The lady did not say anything, and the servants naturally did not dare to say anything either. They all lowered their heads.
Seeing that the lady was obviously considering whether to give Chu Qianchen a dowry of 30,000 taels, Chu Lingxiao felt even more unhappy.
"mother……"
Chu Lingxiao just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by the lady who said decisively: "Okay, I promise you."
The lady had noticed that Chu Lingxiao and Aunt Jiang had a surprisingly consistent understanding on Chu Qianchen's matter. They always said the wrong things. If they continued talking, they would have no chance of coaxing Chu Qianchen back.
These two people, it was such a simple thing but they handled it like this!
Chu Qianchen put down the teacup, without even looking at Chu Lingxiao, and said calmly: "Bring the banknotes first."
Madam: “…”
The lady's face was almost tense, and she ordered the second butler, "Go back to Rongfu Hall and get 30,000 taels of silver."
She was also afraid that Chu Lingxiao and Aunt Jiang would cause trouble here again, so she asked them to go back to the Marquis' Mansion first.
After a while, Chu Qianchen and the grandma's grandson were the only ones left in the pavilion.
Chu Qianchen smiled, and did not show any fear when facing the Madam alone. He was at ease and even asked the Madam with interest: "Grandma, do you want to play chess?"
The old lady was in no mood to play chess with Chu Qianchen. She felt that Chu Qianchen was trying to please her.
She pretended not to hear and deliberately said to Nanny Wang: "The tea is cold. Change it for me."
The lady was still angry about the 30,000 taels of silver for the dowry and was deliberately treating Chu Qianchen coldly.
However, Chu Qianchen didn't care at all and ordered Amber to bring the chessboard and chess box.
After that, she no longer paid any attention to the lady and continued playing chess by herself.
For her, it didn’t matter if the lady didn’t play with her. She could play with herself and enjoy herself.
Next, one could hear the sound of black and white chess pieces falling one after another, and each of Chu Qianchen's pieces fell cleanly and without hesitation.
The lady didn't care at first, but sitting here with nothing to do except drinking tea was really boring.
But since Chu Qianchen started playing chess, he never paid any attention to the lady anymore. He looked focused and completely immersed in the world of Go.
The lady's expression became increasingly ugly, and she felt as if she was being ignored by Chu Qianchen.
The following time passed very slowly for the lady, almost torturously.
From time to time, she looked towards the entrance of the yard, wanting to see if the second butler had returned.
When the sun was half way down, the second butler finally came back with 30,000 taels of silver, and the lady breathed a sigh of relief.
The silver notes were handed from the second butler to Amber. Amber counted them and saw that there were three silver notes of ten thousand taels in total, all of which were bills from Huatai Money House in Beijing.
Amber nodded at Chu Qianchen. She seemed calm, but in fact her feet were almost floating and she almost pinched her thigh.
The second girl just stayed at the farm for two days and got the 30,000 taels of silver so easily? !
The lady urged slightly irritably, "Sister Chen, can we go now?"
Chu Qianchen casually picked up a white piece from the chess box and placed it carelessly on the chessboard covered with chess pieces. Then he stroked his sleeves elegantly and said, "Well, let's go back home."
She looked so leisurely, as if she had agreed to return to the Marquis' Mansion reluctantly, which made Madam Tai so angry that she almost had a heart attack.
The lady had been feeling uneasy ever since she arrived at Yanghezhuang. She felt a breath stuck in her chest, which was heaving up and down, and her face looked extremely ugly.
Chu Qianchen didn't care what the old lady thought of her. No matter how much they disliked her, they couldn't do anything to her. Anyway, the banknote was already in her hands, and no one could get it back.
Amber smiled and said, "Second Miss, everything is packed and can be loaded onto the carriage."
Chu Qianchen came to Yanghezhuang for a short stay this time, and he didn't bring much stuff with him. After an incense stick of time, the servants in the manor loaded these things onto the carriage. The grandfather and grandson also got on their respective carriages and finally set out on their journey back to Beijing.
The lady had never felt so aggrieved in her life. Nanny Wang tried to persuade her for a long time and said all the good things along the way. When the carriage arrived at the Marquis's residence, she had calmed down and was smiling.
The old lady knew what was important and what was not. Now Chu Qianchen's life and death was related to the survival of the Marquis' Mansion. Even if she hated this granddaughter, she still spoke in a good tone.
As soon as she got off the carriage, she ordered someone to call Shen to Rongfu Hall.
Of course Shen knew that Chu Qianchen had followed the Dowager Lady back to the Marquis' Mansion, so she rushed over as quickly as possible and entered Rongfu Hall almost at the same time as the Dowager Lady and Chu Qianchen.
