Chapter 70 Feng Rong Shen Qinglu looked at him, her dark pupils like a deep, dark pool…
*
Whether it's day or night, Zhaihua Lane is always bustling with people, filled with music and laughter.
Groups of two or three people dressed as scholars and gentlemen gathered together, playing musical instruments and reciting poetry, the melodies melodious and the poems full of charm. Others, emboldened by wine, engaged in lively discussions, quoting classical texts and discussing the past and present.
All I could see were scholars like myself, but they could be roughly divided into two types: those who were full of vigor and ambition, and those who were talented but unappreciated.
Yu Zhiheng, however, does not belong to either of these two categories. He was once full of vigor and was once appreciated by others, but now he drowns his sorrows in alcohol and is depressed, not because he is a talented person who has not been recognized.
"Big brother, I've finally found you."
Hearing the familiar voice, he looked up and saw Yu Qingxue. He paused for a moment, but showed no joy, only displeasure. "Qingxue, it's you?"
"I was so worried about you, brother. I've been looking for you. Brother, why do you look so haggard?" Yu Qingxue asked, feigning concern as she held her handkerchief, her eyes darting around.
Her face was covered, but judging from her figure and the exposed eyebrows and eyes, even though she was not young, she was still a rare beauty, which naturally attracted the attention of some people.
"Do you know those people?" Yu Zhiheng asked, frowning.
"I don't know him." Her vanity was somewhat satisfied, and she couldn't help but feel a little smug.
She was certainly familiar with Zhaihua Lane. Before her marriage, she often wandered around here, hoping to meet a talented and noble young man and have a beautiful love story.
With her looks, she really attracted a lot of people. If she hadn't gone to the Marquis's mansion with Shen Linlang and fallen in love at first sight with the noble Mu Wei, she might have been able to find a better one.
Thinking of this, her resentment resurfaced, blaming Shen Linlang for ruining her life.
"It's one thing for Shen Linlang to drive us away, but how could she treat you like this? You've been devoted to her all these years, without even a concubine or maidservant by your side, what more could she possibly want..."
"Stop saying those things." Yu Zhiheng said irritably, tilting his head back to finish the wine in his glass.
"Brother, she's going too far! Are you really going to just let this go?"
Yu Qingxue sat down opposite him and embellished the story, recounting how Xie Shi fainted, how she and Yu Liuzhu were kicked out of the mansion by Shen Qinglu, and how Xie Shi was sent away.
“She’s already divorced you. Who does she think she is? How could she take it upon herself to send Mother away without even telling us where she is? Brother, you’ve always been filial. You can’t ignore this matter.”
"My mother's health isn't good, so finding a quiet place for her to recuperate is perfectly fine." He poured himself another glass of wine and drank it all.
After seeing Xie off, Shen Linlang sent someone to inform him, explaining Xie's health condition and promising to take good care of her.
Having been married for many years, he trusted Shen Linlang's character very much.
However, the situation is different for her younger sister, Yu Qingxue.
"Alright, there's no need to discuss this anymore."
If we don't say this, and we don't say that, what else can we say?
Yu Qingxue was secretly angry that her older brother was useless at a crucial moment. "Brother, don't you understand? Shen Linlang doesn't care about you at all. Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to a divorce so easily and kicked you out so readily. Are you really willing to accept this?"
Yu Zhiheng did not answer her, but instead poured himself another glass of wine.
She added fuel to the fire, "Brother, why would she, the legitimate daughter of a general's family, fall for you? Didn't you ever suspect anything?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Zhiheng's face darkened. "What do you mean by that?"
"I heard that when the princes were choosing their consorts, she was originally one of the candidates for the fourth prince's wife, but unfortunately she wasn't chosen. You should have met Prince Xin. Think about it carefully, don't you and him look a bit alike?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Yu Zhiheng's expression changed drastically. He looked around warily. Although there were still people spying on Yu Qingxue, they shouldn't have heard what they were saying. His heart, which had been in his throat, slowly calmed down, and his brows were full of fierceness. "Words can be dangerous. Don't mention those words again!"
"Brother!" Yu Qingxue looked on his behalf, "She treated you like that, and you still want to protect her? After what happened to the Shen family, even if it's just swept under the rug, how can His Majesty not be disgusted? In my opinion, they're going to be in big trouble. What if we get dragged into this?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Zhiheng unconsciously thought of what Shen Qinglu had said to him.
For some reason, he suddenly felt that the child seemed to have a precognitive ability, as if he had already guessed that someone would instigate him to sacrifice his own family for the greater good.
