Please note that there is no additional release this week…
Edited by Tnyhy
Chapter 152: Farce (Part 2)Shen Yue followed Shen Wan into the room. Shen Wan's back was towards her and he did not speak, thus Shen Yue thought that Shen Wan was unhappy with the Wang family matter. Recalling the Wang family's attitude today, and also thinking that Shen Dong Ling had perhaps gained the Wang family's favor and that currently her identity was also on the rocks, Shen Yue was extremely unsatisfied. She said, "Father, that Wang family is obviously relying on force to bully others and is looking down on you. What kind of words were those? In the future if Third Younger Sister use my identity to live, then what do I do? Third Younger Sister robbed me of my marriage and now want to rob me of my identity. Father, you cannot do not care about me."
Shen Yue said those words like it was inevitable and right. Perhaps after saying so much lies, she also believed in them. Currently Shen Yue almost believed it herself, and this matter all started from Shen Dong Ling. It was Shen Dong Ling that harmed her quietly.
"She robbed you of your marriage?" Without turning his head, Shen Wan asked slowly.
Shen Yue did not hear that Shen Wan's tone was not right and nodded her head, "Exactly so!"
With a crisp 'pa' sound, a slap landed on Shen Yue's face like lightning.
Chen Rou Qiu, who just entered the room, saw this scene and cried out "Yue-er." She went forward to hold on to Shen Yu and yelled at Shen Wan, "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" Shen Wan did not get angry but laughed instead, "You might as well ask what your good daughter did."
Shen Yue held her face as she got up trembling. Even though the slap on her face was very painful, it could not compare to the fear she had at the bottom of her heart.
"Yue-er, you dare to say you are ignorant in the matter? Was it really Shen Dong Ling that harmed you and robbed your marriage? Do you think that your little plans could fool everyone? You let Shen Dong Ling marry on your behalf as you only think about marrying to Prince Ding, but did you ever thought that when the Wang family is offended, how would your Father, me, be? Without this marriage, how will you be able to marry off in the future? It is really one's past life good fortune for me, Shen Wan, to have such a smart and wonderful daughter like you!"
Shen Wan was a civil official and had a good appearance. Normally he would have a cultured, refined and elegant appearance, and all the while he had doted on Shen Yue a lot. It was actually the first time he had shown such a sinister face to Shen Yue.
Chen Rou Qiu trembled as she looked at Shen Yue in her arms and asked, "Yue-er, is what your Father said true?"
"I… I only wanted freedom." Shen Yue whispered in fear when she suddenly remembered something and raised her head, "But Shen Dong Ling also tempted me. The current attitude that the Wang family showed to us was obviously provoked by Shen Dong Ling. It was all because of Shen Dong Ling that slut!"
"Shut up!" The more Shen Wan listened, the more furious he got, "You yourself is stupid and you still blame on another. All the books you have studied had gone to the dog's stomach!”
Suddenly Shen Yue's grievance eyes turned red, as she had never encountered such a fierce Shen Wan before. Ever since Chen Rou Qiu heard Shen Yue admitting that it was her who wanted to change the marriage, she closed her eyes in disappointment as she had never expected that Shen Yue would have such guts to do such a thing. But Shen Yue was still her daughter that crawled out of her stomach and had been disciplined for so many years. Chen Rou Qiu only had this one daughter so when she heard Shen Wan placing the blame, she at the end could not help but said, "Even though Yue-er is at fault, she is because she is not sensible. I think that what Yue-er said was not wrong. Shen Dong Ling deliberately lured Yue-er and one fear that everything today was masterminded by her.
Shen Wan pressed on his forehead and the gaze that he had when he was looking at Chen Rou Qui was filled with disappointment, "Since when have you become unable to distinguish right from wrong?"
Chen Rou Qiu was startled and only heard Shen Wan continue speaking, "Never mind. Tomorrow I will personally pay the Wang family a visit to apologise. But I also do not know if this matter would be successful or not, as it is our Shen family who is at fault first and if it fails then it is your own creation." Finishing his words, he took a glance at Shen Yue before turning around and brushing his sleeves before leaving.
