Shen Yuning had no idea that Xue Yuxin had been fabricating stories about her marriage in front of their grandmother. After returning home, she sat in a daze, lost in thought.
Old Man Zhang was puzzled by her listless state. He grabbed Wei Rui and asked her what was going on.
Wei Rui, on the other hand, was preoccupied with the elaborate attires of the noble ladies and young misses she had seen that day. She felt extremely ashamed, thinking that she paled in comparison.
In reply to Old Man Zhang's question, she said dejectedly, "Aunt met a young general from the Zhu family today. She insisted that he resembled Brother Xuanzhi. I took a few glances from afar, and I'm certain that there's not the slightest bit of resemblance. He's the son of a prominent family. How could he be like Brother Xuanzhi?"
Old Man Zhang nodded wistfully and sighed无奈fully, "Your aunt misses Xuanzhi so much. Sigh."
That evening, when Wei Rui was reading in the pavilion in the backyard, Shen Yuning finally realized what was amiss.
"On the hills grow the elms; by the marshes bloom the lotuses. Instead of meeting the handsome Zidu, I meet a madcap."
Shen Yuning was stunned as she listened to Wei Rui recite this folk song. She vaguely recalled that the current Crown Prince was in poor health and rarely left the Eastern Palace. She had only seen him once at a palace banquet.
The Crown Prince's name was Fusu, and the Zhu family was related to the royal family by marriage. Coincidentally, the young man from the Zhu family they met that day was named Zidu.
Of course, it could just be a coincidence. Just because the Crown Prince's name was Fusu didn't mean others couldn't be named Zidu or Zichong. However, Shen Yuning couldn't shake the feeling that there was some hidden connection.
The next day at the Rongchang Commercial Firm in the city, Zhang Rong was in the shop, watching the shopkeeper check the accounts, when a woman in luxurious clothing walked in with an imposing demeanor.
Zhang Rong was surprised. Most of the goods in their shop were targeted at ordinary, slightly well - off people. A woman of such high status was not their typical customer.
But then she thought that some young ladies liked to browse small shops for the novelty. If they served her well, they might even get a generous tip.
With this in mind, Zhang Rong plastered a smile on her face and quickly stepped forward. "Welcome, miss. What would you like to see?"
This woman was adorned with jewels and wore a rose - red dress that looked extremely expensive. However, Zhang Rong thought that the clothes and accessories didn't quite suit her, just like how Wei Rui had looked overly gaudy when she had tried to dress up for the horse - riding field the day before.
The woman lifted her head haughtily, looked around the shop with contempt, and sneered, "The stuff here is nothing special."
Zhang Rong was taken aback and felt a bit annoyed. Her tone lost some of its previous politeness. "You're right, miss. The things in our shop are cheap and not worthy of someone of your status."
Hearing this, the woman sized Zhang Rong up and down, then waved her hand. "Slap her."
The maid beside her hesitated for a moment, looking somewhat displeased. But when she met her mistress's sharp eyes, she had no choice but to roll up her sleeves and step forward.
Zhang Rong was startled. She took a few steps back and asked, "Who... who are you? Why do you want to hurt me for no reason?"
The maid beside the woman quickly tugged at her mistress's sleeve. "Miss, madam told you not to cause trouble..."
Hearing this, the woman flew into a rage. She pushed the maid away and also shoved the hesitant servant girl aside. Then she strode up to Zhang Rong and was about to slap her.
But Zhang Rong was no pushover. She was not so weak as to let someone hit her without a fight. She grabbed the woman's wrist and asked sternly, "Who are you? Why are you causing trouble in our shop? If you don't answer, I'll take you to the yamen right now."
The woman curled her lips and sneered, "You were disrespectful to me, so you deserve to be slapped. Take me to the yamen? Do you think you're qualified? You probably don't know who I am or who my family is. Even if you take me to the yamen, I'll come out unscathed..."
"Really?"
Shen Yuning walked in and looked at her coldly. "The Xue family is known for its integrity. If their children make mistakes, they would never bend the law for personal gain. Don't get it wrong."
This woman was Xue Yujiao. When she saw Shen Yuning come in, her already fierce expression turned even uglier.
When she had first returned to the Xue family, she was just a country girl with rough skin and yellowish, thin hair. In contrast, the girl who had replaced her was as beautiful as a flower. How could she not be angry? How could she not be jealous?
Six years had passed, but unexpectedly, Shen Yuning was now without any makeup. There were even faint red patches and freckles on her cheeks from the sun. However, these seemed like tiny flaws on a piece of jade, making her even more charming.
As for herself, after more than six years in the marquis's mansion, she had learned to choose clothes that suited her and that jewelry should be of high quality rather than quantity. But when she came to the Rongchang Commercial Firm today, she couldn't help but dress up extravagantly, hoping to outshine Shen Yuning.
But instead, in this comparison, she seemed to be the one who came out second - best.
Xue Yujiao's face became even more distorted. Her maid understood her thoughts and whispered in her ear, "Miss, don't show your weakness in front of her. You're the legitimate daughter of the Xue family. What is she?"
Although the maid had lowered her voice, the shop was small, and Shen Yuning heard every word clearly. She didn't mind. She still looked at Xue Yujiao calmly and said, "I'm running a legitimate business. If you continue to cause trouble, I'll have to report you to the authorities."
