Old Madam felt unhappy about Shao Wanru’s calmness in secret, but she didn’t show any dissatisfaction on her face. She kept a friendly face and pushed the pastries in front of her to Shao Wanru. “Fifth Girl, have a taste of these pastries. The new chef in our mansion made them. If they agree with you, you can take the chef back. She is also from Jiangzhou and good at making local pastries!”
There were only about ten pieces of pastries on the plate. They were indeed the specialties of Jiangzhou, where Shao Wanru grew up. Even though she lived in the capital city now, she occasionally wanted to eat Jiangzhou food out of her food habits.
However, no one in the capital city was good at making the cuisine of Jiangzhou, so she slowly gave up such an idea.
She couldn’t help moving her index finger when she saw them now. Yujie took a piece with a handkerchief to her. Shao Wanru took a bite. She nodded with a smile and said, “It tastes authentic!”
“Since then, I give you the chef!” Old Madam said with a smile.
“Thank you, Grandma!” Shao Wanru said with a gentler smile on her jade-like face. She put down the dim sum in her hand, stood up, and bowed deeply to Old Madam.
“You are too polite. I am your grandmother! Of course, I hope that you can eat well. You used to live in Jiangzhou for so many years, so I’m afraid that the food in the capital city might not be to your taste. I happened to find such a cook, and I thought of giving her to you if you are satisfied with her!” Old Madam, with affection, held Shao Wanru’s hand and asked her to sit down.
“Grandma, Fifth Sister must understand your affection to her. She has always been filial to you,” Zhao Xiran suddenly said with a smile. She flattered both Old Madam and Shao Wanru at the same time. Zhao Xiran was indeed a tactful person who could always please others.
She seemed to be very intimate with everyone in Marquis Xing’s Mansion, as if what had happened on the wedding day had nothing to do with her.
Shao Wanru smiled calmly and then turned to look at Chu Qing with deepness in her watery eyes.
As she turned and noticed Chu Qing, Old Madam winked at Zhao Xiran. Then Zhao Xiran pointed at Chu Qing and said with a smile, “Fifth Sister, we are in need of your help in making a decision!”
“Sister Zhao, you’re too polite. As a married daughter, how can I make a decision for you! There is the elder present!” Shao Wanru smiled.
“Fifth Sister, though you are married, you are always a daughter of the Shao Family. Grandmother should make such a decision alone, but the marriage might be the key to the lifelong happiness of the two sisters. So Grandmother wants to hear more opinions from others. That’s why we invited you here!” Zhao Xiran explained.
Shao Wanru said gently, “Sister Zhao, please tell me the details!”
She had known early that Old Madam would definitely tell her what happened if she came here. She pretended to be polite just now because she wanted Old Madam to understand that she could have refused to help.
“It’s about Second Sister and Third Sister…” Zhao Xiran looked up at Shao Cailing and sighed, “it was the matter of Second Sister, but later Second Sister said she wanted to give her marriage up to Third Sister!”
“Give the marraige up to Shao Caihuan?”
According to Zhao Xiran’s words, it sounded like Shao Jie’er did that for Shao Caihuan’s good. How was Shao Caihuan recently? Anyway, her disfigured face cannot be fully recovered yet. Therefore, Shao Jie’er pitied Shao Caihuan and gave up the marriage to her?
Could Shao Jie’er be such a kind person?
A trace of suspicion flashed in Shao Wanru’s eyes. How could she not know what kind of person Shao Jie’er was!
“Grandma, what do you think of this?” Shao Wanru asked.
“I… I disagreed with it at first. But I pondered it and thought it might be a good idea. Third Girl is somehow a legitimate daughter, while Second Girl is just a concubine’s daughter. It’s also a good thing for Commandery Prince Qing to marry a legitimate daughter,” Old Madam sighed.
Chu Qing’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that. Old Madam did mention that they wanted him to marry Shao Caihuan just now. When they were talking, Shao Wanru came.
“If that is the case, it won’t be bad. A legitimate daughter is naturally better than a concubine’s daughter!”
“But many people living in the Palace know about the relationship between Second Sister and Commandery Prince Qing!” Shao Wanru slowly raised her watery eyes and reminded them.
“That’s the only disadvantage! But such an idea is good for both Marquis Xing’s Mansion and Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. So we hope that you can explain it to Empress Dowager, Fifth Sister. It’s not that we are reluctant to part with Second Sister, but that Third Sister is more suitable than her!” Zhao Xiran frowned, glanced at Shao Wanru’s face, and said in distress.
Both Shao Jie’er’s and Shao Caihuan’s incidents happened in the Palace. Based on the situation at that time, both of them seemed to be innocent victims.
If they were innocent and willing to exchange with each other, it would be a good thing for the two mansions. Empress Dowager and the Empress should agree on it after they knew that.
“Grandma, I’m just a married woman, and I’m younger than Second Sister and Third Sister. I’m afraid it’s not appropriate for me to speak to Empress Dowager about it!” Shao Wanru shook her head and refused with a smile.