"Mother." Shen bowed politely to the lady-in-waiting. She looked at Chu Qianchen with extremely loving eyes and blinked at her quickly at an angle where the lady-in-waiting could not see.
Chu Qianchen's lips curled up slightly, he smiled, his eyes softened, and he suddenly felt that it would be good to come back early.
The lady was thinking about the dowry and didn't notice the exchange of glances between them. She said thoughtfully, "Azhi, I asked you to come here because I want you to prepare a dowry for Sister Chen."
"It's less than a month until her wedding with Prince Chen, so everything needs to be arranged as soon as possible..."
As she spoke, the old lady looked towards Chu Qianchen who was sitting on the right, expecting her to mention that she had just taken the 30,000 silver dowry.
As a result, Chu Qianchen just lowered his eyes and drank tea, as if he didn't notice the lady's eyes at all, and didn't say a word.
Madam: “…”
The lady's anger was rising again, and she almost slammed the table.
She raised her hand, but finally put it down, bringing with her a lot of anger.
She cleared her throat and reminded him in a subtle way, "Sister Chen, you are the first girl of this generation in your family to get married. The family will definitely hold a grand wedding for you. Although you don't have time to go to Jiangnan to buy your dowry, I think the things in the capital are not bad either. It's something that can be solved with money."
The lady looked at Chu Qianchen, waiting for her to continue her conversation.
Chu Qianchen leisurely put down the blue and white porcelain teacup, smiled slightly, and said casually: "Grandma, time is so tight, I think we don't need to prepare a dowry."
Shen was a woman with a very sharp mind. After hearing Chu Qianchen's ambiguous words, her mind moved.
Considering that the second butler had once returned to the Marquis' Mansion with Chu Lingxiao and Aunt Jiang, Shen immediately understood that Chu Qianchen must have tricked them.
This girl really doesn't suffer any loss.
Shen curled her lips, amused, and said calmly: "Sister Chen, what are you talking about? How can a girl get married without a dowry?"
"Don't worry, your grandmother and I won't let you down," Shen turned to look at the lady at the top and asked deliberately, "Mother, don't you agree?"
The lady's mouth twitched, and she felt so aggrieved that she was about to vomit blood.
Just as Shen said, how could the Chu family really not prepare a dowry for Chu Qianchen?
Just imagine, now they just drove Chu Qianchen to the farm, and Chu Lingxiao was ordered by the emperor to be severely beaten. If the emperor thinks that the Marquis' Mansion is not serious about this marriage, given the emperor's temper, he will probably be even more cruel.
The doctor said that Chu Lingxiao needed to take good care of his body for a month, as he couldn't endure another twenty strokes.
The lady's eyes flickered, and there seemed to be layers of dark clouds rolling violently in her turbid eyes. She was hesitant and unable to make up her mind for a while.
She was unwilling and unhappy. That was a full 30,000 taels of silver, and she just gave it to Chu Qianchen, the ungrateful and unfilial grandson.
Now, this girl actually wants to extort another dowry from the Marquis' Mansion!
This is simply outrageous!!
The problem is that now the imperial decree granting the marriage is like a guillotine hanging high above their heads, and no one knows when the guillotine may fall... At this time, the Marquis' Mansion must be cautious at every step and must not take another wrong step.
The lady tightly grasped the string of beads in her hand, closed her eyes tiredly, and said to herself,
Well, she just thought of it as a way to avoid disaster.
This Chu Qianchen is actually the debt collector of the Chu family, coming here to collect debts from the previous life!
When the old lady opened her eyes again, her eyes had settled down. She had already made up her mind, so she said, "Azhi, then let the public pay 20,000 taels to prepare a dowry for Sister Chen according to the share of a legitimate daughter."
Shen had originally been thinking about subsidizing Chu Qianchen a little more privately, and now the lady had agreed to give out 20,000 taels from the public purse, which would be just enough to prepare a little more dowry for Chu Qianchen.
Of course Shen would not refuse, and readily agreed, and by the way, she also complimented the lady: "Mother, you are the one who cares about Sister Chen."
It's really "heartache". The lady's heart is actually bleeding. She originally wanted to pay the 30,000 taels of silver herself and then get the money back from the public treasury. But now she has to pay the first 30,000 taels of silver herself.
The lady took a deep breath and managed to suppress the unhappiness in her heart.
She said politely with a fake smile: "It's not easy for girls to get married. As a grandmother, I naturally love them more. Sister Chen, Sister Huang, Sister Ling... I love them all."
