allonlinenovel Chapter 200 Mother and daughter meet
Chapter 200 Mother and daughter meet
Two jet-black, glossy Akhal-Teke horses pulled a carriage and stopped in front of the Duke's mansion.
Qingdai was the first to get off the carriage, lifted the curtain, and helped the Princess of Zhenbei down from the carriage.
Accompanying them were several dashing and spirited men.
They nimbly dismounted, tossed the reins to the soldiers, and stood in a line behind the Princess of Zhenbei.
Princess Zhenbei gazed at the plaque of the Duke's Mansion, her hand holding the white jade porcelain jar tightening.
She was overwhelmed with emotion; after so many years, she was finally going to see her daughter.
Qingdai knocked on the gate and introduced herself.
Upon learning their identities, the gatekeeper respectfully invited them into the mansion.
After all, their superiors had instructed that anyone from the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion should be invited into the mansion and treated with great hospitality.
The second wife happened to be on her way to visit her parents' home when she saw them walking towards the front hall from afar.
She stopped the maid who was going to inform the old lady, raising her delicate eyebrows: "Are these relatives from Jiangnan visiting?"
Judging from their clothing and demeanor, they don't seem like it.
The maid replied, "Second Madam, those people just now were the Princess Consort of Zhenbei and several gentlemen from the Prince's Mansion."
The second wife subconsciously looked towards the front hall, clenching the handkerchief in her hand.
As soon as Princess Zhenbei returned to the capital, she immediately came to see Shen Qingtan, which shows how much she cherishes her.
Once Shen Qingtan is officially recognized as a member of the clan, the Prince of Zhenbei and his wife will inevitably begin to settle scores.
Thinking about what she had done to Shen Qingtan, she felt uneasy and decided to first try to win over the Princess Consort of Zhenbei and turn hostility into friendship.
From the brief encounter just now, the Princess Consort of Zhenbei seemed to have a gentle nature.
The second wife made up her mind, turned around, and followed closely to the front hall.
Upon hearing footsteps, the Princess Consort of Zhenbei quickly looked towards the door. When she saw the Second Madam, a look of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
The second wife seemed oblivious to the disappointment in the Princess of Zhenbei's eyes, her face beaming with smiles: "Princess, I am Tan'er's second aunt."
Princess Zhenbei frowned. She knew perfectly well what the Second Madam of the Duke's Mansion had done to Tan'er, having already learned about it from the letter sent by the Prince.
"Tan'er was clever and quick-witted from a young age, and she was beautiful and lovely. I took a liking to her at first sight and doted on her like a daughter. She also respected me very much and always thought of me, her second aunt. What a pity..."
The second wife sighed, "I'm a straightforward person, and my words aren't always pleasant to hear. I offended Tan'er, and that's why we have a rift between us."
She said with a helpless expression, "After all, she is a child I watched grow up. I have long regarded Tan'er as family. I clearly wanted to do something for her own good, but I didn't expect that my good intentions would backfire."
Before Shen Qingtan filed her complaint, the second wife deliberately attributed all the grievances between the two to Shen Qingtan's poor communication skills and her well-intentioned but misguided actions.
Regardless, they were having a conversation at the Duke's mansion, with so many eyes watching.
Since she's said that, the Princess Consort of Zhenbei should at least give the Duke's Mansion some face and let bygones be bygones, right?
Princess Zhenbei glanced coldly at the Second Madam, who was already complaining before she had even settled accounts with her.
"What are you saying, Second Madam? You always think of my son. If I were to blame you, wouldn't I be an ungrateful person?"
Princess Zhenbei said gently, "After all, no one understands a child's character better than a mother. You know that Zhao Sanlang is not someone you can entrust your life to, yet you risked your reputation to find a reliable husband for my son so that she could become the heir apparent. For this kindness alone, my family is deeply grateful to you."
The Second Madam's expression changed drastically. The Princess Consort of Zhenbei's few words not only reprimanded her and belittled her son, but also pointed out what she had done.
