Host, don't worry, you're perfectly safe right now! The Marquis's residence is also very safe. Aside from the matter of Shen Jiaojiao, everyone is getting along harmoniously!
[That's true. My father inherited the Changping Marquisate and is a marquis, as well as the Minister of Revenue, one of the Six Ministries. My mother is the daughter of a general and a wealthy merchant. Now, my eldest brother is about to enter officialdom, my second and third brothers are doing very well in the north, and I have become the Crown Princess, and will one day be the Empress. How could they possibly see our eldest branch of the family thriving? There's no reason for them to harm us!]
[We are alive, and they can extract even greater benefits from us!]
Shen Qingbo: Little sister, I'm here too!
Mother Shen glanced at Shen Mingzhu with a complicated expression, and spoke softly.
"Mingzhu, family scandals should not be aired in public. We should handle family matters discreetly."
Shen Mingzhu tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Mother, I know."
[Is it just that the fact that my grandfather was cheated on means he has to swallow his pride and bear it all?]
[Host, this matter is troubling your father, isn't it? He's no ordinary person to have become the head of the Shen family; you should trust him.]
Okay, I'll remind him during dinner!
The Shen brothers, Qinghong and Qingbo, were also having a headache; it seemed difficult to handle the matter discreetly.
Fortunately, the "enemy" is now in the open, while they are in the "dark"!
At dinner time, Shen's mother still had the kitchen prepare a table full of food, as a silent celebration for her daughter.
Shen Mingzhu was very happy.
She pointed to the table full of leafy green vegetables and spoke seriously to her father, Shen Changyuan.
"Dad, eat up! Eat more leafy green vegetables, they're so green, eat more of them."
Shen Changyuan, not understanding why, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl to savor it carefully.
Nothing special, it tastes the same as before!
Immediately afterwards, Shen Mingzhu's inner voice suddenly rang out.
[Guagua, do you think my hints were obvious enough? Considering Grandmother's conversation with Father this afternoon, my dad should know that someone in the Marquis's mansion has been cuckolded, and after a thorough investigation, he'll find out it was Grandfather who was cuckolded, right?]
"Snap!"
Shen Changyuan's outstretched chopsticks suddenly froze.
He paused for half a second, then looked at his wife and son beside him.
The three of them nodded emphatically at him.
Shen Changyuan braced himself and continued eating as if nothing had happened.
There was neither unusual anger nor a different reaction.
At first, Shen's mother was worried that Shen's father would not be able to accept the news and would do something irrational at the dinner table. Fortunately, Shen Changyuan was a man who had experienced great things.
As always.
[Guagua, what do you think my grandmother was thinking? Doesn't she pride herself on being a noblewoman of the Wang family? How could she do something like this?]
[Host, putting everything else aside, just think about Su Ruoxue from the Ministry of Rites! She bravely pursued true love, and your parents discovered it before her marriage, thus preventing a tragedy! What about those who weren't discovered?]
[Guagua, after getting married, the mistress of the house is in charge of the household. How can she still secretly meet with her former lover?]
[Host, broaden your horizons! For example, hire an opera troupe to listen to music? Go back to your parents' home for a visit? Call a doctor if you're feeling unwell? Buy some jewelry or clothes when you return from a banquet? There's nothing they won't do!]
Shen Mingzhu looked at her father with some sympathy.
Dad, having this grandmother is your blessing!
Shen Changyuan: Daughter, I don't want this kind of "blessing"!
Shen Mingzhu ate a bit too much for dinner, so as soon as she got back to the yard, she took her cat for a walk to help it digest.
On the other side, in the Shen family study, Mr. and Mrs. Shen and the two Shen brothers stared at each other.
Undeterred, Father Shen asked weakly,
Is it true?
Mother Shen nodded heavily.
"My lord, you have suddenly become the only heir of the Marquis's mansion!"
"Neither the second brother nor the younger sister are ?"
"Yes, my lord, you have to accept reality. What we need to think about now is what to do in the future."
Shen Changyuan was furious after hearing this.
"What else can we do? Of course, we must expel them from the family genealogy and from the Marquis's mansion!"
Shen Qinghong: ...
Shen Qingbo: ...
Even late into the night, the group couldn't come up with a perfect plan to "take care of" the person without anyone noticing.
However, in order for things to proceed smoothly, Shen Changyuan had to expel Shen Jiaojiao from the family genealogy and sever ties with the Marquis's mansion no matter what!
Enraged, Chen Changyuan wrote another long letter to the elders of the Shen family overnight, expressing his determination!
In the stillness of the night, the candlelight in the study remained burning, while Shen Mingzhu slept soundly in the Mingzhu Courtyard!
...
The next day, Shen Mingzhu finally got to sleep until she woke up naturally.
She's off today!
Hehe~~~
In the morning, with her two head maids, Shaoyao and Lianqiao, dressed up in bright and beautiful clothes, Shen Mingzhu followed her mother to the Prince An's mansion to attend the family reunion banquet.
Because they arrived early, Shen Mingzhu strolled leisurely and carefree in the back garden of the Prince An's mansion.
If she runs into someone she knows, just smile and say hello.
It feels pretty good.
Upon seeing a familiar face, Shen's mother quickly pulled Shen Mingzhu, who was standing not far away, and gave her some instructions.
"Mingzhu, I'm going to say hello to the ladies I know. You can wander around the garden as you please, but remember not to think too much. If you get bored, find a place to sit and rest, but don't stray too far from me, okay?"
"Yes, Mother! I know the rules!"
Shen Mingzhu smiled and agreed, appearing every bit the well-behaved lady.
But then her mind started acting up again!
[Guagua, my beautiful mother always tells me to think less and not to overthink. Every time she reminds me, "I'm a person, not a cold machine. How can I not think about anything!"]
Chen's mother's heart skipped a beat. It's all over!
It's pointless to say anything, it's pointless to give advice!
[Host, your mother is doing this for your own good; she probably wants you to concentrate.]
Shen Mingzhu: I hope so.
Unbeknownst to her, Shen Mingzhu had walked to the lakeside in the back garden.
Seeing that the place was relatively quiet, Shen Mingzhu decided to stay there for a while before joining her beautiful mother at the next table.
Suddenly, Shen Mingzhu heard a noise behind her.
"Who?"
"Sister Mingzhu."
The Second Prince, Yan Yunxuan, emerged slowly from behind the tree with a broad smile on his face.
Shen Mingzhu's face immediately darkened.
"Your Highness, please address me as Miss Shen. It is more proper that way."
[Guagua, what's wrong with Yan Yunxuan? Why is he smiling so lewdly, and he's calling me Mingzhu, but I'm his future sister-in-law, Umm~~~]
[Host, nothing tastes better than dumplings, and nothing's more fun than your sister-in-law! Don't you see how he is looking at you?]
He's seducing you!
Shen Mingzhu: ...
[Guagua, stop disgusting me! I don't like him, okay? I have no interest in playing this game of cat and mouse, where she runs away and he chases, and she can't escape.]
[Host, calm down!]
"Sister Mingzhu."
"Your Highness, please address me as Minister Shen or Shen Mingzhu. If you continue like this, I may sue you for harassment!"
"Mingzhu, it's been a few weeks since we last met privately. Why are you so distant? Are you angry because my servant kicked you into the lake?"