Old Madam’s face instantly darkened.
“Fifth Sister, you don’t have to persuade Empress Dowager. You only need to tell her the details of the marriage between our mansion and Commandery Prince Qing, and she will give us a response!” Zhao Xiran explained.
“I don’t dare!” Shao Wanru answered with an imperceptible sneer on the corner of her mouth. “So they want me to take the responsibility, don’t they?”
There must be a secret reason why they wanted to replace Shao Jie’er with Shao Caihuan. And her Second Uncle must be involved in such a plan. No matter what he was plotting, it would definitely not do her any good.
If the plot was exposed in the future, Prince Chen would be the one who took the blame.
Then, Marquis Xing’s Mansion could get away with it. At that time, they could say that Shao Wanru took the advantage of her status as Princess Chen and made arbitrary decisions in Marquis Xing’s Mansion! She forced Shao Jie’er to give up her marriage to Shao Caihuan because she didn’t get along well with Shao Jie’er!
As soon as Old Madam opened her mouth, it was enough to turn right and wrong upside down. As for Zhao Xiran, she was such an excellent nonsense talker.
“Fifth Girl, why do you not help us? You are the dignified Princess Chen. You just need to pass on a message. Why don’t you dare?” Old Madam questioned with a cold face.
“Grandma, I can’t! It’s not that I don’t dare to explain it to Empress Dowager, but that I am afraid Prince Chen will be angry. He hates me meddling in other people’s business the most. When I married into Prince Chen’s Mansion, he has told me that as Princess Chen, I should be indifferent to others’ business. I must not care too much and annoy Empress Dowager and His Majesty. Prince Chen’s Mansion has never interfered in the affairs of the officials!” Shao Wanru said calmly.
It meant that Prince Chen’s Mansion would not form cliques, nor would it be entangled in any interest conflict with officials. When she married into Prince Chen’s Mansion, Prince Chen had already warned her.
“Fifth Girl… ” Old Madam was so angry that she almost slammed the table.
Once realizing that a conflict was imminent, Zhao Xiran hastened to catch Old Madam’s sleeve and say with a smile, “You are right, Fifth Sister. Prince Chen has always been indifferent and unwilling to cut in the affairs of any ministers. However, Marquis Xing’s Mansion is different. After all, it is your parents’ home. Even though you have married into Prince Chen’s Mansion, you are still related to Marquis Xing’s Mansion, right?!”
Her words suppressed Old Madam’s anger and managed to win some time for Old Madam to think.
Thinking for a few seconds, Old Madam realized that she couldn’t lose her temper and scold Shao Wanru, whose status was different. She was backed by Prince Chen’s Mansion now!
Prince Chen was a very difficult person to deal with! Zhao Xiran had heard from his father again and again that Prince Chen was not as gentle and leisurely as he looked on the surface. He was the last man in the world you dared to annoy. Otherwise, you would have to bear the consequences.
Because of her father’s warning, Zhao Xiran certainly dare not do anything to Shao Wanru, who was under Prince Chen’s protection, and she had to stop Old Madam from getting angry in case things went out of control.
“No matter how different Marquis Xing’s Mansion is, it’s the mansion of an official. Even if Prince Chen’s Mansion has declined, it’s still the mansion of a prince. I heard that Duke Yong’s Mansion got into trouble because it colluded with princes,” Shao Wanru said with a smile.
Not only Old Madam but also Chu Qing showed a scared face after hearing her words. Although they didn’t know what on earth had happened in Duke Yong’s Mansion or what Duke Yong had done, they understood that it was related to the two princes and the Emperor flew into a rage because of it.
“Duke Yong’s Mansion was punished because its case implicated both Prince Yue and Prince Zhou. So, what will the Emperor think if he finds Commandery Prince Qing and Marquis Xing’s Mansion are related to Prince Chen?” Shao Wanru continued to say after she saw them change their expressions at the same time.
Old Madam could hardly take a breath and panicked in her heart.
Prince Chen and Commandery Prince Qing were both princes too, and they were the sons of the Former Emperor! If Marquis Xing’s Mansion built a relationship with both of them, people would think that the Shao Family had ulterior motives, wouldn’t they? Even if they had no ulterior motives, incidents might happen anytime. Then it was hard to say that the Emperor would not be suspicious of Marquis Xing’s Mansion.
If it were in the past, Old Madam wouldn’t be afraid of the Emperor’s unreasonable suspicion! but now Marquis Xing’s Mansion could not withstand any storm. At this time, she should be humble, as any high-profile action could bring disaster to Marquis Xing’s Mansion!
“Commandery Prince Qing, this is also your marriage. What do you think? Do you accept to take a different bride? Whether you accept it or not, you must have a reason! You are a prince! It is not a good idea that you don’t express your own views and let Marquis Xing’s Mansion decide everything, isn’t it?”
Before they came to their senses, Shao Wanru raised her watery eyes to look at Commandery Prince Qing and questioned him!