Chapter 801 I Heard You Have Another Daughter?
When they had been in the Yuhui Nunnery, there had already been some rumors about Shao Yanru. However, at that time, Shao Yanru had been so famous with her good reputation that not many people had believed the rumors. They had all thought that it was because one’s jealousy of her reputation that there had been various rumors about the First Miss Shao. Now the imperial edict was issued. Taking previous rumors into consideration, no one had doubt about this.
This rumor even spread to the beauties in the imperial palace.
After Shao Yanru’s matter had been settled, Shao Wanru also returned to the group of the beauties. Other beauties gathering in groups pointed at Shao Wanru with a look of disdain. All the messages that Yujie heard were that they were talking about Duke Xing’s Mansion and Shao Yanru and that Fifth Miss Shao was also taunted by them.
Yujie was so angry that she wanted to argue with them, but she was stopped by Shao Wanru. Shao Wanru did not care about such kind of discussion. Originally, this news had been deliberately spread out, otherwise how could the beauties in the palace really know about this?
Shao Yanru had an extraordinary identity, but she only got the title of Secondary Consort. This was too abnormal. There must be something strange about things going wrong and have a reason for it. Since the Emperor still wanted to use Duke Xing’s Mansion, the reason could only be found on Shao Yanru.
Since Shao Yanru officially worked against Shao Wanru, many things about her bad reputation had been found out, but these had been suppressed in the past. Once it spread a little, a man of intention would fight back. The most important thing was that Shao Yanru had had a good reputation for her beauty and talents at that time.
The title of the First Beauty and being the disciple of Pushan Nun in the Yuhui Nunnery suppressed all the rumors and made Shao Yanru’s reputation rise again and again.
Now that her reputation was collapsed, it was easy to dig out all the rumors in the past. What’s worse, these things proved to be true after careful investigation, so Shao Yanru’s reputation would definitely be ruined. Having such a position of Secondary Consort could be said as the Emperor’s grace to Duke Xing’s Mansion.
The beauties in the palace were talking about this, and Shao Wanru became the target that they pointed at, while the discussion outside the palace was even more heated. Originally, the topics discussed most in the capital city were which beauty would win this time and who would become the wives of several princes. However, such a thing had unexpectedly happened, and it was infinitely magnified by someone’s propaganda with intentions.
“Does Duke Xing come here again?” In the quiet mountain temple and the beautiful lake with ethereal colours, Prince Cheng stood by the lake with his hands clasped behind his back and asked.
“Yes, Your highness!” Xiqi replied.
Prince Cheng didn’t look back. After thinking for a while, he said, “Ask him to leave. I can’t save his daughter!”
“Yes, I’ll reply to him now!” Xiqi said respectfully and turned around to pass on the message outside.
After a while, Xiqi came back and said, “Your Highness, Duke Xing begs you to meet him in any case. He has something important to report to you.”
“Something important?” Prince Cheng raised the corners of his lips sarcastically. He didn’t have any interest in Duke Xing’s daughter. He had thought that she could be married as a decoration in his mansion and a girl born to be the Empress would anyway be good for him. But he didn’t expect that she was a girl like this.
He had already heard the rumors outside. Originally, he had thought that it was just an excuse from the imperial palace, but those rumors turned out to be true after he had asked someone to secretly investigate. Unexpectedly, the First Miss Shao, who had used to be virtuous, gentle, and dignified, was actually a vicious and mean woman in private. Even if such a woman was sent to him, he would not want her.
Born to be the Empress? If it was the fate that she would enter the palace and marry his Imperial Brother, he would not have any interest in her.
This reminded him of another disgusting woman a few years ago, the eldest daughter of Qin Huaiyong, Ningyuan Army General. He also felt disgusted by that woman. Originally, he had thought that she was only one woman like that in the world. Unexpectedly, it happened that now there was a similar case on Shao Yanru.
If all the women were like this, he would not be interested in them at all.
“That’s what Duke Xing said, Your Highness… I think he doesn’t refer to the matter of Secondary Consort Shao.” Xiqi said cautiously and secretly glanced at his master. Seeing that his master was not angry, he breathed a sigh of relief. As Prince Cheng’s personal eunuch, he naturally knew about his master’s affairs.
“Let him come over!” After thinking for a while, Prince Cheng raised his lips with sarcasm and said slowly.
“Yes!” Xiqi left and led Duke Xing Shao Jing in after a while.
Seeing Prince Cheng, Duke Xing stepped forward and bowed deeply to him. Prince Cheng waved his hand and then Xiqi stepped back to stand aside.
“Duke Xing, you are too polite!” Prince Cheng turned around and said to Shao Jing with a faint smile.
After seeing Prince Cheng, Shao Jing lowered his head and said, “Your Highness, I have something to report to you!”
“What do you think of the matter of your daughter?” Prince Cheng glanced at him leisurely and said without hurry or bustle, but did not mention the so-called “important” topic.
This made Shao Jing feel a twinge in his heart. Thinking of his daughter, he couldn’t help but feel ashamed. The Emperor had asked him to go to the palace and scolded him severely, and then he had been pulled aside by Derong to vaguely talk about the matter of Shao Yanru. Hearing that his daughter had set a trap on the Emperor, Shao Jing had been so angry that he had almost rushed to Shao Yanru and beat her hard.
