Chapter 923 Go Back to Marquis Xing’s Mansion; Chu Qing Pays a Visit
Though it was just a domestic affair between Countess Yong and her daughter-in-law Qin Yuru in Duke Yong’s Mansion, Qin Yuru was very decisive and directly reported her mother-in-law to the court. After all, Countess Yong had embezzled Qin Yuru and Madam Di’s money made in their dowry shops for nearly twenty years!
What’s more, she also accused Countess Yong of secretly feeding her medicines that prevented pregnancy when she suffered a miscarriage.
Countess Yong became an unbelievably greedy, vicious and unregenerate woman in others’ eyes because of these accusations.
But even so, it was just a dispute in the inner court in other people’s eyes. And they were waiting for Duke Yong’s divorcing Countess Yong.
Things did not go as expected, however! The daughter-in-law was reconciled with her mother-in-law early the next morning! People were told that the daughter-in-law misunderstood her mother-in-law in the money problem. In fact, the daughter-in-law’s biological mother had always known about it, but she didn’t tell her daughter because she was afraid that her daughter was too young to deal with such a large sum of money! As for the infertility-preventing medicine, an old maid of the mother-in-law did it. It was said that the old maid was bribed by one of Di Yan’s concubines to frame the daughter-in-law and alienate the daughter-in-law from her mother-in-law.
Qin Yuru went to the yamen and withdrew the lawsuit in person!
It seemed that the matter was about to be minimized. Those who watched the fun were very disappointed. They had thought it was a big show, anyway.
But what happened next was totally beyond many people’s expectations. Instead of Countess Yong, Duke Yong and his son took the responsibility.
Di Yan’s t.i.tle as the Heir of Duke Yong was removed and the t.i.tle of Duke Yong would be gone.
Such a punishment was much more serious than expelling Countess Yong. For a moment, all the officials were shocked, not understanding why such a trivial matter would bring Duke Yong’s Mansion such big trouble.
Some well-informed people secretly got some news. It was said that it had something to do with two princes’ colluding with Duke Yong! That’s why his family could just keep the t.i.tle of Duke Yong until he died.
It was the news from the Imperial Palace, so it was more or less correct. Not only Duke Yong but also Prince Yue and Prince Zhou were punished. The two princes were flogged at the Imperial Study. Even the Empress and Consort of Virtue were alert to it and they knelt outside the Imperial Study to intercede with the Emperor for their sons.
The Empress and Consort of Virtue had the highest status in the harem, but they even knelt to beg for mercy. It meant that the Emperor must fly in a rage! In such cases as these, it was actually his luck that Duke Yong could keep his life and t.i.tle when being implicated in such a matter.
But here was another question!
The whole thing had nothing to do with Di Yan. Why was he punished instead of Duke Yong? Could it be that Duke Yong put all the blame on his son when making a confession in the Imperial Study, so the Emperor was so furious that he dismissed Di Yan’s t.i.tle?
Such a statement was quite close to the truth. When Di Rufeng was in the Palace at that time, he indeed pushed the blame on Di Yan.
However, Di Rufeng just wanted to modify the issue into a less serious dispute in the inner court at that time, so he got his son involved in his confession. If he had known that it would make his descendants lose the t.i.tle of n.o.bility forever, Duke Yong would have made Countess Yong take all the blame.
Everyone outside the Palace had various speculations about the case as onlookers, while people in the Palace were highly concerned about it, though the lawsuit had been withdrawn. They secretly inquired about the details of the incident.
They all wanted to know the Emperor’s att.i.tude toward the two implicated princes.
Rumors and gossip were everywhere outside the Palace, but it was very tense in the Palace—everyone apprehended danger in every sound! Even the imperial concubines remained cautious every second, for fear that they would make a mistake and end up like Duke Yong.
What an undeserved disaster it was!
The Heir of Duke Yong was quite pitiful, marrying an unwomanly wife and having a greedy and vicious mother. Some people said that they saw him leave Duke Yong’s Mansion and rush out of the city in anger and he hadn’t come back by now.
“Miss, the carriage is ready!” Yujie came in and reported to Shao Wanru.
“Let’s go!” Shao Wanru nodded and walked out, followed closely by Yujie and Qu Le.
Marquis Xing’s Mansion sent her an invitation yesterday, saying that Commandery Prince Qing would pay a visit to their mansion and propose to one of their daughters. They hoped that Shao Wanru could come to guard a pa.s.s for them.
Of course, the so-called “to guard a pa.s.s” was just an excuse. It had never been Shao Wanru’s turn to cut in the marriage of a Miss of Marquis Xing’s Mansion.
However, since they said so, Shao Wanru didn’t intend to refuse them. Otherwise, she might be criticized as unfilial and impersonal. Old Madam of Marquis Xing’s Mansion was at an advantage in filial piety. Before they came to a showdown, Shao Wanru could only obey filial piety.