Xue Yujiao stared at her with wide eyes and roared angrily, "Legitimate business? Do you think others are fools? You only got away with your misdeeds because my uncle and cousin protected you. You..."
Shen Yuning interrupted her impatiently, "Do you mean that Marquis Xue and the Heir of the Xue family are partial to me? Do you mean that the three judicial departments bent the law, and that the emperor was deceived and couldn't see clearly?"
Xue Yujiao was stunned. If she said yes, with so many onlookers, wouldn't the entire Xue family be dragged into a whirlpool?
Her maid quickly grabbed her and said, "Miss, you can't talk nonsense. Long live the emperor! How can an ordinary person casually slander him?"
Xue Yujiao's face changed several times. She shouted angrily, "Shen Yuning, you framed me!"
Shen Yuning rolled her eyes without hiding her annoyance. "I framed you? Get it straight. You came to my shop to cause trouble. How did it become me framing you?"
Xue Yujiao had no real skills, but she was an expert at throwing tantrums. She shouted angrily, "Who do you think you are? You should know that I'm the legitimate daughter of the Xue family. You're just a country girl. How dare you tell me what to do?"
Shen Yuning didn't even bother to look at her. She let out a soft laugh and said, "In terms of family background, I'm no match for you. But in terms of rank, I'm the Lady of Rongchang, personally conferred by the emperor. I'm of the fifth rank. So, tell me, who do you think I am?"
Xue Yujiao panicked, and her jealousy grew even stronger. After so many years in the marquis's mansion, her grandmother didn't dote on her, the eldest branch of the family didn't get close to her, and even her own father often said that she was not as well - behaved as the "fake" girl before. Moreover, when she went out to banquets, those snobbish young misses looked down on her because she had been raised in the countryside since childhood, even though she was the legitimate daughter of the marquis's mansion. They simply refused to play with her.
But why? Shen Yuning used to be the apple of the family's eye in the marquis's mansion. Even after being driven back to the countryside, she could still do business and earn money. And she was even rewarded by the emperor. Why?
Jealousy made Xue Yujiao lose her mind. She raised her hand and swung it at Shen Yuning.
Quickly, a hand grabbed her wrist tightly. Then, a cold voice said, "Miss Xue is so irritable. If it's not a mental illness, how could she act like this? Should I report this to the marquis and ask him to invite a doctor to treat you properly?"
Shen Yuning looked up and showed a disappointed expression. In the past, whenever she encountered difficulties, Xuanzhi would always appear immediately and protect her at all costs.
But now, her Xuanzhi was gone.
Chen Wenwei turned around with concern and asked, "Yuning, are you okay?"
Shen Yuning shook her head and pursed her lips without saying a word.
After this commotion, Xue Yujiao calmed down a bit. "I wondered who it was. It's Young Master Chen the Fourth! So, are you here to defend Shen Yuning?"
Her eyes swept over the two of them, and the contempt and mockery in her eyes were obvious, implying that there was an improper relationship between the man and the woman in front of her.
Her annoyance grew even stronger. Because the truth about her framing Xue Yuxin had been revealed, her uncle had personally gone to cancel her engagement. Originally, she had not wanted to marry into the small - time Cheng family anyway. But after the engagement was broken off, no one was interested in her anymore.
Her mother had said that the Chen family and the Xue family were family friends for generations and wanted to betroth her to this useless bastard son of the Chen family. She had reluctantly agreed, but unexpectedly, the mistress of the Chen family had flatly refused!
Although the Chen family was a prominent family in the capital, they had no noble title. And Chen Wenwei was just a bastard son who was sent away. She had reluctantly agreed, but the Chen family still dared to reject her?
What was even more infuriating was that now, this bastard son who had rejected her was coming to curry favor with Shen Yuning.
Why? Why did Shen Yuning get all the good things in the world? It was Shen Yuning who had stolen her identity and ruined her first half of life. But why did they all act as if she had wronged Shen Yuning?
Chen Wenwei frowned and said, "I've known Lady Shen since childhood. Our relationship is like that of siblings. Please don't talk nonsense and defame the lady's reputation."
This time, Xue Yujiao left in disappointment. She had come here to show off her prosperity to Shen Yuning, thinking that Shen Yuning was still struggling in the wind and rain for a few shops and a few taels of silver. But in the end, she saw a calm and composed Shen Yuning. Shen Yuning was not as miserable as she had imagined. Instead, the hard times seemed to have added more charm to her.
After Xue Yujiao left, Shen Yuning led Chen Wenwei into the inner room. "Thank you, Lord Chen, for helping me out today."
Chen Wenwei shook his head. "Even if I hadn't come, you could have handled it yourself. I just couldn't stand her attitude."
Shen Yuning didn't want to speak ill of Xue Yujiao. The feud between her and Xue Yujiao was no longer about right or wrong. Although she was not a saint, she was the beneficiary after all, and she couldn't bring herself to curse Xue Yujiao. She just hoped that Xue Yujiao would figure things out soon and live a peaceful life.
Chen Wenwei looked up and didn't beat around the bush. He just told her what he knew. "I know you're looking for Xuanzhi's whereabouts. Since I've been appointed by the emperor to transport military supplies back and forth, I've heard a bit of news. At the beginning of last year, General Zhu sent a light cavalry unit of about a dozen people to spy on Daye. When they returned, only three were left."