The division of the Xue family had somewhat of an impact. Although all the noble families in the capital now knew what the second branch of the Xue family was like, there were still quite a few people who had read too many classic books and thought that the eldest branch of the Xue family was intolerant.
There were even a few stubborn old ministers who submitted memorials to impeach, saying that the Marquis of Qiyang was lax in running his family and such a flaw had emerged in his household.
However, the outside rumors did not affect Mrs. Shao's good mood. She only felt that the pent - up anger in her heart over the years had been completely dispelled. She became more amiable towards the younger generations and servants in the family. Seeing that her grandson and granddaughter had grown up, she simply taught her daughter - in - law how to manage the household step by step. Since there were no idle people in the family, she was happy to relax. She handed over all the household management and just focused on enjoying time with her grandchildren.
When she received the invitation from Mrs. Zhu, the second wife of the Duke's Mansion, Mrs. Shao happily told her daughter - in - law to take care of the household. She took her daughter Xue Yuxin, then detoured to the Princess's Mansion to pick up Shen Yuning, and they went to the Zhu's Mansion as guests together.
The wife of the heir apparent of the Duke's Mansion had a round face with a somewhat innocent look in her eyes, probably because she had had a smooth life in the past. However, although she was only in her forties, there were streaks of white in her hair, looking even older than Mrs. Shao, who was a bit older than her.
Shen Yuning knew that this was because she had lost her child and had to suddenly support the entire Duke's Mansion, which made her overly exhausted.
During the conversation, Shen Yuning found that this wife of the heir apparent was really an open - minded person, not a shy and reserved one.
Mrs. Zhu, the second wife, didn't like others to call her the wife of the heir apparent. Since she married into the Duke's Mansion, she had always been care - free. Her elder sister - in - law was strict but always took good care of others. She managed the entire Duke's Mansion in an orderly manner. Mrs. Zhu was just like when she was still in her boudoir and didn't have to worry about anything.
After a sudden incident in the Duke's Mansion, most of the family members died. Her elder sister - in - law suddenly collapsed during the funerals of her elder brothers - in - law and never woke up again.
After that, Lord Zhu, the second son, became the heir apparent, and Mrs. Zhu became the wife of the heir apparent. But she always refused to admit it, feeling that only when her elder sister - in - law was still around could that be the proper way of the mistress of the family.
The group sat in the main hall chatting. Mrs. Shao said some nice things, which made Mrs. Zhu burst into laughter.
Mrs. Zhu took Shen Yuning's hand and said, "When my sister - in - law was still alive, she really liked Yuning."
Xue Yuxin coquettishly said, "I was really jealous of Yuning when I was a child. Every time we went out, all the ladies praised her but no one praised me."
Mrs. Zhu laughed even more heartily. She pulled Xue Yuxin over as if to spank her and said, "In the future, we may even become mother - in - law and daughter - in - law. If you act like this again, I won't dote on you anymore."
Xue Yuxin quickly coquetted some more. For a moment, the usually dull Duke's Mansion was filled with laughter. Even the maids outside couldn't help but peek inside.
At this time, an old nanny came and said that Mrs. Cheng was here to visit.
Shen Yuning saw that both Mrs. Zhu and Mrs. Shao were calmly sipping their tea without a hint of surprise, so she understood that they had known Mrs. Cheng would come today. Did Mrs. Shao detour to bring her here on purpose?
Mrs. Cheng came in and greeted Mrs. Zhu and Mrs. Shao. Xue Yuxin and Shen Yuning also stepped forward to pay their respects.
Mrs. Zhu sighed and looked at Mrs. Shao. "You all know the current situation of our Zhu family. There are so many people visiting every day. We have to carefully consider who can be seen, who must be seen, what can be said, and what has to be said. Actually, in my heart, I don't want to care about anything."
Mrs. Shao and Mrs. Cheng quickly comforted her, saying that with such a large family as the Duke's Mansion, how could one not manage and calculate?
Mrs. Zhu took a sip of tea and then said, "Mrs. Cheng is my cousin. We occasionally have exchanges."
Shen Yuning didn't know that there was such a relationship between the Cheng family and the Zhu family.
After chatting for a while, Mrs. Cheng waved Shen Yuning over and sized her up. "I haven't been in good health. I went to the countryside villa to escape the summer heat. I just came back a few days ago and only then heard that the Princess had returned to the capital."
Shen Yuning lowered her head and didn't say a word. Cheng Hongguang must have known she was back. She didn't know if he hadn't told his mother or if his mother was just pretending.
Mrs. Cheng took Shen Yuning's hand. "The child has lost weight. You've suffered these years."
Shen Yuning slightly raised her head. Seeing the tears glistening in Mrs. Cheng's eyes, she quickly smiled and shook her head. "If not being raised in luxury is considered suffering, then I've suffered a bit. But in these years, I've just realized the meaning of life and the meaning of moving forward. So, it can't really be called suffering."
Mrs. Cheng smiled. She took out a jade pendant with a gold - threaded tassel from her sleeve and stuffed it into Shen Yuning's hand.
Shen Yuning looked down. The jade pendant seemed to have a long history. It was entirely green with excellent luster. There was a tiny flaw inside, which looked like a painted picture, making it even more extraordinary. Such a precious thing was not something that could be given away casually.
She quickly declined, not daring to accept it.
Mrs. Cheng waved her hand. "Yuning, don't decline. I used to always think that we would be mother - in - law and daughter - in - law in the future, but unfortunately, fate played a trick on us. I don't have a biological daughter of my own. Now when I look at you, you seem just like my own daughter..."
Shen Yuning looked up in surprise. In the past, the old lady of the Cheng family always said that she would be the granddaughter - in - law of the Cheng family, and Mrs. Cheng had always been very kind to her. But today's words seemed to have some other meaning.
