The reason why the Chu family was able to keep the title of Queen Yongding was because of the marriage between the Chu family and the Duke Mu’s Mansion. The late emperor, out of consideration for Duke Mu’s feelings, lightly covered the matter.
Shen: “…”
Shen remained silent, not hesitating to assume the worst about Chu Lingxiao.
Over the past few months, she has seen everything Chu Lingxiao has done. This man treated his own children like this, and she doesn't think he has a so-called "conscience."
She held the hand of Lady Mu, and asked anxiously, "When will the monk in charge of reception arrive in the capital?"
"From the letter from the Second Steward, it should take another three to five days to get there." Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, sighed secretly.
Shen's eyes gradually became deeper and deeper, and she stopped talking.
It’s too early to say anything else now. Everything can only be decided after the monk arrives in the capital.
Fourteen years.
It will be fourteen years next month. It’s been too long. Chu Qianhuang and Chu Qianchen will both be fourteen years old soon.
Fourteen years was long enough to blur people's memories, tear up some of the evidence, and cause many of the people who participated in the incident to die or disappear...
Many people and things have changed.
Moreover, the incident happened in Yuzhou, not the capital, so it would not be easy for them to get to the bottom of the matter.
No matter how anxious she was, she could only calm down and wait.
Since she has found out so much, even if the monk in charge of reception cannot get any key information, he must know some old people in Daping Temple in the past, and they can continue to dig.
People leave traces when they pass by, and she didn't believe that Chu Lingxiao could really do it without leaving even the slightest trace!
Shen's face showed a courage and determination to never give up until the goal was achieved.
Seeing this in the eyes of Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, she felt only heartache.
Who doesn't want their daughter to have a smooth life and live in harmony with her husband-in-law? But the eldest daughter is so unhappy in her marriage.
They were wrong. They harmed their daughter. Marrying her down is not a problem, and repaying the favor is not a problem, but the son-in-law must have good character, everything else is secondary.
Lady Mu's heart ached and her lips moved slightly.
At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside, and then the Xiangfei curtain leading to the main room was opened.
Nanny Chen walked in quickly and reported anxiously, "Madam, the eldest girl is missing!"
Shen: “…”
Nanny Chen continued, "The eldest girl told the third cousin that she wanted to go out and buy some snacks from Liufuji to cheer you up, so she hid in the third cousin's carriage and left the Duke's Mansion. While they were buying snacks, she ran away, leaving only a note behind."
"My third cousin and his friends are still searching for someone near Liufuji. They only sent a maid back to the mansion to pass on the message."
As she spoke, Nanny Chen handed the note to Shen.
Lady Muguogong said quickly: "Send someone else to look for him."
"No need." Shen smiled bitterly and shook her head, looking at the note in her hand with dejection.
The beautiful handwriting on the paper is so familiar yet so strange.
Shen said slowly and with difficulty: "She went back to the palace..."
She closed her eyes, looking exhausted.
Suddenly, her throat felt hot and she quickly leaned over and covered her mouth with a handkerchief.
The snow-white handkerchief was stained with bright blood at a speed visible to the naked eye, a terrifying red.
Lady Mu: "Azhi!"
Nanny Chen: "Madam!"
Seeing Shen vomiting blood, both of them screamed nervously and were very scared.
The wife of Duke Mu's hand trembled, and her arm hit the fruit bowl, causing it to fall over. The fruits inside fell off the coffee table and rolled all over the floor.
"Someone, go get the doctor!" Lady Mu, Duke of Mu's face turned pale, she was shocked and worried, and she quickly raised her voice and gave the order.
"Mother, it's not necessary." Shen held down the wife of Duke Mu with one hand, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, and put the handkerchief into her sleeve, as if she was putting away all her worries and pains of these days.
A maid in blue came in upon hearing the news, walking hurriedly, worried that someone might have fallen ill.
Shen gave a pale smile and sent the maid away again.
"It's okay." Shen's words seemed to be directed to the wife of Duke Mu, but also seemed to be directed to herself.
Her face was a little pale, but her eyes were clear and bright, and she had finally made up her mind.
She herself knew that these days, she had been feeling heavy in her heart, feeling very upset and uncomfortable.
Now that she had spit out the blood that was blocking her heart, she felt better.
She subconsciously touched the crescent-shaped sachet on her waist. The fragrance of the sachet penetrated into her nose, calming her down a little.
Shen said calmly: "I have tried my best."
She persuaded everyone she could; she did everything she could; she also gave Chu Qianhuang every chance she could...
Once, twice, three times...
Chu Qianhuang disappointed her time and time again, pretended to obey her but secretly disobeyed her again and again, and used all means to achieve his goals again and again.
This girl won't give up until she sees the Yellow River, and she won't repent until she dies! Shen's disappointment in her heart for this eldest daughter who once made her proud could not be further.
