Chapter 26 Chapter 26 "I will welcome Chen Tan into the house."...
Shen Jingzhan looked up, he didn't say anything, his expression was normal, but it made Mrs. Shen feel a little inexplicably flustered and embarrassed.
Madam Shen was somewhat afraid of her outstanding eldest son. Even though he was her own flesh and blood, he was aloof and taciturn, and not as close to her as others.
It was mainly because of an incident many years ago. Madam Shen took the young Shen Jingzhan out to worship Buddha, but did not arrange for proper guards, which led to the young Shen Jingzhan being drugged, abducted, and taken away.
After falling into the hands of the thieves and suffering inhuman torture for a period of time, he looked a little depressed when he was rescued.
During that period, he always held an object in his hand, and no one knew what it was. He always remained silent for a long time.
The struggle between the noble families has never stopped. Shen Jingzhan is so outstanding that he naturally attracts much attention. As the saying goes, the first bird to stick its head out gets shot. Lord Shen also told Madam Shen to be careful in the past. It was all her fault for being lax for a while, so she felt guilty.
But even if Mrs. Shen was careful, Shen Jingzhan still encountered an assassination before the imperial examination a few years later.
He left no trace, and this time the Shen family almost thought he was dead. After all, even after asking the emperor to send out the Imperial Guards, they still couldn't find his enemies or the people who tried to murder him.
Unexpectedly, on the eve of the imperial examination, he appeared in the capital. Upon asking, it turned out that he had been sent to the Western Regions?
I felt sorry for his unfortunate fate and wanted him to have a good rest and not take part in the scientific expedition, but he insisted on going.
Unexpectedly, he passed the imperial examination with great success, became famous, entered the officialdom, and was promoted to the emperor's presence.
Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. How could one get by in front of the emperor? However, no matter how many difficult problems he encountered, he would deal with them one by one. In just one year, everyone in the court knew that the cold-faced Jade Man in front of the emperor had surpassed his father in prestige.
In view of this, Mrs. Shen didn't dare to control him, and the people in the family were also afraid of him. Only Old Lady Shen dared to say something.
His marriage was delayed again and again, Lord Shen put pressure on her, and Mrs. Shen was very worried, but she still didn't dare to force him to get married.
The other day, the sister-in-law from the second room came to see Madam Shen and said that there was a vacancy for a county magistrate on the border of the imperial court, and the emperor had chosen a member of the Shen family, so Shen Jiaxian was sent out.
This seemingly compassionate title was something that others could not even ask for, but for the children of wealthy families, it was simply exile.
The place where they were assigned was full of wind and sand, and it was a miserable place with no one living there. The second room came to beg Madam Shen, hoping to find Shen Jingzhan to ask for a favor and help put in a good word.
But Madam Shen couldn't find Shen Jingzhan. She went to pay her respects to the old lady yesterday, and somehow she heard that he was getting married?
Mrs. Shen was shocked and confused.
I waited for a long time today and was thinking about where to find him, but he actually went back home.
"Mother is not questioning you, she is just worried..." She smiled and explained to Shen Jingzhan that if they got married, they would have to prepare many things and choose an auspicious date.
After finishing speaking, Mrs. Shen felt that she had not spoken well. How could Shen Jingzhan not know these things? Even if he had not married, he had seen a lot.
So, Madam Shen changed her mind and said, "All these red tapes cannot be omitted, and the details must be paid more attention to. Mother is worried that you can't handle it alone, or that men can't think about women's thoughts, which makes the woman feel wronged and think that the Shen family has treated her lightly."
Since Shen Jingzhan values that unknown marriage partner, he might as well start with him.
Even though this person might not exist, after all, Mrs. Shen said that he just said one sentence without naming anyone, so he was most likely lying.
But Mrs. Shen felt that "there might be such a person". Did Shen Jingzhan lie?
No, he just keeps his word.
After hearing this, the man in front of him picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly, looking very nonchalant.
Mrs. Shen looked at him, waiting for his answer.
After a while, he answered the question irrelevantly, "Besides that, what else did grandma say to mother?"
Surprisingly, she didn't confuse him. It was unexpected yet expected. Madam Shen smiled awkwardly, "She didn't say anything. She just said that you have to get married by the end of next spring at the latest."
"It's the end of next spring. This... this is already the end of the year."
"Can everything be ready in three months?"
