Chapter One Hundred and One: Asking for Peace

  For He Shi Bi's reward and update, today there are three updates, thank you for your reward and pink votes.

  "......What, General is staying in the main house!" Chu Xinyi snatched off the flower that had just been pinned to her temple and trampled it on the ground.

  Chun Lan trembled, "...... I waited at the door for a long time and didn't see the general come over, so I went to the main house. Hong Lian said that the general only drove out Qiu Ju to the warm pavilion, but stayed behind himself. The lights in the main house have already been extinguished."

  "This cheap woman!"

  Chu Xinyi's body swayed, she grasped the table in front of her, and with a crash, a Song Qing porcelain flower vase fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. She used all her strength to control herself from flipping over the entire table, and a fierce glint flashed at the bottom of her eyes.

  There is still a hint of serenity in the white daylight.

  "...... Is the general sleeping in the main room?" Fu Xiu's chin almost dropped, originally she had already removed her makeup and was sitting on the bed, she jumped down to the ground, "I need to think about this carefully." Barefoot, she walked back and forth on the floor.

  "Auntie, be careful not to catch a chill!" Jie Xiang followed behind her and helped her put on her shoes.

  "Hurry up and get my clothes ready, I'm going to pay respects to the mistress early tomorrow morning." Fu Xiu suddenly turned around.

  He bent down to pick up her shoes, but before he could react, she suddenly turned around and fell to the ground with a thud. It took her a long time to get up, rubbing her buttocks and muttering, "There are still several hours until dawn, what's the hurry?"

  She didn't bother with her and started rummaging through the boxes and cabinets on her own.

  "...and only scolded Qiu Ju?" The old lady, who rarely stayed up late, was reclining on the large pillow and playing cards with a young maid, but she sat up straight upon hearing this.

  The little maid slipped out quietly.

  "Qiu Ju was driven away to the warm pavilion, and the general and his wife slept together in the inner chamber." Zi Yue secretly glanced at the old lady's expression, "...the lamp has already been extinguished."

  The old lady's face turned gloomy and she tossed away the flower card with a flick of her hand.

  "Stay in the main house. That means the general has acknowledged her..." Biyue looked at the old lady, "In that case, it won't be easy to drive her out again." She unconsciously twisted the handkerchief, "You once said..." Feeling Ziyue pulling on her from behind, Biyue's voice came to an abrupt halt.

  She said that as long as she is in this mansion, there will be no other concubine, and if there is another concubine, then she won't be here!

  And what's more, it was said in front of all the people in the mansion!

  The old lady's face turned a deep purple. The eyes, covered with wrinkles, shone with an eerie light, and the flickering candlelight cast on them gave her a ferocious appearance like that of a black mountain ghost mother.

  "The general's heart is soft, and he pitied her for being ill and couldn't bear to drive her away, but it was only for one night. It doesn't prove anything." Zi Yue cautiously advised, "Old madam..."

  Before she could finish speaking, the old lady slapped her palm on the kang table.

  Zi Yue's face turned purple with rage, and she hastily shut her mouth.

  Bì Yuè lowered her head and picked up the scattered flower cards on the ground.

  It was a long time before the old lady let out a breath and her face returned to its usual calmness, "...Who is following into the palace tomorrow?"

  "The lady herself brought a little maid. The one left is either Hong Lian or Hong Sang." Zi Yue replied.

  "Tell Chu Niangniang, just say it's my intention, and tomorrow let Hong Lian follow..." The old lady thought for a moment, then ordered Biyue. "You go call Hong Lian over..." She added, "Remember, don't let anyone from Haoranju see."

  Bixue was taken aback for a moment, and a flash of light flickered in the bottom of her eyes. "I'll go and pass it on now."

  ……

  Until the second half of the night, Zhen Shiniang fell asleep in a daze. When she woke up again, the sky was already bright. Her gaze slowly swept around and landed on the soft gauze in front of her bed, only to realize that she was in the General's Mansion. She sat up with a start, looking at the person beside her.

  Shen Zhongge has already left.

  Zhen Shining lowered her head and took a look at the quilted garment on her body, which was intact and undamaged. She let out a long sigh and thought to herself, "…He's still a decent man."

  Upon hearing the sound, Qiu Ju pushed open the door and came in, "Young lady is awake, General has gone out to practice his fist early this morning. He said that there's no hurry to enter the palace tonight due to the fireworks display, so I'll wait at the door until you wake up before entering." She smiled brightly as she looked at Zhen Shi Niang's expression.

  She thought of her sudden change of heart last night and Zhen Shiniang turned her face away.

  She thought that Zhen Shiniang had just been intimidated by Shen Zhongge and Fang Hai, so Qiuju wasn't afraid either. She lowered her head, picked up the folded clothes on the chair, and deliberately said, "Miss shouldn't blame me, last night General's face was so dark, I was scared to death!" Her face showed a fearful expression, but in her heart, she was laughing wildly, thinking "... Tomorrow when I go back, I must tell Jiakuang auntie this good news!"

  Looking at her harmless appearance, Zhen Shiniang sighed.

  Qiu Ju was still young and only knew that she and Shen Zhong Shuai had reunited, which was a good thing. But who would have thought that for the sake of Wen Ge and Wu Ge, she would be so against her will and follow Shen Zhong Shuai, how bitter must she feel in her heart?

  "Madam is well!" After dressing, Zhen Shiniang opened the door to find Hong Lian and Hong Sang leading a row of young maids who stood at attention, greeting her with bows and asking after her well-being. This sudden display startled Zhen Shiniang, causing her body to freeze momentarily.

  What's wrong?

  Last night when washing bath water, they were all like ancestors, giving her a sullen face, how did it suddenly change?

