"Second Miss, I... I'd better not go in!" Shen Zhen stood at the door of Feilaiju, her face full of hesitation.
"We're already here. How can you say you won't go? Shen Zhen, are you trying to make a fool of me?" Shen Miao looked at Shen Zhen, who had taken two small steps back, and threatened, "Do you think this is child's play? You can agree or disagree as you like? Let me tell you, Lord Ji is very busy. It's already an honor for him to spare the time to come here!"
"If you say you won't go now when you're already at the door, aren't you slapping Lord Ji in the face in public? Don't end up angering Lord Ji before the marriage is even arranged. You won't even know how you died then!"
Shen Miao's words had an effect. Shen Zhen stopped backing away, but she still stood there, her face full of resistance. Shen Miao was only annoyed when she saw this.
"Shen Zhen, let me tell you. If you go in now, everything will be fine. Someone will help rescue Shen Zhang. But if you want to go back on your word, it's also easy. You can just turn around and go back to the mansion now."
After Shen Miao said this, a hint of delight flashed across Shen Zhen's face. Shen Miao was even more angry when she saw this, and she no longer held back in her words.
"Just then, I wonder if you'll find Concubine Su alive when you get home. And your elder brother who's been thrown into jail may also be beheaded in public!"
Hearing this, Shen Zhen couldn't help shivering. "Second Miss, don't scare me!"
"Hehe! Am I scaring you? If you don't believe me, you can give it a try. But I wonder if you have the capital to do so. After all, they're your own mother and elder brother!"
"Second Miss!" There was already a sob in Shen Zhen's voice. "As long as you don't hurt my concubine mother and elder brother, I'll agree to anything you say!"
"Alas! Good sister, what are you saying? How could I hurt you? It's just that Lord Ji has a high - ranking official position, so he may have a bit of a temper. So we'd better go along with his wishes."
"Of course, this is all your own will. Marrying Lord Ji is such a good way out! You'll enjoy good food and drink in the future, and no one will dare to bully you again!"
Although Shen Zhen nodded, she didn't listen to a word Shen Miao said.
"Alright! It's getting late. Let's go in now!" Shen Miao pulled Shen Zhen's hand and placed it on her own arm. Then they walked into Feilaiju together.
In the private room of Feilaiju, a man in his early thirties was slowly raising his teacup to drink tea.
Shen Miao knocked on the door, and the man's servant opened it.
Looking at Lord Ji sitting at the table, Shen Miao said with a smile, "This must be Lord Ji! I've long admired your name!" In fact, Shen Miao had only met Lord Ji once. She had only known his name before.
"Miss Shen, there's no need to be so polite!" The man put down his teacup, stood up, and said to Shen Miao.
"I haven't introduced you yet, my lord. This is my younger sister. She's a bit younger and introverted. She doesn't like to talk much. Please forgive her later, Lord Ji!" Shen Miao pulled Shen Zhen beside her and said to Lord Ji.
Hearing this, Lord Ji shifted his gaze to Shen Zhen and looked her up and down twice.
This made Shen Zhen feel so scared that she wanted to take a step back, but Shen Miao's hand on her back held her firmly in place.
"Miss Shen the Third is indeed fresh, beautiful, and charming!"
Hearing this, Shen Zhen gently bit her lower lip, her face still full of panic and fear.
"Come on, ladies, please sit down!"
"Thank you, Lord Ji!" Shen Miao first helped Shen Zhen sit in a seat closer to Lord Ji, and then she sat down beside them.
After Shen Zhen finished her meal at Feilaiju and got into the carriage, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer and burst into crying.
Shen Zhen's crying was not the so - called beautiful woman's sobbing. Her cries were not concealed at all and were even a bit louder than her normal speaking voice. Shen Miao was afraid that the cries would reach Lord Ji's ears, so her face immediately darkened.
"Shut up! Stop crying!" Shen Miao said sternly to Shen Zhen. At the same time, she said to the coachman outside, "Hurry back to the mansion!"
Although Shen Zhen's cries were softer now, she was still sobbing.
Shen Miao was annoyed when she saw this. She had no good impression of Shen Zhen at all. "Cry, cry, cry! You only know how to cry all day long! I've never seen such a useless person like you!"
"Here! Take this well! This is your betrothal letter! When the time comes, just prepare for the wedding according to the date on it!"
Shen Zhen glanced at the folded paper in Shen Miao's hand. Even more tears welled up in her eyes. "Second Miss, this betrothal was arranged too quickly! Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
"Humph! What's the use of telling you? You can't even make up your own mind! It's just your good luck that Lord Ji took a fancy to you! I don't even know what Lord Ji saw in you!" Shen Miao didn't conceal her disgust in her tone at all.
Hearing this, Shen Zhen bit her lips tightly again, feeling even more aggrieved.
Seeing Shen Zhen silently shedding tears beside her, now that her goal had been achieved, Shen Miao was too lazy to care about her. She just thought about her own things.
When they arrived at the Shen Mansion, Shen Zhen's eyes were already swollen from crying, but the tears still kept falling.
"Alright! Stop crying! This is a happy event. When you go back and tell Concubine Su about this, she will surely praise you for making a good choice. Even your elder brother will be released tomorrow!"
Shen Miao's words comforted Shen Zhen a bit. She wiped the tears off her face and then got off the carriage behind Shen Miao.
Concubine Su went to the outside of the Capital Magistrate's Office this morning to watch the trial of Qin An's case. Just when she got home, she didn't see Shen Zhen, who was supposed to be at home resting because of feeling unwell. When she asked the maid, the maid also said she didn't know.
Concubine Su had been staying in the manor before, so her body was a bit weak. Coupled with the worry about Shen Zhang in the past two days, when she came back this time, her head started to hurt. She asked the maid to help her to the bed to rest.
"Auntie!" As soon as Shen Zhen entered the room, she saw Concubine Su lying on the bed. She immediately walked over with concern. "Auntie, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Concubine Su patted Shen Zhen's hand and comforted her, "It's okay. I just have a headache. I've been lying down for a while, and I'm much better now!"
Concubine Su looked at Shen Zhen's swollen and red eyes from crying and asked, "What's wrong? You were crying again at home by yourself. Look, your eyes are all swollen! Don't worry about your elder brother's matter. I've already asked the eldest miss for help. I believe your elder brother will be released tomorrow!"
After hearing this, Shen Zhen was obviously stunned and didn't react for a moment. "Auntie, you asked the eldest miss for help? And elder brother will be released?"
"Yes! The eldest young master is the leader of the Night Shadow Division and is a favorite of the emperor. The eldest miss has some friendship with us, so she also agreed to help!"
As soon as Shen Zhen heard this, her tears welled up like a broken dam. She threw herself into Concubine Su's arms and cried, "Wuwuwu, Auntie!"