Chapter 77: The Situation is Settled

  Second update, seeking pink tickets...

  Shen Zhong's head was buzzing, as if he were listening to heavenly scriptures. Every word that fell on his ears was crystal clear, but when they reached his brain, he couldn't understand what they meant.

  "If she really did all these things, why didn't she share the credit with me?"

  His mouth strongly refuted, but in his heart, Shen Zhongjie had a voice that kept asking, "Can't she?" His mind again recalled the night of their grand wedding:

  He lifted the red veil, and what he saw was a tender little face, a pair of beautiful eyes shining at him, "......I know, you're not willing to marry me because of this arrangement, but I really like you, from the moment I saw you on the training ground......Don't be angry, I'll be good to you with all my heart and soul, just to you alone!"

  That year, she was only eleven years old.

  Fresh as an unopened daisy.

  He didn't understand at the time, even if Zhen Shining liked him again, how could Zhen Shangshu bear to marry her so young? He refused to accept his suggestion to change the engagement letter and discuss the marriage two years later.

  But it turned out that this was all a conspiracy.

  Including the time he inadvertently broke into her boudoir, it was not she who designed him, but his parents who designed them.

  Otherwise, how could she, as an eleven-year-old girl at the time, have designed such a perfect plan that would make all the servants in the Shangshu Mansion serve her and lead herself into the trap step by step?

  At that time, if it wasn't for the mistaken guidance of the Shangshu Fu's housekeeper, how would he have mistakenly entered her boudoir?

  "I don't know why she didn't tell you about it," Xiao Yu said sincerely, "This is indeed what my late wife told me." It was his late beloved wife who couldn't bear to see Zhen Shiniang devote herself wholeheartedly, only to end up in such a dismal and desolate state, so she told him these things, asking him to advise their good friend Shen Zhongjie to treat Zhen Shiniang well.

  Unfortunately, he was then wholeheartedly helping Wan Sui plot to get rid of Zhen Guo Gong. He didn't even have time to drive a wedge between them, let alone take the risk of Shen Zhongjie being won over by Zhen Tianying and his daughter, and persuade him to treat Zhen Tianying well?

  "I don't believe it!"

  Zhen Shining's family died because of him, she devoted herself wholeheartedly, but ended up with such a miserable ending. Thinking of that day when Zhen Shining was in his arms, her body as light as a willow catkin, Shen Zhongge felt his heart sink and couldn't breathe. He suddenly stood up. "All of this is fabricated by you!" He stormed back and forth in the plum pavilion.

  Thinking of Shen Zhong's marriage today, Xie Yun's eyes flashed with a hint of guilt. His voice was low and heavy, "I just spoke out the past. Believe it or not." He also said solemnly, "I say so much, just to tell you one fact, Wan Sui's true intention is that he does not want you to marry any powerful person in the court."

  Shen Zhong's forehead bulged with blue veins, "I never intended to form an alliance with Anqing Hou through marriage!"

  Xiao Yu chuckled, "I know, I know..." His expression turned gloomy. "So many years have passed, and my younger brother doesn't even have a legitimate son. The Emperor's intentions have also changed." He looked at Shen Zhongge, "If you don't want to continue wasting your life, ruining your entire life... I will let Mother recognize her as her goddaughter, breaking this 'three not going' rumor. She has been in the house for seven years without giving birth. You can petition the Emperor to divorce her in a proper and just manner..."

  Being tied down to someone you don't like for so many years, he must be suffering too. Xiao Yu let out a soft sigh and changed the subject, "However, younger brother should be mentally prepared, once you divorce your wife, the Emperor will immediately arrange another marriage for you..."

  "I won't divorce!" Shen Zhongge plopped down on his butt, picked up the wine jug and poured three cups in a row, drinking them all in one breath.

  What's wrong with this?

  "On the day you entered the city, Sixth Princess had already taken a liking to you. The Empress Dowager had asked for an imperial decree to arrange your marriage, but it was not agreed upon...". Facing Shen Zhongjie's anger, Xiao Ye's eyelids didn't even twitch as he continued speaking, "Although Fifth Princess' birth mother was a palace maid, she is a kind and gentle person with no great ambitions. The Emperor's intention is that if you insist on divorcing your wife to marry another, he will give Fifth Princess to you." Xiao Ye smiled at Shen Zhongjie, "...Brother, your good fortune is not shallow."

  Shen Zhong sneered and continued drinking.

  Xiao Yu smiled uninterestingly, "However, I also don't agree with you marrying the fifth princess. If you get involved with these royal relatives, the Emperor will eventually become wary of you. It's better for you to choose a small family with little power and present them to the Emperor. This way, even if you were to divorce one wife and the Emperor were to grant you another marriage, Anqing Hou would have no chance to take advantage of the situation." Suddenly, Shen Zhongjie's face had turned black, "Or, you might as well just make the fifth madam official. You and she have a deep affection for each other, it's better than hastily marrying another strange woman..." The 'fifth madam' in Xiao Yu's words was precisely Chu Xinyi. Knowing that Shen Zhongjie doted on her, Xiao Yu naturally wouldn't call Chu Xinyi 'madam' in front of him.

  Shen Zhong slammed the wine jug on the table with a loud "pa" sound, "I said it before, I won't divorce!"

  If you don't rest, then just don't rest.

  What's the point of getting so angry?

  He's not even Zhen Shining, what's with staring and slamming the table at him?

  Xiao Yu stared blankly at Shen Zhongge for a long time.

