As the Shen family listened to Shen Qingrou greet them one by one with “Father,” “Mother,” and “Brothers,”
and heard her fluently speak sweet and pleasing words,
they immediately pushed Shen Zhao’s matters to the back of their minds.
Especially Cui Xuenian. Overjoyed, she wrapped an arm around Shen Qingrou’s shoulders and smiled.
“How did this happen so suddenly? Suddenly… you’re cured?”
Shen Qingrou silently twisted her handkerchief in her hands,
while listening to Nanny Zhou excitedly explain everything with animated gestures.
The originally tense and oppressive hall gradually became lighter in mood.
Even the gloom in Cui Xuenian’s heart completely disappeared.
Only then did everyone remember Shen Zhao again.
Shen Rong said, “Father, we should send Zhaozhao away quickly. I’m afraid that if she continues staying here, she’ll keep bringing harm to Second Sister.”
Shen Qingrou’s ability to speak normally made Shen Rong and Shen Huaiming believe even more firmly in Imperial Preceptor Lianping’s words.
The Phoenix Star had long been suppressed by the Fiend Star, which was why Shen Qingrou suffered from her speech disorder.
Now that the dark haze had been dispersed and the Phoenix Star restored to its rightful place, Shen Qingrou’s speech naturally recovered.
Shen Huaiming nodded and said earnestly, “Send her away.”
“It just so happens that you and Duke Jing are about to depart for Yanqing to suppress the bandits.”
“Send word to Duke Jing and have him personally escort your sister.”
“You can delay your departure by one day to avoid traveling together with Zhaozhao.”
In any case, Duke Jing was nearly finished already, so they might as well let Shen Zhao the so-called fiend star bring a little more misfortune upon Xie Chenyu.
When Shen Rong personally went to Qionghua Pavilion to inform Shen Zhao that she would leave the Shen residence for Ziyun Temple today,
Man Yin and Mansu had already packed Shen Zhao’s belongings.
Shen Rong did not dare stand too close to Shen Zhao. He remained outside the courtyard and ordered a servant boy to enter the room and pass along the message.
Seeing this scene, Man Yin became furious.
“What does Eldest Young Master mean by this? Is he avoiding Miss like she’s some venomous snake?”
Even the servants in the residence had changed the way they looked at Shen Zhao.
As though she were a plague god who brought bad luck to anyone who touched her.
Every servant deliberately walked around Qionghua Pavilion, and no one dared approach Shen Zhao anymore.
Shen Zhao sneered.
“The Empress herself issued a decree ordering me to leave the Shen residence and cultivate at Ziyun Temple. That already implies I’m the fiend star. The servants in this residence are best at following the wind. I can’t blame them.”
Mansu said, “Not just the servants even Eldest Young Master doesn’t dare step into Qionghua Pavilion. He sent his servant boy to relay the message instead.”
“And after the servant delivered the message, Eldest Young Master reassigned him to the stables and forbade him from entering his courtyard again. They’re this superstitious.”
“More than that…” Shen Zhao snapped off a pear blossom from a potted plant.
Suddenly, she remembered the scene from when she was ten years old.
Back then, she had gone to a jewelry shop in the capital and bought two of the largest peony flowers. When she pinned them into her hair.
Cui Xuenian had stared at the peonies in her hair with reddened eyes and coldly scolded her:
“You are a noble young lady. How have you learned to imitate those women from brothels, dressing yourself up in such vulgar colors?”
With a single slap, she knocked both peonies from Shen Zhao’s hair.
From then on, every time Shen Zhao saw peonies, she would remember Cui Xuenian’s harsh and furious face.
Fear would rise in her heart, and she no longer dared touch peonies again.
Now Shen Zhao finally understood why Cui Xuenian could not bear the sight of peonies.
And why the Shen family’s inner residence never planted peonies.
Shen Zhao smiled faintly and turned around.
“Man Yin, go fetch the peony flowers locked in the jewelry box. Today, I want to wear flowers in my hair.”
Shen Qingrou loved imitating her.
From makeup, hairstyles, and jewelry to clothing and shoes.
If Shen Qingrou could not find an identical item, she would openly demand it from Shen Zhao, her elder sister.
Privileges that never worked for Shen Zhao
became unquestionable authority in Shen Qingrou’s hands.
And she…
Before leaving for Ziyun Temple, intended to remind her mother exactly who she was.
The Shen family did not prepare a carriage, guards, or attendants for Shen Zhao.
Nor did any family member escort her out of the residence.
The ones who came to take Shen Zhao to Ziyun Temple were the carriage from Duke Jing’s residence
and Xie Chenyu himself.
In the orchid garden, flowers bloomed in dazzling abundance.
Yet the peony in Shen Zhao’s hair was the most eye-catching of all.
She wore a crimson brocade dress woven with gold thread. Slanted through her hair was a deep purple Wei peony, its calyx adorned with three Eastern pearls.