Of course, she would not keep humble in front of them. She would just be friendly to Old Madam of Marquis Xing’s Mansion on the surface. She had always had doubts about Marquis Xing’s Mansion. In the past, she was oppressed due to the ident.i.ty of an unmarried daughter. Now, as Princess Chen, she didn’t have to show weakness when being oppressed!
She got on the carriage of Prince Chen’s Mansion with her servant girls. The carriage left the gate of Prince Chen’s Mansion for Marquis Xing’s Mansion.
Most of the carriages of Prince Chen’s Mansion were s.p.a.cious, luxurious, and comfortable. The moving one was Shao Wanru’s exclusive carriage arranged by Chu Liuchen. It didn’t look eye-catching, as its materials were only a little more gorgeous than those of other carriages. It was s.p.a.cious and comfortable. No other ordinary carriage could compare with it in terms of material, design, etc.
It was a kind of low-key luxury.
They arrived at Marquis Xing’s Mansion. When the servants of Marquis Xing’s Mansion saw the carriage of Prince Chen’s Mansion, some of them rushed to report to their masters, and the other opened the door to welcome Shao Wanru.
When the carriage was well parked, Zhao Xiran had been out to welcome her with Shao Cailing.
They greeted each other and headed for the inner court together. It was said that Commandery Prince Qing had been waiting for them in Old Madam’s Chuntang Courtyard now.
Zhao Xiran was such a good talker. Her words were like a spring breeze, neither flattering nor remote. She talked with Shao Wanru as if they were biological sisters, showing that she was never alienated from Shao Wanru because the latter had been married.
Shao Cailing also had a happy talk with Shao Wanru, though she was not as talkative as Zhao Xiran. She could always stir up the atmosphere in their conversation. The three of them talked and laughed very intimately.
As soon as they arrived at Chuntang Courtyard, a sharp-eyed servant girl saw them and hurried in to report. Old Madam winked at Nanny Yu beside her. Nanny Yu understood and hurried to the door to welcome them.
“Show my greatest respect to you, Your Highness!” Nanny Yu greeted with a smile and bowed to Shao Wanru.
Shao Wanru waved her hand and asked, “Is grandma inside alone?”
“Commandery Prince Qing and First Young Master are also present!” Nanny Yu answered with a smile.
Shao Wanru nodded and entered the room. The servant girls lifted the curtain to let Shao Wanru in.
Old Madam sat on the couch next to the window and had a smile on her face. She looked very vigorous in a light brown coat with some traditional patterns. She held a string of Buddha beads in her hand and fiddled with them casually as if she started to look forward to a peaceful life.
The smile on her face made her somewhat look like Shao Jing. At this moment, she looked very friendly. When she saw Shao Wanru, her eyes lit up and she couldn’t help sitting up straight. Before Shao Wanru bowed to her, she waved and said, “Fifth Girl, come here and sit down beside me. You always keep caring about Marquis Xing’s Mansion under the situation where you are busy with other affairs. Take good care of yourself!”
Old Madam’s kindness made Shao Wanru think that she had come to the wrong place and met the wrong person!
She narrowed her watery eyes and went forward to bow to Old Madam. “Grandma!”
“Fifth Sister, you’d better sit next to Grandma. She’s looked forward to seeing you since you married, afraid that you live a bad life in Prince Chen’s Mansion and take no responsibility for your young age. If you make any trouble in Prince Chen’s Mansion, she is afraid that she cannot support you!”
Zhao Xiran flattered Old Madam and said to Shao Wanru affectionately. Someone might think that Shao Wanru had been favored in Marquis Xing’s Mansion in the past after they heard such words, if they had no idea about the truth.
Shao Wanru only thought they were hilarious. Old Madam was going to show off in front of Commandery Prince Qing. Of course, she also wanted to take advantage of Chu Liuchen’s power to suppress Commandery Prince Qing. That was not against her expectation, so she was very willing to watch a good show quietly.
She didn’t mind if Old Madam was willing to perform.
With a slight smile, she greeted everyone politely and then sat beside Old Madam with a gentle look. “Thank you for your concern, Grandma. I’m fine in Prince Chen’s Mansion. There are a few people in the Prince Chen’s Mansion, so I have rare chance to come into trouble!”
Her tone was neither cold nor warm, nor as intimate as Old Madam’s. She sat straight beside Old Madam, in an att.i.tude that she was not a favored granddaughter. The hot red plum blossoms patterns embroidered on the elegant plain white dress made her look vivid and charming.
Her cherry lips were as red as fire, and her skin as white as snow. People were charmed by the movement of her long eyelashes that flipped their hearts.
On catching sight of her, Chu Qing couldn’t help swallowing lightly, though he had seen her before. “Fifth Miss Shao is indeed a gorgeous beauty. No wonder I mistook her for someone else in the Yuhui Nunnery.” He thought First Miss Shao was the most beautiful girl before, but he changed his idea after that. Fifth Miss Shao was the one!
He remembered what he had received at that time. His eyes became darkened with his heart skipping a beat. “Was it Shao Wanru’s plot or Shao Yanru’s scheme?”