However, she wasn't about to bicker with a young girl. With the combined ages of two lifetimes, she could be a great - grandmother. Arguing with a spoiled girl would be beneath her.
After sitting for a while, Shen Qing got up to take her leave.
When she reached the back garden, a young girl's shrill voice suddenly came from behind.
"Hey! Are you the Marchioness?"
Shen Qing stopped in her tracks. Jin Bao had already walked up to her with her entourage and sized her up from head to toe.
"You're not that special after all."
"How dare you! How can you talk to our mistress like that!" Yingxiu shouted.
Jin Bao said carelessly, "Why can't I speak my mind? You're out of favor with the Marquis, and you can't even manage your concubines properly. The concubines in my family would never dare to take my mother's seat."
Shen Qing gave a faint smile. "Miss Jin Bao will be a concubine in the future. If I were to discipline you like your mother disciplines her concubines, what would you do?"
"You!" Jin Bao stamped her foot. "My mother said I'm not coming here just to be a low - level concubine. The Marquis relies on my father now. How dare you discipline me?!"
"I didn't expect Miss Jin Bao to have such lofty ambitions. Wait until you become the Marchioness, then you can talk to me like this."
"Until then, please stay out of my sight as much as possible. If you annoy me, even if your father has mountains of silver, it won't work with me."
After Shen Qing finished speaking, she ignored Jin Bao and left with Yingxiu.
Jin Bao stamped her feet in anger.
"I originally wanted to be on good terms with her, but I didn't expect her to be so ungrateful. She's really ignorant!"
"She doesn't want me to go near her? I'll go there on purpose. I'd like to see how she'll deal with me!"
"My mother taught me so many things. I don't believe I can't outwit her!"
Shen Qing didn't have the time to deal with her. Qin Ye had come today. When she got back, he was sipping tea in the guest room of Zhuoying Courtyard.
"I'm sorry to have kept Dr. Qin waiting. Something came up earlier."
Qin Ye stood up with a smile. "The tea here is excellent, Mistress. I got so engrossed in the tea that I lost track of time."
After some pleasantries, Shen Qing sent the others away and then brought up her decision.
"Dr. Qin, I've thought it over carefully. I've decided to keep this child."
Qin Ye wasn't surprised by her decision. He just asked, "Have you really thought it through, Miss Shen? If you want to keep this child, you'll have to be on medication for the entire ten - month pregnancy."
"I know." Shen Qing's hand unconsciously landed on her flat abdomen. She seemed to be talking to herself softly. "I can't let the child think that neither his father nor his mother loves him."
At least, she really loved the child and was looking forward to his arrival.
Qin Ye raised his eyebrows. From Shen Qing's words, it seemed that she thought Ji Junye didn't like this child?
Anyway, he had promised Shen Qing not to say anything. It was a matter between husband and wife, and they had to sort it out themselves. He wasn't in the habit of being a meddling good - Samaritan.
"Since you've made your decision, Miss Shen, I'll go and prepare the medicine right away."
Qin Ye quickly wrote out the prescription and gave it to Yingxiu. "Take it three times a day. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl."
Shen Qing asked Yingxiu to take the prescription and saw Qin Ye off politely.
A few days later, good news came from the Marquis Mansion. Xu Yanchi, with the help of the Jin family's money, had landed a steward's position in the Five - City Militia Command. The Five - City Militia Command was responsible for the safety of the capital and was more powerful than his previous position in the Court of Judicial Review.
Xu Yanchi was overjoyed.
Thanks to the Jin family, the Marquis Mansion had been spending more generously recently. The ornaments in the Old Mistress's Renshou Hall looked newer than before.
One day, when Shen Qing went to Renshou Hall to pay her respects, Jiang Chan mentioned the gifts sent by Jin Bao.
"One after another, although the craftsmanship is a bit rough, they're all made of pure gold. They were sent by Lord Jin for his daughter to decorate her living quarters."
That's what was said, but in fact, most of them ended up with them.
Since Jiang Chan had taken charge of the inner - court affairs, she had never lived such a lavish life. She immediately realized the benefits of having money.
It was said that even the maids had received a few items, but Shen Qing got nothing.
Shen Qing didn't care about these things. She wasn't short of money.
She just felt sorry for Miss Jin. Before she even entered the mansion, she was throwing large amounts of silver into the Marquis Mansion. Little did she know that it was like throwing a meat bun to a dog, gone forever. The more she gave, the more insatiable the Old Mistress and Jiang Chan would become. If she stopped giving one day, it would immediately become her fault.
Shen Qing had experienced this before. As for Jin Bao... all she could say was that everyone had their own destiny.
Since Jin Bao didn't want to listen, Shen Qing wasn't going to say anything more. After all, she wasn't a kind - hearted person. She had been reborn to watch the Marquis Mansion fall. If Jin Bao wanted to destroy herself, how could Shen Qing stop her?
Mrs. Ge and Mrs. Xing were envious of the flowing silver, but they couldn't just ask their husbands and sons to take in a merchant's daughter as a concubine.
It would be too embarrassing if word got out.
As for Xu Yanxing... it was better not to mention him!
After showing off the money, the Old Mistress brought up another matter.
"Once July comes, it will be the Qixi Festival soon. The Grand Princess is hosting the Qiongfang Banquet and has invited all the ladies, young misses, and unmarried gentlemen. Our mansion has also received an invitation. You should all go and have some fun."
Mrs. Xing asked, "I heard that this year's Qiongfang Banquet is for choosing a husband for Princess Jingyang. There's no suitable young man in our mansion, and we don't have any daughters to be courted. Surely the Grand Princess isn't asking us to give our opinions?"
The Old Mistress laughed and scolded, "Do you really think she's asking you for your opinions? The Grand Princess has very high requirements for Princess Jingyang's husband. Whether she can find a suitable candidate is still up in the air. She's just asking us to fill the seats so that the banquet won't be too cold."
Mrs. Xing understood and smiled. "I see. Then we should definitely go."
Even if they didn't do anything, being able to attend the Grand Princess's banquet was an honor in itself.
The Old Mistress immediately discussed the matter of attending the banquet with Shen Qing.
"We old bones won't go out and make fools of ourselves. You two can go. The Marquis will also be there. You can just enjoy yourselves."
Jiang Chan was extremely happy. Her family used to be a fallen Earl's mansion with little power and influence, so no one ever thought of inviting them. She had been to flower parties with her little sisters, but this was her first time attending a banquet hosted by the Grand Princess.
Shen Qing wasn't very excited. The reason was simple. Whenever she thought of the Grand Princess, she couldn't help but think of what had happened at the Princess Mansion's birthday banquet.
If it hadn't been for the Grand Princess's birthday banquet, she wouldn't have gotten involved with Ji Junye, that evil god.
As for Princess Jingyang, Ji Qingshu, Shen Qing had heard of her but hadn't had much interaction with her.
Those who had met her would know that she was nothing like her name.