When Shen Xin and his wife returned to Beijing with such great fanfare, Shen Miao was still in the Ming Qi tribute banquet in front of the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, and while everyone was talking about it, they also turned their attention to the original mighty General’s Mansion.
The mighty general is gone, and the original general's mansion has long since taken off the plaque and replaced it with the Shen mansion. When Shen Xin was demoted and left Beijing, the Shen family not only didn't get help, but also proposed to separate the family at a critical time, to draw a clear relationship with Shen Xin, and now Shen Xin has regained the respect of Emperor Wen Hui, no matter what the idea of Emperor Wen Hui was. , Outsiders always see the Shen family a little gloating, and as for the Shen family themselves, they naturally swallow the bitter fruit in their stomachs.
Inside the Rongjing Hall, Mrs. Shen was sitting on the couch in the main seat. The fur on the couch was the wolf fur that was hunted from the northwest when Shen Xin was still alive. Due to the passage of time, the edges were a little flat. . In the past, when Shen Xin returned to Beijing every year, he would bring old lady Shen some animal skins from hunting in the northwest, which were good things that Ding Jing couldn't buy. Now that Shen Xin no longer sends animal skins, Old Shen Furen can only use old old goods.
And Rongjingtang is no longer as delicate and luxurious as it used to be, and even the decorations on the partitions are much less. At the beginning, because of the constant rewards from the emperor, Shen Xin even brought the entire Shen residence to life, but now without Shen Xin's help, Chen Rou Qiu was in charge of the housekeeping power, and life was a little stretched.
"The old third family has gone too far recently." Madam Shen drank a sip of ginseng tea, her face almost wrinkled, she said, "Seeing that winter is coming, yesterday she asked her to find a tailor to make me a fur cape. It's also pushing and pulling. The money is all in her own pocket."
The maid behind her carefully rubbed Mrs. Shen's shoulders, bowed her head and did not speak. Now Mrs. Shen has become more and more temperamental. Ever since Shen Yuanbo died of smallpox a year ago, Mrs. Shen has often lost her temper.
Shen Yuanbai's premature death is a pain that the Shen family can't say now. A year ago, there were many people infected with smallpox in the Ding capital on and off. Although it was finally brought under control, it also stopped the spread of the epidemic without causing a greater impact. But after all, some people died, unfortunately, Shen Yuanbai was one of them.
In the second room of the Shen family, Shen Gui had two sons, Shen Yuan had already died under the executioner's knife, and there was still one Shen Yuanbai to rely on, once Shen Yuanbai died, Shen Gui went crazy, and Ren Wanyun even became more of herself after Shen Yuanbai's death. He hanged his belt from the beam and hanged himself in the yard. After Ren Wanyun's death, Shen Yuanbai started frantically taking concubines and carrying women into the house, but there was no movement for a year and a half. Later, Mrs. Shen finally felt that something was wrong, and asked a doctor to show Shen Gui. The doctor said that Shen Gui was convinced. The drug of death will hurt the roots of the descendants, and it is impossible to have any more descendants in this life.
After hearing this, Mrs. Shen fainted, and Shen Gui was also dumbfounded. Shen Gui checked around, but found the dead Ren Wanyun. Ren Wanyun once gave Shen Gui a sterilization medicine, the purpose was to keep Shen Yuanbai's heir status, who knew that Shen Yuanbai was destined to have such a catastrophe. With Ren Wanyun dead, Shen Gui naturally couldn't do anything to her. In the original second room, Shen Dongling was the only heir left by Shen Gui. However, Shen Dongling's tide has risen because of this, and Wan Yiniang has been transformed into the only one who gave birth to a child for Shen Gui.
Since Shen Gui knew that he would never end his life, he had no intention of making progress in his career. He didn't even have a successor, so what's the point of earning gold and silver? It's so lively all day long.
It was impossible for the second room to give birth to an offspring, so Mrs. Shen had to turn her attention to the head of the third room, Shen Wan. Shen Wan was not given the stubborn medicine, but Chen Rouqiu made Shen Wan's heart so terribly sleepy that it was the two rooms that Old Madam Shen had stuffed into Shen Wan in the early years, and now it is just a decoration in the third room. .
