"Oh? So you're saying you're going to sever all ties with the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion and change your surname to Shen again?"
Song Yuqing was speechless for a moment. She originally thought that as long as Shen Shi acknowledged her identity, she could return to the Shen family often and get a place in the Shen State Duke's Mansion.
In this way, she could enjoy the same treatment and resources as the legitimate daughter of both the Duke of Shen's mansion and the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion.
In the future, if she marries Crown Prince Qi Jingcheng, she will be able to help him and make him look at her with new respect.
However, Shen Shi's gaze was sharp as a knife, as if he could see into Song Yuqing's heart.
His words were laced with sarcasm, but Song Yuqing was no fool; she understood perfectly.
Her cheeks flushed, her fists clenched, and beads of sweat poured out from her clenched fists.
“Grandfather, although my parents are more important to me, they gave me life after all, and I have no intention of severing ties with the Marquis’s mansion.”
Song Yuqing tried her best to keep her tone calm.
After all, her purpose in coming here was to get Shen Shi to acknowledge her identity so that she could marry Crown Prince Qi Jingcheng smoothly.
However, Shen Shi refused her without hesitation: "Since that's not it, please leave. Show her out!"
Song Yuqing wanted to say something more, but seeing Shen Shi's gloomy face, she could only open her mouth but didn't say anything.
She was still somewhat afraid of Shen Shi.
General Shen Shi had fought on the frontier for many years, and the aura he exuded was awe-inspiring.
Let alone Song Yuqing, a sixteen-year-old girl, even enemy soldiers would tremble in fear upon seeing him.
Her face flushed red, and she dared not say another word as she watched the servants of the Duke's mansion standing in front of her, looking as if they were about to kick her out.
She looked up at Chen Cheng, hoping he would say a few words on her behalf.
However, Shen Cheng seemed not to see her pitiful eyes, and coldly said, "Yu Qing, you should go back first."
"Father...I..."
Shen Cheng turned his face away.
Song Yuqing could only look at Zhou Shi.
Zhou intended to speak up for Song Yuqing, but she had no standing to speak in front of Shen Shi, unlike her second daughter, Shen Danru.
She decided to go to Muxue Garden later and have Ru'er persuade the grandfather.
Thinking of this, Zhou gestured for Song Yuqing to go back first, saying she would find a way.
Sure enough, as soon as Song Yuqing left, Zhou came to Shen Danru's courtyard.
"Mother, I can't help you with this. You should go and talk to Grandfather yourself."
"Ru'er, just consider it repaying the favor you owed at the Marquis's mansion, and help Yu Qing."
Shen Danru's eyes turned icy cold instantly: "Tell me, what do I owe the Marquis's mansion?"
It would have been better if Zhou hadn't brought this up, but now that it's been brought up, Shen Danru wants to have a good talk with her mother.
"Don't mention it again, what I said about enjoying fifteen years of good fortune in the Marquis's mansion on behalf of Song Yuqing. Did I ask you to switch babies back then?"
Mrs. Zhou was taken aback, not expecting her daughter to say such a thing.
"During my years in the Marquis's residence, they did indeed provide for me and gave me a courtyard to live in. However, I never felt any love from the Marquis and his wife. Moreover, shouldn't they also consider the glory I brought to the Marquis's residence?"
"So it's not certain who owes whom."
Shen Danru pressed on relentlessly, leaving Zhou speechless.
Zhou thought to herself that Ru'er's words did indeed make sense.
If anyone owes someone anything, it's that she and Madam Song switched babies back then, and she owes Yu Qing, not Ru'er.
"Ru'er, I will never mention that you owe her again. But Yu Qing is also a child I raised. For my sake, could you..."
"cannot."
Before Zhou could finish speaking, Shen Danru refused without hesitation.
Seeing that Shen Danru was so resolute and showed no mercy, Zhou felt a chill in her heart.
It is often said that daughters are considerate, but she saw none of that in Ru'er.
As expected, children raised later in life have no emotional connection to their parents and cannot be truly nurtured.
In a daze, she found herself in her own courtyard.
Seeing that her face looked pale, Shen Xiaohua quickly helped her up: "Second Aunt, what's wrong?"
When Zhou saw that it was Shen Xiaohua, her eyes softened a little more.
"Xiaohua, I'm fine."
Shen Xiaohua helped Zhou Shi back to her room and massaged her shoulders.
Zhou thought to herself, if only her two daughters could be as thoughtful as Xiaohua.
Lan'er and Ru'er, now...
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.
She felt that the five children were becoming more and more distant from her, and the intimacy they had when they were in Shangqing Village was gone.
Looking back, the first thing the children would call out to when they came in was her, their mother.
Just then, Shen Cheng finished speaking with Shen Shi and returned to Wusong Hall.
Seeing that Zhou seemed to have something to say to Shen Cheng, Shen Xiaohua bowed and withdrew.
"Husband, could you discuss Yu Qing's matter with Father and ask him to let her marry as the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion?"
Shen Cheng sighed deeply, his tone filled with helplessness.
“Alas, times have changed. If we were still like we were in Shangqing Village, we would let Qing’er do whatever she wanted. However, she is, after all, the daughter of Marquis Xuanping.”
“I don’t care whose daughter she is, she is our daughter, she is someone I raised with my own hands.”
"Qiaoqiao, this matter doesn't just concern Yu Qing alone; it also involves the political affairs of the court. After all, she's going to become the Crown Prince's concubine. If we get too close to Qing'er, wouldn't that force the Duke's mansion to take sides?"
Shen Cheng originally did not want to analyze the current situation in detail with Zhou Shi. She was just a woman, and even if he explained it to her, she would find it difficult to understand.
But if he didn't explain things clearly to Zhou now, he was worried that Zhou might do something foolish.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
