“As a prince, how can Prince Duan use his power to bully a minister’s wife?” Shen Qingrui was famously unconventional in Yujing. To put it nicely, she was fearless in the face of authority; to put it harshly, she simply didn’t understand hierarchy.
Cen Liangxuan admired this about her, but while it was one thing to stand up to ordinary noble heirs, Prince Duan was the only person in the dynasty to be enfeoffed as a prince at such a young age!
Prince Duan had been frail since birth, not only receiving the Emperor’s affection like any ordinary father would give, but even the Empress and many of the Huangzi showed concern for him in every way. Whether their concern was genuine or feigned, what everyone saw was a prince of noble status, cherished and doted upon.
Cen Liangxuan called out to her again: “Qing Rui.”
The Duchess also said: “Shen Qingrui, do not be presumptuous!”
Shen Qingrui pursed her lips. What had she said wrong?
“This prince has long heard that the wrongly-switched legitimate daughter of the General’s Manor is known for her fearlessness in the face of authority and her noble character. Today, I have witnessed the fearlessness.” Zhou Jinyan approached wrapped in a fox-fur cloak, his face still pale, coughing lightly after taking a few steps.
“Greetings, Prince Duan.” The people of the Duke’s Manor bowed in unison.
Shen Yiren and Xiao Ba were unfamiliar with human etiquette and stood there stiffly. Zhou Jinyan glanced at the siblings.
“Your Highness,” Shen Qingrui said upon noticing, “I beg Your Highness’s forgiveness. My younger sister has not yet learned proper manners.”
“This prince sees that you lack manners as well,” Prince Duan said with a light scoff. “It’s merely the pot calling the kettle black.”
Shen Qingrui choked back her words.
“Shen Qingrui, you have always prided yourself on your noble character. Why care so much about a dowry? With your abilities, could you not live well without it?” Zhou Jinyan glanced at Cang Ming and Cang Xu, signaling them to hurry and move the dowry. He was growing tired from standing too long.
Seeing his look, Shen Yiren quickly reached out and pushed Xiao Ba’s back, urging him to lead the others over.
With Prince Duan having placed Shen Qingrui on a pedestal, how could she continue to argue?
Meanwhile, the Duchess watched as the guards entered the rear courtyard, her heart aching at the thought of an entire courtyard’s worth of dowry being carried away.
“Your Highness, isn’t this improper etiquette? Since ancient times, it has been the man who sends betrothal gifts, and the woman who brings the dowry.”
Zhou Jinyan lifted his gaze slightly to glance at them. “Shen Qingrui, a false legitimate daughter, taking the dowry of the true legitimate daughter—that is what’s improper.”
It seemed the dowry could not be kept.
Shen Qingrui gritted her teeth until they nearly shattered, while the Duchess felt a tightness in her chest. Cen Liangxuan’s attention, however, was fixed on Shen Yiren and Prince Duan.
Since Shen Qingrui’s return, her heart and eyes had been entirely on him. How could she have become involved with Prince Duan?
What exactly was the relationship between them?
How could Shen Yiren have caught Prince Duan’s eye?
“This prince is weary. Let us go.” Zhou Jinyan turned to look at Shen Yiren.
Shen Yiren stepped forward to follow him, asking curiously, “Why don’t they dare argue with you?”
“This prince is a prince.”
“I am also a prince.”
“What kind of prince?”
A Ginseng Spirit King!
She couldn’t say that. Shen Yiren asked instead, “Can’t you make me a prince?”
Zhou Jinyan stopped walking, his expression complicated. Even in the most remote villages, it should be common knowledge that a prince cannot be enfeoffed arbitrarily. Unless one is a member of the imperial family, one must have rendered great service to the country and its people.
“Do you live deep in the mountains and old forests?”
Shen Yiren’s eyes widened in shock.
How did he know?!
She quickly shook her head and changed the subject. “Why do you still look so pale? Didn’t you eat the Ginseng Spirit?”
“It’s being brewed.”
“Brewed? Just eat it directly.”
Zhou Jinyan truly had no idea what was going on in her head. He shook his head and said, “A ginseng spirit root over a thousand years old is a great tonic when eaten raw, but if one is too weak, it cannot be absorbed.”
“Oh.” She had forgotten he was human.
Humans weren’t like beast clans, who ate raw flesh and drank blood, swallowing whatever they caught directly.
Shen Yiren still hadn’t forgotten about being made a king: “Can’t you really make me a king?”
