him.
Princess Rongyang was about to leave, but when she saw Chen Heng approaching and greeting her, she raised the curtain and said a few words before leaving. In front of the neighbors who were watching the excitement, this was considered giving the Shen family enough face.
Shen Zhang also came back at this time, accompanied by Shen Zhiyang. When they saw Princess Rongyang's carriage leaving in a grand manner, they quickly stepped aside.
After Princess Rongyang's carriage had gone far away, the two men quickly came to Shen Shuwei and Shen Heng.
"But Princess Rongyang has come to deliver the imperial edict?" Chen Zhang was receiving an award in front of the palace. He was still wearing a brand new court robe, but his mouth was straight and he could not hide the joy on his face.
Chen Shuwei nodded. She didn't want to bring up the mess between Marquis Jingning and the Li family to upset them, lest they blame themselves for not protecting her at home.
"Why did Second Brother come back with Ayang?" Shen Shuwei asked.
Shen Zhang's eyes were a little flustered, and he was about to reach out to cover Shen Zhiyang's mouth. Unexpectedly, Shen Zhiyang was one step ahead of him, and said with a smile: "Second brother has an appointment with Miss Ruan San, and he was embarrassed to go alone, so he brought me along - wuwuwu!"
Miss Ruan San, isn't that Ruan Jingtang? Shen Shuwei glanced at Shen Zhang subtly.
The latter's cheeks were a little red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Next time, pester me to buy you some cakes and snacks, but I don't have any left."
Shen Zhiyang's eyes widened and she moaned even more violently.
Shen Zhang let go of her hand unhappily. Meeting the inquiring gazes of Shen Shuwei and Shen Heng, he explained uncomfortably, "She bumped into me yesterday and insisted I make her a swing exactly like the one Ayang had."
"I originally wanted to go and explain this this morning, but I got delayed before the Emperor. It was not convenient for me to go alone, so I brought Ayang with me."
Ruan Jingtang relied on his family's doting to act like a child. He could invite men from other families to visit him, but he could not really be impolite and go to the girl's courtyard.
Thinking that Ruan Jingtang was not angry at being rejected by herself, she just opened her big watery eyes and asked herself seriously what she should do to get him to build the swing for her. Should she marry him into the family like her elder brother married his sister-in-law?
Shen Zhang rarely got choked, and he glanced at Shen Zhiyang warningly. At that time, she was coughing from laughing beside him.
After receiving his second brother's warning, Shen Zhiyang moved slowly and guiltily towards Shen Shuwei like a little turtle.
But when she was about to move behind Shen Shuwei, Shen Zhang stretched out his arms, picked her up like a chicken, and stared at her with a forced smile.
Shen Zhiyang hung her head dejectedly, having seen her second brother make fun of her. She felt that he was holding a grudge against her.
Chen Shuwei looked back and forth between the brother and sister, chuckled, and changed the subject: "Did anything else happen in the court today?"
Considering the scene of the Crown Prince falling into the trap yesterday, Chen Shuwei didn't believe that no one would challenge him at the morning court today.
Seeing Shen Shuwei asking this, Shen Zhang's face became more serious and he invited everyone into the inner room.
After the door was closed tightly, Chen Zhang took another sip of tea before saying, "This morning at court, the Second Prince and his maternal family, Duke Wen, suddenly appeared and accused the Crown Prince of embezzling disaster relief funds, which led to the refugees rioting."
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