Mrs. Shen said: "Not only is the housekeeper a mess, but he is also jealous! It is said that she was raised by a scholarly family, and she doesn't know where she learned the behavior of a small family and the style of the next generation. I don't want to open it up for my husband. The branches and leaves are scattered, and I only know how to use some coquettish methods, and now the third house has no direct son, and I don’t know what idea they are trying to make!”
Mother Zhang smiled and said: "Why should the old lady be angry, the third master is still not aware of other girls. The third master is very affectionate. When the newly bought girls arrive in a few days, the old lady will send two When you go to the third master, they are all at the age of flowers and jade, and the third master will naturally know about it."
Mrs. Shen asked someone to buy a Yangzhou thin horse. For a person like Shen Wan, she was afraid that she could not win Shen Wan's heart with her beauty. Chen Rouqiu didn't make Shen Wan admire her because of the poetry and painting she learned. Those thin Yangzhou horses have been taught since childhood. They are proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Old Shen Furen didn't believe that Shen Wan was a man after all, so he wouldn't be greedy? No matter how good Chen Rouqiu was, it was also getting old.
"Every one of them makes me angry." Old Shen Furen said displeasedly, "Even Sister Qiu doesn't know where to learn, she is just like her mother, she is very high-spirited, and told her so many people, all of them. They are all wealthy and wealthy, but they look down on none of them, do you still think about marrying a prince?"
Zhang's mother frowned, but Old Shen's unobtrusive habit has not changed at all. She smiled apologetically: "Second miss has a good life. I'm afraid the third master also has a decision in his heart, and wants to keep second miss to a good family."
"Stay here and stay here to become enemies," Old Shen Furen snorted coldly, "Look, I want to see what kind of marriage the third family can give Sister Qiu'er."
In Autumn Water Garden, Chen Rou Qiu pressed her forehead.
Her maidservant poetically said: "Madam, the slaves went to Rongjingtang to inquire, the old lady really found a few Yangzhou thin horses for the third master, and they will be delivered to the mansion in a few days. Madam, old lady This is hitting you in the face!"
Chen Rou Qiu closed her eyes, and suddenly brushed all the books on the table to the ground at once, the sound of "crackling" made the maids in the room dare not make a sound.
Even though Chen Rouqiu was as gentle and considerate as before in front of Shen Wan, the servants clearly felt that the third lady, Chen Rouqiu, had become more and more fierce in the past two years. It was probably because he was in charge of the public middle and wanted to restore the money between the rooms, and Old Shen Furen liked extravagance, so Chen Rouqiu did not miss out on her money. In the past, she didn't eat human fireworks, so she could naturally live a self-cultivation and self-cultivation life, but now she is entangled in worldly affairs, but she feels that every day is a mess.
Of course, the most important thing is that there are no children.
She said coldly: "This immortal, buying a skinny horse for his son is really shameless to the extreme!"
If Shen Wan was present, I was afraid that his jaw would drop. Gentle and graceful, and even the voice of the person who always speaks with the wind and drizzle is so unpleasant now.
Huayi said: "Madam is just too good-natured. If this goes on, the old lady will stuff people into the master's room sooner or later."
Chen Rou Qiu took a breath and turned to look at Shi Qing and Hua Yi, these are the personal servant girls she had promoted. Now she is in her right age, eighteen or nine years old, she is like a plump fruit, her whole body is full of honey-like aura. . Such beauty... . She raised her lips and said, "The old lady is really confused. If you really want to stuff women in our yard, why go outside to find those unclean people. You don't know their origins, and you're not afraid of breaking the door. It's better. ... Find some clean and well-behaved ones around you, you can use them at ease, and you'll feel comfortable serving them. I'm looking at the two of you, and it's not bad."