"Don't worry, mother." He smiled, "my son is ready."
"Ah?" Mrs. Shen was shocked, "Are you ready?" How come she didn't hear any sound or see any movement.
Shen Jingzhan gently put down the teacup, and his slender finger bones lightly tapped the edge of the teacup, "Well, it's been prepared for a long time."
I have seen it countless times several years ago. The wedding dress was embroidered by him himself, so I naturally cannot tell you about this.
“Then…” Madam Shen still wanted to beat around the bush, but she was afraid that if she asked too many roundabout questions, he would be upset.
I could only take a step back and ask directly, "Is there anything I can help you with, mother?"
I didn't expect to get any words out of Shen Jingzhan, and this question might be directly answered by him.
Unexpectedly, after thinking seriously for a moment, he actually spoke.
"Everything in the house needs to be replaced with new and better ones, just let mother take care of it."
Mrs. Shen was very excited, “What else?”
"Besides that, if it is convenient for mother, you can add some dowry for her."
"It's convenient, it's convenient. Why isn't it convenient?" After finally waiting for his words of discussion, Mrs. Shen nodded in response.
Shen Jingzhan stood up and bowed to her in a proper manner, "In this case, I'll trouble you, mother. This matter needs to be kept secret for the time being, mother..."
Before Shen Jingzhan finished speaking, Madam Shen nodded and said that she understood and would never spread the news to avoid causing unnecessary panic and rumors and scaring the other party.
"Thank you, son." He bent even more.
Caught off guard by his gift, Mrs. Shen couldn't help but sit up straight.
I want to know more and more which family this girl belongs to.
But I racked my brains and couldn't guess it.
“…”
While the Shen family was preparing for the wedding, the Wei family was shrouded in worry.
At that promotion banquet, Wei Ruzhuo got into trouble because he spoke without restraint after drinking.
The Minister of Rites heard the news from somewhere and called him over. He gave him a severe scolding, mocking him openly and covertly for being impatient at a young age and saying that even if he had ambitions, he should consider himself carefully.
Wei Ruzhuo was slapped in the face and was very embarrassed, but this was not the most important thing. The important thing was that he was suspended.
How could someone be suspended right after taking office? This is really walking into trouble.
The rise and fall is really fast.
A few days ago, everyone was complimenting him, but now everyone is keeping their distance and even speaking coldly to him.
Wei Ruzhuo went back to the Wei family to hide. Pang Shi was frightened and fell ill. She was angry and scolded Zhu Yinluan for insisting on organizing the promotion banquet, which caused the trouble. She also blamed him for not caring about Wei Ruzhuo and not reminding him!
But she completely forgot that it was she who suggested and ordered her to host the promotion banquet, and it was also she who asked Zhu Yinluan to obey Wei Ruzhuo in everything and not to contradict him.
Now that something has happened, it's all Zhu Yinluan's fault.
The Wei family is about to fall into chaos.
Pang's scolding continued in the inner room. Wei Ruzhuo felt a headache after hearing it. He snorted, and Pang stopped reluctantly and glared at Zhu Yinluan who was silent beside him.
"Mother, please be quiet for a while." Wei Ruzhuo held his head with both hands, his brows furrowed.
Pang Shi sobbed, "What should I do, Zhuo Ge'er?"
"Your father hasn't come back yet, so I'm afraid he can't help you. Is there anyone in the capital who can lend a hand? Your former colleagues..."
The relatives of the Wei family have been in a lower position in recent years, and no one has a higher official position than Wei Ruzhuo.
Now that he had offended the Shangshu, he was afraid that his position as the Minister of Rites would be lost. Who would dare to help him? Besides, Wei Ruzhuo's father had offended his superiors and was sent out, and he had not been transferred back yet. With this precedent, who would dare to rashly help him?
To put it bluntly, people's hearts are hidden, and it is best for relatives and clansmen to live a similar life. Now that you have risen to prominence and are so arrogant, how many people are secretly happy about your fall? Wasn't this rumor spread by the Wei family?
Wei Ruzhuo shook his head, "...No." He had already looked for them, and they all said that it was not that they didn't want to help, but that they didn't have enough strength. Who would dare to frown on the Shangshu?
There is no higher official position than that of Shangshu.
Pang looked at Zhu Yinluan and yelled angrily, "Can't you think of a solution? Just sit here and do nothing!?"
