She pointed to a piece of celestial silk brocade and said, "This one will do."
It was a lotus-blue fabric, a color most young ladies in boudoirs would typically avoid. Lotus-blue was a challenging shade—ordinary girls wearing it would easily appear overly mature. Without an innate air of nobility, the color would seem overwhelming and quite unflattering.
Chen Ruoqiu's eyes flickered slightly as she smiled and said, "Why did Xiao Wu pick such a dark color? Young ladies should wear bright and lively hues, like your two elder sisters. Such a deep shade might seem a bit too old-fashioned."
"Indeed," Ren Wanyun chimed in. Though she took pleasure in seeing the eldest branch embarrass themselves, this lotus-blue was simply too unconventional. If outsiders saw it, they might assume all the Shen family's young ladies were stodgy. Shen Qing was set to shine at the Chrysanthemum Banquet—how could she be dragged down by Shen Miao's poor choice?
Shen Yue and Shen Qing, however, secretly smirked. Shen Qing said, "I think the lotus-blue is quite nice. Fifth Sister has never worn such a dark color before, has she? It wouldn’t hurt to try. I’ve heard this shade exudes a noble air."
"If I hadn’t already chosen my fabric, I’d certainly have given the lotus-blue a try," Shen Yue added sweetly.
Li Niang glanced at the Shen family’s two honey-tongued but dagger-hearted daughters, then at Shen Miao’s calm expression, and sighed inwardly. Everyone in Fixed Capital knew that Shen Miao, the eldest daughter of General Shen Xin’s branch, was foolish and ignorant. But who would have guessed that her seemingly kind and gentle cousins harbored such malice, scheming to make her a laughingstock?
She felt a pang of sympathy for Shen Miao. While General Shen defended the nation abroad, his own daughter was being plotted against by her own family. It was truly pitiful. Thinking this, she gently suggested, "The lotus-blue is indeed rather solemn. For the Chrysanthemum Banquet, perhaps a lighter color would be more suitable. How about this jade-white one, Miss?"
Shen Miao glanced at Li Niang—she was a rare honest soul. In her past life, Li Niang had also tried to warn her, but back then, Shen Miao had blindly trusted her cousins and aunts, completely disregarding the advice. Now, she merely smiled politely and declined, "No need. I prefer this lotus-blue fabric."
Her reply eased the frowns on Shen Qing and Shen Yue’s brows. Shen Yue smiled and said, "Fifth Sister has excellent taste. In that case, we’ll trouble Madam Li to take our measurements for the dresses."
Li Niang sighed inwardly but could say no more. She proceeded to measure the young ladies as instructed.
Throughout it all, Old Madam Shen reclined on the couch with her eyes closed, feigning sleep, as if oblivious to everything happening before her. When it came to matters involving money, she was always content to play ignorant. Today’s fabrics and tailoring expenses were drawn from the family coffers, which were managed by Ren Wanyun.
After the measurements were taken and Li Niang had left, Ren Wanyun smiled and said, "The girls are all grown up now. When the Shen Mansion’s young ladies step out, they mustn’t be looked down upon. I’ve had some jewelry made for each of you to wear at the Chrysanthemum Banquet." With that, she instructed Xiang Lan to bring out several boxes—one for Shen Qing and one for Shen Miao.Shen Miao's jewelry box was heavy in her hands. Ren Wanyun looked at her with an exceptionally affectionate tone: "Aunt noticed you've been busy preparing for the Verification at the Hall of Extensive Learning these days, so I had these made for you when I visited the jewelry shop. They're all in the finest styles—I do hope you like them."
On the high seat, Old Madam Shen furrowed her brows slightly, as if about to open her eyes, but after a pause, she continued feigning sleep.
"Thank you, Aunt," Shen Miao replied politely. Both Shen Qing and Shen Yue had been allowed to choose their own designs and have them custom-made, yet she hadn't been taken along during the shopping trip—under the pretense of not wanting to disturb her. In the end, she was given a ready-made gift, and now it was too late to exchange it.
"Let's go back and take a look first," Shen Yue said, pulling Chen Ruoqiu along as she winked at Shen Miao. "Fifth Sister's jewelry must be the most extravagant of all."
Shen Miao smiled faintly but said nothing.
Back in the West Courtyard, Shen Miao tossed the box aside without a second glance. Jing Zhe, seeing this, asked curiously, "Aren't you going to open it, Miss?"
"What's there to see? What difference does it make?" Shen Miao replied without turning her head.
Jing Zhe hesitated. Every time her mistress received jewelry from the Second or Third Household, she would dote on it endlessly. Yet even the servants could tell that the pieces were rather gaudy. Shen Miao had been raised by the Second and Third Households to develop an ostentatious temperament, favoring flashy gold and silver ornaments.
After a moment, Shen Miao reached out and opened the box.
The moment it was unlatched, a dazzling golden glow spilled out. Inside were bracelets, necklaces, and hairpins crafted from gold and silver, some even studded with large but poorly cut rubies.
Jing Zhe couldn't help but show a flicker of indignation.
Shen Miao nearly laughed aloud. Before her marriage, all her jewelry had been like this—gold hairpins and silver necklaces that even village girls wouldn’t wear. Whenever she donned brightly colored clothes paired with those gaudy accessories, she resembled a walking jewelry box. Compared to the gentle and refined Shen Yue or the poised and dignified Shen Qing, she had looked like nothing more than a maidservant.
Now, seeing these trinkets again, she found them utterly ridiculous. Jing Zhe studied her mistress, surprised that she didn’t show the usual excitement. Just as she was puzzling over it, Shen Miao snapped the box shut and pushed it toward her. "Take it to a pawnshop and exchange it for silver. Then buy a simple silver hairpin—nothing too fancy, just one with engraved patterns."
"Miss..." Jing Zhe was taken aback. "If the East Courtyard finds out you’ve pawned it, they might use it against you." Though she was glad Shen Miao no longer favored such gaudy ornaments, this was still too bold a move.
"If these pieces can't be worn, what’s the use of keeping them? Better to exchange them for real silver—it’ll be more practical in daily life," Shen Miao replied calmly. Practicality was a principle she had learned during her time as Empress. The Shen Mansion provided a monthly allowance of two taels of silver for each young lady. But how much extra did Shen Yue and Shen Qing receive from their own households? Shen Miao didn’t know, but one thing was certain—she certainly wasn’t getting any extra.Clearly a young lady from the general's household, yet her spending wasn't as generous as her two elder sisters. She used to think it was because Second Aunt and Third Aunt willingly supplemented their daughters' expenses, but now?
The family's common funds were all controlled by Ren Wanyun, yet Shen Gui and Shen Wan, who served in the court, had to spend their own salaries on official networking—their stipends were barely enough, let alone having extra money to spare.
Shen Xin, however, had earned his rewards through blood and sweat on the battlefield. The emperor's generous rewards were never kept for himself—he contributed them all to the family coffers.
To use their family's silver yet treat her this way—such shameless behavior could only come from the old madam's side of the family.
She must find a way to separate the households.
...
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