Shen Qing looked at her mother in confusion. Although she was indignant, she kept quiet.
Although Shen Yue did not understand what Shen Miao meant, she could still tell something from the nervous expression on Chen Ruoqiu’s face, so she stood there obediently without making a sound.
Old Madam Shen frowned. Although she had been with Old General Shen for so many years, she did not understand the twists and turns of the bureaucracy. Her entire world was within this mansion surrounded by walls, so she could not tell what Shen Miao meant. She felt that Shen Miao had taken the wrong medicine today and had offended her dignity as the head of the family. She was about to flare up.
“You are right.” Ren Wanyun smiled and interrupted Old Madam Shen. “It was just a misunderstanding in the first place. How can the news of what happened in the front hall spread to the backyard? It’s just a coincidence. The Duke of Ding is broad-minded and won’t take it seriously. It’s all a misunderstanding. Poor Little Girl, it must be painful to fall into the water.”
Old Madam Shen opened her mouth, a little unhappy that her second daughter-in-law suddenly interrupted her. However, Ren Wanyun’s family was a famous merchant family in Ming Qi. Most of the expenses in the Shen family were subsidized by her second daughter-in-law. Although she was unhappy, she did not want to offend her. With a snort, Old Madam Shen fell into silence.
Chen Ruoqiu also realized something and quickly went along with what Ren Wanyun said. “That’s right. Shen Yue and Shen Qing, don’t say that again in the future. It’s just that Shen Miao accidentally fell into the water and was seen by the Duke of Ding. There are all kinds of coincidences in the world.” She smiled and looked at Shen Miao. “Old Madam is just worried about you. She’s not really angry with you.”
Shen Miao looked at the woman in front of her. Shen Yue looked like Chen Ruoqiu and had a similar temperament. Chen Ruoqiu came from a scholarly family and was pretty. Normally, when she walked and spoke, she was gentle and elegant. She was beautiful but not frivolous. Such a woman looked easy to get along with. But what happened later proved Shen Miao wrong…
Later, the Xiongnu envoy asked for a marriage alliance. There was only one princess of suitable age in the palace, and that was Wanyu. Chen Ruoqiu said that she was willing to marry the prince of Xiongnu in place of Wanyu. However, Shen Yue was not a princess, so Fu Xiuyi conferred the title of Princess Yue Ru on her. This way, she could rightfully marry the prince.
But in the end, it was still Wanyu who was sent to Xiongnu.
After Wanyu died on the road of marriage, her palace was given to Princess Yue Ru, who accepted everything without guilt.
At that time, Wanyu was not even sixteen years old.
Shen Miao closed her eyes. Chen Ruoqiu and Concubine Mei probably had already reached an agreement. They wanted to see Shen Miao think that there was hope until they broke her hope in front of her.
Chen Ruoqiu’s smile froze.
The girl opposite her looked at her. She had a round face, round eyes, and a round nose. With such a face and a timid expression, it was easy for people to think that she was stupid and weak.
But now, it was different. The timid expression was gone, and it was replaced by a solemn expression. It was not a seriousness induced by anxiety, but a seriousness that came from the bottom of her heart. For a moment, Chen Ruoqiu suddenly felt that Shen Miao was not the stupid daughter of the eldest branch of the family anymore, but someone of high status.
The next second, the girl smiled at her. “Now Third Aunt also thinks I am innocent, right?”