Chen Rou Qiu was in fear and trepidation with Shen Wan's look of disappointment with her, and wanted to say something but Shen Wan had already left the room. Looking at the weeping Shen Yue, she then turned around to comfort her daughter first.
Shen Wan left the room and the servant beside him saw that he had an exhausted expression and asked, "Does Master want to take a walk outside to relax?"
"It is not necessary." Shen Wan waved his hands. After some thoughts, he then said, "Go to the Western courtyard."
The Western courtyard. Currently it was the courtyard that Chang Zai Qing was staying at.
The servant did not say anything and quietly brought Shen Wan towards the Western courtyard.
These two people however did not notice that there was a person standing far away that was staring at their figures from behind. That person was from Rong Jing Tang, Zhang Mama who was always beside Old Shen Furen. Zhang Mama muttered to herself suspiciously, "Why is Third Master heading towards the Western courtyard?"
The farce in the Shen residence in the early morning quickly reached into Shen Miao's ears.
At the time during the separation from the Shen family, Shen Miao had picked a few maids in the Second and Third households and even Rong Jing Tang. Chen Rou Qiu's ability to manage the family was inferior to Ren Wan Yun. When Ren Wan Yun was managing the entire household, every single courtyard was as sealed as a metal bucket, especially Cai Yun Yuan, making it very difficult to insert a snitch. Now that Chen Rou QIu was managing Shen residence, it was like a sheet of loose sand. In addition, the Shen residence income and expenses were suddenly reduced, making the servant's life more difficult than previous times. Moreover what she wanted to ask was not a secret or confidential matter. It was just some small and big matters that happened in the Shen residence, and it could be heard by asking only a little about it.
After the Second household of the Shen family declined, the Third household was the one supporting the Shen family. Chen Rou Qiu would normally put up the mannerism of a matriarch in charge, and Shen Yue was the only branch in the thriving tree, as she had no other sisters to fight with.
One did not know that if it was because one had lived too long in peaceful days that one's mind was not used. For this instance this chess move of Shen Yue's was very terrible.
After the incident, Shen Wan really went to the Minister of Land, the Wang family, personally to apologise the second day like he mentioned. One did not know what kind of rationale he had prepared, but it was most likely that he would be tactfully pushing all the blame onto Shen Dong Ling. Who knew that the Wang family would give Shen Wan a vicious slap back.
The Wang family did not accept Shen Wan's apology and the people in the Wang family did not acknowledge Shen Yue. They absolutely said that Shen Dong Ling is the Di daughter of the Third household and as for Shen Yue, they did not know her at all.
Shen Wan was very embarrassed and could see that the other party was deliberately making things difficult for him. It was also very clear that the Wang family already knew that the matter of the exchanging of brides was brought up by Shen Yue, so they embarrassed him on purpose. Shen Wan thought that with the virtue of his friendship with the Wang family, he would be able get through it, and at the end the Wang family would exchange Shen Yue with Shen Dong Ling. However this time Shen Wan had guessed incorrectly.
Finally at the end, there were two solutions to resolve it. First was that Shen Dong Ling would be married in with Shen Yue's identity, and the real Shen Yue would no longer be seen in the world in the future. Naturally Shen Wan was unable to accept this. Thus there was only the second option, Shen Yue would also be married into the Wang family, with the status of a PinQi (aka equal wife).
Because Shen Yue's and Wang Bi's marriage had involved everyone, thus this time the real marriage of Shen Yue would not be done big. Everyone would think it is a Shu daughter who gets married, thus it had to be done in a low-key manner.
This solution almost made Shen Wan brush his sleeves then leave.
It was not that there were not such incidents in the Ming Qi where a Di and a Shu daughter waited upon one husband. However, usually it would be the Di daughter that would be the wife and the Shu daughter a concubine, but what the Wang family suggested was PinQi (aka equal wife)! In order to pull the wool over people’s eyes, Shen Yue had to marry in as a Shu daughter identity and Shen Dong Ling, who was a Shu daughter, had stolen the honour that Shen Yue had rightfully deserved!