How could he have such a stupid daughter? She had repeatedly said that she would either marry Prince Yue or Prince Zhou in the future, but now she even plotted against the Emperor and wanted to be his imperial concubine. Had she thought that the Emperor was old and the throne would either belong to Prince Yue or Prince Zhou, or even Prince Yue, in the future?
After this matter had happened, not only had the Emperor been furious, but also Duke Xing lost his face.
“I… I don’t know what happened. When I sent the letter to the imperial palace before, she should have understood this. Ru’er has always been smart, but I don’t know why she…” Shao Jing lowered his head and said. In fact, he was still not very clear about it and felt that there was something else behind it. But now it was impossible to for him to meet Shao Yanru and ask her clearly about this.
“In the letter you sent to her before, did Duke Xing say anything to hint at her? I treat Duke Xing with sincerity, but Duke Xing has other plans. You really disappoint me.” Prince Cheng’s face turned cold, and he looked at Shao Jing with cold eyes.
Shao Qing had asked Prince Cheng to help him deliver the letter and it had taken Prince Cheng a lot of effort to send it to the palace. However, it was unexpected that it would end up like this, which was really beyond Duke Xing’s expectation.
“Your Highness, it is not what you think. I didn’t say any misleading words. You…” Shao Jing gritted his teeth and wanted to ask if Prince Xin had sent another message. But after thinking for a while, he didn’t dare to ask again, “Do you think there is something strange behind it?”
“I don’t know if there is anything strange, but I only know that the First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion has got what she wants. She enters the palace as she wishes, and this is an auspicious start. The fortune-telling is true that she was born to be the Empress!” Prince Cheng walked forward slowly with a slight smile, and said casually.
Hearing this, Shao Jing, who was following behind, felt frightened and hurriedly lowered his head and said, “Your Highness, I think there must be something else. But I can’t see her now, so I don’t know what happened at that time. My daughter has always been ambitious since her childhood, but how could she… how could she do such a thing? Before…”
“It was this First Miss’s intention to lead Prince Yue and Prince Zhou to a fight before. Duke Xing, you really have a good daughter. Not only was she born to be the Empress, but she also made several princes fight with each other. Now she even made my Imperial Brother take her. She is very scheming, so it is really hard to say what the end will be. Maybe she will be the Empress in the future because the current Empress can’t compare with her!”
Prince Cheng’s words seemingly sounded ironic, which make Duke Xing’s blood run cold.
Many people had seen the matter of Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuzhou, so it was very easy for Prince Cheng to inquire about it. However, Prince Cheng couldn’t inquire clearly about the matter that Shao Yanru lured the Emperor in the Phoenix Palace. After all, that was the Empress’s Phoenix Palace, which was not accessible to anyone at will.
“Your Highness, I’m afraid!” Shao Jing lowered his body and said hurriedly. He was also annoyed with his daughter in his heart. He had originally thought that this daughter was promising and could revitalize the family, but he didn’t expect such a thing to happen.
“You are afraid, but I am even more afraid!” Prince Cheng twitched his mouth and said helplessly.
“Your Highness, I’ve been following you for several years and I really dare not to have any other delusions. Your Highness, please believe that I never dare to be disloyal to you, let alone think about attaching to the Emperor!” Shao Jing panicked with cold sweats on his forehead.
Prince Cheng squinted at Shao Jing, who was one step behind him, and said, “You dare not to attach to my Imperial Brother, but you seek connections with the two princes of Imperial Brother. I heard that First Miss Shao is not only beautiful, but also has a good relationship with the other two princes. It is said that they have built friendship since their childhood, like childhood sweethearts!”
He had not known this before investigating it, which was beyond his expectation. This was also the reason why Prince Cheng thought Shao Yanru was disgusting and shameless.
How could an unmarried Miss be so shameless and mean to this extent? This was really beyond Prince Cheng’s understanding. Moreover, it also made him doubt Shao Jing’s loyalty. If Shao Yanru really married one of his imperial nephews, would he stand against him in the future?
As Shao Yanru’s father, would Shao Jing really stand on his side at that time?
“Your Highness, these are all deliberately spread by someone. You also know Ru’er’s current situation. If there are no rumors, it will be difficult to convince the public with what she has done in the palace!” Shao Jing said in a panic, with his fingers trembling slightly. He knew that Prince Cheng was not only talking about his daughter, but also about himself.
“The truth won’t be fake, but the fake can’t be true either! I heard that you have another daughter?” Prince Cheng had said enough sarcastic words to Duke Xing, and suddenly looked at him and asked.
“Yes… Yes, I have another daughter of non-lineal descent.” Shao Jing said quickly.
“Has she been engaged to anyone?” Prince Cheng asked indifferently.
“No… not… not yet…” They had been waiting for Commandery Prince Qing to come, but Chu Qing seemed to have forgotten this and had not come at all. So, Shao Jing didn’t dare to talk nonsense now.
“Since she has not been engaged to someone, send her to my mansion!” Prince Cheng glanced at Shao Jing casually and said.
How would Shao Jing dare say no? He nodded repeatedly, “Ok, ok. I will go back and prepare now.”
“You have no need to be hurried. After everything is settled here, send your little daughter here. Tell me about the important things you want to report to me first!” Prince Cheng slowly changed the topic to the previous one. After suppressing Duke Xing enough, Prince Cheng could talk some business now.