She was a bit confused. She remembered that on the day of her coming - of - age ceremony, Mrs. Cheng had given her a pair of hairpins inlaid with kingfisher feathers with flying butterflies on them. Those hairpins were not in vogue at that time, but they were extremely beautiful, and the jade and kingfisher feathers used were of the highest quality.
Later, she heard from Grandma Xue that those butterfly hairpins were the heirlooms of the Cheng family, and each generation passed them on to the eldest daughter - in - law. Mrs. Cheng must have regarded her as her daughter - in - law to give her the butterfly hairpins.
It was a pity that those hairpins later fell into the hands of Xue Yujiao. She didn't know what had happened to them after that.
Tears welled up in Mrs. Cheng's eyes. She seemed to be out of breath for a long time. After Shen Yuning reluctantly accepted the jade pendant, a look of blankness flashed across her face, and then she smiled again.
After chatting for a while longer, Shen Yuning stood up and said that she wanted to go and see Duke Zhu. Mrs. Zhu immediately asked the old nanny to lead her to Duke Zhu's courtyard.
The Duke's Mansion was extremely large. It took about half an hour to walk through three or four large courtyards from Mrs. Zhu's main hall to Duke Zhu's courtyard.
The old nanny softly explained that after the old master's health deteriorated, his temper had become stubborn. He refused to live in the front courtyard and insisted on living in the last courtyard, saying that it was quiet.
It was indeed very quiet here. Moreover, since Duke Zhu couldn't walk, if he wanted to go out, he would surely sit in a wheelchair and be pushed by someone, so he wouldn't be tired.
At this moment, Duke Zhu was sitting quietly in the study painting. Shen Yuning stood outside the window and watched his concentrated look. It seemed as if she had returned to her childhood when he wasn't so old, his mind was clear, and he managed everything in the Duke's Mansion properly.
Shen Yuning was led in by the servant. Duke Zhu looked up, waved, and smiled. "Yuning girl is here? Come and take a look at my new painting."
Shen Yuning walked over. In Duke Zhu's painting was a ten - year - old girl with an extremely beautiful face and a sly and naughty look in her eyes.
For no reason, Shen Yuning felt that this beauty somewhat resembled Xuanzhi.
She suppressed the pounding in her heart, thinking that she must be bewitched. Otherwise, why would she think of Xuanzhi whenever she saw something? Probably, she missed him too much.
Her Xuanzhi was already gone.
Shen Yuning secretly thought that she must find an opportunity to go to Wuyun to pay homage to Xuanzhi.
Duke Zhu stared at the painting for a long time and then said, "I always feel that there's something missing between her eyebrows."
Shen Yuning thought for a while and asked, "Whom is Your Grace painting?"
Duke Zhu lovingly stroked the hair of the girl in the painting, as if the girl was standing right in front of him and he was stroking her. "It's my Shan'er."
The late Queen's boudoir name was Shan.
When the Queen passed away, Shen Yuning was still very young and didn't remember the situation at that time. Later, she heard from her grandmother that the whole country was in mourning at that time. The Emperor was extremely grief - stricken and ordered all the people of the Great Zhou to observe mourning for three months, and all happy events were postponed. Duke Zhu rushed back to the capital as fast as he could but still didn't get to see his beloved daughter for the last time.
Shen Yuning didn't expect that after so many years, Duke Zhu was still mourning his daughter here.
She thought for a moment, calculated the age of the Queen in Duke Zhu's painting, and then thought about some major events and case files from those years. Her eyes lit up.
"Your Grace, I remember that at that time, it was popular among the noble ladies in the capital to wear flower decorations on their foreheads. It seemed that peach blossoms and pear blossoms were in vogue. I wonder... which flower did she like?"
Duke Zhu suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly. "Yuning girl is really smart. That's right. Ordinary girls like peach blossoms, but Shan'er didn't like them. Instead, she thought pear blossoms were noble and pure."
He drew a pear - blossom - shaped flower decoration on the forehead of the beauty in the painting. But when he stopped writing, he stared at the painting for a long time without moving.
Shen Yuning watched as the light - yellow pigment on the brush was about to fall onto the painting. Without caring about the propriety, she quickly reached out her hand to catch the falling pigment.
Besides the cold touch of the pigment, there were also warm water drops.
Shen Yuning looked up and saw Duke Zhu's tears falling one by one. She quickly helped him sit down on the chair and comforted him softly.
Duke Zhu threw away his brush and covered his face. "Shan'er... Shan'er... Daddy is so regretful..."
Shen Yuning's mood was also heavy. She didn't understand what Duke Zhu was regretting. Regretting sending his daughter into the palace? Or regretting not seeing his daughter for the last time?
Duke Zhu had four sons and two daughters in his life. Now only one son was still alive, but at this moment, the only one he remembered was this eldest daughter.
Afraid of soiling the painting, Shen Yuning gently moved the painting away and carefully placed it on the square table beside, preparing to let it dry.
However, there was a half - cold bowl of soup on the square table. Probably the servant had brought it in, but Duke Zhu didn't really want to drink it, so it was just sitting there.
After Shen Yuning put the painting on it, she was afraid that the soup bowl might spill, so she picked up the soup bowl and placed it on the antique shelf beside.
When she put it there, she was stunned. There was a small open box on the antique shelf. Inside the box was an amulet.
Shen Yuning's hands trembled as she picked up the amulet. She wouldn't mistake it. It was the silk handkerchief she had embroidered, and inside it was the amulet she had personally asked for in Xitian Town.
She opened the handkerchief, and sure enough, in the corner of the handkerchief, she saw a small asparagus fern.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Xuanzhi? Why was Xuanzhi's thing here?