met free Chapter 196 Broken Shoes
Chapter 196 Broken Shoes
The second wife, fearing that something might happen to Zhao Jue, hurriedly went to the front hall with her maid.
Upon entering, he unexpectedly encountered Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi.
Shen Qingtan was in low spirits. She went to see Shen Shaobai, but he refused to see her.
When she saw the Second Madam, she and Zhao Yi stopped and called out, "Second Aunt."
The second wife grunted through her nose and entered the front hall with a cold face.
With the Marquis's mansion fallen, Shen Mingzhu had no backing, and Shen Qingtan had even less backing.
The second wife felt a little better.
Her son can divorce his wife and remarry in the future.
Shen Qingtan made great contributions in Guanzhou, and the emperor specially rewarded her for it.
If Zhao Yi divorces his wife, he might be scorned.
The second madam stepped into the front hall and saw that all the masters of the mansion had arrived. They all looked normal and did not appear grave as if a great calamity was about to befall them.
Even the incense table for receiving the imperial decree had been set up.
She realized something was wrong. This situation... could it be that an imperial edict was being issued to punish someone?
The second lady pondered, guessing that Emperor Jing'an had not pursued Zhao Jue's crime because of Empress Yuanrong's influence.
Realizing this, she felt relieved.
A fragrant breeze swept past me.
The second wife turned around and saw the fourth wife fawning over Shen Qingtan, saying flattering and obsequious things.
"Second niece-in-law, there's an imperial decree from the palace. I heard it's another reward for you." The Fourth Madam teased, "You receive the palace's rewards like you're receiving a monthly allowance. You've only been married a few months, and you've already received several rewards."
Shen Qingtan was taken aback, somewhat confused.
She did nothing, so why did the emperor bestow honors upon her?
The second wife scoffed. It was already a blessing that Shen Qingtan was not implicated after the Marquis of Chengen was convicted. How could she still dream of receiving any further rewards?
Oh my, that's absolutely hilarious!
The second wife looked around the front hall and saw Zhao Jue standing in the corner.
His gaze remained fixed on Shen Qingtan, subtly revealing his determination to win.
The second wife gritted her teeth, thinking that this vixen had a seductive face that had her son completely bewitched.
He was also disappointed in Zhao Jue, yet he couldn't forget about a worn-out shoe.
The second wife glanced at Shen Mingzhu, who was cowering in the corner, and glared at her fiercely.
Useless idiot, can't even hold onto his own master's heart.
Upon hearing the news from the Marquis's residence, Shen Mingzhu cried for a long time, her eyes red and swollen, which made her face look even paler.
She shrank behind Zhao Jue, not daring to stand out in front of the Second Madam.
The Marquis's mansion fell, and so did her powerful backer.
Like Shen Qingtan, she will have no family to support her from now on.
But Shen Qingtan is lucky; Zhao Yi won't look down on her for not having a family to rely on.
"Jue'er, did you visit the Prince today?" The Second Madam came to Zhao Jue's side, grabbed his arm to stop him from staring at Shen Qingtan, and asked about the gift-giving: "Did you take care of it?"
Thinking of what happened at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, Zhao Jue pursed his thin lips tightly and looked at Shen Qingtan with a dark and unfathomable gaze.
The way the Prince of Zhenbei treats him depends on Shen Qingtan.
If he could get Shen Qingtan, he would gain the powerful backer of the Prince of Zhenbei.
Zhao Jue replied ambiguously, "It will be done soon."
Upon hearing this, the second wife was overjoyed and her face lit up with a smile.
It truly is a case of heaven never closing off all doors.
They thought that with the downfall of the Marquis's mansion, it would be even harder for their second branch of the family to rise to prominence.
Unexpectedly, they encountered the Prince of Zhenbei again.
When the Second Madam saw Zhao Yi, Shen Qingtan, the Fourth Madam, and others approaching, she deliberately showed off: "Jue'er, you have experienced a lot of ups and downs these days. Now that you have gained the appreciation of the Prince of Zhenbei, you should be humble and seize this opportunity."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhu was taken aback, somewhat surprised that Zhao Jue had managed to curry favor with the Prince of Zhenbei.
