Feng Yulian gritted her teeth tightly, wishing she could carve Jiang Yanqing into a thousand pieces.
That little hussy! It was one thing for her not to show any respect, but she had actually cursed her three sons to die!
As for letting Shen Changfeng remarry, she wasn’t worried in the least. After all, he hadn’t had such a thought in over a decade; it was even less likely now that he was nearly forty.
Unexpectedly, however, Old Madam Shen spoke up. “Qingqing’s words make sense. My old friends haven’t missed any opportunity to mock me behind my back and to my face, saying that our Plain-Vast Marquis Residence is a prestigious family of high standing, yet we don’t even have a single legitimate heir. Some have even started guessing whether you, Changfeng, are incapable.”
“Mother…” Shen Changfeng said, “What legitimacy or concubinage does it matter? As long as he is my son, he is a descendant of our Marquis Residence. Although Zhenze is a bit lacking, Zhenming is outstanding. At such a young age, not only is he a top scholar, but he’s also a Grade Two Vice Minister of Works. In the future, he is bound to reach the rank of Grand Chancellor and bring glory to our lineage. Even if the child Jiang Yuexi gave birth to back then hadn’t been stillborn, he wouldn’t compare to Zhenming. Why must you still fuss over legitimate versus concubine birth? Please don’t ever mention the idea of me remarrying again. If Zhenming were to find out, it would break his heart.”
At the mention of Shen Shenming, Old Madam Shen’s expression softened considerably. “Zhenming is indeed the pride of our Marquis Residence, but after all, he wasn’t born to the principal wife; his status is ultimately ungraceful. You’re still not that old, Changfeng. While you still have the ability to father children, you must have more. Otherwise, you’ll regret it when you’re old and fail to live up to our ancestors.”
“Alright, alright. My affairs can be discussed later; what’s pressing right now is Qingqing.”
“True.” Old Madam Shen looked back at Jiang Yanqing. “Qingqing… you’ve been raised in the countryside all these years, so we have shortchanged you. Because of this, your father and I have found you a good match: Zhang Haokun, the heir of Prince Cheng’s Estate. Since our two families know each other well, Prince Cheng and the Princess Consort have no objections. Get yourself prepared; you’ll be married off to him in half a month.”
Being just a country girl, Jiang Yanqing ought to have been overjoyed to marry into a Prince’s estate and become an heir’s consort.
Who could have expected that she would simply sneer? “Zhang Haokun is a notorious, good-for-nothing playboy in the imperial city. His courtyard is filled with countless concubines and maids, and not a single woman from a respectable family is willing to marry him as his primary wife. Because Shen Changfeng wants to secure an official post for Shen Zhenze and begged Prince Cheng, the Prince demanded that Shen Ruoyou be married to Zhang Haokun. Shen Changfeng couldn’t bear to part with her, so you remembered me—abandoned out there in the country estate—to be her substitute bride…”
Shen Changfeng was utterly shocked, a thick wave of terror welling up in his heart.
“You… how did you know?”
“I know plenty more. I know Shen Ruoyou has a cozy little arrangement with the Fifth Prince; I know Shen Zhenze fancies the top courtesan of the Crimson Moon Pavilion; I know Shen Zhenming embezzled thirty thousand taels of silver while repairing the river dikes; I know Feng Yulian is keeping a young actor; and I also know Old Madam Shen has found herself a lover thirty years her junior.”
“Cease this preposterous talk!” Old Madam Shen could no longer maintain the smile on her face. “Considering you suffered in the countryside, I’ve exercised patience with you time and again, yet you turn out to be so ungrateful, snapping at people everywhere like a mad dog! Nanny Lan, slap her across the mouth!”
“Understood.”
Nanny Lan raised her hand to strike Jiang Yanqing, only to be kicked flying far away by Jiang Yanqing in an instant.
With a ferocious expression, Old Madam Shen barked, “Vixen, how dare you fight back!”
Jiang Yanqing chuckled lightly. “Where there is oppression, naturally there is resistance. What’s the matter, Old Madam, are you dropping the act? Then let me remind you once more: one million taels of silver. If you are short by even a single tael, I’ll go appeal directly to the Emperor!”
Shen Ruoyou dropped her pretense as well. “Jiang Yanqing, let me tell you the honest truth: the Fifth Prince and I are genuinely in love, and I am about to become the Imperial Prince’s Consort. Even assuming you went to make an imperial appeal without any evidence, His Majesty isn’t going to favor an abandoned daughter like you. If you know what’s good for you, obediently marry Zhang Haokun, or else I’ll make sure you die a horribly mangled death.”
“Heh… Hahaha…” Jiang Yanqing’s expression was arrogant. “The Fifth Prince… that blockhead Zhou Yuhuai. Have him come here himself and see if he dares utter such words to me.”
Gnashing his teeth in fury, Shen Changfeng glared daggers at her. “Jiang Yanqing, you are truly lawless, daring to speak the Fifth Prince’s given name aloud. If you’re hell-bent on seeking your own death, find a rope and hang yourself—don’t drag our Marquis Residence down with you!”
Jiang Yanqing blinked. “Didn’t you say the fortune-teller calculated that I am a harbinger of bad luck, and that my birth charts clash with the Marquis Residence? Then I simply must act according to this script, otherwise wouldn’t it prove that the fortune-teller was a fraud and you, the Plain-Vast Marquis, are a utter pig?”
Shen Changfeng truly felt as though a massive boulder were wedged in his chest, pressing down so hard he couldn’t catch his breath.
“Jiang Yanqing, you’re not going to stop until you literally choke me to death…”
“No, no…” Jiang Yanqing shook her head. “As long as you die, that’s all that matters. As for the method of your death, I couldn’t care less.”
“You… you…”
Shen Changfeng pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Yanqing, his face flushed and red with rage, but Jiang Yanqing merely smiled.
“Don’t waste time hatching crooked schemes. With all this energy, you’d better hurry up and raise the money.”
With that, she finished washing her bowls, then cheerfully stepped out.
Gold shops, silver shops, antique shops, clothing boutiques… she didn’t buy what was right, she only bought what was most expensive. And she charged every single purchase straight to the account of the Plain-Vast Marquis Residence.
Finally, she arrived at Crane Cloud Tower, the premier restaurant in Greater Da.
Finding a window seat on the second floor, Jiang Yanqing ordered six signature dishes along with half a catty of Apricot Blossom wine.
Just as she took her first sip, however, she heard Shen Ruoyou’s voice.
“Fourth Sister, why are you dining alone? Care to join us?”