As she walked, the pearls swayed gently.
Eastern pearls were rare and precious, bestowed personally by the Empress.
Shen Zhao had always treasured them, locking them away and only wearing them on important occasions.
Now, embedded within the peony as decoration, they made Shen Zhao appear radiant and overwhelmingly noble.
The servants throughout the residence stopped in their tracks, amazement filling their faces.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Eldest Miss dressed like this. She’s even more beautiful than the flowers.”
“Yes… what a pity…”
The servants dared not continue speaking because they saw Cui Xuenian and the Shen family walking out from Bibo Courtyard.
The moment Madam Yao saw Shen Zhao’s appearance, her expression drastically changed. Lowering her voice, she said:
“How could Eldest Miss take out the flowers she hid away for so many years…”
The word “peony” was forcibly swallowed back down.
She quickly changed her words.
“How could Eldest Miss dress like this? His Highness the Crown Prince probably… wouldn’t like it…”
Cui Xuenian’s expression darkened even further. Her eyes lowered heavily, and she remained silent.
The one who disliked peonies was Cui Xuenian herself not the Crown Prince.
At that moment, Shen Qingrou stepped forward from behind Cui Xuenian.
Frowning, she stared fixedly at the beauty standing beneath the opposite corridor.
At this moment, Shen Zhao appeared dazzlingly radiant in Shen Qingrou’s eyes.
The crimson dress was so brilliantly vivid that it overshadowed every other color in the garden.
Compared to Shen Qingrou’s own pale green dress and elegant, understated appearance, she suddenly felt an intense sense of crisis.
Shen Qingrou’s current outfit and styling had been arranged by Cui Xuenian according to the Crown Prince’s preferences.
In a certain sense,
it was exactly the same style Shen Zhao had worn before.
Now, after seeing Shen Zhao’s appearance, Shen Qingrou instantly became dissatisfied with her own clothing.
“Elder Sister’s peony hairpin is so beautiful.”
Shen Qingrou’s sudden remark made Cui Xuenian whip her head around abruptly.
Like a startled bird, she sharply demanded, “Who did you call peony?”
Madam Yao’s expression changed as she softly explained:
“Madam, Second Miss didn’t say ‘peony.’ Second Miss was only saying that Eldest Miss’s hair ornament… is beautiful.”
Cui Xuenian’s expression stiffened.
She quickly turned to look at Shen Huaiming and his four sons.
Seeing that their attention was entirely focused on Shen Zhao, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Then…
She swiftly looked back at Shen Zhao again, her expression extremely dark.
Shen Zhao was dressed so flamboyantly and gorgeously
was she trying to please Duke Jing?
At the thought of this, Cui Xuenian became furious.
The noble young lady she had painstakingly cultivated was now imitating the style of courtesans. Truly disgraceful.
Seeing Shen Zhao step past the hanging flower gate and walk out of the inner courtyard, Cui Xuenian also hurried after her.
Shen Huaiming had initially wanted to stop her.
But then he thought of how Shen Zhao had been lovingly raised by their own hands since childhood. There was still affection between mother and daughter, father and daughter.
If heaven’s decree had not been impossible to defy, they would not have been willing to let their eldest daughter leave the residence either.
So he allowed Cui Xuenian to go see Shen Zhao off.
One after another, the family walked out of the inner courtyard and arrived at the gates of the Shen residence.
Only then did they realize
Xie Chenyu had not come alone with a single horse and carriage to escort Shen Zhao to Ziyun Temple.
Instead…
There were five hundred guards.
Carriages loaded with chests of gifts.
A grand and luxurious carriage.
And more than thirty maids and older attendants accompanying them.
The scene was extraordinarily grand.
Rather than looking like a journey to Ziyun Temple for secluded cultivation,
it looked more like the Duke Jing residence had come to receive a bride.
Even Shen Zhao was stunned.
Xie Chenyu personally lowered the stepping stool and lifted the carriage curtain.
“Miss Shen, I will personally escort you to Ziyun Temple.”
Shen Zhao was only briefly dazed before she walked toward the carriage beside him.
Just as one foot stepped onto the stool, a deeply familiar voice sounded beside her ear:
“Duke Jing…”
“The matter of Shen Zhao being born under the fate of a fiend star has already been announced throughout the realm.”
“How do you still dare personally receive her? Are you not afraid that contact with a fiend star will bring you bad luck and disaster?”
“After all, the breaking of my left leg should serve as your warning.”
After speaking,
Crown Prince Xiao Xuanzhou stepped out from his own carriage.
The very first thing his eyes landed upon was Shen Zhao, dressed today in such radiant and flamboyant beauty.
The mocking, sarcastic expression at the corner of his lips immediately froze.
His gaze fixed upon Shen Zhao, who was adorned more beautifully than the flowers themselves.
His breathing unconsciously faltered…