After the rain, the evening mist clears, and the new pond is full of green water.
In early March, the Shen family had already finished making a batch of spring clothes. As the weather warmed up, it was time to buy some lighter clothes.
Shen Mingzhuang's slender, pale fingertips touched the crimson lacquer tray with its gold-painted ruyi pattern, and his slightly furrowed brows filled the room with a dazzling elegance.
"Lord Wen is such a kind person, he's brought gifts again." The maid Manhuan grinned, her face full of innocent charm.
The tray was filled with fabrics that ordinary people could not afford: silk satin as thin as a cicada's wing, cloud satin as colorful as rosy clouds, and extremely luxurious Song brocade, where every inch of brocade was worth its weight in gold, as well as two boxes of fashionable jewelry.
Ming Zhuang was already tired of looking at it, so he only glanced at it casually before looking away.
The Wen family mansion is just a smokescreen.
"Send some to each room."
In the month and a half since she woke up, the palace has been sending things over from time to time. Those who know say that the Shen family is enjoying the Emperor's favor, while those who don't think that the princess is temporarily staying at the palace.
But Shen Mingzhuang knew what Jiang Wang was up to.
Sitting in front of the dressing table, the beautiful woman reflected in the bronze mirror was indeed stunning, no wonder Jiang Wang couldn't forget her.
"Sending them again? This is the eighth time in the past month. The Third Miss doesn't like the people in our courtyard to begin with, and I'm afraid she'll get another scolding this time."
The maid Ruyi said somewhat indignantly.
Manhuan was applying osmanthus hair oil to Shen Mingzhuang when she heard this and said, "Just do as Miss tells you, and don't talk too much."
Even thirteen-year-old Manhuan understood this, yet Ruyi, who had already reached marriageable age, still needed guidance. A strange light flashed in Shen Mingzhuang's eyes, but he said nothing. Ruyi felt a chill in her heart and dared not say anything more before turning away.
"Miss, I've heard that Jiangnan is the best place to nourish people. Your hair is so beautiful, so smooth and shiny!"
Man Huan was a sweet-talking girl. Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhuang lowered his eyes and smiled. She was not the real Shen Mingzhuang at all. He was afraid that the girl had already died. After all, the books were probably not wrong about Jiang Wang's methods.
It was just a novel she read to pass the time, but it unexpectedly brought her to this world. And she was none other than Shen Mingzhuang, the femme fatale in the novel who caused the destruction of Tianzhong Kingdom.
The original owner, driven by revenge, took advantage of Jiang Wang's affections and did whatever she pleased, making her a true source of trouble.
Shen Mingzhuang never expected that she, a mere bystander watching the spectacle, would become an active participant. What should she do? Naturally, she should stay away from Jiang Wang. She didn't have such great ambitions as to want to sacrifice the entire Tianzhong Kingdom for her.
Besides, the Shen family was not wronged.
The year Jiang Wang ascended the throne, the entire family of Grand Tutor Shen was executed.
In the book, the original owner of the body pretended to have amnesia in order to take revenge and whispered sweet nothings in Jiang Wang's ear. However, Shen Mingzhuang never knew that he was just a bait that the Shen family had been planning for a long time.
She wasn't a direct descendant of the Shen family, so how could the Shen family possibly treat her with any sincerity?
On the day his entire family was executed, Mingzhuang was used as a hostage to threaten Jiang Wang, but Shen Mingzhuang would never know the truth.
However, the ninth young lady of the Shen family had a very tragic background. She was an illegitimate daughter born to a concubine and was left in the old house in Jiangzhou from a young age. This Shen family is not the same as that Shen family. Although the two families share the surname Shen, they are not from the same clan.
Shen Mingzhuang is now the ninth young lady of the Shen family. The Shen family is a scholarly family with a lineage that dates back more than a hundred years, making them a prominent and prestigious family.
Only a few important people in the Shen family know her true identity. Jiang Wang has already made it clear that the Shen Hanlin Mansion does not want to follow in the footsteps of the Shen Grand Tutor Mansion.
Manhuan was very skillful and quickly combed Mingzhuang's hair. Shen Mingzhuang stared at the simple yet elegant lotus pearl crown in the bronze mirror and nodded slightly in satisfaction. She didn't like complicated hairstyles, finding them cumbersome. This was just right, and even if it took a while, her scalp wouldn't get tired.
Footsteps could be heard outside the half-open lattice window.
Normally, the maids wouldn't dare to make such a commotion, so Mingzhuang frowned and looked out the window.
On the flower stand outside the window, a few sprigs of pale yellow forsythia were inserted into a milky white Ding kiln porcelain vase. The delicate and beautiful stamens on the swaying green branches were blooming gracefully. A gentle breeze blew, causing the hem of the girl's skirt to droop. Ruyi covered her face and cried as she entered the room.
Man Huan was startled. Shen Mingzhuang nodded, and she took a few steps forward to greet him. "What happened? Why are you crying for no reason?"
Listening to the maid's voice outside the house, Mingzhuang vaguely remembered that when Ruyi went to deliver things to each household earlier, she seemed to have mentioned that the Third Miss Shen Mingshu had a lot of complaints about her. Could it be that she came back crying this time because of something to do with Shen Mingshu?
Mingzhuang's fingers tightened slightly as she held the beaded string.
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