How could Lady Mu, the Duke of Mu, let go of Chu Qianhuang? She was her granddaughter whom she had watched grow up.
"Azhi, don't be so persistent." Lady Mu advised again, "You may doubt, but you can't make a decision that you will regret in the future just because of your doubt."
"We have watched Sister Huang grow up since she was a child."
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Lady Mu felt that she couldn't push Chu Qianhuang away just because of a small suspicion. After all, nothing was concluded. At first glance, Chu Qianhuang looked like Shen, so no one would doubt their relationship.
Nanny Chen: “…”
Nanny Chen looked at Shen, not knowing how to persuade her. The Madam and the eldest daughter were going in opposite directions step by step, drifting further and further apart... She saw it all.
Nanny Chen was also very disappointed with the eldest daughter. She had also tactfully advised Chu Qianhuang several times, but Chu Qianhuang was just like a fool who refused to listen.
Shen pulled the corner of her mouth with difficulty, revealing an extremely bitter smile, and said exhaustedly: "The candle will burn out only after its tears dry up... The candle will eventually burn out."
“……” Lady Mu was silent, not knowing what else to say.
Everyone says that maternal love is selfless, but where in this world is there one-sided selflessness? The affection between people is like a candle, which just keeps burning and will eventually burn out.
She understood her eldest daughter. Regardless of whether Chu Qianhuang's background was problematic or not, she was raised by her eldest daughter after all. The mother-daughter relationship they had had for more than a decade was extraordinary. But now Chu Qianhuang was almost wearing out that relationship bit by bit.
Madam Mu Guogong really couldn't understand how her daughter could raise Chu Qianhuang like this with her character and methods! This child is going down a dead end and doesn't even know what's good for him. There will be more suffering for this child in the future!
Lady Mu Guogong felt indescribably complicated, a little sad, a little heartbroken, a little puzzled, a little emotional, and sighed softly, "Sister Huang was not like this before."
The image of Chu Qianhuang as a child emerged in Lady Mu's mind. She was small, soft, and well-behaved.
At first, Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, also regretted that her eldest daughter failed to give birth to a prince in one go, and regretted that her eldest daughter damaged her body in order to give birth to Chu Qianhuang, but Chu Qianhuang was really likable.
Since childhood, Chu Qianhuang often came to the Duke's Mansion. Sometimes she came with Shen, and sometimes she came to visit me alone, bringing with her needlework, Buddhist scriptures, and calligraphy and paintings...
The little girl is pretty, graceful, smart, and quick to learn things, making it hard not to like her.
In particular, Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, treated this granddaughter with some intention of compensating her eldest daughter. She treated her better than her other granddaughters. Chu Qianhuang also made her feel that her love and care were not in vain, as the little girl had been very considerate since she was a child.
Gradually, Lady Mu, the Duke of Mu, felt that given the chaos in the mansion, her eldest daughter would not have such a hard time if she had a caring little friend.
Shen: “…”
Shen was silent, with these words circling in her mind: Sister Huang was not like this before.
Yes, it was obvious that Chu Qianhuang was not like this before.
Shen didn't know when Chu Qianhuang started to change. It should have happened in the past two years. At first, she only had some minor changes, such as she used to dislike eating celery but suddenly had people cook celery dumplings; for example, she didn't like riding horses for a while, for example...
She thought her daughter had just grown up and didn't pay much attention to it until...
Thinking of Chu Qianhuang, Shen's heart surged violently, and her chest began to feel stuffy again, as if a huge rock was pressing on her, or as if a saw was cutting her heart.
Her face gradually turned pale, then slightly blue, and her face became as pale as gold paper.
She looked like she would faint at any moment, which frightened Lady Mu. Lady Mu became anxious and grabbed Shen's left hand, "Azhi, don't scare me!"
"Someone come..."
Lady Mu wanted to ask someone to invite a doctor to come over, but Nanny Chen was even more ruthless. She untied the crescent-shaped sachet on Shen's waist and placed it under her nose.
Shen took a few deep breaths from the sachet, and the aromas of medicine, orchid, licorice, etc. entered her nose, gradually dispelling the pent-up energy in her heart...
After a while, Shen's complexion improved a little. She drank two more sips of warm tea and smiled bitterly again, "I'm sorry to have made you worry about me."
"You're still so polite to me!" Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, breathed a sigh of relief and told the maid to make Shen a cup of soothing tea.
Other maids quickly picked up the fruits and vegetables that had fallen on the ground, and soon the room became clean and tidy again.
Lady Mu also drank a sip of the tea to calm her nerves and nourish her heart. She calmed down a little, frowned slightly, and sighed in confusion: "Why is Sister Huang so determined to be the princess's companion?"
Good morning.
(End of this chapter)