Even if she was ignorant, she knew who the Prince of Zhenbei was.
Especially after the news of the Prince of Zhenbei's return to the capital spread, her maidservants told her many stories about the Prince of Zhenbei.
He held considerable military power and was practically a local tyrant in Liangzhou.
When Zhao Jue rises to prominence in the future, he will surely kick away this obstacle in his way, right?
Shen Mingzhu touched her belly, becoming even more determined to "give birth" to a child.
Upon hearing the Second Madam's words, Shen Qingtan stopped and turned to look at the mother and son.
The Duke and his wife, who were standing nearby, also looked over, their faces grim.
The second wife always knew that the Duke and the old lady favored the first wife's family, and in order to protect the interests of the first wife's family, she even suppressed the second wife's family.
Even without the support of the Duke's mansion, the second branch of the family was still able to rise above others.
She felt a surge of joy and declared triumphantly, "Jue'er, the Prince of Zhenbei is your benefactor, you..."
A vein throbbed on Zhao Jue's forehead, and he growled, "Shut up."
The gazes of the Duke, the Old Madam, Zhao Yi, and Shen Qingtan felt like fine thorns pricking his face, making him feel burning and extremely embarrassed.
Everyone knew about Shen Qingtan's relationship with the Prince of Zhenbei, and his mother boasted in front of everyone that he had gained the Prince of Zhenbei's favor.
In their eyes, he was just a clown, wasn't he?
The Prince of Zhenbei wished he could skin him alive and never be able to rise again.
How could anyone appreciate him?
The second wife was stunned, not understanding why her son was angry.
Could it be that she's showing off before things are even fully settled, which might ruin his relationship with the Prince of Zhenbei?
Thinking of this, the second wife dared not utter another word, fearing that Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi would cause trouble.
"The imperial edict arrives——"
This time, it wasn't Eunuch Cao who came, but another eunuch.
He held up the imperial edict and loudly proclaimed, "Shen Qingtan, receive the edict!"
The Duke led everyone to receive the imperial decree.
The second wife looked astonished, not expecting it to be an imperial edict for Shen Qingtan!
Shen Mingzhu was also surprised. No matter how much the Emperor favored Zhao Yi, he shouldn't have decided to bestow a reward on Shen Qingtan instead.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law knelt on the ground, glancing furtively at the imperial edict before looking at Shen Qingtan kneeling to one side, praying that Shen Qingtan would be in trouble.
The eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and read aloud: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: It is a universal principle, both ancient and modern, to praise virtue and reward merit. The Prince of Zhenbei has been loyal and upright in guarding the palace, spreading virtue and grace, and upholding integrity and righteousness. I have heard that his eldest daughter has come of age, and hereby bestow upon her the title of Princess Jiahe... This is the imperial decree."
Shen Qingtan received the imperial decree and kowtowed to express her gratitude for the emperor's grace.
This imperial edict was like a bolt from the blue for the second wife.
The second wife's mind went blank, and her head was buzzing.
She understood every word the eunuch read aloud, but she couldn't understand the meaning of the imperial edict after reading the whole thing.
The Prince of Zhenbei guarded the northern frontier, quelled the rebellion in the north, and bestowed the title of Princess upon his eldest daughter... But what does this have to do with Shen Qingtan?
Shen Mingzhu was completely bewildered, her mind a complete mess.
Isn't Shen Qingtan the daughter of a merchant?
When did she become the daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei?
She thought that Shen Qingtan had been abandoned by the Marquis's mansion, and even if she reunited with her biological parents, they would only be lowly merchants who wouldn't be able to cause much trouble.
Now that Shen Qingtan has reunited with her biological parents, she has risen to become the daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei, who wields considerable military power, and has been granted the title of Princess, receiving not only rewards but also a fiefdom.
Jealousy consumed her heart, and her hands clenched into fists.
Why should Shen Qingtan enjoy the good life for her when the Marquis's mansion was prosperous?
Now that the Marquis's mansion has fallen into ruin, she has become the daughter of a disgraced official, while Shen Qingtan has suddenly become the daughter of a prince.