Chapter 71
At night, Shen Jin still nestled in Chu Xiuming's arms as usual. Just when Chu Xiuming thought she was asleep, she whispered, "Husband, if...if I really..." Shen Jin's words were vague, but she knew Chu Xiuming could understand, "You should take advantage of the fact that the child is still young and marry a kind and gentle wife who will treat the child well."
Shen Jin's voice was trembling, but he spoke clearly, as if he had considered it for a long time. "Don't tell the child about these things when the time comes. You should treat our child well, including mine...love the child together. Don't treat him badly if you have other children."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Chu Xiuming felt distressed after hearing this. He reached out and gently patted Shen Jin's back and said, "Silly girl, are you really willing to do this? Why do you keep thinking about these things?"
Shen Jin didn't cry this time. "I just want to tell you in advance, just like Li didn't expect it... I'm afraid that if something happens, I won't be able to tell you in time. But you have to promise me that we will be buried together, and no one else can be buried here, okay?"
"No matter before or after death, it's just the two of us." Chu Xiuming's voice was particularly gentle, with a little hoarseness, "You are right, there are many unexpected things in life, just like I thought I could accompany you in the capital, and then go back to the border town to celebrate the New Year together, but I didn't want to leave when you were pregnant, leaving you alone in this place."
Shen Jin felt itchy when she heard Chu Xiuming's voice, but she didn't know what to say, so she rubbed her toes on Chu Xiuming's legs. Chu Xiuming clamped Shen Jin's legs with his legs to stop her from making a fuss, and then continued, "It must be very hard."
"I just miss you." Shen Jin said honestly, "I miss you very much."
Chu Xiuming chuckled, his voice a little hoarse and low, "I miss you too."
Shen Jin's voice sounded more matter-of-fact, "Of course, I'm so good."
Chu Xiuming kissed Shen Jin's hair gently and said, "Yes, you are so good, how could you bear to let me settle for those who are not good enough in the future?"
Shen Jin laughed, and Chu Xiuming's voice slowly reached his ears, "There are always surprises in life." If it really comes to that time, Chu Xiuming's choice will not be the child, "The child is our continuation, but you are my only one, so silly girl, you should know what my choice is."
For some reason, Shen Jin's heart was completely at peace after hearing this. "I'm smart, but the child and I will be fine, because you will accompany me and protect me, right?"
"Yeah." Chu Xiuming patted her head gently and said, "Go to sleep."
"Okay." Not long after she finished speaking, Shen Jin closed her eyes and fell asleep. What really made Shen Jin feel at ease was not Chu Xiuming's promise to protect her, but that one and only person. This was enough. Even if something really happened, there would always be someone who remembered her and thought about her forever. A man like this... Shen Jin felt that whether for the sake of the child or for this man, she would not let anything happen to herself.
The third-day bathing ceremony for the fourth young master of the Rui Palace was not grand, but some close people were invited, and Chu Xiuming also accompanied Shen Jin. By the time the child was one month old, Shen Jin was afraid that she would not be able to come. Coincidentally, the date of the child's third-day bathing was the last day of the twenty-fifth year of Yongqi, and Emperor Cheng had also stopped writing.
It was also the first time that Shen Jin saw her younger brother. He was wrapped in a small red quilt. When Chu Xiuming helped Shen Jin to look at him, he felt that this child was small in every way. Concubine Chen had a smile on her face, it was not obvious but Shen Jin knew that her mother was happy. After she got married, her mother must have been lonely. She spent all day in a place as small as Mo Yun Courtyard, and she must have remembered every blade of grass and every tree clearly.
Concubine Chen looked at Shen Jin and said with a smile, "This child is more obedient than you were when you were a child."
"How is that possible?" Shen Jin didn't believe it at all. "Didn't mother say that I was the most obedient child?"
Concubine Chen curled her lips and smiled, saying, "You are lying. When you were a child, you couldn't leave your parents all the time. You had to be held by someone. You slept in the morning and made a fuss at night. You cried when you were not satisfied. You didn't cry loudly, but cried quietly."
"No way." Shen Jin thought of how she often told Chu Xiuming how well behaved and sensible she was when she was a child, "I am smart and well behaved."
Concubine Chen smiled but said nothing more. She handed the child in her arms to the wet nurse and said, "Go back and have a rest. Don't get tired."