He was able to pass the imperial examination with his own merit, so he obviously couldn't be a fool. Having served as an official for over twenty years, even if he didn't reach a high position, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the political situation at court.
He gleaned several unspoken meanings from Yu Qingxue's words, his face paling with surprise and doubt. Finally, he asked in a low voice, "Was it you who reported Linlang for colluding with the Demon King?"
"No...no!" Yu Qingxue was caught off guard and was clearly startled, her eyes darting around.
"You've never met His Highness Prince Xin before, so how do you know I look somewhat like him?"
"I...I heard it from someone else?"
"Who told you that?"
Yu Qingxue couldn't answer.
Before the rebellion of the Chiwang, Prince Xin, who was then the fourth prince, was leading troops outside the capital. He only led his troops into the capital when the rebellion broke out, so she had no chance to see him.
Later, when the Su family encountered trouble, although she divorced and returned home, she almost never went out and could not possibly have seen Prince Xin.
unless……
From her flustered expression, Yu Zhiheng became even more certain of his guess.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.
The force was so great that it knocked the veil off her face, revealing her face, which had subsided from redness and swelling but was covered with many scars.
Those men who used to steal glances and guess what she looked like showed disgust upon seeing her, while others remarked that ugly people are always making a fuss.
She quickly picked up her veil, put it back on, her eyes filled with hatred. "My brother doubts me and won't listen to me, so I have nothing more to say!"
"Are you really my sister?" Yu Zhiheng asked, his face filled with pain and anger. "Mother used to tell me countless times to work hard and make something of myself so I could protect you in the future. But what have you done? Switching the children was your idea, and you did this too. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"I already said it wasn't me!"
Yu Qingxue felt both resentful and guilty, and ran away after saying those words.
She ran all the way out of the flower-picking alley before stopping to catch her breath. Thinking of the disdainful looks from those people, she subconsciously touched her face.
If it weren't for Shen Linlang, how could she have ended up in this situation!
Suddenly she remembered something, and with her face veiled, she headed towards the horse market.
Upon arriving at the horse market, I went straight into a shop selling cosmetics and came out about fifteen minutes later. When I came out, I was clutching a small porcelain bottle tightly in my hand, looking quite distressed.
The streets were bustling with pedestrians, lively and noisy, with people dressed in all sorts of different clothes, including the rich and noble, ordinary people, and even people from the Western Regions with distinctive features.
Amidst the comings and goings of people and the crowds, she didn't notice the people across the street.
Shen Qinglu and Xia Chan had just come out of an inn when they spotted her coming out of a cosmetics shop. Although she quickly put the small porcelain bottle away, the two of them still managed to get a good look at her.
After she hurriedly left, her face veiled, Shen Qinglu whispered a few words to Xia Chan.
Xia Chan accepted the order and went to the shop, returning shortly afterward.
“Miss, I did as you instructed and gave the shopkeeper some money. The shopkeeper said that the eldest young lady ordered the medicine from them in advance and didn’t buy anything else. The medicine isn’t cheap, it’s fifty taels of silver a bottle.”
The palace's secret medicine, just based on that alone, couldn't possibly be cheap.
As the master and servant were talking, a luxurious carriage stopped in front of them.
Judging from the style of the carriage, the family must have held a noble title, as the insignia reads "Xingyi".
After the coachman brought the carriage to a stop, he bent down and knelt on the ground to serve as a human stool, and then the noble lady inside the carriage stepped down from him.
She wore a magnificent red dress, brocade and gold embroidery that shimmered and shimmered, her head adorned with dazzling pearls and jade, and an orchid ornament on her forehead. At first glance, Shen Qinglu felt a sense of familiarity.
Rather than saying her style is similar to hers, it's more accurate to say she resembles the former Yu Liuzhu.
She instinctively turned away, unwilling to meet the noblewoman's gaze.
Unexpectedly, the noble lady spotted her at a glance. Even though it was only a side profile and her face was veiled, her beautiful features were captivating and inspired endless imagination.
However, this undeniable beauty was not pleasing to the eye of the noblewoman; in fact, she found it extremely irritating. She immediately gave a wink to the old woman beside her.
The old woman deliberately walked sideways, and it looked like she was about to crash into Xia Chan, who had her back to them.
Shen Qinglu reacted quickly and pulled the woman away. The old woman didn't bump into anyone, but she was unsteady and stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
"Are you blind?" the old woman retorted, feigning accusation first. "Do you know you almost bumped into someone?"
Xia Chan looked completely bewildered. "Mom, we're standing perfectly fine..."
