allonlinenovel Chapter 197 Birth
Chapter 197 Birth
Everyone stood up, except for the Second Madam and Shen Mingzhu, who remained kneeling on the ground.
The maidservants of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were very perceptive and quickly helped them up.
The second wife's face turned pale and then red, her eyes fixed on the imperial edict in Shen Qingtan's hand.
I finally understand why my son told me to shut up.
Her boasting to Shen Qingtan that Zhao Jue had gained the favor of the Prince of Zhenbei was simply a huge joke.
"How could this be..." How could Shen Qingtan be the daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei?
Could there be a misunderstanding?
The second wife could never accept this fact.
Once she accepts it, it proves that she is blind and has mistaken a fish eye for a pearl.
If Zhao Jue had insisted on marrying Shen Qingtan back then, he would now be the son-in-law of the Prince of Zhenbei, with a bright future ahead of him.
But unfortunately... they abandoned Shen Qingtan and went to extremes, leaving themselves no way out.
The second wife was in excruciating pain in her chest, her face turned deathly pale, and she was covered in cold sweat.
"Second Madam..." The maid quickly caught the Second Madam as she slid to the ground, and was startled to see her pale face: "Second Madam, what's wrong?"
The second wife was so shocked and anxious that she fainted.
The maids were in a panic, frantically helping the second mistress away.
Seeing the Second Madam's reaction, Shen Mingzhu clenched her fingers tightly into her palms, realizing that the Second Madam knew Shen Qingtan's true background and regretted letting Zhao Jue break off the engagement with Shen Qingtan.
An unprecedented fear swept over her, and Shen Mingzhu felt an immense crisis.
Zhao Jue had long regretted marrying her, and now that he knows Shen Qingtan's background, he will regret it even more.
Shen Mingzhu subconsciously looked at Zhao Jue, only to see him staring straight ahead without blinking.
She followed Zhao Jue's gaze and saw Shen Qingtan standing in the crowd, her beauty stunning and radiant.
Shen Mingzhu's expression twisted for a moment, and then a thought suddenly popped into her mind.
The Marquis's family raised Shen Qingtan for the Prince of Zhenbei for more than ten years. Now that the Marquis's family is in trouble, shouldn't the Prince of Zhenbei repay this debt of gratitude?
Having made up her mind, Shen Mingzhu quietly left the front hall, intending to slip out of the mansion to see the Prince of Zhenbei.
"Third Madam." Wan Dong, who was waiting for her outside, stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "This servant has heard some news. The Prince of Zhenbei has accused the Marquis and his wife of abducting Second Madam. The notices have been posted all over the streets and alleys of the capital to warn the world."
Shen Mingzhu's heart skipped a beat, and her head buzzed as if it were about to explode.
"What did you say?"
"Madam has confessed, admitting that she kidnapped Second Madam."
Shen Mingzhu shook her head: "No...it's impossible..."
The last words of the late winter broke Shen Mingzhu: "The Marquis and his wife were sentenced to death by a thousand cuts."
Shen Mingzhu swayed precariously, a wave of despair washing over her.
The last path has been cut off.
"What should I do... what should I do..." Shen Mingzhu muttered to herself repeatedly, "I can't be abandoned... I don't want to live like that again... I can't..."
She heard congratulatory greetings coming from the front hall, her gaze gradually darkened, and she made a plan in her mind.
-
In the front hall, Shen Qingtan saw off the eunuch and returned with the imperial edict in her hands.
A kind smile appeared on the Duke's stern face: "Take this imperial edict to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence tomorrow and place it on the altar."
Shen Qingtan was taken aback, then understood the Duke's intention: "Thank you, Grandfather."
The Duke nodded slightly, and he and the old lady helped each other back to Shian Hall.
Upon entering the room, the Duke dismissed the servants and, recalling Emperor Jing'an's words, sighed deeply: "I originally thought that no two people could be named Zhao. No matter how incompetent or competitive the second branch of the family may be, they are still my own children, and I cannot abandon them."
