Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Suffering Wife vs. Homewrecker (8) Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Suffering Wife vs. Homewrecker (8) No sooner had Lady Meng left than the Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion received an imperial decree from the palace.
The decree, issued by the Empress Dowager, essentially reprimanded the Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion for poor household management and internal chaos.
The eunuch read the long decree with relish and finally pointed to two stern and rigid nannies behind him, “These two are experienced nannies from the palace, specifically bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager herself to assist you, Princess Consort.”
By the time the Old Princess Consort received the news, the palace eunuch had long returned to report back.
After listening to her daughter-in-law recount what had happened, she had no doubt about the whole affair. It must be that the Liang Residence had learned of Zhang Mingshu’s situation and deliberately came around to save face for their own daughter!
She asked the Princess Consort, “What do you plan to do about this?”
The Princess Consort hesitated for a moment, “To…take care of those two nannies…”
The Old Princess Consort cut her off, “I’m asking you, what do you plan to do about Zhang Mingshu?”
A plea appeared on the Princess Consort’s face, “Mother, Mingshu is still young…”
“You are truly muddle-headed!” bellowed the Old Princess Consort, stomping her walking stick hard on the ground, “The palace has already sent a decree. Can’t you see that this is His Majesty favoring the Liang family? At this juncture, Zhang Mingshu can no longer stay in the mansion. Today, no, right now, arrange for her to be sent away. Tomorrow, come with me to visit the Grand Tutor’s Mansion to apologize!”
The Princess Consort’s face showed defiance, “Mother, after all, we are the noble Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion. Why should we demean ourselves ?”
The Old Princess Consort cast a disappointed look at her wooden-headed daughter-in-law, feeling that she had truly been blind in the past, “Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion, do you think our mansion still holds the same honor and favor as in the late prince’s time? Now, it’s the Liang family that are the important officials in His Majesty’s eyes. Otherwise, why would I have put aside my pride and sought for Qin Yuanzheng to marry a girl from the Liang family.”
“Princess, news has it that Zhang Mingshu has been quietly sent away by the Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion.”
Grand Princess Ronghua nodded in satisfaction, “At least the Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion isn’t completely foolish. Otherwise, even at the expense of my reputation, I would never let my Yuer marry into such a place.”
The next day, the Old Prince Consort of Zhenbei, along with her daughter-in-law, personally made a visit, and the two families mingled happily, with no sign of the previous day’s tension.
Gu Shengyin was astounded by what she saw.
She was quite pleased with the outcome.
Gu Shengyin had never expected to annul the arranged marriage between the two families in one fell swoop.
Setting aside the fact that the marriage arrangement was decreed by His Majesty, to her the matter between Qin Yuanzheng and Zhang Mingshu didn’t seem to be of great consequence.
Men, after all, who doesn’t like a young and tender body?
Zhang Mingshu, having neither title nor pregnancy, was essentially a plaything; the two families would not come to blows over such matters unless absolutely necessary.
However, Gu Shengyin had no desire to enter the Prince of Zhenbei’s Mansion again: there was still a year’s time, gentlemen, we have days ahead of us.
Little did she know that Qin Yuanzheng had come to hate the Liang Residence because of this. He felt that if not for the excessive bullying by the Liang family, how could he and his cousin have been separated by distances?
Gu Shengyin had always looked down on such a person. What place did he truly assign to Zhang Mingshu?
Even in her previous life, if Liang Chenyu had lived, Zhang Mingshu would at best be a concubine.
To make the woman he loved a concubine of low status, was that truly this man’s idea of love? How noble.
Perhaps Zhang Mingshu’s love for him was just as “noble.”
Nevertheless, no matter the nature of such love, she had no intention of letting the two of them have it.