If she didn’t scatter Xie Jingyu’s ashes to the wind, she wouldn’t be surnamed Shen!
Shen Wan swore this in her heart.
Shen Wan’s movements were somewhat flustered. Ye Caiwei wondered what she had seen and lifted the carriage curtain to take a look, teasing, “Cousin, are you still so afraid of Prince Jingbei’s heir?”
“Who’s afraid of him?!”
Shen Wan’s face turned icy.
Thinking of the humiliation Xie Jingyu had inflicted on her, if he dared to stand before her now and she had a knife in her hand, she would lose all reason and stab him right then and there, piercing him a hundred times over.
Shen Wu said, “Uncle actually quite likes Prince Jingbei’s heir. It’s a pity that both Uncle and Prince Jingbei hold military power—together, they command half of the court’s forces. Add to that the Yun Family’s wealth, which rivals the nation’s, and the Emperor would never allow the two families to form a marriage alliance.”
This was only Shen Wu’s assumption. In reality, in her previous life, the Emperor had intended to bestow Shen Wu in marriage to Xie Jingyu.
But Xie Jingyu, deeply wounded by love, had directly refused the Emperor with the words, “In this lifetime, I will never marry a woman surnamed Shen.”
Before this, everyone had only known that Prince Jingbei’s heir had been seduced and abandoned. Because of this statement, everyone came to know that the one who had seduced and abandoned him was a young lady surnamed Shen.
Xie Jingyu had scattered her ashes, and on top of that, she was also surnamed Shen. As a result, even three years after her death, people spread slanderous rumors, suspecting that she was the one who had seduced and abandoned Xie Jingyu.
How unjust!
Shen Wan didn’t argue with Shen Wu about anything. Her only thought was to return to Dingguo Duke’s Mansion, to see her parents and her eldest brother.
She missed them so much.
A quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the gates of Dingguo Duke’s Mansion.
As Shen Wan stepped down from the carriage, she saw a lavishly dressed lady walking out with a smile.
It was her mother.
Madam Yun.
The moment she saw Madam Yun, Shen Wan’s nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“Mother…”
She practically threw herself forward.
Holding Madam Yun tightly, she choked back sobs, her voice trembling, “Mother, I missed you so much…”
The sudden embrace left Madam Yun both amused and exasperated. Guessing that Shen Wan had been frightened by the incident at Huguo Temple, she gently patted Shen Wan’s back and softly comforted her, “You’ve been gone for less than two hours, yet it feels like we haven’t seen each other for ages. You haven’t even changed your clothes—aren’t you afraid Madam of Duke Zheng will laugh at you?”
Shen Wan was still wearing the maid’s dress.
Shen Wan hadn’t even noticed Madam of Duke Zheng. She had missed her mother too much.
In her previous life, after her elder sister’s tragedy, her eldest brother’s death on the battlefield, and her father’s beheading by enemy forces, her mother had already been on the verge of collapse. In the end, she was driven to her death by her sister-in-law and the second branch of the family.
When she died, she was emaciated, her eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.
Looking at this gentle and beautiful face before her, Shen Wan felt joy, but also a faint ache in her heart and… fear.
Before her self-immolation in her previous life, Shen Wu had told her that she was not her parents’ biological child—she was merely an orphan girl they had picked up on the way to visit the Yun Family in Yunzhou, before they had moved to the capital. To this day, Shen Wan still couldn’t believe that she wasn’t her parents’ biological daughter.
Her parents loved her so dearly, holding her in their hands for fear she might fall, cradling her in their mouths for fear she might melt. Her father, who had originally had no intention of participating in the struggle for the crown prince’s position, had only because she married Xiao Yun and bore his child, devoted all his efforts and the Yun Family’s resources to supporting Xiao Yun, ultimately even sacrificing his life.
And in the end, she was told that she wasn’t her parents’ biological child. How could Shen Wan accept that?
Whether she was or not, her parents, her eldest brother, and the Yun Family were people she would protect with her life.
She would not allow anyone to harm them!
Seeing her mother alive, Shen Wan’s eyes no longer noticed anyone else.
In her previous life, the Madam of Duke Zheng had indeed visited the mansion on this day, but she had already left before they returned. The time of their return was similar to that of her past life, yet it seemed the Madam of Duke Zheng had stayed a little longer at the Dingguo Duke's Mansion this time.