"What are you doing standing there so properly? A young lady blocking the road in broad daylight, it's really improper!" The old woman spoke to Xia Chan, but her eyes were glancing sideways at Shen Qinglu. "I wonder if she's harboring some ulterior motive?"
The streets are crowded, and as soon as you smell any gossip, people immediately gather around.
"I wonder which family this girl belongs to. If we offend Miss Zhuang, we'll be in big trouble."
"That's right. Everyone knows that not only do the Earl and his wife love their daughter, but Princess Xin also dotes on her cousin, Miss Zhuang."
That noble lady's surname was Zhuang, her given name was Lanyi, and she was the legitimate daughter of the Earl of Xingyi.
Zhuang Lanyi glanced at Shen Qinglu, her tone arrogant, "I wonder whose daughter she is? How come she can't even control her servants?"
Xia Chan was afraid of causing trouble for her daughter, so she quickly bent down to apologize, but Shen Qinglu pulled her up.
“We, master and servant, were standing still when your servant bumped into us. In my opinion, it is you, young lady, who should be restraining your servant.”
"How dare you!"
Under the emperor's nose, nobles gather, but given Zhuang Lanyi's status, there is no noble lady in the entire capital she does not know. And those she does not know are obviously not qualified for her to know, which is why she dares to reprimand people in public like this.
"Whose daughter are you? Do you know who I am?"
“Shen Family in Chongde Lane”.
"What Shen family of Chongde Lane? Never heard of them!" Zhuang Lanyi sneered, her gaze growing increasingly contemptuous.
She knew Chongde Lane, of course, and she knew even better that there were no high-ranking officials or nobles in the entire lane. As for the Shen family, they were probably just an insignificant family.
“Miss Chen, your servant nearly bumped into my man. If you can apologize on his behalf, I won’t hold it against you. But if you don’t know you’ve done anything wrong, then I’ll have to teach you the rules of Donglin City!”
As soon as she said that, the onlookers moved away, annoyed that she had swept them away.
Many people looked at Shen Qinglu with sympathy, and some even whispered a reminder out of pity, "Young lady, it's better to avoid trouble. You should apologize quickly."
Shen Qinglu is indeed a green tea bitch, and she is adept at saying one thing to one person and another to another. She is also very skilled at playing the victim to gain sympathy. She is also a person who can bend and stretch when faced with a problem, but that is always in the inner quarters or in private.
Now, under the public eye, she represents not only herself, but also the Shen family behind her. The integrity of the Shen family will never allow her to succumb to such coercion.
"I told you, it was your people who ran into us. What did we do wrong?"
Zhuang Lanyi was surprised that she was so shameless and felt even more disgusted with her. "Since Miss Chen doesn't know what's good for her, then I'll kindly teach you some manners!"
In a room on the second floor of the inn, people who were discussing business were disturbed by the noise.
One of the men, dressed as a foreign merchant, said, "Third Young Master, Miss Zhuang must be here to see you."
Another young man, known as the Third Young Master, frowned, a hint of impatience in his eyes. He was about to say he would ignore it when he heard Zhuang Lanyi ask in surprise, "Are you the Shen family's newly recognized foolish niece?"
He immediately stood up and walked to the window.
The foreign businessman followed him downstairs and looked down with him.
Neither of them noticed that the innkeeper, who had been waiting there like a ghost, suddenly moved, opened the box containing the items for the transaction on the table, took out some things, and then closed it again.
*
More and more people gathered downstairs to watch, making it quite a lively scene.
The reason Zhuang Lanyi knew Shen Qinglu's identity was not because Shen Qinglu told her on her own initiative, but because of Jiang Xinyue.
Whether Jiang Xinyue was looking for Zhuang Lanyi or just happened to be passing by, she recognized Shen Qinglu at a glance and quickly whispered in Zhuang Lanyi's ear that Shen Qinglu was her identity.
Zhuang Lanyi's expression shifted between anger and displeasure. "Why do you say you're from the Shen family of Chongde Lane? Shouldn't it be the Yu family?"
“After my parents divorced, there was no Yu family, only the Shen family, and I changed my surname to Shen.”
"Considering your surname is Chen, I won't hold this against you today." Zhuang Lanyi appeared very magnanimous, gave a light snort, and prepared to enter the inn.
Shen Qinglu stopped the person, her dark eyes fixed on them without moving. "It was your people who deliberately bumped into us. Make her apologize."
"What did you say?" Zhuang Lanyi was furious at her tactlessness and laughed instead. "Do you know who I am? Do you really think I'm afraid of you just because you're surnamed Chen?"
