Chapter 043
As it happened that the weather was nice today, Princess Rui took Shen Qi and Shen Jin to the small garden in the main courtyard. Princess Rui had personally watched over the tidying up of this small courtyard, which was elegant and exquisite.
The maid had tidied up the pavilion in advance. Princess Rui sat at the back, and Shen Qi and Shen Jin sat beside her. The maids brought tea and fruits and stood outside so as not to delay the service or disturb their conversation.
Princess Rui then said, "Qi'er, do you know where you went wrong?"
Shen Qi was stunned for a moment and said, "Mother?"
Princess Rui looked at Shen Qi, and after a long while she sighed and said, "Could it be that you haven't realized it yet?"
Seeing Princess Rui teaching her elder sister, Shen Jin just huddled aside and kept silent, drinking the rose dew in both hands. After not seeing it for more than a year, some things in this courtyard have changed.
Shen Jin looked at Princess Rui, pursed her lips and said, "Mother, just tell me."
Princess Rui glanced at her daughter and said, "Talk to Jin girl."
Shen Qi was stunned for a moment. Shen Jin also looked over when he heard his name, with a puzzled look on his face. Princess Rui leaned against the wooden railing and said nothing more. Shen Qi was particularly convinced by Princess Rui, so he told her the general story, but did not explain some parts in detail.
After she finished speaking, Princess Rui looked at Shen Jin and asked, "If it were you, what would you do?"
Shen Jin blinked, her long eyelashes trembling, and said, "Just don't let her in."
Shen Qi was completely stunned, but Princess Rui chuckled and said, "Talk to your elder sister. Your elder sister is just confused."
Shen Jin said, "Mother, elder sister has done very well."
Shen Qi asked, "Sister, tell me carefully, if it were you, how would you handle it?"
Shen Jin thought for a moment and said, "Since they are relatives, we can't just ignore them. Give them some money and send them off. If Madam Yongle is not happy, at most we can give her some more money to rent a house for her family and hire some servants to serve them."
Shen Qi also understood why her mother was so disappointed. She was wrong from the beginning. In order to appear virtuous and please her mother-in-law, she agreed to let her cousin's family into the house, which gave her the opportunity to seduce her husband.
"Sister, although that cousin looks pitiful and weak, she was able to make it all the way to the capital safely. She is amazing." Shen Jin said with a sigh, "My husband brought me back, and we encountered many things on the way."
"Yes." Shen Qi sighed, "I only thought about her miserable life experience, but forgot that she was able to come here, which means she is a person with ideas." She was actually deceived by her cousin's pitiful appearance.
Shen Jin nodded and looked at Shen Qi with approval. Shen Qi couldn't help but pinch Shen Jin's cheek and said, "Why do I think you've gained weight?"
"No." Shen Jin looked at Shen Qi with eyes wide open and said, "Big sister, I have grown taller!"
"Haha, okay." Shen Qi was amused, and his depressed mood dissipated a little. He said, "Then what?"
"Ah?" Shen Jin looked at Shen Qi in confusion. "Oh, right, after she moved in, if she wanted to be a concubine, then let her be a concubine. Why should she enjoy the treatment of a relative even though she is a concubine?"
Shen Qi was stunned by the question, and turned to look at Princess Rui. He saw that although Princess Rui didn't say anything, the expression on her face showed approval.
"It shouldn't be like this." Shen Jin said seriously, "It's against etiquette and law."
Shen Qi always thought that Shen Jin had a soft personality and didn't have a bad temper. Even if she was bullied, she would just sit aside. She liked to eat and looked innocent and cute. But for the first time, she discovered that this sister understood some things better than she did.
Perhaps it was because of Shen Jin's awkward position in the mansion that she developed such a personality, and what about her? She was a little competitive and wanted to be the best in everything, but there was no such a perfect thing.
Shen Qi is the head of Yongle Marquis' Mansion now. He doesn't want people to say that he has treated his relatives unfairly, so he is quite indulgent towards his cousin. At most, he tries to keep his distance from her. However, this has only made her more stubborn.