The old lady was actually a little surprised. She thought Shen would think that spending 20,000 taels from the public funds to buy a dowry for Chu Qianchen was too much, and thought she would object, but she didn't expect Shen to agree so readily.
The lady thought about it secretly in her heart, and took advantage of Shen's good mood today to persuade her: "Azhi, Lingxiao has already known his mistake. You have been married for more than ten years and have always lived in harmony. Don't ruin your love for a small matter."
"You also know Ling Xiao's personality. He gets impulsive and speaks without thinking, but in fact he doesn't mean what he says."
"Don't bother with him."
"..." Shen's eyebrows moved, and the corners of her mouth drooped a little, and her expression became a little colder.
She didn't say anything either, letting the lady talk alone while she picked up the teacup and drank tea elegantly.
Chu Qianchen was also drinking tea. At this moment, she and Shen were in perfect sync, with focused expressions, as if they were drinking some kind of nectar.
For a moment, the lady almost felt that the two, the big and the small, looked 80% alike, like real mother and daughter.
This Chu Qianchen is really imitating Shen Shi in every way!
The lady thought sarcastically.
She felt upset when she looked at the two of them, and waved her hand, saying, "Azhi, I'll leave the dowry to you. I'm tired, you and Sister Chen go back first."
Chu Qianchen and Shen stood up and were about to leave.
At this time, the lady thought of tomorrow's birthday party and said, "Oh, Ah Zhi, you must discuss the rules with Sister Chen for tomorrow's birthday party."
"Sister Chen, you too, when you go to the palace for the banquet tomorrow, don't run around alone and don't talk nonsense, lest you bring shame to your family."
Just thinking about tomorrow's birthday banquet, the lady felt a dull pain in her forehead.
Chu Qianchen has never seen any big scenes since she was a child. Tomorrow the emperor will host a birthday banquet for the guests. There will not only be foreign guests, but also many dignitaries. If Chu Qianchen makes a fool of herself, it will be the face of the Chu family that will be lost. Others will only think that the girl of the Chu family is unruly!
Shen's expression slightly changed, but Chu Qianchen smiled and said seriously, "Grandma, no, if there is any embarrassment, it will be for the Prince Chen's Mansion."
Although she said so, Chu Qianchen was full of confidence: She would not embarrass the prince! It was just a birthday banquet, she had seen all kinds of big scenes.
Madam: “…”
The lady was speechless again.
The emperor's oral order was for Chu Qianchen to attend the banquet as the future Princess of Chen. If we had to argue about the words, she was right. This girl's words were really... nonsense!
Shen almost laughed out loud, and said, seemingly trying to smooth things over: "Mother, Sister Chen and I will not disturb you to rest."
Shen gently pulled Chu Qianchen's sleeve and took her away.
The lady was even too lazy to ask anyone to see the guests off, as she felt that if she spoke one more word to them she would live a year less.
These two people are really ignorant! Fortunately, Sister Huang is not like her mother! The lady thought to herself.
Shen and Chu Qianchen walked out of Rongfu Hall without looking back. They walked side by side, walking slowly towards the main courtyard.
As the sun sets, the western sky is dyed red, forming a large patch of fiery clouds, like a colorful brocade.
The weather at dusk was very comfortable, and the breeze blowing towards us brought a hint of coolness.
Facing Shen, Chu Qianchen did not hide anything and said frankly: "My grandmother gave me thirty thousand taels in Yanghe Village."
She spoke so casually that Nanny Chen behind her almost staggered when she heard it and subconsciously slowed down her pace.
Thirty thousand taels?!
Is it what you think it means?!
Shen thought back to what the lady had just said and thought: As expected.
"Here you go, just keep it." The smile on her lips deepened, and she secretly sighed that this little girl was really smart.
Shen looked at Chu Qianchen, feeling both happy and distressed. In addition, she also felt a little aggrieved: This girl must know very well that the Chu family will not be her backer after she gets married, so she wants to take this opportunity to save some private money. When she marries into the Prince Chen's Mansion in the future, she will have more confidence with money in her hands.
Shen suddenly stopped and looked at Chu Qianchen with pity.
"..." Chu Qianchen raised his eyebrows, feeling that there was something wrong with Shen's eyes.
She thought back to what she had just said, making sure she had said nothing wrong.
Shen held Chu Qianchen's hand, palm to palm, and said softly: "Sister Chen, don't worry, I will prepare the dowry for you properly."
"Your elder sister's marriage has not been decided yet, so I will give you her dowry first. With this dowry, it won't be too embarrassing for you to marry into Prince Chen's mansion."
