Chapter 229 There's a ghost
The accounts of the weaving and dyeing bureau were sealed, and the entire prince's mansion was in a state of panic. Shen Xiang even refused to see his own mother.
Old Madam Shen could not get her money back, and the creditors of the two loss-making shops of the Shen family had come to their door several times, almost ruining the Shen family's reputation.
Old Madam Shen asked Shen Xiuhe, but Shen Xiuhe looked tired and asked his mother to take care of it.
Helplessly, Madam Shen could only use the two shops to pay off her debts.
On the day the shop was sold as payment for the debt, Madam Shen took Xue Surong and the creditor to the government office to sign the document for record, and then went home with the more than 80 taels of silver that the creditor got back after the accounts were settled.
In the carriage, both the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law were silent.
Xue Surong actually had some private money, but when she bought a house last time, she took out all of her private money in order to buy her favorite house.
At that time, Xue Surong thought that she would be the mistress of the Shen family in the future, and would be in charge of all matters in the family just like Xie Yunqing had done in the past.
However, the fact is that there is really nothing left for her to manage in the Shen family. The only two remaining shops have now been used to pay off debts, and everything is gone.
Shen Xiuhe's salary as a fourth-rank official is just this much. If he continues like this, he won't be able to pay his servants the monthly wages in two months.
Living in a huge house and living in an area where the rich and powerful live, but he can't even afford to support servants, if this gets out, he will definitely be laughed at.
When passing an intersection, the carriage suddenly stopped and did not move for a long time.
Xue Surong lifted the carriage curtain to ask, and saw the coachman pointing innocently to a place not far ahead. There, a long line of carriages blocked the road.
"It's the Duke of Wei's wife's flower viewing banquet, it happens every year on this day."
The driver's face was filled with envy: "I heard that the water lilies in the Duke's Mansion are very beautiful... I wonder what they look like."
Xue Surong glanced over there and happened to see Xie Yunqing getting off the carriage and being welcomed into the Duke's Mansion by someone.
Old Madam Shen happened to look out through the opened curtain of the carriage and saw Xie Yunqing.
In fact, in previous years, there was always a seat for Old Madam Shen at the flower-viewing banquet at the Duke's Mansion. Whenever she went to the Duke Wei's house, even the Duke's wife would politely call her Old Madam Shen.
However, they did not respect the Shen family at all, but were giving face to the Xie family.
Xie Yunqing has been the daughter of a wealthy family since she was young, and is very familiar with the wife of Duke Wei.
Now, Xie Yunqing and Shen Xiuhe have divorced, the Shen family is still in the capital, Shen Xiuhe has also been reinstated, and although Shen Nian has to obey the imperial order to marry, she has been conferred the title of princess. Logically, it is not much worse than before, but unfortunately... no one takes them seriously anymore.
Over there, a group of noble ladies walked forward together, laughing and chatting. This was the scenario that Xue Surong had imagined countless times before: she became Madam Shen, and her companions were no longer those sarcastic merchants, but a group of noble ladies from high-class families.
But now, she is indeed Mrs. Shen, but she is far from what she imagined at the beginning.
"Let's go, let's go back."
Madam Shen spoke in a deep voice, "Nian Nian is going to marry for the Xuan Dynasty. Besides preparing her dowry, the palace will surely have other rewards for the Shen family. It won't take a few days for us to recover. We don't need to look to others."
Xue Surong responded and lowered the curtain, feeling mixed emotions.
Being crowned a princess? It might seem glamorous, but everyone knows that marrying into the Yuan Dynasty is like jumping into a fire pit.
It would be fine if the princess was really married off, but her daughter was of ordinary birth and was sent to marry off for such an unbearable reason. She didn't know what kind of suffering she would have to endure in the future.
"I don't want to go to the Yuan Dynasty to marry, I can only run away!"
In the garden behind the palace, Chen Nian grabbed Xie Lianyu's sleeve, his face pale. "Cousin, do you still mean to take me away when you said last time?"
Xie Lianyu gritted his teeth: "But you..."
Shen Nian interrupted him crying: "I was framed. Someone drugged me and sent me to Mu Huali. Cousin, how could I be such a shameless person?"