Although the words were gentle, the eyes were sharp, and the two maids were startled, and knelt down quickly and said, "The servants don't dare, the servants just want to serve the madam with one heart and mind, and they must not have any other ideas. "
Chen Rouqiu looked down at them for a while, the two maids were so frightened that their legs were trembling, she then said lightly, "Get up, since you guys don't want to, I have no reason to be difficult."
"Thank you madam." The two maids stood up tremblingly, and breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts. Chen Rouqiu looks gentle on the outside and treats people kindly, but as Chen Rouqiu's personal maid, she has seen Chen Rouqiu's methods. In fact, there were a few good-looking maids before who rushed to put them on Shen Wan. Although Shen Wan didn't show much interest, he didn't refuse too much. Chen Rouqiu found these maids and they fell out of their heads. Not only did they fall well, but they also affected everyone. Poetry and painting were very clear in his heart, Chen Rouqiu was an extremely jealous person, and his methods were cruel. If he really had a relationship with Shen Wan, I was afraid that he would die without leaving any bones and scum.
Chen Rou Qiu sighed, "It's my fault that I have no ability to give birth to a son for the master. If I could give birth to a son, how would I be in such a situation now."
Poetic and picturesque did not dare to talk casually, after all, the child was Chen Rou Qiu's heartache. Chen Rou Qiu murmured: "Now the Shen residence has collapsed like this, the younger generation doesn't even have a son. The second room did, and now it's dead... Now I envy Luo Xueyan, who has children and no in-laws. Shen Xin treats her like a jewel and doesn't even have a connecting room, which makes people jealous."
Thinking of yesterday at the tribute banquet, Shen Miao was in the limelight. Looking at Shen Yue again, it was obvious that her looks and talents were much higher than Shen Miao, but because of the declining reputation of the Shen family, it was not even a good husband's family. Not to mention King Ding, whom Shen Yue was thinking about.
A trace of unwillingness surged in Chen Rou Qiu's heart, she had been fighting for strength all her life, but now she was trampled on by the daughter of a vulgar general who she despised.
At this moment, a woman suddenly came in and said, "Madam, someone was looking for the old lady outside the gate of the mansion, but was stopped by the lady's servant. Madam... She said she came to join the Shen family."
Chen Rou Qiu frowned upon hearing this, thinking that it was Old Shen Furen's old relatives who had nothing to do with Qiu Feng who came to fight Qiu Feng. Thinking that the Jing family is gone, and there are still these inexplicable people, he immediately said with a cold face: "Since it's the autumn wind, let's give it away with two pieces of silver. This manor can't keep idle people anymore, don't be a cat or a dog. Put it in."
"No." The little servant scratched his head: "Madam, that person doesn't look like he's here to fight the autumn wind. He said that he was the daughter of the old general's old friend. There were some changes in the family, and he came to ask for help when he was desperate."
General Shen
Chen Rouqiu thought for a while, then stood up and said, "Welcome her to the side room, I'll go see her."
…
After Shen Miao returned from the Fengxian pawnshop, it was still very early and she locked herself in the room as soon as she entered the room, not knowing what she was thinking. When the sky was approaching evening, Luo Tan came back. Luo Tan bought some jewelry and generously gave some to Shen Miao, saying, "Little cousin, today we went to the jewelry store, the jewelry store in Ding capital is very big. Miss Feng and I also picked some for you, I don't know. If you like it or not, you take it first, and when you want to go out, let's go shopping."
It looked like he didn't know what to do.
Shen Miao turned her head and said yes, and after Luo Tan left, she looked at the half box of jewelry and thought about how much money she could pawn.
Shen Xin and his party returned shortly after Luo Tan returned, and they all had dinner together. Things in the official circles were also going very smoothly, and Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan also seemed to be in a very good mood. Shen Miao was the only one who seemed a little embarrassed. Luo Ling noticed it and said, "Cousin looks a little unwell, what's wrong?"
Shen Qiu stopped his chopsticks: "Sister, what's wrong with you?"
Shen Miao was stunned for a moment, seeing everyone at the table staring at her, she smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just that I just returned to Beijing from Xiaochun City and I feel a little unaccustomed to it. It's enough to stay for a few days."