Shen Jin touched his belly and nodded, "Okay."
Princess Rui arranged the same courtyard for Chu Xiuming and Shen Jin. Because Chinese New Year was tomorrow, the two of them decided not to travel back and forth anymore. After all, Shen Jin was pregnant and it was a bit uncomfortable for her to ride in a carriage. They planned to spend the third day of the Chinese New Year at the Rui Palace before going back.
The Prince of Yongle and Shen Qi returned to the Yongle Mansion after the baby's third bath. No matter what, they still had to stay in the Yongle Mansion on the first day of the new year. Shen Qi and Shen Jin just greeted each other and didn't say a few words. They just waited for Shen Qi to come back on the second day of the new year. However, Shen Jin felt that Shen Qi had lost some weight. Shen Jin pursed her lips but didn't say anything.
Shen Qi originally wanted to ask Shen Jin if he knew about Li's affairs, but at that time Shen Jin's eyes were full of joy, and his whole body was in a good mood. In the end, he said nothing, and even seemed to be evasive. She hurriedly left the Rui Palace with the Prince of Yongle. She was afraid that she would not be able to help but tell it, which would make Shen Jin feel bad in the end.
During the time Shen Jin was in the Rui Palace, neither Shen Rong nor Shen Hao saw her, but Shen Jin did not ask anything. After the third day of the Chinese New Year, Chu Xiuming accompanied Shen Jin back to the Yongning Marquis's Palace. He brought a lot of gifts when he came, and took a lot when he left. After seeing off the Yongning Marquis and his wife, Shen Qi couldn't help but ask, "Mother, do you think my sister knows about the Li family's affairs?"
Princess Rui looked at her daughter's haggard appearance and said, "What do you think?"
Shen Qi couldn't tell. If he knew why, he didn't feel anything unusual. If he didn't know why he wasn't surprised at all when he saw Shen Rong and Shen Hao were gone, Princess Rui sighed and said, "Is it important?"
After hearing her mother's words, Shen Qi couldn't answer. Is it important? She didn't know, but she just wanted to know.
Princess Rui walked slowly inside with her daughter and said, "Whether Jin knows it or not, she knows in her heart that no matter what others do, her own life is the most important. I am here and will never let you end up like Li."
"Mother." Shen Qi's body stiffened when she heard her mother mention Li. She was terrified that day. There was so much blood. Li's screams seemed to still be ringing in her ears. And her father's words to protect the child... Did she also bleed a lot when she had a miscarriage?
"What is Li's status, and what is your status?" Princess Rui held her daughter's hand and said, "Even in Yongle Marquis's Mansion, they don't have the guts to not protect you."
Shen Qi bit her lower lip. Princess Rui's hands were very soft, a pair of pampered hands. "It is always a big hurdle for a woman to have a child, but you have to have one, unless you are willing to watch another woman and your husband's child inherit everything."
Princess Rui didn't say anything else. "Jin girl is not as good as you in status, appearance, or even in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she is more open-minded than you. Qi'er, you are my only daughter, but I don't want you to live such a hard life, so you don't need to live as hard as Jin girl, but... there are some things you should learn from Jin girl to be more open-minded."
"Yes." Shen Qi agreed.
But neither Princess Rui nor Shen Qi knew that Shen Jin didn't really not care or that nothing happened. She just felt a little uncomfortable and was comforted by Chu Xiuming. Shen Jin was actually feeling a little proud, because it turned out that not only she couldn't live without her husband, but her husband couldn't live without her either.
On the way back in the carriage, Shen Jin sat in Chu Xiuming's arms and moved her feet uncomfortably. Not only her legs but also her feet were a little swollen. She was wearing boots now. Although they were warm, Shen Jin still felt uncomfortable after wearing them for a long time, even though the boots were specially made a little bigger by Zhao Ma and others.
Chu Xiuming noticed Shen Jin's movement. He knocked on the door three times first, and Shen Jin found that the carriage stopped quickly. Chu Xiuming then let Shen Jin sit horizontally in his arms, put one arm around her back, and turned sideways to take off Shen Jin's boots. She was wearing cotton socks on her feet, so she wouldn't be cold in the carriage. After the boots were taken off, Chu Xiuming hugged Shen Jin again, knocked on the door again, and the carriage was on the road again.