Originally, the dowry that Shen prepared for Chu Qianhuang included all kinds of antique calligraphy and paintings, gold and jade jewelry, and furniture, and a lot of them. Now Shen is thinking about replacing some of the antique calligraphy and paintings with farms, shops, and land. In this way, Chu Qianchen will have an extra source of income in the future.
But one month is too short a time frame. Good farms and fields depend on luck and are not so easy to buy. You have to wait for other families to sell off their ancestral property.
She had to find someone to ask around, Shen thought to herself.
"Mother..." Chu Qianchen opened his eyes slightly, feeling both touched and surprised.
For a moment, she almost wanted to tell Shen that she didn't need to prepare a dowry for her, but she didn't say it in the end. The prince hadn't come back yet, and she couldn't ruin the prince's plans because of a momentary impulse.
It was enough for her to know her stepmother's intentions. After some time, when the prince returned to the capital, she would find a way to cancel the engagement, and the matter would be over.
The thousands of words in her heart finally turned into a smile, sweet, soft and warm.
Shen looked at Chu Qianchen's sweet smile and felt even more distressed for her. She prayed in her heart that Prince Chen would be safe.
As long as Prince Chen recovers, everyone in the capital will know that Chu Qianchen is his lucky star. Whether Prince Chen believes it or not, he will not make things too difficult for Chu Qianchen.
Shen raised her hand to tidy up a strand of hair that had fallen from Chu Qianchen's temples, and put it behind her beautifully shaped ears, secretly sighing that she had become more and more beautiful. Her sister Chen was so lovable, if the Prince of Chen had eyes, he would definitely see her good side in the future!
Shen couldn't help but think of Chu Lingxiao and Aunt Jiang's dislike for Chu Qianchen, and she felt uncomfortable again.
Not all people are qualified to be parents.
The two of them are not as good as Chu Yunyi's child.
"Sister Chen, do you know that Brother Yi is under house arrest?" Shen thought about it and asked.
Chu Qianchen opened his eyes slightly and shook his head slowly.
Shen continued, "Yesterday, Brother Yi went to look for your grandmother and your aunt, and then he was going to look for you at the farm, but he was stopped by your father. They had a quarrel, and your father locked him up."
Shen really didn't want to make Chu Qianchen sad anymore, so she said half of the story and hid the other half, not mentioning the fact that Chu Yunyi questioned Chu Lingxiao whether he wanted Chu Qianchen to die suddenly.
Chu Qianchen's eyes widened a little more, and she looked in the direction of Qingfeng Pavilion. The afterglow of the setting sun made her eyes brighter.
There was a faint ripple in those beautiful and clear eyes, as if they were touched.
Shen gently patted Chu Qianchen's hand, "Sister Chen, there is a palace banquet for the birthday celebration tomorrow, and we have to get up at the crowing of the cock. You must be tired after all the work today. Go back and rest early, and dress up beautifully tomorrow."
Chu Qianchen responded obediently and walked towards Wanyan Courtyard with Amber.
Shen went in another direction and returned to the main courtyard with brisk steps.
Nanny Chen, who was a step behind, had been looking at Shen. Seeing the corners of Shen's lips curled up and her eyes shining, she knew that she was in a good mood.
Ever since the imperial decree came down, Shen had been worried, but now the clouds have finally cleared up. Nanny Chen also breathed a sigh of relief.
She asked in a playful way: "Madam, are you not worried about the second girl?"
Shen smiled generously, "Sister Chen is not someone who would suffer any loss. Even if she marries into Prince Chen's mansion, she will be able to live well."
After all, life is made by people. Since the arranged marriage cannot be changed, it is better to go with the flow and do what you can first.
The only thing she could do for Chu Qianchen was to let her marry in glory, so that when people mentioned this wedding in the future, they would not think of the wedding for good fortune, but of the Princess Chen’s red wedding dress.
"Madam Chen, I want to buy some land and farms for Sister Chen. Remember to look around and say hello to those matchmakers in the capital. If there is any suitable land, feel free to report it."
"I remember that the Marquis's Mansion has several hundred acres of fertile land in the Qingshi Mountain area outside Beijing. Next to it is the farm of Censor Wang's Mansion. The farm is also connected to a small forest, and the scenery is nice. Censor Wang should be retiring soon. Go and ask if the Wang family is going to sell the land."
Whatever Shen said, Nanny Chen would agree.
When the master and servant arrived at the gate of the main courtyard, they saw a maid in blue waiting there anxiously, craning her neck to look around.
"Madam," the maid in green came up to her and said in a horrified tone, "The Marquis has a severe fever, and his left leg is starting to hurt again."
(End of this chapter)