Jiang Xinyue raised her chin and said as if bestowing a favor, "Miss Chen, please give me face and apologize to Miss Zhuang, and this matter will be over."
Compared to the last time we met, she looked even thinner, frighteningly thin, and with heavy makeup and a head full of jewelry, it was unpleasant to look at.
"What is face? Why should I give you face?" Shen Qinglu's eyes remained unmoved, and her voice was completely flat. "Xia Chan, do you know?"
Xia Chan understood immediately and quickly replied, "Miss, face means face."
"You mean, they want my face?"
Those who were watching felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this.
Zhuang Lanyi was furious. "You idiot, who cares about your face? I want to see what you look like!"
After saying that, she rushed over and ripped off Shen Qinglu's veil.
A gasp of surprise erupted, followed by numerous exclamations of admiration.
"So this niece from the Shen family who just returned is so beautiful..."
"It looks even better than the fake one from before."
Jiang Xinyue looked at Shen Qinglu's stunningly beautiful face and subconsciously frowned. Because her face was so thin, the makeup looked like it was stuck. "Miss Shen, it's one thing that you won't admit your mistake, but you're even pushing your luck. You really don't know what's good for you."
"She really is an annoying person." Zhuang Lanyi's words seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. "Even more annoying than that Yu Liuzhu."
Suddenly, her expression changed from jealousy and indignation to shyness.
"Cousin Rong!"
The newcomer was the young man who had been called the Third Young Master on the second floor. As soon as he appeared, people recognized him and bowed to him, calling him the Third Prince.
At this age, the only one who can be called the Third Prince is Feng Rong, the third son of Prince Xin.
Unlike those arrogant young masters from noble families, Feng Rong's appearance, while not exceptionally handsome, was pleasant to look at, giving off a friendly and approachable vibe.
Prince Xin had many sons, among whom the eldest son was the heir apparent and also the legitimate son. Only Feng Rong was born of the same mother.
It is common knowledge in the court and among the people that the Emperor has no son, and that an heir will inevitably be adopted from the Prince Xin's residence, preferably from the legitimate son. Since the Prince Xin's heir will inherit the title, this Third Prince is highly likely to be the future ruler of the land.
"What happened?" Feng Rong asked Zhuang Lanyi.
Zhuang Lanyi looked at him with affection and told him the whole story in a completely different way. Finally, she said, "Cousin Rong, this Miss Shen is a fool. She takes advantage of being the niece of the General's Mansion and has no manners at all."
“Cousin Yi, don’t gossip.” After saying that, Feng Rong looked at Shen Qinglu, a flash of amazement in her eyes. “Miss Shen, the servants acted somewhat inappropriately, but it’s just a small matter. Let’s not let it ruin our harmony, okay?”
Shen Qinglu looked at him, her dark pupils like black jade silently reflected in clear water, untouched by the dust of the mortal world. "She's lying. Her people deliberately bumped into us. They want my reputation too."
This sounds a bit strange, like the babbling of a child.
A smile spread across his face, making him appear even more approachable.
Upon seeing this, Zhuang Lanyi felt a surge of jealousy. "Cousin Rong, don't listen to her nonsense. She's just an idiot."
"Cousin Yi!" He frowned, clearly displeased with his cousin's behavior. "How dare you be so rude!"
“Cousin Rong…”
Zhuang Lanyi acted coquettishly, but she knew he must be angry, so she desperately tried to wink at the old woman.
The old woman immediately knelt on the ground and slapped her own face. "Your Highness, it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention while walking. Please don't blame my young lady..."
"Alright!" Feng Rong gestured for her to stand up, and said to Shen Qinglu, "It seems to be a misunderstanding. Miss Shen, you are very magnanimous. Why don't we let this matter go?"
If the future ruler of the world were to plead for him, anyone would give him face.
Under imperial power, all are but ants.
A stint in prison made Shen Qinglu realize this even more clearly: we all share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or ruin. No matter how big her argument with Zhuang Lanyi got, it was ultimately just a quarrel between young women.
Now that Feng Rong has intervened, she can't continue arguing except to explain the situation, much less disregard the Shen family behind her for the sake of her own momentary anger. Besides, she can clearly see the domineering nature of the person in power in the Third Prince's amiable gaze, leaving her no choice but to agree.
Just as she was about to nod, someone appeared out of nowhere and pointed at the old woman.
"I saw it clearly just now. This mother deliberately bumped into the person. She tried to hit someone but then slandered them!"
"!"
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