This was humiliation!
Shen Wan had flatly refused but the Wang family was resolute in their attitude. It was after all the bride and not the Wang family at fault, and now Shen Dong Ling and Wang Bi were getting along well, thus they did not really care about Shen Yue. The Wang family could stretch it out but Shen Yue could not. The longer this took, the one who was in an disadvantage would be Shen Yue.
Thus even though Shen Wan was somewhat hesitant, and quarreled a number of rounds with Chen Rou Qiu on the matter.
When Bai Lu was relaying the matters of the Shen residence to Shen Miao, Shen Miao had an overjoyed expression. Shen Miao had always been calm and one had rarely seen her laughing so much, as if she was really very happy.
"Young Lady finds this interesting." Bai Lu said, "This time Second Young Lady really lifted a rock and smashed her foot, and had created so much trouble for nothing. It really caused Third Master to have a headache all day."
"If it was me to say, it really Third Young Lady that had a bargain." Shuang Jiang said, "Not only Third Young Lady has the status of a Furen of an official family, she also currently have the entire Wang family's care and she even brought Wan YiNiang over to stay. It is indeed impressive."
"This might not be accurate to say." Bai Lu shook her head, "If at the end Second Young Lady marry into the Wang family, both of them will be PinQi (aka equal wife) but Di and Shu are not equal. Third Young Lady only has a YiNiang but Second Young Lady have Third Master as her maiden family, thus the Wang family would be biased towards Second Young Lady a little. Third Young Lady is currently pleased with herself but the days are still long."
Shen Miao laughed as she spoke, "Wrong. Third Older Sister is a very powerful person."
Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang looked over at Shen Miao at the same time. Shen Miao said, "Even if Shen Yue really married into the Wang family, she will certainly be unable to compare to Shen Dong Ling. I think that the reason why the Wang family is so cold in their treatment to the Third household, is definitely because the Wang family knows that the matter of the exchanging of the marriage was masterminded by Shen Yue. One ask if any male in the world would like a wife who despise them? Even the male's dignity would not allow it to happen. Moreover with Shen Yue's and Shen Dong Ling's personalities, once they were married into the residence and before they give birth, the only thing they can rely on is Wang Bi's love and favour. Unfortunately, Shen Yue has already lost."
"Shen Yue is unable to gain Wang Bi's love and favour, thus one fear that Wang Bi would not even let her give birth to a child easily. Even though there is a difference between Di and Shu, but both are the same rank as PinQi (aka equal wife). Whoever give birth first would naturally be the one who makes the call." Shen Miao said lightly, "Not to mention, with Shen Yue's brains, how would she be able to fight with Shen Dong Ling? Shen Dong Ling could currently collect all the dirty water that was thrown to her and completely return it back. How would such a powerful person like her be defeated under Shen Yue's hands?"
Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang were in a daze as they listened. After a moment Shuang Jiang spoke, "It seems that Third Young Lady is a powerful one."
"The only one that has a little prospect in the Shen residence, is only her." Shen Miao said, "Help me to grind the ink."
Bai Lu went up to look for the ink stab before grinding it as she saw Shen Miao spreading the paper out like she wants to write something. Bai Lu said, "Young Lady want to write a letter?"
Shen Miao decline to comment.
Naturally when Shen Yue created such a big wave herself, Shen Miao was very pleased that she had sowed the seeds she planted. But Shen Miao had not forgotten that the Third household played a lot of parts in the extermination of the Eldest household of the Shen family in her past lifetime."
One day she would demand the big gift back and throw the stones when one was in the well. Not only did the Second household would do it, she would also do it. She did not want to take action personally from the beginning to the end. But if the Third household want to push themselves into the road of death, she would not mind to let the Third household walk faster.
Shen Wan and Chen Rou Qiu were quarrelling all day and at this time, one would need a consolation of a confidant.
It was time for Chang Zai Qing to go up the stage.