Princess Rui said, "Your elder sister ate a bowl of food brought by your elder brother-in-law, and the child was gone."
"Ah?" Shen Jin couldn't help but exclaimed, then covered his mouth with his hands and looked at Shen Qi.
When Shen Qi thought of the child, his eyes turned red and he turned his head slightly without saying anything.
Shen Jin reached out and held Shen Qi's hand, comforting her, "Sister, it's definitely not your brother-in-law."
"I also know that although your brother-in-law is a little... but he is his eldest son after all." A man has different feelings for his first child. Thinking of her husband's expression at that time, Shen Qi pursed her lips and said, "I know who it is." No matter what, he can't escape those people.
"Then why didn't the elder sister deal with it?" Shen Jin asked back.
Shen Qi didn't know what to say. What could she do when her mother-in-law protected her husband and her? She shook her head and said nothing more.
Shen Jin looked at Princess Rui, and Princess Rui said, "If you pay too much attention to your reputation in life, you will inevitably live an unhappy life."
"Mother." Shen Qi covered her face with a handkerchief and cried softly, "I wish I could beat that little bitch to death, but I have no evidence."
Seeing Shen Qi's expression, Shen Jin didn't know how to comfort her. Princess Rui looked at her daughter with a look of disappointment, "Why don't you take this opportunity to force them to make all the concubines sign the indentures?"
Shen Qi kept shaking her head and was crying so hard that she couldn't speak.
Shen Jin thought for a moment, wrapped it in a handkerchief and took out a piece of hibiscus cake that Shen Qi loved to eat before she got married, and said, "Here, big sister, don't cry."
Shen Qi looked at Shen Jin when she heard that, and saw the cake in her hand. Shen Jin said, "It's delicious. I just tasted it."
No matter how sad she was, she couldn't cry anymore. Shen Qi took the lotus cake and ate it slowly. Shen Jin said gently, "Big sister, don't cry or be sad anymore. It's already like this. It's useless for you to be sad anymore."
Shen Qi swallowed a mouthful of cake, but she didn't know whether to swallow it or not. She looked at Shen Jin and saw that Shen Jin was sincerely persuading her. Princess Rui chuckled and said, "That's true. Now that things have come to this, what's the point of being sad and regretful? People should look forward."
Shen Jin nodded in agreement. Shen Qi finished his meal and said, "I understand."
Princess Rui called Cui Xi over and took Shen Qi downstairs to clean her face. Then she looked at Shen Jin and asked, "Does Earl Yongning also have such a cousin?"
Unlike Shen Qi, Princess Rui noticed that Shen Jin must have thought about this problem for a long time before coming up with such an idea. Shen Jin looked at Princess Rui in surprise, with a look on her face saying, "Mother, how did you know this? This is amazing. I don't think I ever told you this."
Princess Rui pursed her lips and smiled, lightly and faintly, and sighed, "What a blessed child."
The Prince of Yongle was carefully chosen by Princess Rui for her daughter. He was excellent in every aspect. Princess Rui knew that he was a little weak in character, but it was just right for her daughter to be competitive. Who would have thought that he would be like this now.
And what about Shen Jin? From the words and deeds of Yongning Bo, it can be seen that he really holds Shen Jin in his heart. However, considering the situation in Border Town, it can be considered a blessing in disguise.
But it is also because the child has a good temperament. He can see through things but never likes to care about things. He has his own calculations and bottom line. Although he is a little confused about small things, he is very clear about big things.
Shen Jin smiled with curved eyes, and Princess Rui said, "Tomorrow your elder sister invites you to visit the mansion, I'm afraid that concubine will take the initiative to jump out."
If it wasn't Princess Rui who was speaking, Shen Jin would have said the three words "no" again. What did it mean for that person to jump out when they were talking to each other? Didn't you see that even Concubine Chen and Concubine Xu didn't come out today?