"It's much more comfortable." Shen Jin moved his feet and said.
Chu Xiuming responded, "Go back and soak your feet in hot water."
Shen Jin nodded. It had been nearly a year since they left the border town. Obviously, the capital was the place where she had lived for a long time, but Shen Jin missed the life in the border town more. The Prince Rui's Mansion seemed a little deserted this year. Shen Xuan was still in central Fujian and had not returned. Although Shen Zi wanted to come back, he was not allowed by the Prince Rui's Mansion. Concubine Xu and Shen Jing were locked up, and Shen Hao and Shen Rong were also punished. They were not even released during the New Year. The only ones who stayed with Prince Rui were Shen Qi and his wife, the two of them, and Shen Xi.
"I don't think it was Shen Rong who asked Shen Hao to do this." Shen Jin said.
Chu Xiuming responded. Although it was not cold in the carriage, he still took the cloak and covered Shen Jin's feet.
Shen Jin whispered, "Shen Rong is not that stupid."
Chu Xiuming took a piece of dried peach and placed it on Shen Jin's lips. Shen Jin opened his mouth and took it in his mouth. It tasted sour, sweet and a little salty. He squinted his eyes in satisfaction and said, "Sister looks a little haggard. I think she was frightened. Fortunately, we came back early."
"Yes." Chu Xiuming said.
When the carriage stopped, Shen Jin wanted to ask An Ning to come up and help her put on her boots, as her belly was so tight that she couldn't bend down. Unexpectedly, Chu Xiuming asked Shen Jin to sit down first, then carefully wrapped Shen Jin's feet and calves with his cloak, and put Shen Jin's own cloak on her, and then carried Shen Jin horizontally out of the carriage.
Anping and Anning looked at each other, and Anning followed Chu Xiuming into the yard. Anping got into the carriage and packed Shen Jin's things.
Nanny Zhao was already waiting in the yard. The room was warm. Chu Xiuming put Shen Jin in the bedroom, and Nanny Zhao helped Shen Jin change clothes. An Ning went to the side to help. Chu Xiuming also changed into a casual dress. Nanny Zhao then said, "A few people came to the mansion a few days ago. They said they were relatives of Concubine Chen and came to see Madam."
"Mother's relatives?" Shen Jin was stunned and looked at Aunt Zhao.
Madam Zhao said, "Yes, she also told me some things about Concubine Chen. Since I don't know much and I don't know whether it's true or not, I arranged for someone to stay there first."
Shen Jin frowned. She had never told Madam Zhao and the others about her mother's family. Madam Zhao naturally didn't know whether it was true or not, so it was difficult to deal with those people. She could only arrange for them to stay and have someone watch over them.
Chu Xiuming pressed two fingers on Shen Jin's forehead and said, "If you don't want to see me, send me away."
Shen Jin grabbed Chu Xiuming's hand, shook his head and said, "Let's meet."
"Tomorrow." Chu Xiuming said.
Shen Jin smiled and nodded, "Okay."
When Zhao Ma saw this, although Shen Jin did not say anything, she could tell that no matter whether this relative was real or fake, it seemed that he had no close relationship with Concubine Chen and Madam. So she began to think about it. After helping Shen Jin change into a casual dress, she did not stay in the room any longer and left. When Zhao Ma brought the freshly cooked goat milk from the kitchen, An Ning also brought water to help Chu Xiuming and Shen Jin wash up, Shen Jin drank a bowl of hot goat milk, slowly exhaled and said, "It's still comfortable at home."
"Madam, would you like to warm your feet?" Madam Zhao asked with a smile.
Shen Jin thought for a moment and nodded, "Get a bigger basin so my husband and I can soak together."
Nanny Zhao agreed with a smile and immediately asked the maid to prepare it. After a while, someone came over with a basin of water. After the water was ready, Shen Jin looked at Chu Xiuming. Chu Xiuming had someone move a round stool and sat opposite Shen Jin. He did not ask the maid to serve him and took off his shoes and socks by himself. Since Shen Jin could not bend down, An Ning helped her take them off.