Zhu Yinluan helped her stir the medicine in the bowl, "My wife has sent a message home."
"Your elder sister has gone back to ask for help, but you are the only one who is just writing a letter! Don't you know the situation is urgent?"
Zhu Yinluan didn't say anything. Her eldest sister didn't go to ask for help, she was clearly running away. She was also afraid that the Wei family would be left alone and she would get into trouble. When she heard the news, she ran faster than anyone else. Even so, Pang Shi still praised her.
Zhu Yinluan wanted to laugh when he thought about this.
"Not only can you not help, but you're also a hindrance!" Pang Shi scolded her again.
Wei Ruzhuo frowned, and Yun's mother couldn't help but feel sorry for Zhu Yinluan, but Pang Shi was angry, so Yun's mother didn't dare to say anything.
"I have sent a message to my younger sister. They said they would help me find my brother-in-law and see if they can get in touch with him to make amends to the Minister."
Wei Mingyan quickly offered to help after receiving the news, but the Guanglu Temple was probably powerless as its official rank was not as high as that of the six ministries.
"Oh..." Pang Shi cried again.
This New Year's Eve is the quietest one for the Wei family in recent years.
None of the relatives and outlying branches came to visit, all saying that they had something going on at home, and only sent some ordinary gifts.
During this period, Zhu Chentan came frequently to coax Pang Shi and comfort Wei Ruzhuo, saying that things would definitely get better.
Seeing this, Zhu Yinluan guessed that there would be a turning point in the incident where Wei Ruzhuo was scolded for speaking without restraint, otherwise, he would definitely become an abandoned child of his eldest sister.
Therefore, Zhu Yinluan was not too worried about being implicated. Besides, it was useless for her to panic as she really had no other choice.
The calmer she was, the more Pang disliked her and she would scold Zhu Yinluan three times a day.
The Wei family was very depressed during the New Year. There were almost no lights or decorations and the atmosphere was dull. The only highlight was the night when Zhu Yinluan kept vigil and saw a beautiful and dazzling fireworks feast.
At that time, she was helping Pang Shi keep an eye on the medicine. She heard a noise outside and just as she looked up, Jiaohui and Mingya ran in and told her to go out and take a look. Then they pulled her out.
Zhu Yinluan had never seen such dazzling fireworks, all kinds of colors, rising up to the sky and exploding at the same time, almost illuminating the entire capital city as bright as day. For a moment, she looked up in a daze, and her heart was relieved.
Jiao Hui looked at her profile and said casually,
"I heard that Master Shen bought it specially to celebrate the new year and cheer up his family."
Zhu Yinluan heard the three words "Master Shen" in a trance, turned her head and looked over, but said nothing.
“…”
After the Chinese New Year, in February, Wei Ruzhuo was still suspended from his job. He had tried all the possible ways out, and now he had to rely on the Zhu family for help.
It was the first time that Wei Ruzhuo felt such a huge setback and felt a little depressed.
He followed Lord Zhu and Zhu Mingsheng out of the Shangshu Mansion and returned to the Zhu family first.
Zhu Chentan stepped forward and asked, "Brother, father, how is it?"
"The Minister did not show up." Zhu Mingsheng said.
Mrs. Zhu was silent for a while. Zhu Chentan was anxious, "Could it be possible?..."
The cards she bet on are not good again?
"Don't worry. Although Lord Shangshu didn't show up, he didn't turn us away. Let's wait a little longer." Lord Zhu said.
There is such a sentence, after all, it is too broad.
During the meal, Wei Ruzhuo offered wine to thank Lord Zhu and Zhu Mingsheng for their help, and said that they would definitely be grateful to each other in the future.
Seeing this, Mrs. Zhu gave Lord Zhu a look.
Lord Zhu smiled and said, "Ruzhuo, the Wei family offended the Shangshu, and everyone avoided them. You should know why our Zhu family never gave up and helped the Wei family."
Wei Ruzhuo paused and looked at Zhu Chentan, who pursed his lips and said nothing, with a somewhat shy and timid expression. Such an expression inexplicably reminded Wei Ruzhuo of another person at home.
There was a moment of silence. Wei Ruzhuo put his thoughts aside and picked up the wine and drank it all.
"My son-in-law understands. When this matter is over, I will welcome Chen Tan into the family."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