Her eyes were filled with pain. "I've been assigned to be the Crown Prince's concubine. No matter how foolish I am, I will never do something that will ruin my future. Cousin, someone else harmed me. Now only you can save me."
"What I said to my cousin before was all an angry remark. We have known each other for more than ten years and have been childhood sweethearts. How could we not have feelings for each other? But, what can I do?
What can I do if I become a concubine who is kicked out of the house?
The prince has taken a liking to me, so how can I refuse? Should I involve my cousin and make you annoy the prince?"
Chen Nian grabbed Xie Lianyu's hand and cried bitterly: "If my cousin doesn't believe me and doesn't care about me, then I will die to prove my loyalty."
After saying that, she ran headfirst into the rockery next to her.
Xie Lianyu pulled the person back, his heart aching at the sight of Shen Nian crying in despair. After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll take you away."
He said, "Tonight at midnight, the guards at the palace will be changing shifts. There will be people from my Xie family army there. You will need to disguise yourself and I will lead you to sneak into the palace. From now on, we will have a place to stay."
Xie Lianyu grabbed Shen Nian's hand, his expression also somewhat painful and uncomfortable: "Niannian, I am going to give up everything for you... From now on, we will never be separated again."
Shen Nian couldn't help but nodded vigorously.
That night, at midnight, the night watch rang out. At the side door of the palace, Xie Lianyu walked out with Chen Nian, who was disguised as a servant.
The guard stopped him, recognized him, and looked suspicious: "Master, it's late at night, what are you doing?"
"I have important matters to attend to and must return home to Beijing. You don't need to ask any more questions."
After all, Xie Lianyu was the legitimate son of the Xie family and had been appointed to the army before. Seeing this, the guard paused for a moment, then stepped back and made way.
Xie Lianyu breathed a sigh of relief, then walked forward without looking around.
His bag contained a lot of banknotes, gold and some silver. As long as he left here... he and Shen Nian would become an ordinary couple.
From then on, there was no general's mansion, no concubines, no prince's concubines, and so on. There were only two childhood sweethearts who depended on each other and wandered around the world.
At this moment, Xie Lianyu felt that he was one of those protagonists in the storybooks who lived for love and had the courage to give up everything for the one he loved.
In the future, Chen Nian knew his heart and would be grateful to him until death.
Perhaps many years later, the two of them will create a wonderful story that will be written into a storybook...
"It's late at night and the dew is heavy. Where are you going, brother?"
A voice that sounded like a smile woke Xie Lianyu up instantly. He was immediately nailed to the spot, and then he saw Xie Yuncheng slowly walking out from the front with a smile on his lips.
Shen Nian froze there, subconsciously lowering her head to hide her presence, but then Xie Yuncheng looked at her: "Miss Shen, what's going on?"
Xie Lianyu's cheeks tensed, his hands trembled, and he spoke in a hoarse voice, "I beg you."
"What do you want from me?"
Xie Yuncheng tutted his words and said, "Brother, you are too serious. How about this? You go and ask father for help. If he agrees to let you go, I will let you go immediately. How about that?"
With just one word, the color drained from Xie Lianyu's face.
A moment later, Xie Lianyu and Shen Nian were taken back. Shen Nian was sent directly back to the queen, while Xie Lianyu was taken to his father, General Xie Fengting.
Without giving Xie Lianyu a chance to speak, Xie Fengting kicked him in the chest and kicked him out. Xie Lianyu's face turned pale and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The veins on Xie Fengting's forehead were throbbing.
"The imperial court is under attack from all sides, with the Tatars and Oirat eyeing us covetously. Alliance with the Yuan Dynasty is for the sake of our country and our people, and yet you... actually want to elope with Princess Yuhe?"
Xie Fengting picked up the sword beside him and said, "How could I, Xie Fengting, give birth to a selfish, stupid waste like you!"
Before he could finish his words, the back of the knife came down hard. Xie Lianyu howled, and one of his legs became red and swollen in an instant.
"I'm going to break your legs today. I wonder where you can go from now on!"