Shen Jin's feet were much smaller than Chu Xiuming's, white and tender, and looked plump because they were a little swollen. She was particularly proud to step on Chu Xiuming's feet. "In fact, even if I met someone from my mother's family, I wouldn't recognize them because I've never seen them before."
Chu Xiuming listened quietly. Shen Jin stepped on Chu Xiuming's feet, then had someone add some hot water. He continued to soak and said, "Mother rarely mentioned these people. At the beginning, mother... was unwilling to enter the palace as a concubine. It seems that my grandfather arranged for mother to marry someone before he died."
Although it was very comfortable to soak feet in hot water, Chu Xiuming did not let Shen Jin soak for too long. After letting An Ning help Shen Jin dry, he carried Shen Jin to the bed and waved his hand to let the waiters in the room leave. The two of them took off their clothes and lay down in the quilt. Shen Jin nestled in Chu Xiuming's arms and smiled, "Husband, you have become lazy."
"Yes." Chu Xiuming smiled when he heard it. Before he got married, he spent all day practicing martial arts, training soldiers, practicing calligraphy, or dealing with various things. It seemed that he could not rest at all. Later, he realized that it was not that he could not rest, but that he did not know what to do when he was idle, so he became even busier.
Although Shen Jin was not sleepy, she felt particularly comfortable lying in her husband's arms in the winter. She said, "But after my grandfather passed away, they... Actually, they didn't expect mother to be able to enter the Rui Wang Mansion at first. It seemed that she was to be a concubine for another official. But a friend of my grandfather couldn't stand it. I don't know how he got in touch with my mother's family. He knew that my mother was taking a concubine for Rui Wang, so he pushed my mother in."
"I heard from mother that my grandfather's family was not poor, and was even very wealthy. When they found out that mother was going to marry into Prince Rui's mansion, the matter was already a foregone conclusion. They knew they had offended mother badly, so they decided to offend her to the end. They accepted the gifts from Princess Rui, and did not allow mother to take anything with them. They even confiscated the things that my grandparents left for my mother. In the end, mother just put on all her clothes, secretly took the jade pendant and left." Shen Jin felt that there must be something else going on, like when his mother became a concubine, if they knew the news, would they have come to make trouble? However, these were all what Shen Jin heard from Mother Li. His mother did not like to talk about these things, so Shen Jin naturally would not ask, so as not to make his mother sad.
And did they really not come to the palace to look for mother? If it were just these things, mother would not have held a grudge for so long.
However, Shen Jin would not ask these questions again. Anyway, she would never see these people again, so why bother to bring up these things and make her mother upset.
Chu Xiuming responded, "No matter what their purpose is, just send them away and don't let them disturb my mother-in-law."
Shen Jin nodded. At least in the Yongning Marquis's Mansion, she could be the boss. But in the Rui Palace, Concubine Chen could not do much. So it was better for them to come to her than to go to the Rui Palace to find her mother. Her father was probably in a bad mood these days.
When Shen Jin really saw these people, she finally understood why Aunt Zhao had kept some of them. She didn't know which cousin it was, but she actually looked 60% similar to her mother when she was young. Shen Jin looked at them curiously for a while before saying, "Sit down."
Shen Jin couldn't help but pay more attention to the girl who looked like her mother, but found that they just looked similar. After she sat down, she kept looking at the bracelets on her hands and the hair accessories on her head, and also looked at the furnishings in the room. She thought she was doing it discreetly, but she didn't know that Shen Jin could see it clearly from the main seat.
"Princess, I am you..." The oldest man spoke as soon as he sat down.
Shen Jin frowned slightly, and then heard An Ping scolding, "Madam hasn't asked you a question yet, who told you to speak?"
The man's face turned extremely ugly, and he wanted to say something, but another man next to him pulled his sleeve and he shut up.
Shen Jin said, "Are you my mother's relatives?"
"Yes, yes." The middle-aged man responded in a row, "I..."
"I haven't heard mother mention it." Shen Jin interrupted them calmly and said, "After all these years, this is the first time I know that there is someone else in my maternal grandfather's family."
Except for Shen Jin, everyone present looked unhappy. Shen Jin continued, "Anping, ask Yue Wen to bring two people over."
"Yes." Anping responded respectfully.
"What are you doing?" said the man who had just pulled the middle-aged man's sleeve. "Could it be that now that the princess has become the wife of the Earl of Yongning, she will no longer recognize the poor relatives of her maternal grandfather?"