The two had already arrived outside the Duke’s residence. Zhou Jinyan was being helped into the carriage, one foot just stepping onto the footstool, when he suddenly thought of something.
“Want to be made a king?”
“Yes!” Shen Yiren looked up at him, her dark, sparkling eyes filled with anticipation.
“It can be done,” Zhou Jinyan said. “But first, you must explain your treatment method to me—what medicinal ingredients are needed, what taboos there are, and how I need to cooperate.”
This was also the purpose of his visit to Shen Yiren today.
He couldn’t possibly trust the wild talk of a little girl and risk his own health.
“I can’t say.” If she said it, wouldn’t she end up being dried out and locked in a box, or soaked in yellow wine, occasionally being whipped by humans as a corpse?
“Why not?”
“I just can’t say. If you don’t believe me, I’ll go back and make a medicinal pill and have Cang Ming send it to you,” Shen Yiren promised. “It will definitely be useful for you.”
Zhou Jinyan looked at her deeply, seeming somewhat hesitant.
“Is that not acceptable?”
“If it works, I will agree.”
“Deal!” Shen Yiren raised her right hand, palm facing him.
Zhou Jinyan bent down and high-fived her.
The dowry was also being carried out one after another.
Shen Yiren returned fully loaded.
Lady Shen, who had learned from the steward that she had gone to retrieve the dowry, came out and saw the dowry items draped with red silk being carried back to Mingyue Residence one by one. She was so angry she nearly fainted.
“My poor daughter! Without a dowry, how will the Duke’s residence ever respect you!”
“If the Duke’s residence looks down on Qingrui, they look down on our General’s residence.” The matter had already reached Fu’an Hall. The Elderly Lady hadn’t slept well the previous night, and her weary expression made her look even more fierce.
As her cane struck the ground, the maids in the room knelt in unison.
Mammy Lü harbored resentment toward Shen Yiren and asserted, “The Second Miss is jealous that the Eldest Miss excels in everything, so she wants to take everything back, causing a rift between the Duke’s residence and the General’s residence! She even wants to make the General’s residence a laughingstock!”
“Mother-in-law, I truly cannot discipline Yiren anymore,” Lady Shen, who had come to complain, wiped away a tear, raising her hand only to feel the pain of being burned by the fire again.
“Why not find her a family to marry into? If we can’t discipline her, her in-laws will teach her how to behave.”
“If Yiren stays in the inner chambers for too long, not only will it sound bad as she grows older, but who knows how much trouble she’ll cause us.”
“My husband fought on the battlefield for half his life to earn the honor and reputation he has today. We absolutely cannot let Yiren ruin it all!”
The Elderly Lady cared about the General’s residence’s reputation but cared even more about her son. Hearing her daughter-in-law say this, she immediately decided to find a husband for Shen Yiren.
“With your daughter’s behavior, which noble young master would dare marry her?”
“Mother-in-law, how could Yiren ever be worthy of a noble young master from the capital? An ordinary family will do.” Lady Shen was determined to get rid of this daughter who constantly caused trouble for her and made things difficult for Shen Qingrui.
The sooner she was off her hands, the better.
A married daughter is like spilled water. Even if Shen Yiren caused a huge disaster, it would be her husband’s family who suffered.
The Elderly Lady nodded, “Even if Yiren is not the best, she is still the legitimate daughter of the General’s Manor. She must never lower her status to become a concubine, nor should she marry into an overly ordinary family. Look for someone from the households of sixth or seventh-rank officials.”
“Yes,” Lady Shen felt slightly better. “Mother-in-law, what about Qing Rui’s dowry? Should we really let Yiren bring it back and keep it there?”
“If she can bring it back, can’t you have someone take it back again?”
“With your words, Mother-in-law, I am reassured.” Lady Shen stood up and finally showed some concern. “Should we call a doctor to examine you?”
“It’s an old ailment. Doctors have examined me repeatedly, and it’s always the same. I’ve taken plenty of medicine, but it hasn’t been of much use.” The Elderly Lady recalled the sachet Shen Yiren had snatched from her last night. With it, she could at least sleep soundly for a short while. Without it, she would wake up after dozing off, startled by the slightest sound.
But to bow her head to her rebellious granddaughter? That was out of the question.
She glanced at Mammy Lü, who had accompanied her for decades.
Mammy Lü understood immediately, “Second Miss snatched your sachet last night and today went to seize Eldest Miss’s dowry. She is becoming more and more outrageous.”
Lady Shen was shocked.
“Mother-in-law, rest assured. I can return the dowry to Qing Rui, and I can also return the sachet to you.”