They even used the title of grandson of the heir to stab her in the heart!
She stammered, "I...I..."
“I know what Second Madam did for Manman, so there’s no need for you to take credit,” Princess Zhenbei said calmly. “Both the Prince and I are people who repay kindness with kindness and grievances with grievances. What is yours will not be left out.”
The second wife caught the Princess of Zhenbei's meaningful glance, and a chill ran from the soles of her feet to her heart, causing her to shiver.
She looked at the graceful and elegant Princess Zhenbei before her, who appeared weak and vulnerable, yet whose words were sharp and veiled.
At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.
The second wife subconsciously looked up and saw Shen Qingtan standing at the door with her maid.
She dared not stay any longer and risk further misfortune. Just as she was about to bid farewell to the Princess of Zhenbei, she saw the usually composed and dignified Princess of Zhenbei suddenly stand up, staring intently at the doorway.
Seeing this, the second wife left quietly.
Shen Qingtan only had eyes for the Princess Consort of Zhenbei, and didn't spare a single glance for the Second Madam.
She watched as the Princess of Zhenbei stood there, holding a white jade porcelain jar in her hands.
Shen Qingtan watched as the Princess Consort of Zhenbei walked step by step from the shadows into the bright sunlight.
A blurry image flashed through her mind: a beautiful woman holding a little girl and stuffing her into the carriage.
【Manman, go and visit the Ancestor in your mother's place.】
【Manman, if anyone asks who your parents are or where you live, you must never tell anyone.】
"Mommy, Manman remembers." The little girl nodded obediently and said in her sweet, childish voice, "Manman will be a good girl, Mommy, come pick me up quickly!"
Be a good girl, Mommy will come pick you up soon with your candy jar to take you home.
The little girl pouted, her big, dark eyes brimming with tears; she was very reluctant to leave her mother.
Her soft hands wrapped around the beautiful woman's neck, and she nuzzled her face against hers, giving her a quick kiss.
She said in a coquettish tone, "Mommy~"
With tears in her eyes, the beautiful woman kissed the girl's soft, plump face, took out a piece of candy and stuffed it into her mouth, then cruelly lowered the carriage curtain.
A thin curtain separated fourteen years.
Shen Qingtan's eyes welled up with tears, as if she were watching the beautiful woman slowly walk towards her from bygone days.
"Mother..."
She called out unconsciously.
This cry reddened the eyes of the Princess of Zhenbei and broke her heart; tears blurred her vision.
After fourteen years, she finally got to see her daughter again, and she could call her "Mother" once more.
My daughter has grown from a fair-skinned little dumpling into a young lady, and she's reached the age where she could be a mother.
He will no longer snuggle into her arms and act coquettishly, nor will he sleep on her belly at night.
This realization left Princess Zhenbei at a loss, and she clutched the white jade porcelain jar tightly in her hands.
I'm afraid she's come too late, that Manman won't need the candy jar anymore, or her parents.
Seeing that the Princess of Zhenbei hesitated to step forward, Shen Qingtan softly asked, "Did you bring the sugar jar to pick me up?"
These words cut a knife into the heart of the Princess Consort of Zhenbei. She hugged Shen Qingtan tightly, wanting to say: I'm sorry, Manman, Mother broke her promise and only came to pick you up now.
But when he opened his mouth, not a sound came out.
Shen Qingtan stiffened for a moment, because Madam Shen had never hugged her so intimately or so tightly before.
Her hands, frozen in mid-air, slowly embraced the Princess of Zhenbei.
Shen Qingtan rested her head on the shoulder of the Princess of Zhenbei and saw two men standing with their backs to her, like two clay statues.
P.S.: My darlings, I'm late with today's update. My initial plot idea was for the female lead to leave the capital to fetch the princess, and her brothers to rehearse how they would meet her. I wrote a first draft, but it didn't feel quite right, so I sent it to a friend. Sure enough, my friend immediately rejected it, and I started rewriting it. There's one more chapter, which will probably be a little late. Mwah!