Shen Qiu smiled and said, "What's not to be used to? If my sister is not used to it, I will take her to walk from the east to the west of the city, and from the south to the north of the city, if my sister is not used to it, I will get used to it after walking a few times. "
"Cousin Qiu also bring me!" Luo Tan hurriedly said, "I can also protect my little cousin."
"Nonsense." Luo Xueyan said, "If your sister really walks around the Ding capital with you, I'm afraid you'll be tired. The Ding capital is so big, what if something goes wrong." She glared at the sinking Letter, ask Shen Xin to help.
Shen Xin chuckled and said, "It's good that the children are happy, it's fine, stinky boy, if you take your sisters out to play, you will also bring a team of your Laozi's soldiers. Whoever dares to make trouble will be beaten to death. Don't be afraid!"
Luo Xue Yan angrily twisted him.
The relationship between the husband and wife is so slapstick, but it looks very good. Shen Xin was majestic outside, but at home he obeyed Luo Xueyan. Shen Miao was looking at it with a smile, she did not know what to think when she saw it, her expression gradually became cloudy and she lowered her head quickly to prevent people around her from finding out that her expression was not right. Luo Ling, who was watching her every move, paused slightly and lowered his head thoughtfully.
After eating and talking in the hall for a while, they will go back to their rooms. Shen Miao was about to go back to her yard, Luo Tan's yard was in front of Shen Miao and she jumped back to the house first. When approaching Shen Miao's courtyard, Shen Miao was about to enter but was stopped by Luo Ling.
"Cousin wait."
Shen Miao turned her head, looked at him, and said, "What's the matter with cousin Ling?"
Luo Ling hesitated for a moment, and after all, he took out something that was folded into squares from one side of his sleeve. He said warmly: "I went out with my cousin today, and I happened to see a shop selling this outside. I saw that there were quite a lot of people buying it, so I bought one. I heard that my cousin dreams at night, this thing is soaked in spices, and it is very attentive. If your cousin doesn't dislike it, please accept it."
Shen Miao was stunned for a moment and looked up at the young man in front of her.
Luo Lingsheng's good looks, although not as brave as Shen Qiu, not as handsome as Xie Jing Xing, and even Ji Yushu looked more delicate and lovely than him, but the kind of gentleness that came from the heart made people feel the iron from the bottom of their hearts. post. Among the younger generations of the Luo family, Luo Ling is the most outstanding one, not only because he is the most stable, but because he can shoulder the heavy responsibility of a family and is sincere.
In the night, it seemed that Luo Ling's face was slightly flushed. He was a little uncomfortable and said, "If my cousin doesn't like it..."
Shen Miao took the things from Luo Ling's hand lightly and said with a smile, "Cousin is so interested, how can I refuse. Thank you cousin."
Luo Ling smiled and said, "Just if you like it."
His brows and eyes are gentle, and his words are filled with concern, which is originally a very comfortable attitude. If it is an ordinary woman, not to mention temptation, but she will have a very good impression of the person in front of her. But Shen Miao took a step back and looked at him and said, "If there is nothing else, I will go back to the room first."
A trace of disappointment flashed in Luo Ling's eyes, but he quickly covered it and said, "Don't disturb my cousin." He turned and left.
Shen Miao looked at the back of Luo Ling leaving and watched it quietly for a while. She is not a young girl who doesn't know anything, even if she has never enjoyed the tenderness between men and women with Fu Xiu Yi, she has stayed in the palace for so many years. Luo Ling is a good person, and she would be too selfish to drag such a good person into her life full of conspiracy and calculations. Although Luo Ling is a very good person, but the Luo family treats her not badly, she can't avenge her kindness.
She turned back to her house. After finishing grooming, Jing Zhe and Gu Yu both withdrew and Shen Miao sat at the table and spread out what Luo Ling had just given him.
