Volume One, Chapter Seven: Bai Waited for a Long Time

Star Court.

Shen Nanxing was already lying on the bed, having finished applying the medicine, while Su Yunyan sat beside him, her eyes full of worry.

“Brother, it hurts a lot, doesn’t it? It’s all my fault for causing you to suffer such a harsh punishment.”

As Su Yunyan spoke, she wiped away her tears, her tear-filled eyes brimming with pain and guilt.

Shen Nanxing forced a faint smile to comfort her.

“Yunyan, don’t cry. I’m fine. As long as you and the child are safe, enduring a little pain is nothing.”

Madam Shen sat nearby and spoke.

“It’s nothing? Xing’er, do you know it will take at least half a month to recover from this injury? Haven’t I constantly warned you all to be more careful? How did things end up becoming the talk of the town? After an incident like this, how can the Shen family maintain its standing in this imperial city?”

A flash of resentment passed through Shen Nanxing’s eyes as he listened.

“Mother, this is all Jiang Jinshu’s fault. She has the protection of the eldest princess. If she had acknowledged that the heir fell into the water, the Marquis Yongning’s family would have had to handle the matter lightly out of respect for the princess. But she refused to comply and even let the Marquis’s heir accuse Yunyan.”

Su Yunyan, holding a handkerchief to wipe her tears, spoke up.

“Mother, this matter is my fault for dragging my brother into trouble. But when the Marquis’s younger son bumped into my belly, I was worried about the Shen family’s offspring. In a moment of panic, I pushed him.”

“Originally, the clothes my sister and I wore today were very similar. If only she had helped, everything could have been settled quietly. But unexpectedly, she suddenly changed completely, disregarding my brother’s face and the Shen family’s reputation.”

Madam Shen frowned deeply, her gaze shifting between Shen Nanxing and Su Yunyan.

“You know she’s protected by the eldest princess. Seeing her attitude today, Xing’er, she’s probably furious. When she comes to see you, you should treat her well and soothe her a bit, lest the eldest princess take offense against the Shen family again.”

Naturally, Su Yunyan was unwilling to have Shen Nanxing coax Jiang Jinshu.

Clutching her handkerchief, she said, “Mother, today my sister repeatedly pushed me and brother into the spotlight. Could she be doing this intentionally just to see our family’s downfall, to ruin the Shen family’s reputation?”

Shen Nanxing also spoke.

“Mother, Jiang Jinshu’s attitude today is completely different from before. She never dared to speak to us like this.”

Madam Shen pondered upon hearing this. She recalled how Jiang Jinshu had dared to confront her at the mansion gate today, and Shen Nanxing’s injury was so severe he refused to leave the carriage. Frowning, she said,

“Perhaps she’s jealous after hearing about Yunyan’s pregnancy. But since she’s the daughter-in-law of the Shen family, she should prioritize the family’s reputation. She can’t let petty jealousy cloud her judgment and ignore the bigger picture. Tomorrow, when she pays her respects, I will properly teach her some manners.”

A whole night passed.

To assert her authority as mother-in-law,

Madam Shen dressed splendidly early in the morning and waited in the main hall of Chang’an Court for Jiang Jinshu to come and serve her.

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“Tell her when she arrives that I stayed up late last night worrying about Xing’er’s injury and haven’t gotten up yet. As the young mistress of the Shen family, if she can’t even take care of her husband, she should kneel in the courtyard for an hour to reflect.”

Aunt Qiu said.

“Madam, isn’t an hour a bit too long? After all, the young master and Miss Yunyan’s matters might still have the young mistress upset!”

Madam Shen calmly sipped her tea.

“What’s there to fear? Even if she’s angry with Xing’er, would she dare defy me, her mother-in-law? Defiance is a grave offense.”

“Besides, she’s an orphan with no parents. She only dares to be rude to Xing’er. She’ll cry in her room but must still fulfill her duties as the Shen family’s young mistress, taking care of Xing’er and the family.”

However, as time ticked by, sunlight gradually filled the courtyard, yet Jiang Jinshu’s figure never appeared.

Madam Shen’s smile slowly froze, and her frown deepened. Seeing this, Aunt Feng quietly reminded her,

“Madam, shall I go check if the young mistress has gotten up?”

Madam Shen waved her hand, her tone tinged with displeasure.

“No need. If she intends to come, she will. If she doesn’t, today’s the perfect chance to set some rules.”

Yet, even when the sun was high, Jiang Jinshu still hadn’t shown up. Unable to contain her anger, Madam Shen stood, preparing to go to Star Court herself to get to the bottom of things.

“This little wretch is truly lawless, daring to be disrespectful to her mother-in-law.”

Suddenly, a figure appeared.

“Mother, why are you so upset?”

Madam Shen looked up to see her daughter, Shen Nanyue, who had just returned. She immediately spoke angrily.

“It’s all because of Jiang Jinshu. She’s becoming more and more brazen, not even bothering to come pay respects anymore.”

Shen Nanyue quickly supported her mother.

“What? She actually refuses to come pay respects? She’s truly becoming more unruly. She’s nothing but a shameless girl raised without proper guidance. Only the Shen family would tolerate her. Mother, let Xing’er keep her at a distance for a while; she’ll realize her mistake.”

Madam Shen nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. Let Xing’er give her the cold shoulder for a while. She cares so much about Xing’er; she’ll come crawling back to admit her fault.”

“I originally thought that since she has no mother to guide her, I, as her mother-in-law, should teach her some manners. But now she’s so disrespectful.”

Shen Nanyue added fuel to the fire.

“Mother, you’re too kind, which is why she’s gotten so arrogant. In my opinion, she should be severely punished to understand that if she wants to survive in the Shen family, she must please everyone.”

She then helped Madam Shen sit down.

Speaking to the maid Bin’er beside her, she said,

“Go to the young mistress’s courtyard and tell her that mother isn’t feeling well and wants her to come serve.”

Then she turned to Madam Shen.

“Mother, you are her mother-in-law. You shouldn’t go to her courtyard to see her. She should come to see you. When she arrives, I’ll give her a good scolding to vent your anger.”

Madam Shen accepted the tea Aunt Qiu handed her and took a sip.

“You’re right. That little wretch has truly angered me to the point of losing my mind.”

Only then did Shen Nanyue remember the serious matter she came back to discuss.

“Mother, what’s going on between Xing’er and Yunyan? Why are there rumors outside that the Shen siblings... Mother, I was scolded by my mother-in-law first thing this morning. The Shen family’s reputation has plummeted; I’m almost ashamed to show my face there.”

Madam Shen’s face darkened with rage.

“It’s all Jiang Jinshu’s doing. As the Shen family’s young mistress, she doesn’t consider the bigger picture. I already asked Xing’er about it yesterday…”

She then recounted the events of the previous day.

Shen Nanyue listened in fury.

“She’s truly petty and unfit for public view. Even if Yunyan is carrying Xing’er’s child, for the sake of the family’s lineage, she should have stepped up to cover for this matter. Instead, she made it public and caused Xing’er to be punished.”

Standing up, she declared,

“No, mother, I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to properly reprimand her. All she does is cause trouble for the Shen family.”

Just as she was about to leave, Bin’er returned.

Shen Nanyue hurriedly asked,

“Where is Jiang Jinshu? Why didn’t she come?”

Bin’er looked at the furious Shen Nanyue and said,

“Miss, calm down first. The young mistress’s maid said she left the courtyard early this morning.”