Cui Xuenian’s body swayed as if she might collapse at any moment, yet she still forced herself to remain composed.
“Husband…” she changed her address to Shen Huaiming.
“My illness whenever I smell peonies, I suffer asthma attacks. Even imperial physicians have diagnosed it.”
As she spoke, she regained a bit of confidence.
No matter where Shen Huaiming had heard these rumors, she only needed to muddle through this moment first.
She began wiping her tears, crying, “Who is slandering me like this?”
“I am the young lady from the Cui family who was sent to your Shen household with a grand dowry. Our wedding was conducted in full splendor. If others do not believe me, does my husband not remember how he once sought to marry me?”
She thought she was appealing to emotion and reason.
With how sincere and passionate Shen Huaiming had once pursued “her,” he should have let go of his doubts.
But Shen Huaiming’s expression remained dark and his tone cold.
“Good. If you are not Zhen Mudan, then tell me where is the gardener’s daughter who grew up with you back then?”
The moment the words “Zhen Mudan” fell, Cui Xuenian’s heart pounded violently.
She did not know how much Shen Huaiming truly knew, or who had told him.
At that moment, a voice came from outside.
“Father, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived,” said Shen Cong.
Cui Xuenian did not even have time to respond before she followed Shen Huaiming out to greet Xiao Mingzheng.
The Crown Prince was carried into the courtyard and seated in the main seat. His expression was equally grave.
“Master Shen, has Madam Shen’s identity been clarified? The entire capital is now talking about her background. How is Rou’er? Is Rou’er distressed because of this?”
What?
Cui Xuenian had not expected her matter to have already exploded across the capital.
Her face instantly lost all color.
At that moment, from outside the courtyard came Shen Qingrou’s shouting:
“I don’t! I don’t! I don’t… want to learn! I won’t learn rules!”
“Second Miss, this is the lesson arranged by the madam. The Eldest Miss used to study the same way. From now on, you must remember at all times posture, sitting, walking, speaking. You are not allowed to run or shout in public. This is the most basic etiquette of a noble lady.”
Madam Zhou’s voice followed.
Everyone in the hall heard it clearly.
Shen Huaiming and his two sons all frowned at the same time.
Instead, the Crown Prince slammed the table in anger.
“Madam Shen, behind my back you let a servant bully my future Crown Princess?!”
Cui Xuenian’s mind went blank from the shout.
At that moment, a figure rushed in from outside and threw herself toward Xiao Xuanzhou.
“Your Highness…”
Xiao Xuanzhou instinctively stood up and caught Shen Qingrou.
But she had rushed in too forcefully.
He lost his balance and fell back into the chair with her in his arms.
His leg happened to catch awkwardly there was a sharp “crack,” followed by a burst of pain.
Yet Shen Qingrou was crying so hard that Xiao Xuanzhou momentarily forgot his own injury.
He grabbed her hand, noticing several red marks on her palm.
His expression turned instantly furious, eyes like ice as he glared at Cui Xuenian.
“Madam Shen! Who injured my Crown Princess?!”
Cui Xuenian came back to her senses in a daze. The successive shocks had left her weak and trembling, and she collapsed to her knees.
She said, “Your Highness, this minister’s wife was only teaching Qingrou etiquette. She refused to learn properly, I merely…”
Before the words “gave a slight punishment” could be said,
Xiao Xuanzhou roared in rage:
“So you hit her? You abused her? As expected you are nothing but a lowly gardener’s daughter!”
“You are not from a noble family how dare you teach my Crown Princess? So this is how Shen Zhao was ruined by you!”
“Your… Your Highness, what are you saying?”
Cui Xuenian’s lips trembled violently.
She looked up in confusion at her husband, then her sons.
Their gazes toward her were unfamiliar.
So unfamiliar that she felt like she was the greatest criminal of all time.
She had clearly been teaching Shen Qingrou in the inner courtyard. Everything had clearly been improving.
Although Shen Qingrou was not as easy to train as Shen Zhao,
she had patience and methods.
Given enough time, she believed Shen Qingrou would also become a proper noble lady.
So how had everything fallen apart overnight?
Who had revealed that she was not the true daughter of the Cui family?
Seeing that Xiao Xuanzhou not only did not distance himself from the rumors of her fake identity, but instead defended Shen Qingrou, Shen Huaiming secretly relaxed.
