vstars Chapter 402: Granted Marriage, Taking Shen Youran as Concubine
Chapter 402: Granted Marriage, Taking Shen Youran as Concubine
Prince Rui and Shen Youran fell in love in Nanshan, and since then, the two have become more and more unscrupulous. Many people in the capital have seen them going in and out of various places, and they have speculated that something good is about to happen in the Shen Mansion. After all, the second young lady of the Shen family is famous for her talent, so it is normal for Prince Rui to favor her.
When the Queen Mother heard about this, her eyes were filled with anger and her face was ashen. She accused Shen Youran of being a foxy woman who didn't look like a lady from a wealthy family at all. She was so shameless that she hooked up with Prince Rui in broad daylight. She wanted to have someone call her in and teach her a lesson. But Prince Rui didn't know what she said to the Queen Mother, and she suddenly changed her mind and agreed to let Prince Rui take her as a concubine.
Prince Rui's mother died when he was young. The Queen Mother saw that he was cute and was afraid that he would be bullied, so she raised him with her side. The friendship between the grandfather and grandson was deep, which was one of the reasons why the Emperor favored Prince Rui.
Two days later, the Shen Mansion became bustling. The eunuchs beside the Queen Mother came over with the Queen Mother's imperial edict in their hands. Shen Youran, the daughter of Minister Shen, listened to the edict and read it out loud: "The second young lady of the Shen Mansion is dignified and elegant, beautiful and intelligent. I have heard of her virtue, so I specially marry her to Prince Rui as a concubine. She will enter the mansion on an auspicious day, hoping that she can assist Prince Rui in the future, uphold the virtues of a woman, and bring glory to the royal family. I decree!"
"Your servant accepts the order."
Shen Youran knelt down and trembled slightly to receive the order. Her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. She felt like she was dreaming at the moment. She became the concubine of Prince Rui, and it was the Queen Mother who issued the order herself.
"Congratulations, Master Shen."
The whole Shen residence was filled with jubilation. Shen Wenting and the old lady had never expected that Youran would settle down with Prince Rui so quickly. Boxes of betrothal gifts were carried into the yard. Silks, satins, jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings were all exquisite and luxurious. As expected of a prince, he was so generous.
"You Ran, you are really awesome! I will have to rely on you in the future, haha! You are worthy of being my good daughter." Shen Wenting laughed heartily. After so many days, he finally felt proud.
"Father, you think too highly of your daughter. Without the Shen family, there would be no Youran today." Shen Youran's face flushed with joy. These words touched Shen Wenting's heart, and he nodded with satisfaction. This daughter is still good. Although she was favored by the prince and married by the Queen Mother's decree, she did not forget the kindness of her family to her and knew that she would have to rely on her parents' family in the future.
Shen Youran's entry into the palace was scheduled for next month, which was still more than half a month away. The time was very tight, and if she was busy, it would pass in a blink of an eye.
But thinking about Shen Youran's dowry, the old lady and the others were in trouble again. The situation in the mansion was that they could not afford a decent dowry. What should they do? Youran was going to marry Prince Rui. If her dowry was too shabby and was seen by others, it would not only make people laugh, but also make her unable to hold her head up in Prince Rui's mansion.
"Wenting, the marriage is settled, but what should I do with the dowry?"
Shen Wenting was so happy that he forgot about this matter. Now that the old lady reminded him, he was in a dilemma. The dowry was usually prepared by the mistress of the mansion. Not only had he divorced Chen Shuhua, but she had also emptied the mansion. His salary was not much to begin with, and he was demoted and fined a few days ago. Where would he get the dowry?
"Mother, let me think about it, how much money do we have now?!"
"All the silver added up is less than one thousand taels. How can you let your mother manage such a family? She also has to pay a dowry, but what can she use to pay it?" The old lady sighed, and her mood, which had just improved a little, became gloomy again.
"Mom, I heard that Chen Shuhua just got back 30,000 taels of silver from Madam Pei a few days ago. If we can give some of it, wouldn't the problem be solved?" Shen Wenting suddenly had an idea and thought of Chen Shuhua. Wouldn't it be easy for her to give Youran some dowry?
"Is this...is this okay?"
"Although I have divorced her, after all, Your Ran was raised by her. She can't just watch Your Ran make a fool of herself, right? That would not only bring shame to the Shen family, but also not bring shame to their Duke's Mansion. Mother, you should go tomorrow." Shen Wenting thought about it and felt that this was the most reliable method. The small treasury she had placed under the study was stolen. Otherwise, she could piece together a little dowry, which would not be a big problem. But under the current circumstances, the mansion still had expenses, and the betrothal gift sent by Prince Rui's Mansion could not be touched for the time being.
"If you want to go, you go. I can't bring myself to do this. I'm too old. If people see me, they will laugh at me to death." When the old lady heard that she was asked to go, she expressed her disagreement.
"Mom, you have to take care of this matter. What will happen if I go? Chen Shuhua hates me now. If I go, I'm afraid I won't be able to get in the door." Shen Wenting advised.
"But..." The old lady still couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Call Your Ran and the eldest girl tomorrow, and go there in the name of visiting Chen Shuhua. I believe they will not make things difficult for you." Ever since it was confirmed that Yao Qingnian was the real blood of the Shen family, and considering the affairs of Prince Jing and the others, Shen Wenting's attitude towards her has been much better recently.
After Shen Wenting's persuasion, the old lady nodded and agreed. She asked someone to invite Yao Qingnian over and told her about going to the Duke's Mansion tomorrow. When she came over, she saw Shen Youran massaging the old lady's shoulders considerately. When he saw her coming, a rare kind smile appeared on his face.
"Nianran, tomorrow I want to take you and your sister to the Duke's Mansion to see your mother. We have been mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for many years, and your mother has always taken good care of me, an old woman. Your father was wrong this time, and grandma was impulsive and didn't think much about it. Now when I think about it, I feel very guilty. I want to go and see how Shuhua is doing." The old lady said sincerely.
The old lady was fine. Instead of preparing for Shen Youran's marriage, she was concerned about her mother. What was she up to? !
"Grandmother, it's rare that you still care about my mother. Don't worry. She is living a good life now. She eats, drinks and has fun every day. She goes out with her sisters to listen to music and go shopping. She lives a more comfortable life than me. You don't have to worry about her. My sister will marry into the Rui Palace soon. There will be a lot of things to do. You should hurry up and prepare."
What did she mean by this? Was she saying that Chen Shuhua had not lived well in the mansion before? The old lady felt very upset when she heard this. As a divorced woman, she still had the mind to run out and show her face all day long. Wasn't she afraid of being laughed at by others?
"Sister, it is precisely because I'm getting married that I have to go to the Duke's Mansion. Although I am not mother's biological child, she has treated me like her own daughter for more than ten years. And my grandparents have also always taken good care of me. Now that I'm going to marry into the prince's mansion, it's only right for me to go and tell mother." Shen Youran knew that the purpose of this trip was to ask for a dowry for herself, so she cooperated.