It was a square veil. Coincidentally, it turned out to be a double-sided embroidery. The veil embroidered on the top of the Ding capital is the most difficult to find nowadays. If I wanted to come to Luo Ling to buy this square veil, I wasted a lot of money. There is a white crane embroidered on it, which is in line with his usual desireless temperament, exuding a faint fragrance, which is indeed a bit soothing at first glance.
Shen Miao looked at it for a long time, the patterns on this handkerchief are obviously from Liu Ying's hand, Liu Ying's craftsmanship is one of the best in Ding Beijing, and this is a rare double-sided embroidery in Ming Qi. It seemed that Liu Ying was having a good time, Shen Miao looked at it and felt a little better because of the person she met in the rain today.
She felt a little tired, so she took off her outer robe and put on only her middle clothes. She walked to the couch and sat down. Just as she was about to take off her middle clothes to rest, she heard a chuckle and remembered, "Hold on."
Shen Miao’s hand paused, and when she turned back, the raging anger could not be concealed this time, she looked at someone who came uninvited outside the window and said word by word, “Thank you, Jing, Xing.”
The man entered the house and closed the window with his backhand, as leisurely as his own backyard. He didn’t wear a mask this time, his handsome and beautiful face was exposed in the light, and it was terrifying, but Shen Miao just wanted to drag him out and cut him.
“Under the whole world, now only you can call me a small character.” Xie Jing Xing grabbed a chair and sat down not far from Shen Miao’s couch, smiling lightly, “There is only one honor in the world for you.”
He was tall and he was actually much taller than Shen Miao when he sat down. The mood is really unwilling to relax at all.
Shen Miao looked at him coldly, "Prince Rui is very busy every day, and the road from Yanqing Lane to here is familiar."
“It’s simple.” Xie Jing Xing supported his chin, “I bought all the houses here in Yanqing Lane. Now the house you live in is next door to my yard. You are distant relatives and neighbors, so this king is here to meet you.”
Shen Miao took a deep breath. Although Yanqing Lane was close to the Shen residence, there was still some way to go. Xie Jing Xing bought all the houses from Yanqing Lane to Shen's House... . Could it be that most of the southern part of the city is his own courtyard? The yard next to the Shen residence was also bought by Xie Jing Xing, so Xie Jing Xing didn’t spend his money like that? Did he take the treasury of the Great Liang Dynasty with him? He spends so much money, does Emperor Yongle of Great Liang know
After seeing the sloppy smile on Xie Jing Xing's face, Shen Miao did not burst out in anger, Xie Jing Xing was so shameless, he said that he was distant relatives and neighbors, how could anyone visit the neighbors in the middle of the night and just come uninvited without posting a post. Are the royal families of Great Liang so unruly
“You don’t look very happy.” Xie Jing Xing looked at her with interest: “If you have any difficulties, you can tell me to my brother. The identity of Prince Rui can still be helpful, for the sake of old acquaintances.”
Shen Miao rolled his eyes at him, she was becoming more and more confused about what Xie Jing Xing wanted to do. Xie Jingxing's words reminded her, thinking of what she said to Ji Yushu at Fengxian pawnshop today, Shen Miao suddenly became a little thoughtful and asked deliberately, "Xie Jingxing, Mrs. Fang of the Marquis of Lin'an, what do you think?"
Fang Shi of the Marquis of Lin'an, the biological mother of Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao, the death of Princess Yuqing had something to do with Fang Shi, everyone knew that Princess Yuqing was something that Xie Jing Xing could not mention, but Shen Miao chose to mention it.
Xie Jing Xing looked at her with a half-smile but not a smile: "Want to take my words?"
"Would you say it?"
“It’s okay to tell you.” Xie Jing Xing said lazily, “In my eyes, ants are not as good as ants.”
Shen Miao looked at him: "Why didn't you kill her to take revenge?"
Xie Jing Xing squinted his eyes, he stared at Shen Miao for a while, then suddenly laughed, his voice was like the peach blossoms that were buried in the spring and dug up in the winter, with an intoxicating mellow like the spring breeze, but also cold like the winter. of sobering. He said, "Shen Miao, are you worried that Shen Xin will become the second Xie Ding?"
