After Granny Gui left, Shen Qing emerged from behind the screen.
She crawled over to Ren Wanyun’s side, nestling close to her mother, unable to conceal the anger in her voice. "Mother, Shen Miao refuses to give up on Prince Ding. What should I do?"
Among the three branches of the Shen family, the eldest branch undoubtedly held the highest official rank. If Shen Miao begged Shen Xin to personally request an imperial marriage decree, it was highly possible it would be granted. But she too admired Prince Ding—if Shen Miao succeeded, what would that make her?
How could someone as noble and distinguished as Prince Ding be claimed by that foolish and ignorant Shen Miao? Every time she thought of this, Shen Qing felt a hundred times more resentful.
"Don’t worry, in this Shen Mansion, no one can surpass you," Ren Wanyun said. "Shen Miao is dull-witted and no threat at all. Mother naturally has ways to prevent her from marrying Prince Ding. But you..." She sighed. "You should pay closer attention to the people in Autumn Water Court. Do you really think Second Miss is any better? If you have such thoughts, don’t assume she doesn’t as well."
"Shen Yue?" Shen Qing frowned. "She also admires Prince Ding? How is that possible?" Shen Qing scoffed. "Besides, even if she does like Prince Ding, Third Uncle can’t compare to Eldest Uncle—he doesn’t have the influence to speak up. No matter how you look at it, she’s no threat."
"Oh, you," Ren Wanyun chided, tapping Shen Qing’s forehead lightly. "How can I rest easy with you like this? Your Third Aunt is quite formidable. Back when she and your Third Uncle..." As if realizing this wasn’t something to discuss in front of a child, Ren Wanyun abruptly stopped. She only added, "In any case, don’t worry about Fifth Miss. Mother has it under control."
"Thank you, Mother," Shen Qing said sweetly. The mother and daughter laughed together.
In Autumn Water Court, Chen Ruoqiu sat at the table, writing.
A woman from an aristocratic family of scholars, her talent was boundless. Even after marriage, she still enjoyed writing and reading. Shen Yue stood behind her, dressed in a long goose-yellow silk dress, her figure delicate and slender—a perfect miniature of Chen Ruoqiu.
"Mother, why did you say that to Granny Gui earlier?" After a long silence, she couldn’t help but ask.
Granny Gui had visited once, but unexpectedly, Chen Ruoqiu hadn’t instructed her to dissuade Shen Miao from admiring Prince Ding. Instead, she had Granny Gui encourage Shen Miao, saying Prince Ding was a good match.
"Isn’t this just making her more determined to marry Prince Ding?" Shen Yue complained.
Chen Ruoqiu set down her wolf-hair brush and sighed softly. Taking Shen Yue’s hand, she led her to the couch and sat down, speaking gently. "Yue’er, haven’t I told you before? In everything you do, especially in the inner household, you must act indirectly. That way, if anything happens in the future, no matter how high or low the blame falls, it will never land on you."
Shen Yue shook her head. "Mother, I don’t understand."
Chen Ruoqiu smiled. Her daughter was gentle, talented, and not unintelligent—she was simply too young. Likely spoiled by Third Master Shen’s doting, she remained unaware of the dangers lurking in the inner household. Unlike Chen Ruoqiu herself, who had grown up in the Minister’s residence surrounded by sisters, concubines, and maids—none of whom were easy to deal with. That was why, after marriage, she had always kept Third Master Shen firmly under her control.
But the greatest regret was her failure to bear a son. No matter how much Third Master Shen doted on her, without a son, she had no leverage. Sooner or later, Third Master Shen would have his concubines stop taking contraceptive tonics. And when that time came... what kind of scene would unfold?Therefore, she must raise this daughter with even greater care.
"Yue'er, what do you think of Shen Miao?" she asked softly.
Shen Yue pondered for a moment before answering, "She knows nothing of arithmetic or strategy, nor is she skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. She is timid, foolish, and inarticulate. If not for the prestige of Uncle's name, no one would give her any respect. Even the daughters of concubines appear more dignified than her."
Anyone hearing this would be shocked. These words, which belittled Shen Miao to the point of worthlessness, came from the mouth of this gentle and sweet cousin. After all, Shen Yue was Shen Miao's closest friend in daily life.
"Perhaps that was true before," Chen Ruoqiu shook her head, "but after this incident of falling into the water, I’ve noticed Shen Miao has changed quite a bit."
"Why do you say that, Mother?" Shen Yue was puzzled.
Chen Ruoqiu didn’t know why she felt this way either. It could be dismissed as a young girl acting out after a setback, but Chen Ruoqiu had seen many people in her time. Compared to her self-righteous sister-in-law, she had a keener eye for character. Shen Miao had grown smarter.
Her conversation with the Old Madam in the Hall of Glory and Scenery, as well as her demeanor, were completely different from before. Had Prince Ding’s rejection dealt her such a blow, or was there someone wise guiding her?
Whatever the case, they couldn’t afford to be careless.
"Perhaps it was the blow from Prince Ding. But Yue'er, I’ve told you before—clever women don’t fight other women; they fight men." Chen Ruoqiu’s voice was soft and melodious, almost like singing. "Since you also admire Prince Ding, why focus all your attention on Shen Miao? No matter how powerful your uncle is, no man in this world would ever love a foolish and ignorant girl. Prince Ding is a noble prince. If he were to marry such an unworthy woman, wouldn’t he become the laughingstock of the realm?"
"But..." Shen Yue sounded aggrieved.
"Listen to me. Not only should you not distance yourself from Shen Miao, but you should continue to be her friend as before. You must work twice as hard to ensure everyone sees your talent and beauty. The more outstanding you are, the more foolish she will appear in comparison." Chen Ruoqiu smiled as if discussing trivial matters, yet her words were sharp as knives. "I’ve asked Granny Gui to encourage her to continue pining for Prince Ding. The more this foolish girl fawns over him, the more she becomes a laughingstock—unaware of her own folly. Prince Ding will only grow to despise her even more."
"So then..." Shen Yue seemed to understand a little.
Chen Ruoqiu patted her head. "You’re a clever child. You should know what I mean. So, persuade her to keep loving Prince Ding and make a fool of herself in front of him. Only then will Prince Ding notice the more outstanding you. Even if the whole world insists Prince Ding marry Shen Miao, if you can make his heart belong to you, you will have won."
"Mother..." Shen Yue buried her face shyly in Chen Ruoqiu’s embrace at such blunt words. "I understand now."
Chen Ruoqiu smiled. Back then, her marriage to Third Master Shen had also faced many obstacles. At the time, Third Master Shen was considered a talented young man, and many matchmakers came with proposals.
So why was she the one chosen? It was simply because, during a chance encounter at a temple, she happened to be dressed in white brocade, playing the qin under a tree, and Third Master Shen heard her. He was so struck by her beauty that he insisted on marrying her upon his return.The third master of the Shen family loved listening to the qin the most, and his favorite color was white.
Look at all those women fighting and scrambling, yet she was the final victor—all because she had known from the very beginning that she was dealing with a man.
What did it matter that the Shen family had three legitimate daughters? Only her Yue'er could handle Prince Ding.
...
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