  Suddenly enlightened, Zhen Shi Niang immediately woke up, "That's right, General stayed here last night."

  It's indeed the power that oppresses people, even a small servant girl knows such influence. A wave of emotion rose in her heart as she smiled and nodded slightly, walking slowly towards the washing area.

  But she was just a passing traveler, and it wasn't worth her while to bother with these people.

  The little maid had already run ahead to open the door.

  After washing up, Shen Zhongge had finished practicing his boxing and returned, sitting in the armchair drinking tea. He saw Zhen Shiniang push open the door and come in, and awkwardly turned his face away.

  He was handsome and talented since his debut, countless girls had fallen for him, but this was the first time he had been rejected after taking the initiative to go to bed with someone, there was a strange feeling in his heart that he couldn't tell whether it was anger or shame.

  If he didn't owe this woman so much, he would have nothing to do with her until the day he died.

  Zhen Shining's mood was exceptionally good.

  His gentlemanly behavior last night improved her impression of him by a great deal, at that time he so roughly drove out Qiuju, she really thought he would take advantage of her.

  She smiled and sat down beside him, "The general is back, I don't know when the old lady will get up. Should I go ask for her now?" She remembered that in ancient times, being a daughter-in-law meant one had to pay respects morning and evening.

  The old lady didn't see her is one thing, whether she did it or not is another thing.

  Shen Zhongbo was slightly surprised, "...she had just eaten the closed-door buns yesterday, and today she actually took the initiative to go and pay her respects!" He looked deeply at Zhen Shimu, "I should get up, I'll go with you." His voice was unusually gentle.

  Just as she was about to get up, a young maid came in and said, "The madam has come to pay her respects."

  Zhen Shining sat still and didn't move.

  They were about to come and ask Shen Zhongqiu for peace. He should be back soon, and she would sit here waiting for him to go with her to ask the old lady for peace. To tell the truth, let her see that mother-in-law who was said to hate her to death alone, Zhen Shimai still had some fear, but Shen Zhongqiu's words made her feel a lot more at ease.

  Shen Zhong'e then lifted his foot and left. When he reached the door, he saw that Zhen Shi'niang hadn't moved, so he turned back around.

  Only when she saw him stop and look at himself did Zhen Shiniang suddenly realize what was happening.

  He asked her to go out and meet his aunt together.

  "One more word and you're dead!"

  Everything is hidden in her heart and makes people guess, she's not a goddess, how can she always win the big prize!

  Chu Xinyi and several others coincidentally dressed up today. Each one was elegant and refined, standing in a row like flowers, when they saw Shen Zhongge and Zhen Shimiang come out one after the other, they all took a deep breath. A hint of gloom flashed across Chu Xinyi's eyes, but only for a moment, before her face returned to calmness, smiling warmly at the two as she bowed. "General, good health...Madam, good health." She was afraid that Zhen Shimiang would lose face in front of all the servants, so she forcibly changed the word "sister" to "madam", with a respectful and modest attitude, just like a gentle and obedient little daughter-in-law.

  Although it would be great to provoke Zhen Shiniang into anger in front of Shen Zhongjie, this is best done by someone else, not Chu Xinyi.

  She is porcelain, Zhen Shiniang is earthenware, and she doesn't even deserve to use porcelain to knock against earthenware, lest she gets splashed with mud.

  Sitting next to Shen Zhongge, looking at the several aunts in front of her, each with their own unique beauty, Zhen Shiniang couldn't help but think, "These ancient men really have good fortune." Not only did they legitimize all these women in the backyard, but each and every one of them was both respectful and fearful towards him. Try that in modern times?

  His eyes involuntarily glanced at Shen Zhongjie.

  His expression was still as cold as usual, and it was impossible to tell his emotions, but when his eyes fell on Chu Xinyi, they softened.

  Fu Xiu was also sizing up Zhen Shi Niang.

  She wore a blue and white porcelain-colored jacket with a magpie perched on a branch, her hair was simply coiled into a bun, secured with a silver pin, clear and pale, the morning glow shining through the window lattice onto her pale face like porcelain, with a delicate and quiet beauty. Compared to Zhen Shiniang, their own elaborate attire seemed somewhat too gaudy, and for an instant, they all lost their color.

  Fu Xiu couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking that she had spent a lot of effort dressing up last night, hoping to impress Shen Zhongjie with her outfit today, which was neither too flashy nor too plain.

  Yang Feng sighed.

  She is indeed the daughter of the first beauty in Beijing, five years ago she was still tender, and now she has blossomed, no wonder the filial general would make a fuss at home for her and the old lady.

  In an instant, several aunts struck down the idea of competing for favor.

  Five years ago, on the second day after arriving here, Zhen Shining moved out of the champion's mansion. Among these five people, she only knew Chu Xinyi, and the other four knew their names but couldn't match them up, nor did they dare to ask who was who. Seeing them come forward to pay their respects, she feared calling someone incorrectly, so Zhen Shining pretended to be mute, only smiling slightly as she nodded towards everyone, with a kind of serene detachment in her demeanor.

  Chu Xinyang was particularly eye-catching just by looking at him.

  She married Shen Zhongqiu for five years and worked hard to manage the backyard for him. Everyone said that Shen Zhongqiu spoiled her, but he never let her sit with him as an equal in front of outsiders, let alone have other madams pay their respects to her.

  That's the difference between wife and concubine!

  Thinking of her and her husband's position just brushing past each other, she felt a sharp pain in her heart, turned around and gave Chunhong a meaningful glance.

  Chun Hong lifted her foot and walked out.

  P.S: It's already late at night, seeing how hard you've worked, come and give your pink vote to me~~~