A green bowl, white ice, and red rose jam—stirred with a silver spoon, it becomes a bowl of fragrant ice, the sweet juice refreshing and delightful. Yet, Shen Mingzhuang felt as if he were being roasted over a fire, a sense of helplessness rising from his very bones.
She didn't want to go to the palace.
But now that the imperial decree has been issued, it doesn't matter whether she wants to enter the palace or not. Manhuan came over carrying a box, hesitant to speak.
Shen Mingzhuang took the box, which contained stacks of silver notes. The small storeroom, now mostly empty, was now there.
Eight thousand taels of silver is no small sum; it would be enough for her to find a comfortable place in Jiangnan and live a peaceful and comfortable life. But now, the matter of leaving the capital is still unresolved, while the imperial decree to enter the palace has already been issued.
Since arriving here, Shen Mingzhuang's mood has been heavier than ever before.
The ice in the bowl gradually melted into water, and the originally cloyingly sweet syrup gradually became lighter in color.
The rustling sound of silkworms eating mulberry leaves came from outside the window, accompanied by a faint, almost inaudible wind... It turned out to be raining.
Outside the hexagonal window, shadows swayed in the wind. Inside the room, there was a faint scent of mugwort, as Xue Rong had just inspected the room. Even so, a number of small insects still swarmed in through the half-open west window. Man Huan frowned slightly and hurriedly lowered the bamboo curtain.
Footsteps sounded outside, followed by the sound of a maid bowing: "Eighth Miss!"
Shen Ming'e walked in from outside, wearing a light green dress. Seeing that the room was quiet and Shen Mingzhuang was sitting silently at the octagonal ruyi table, she looked around suspiciously.
"Eighth Miss!"
When Manhuan heard the commotion outside, she took the small box and hid it. So when Shen Ming'e came in, she naturally didn't see anything.
"What's wrong? The whole family is happy for you getting that damned Fengmo female official title, why are you looking so gloomy here?"
Shen Ming'e asked her in confusion. She sat down next to Shen Mingzhuang, but Shen Mingzhuang ignored her. She had no interest in joking either. Her face darkened, revealing a preoccupied look. She said self-deprecatingly, "I'm afraid the only unhappy people in the whole mansion right now are the two of us."
"Why?" Shen Mingzhuang glanced up at her, then, thinking of Wenxin's matter at Biyue Tower, smiled and asked, "Father, are you staying at Biyue Tower tonight?"
Shen Ming'e was stunned for a moment, "Because you are going to the palace, in order to show our family's love and respect for the Emperor, the servants in the family also benefited from your visit and received reward money!"
Hearing the second half of Shen Mingzhuang's sentence, she waved her hand somewhat irritably, "No, no, Father is resting in the main courtyard today."
Shen Shuchun has been living in Biyue Tower almost every day these days, even on the first and fifteenth of the month. Today, he suddenly moved to the main courtyard. This must be a delaying tactic by Aunt Liu.
This also confirms that Wenxin is probably quite extraordinary. Otherwise, she would just be a maidservant, and even if she was promoted by Lin Shi, it would only be to help Aunt Liu win over the master. Why would Aunt Liu make such a fuss?
Now, she's willing to push away the Third Master Shen, who's all she cares about, just to protect a little maid. I'm afraid she's not the only one who's suspicious.
However, she had no time to concern herself with Aunt Liu's affairs. Her thoughts shifted, and she thought about her trip to the palace tomorrow. The time was too short, and she wouldn't have a chance to make arrangements for her departure. She needed to bring all the necessary items with her. Leaving the palace was difficult, but not impossible. As long as she waited patiently, she would eventually find a good opportunity.
Watching the maids packing and unpacking in the room, Shen Ming'e felt a mix of envy and disappointment. "You've all gone to the palace, and there are no more sisters at home to play with. I have to go to my second aunt's every day to learn manners. It's so boring."
"You can go play with your fifth cousin. Although she is introverted, you are about the same age and you should be able to play together."
Shen Ming'e sighed, "You're the only one in this family who can play with her. Me? Forget it." Then she exclaimed "Huh?" curiously, "Why haven't I seen Ruyi in your room for so long?"
Only three maids were tidying up. Shen Ming'e had seen Ruyi when she first arrived, but she hadn't seen her since, so she asked out of curiosity.
Shen Mingzhuang smiled and said "Oh," then explained, "Grandmother sent Chunlan to accompany Seventh Sister to the palace, so I asked Ruyi to help take care of Grandmother's cat."
Is this really necessary? Shen Ming'e was a little confused. She pouted, picked up a plum, and started taking a big bite. The force of her bite seemed to be venting something. Shen Mingzhuang was afraid that she might accidentally bite off half of her finger.
It was time for bed, but Shen Ming'e showed no sign of returning to her room. Man Huan and Xue Rong had already turned off the light in the outer room and asked Shen Mingzhuang, "Miss, is it time to rest?" They were also reminding Shen Ming'e that it was late and their young lady should rest.
Shen Ming'e suddenly grabbed Shen Mingzhuang's arm and began to whine, "Ninth Sister, you're going to the palace tomorrow, let's sleep together tonight, I have so much to tell you!"
Since the flower-adorning banquet, Shen Ming'e has gradually distanced herself from Shen Mingxi and started to get closer to her. Shen Mingzhuang knew that this girl was shrewd on the inside but not as foolish as she seemed! She didn't dislike Shen Ming'e's personality, so she let her have her way.
But she wasn't used to sleeping with anyone. She would kick off the covers when she slept at night, and Manhuan would have to stay up several times a night to keep watch for her. If Shen Ming'e slept here, wouldn't she blame it on her if she caught a cold?
Before she could refuse, Shen Ming'e loudly ordered her maid, "Quickly, bring me my quilt. I'm sleeping with Ninth Sister tonight!"
As he spoke, he sat down on the edge of the bed, his movements fluid and seamless, giving Shen Mingzhuang no chance to refuse!
Shen Mingzhuang raised an eyebrow and had no choice but to give up struggling. She wanted to see what Shen Ming'e was up to.
After washing up and getting into bed, it was already past midnight, but I couldn't fall asleep. My body was tired, but my mind was very clear. Although it was raining outside, the room was still stuffy and hot. The ice basin next to the bed was very helpful.
"Ninth Sister?"
A tentative voice came from beside me.
Shen Mingzhuang gave a faint "hmm," and after a while, Shen Ming'e's voice rang out again.
"Ninth Sister, you are the best sister to me in this family."
As Shen Ming'e spoke, she kept an eye on the movements around her. Seeing that Shen Mingzhuang didn't react, she continued, "I have a problem, could you please help me, Ninth Sister..."
Now we're finally getting to the main topic.
Shen Mingzhuang opened his eyes, and Shen Ming'e carefully asked, "Could you help me bring someone into the palace?"
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