  He let out a helpless sigh, "You shouldn't be stubborn either. As husband and wife, you're supposed to spend your whole life together. Now, if you stay with your brother's widow out of guilt, it'll harm you for the rest of your life. If you really can't stand her, then just divorce her. As for her side, after acknowledging her as my goddaughter, if she's willing, I'll find a good family to marry her off to. If not, let her stay in the Zhong Tang Fu as an old spinster. I'll ensure that she has no worries for the rest of her life... and also spare you from further guilt." He looked at Shen Zhong sincerely, "If you want to promote the Fifth Lady to a proper wife, don't worry about me either. Although I interfered in Chu Xinyang's case, it's just a small matter that can't bring me down!"

  Xiao Yu could tell that Shen Zhongge was genuinely considering his words, and he couldn't help but let out a silent sigh.

  Xiao Ye didn't know that Zhen Shi Nang only had two years of life left, even if they were tied together with a rope, it would only be two years of fleeting time, what's the point of hesitating?

  Two years later he remarried and had children again.

  This is what he owes Zhen Shiniang.

  If she hadn't liked him, perhaps she wouldn't have been plotted against by Zhen Shangshu and Town National Public, and her family wouldn't have had to die. If she had married someone else in the beginning, even if she had a bad temper, as long as the other person wasn't as strong-willed and violent as him, and was willing to give in a bit, perhaps she would be very happy now, at least not like this, neither human nor ghost.

  She only has two years of life left, even if she doesn't like it, he will accompany her through the last journey of her life with the greatest patience, letting her leave quietly.

  Shen Zhongxi let out a heavy sigh and slowly said, "I really don't want to divorce." It was as if he had suddenly been stripped naked and exposed to prying eyes, his heart filled with annoyance. He abruptly stood up and sternly said, "My mother is on a hunger strike because of her fight with the fifth madam, demanding that I divorce. Now, you're telling me not to divorce or dismiss my wife? You need to take responsibility and go talk to my mother right now!" Before Xiao Ye could react, Shen Zhongxi had already pushed open the glass door and strode out.

  He sat quietly for a long time, then Xiao Yu's face suddenly turned very ugly. He jumped up and rushed to the door, "You can't even take care of your own mother, what can I do?!"

  In the midst of heavy snowfall, where is Shen Zhongjie's shadow?

  Only Xiao Yu's furious voice echoed in the desolate wilderness.

  Xiao Yu slowly sat back down, picked up the empty wine jug and shook it, then threw it out again.

  This guy.

  It's getting more and more shameless.

  He had just been sympathizing with him and was trying to find a good match for him, but this kind of person deserved to be tormented by that arrogant Zhen Shiying for the rest of his life!

  ……

  "...Madam Zhen's tenth daughter is gentle and mature... Empress Shen is ill and has many concerns, rewarding a silver fox fur cloak, instructing to enter the palace on the Lantern Festival to accompany Empress Shen to watch the fireworks, respectfully obey this decree." After Eunuch Fu finished reading the imperial edict, the main hall of the General's mansion was quiet as an ancient tomb.

  Everyone led by Old Lady Shen and Shen Zhong'e was stunned, kneeling there like fools. Then Fu Gonggong coughed.

  Shen Zhonghui suddenly came back to his senses, hastily knocked his head in gratitude, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness." But in his heart, he secretly scolded Xiao Yu, "...thinking that he had some good tricks up his sleeve, yet he actually issued such a ridiculous and absurd imperial decree!" He immediately thought, "Since His Majesty has already issued this kind of imperial decree, he won't pursue the matter of my mother's private alliance with Anqing Hou anymore." He let out a sigh of relief, and the tense expression on his face also relaxed. He glanced at Old Lady Yu with the corner of his eye, seeing that she was still kneeling there in a daze, and hastily pulled at her sleeve.

  The old lady also kowtowed and thanked her, a hint of a smile appeared on Butler Fu's face.

  "If she were gentle and virtuous, there would be no more arrogant people in this world!" As soon as Shen Zhongge sent off Fu Gonggong, several aunts shouted out.

  The hall suddenly erupted in a buzz of ridicule, jealousy, resentment, and insults, with everyone's expressions different.

  Chu Xinyi's five fingers clenched into fists, barely holding back the jealousy and resentment in her heart. In a sarcastic tone, she said, "What kind of evil spirit has our lady been possessed by? She's not feeling well, Old Madam is worried sick, can't eat or sleep, and has secretly shed so many tears and worried herself to death for her sake. Yet she doesn't even invite her own mother, but instead invites a complete stranger, a white-eyed wolf, into the palace to watch the fireworks."

  Everyone suddenly woke up, the imperial edict was a long and lavish article, which praised Zhen Shiniang for being good and virtuous, but not a single word mentioned the old lady.

  What does this mean?

  Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, everyone's eyes fell on the old lady, and the hall suddenly fell silent.

  "It's all your doing!" The old lady smashed a white jade carved flower tea cup to pieces, "Get out of my sight, all of you!"

  Shen Zhongge walked in, saw her and silently sighed, patiently sat down beside the old lady, and said, "The empress has invited the tenth princess to watch the fireworks at the palace on the Lantern Festival, so let's put off discussing the separation for now."

  Still far from it!

  The imperial edict praised her as a good person, but she insisted on divorcing him, wouldn't that make her an evil mother-in-law?

  The old lady's chest was as if blocked by a lump of cotton, her face turned iron-green and she didn't say a word.

  "Mother, have something to eat." Shen Zhongjie persuaded patiently.

  Seeing Shen Zhong's gentle face, the old lady felt even more suffocated. She suddenly stood up and said, "You want to bring that cheap woman back to Jiangjun Fu? Not unless I'm dead!"

  After finishing speaking, he went into the inner room without looking back.

  Gently solidified on his face, Shen Zhongge sat motionless, quietly gazing at the back of his mother, as if carved into a statue.