“This vengeful spirit has come to collect a debt. Over the decades, the debts from our past lives have been repaid.” The old lady patted the wrinkles on her sleeves. “We can’t sacrifice our entire clan for the sake of their branch.”
The Duke remained silent. When he came out of the palace, he had the idea of dividing the family property.
Today, when Shen Qingtan received the imperial decree, after hearing the Second Madam boast about Zhao Jue's rise to power with the Prince of Zhenbei, this thought became even stronger.
“The Marquis’s mansion has just collapsed. If we separate one of their branches now, outsiders will inevitably become suspicious.” The Duke said in a deep voice, “Let’s separate them again after this matter has been settled.”
The old lady nodded: "The Prince of Zhenbei has returned victorious, and the fourth prince should be back soon too."
"The fourth son is getting on in years; it's time for him to have an heir."
"The young couple are both very determined; if they don't want to have children, can you force them?"
"Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring." The Duke's attitude was unusually firm: "If he doesn't give in, then you shall put a concubine in his room."
The old lady was startled. If she really did that, wouldn't the fourth son's wife pack a bag and go straight back to her parents' home?
When she saw the Duke's shrewd and confident demeanor, she instantly understood.
If the fourth son doesn't want his wife to run away, then he'll definitely have to give in.
-
Shen Qingtan and the Fourth Madam walked arm in arm towards the backyard.
“I was worried about you before. A woman without her family's support is always less confident. Now that you’re here, I don’t have to worry about you being wronged.” The Fourth Madam glanced at Zhao Yi, who was following behind her at a leisurely pace, and teased, “Some people should start to feel threatened.”
She didn't miss Zhao Jue's unusual behavior; from beginning to end, his gaze remained fixed on Shen Qingtan.
Interestingly, Zhao Yi stood protectively beside Shen Qingtan, blocking Zhao Jue's view.
Shen Qingtan understood the Fourth Madam's meaning perfectly well and subconsciously looked at Zhao Yi.
As if sensing something, Zhao Yi looked up at her.
Her eyes were soft and bright, revealing the unique shyness of a young girl, which made Zhao Yi's heart flutter.
Shen Qingtan turned her eyes away and said softly, "Fourth Aunt, my father said that Fourth Uncle will be back soon."
The fourth madam silently calculated the day Zhao Qiyuan would return to the capital, her expression suddenly changing: "Second nephew's wife, goodbye forever."
Before Shen Qingtan could speak, she hurriedly left with her maid.
It seemed that if they were even a step too slow, Zhao Qiyuan would catch them.
Based on the length of time Zhao Qiyuan had been away from the capital and the urgency of the situation, the Fourth Madam decided whether or not to return to her parents' home for refuge. Only when she was at her parents' home would Zhao Qiyuan not dare to go too far.
Shen Qingtan remained silent and returned to Lanxue Garden with Zhao Yi.
The matter concerning the Marquis's residence has been settled.
Shen Qingtan felt a little empty inside, and asked softly, "My eldest brother and third brother have been exiled to the frontier. Can we arrange for them to go to the northern border or Liangzhou?"
The northern border is within the sphere of influence of the First Lady's maternal family.
Liangzhou was within the sphere of influence of the Prince of Zhenbei.
If the two of them go to the northern border and Liangzhou, they will not be bullied and will be taken care of.
In this way, there will be more opportunities to make contributions.
“I will go to the palace to plead with the Emperor to exile them to Liangzhou,” Zhao Yi said gently. “Don’t worry, I will take care of the officers and soldiers escorting them.”
Shen Qingtan felt a little more at ease and thought about meeting Shen Shaobai and Shen Shaoheng before they left the capital.
"Knock Knock-"
Liu Yue's voice rang out from outside: "Second Madam, the gatekeeper has sent a letter, specifically addressed to you."