"How outrageous." An Ning scolded.
"That's not right. If you can't do it, just report it to the police and see if they will intervene. Does the Yongning Marquis' Mansion think it can bully others by taking advantage of its power? Beat me to death if you have the guts." The man stood up and shouted loudly with a red face.
"What if I beat him to death?" Chu Xiuming came in from outside and said, "Drag him out and beat him up."
"Yes." Yue Wen just brought people in. After hearing what was said, two people grabbed the man who was talking and dragged him out. The man didn't even have time to wail before Yue Wen broke his jaw.
When Shen Jin saw Chu Xiuming, she smiled and said, "Husband."
Chu Xiuming nodded and sat next to Shen Jin. He glanced at those people. No matter whether they wanted to beg for mercy or cry out, the sound was stuck in their throats. They just felt as if there was a knife on their necks, ready to fall at any time.
However, the girl who looked somewhat like Concubine Chen blushed with shyness the moment she saw Chu Xiuming. Her eyes were only focused on Chu Xiuming. She didn't care about anything else and even forgot that the man who was dragged out was her father. Chu Xiuming and Shen Jin didn't speak, and no one in the room dared to speak. It was so quiet that it was a little scary, as if one could hear the sound of people being beaten with a stick outside.
The girl bit her lip, walked to the center of the hall with small steps, knelt down, raised her head slightly, and said, "I beg my cousin to forgive my father for his careless words. He just said those words because he was angry. It was not his intention. My family was in trouble, so I came to the capital from thousands of mountains and rivers. I thought my cousin could take me in for a few days, and then we would move out after we found a place to stay. Who would have thought that my cousin would..."
"Which one is your cousin?" Shen Jin looked at the crying girl and suddenly asked, "Which one is your cousin's husband? You said he is my mother's relative, right? Do you have any evidence?"
The girl cried pitifully, "I heard from my father that I look a bit like my cousin... the princess' mother."
Shen Jin pretended to be confused in front of Princess Ruyang because Princess Ruyang's status was higher than hers, and Chu Xiuming was not around. Even so, Shen Jin did not suffer any loss. Now that she is not only higher than these people, but Chu Xiuming is also around, what is there to be afraid of? So she said directly, "People are similar. I never knew there was such a relative in my family. I think it was an impostor."
Chu Xiuming had an indifferent expression and didn't even look at the girls below. After Shen Jin finished speaking, he responded. Shen Jin looked at Chu Xiuming, "Husband, I don't want to see them anymore." Then those people looked at Shen Jin with horror on their faces.
Shen Jin looked at them with some confusion, and then looked at Chu Xiuming. Chu Xiuming knew why those people were terrified. In fact, Shen Jin said that he didn't want to see them, and he didn't mean anything else. Hearing this, he said, "Okay, Yue Wen will send the people to Minzhong. Before they leave, let them speak. Who asked them to come?"
Upon hearing this, Yue Wen said respectfully, "Yes." Chu Xiuming did not say to whom it would be handed over, but Yue Wen knew it. Seeing that Chu Xiuming had no other instructions, he directly ordered people to drag everyone away.
Shen Jin asked, "Minzhong?"
"Yes." Chu Xiuming agreed, "Those pirates have occupied an isolated island. After they take it down, they will need people there too."
"They can't come back?" Shen Jin asked.
Chu Xiuming said, "I won't let them come back."
Shen Jin nodded and said, "That's good."
The arrival of these people was too coincidental for Chu Xiuming to help but be suspicious, so he arranged for people to let them speak before sending them away. It is unknown whether they would do anything else before sending them away. After all, Chu Xiuming is not a kind-hearted person. Nanny Zhao knows even more clearly that the woman who is somewhat similar to Concubine Chen cannot be kept, because that person is not only similar to Concubine Chen, but also somewhat like Shen Jin.
But no one would tell Shen Jin about this, and those people were not tough guys. In just two hours, Yue Wen sent the news to Chu Xiuming. He didn't expect that these people came here because of what others said, and even specially led them to the Yongning Earl's Mansion. It was easy to imagine what they were thinking. However, these people didn't know more. Chu Xiuming just nodded, gave a few instructions, and Yue Wen went down to get busy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
