As Song Zhiyu and her servant reached the main gate, Shen Jinshu also came out, supported by her maid. Her gentle smile and graceful demeanor pleased Shen Feng, who nodded in satisfaction.
Upon seeing Song Zhiyu, Shen Jinshu's smile widened. He walked straight up to her, ignoring the surprised looks of the crowd, and his soft, melodious voice began to ring out.
"I thought my second sister wouldn't want to see me? After I left the manor, Father and Mother only have you as their daughter, so please don't make them angry again."
"It's my eldest sister's wedding, so of course I have to come and join the fun." Song Zhiyu replied with a forced smile, deftly deflecting the question with a nonchalant tone.
As for her father and mother, I'm sorry, their daughter died long ago.
Shen Feng's expression darkened the moment he saw Song Zhiyu, and upon hearing these words, he was even more displeased. Without thinking, he hissed, "You unfilial daughter, today is Shu'er's wedding day. You'd better not add to her unhappiness."
He attached great importance to this wedding, fearing that Song Zhiyu might be jealous of Shu'er's success and come to cause trouble.
And these dowries, obtained through dishonest means, were something he was certain Song Zhiyu hadn't discovered—otherwise, she wouldn't have refrained from causing trouble for so long. But he was still constantly on edge, very anxious, fearing something might go wrong.
“Father, you’ve misunderstood my second sister. She’s genuinely here to congratulate me today. In fact, I should thank her properly…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but instead glanced meaningfully at the dowry behind her, her smile not reaching her eyes.
Song Zhiyu seemed not to understand Shen Jinshu's implied meaning, and nodded seriously, "Big sister, don't thank me too soon."
After saying this, Song Zhiyu ignored the various expressions on everyone's faces, glanced thoughtfully at Shen Jinshu, and then strode away.
Shen Jinshu's expression remained unchanged, but the hands clasped in front of him suddenly clenched tightly.
Soon, several faint crescent-shaped marks appeared on the back of her delicate, fair hand.
She seemed oblivious as she walked out the door amidst the congratulations of the crowd, but she didn't see the Shen brothers, except for Shen Mingyi who had been by her side the whole time. The other three didn't even show their faces.
Now, even if Shen Jinshu was very patient, she could not hide the anger and hatred in her heart.
What do they mean?
Doesn't she know that today is her wedding day?
On such an important day, the three men were nowhere to be found, which was a blatant slap in the face to her. What would the onlookers think?
"These unfilial sons!" Shen Feng was so angry that his chest heaved, but he couldn't show his anger in front of outsiders, so he had to suppress his anger and send his servant to find them.
In the Lintian Dynasty, there was an unwritten custom that a woman's brother should carry her out of the wedding procession and personally escort her to the bridal sedan chair, in order to show the importance that her family placed on the bride.
As the eldest son of the Marquis's family, Shen Yuzhou should rightfully carry Shen Jinshu to the bridal sedan chair. Even if he has difficulty walking, it should be the second son who should do it.
But neither Shen Yuzhou nor Shen Muxun have shown their faces yet, which inevitably makes people wonder.
It's said that the young masters of the Marquis's mansion dote on their sister, but now they don't even care about her wedding. It seems that the rumors are wrong.
Seeing this, Shen Mingyi was anxious and was about to speak up to help Shen Jinshu out of the predicament when he was interrupted by another deep male voice before he could take a step.
"Father, let me escort my sister to the bridal sedan chair. Now, I am also a member of the Shen family." Shen Rushan bowed with his hands clasped, his face solemn, and his tone exceptionally natural.
Shen Feng excitedly patted Shen Rushan on the shoulder and laughed loudly, the gloom from before vanishing. "I was right to judge you. Now that you're on the family tree, you're the rightful young master of the Shen family, and Shu'er is your younger sister."
“Father!” Shen Mingyi frowned. His own elder brother was still alive, so how could it be Shen Rushan’s place, an adopted son, to escort Shu’er to the bridal sedan chair?
But Shen Feng simply waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Rushan is older than you, he is your elder brother, he is more qualified than you to send Shu'er to the bridal sedan chair, so this matter is settled."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingyi, no matter how unwilling he was, had no choice but to swallow his anger.
On the day of Shu'er's joyous occasion, he did not want to put her in a difficult position.
The sound of gongs and drums filled the air, accompanied by the lively chatter of the people. The bridal sedan chair was carried away, and the mansion was once again filled with joy.
The sedan chair bearers carried the bridal sedan chair with steady and powerful steps, heading straight for the Prince's Mansion amidst the deafening sound of gongs and drums and the crisp sound of the beaded curtains swaying.
Sitting in the bridal sedan chair, Shen Jinshu looked through the curtain that was slightly lifted by the wind at the increasingly lively scene, and a faint smile of satisfaction appeared on her face.
She had walked this road leading to the Prince's Mansion for a long time, but now she was finally almost there.
So what if she's a concubine? As long as she can enter the Prince Li's residence, she can certainly compete for the position of principal wife.
After all, the dowry she brought to the Prince Li's residence was enough to make the Prince Li look at her with new respect.
Thinking of this, Shen Jinshu felt a surge of satisfaction.
From now on, Song Zhiyu will have to pay her respects; she will no longer be the illegitimate daughter who has to hide her identity.
But the smile on Shen Jinshu's face did not last long. The sudden jolt caused the bridal sedan chair to shake, which also brought her back to her senses.
Before she could even ask for clarification, her personal maid, Xiuyue, spoke in a fit of rage from outside the bridal sedan chair, her voice clearly reaching her ears.
"Second Miss, what is the meaning of your stopping our young lady's bridal sedan chair?"
Song Zhiyu glanced at her indifferently, her expression showing no emotion. "I've come to ask my older sister for something."
“Even if you want something, Miss, you shouldn’t have chosen this time. You’d better step aside quickly, lest you miss the auspicious time. If the Prince blames you, this servant cannot bear the responsibility.” Xiuyue did not understand Song Zhiyu’s implied meaning and subconsciously brought up Prince Li to intimidate him.
But Shen Jinshu, sitting in the bridal sedan chair, was shocked; she had indeed discovered it.
Fearing that Song Zhiyu might say something inappropriate, Shen Jinshu preemptively said, "Second sister, I know you've always had a problem with me, but today is my wedding day with Prince Li, and it concerns the royal family. Let's talk after the ceremony. Lift the sedan chair!"
Shen Jinshu wanted the sedan bearers to bypass Song Zhiyu and leave directly, and she secretly gave Xiuyue a wink, signaling her to stop them.
She had been looking forward to this wedding for a long time, and she would not allow it to go wrong in the slightest.
Several tall men who looked like servants appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Song Zhiyu, trying to pull her away. But Song Zhiyu was not one to be trifled with; she had already prepared herself before stopping the bridal sedan chair.
Before they could even touch Song Zhiyu's clothes, they were suddenly pulled up and forced into a corner.
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