Shen Miao lowered her eyes, "That's right." After a pause, she said, "If I were in your position, I would do everything in my power to get revenge. Killing Fang Shi and then killing her two sons is what counts as Taking revenge is a life in vain."
She said coolly, as if she did not feel how cruel what she said, Xie Jing Xing was not surprised when he heard the words, he just laughed, as if he was laughing at her naivety. Xie Jing Xing said: "I don't kill Fang Shi, I just disdain it, and I'm afraid of trouble. Xie Ding and Princess Yuqing have nothing to do with me, why should I take revenge?"
Shen Miao was stunned.
Xie Ding and Xie Jing Xing were not father and son, Shen Miao heard Xie Jing Xing say it before and was not surprised, but how could even Princess Yuqing have nothing to do with Xie Jing Xing? The blood on Xie Jing Xing's body was not from Xie Ding and Princess Yuqing, so how could he become the direct son of the Xie family
Shen Miao thought of something and asked Xie Jing Xing, "The son of Princess Yuqing..."
“Dead.” Xie Jing Xing said in a low voice, “Dead at birth.”
He was born and died, but after that, he didn't hear the slightest bit of wind. Thinking that Xie Jing Xing was stuffed in at that time, he had been stolen and turned into a phoenix, but no one found out. I'm afraid Princess Yuqing doesn't know it herself.
“If Xie Ding’s son is alive, he will die before the age of three.” Xie Jing Xing said indifferently, “Because it was me, Fang Shi did not dare to attack. Because…” He smiled a little evilly: “Those who send here will know how to do it. disappeared inexplicably."
Shen Miao suddenly realized, she said that since Fang Shi was able to force Princess Yuqing to be embarrassed and even withered like a flower in the end, he must be a man with means and ambition, how could such a person end up in a secluded place in the end? Xie Jing Xing grew to such a size without incident. It turned out to be the last resort, the people sent out will always disappear for no reason, Fang Shi himself was afraid that he would also feel evil, so he took the next step. As for why those people disappeared, since Xie Jing Xing was Prince Rui of the Liang Dynasty, and there were some capable people around him, it should be more than enough to deal with the Fang Clan in the house.
Something in her heart that she didn't understand before suddenly became clear at this moment, but she forgot the bad things she had done before. Xie Jing Xing looked down at her and said, "You don't have to worry, Shen Xin is different from Xie Ding."
Shen Miao said, “I am also different from you.”
Xie Jing Xing was slightly startled and only heard Shen Miao say, "You are disdainful and it is not necessary. I am different, if someone shakes my home like Mr. Fang, I will spare no effort to make her suffer the consequences. People with bad intentions try to destroy her, so I will tear her apart inside and out, and drag her to the mass grave to feed the dogs." At the end, he lowered his head, but there were other emotions in his eyes.
But she felt her head sink, Xie Jing Xing put one hand on her head and said, "If there is that kind of person, just tell me. Distant relatives and neighbors, I will kill him for you, and there will be no future troubles."
Shen Miao shook off his hand and Xie Jing Xing looked at her with a smile. His expression was sloppy, and he spoke with a joking tone, as if he said it casually, but his eyes seemed to be serious.
Xie Jing Xing wanted to kill someone, killing a person of Fang's level was indeed an easy task.
Shen Miao said, "Murder is something that I can do myself."
“It’s not a good move until the last moment.” Xie Jing Xing said, “If you really feel bad about it, you can give me something as a reward.”
Shen Miao sarcastically said, "His Royal Highness Prince Rui is precious and precious, I can't afford the money for the invitation."
Xie Jing Xing smiled, "I'll give you 20%." He stood up and walked to the table, where Shen Miao had just spread it out, and the handkerchief Luo Ling gave lay in all directions. Xie Jing Xing picked it up casually, put it on the tip of his nose, raised his eyebrows and said, "Although the fragrance is bad, the dog of this king's family has not been able to sleep well recently, so it is not bad to make do with it." Before Shen Miao could speak, Xie Jing Xing put the handkerchief in his sleeve. : "This is a reward."