He stepped forward with his second son Shen Cong and bowed in apology to the Crown Prince.
Not a single word of defense for Cui Xuenian was spoken.
Her heart sank further there was both despair and panic.
The secret she had guarded for over twenty years…
“At the Shen family’s honor, I will not pursue this matter with Madam Shen for now,” Xiao Xuanzhou said suddenly.
“But Madam Shen is no longer suitable to teach Rou’er etiquette.”
“To avoid her raising a second Shen Zhao, I will send palace maids to personally instruct Rou’er.”
“Master Shen, you should handle the rumors outside.”
“I do not want Rou’er to suffer even the slightest grievance because of Madam Shen’s background.”
With those words, it felt as if Cui Xuenian had been plunged into an ice cellar her entire body trembling with cold from head to toe.
Having wholeheartedly tried to please the Crown Prince, not even sparing her a single glance, her heart still shattered.
Not long after, Shen Huaiming and his son Shen Cong escorted Xiao Xuanzhou out of the residence, and even Shen Qingrou was taken by the Crown Prince to go out for leisure.
Only Cui Xuenian was left in her room, her face as pale as paper.
Madam Yao and Madam Zhou entered together.
Madam Yao supported Cui Xuenian and asked, “Madam, a-are you alright?”
Cui Xuenian’s voice trembled violently. “What is happening outside? Who is slandering me like this?”
She had not admitted it she refused to admit it. Those who slandered her would have to produce evidence proving she was not the true daughter of the Cui family.
Madam Yao asked Madam Zhou to take care of Cui Xuenian while she went out of the residence to investigate.
About two quarters of an hour later, she returned to Bi Bo Courtyard.
She relayed all the rumors circulating outside, one by one, to Cui Xuenian.
After hearing everything, Cui Xuenian immediately coughed up blood. Her face was paler than snow.
She grabbed Madam Yao’s hand tightly, unable to speak for a long time.
It was clear this was aimed at her.
Finally, she forced out a sentence: “Who is trying to harm me?”
She suddenly thought of Shen Zhao and roared hoarsely, “That Eldest Miss truly is a jinx she is trying to kill me!”
“Madam…” Madam Yao held her tightly.
On one hand, she comforted herself:
The Eldest Miss was born to the Madam. The Madam was cruel and did not care for her daughter so it was not surprising that the Eldest Miss would be equally ruthless in dealing with her.
On the other hand, she still felt guilty toward Cui Xuenian, yet did not dare forget Shen Zhao’s instructions.
The next step had to proceed.
Madam Yao said, “Madam, the priority now is to quickly write a letter to Old Madam Cui and ask her to personally explain your identity to the Master of the household.”
A trace of unwillingness flashed in Cui Xuenian’s eyes, her lips twisting slightly in a grim expression.
She recalled the promise she had made to Old Madam Cui when she married and gritted her teeth.
“She will not come forward to explain for me. That is what she once told me.”
She had told her to be careful on her own once her identity was exposed, she would have to fend for herself.
Madam Yao guided her again: “Perhaps the Eldest Miss could bring people from the Cui family. It does not have to be Old Madam Cui herself.”
“You want me to go to Ziyun Temple and beg that jinx?” Cui Xuenian nearly tore the quilt in her hands.
Ever since recent days, all her misfortunes had been caused by Shen Zhao.
She did not want to see her again.
Not even a second more.
Madam Yao dismissed Madam Zhou and lowered her voice beside Cui Xuenian’s ear.
“This is only a temporary solution. After all, Old Madam Cui truly treats the Eldest Miss as her own granddaughter.”
“If the Eldest Miss spends more time with her, and makes her happy…”
“Then it would only take a single sentence to suppress all the rumors outside.”
After hearing this, Cui Xuenian’s chest remained heavy and tight.
But after taking a deep breath, she ultimately chose to accept Madam Yao’s suggestion.
She would personally go to Ziyun Temple.
The excuse she fabricated to Shen Huaiming was:
[Shen Zhao had repeatedly asked Madam Yao to bring her back to the residence, but was rejected each time. After being refused the last time, she developed resentment and vowed to retaliate against her biological mother, which led her to fabricate rumors and stir public opinion.]
Shen Huaiming believed it, and allowed Cui Xuenian to personally go to Ziyun Temple to “discipline” Shen Zhao.