Princess Rui mentioned it once and then stopped talking. Just then, a maid came to report that Shen Zi had brought her husband. Shen Zi's husband was the eldest son of the Zheng family, Zheng Jiaqu. Although he had not passed the imperial examination, his literary talent was recognized and he also looked gentle and refined.
When Shen Zi arrived, he saw Princess Rui drinking tea and chatting with Shen Jin. After Shen Zi paid her respects, he smiled and said, "Second sister."
"Third sister is different now that she has become the wife of an earl." Shen Zi sat opposite Shen Jin. In the past, Shen Jin would stand up when he saw her in the mansion, but today he sat still. "It seems that the soil and water in the border town are really good for people. Third sister seems to have gained some weight and become more stable."
Shen Qi said that Shen Jin was a little fat, that was because he felt it after pinching his face, and Shen Zi was obviously mocking him, because everyone knew that the border town was poor and had bad waters and the barbarians were eyeing it covetously.
"Yes." Shen Jin nodded and said, "If Second Sister likes it, come over with your brother-in-law. I will treat you to a roasted whole lamb."
Shen Zi's face changed, "Who would like it." People usually go to places like that because they are exiled. She felt that Shen Jin was mocking her.
Shen Jin looked at Shen Zi with confusion in his eyes, and then... "Oh."
Shen Qi had finished dressing up and came over. Princess Rui glanced at her and smiled, "Okay, you sisters can talk. I'll ask someone to call the fourth and fifth girls over. I won't be in the way here anymore."
"Mother." Shen Jin and Shen Zi both stood up.
Shen Qi sent Princess Rui out with a smile, and there was no sign that she had just cried.
After Princess Rui left, Shen Jin waited for Shen Qi to come back and sat down together. Shen Zi no longer hesitated and sneered, "After the third sister went to the border town, she forgot all the rules she learned in the capital."
"Hmm?" Shen Jin looked at Shen Zi and tilted his head slightly.
Shen Qi reacted, and seeing that Shen Zi was the only one who hadn't sat down yet, he smiled and said, "Second sister is so arrogant."
Shen Zi didn't dare to bully Shen Qi, she just said, "We are three sisters, our father and mother have always taught us to respect the order of seniority, I, the elder sister, haven't sat down yet, but the third sister has already sat down."
"But I'm the lady of the baron." Shen Jin also understood, and said with some confusion and as a matter of course, "Second brother-in-law... doesn't have an official title or a noble title."
"Third sister has a good memory." Shen Qi smiled, looking at Shen Zi, she felt that she was getting more and more stupid, and thought that it was the same as before? "After all, we are at home. If we were outside, the second sister would have to bow to the third sister."
Shen Jin held the rose water in both hands and continued to drink it. She said in a soft voice, "We are all family. Second sister, don't worry about it. Sit down quickly."
Shen Zi's face changed. She didn't know whether to sit or stand. Shen Jin's words made it seem as if she didn't sit down because of her low status.
"Eh? Second sister?" Seeing that Shen Zi hadn't sat down for a long time, Shen Jin finished drinking the dew in the cup and looked over. As if he understood Shen Zi, Shen Jin smiled and said, "There's really no need to be so polite. Although Second sister attaches great importance to rules, we are all family. It's fine to behave like this when we are outside."
Shen Zi looked at Shen Jin's smiling face, feeling aggrieved and irritated. He smiled distortedly as if he had thought of something and sat down. "I haven't asked how Third Sister is doing after getting married? I heard that Earl Yongning was murdering. Is Third Sister okay? But Third Sister is pitiful. She looks much thinner. Is she afraid of seeing Earl Yongning? I wonder if she opened her eyes and saw such a hideous face... Third Sister is really pitiful. She looks much more haggard."
"..." Shen Jin looked at Shen Zi. What was the second sister saying? Why did he feel like he couldn't understand, "Second sister just said I was fat."
The corners of Shen Zi's mouth twitched. Why did he pay attention to such trivial things?
Shen Qi looked at the complacent Shen Zi with some sympathy and said, "Did you come directly to the backyard just now?" If he had met Earl Yongning, how could he say such a thing.
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