Autumn has arrived in the blink of an eye, but the weather hasn't cooled down yet; the early autumn heat still makes people feel hot all over.
These days, Shen Mingzhuang has been staying close to Jiang Wang, and has gained a better understanding of court affairs.
Every now and then, Jiang Wang would summon the ministers to the Imperial Study after the grand court assembly to discuss matters. She would see her uncle, Shen Shuchun, glancing at her several times, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
This reminded her of what Pei Jingzhou had said to her in the palace before. Could it be that the Pei family had really come to ask for her hand in marriage?
If Jiang Wang knew, would Pei Jingzhou be able to get away with it? Thinking about this, she found an opportunity and secretly went to the palace gate when the high-ranking officials finished their meeting.
Shen Zhongchun did not leave. He stood by the tall water vat under the palace wall, seemingly waiting for someone.
The area was crowded and noisy, so Shen Mingzhuang pretended to be passing by unintentionally and walked past Shen Bochun. Shen Bochun saw her and immediately followed her, stopping only when they reached a less crowded area.
"Uncle, is there something you want to tell me?"
Shen Bochun originally thought he would have to wait for a while today, but he didn't expect Shen Mingzhuang to get away so quickly, which shows that she is not so inconvenient in the palace now.
Thinking of the current situation in the court and Shen Mingzhuang's advantages in the palace, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you know whose suggestion it was for the Emperor to bestow the title of Earl of Qing'an upon Wen Su of the Wen family?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhuang showed a hint of fear, but he knew perfectly well that Shen Bochun thought the Emperor must think he knew something that Shen Bochun didn't, since the Emperor even had him serve him during ministerial meetings!
Thinking he could trick her into revealing information without any effort? Did he think he was some kind of fool? Shen Mingzhuang wasn't about to be stupid enough to tell him.
"Your Majesty's move is tantamount to outmaneuvering the Empress Dowager. If you know who is behind Your Majesty's scheme, you must tell me. Our Shen family is a close-knit clan, and a single move can affect the whole family."
Was this a reminder to himself that the honor and disgrace of the Shen family were closely related to his own? Shen Mingzhuang looked at Shen Zhongchun's earnest words, but could only laugh.
The Shen family? Everyone has their own plans. Since I've already left, I probably won't be going back anytime soon. There's no need for me to collude with the Shen family and get involved in all that nonsense.
But Shen Bochun possessed a perseverance that ordinary people lacked. Seeing Shen Mingzhuang's bewildered and somewhat clueless appearance, he couldn't help but sigh, wondering what else His Majesty valued besides this physical appearance.
"Alright, think carefully about what your uncle said. You're all grown up now, and you'll be getting married next year..." He paused here, giving Shen Mingzhuang a strange look, "Do you know about the eldest young master of the Pei family sending someone to propose marriage?"
She keenly noticed that her uncle said, "The eldest son of the Pei family sent someone to propose marriage," rather than "The Pei family came to remind them." A thought flashed through her mind: Could it be that Pei Jingzhou disregarded the objections of his parents and relatives and directly sent someone to propose marriage?
Thinking of this possibility, Shen Mingzhuang looked at Shen Bochun and asked, "Is there anyone else who knows about this at this time?"
Seeing her tense expression, Shen Bochun knew the seriousness of the matter and felt somewhat relieved. He shook his head and said, "We have suppressed this matter together, and no one knows about it yet."
But nothing stays hidden forever; how long can this secret be kept secret?
If this matter is not properly resolved before it becomes widely known, it will inevitably cause a major uproar.
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