Xie Fengting threw away his sword with a clang. "Rather than letting you bring disaster to our family at any time, it would be better to treat you as a cripple and raise you. My Xie family doesn't need you as a meal."
After saying this, Xie Fengting closed his eyes: "From today on, Aunt Mei will be promoted to a concubine. From now on, Xie Yuncheng will be the second son of my Xie family... You, just be content to be a useless person!"
Xie Lianyu's heart was broken, and he didn't even care about the severe pain in his broken leg. He staggered forward and said, "Dad, Dad, don't you want your son anymore? Dad, Dad! I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong..."
Xie Fengting looked down at him: "From the moment you decided to leave your family behind and elope with that troublemaker, you had already abandoned the Xie family... The Xie family has raised you for over twenty years, providing you with luxurious clothes and delicious food, and yet you, for something so worthless, have thrown your entire family's safety into disrespect!"
His eyes were filled with disappointment and disgust: "It's you who doesn't want the Xie family!"
Taking a deep breath, Xie Fengting raised his hand to Xie Yuncheng and said, "Drag him out and send him home. Without my order, he is not allowed to step out of the door."
Xie Yuncheng lowered his head and stepped forward: "Yes!"
Xie Lianyu was dragged out of the palace and put on the Xie family's carriage. Xie Yuncheng coldly ordered the driver and guards: "Take good care of the eldest master."
"Yes, Second Young Master."
The carriage slowly drove away, and Xie Lianyu's hoarse shouting and cursing could be heard.
"Xie Yuncheng, you will not die well... You will not die well..."
When they returned to the courtyard, the people guarding the gate had already known that Xie Yuncheng had become the legitimate son of the Xie family, and they said very respectfully, "Congratulations, Second Young Master."
Xie Yuncheng responded indifferently, opened the door and entered the house.
Xu Ya was dozing off at the table. When she heard him come in, she stood up and said, "Master, you're back."
She hurried forward to help Xie Yuncheng take off his outer robe...
Xie Yuncheng hadn't hidden anything he had done from Xu Ya. At this moment, he looked down at her with a humble expression, raised his lip and asked, "Do you think I'm a bad guy?"
Xu Ya suddenly looked up and shook her head quickly, like a frightened little rabbit.
Xie Yuncheng threw off his outer robe, picked her up, and walked towards the bathroom behind the screen. As he walked, he said, "I am indeed very bad, so you have to be good and don't make me angry..."
The bathroom was soon filled with lustful emotions, but at this moment, a strange and eerie sound of crying and laughing was heard, like crying and laughing, and it seemed to resound throughout the entire palace in the silent night.
Xu Ya suddenly shuddered and subconsciously snuggled into Xie Yuncheng's arms.
Xie Yuncheng hugged the person and stood up directly from the bathtub.
"Stay in your room and don't go out. I'll go out and take a look."
The next moment, he walked out shirtless, wearing only trousers and holding a sword, while outside, the guards were already on alert.
Several more eerie cries and laughs were heard coming from the night sky above, and a dark shadow was faintly seen passing through the treetops.
"Ah, ghost, there is a ghost..."
"Someone come quickly, there's a ghost!"
The entire palace suddenly became chaotic.
The patrolling guards drew their weapons and followed the sound, only to see a pale green ghost fire suddenly drift away from the bottom of the palace wall. Before they could react, a large group of bats rushed over their heads and crashed straight into the palace door next to them.
Crackling, dense swarms of bats rushed towards the temple door as if possessed by a demon. Several eerie cries and laughs filled the night sky...
Shen Ning was drowsily sitting beside the Queen Mother, watching her and the Queen playing chess, and she was so sleepy that she was full of complaints.
These two people have been here since dusk.
Are they really a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law? Even in the competition on the chessboard, they refuse to admit defeat and have to fight to the death?
At this moment, eerie and sinister sounds of crying and laughing were heard outside.
The Queen Mother suddenly looked up and was about to ask who was causing the trouble when she heard a large number of voices outside shouting "There's a ghost".
The Queen Mother was about to get angry when suddenly there was a crackling sound.
Countless bats swarmed in like locusts, swarming towards the palace door, and the palace guards outside screamed and cried.
"There's a ghost, ah, there's a ghost..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