Shen Wan blushed slightly with embarrassment. The Madam of Duke Zheng smiled and said, "Daughters are truly better—they love to stay close to their mothers. Unlike sons, who disappear all day long. Madam Shen, having two daughters is truly enviable."
Madam Yun also felt quite content in this life with one son and two daughters. "It's a pity daughters can't stay by one's side forever. They must marry eventually."
The Madam of Duke Zheng chuckled, "Our two mansions are close by. If we become one family in the future, it will be convenient to visit each other."
One family…
Why did those words sound a bit off?
After Madam Yun saw the Madam of Duke Zheng off, Shen Wan asked, "What did the Madam of Duke Zheng come to our mansion for?"
In her previous life, the Madam of Duke Zheng had only come for a brief visit and left without any particular business. But this time, she didn’t seem to have come for nothing.
Madam Yun replied, "She came to propose marriage on behalf of the Zhengguo Gong Shizi."
Shen Wan froze, her voice rising, "Propose marriage to me?"
Panic set in.
Complete panic.
No wonder Shen Wu and the others had changed their plans to go to Huguo Temple today. They must have known in advance that the Madam of Duke Zheng would come to propose marriage. In her previous life, because Xiao Yun had saved her and broken his arm, the news had spread back to the mansion, and the Madam of Duke Zheng, not daring to compete with Xiao Yun for her, had left without mentioning the proposal, merely staying for a short visit.
In this life, Xiao Yun had only saved her maid, so the Madam of Duke Zheng's marriage proposal had not been interrupted.
Shen Wan's voice trembled slightly, "Mother, have you and Father agreed?"
Madam Yun nodded. "Once the horoscopes are matched and there are no issues, the engagement will be formally settled. Although your father and I are reluctant to part with you, marrying you off early will set our minds at ease, lest…"
She didn't finish the rest of her words.
That was a pain in her heart. Her eldest daughter had stumbled in her marriage, so she and Shen Ji dared not take Shen Wan's lifelong matters lightly.
Madam Yun praised the Zhengguo Gong Shizi at length, but Shen Wan didn't hear a single word.
The engagement had not yet been finalized—there was still room for change.
The Zhengguo Gong Shizi was indeed a good match, but she had been reborn to seek revenge, not to marry.
Unable to listen any longer, Shen Wan interrupted Madam Yun and asked, "Where is Father?"
Madam Yun replied, "Prince Cheng saved your maid and fell down the hillside. It's unclear whether he was injured or not. Your father has gone to the palace to apologize to the Emperor."
"What about my elder brother?" Shen Wan asked again.
"Your elder brother has gone out and hasn't returned yet."
Shen Wan then said, "Mother, Prince Cheng saved Bao Cui. I wanted to give Bao Cui to him, but he refused. This maid's life is now too valuable for me to keep her as a servant. Let's send her to the estate to live in comfort."
Such a shameless maid was already intolerable to Shen Wan, and now that she owed Prince Cheng a life-saving favor, she dared not keep her by her side any longer.
If Bao Cui remained well-behaved after being sent to the estate, Shen Wan wouldn't mind letting her live. But if she flaunted the fact that Prince Cheng had saved her and acted arrogantly, she would be seeking her own doom.
Madam Yun also feared that keeping Bao Cui might encourage Shen Wan to meet Prince Cheng, so it was better to send her away. "Let her go to the estate and live comfortably."
Bao Cui had already changed out of Shen Wan's dress. Upon hearing Madam Yun's decision, her face turned pale, and she knelt down with a thud. "Madam, I beg you not to send me to the estate. Please let me stay by the young lady's side and serve her."
Shen Wan proposed it, and Madam Yun approved; she wouldn't change her mind just because a maid pleaded desperately.
With a wave of her hand, Madam Yun had two maids lift Bao Cui up and take her away.
The more Madam Yun looked at Shen Wan's attire, the more displeased she became. "A young lady of the Duke's mansion wearing a maid's clothes is improper. Go back and change quickly."
Shen Wan nodded.
Turning around, she instructed Steward Li, "When my elder brother returns, have him come find me. Tell him I have urgent business to discuss."