Chapter 296 Erecting a Monument: You Don't Care, But I Do!
She is Chu Chu, and she's erecting a monument for herself?
Shen Chu blinked.
Pei Yuan misunderstood her meaning and said, "Don't worry, I've already spoken to my father."
"Your father has already agreed to erect tombstones for all your children, so your sister is naturally entitled to her own."
There is a saying in the Great Wei Dynasty: "Buckwheat is not used as grain, and girls do not support their mothers."
This means that daughters will eventually marry into another family and become part of that family. Therefore, daughters who die before marriage or who die young cannot be buried in the ancestral graveyard.
Pei Yuan thought that Shen Chu did not erect a separate tombstone for his sister because of this concern.
"Build a cenotaph for your sister right next to your parents' gravestones, so the whole family can be together."
Shen Chu's eyes stung a little.
It's not that it's impossible.
During that year of hardship and displacement, during those years of nightmares, she thought more than once how wonderful it would have been if she had died with her parents.
She took a deep breath and turned to the Vice Minister, saying, "Please have the craftsmen erect two more cenotaphs next to my eldest and second brothers."
Vice Minister Yu immediately ordered the craftsmen to bring over two empty stone tablets.
Pei Yuan frowned.
"Two pieces? One for your sister, and who's the other one for? Are you going to move Shen Miaomiao here for burial?"
He remembered that Shen Chu had promised Aunt Qiao to include Shen Miaomiao in the Ning'an Marquis's family genealogy, thinking it was a tombstone for Shen Miaomiao.
“Last night I instructed Vice Minister Yu to set aside a separate tombstone over there. You can go and take a look.”
Shen Chu shook his head.
"It's not for Miaomiao."
At this point, the craftsman came over to ask whose name should be engraved on the two steles.
She said, "One is engraved with the tomb of sorrow and desolation, the other with the tomb of silence."
Although everyone now thinks he is silent.
But in reality, the young man had already died during the massacre of Liangzhou.
It makes no sense that the whole family erected a tombstone, but not the young man.
As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Yuan frowned.
"You are not allowed to carve a tombstone for silence. You are still alive. It is unlucky to erect a tombstone for yourself."
Shen Chu shook her head. "I don't care about that."
"You may not care, but I do!"
Pei Yuan's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of anger.
Shen Chu felt as if she had been hit hard by something, her heart trembling.
She said softly, "Sixth Brother, you said it yourself, that the family should be together, isn't that good?"
Pei Yuan was furious.
"Of course it's not good. You're still alive. You can come here to pay respects to them during festivals, and that will make them all together. Do you mean I want you to erect a monument for yourself?"
"A perfectly healthy person is standing right here, why are you carving a tombstone? No, you're not allowed to."
Shen Chu's eyes flickered slightly as she looked toward the tombstone beside her.
The craftsmen were all skilled, and several people carved at the same time, and the words "Tomb of Shen Chuchu" were already taking shape.
She's already set a goal for herself.
Now, he's standing silently for his brother, but there's no way to explain this to Pei Yuan.
She could only stubbornly say, "Everyone will die sooner or later, can't I carve a tombstone for myself in advance?"
Anyway, it'll be engraved after I die.
"When you get old, it will be your descendants who carve it for you. How can that be the same as if you carve it yourself now?"
Shen Chu was stung by those words.
“I don’t think there’s any difference. My eldest and second eldest brothers had them carved like this too. They didn’t even have the chance to grow up, let alone have their descendants carve them for them.”
I want to have a tombstone carved for myself just like theirs, why can't I?
"I don't even care about whether it's auspicious or not, so why does Your Highness keep stopping me?"
"I....."
Pei Yuan pursed his thin lips, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes.
He paused, then said in a deep voice, "Whatever."
After saying that, he suddenly turned and walked towards a corner of the cemetery.
He stood with his back to Shen Chu, hands on his hips, pacing around in frustration.
His tall figure exuded an aura of cold anger.
Minister Yu and all the craftsmen in the cemetery couldn't help but tremble three times.
The sixth prince, who was watching them carve the monument overnight, looked just like this last night.
That's terrifying.
The Vice Minister Yu looked at Shen Chu with admiration.
Lord Shen dared to ignore the Sixth Prince's dark expression and even argued with him.
Young Master Shen is truly a man of honor.
Little did he know that Lord Shen was somewhat annoyed as soon as he said those words.
She glanced at Pei Yuan's retreating figure, bit her lip, and still firmly instructed the craftsmen to carve a silent tombstone.
She couldn't let her brother become a lonely ghost.
After all the tombstones were erected, Vice Minister Yu presided over the sacrificial ceremony.
Although Pei Yuan still kept a stern face, he still earnestly offered incense on behalf of Emperor Longqing.
Vice Minister Yu said, "Young Master Shen, the Ministry of Rites has already prepared the Ning'an Marquis's residence. Tomorrow, the plaque will be officially hung up, and the ancestral hall will be opened for worship."
Shen Chu nodded, "Thank you all for your trouble. Please leave now. I'd like to spend some time alone with my family."
Vice Minister Yu nodded, his gaze towards Shen Chu filled with a touch of sympathy.
It's a pity about Lord Shen; his entire family was executed.
Even though he has now been exonerated, he is now all alone in the entire Ning'an Marquis's mansion.
The cemetery fell silent, with only the autumn sunlight filtering through the treetops and casting dappled shadows.
Shen Chu looked around and saw rows and rows of brand-new tombstones standing quietly.
Half of these tombs are empty cenotaphs.
She raised her hand and gently stroked the name on the tombstone.
Father, Mother, in a few months you will become maternal grandparents.
I will have a beautiful son and daughter. When they are older, I will bring them to pay homage to you.
Shen Chu stood quietly for a long time, silently saying goodbye to her family in her heart before leaving the cemetery.
Looking up, he saw Pei Yuan leaning against a large tree.
She was slightly taken aback. "You didn't leave?"
Judging from his agitated appearance just now, I thought he had gone down the mountain with the others.
Pei Yuan frowned slightly. "This place is remote. How could I possibly leave you alone?"
Shen Chu felt a warmth in her heart from the natural concern conveyed in those words.
Thinking back to how hasty I had been, I felt a little uncomfortable.
"About the tombstone..."
Pei Yuan strode over and waved his hand, saying, "If you want to be established as emperor, then be. Anyway, your father has already bestowed upon you the name Chen Chu."
I only considered you Chen Chu, not silence.
Chen Chu.......
Okay.
I actually convinced myself.
She remained silent for a moment, then swallowed back the explanation that was on the tip of her tongue.
"It's getting late, let's go down the mountain."
The two walked side by side down the mountain.
Along the way, Shen Chu noticed Pei Yuan's hesitant gaze.
Once she was seated in the carriage, she couldn't help but ask, "Sixth Brother, if you have something to say, just say it."
Pei Yuan looked up at the ceiling of the carriage and then wiped the walls, acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Ah, no...it's nothing."
Shen Chu looked at him with suspicion, "Really not?"
Pei Yuan shook his head listlessly. "No."
"Oh, never mind if you don't have it."
Chen Chu began to close his eyes and rest.
Pei Yuan covered his lips with his hand, cleared his throat, and asked casually, "Last time I saw Luo Heng give you a jade Guanyin, I heard it was a pair, why haven't I seen you wear it?"
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