"Yingxue, be careful, we're going to the banquet hall for dinner!" When he came, he was a farmer selling vegetables, but in the blink of an eye, he became the son-in-law of the Prime Minister's mansion and a distinguished guest of the Grand Commandant's mansion. Haha, life is truly unpredictable.
Shen Yingxue leaned against Mu Zhengnan like a little bird, shy and timid, her angry gaze occasionally sweeping over Zhou Wenxuan and the other young masters from prestigious families. If they didn't want to marry her, she would show them how sweet she was, making them envious and angry to death.
"Miss Shen, have you known Young Master Mu for a long time?" A scarlet figure walked up to the two of them, blocking their way and breaking the ambiguity of the fake gorilla. Her cold eyes flashed with a cold light, like sharp swords piercing through the false appearance and looking at the ugliest truth with contempt.
She is... Shen Lixue! Mu Zhengnan was suddenly startled. The crimson silk robe wrapped around her exquisite figure, the hem of the robe drooping gently, the lines smooth and the silk silk flowing. Her beautiful face and clear eyes were as deep as a pool, like a mist, making it impossible to see through her.
Her face was a familiar one to him, but her aura and temperament were completely different from before. She smiled slightly, like a lotus emerging from the water, her deep eyes carrying a strong bewitching charm that drew people in without them even realizing it.
If he had encountered Shen Lixue like this more than three months ago, he would never have strangled her.
Seeing Mu Zhengnan staring intently at Shen Lixue, Shen Yingxue frowned, gritted her teeth, and pinched his hand hard. "You slut! Shen Lixue seduces anyone she likes, not even Mu Zhengnan, who has been to prison. How shameful!"
Mu Zhengnan suddenly woke up and coughed a few times: "We've known each other for a while now!"
"A few years, or a few months?" Shen Lixue asked casually.
"Three or four months, I guess!" Mu Zhengnan didn't know why Shen Lixue was asking these questions, but he still answered with a smile. If he said it would take too long, it would arouse suspicion; if it was too short, it wouldn't make sense. Love at first sight develops quickly, and three or four months is enough time for them to share a bed.
Shen Lixue smiled, her bright smile carrying an indescribable eeriness: "So, more than two months ago, in the Shuntian Prefecture prison, it was indeed this Miss Shen Yingxue who helped Young Master Mu forge a marriage certificate to frame me, and Shen Caiyun was wronged and made a scapegoat!"
The guests were in an uproar again. The matter of Mu Zhengnan framing the daughter of the Prime Minister's family had caused quite a stir, and they had all heard about it. They had been so engrossed in watching the excitement that they had forgotten about it.
Mu Zhengnan and Shen Yingxue have known each other for three or four months. Whether or not she is pregnant is another matter. When she was in trouble, he stepped forward and did not hesitate to help raise someone else's son in order to protect her reputation. His feelings for her are extraordinary. If she asked him to frame Shen Lixue, he would do it without hesitation.
On the surface, the Prime Minister's residence appears to be a harmonious and happy family, but unexpectedly, there are so many conspiracies and schemes hidden in the shadows, making it truly ugly and despicable.
Shen Yingxue glared at Shen Lixue with hatred, gritting her teeth. This bitch was deliberately trying to make her suffer.
Lei's cold eyes narrowed into crescent moons. She had been worried about this matter, but Shen Lixue still managed to expose it. She was really clever to find an opportunity to severely suppress the mother and daughter.
Shen Minghui's face was terribly gloomy. Just when Yingxue's matter was about to be resolved, Lixue actually came out to cause trouble again: "Princess, these two matters cannot be confused!"
“Miss Yingxue is pregnant, and that cannot be confused with my being framed by Mu Zhengnan. I just wanted to know the truth, so I asked casually. Prime Minister Shen is not the mastermind behind this, so why are you so nervous?” Shen Lixue raised the corner of her mouth slightly, a smile that was not quite a smile.
Shen Minghui's face was ashen, and his eyes flashed with cold light as he looked at Shen Lixue. He wished he could torture her to death. How could he have given birth to such a rebellious daughter? If he had known she was his nemesis, he would have strangled her when she was born: "Yingxue is weak and cannot withstand stimulation. I hope the princess will be careful with her words and actions."
Shen Lixue smiled coldly: "Prime Minister Shen, please rest assured. Miss Shen Caiyun has already taken the blame and gone to jail. The truth has come to light, and I will not pursue Miss Yingxue's responsibility any further. Besides, Miss Yingxue is pregnant. If something happens to her in jail, I cannot bear the responsibility."
“Princess, Yingxue has always lived a secluded life in her boudoir and has never done anything wrong, much less framed you. Please don’t be suspicious!” Shen Minghui had been repeatedly thwarted by Shen Lixue. Lei cursed him inwardly for being cowardly and incompetent, unable to even control his own daughter. Seeing that Shen Lixue was about to expose his shameful secrets, she had no choice but to step in herself.
“When I first arrived at the Prime Minister’s residence, I was all alone and had not made any enemies. I was often plotted against and framed for no reason, both inside and outside the residence. I was depressed and always wanted to find out the truth. I had no other intentions. I hope that Prime Minister Shen and Madam Shen will not blame me for my rudeness!” Shen Lixue’s voice was soft, but she revealed all the ugly things in the Prime Minister’s residence with a mix of sarcasm and irony.
Lei's face flushed red and then turned pale. Her gaze toward Shen Lixue was as cold as a thousand-year-old ice. If she had known that Shen Lixue was so difficult to deal with, she would have poisoned her with a table of poisoned food back in the Prime Minister's residence. It would have saved her a lot of trouble and effort, and also removed a major obstacle.
Shen Minghui's face was terribly gloomy. This rebellious daughter was determined to ruin the Prime Minister's mansion. She was truly insidious, vicious, and utterly shameless. She didn't even care that he was her father. Rebellious daughter, rebellious daughter.
"It's getting late, everyone should go to the banquet hall for dinner!" After watching the commotion to his heart's content, Grand Commandant Lei stroked his beard and suggested with a smile, giving Shen Minghui a cold, mocking glance.
Speechless after being refuted by his own daughter, who exposed all his shameful and sordid deeds, Shen Minghui's reputation was ruined, and the Prime Minister's Mansion was also completely discredited. A poor scholar, even as the Prime Minister, was so incompetent. His lowly lineage determined that he would not achieve much.
The guests exchanged polite words and went to the banquet hall in twos and threes. Shen Lixue had achieved her goal and didn't linger. She smiled coldly, turned around, and walked out of the wedding hall, leaving behind the whispers of the guests:
"Shen Caiyun, the concubine's daughter of the Prime Minister's family, had a relationship with the Crown Prince Qin before marriage, and Shen Yingxue, the legitimate daughter, had an affair with Mu Zhengnan and became pregnant. Neither of them read the 'Precepts for Women' and don't understand that they should remain chaste before marriage?" someone asked, puzzled.
"A child's character depends entirely on the upbringing of his parents. No matter how pure and innocent a seedling is, if you plant it in sewage, it will grow into something black. The daughters of the Prime Minister's family are shameless because of what their parents taught them..." another person replied casually.
The man suddenly realized: "Luckily, Miss Shen Lixue grew up in the countryside and was raised by her mother, otherwise, wouldn't she have been corrupted as well..."
"That's right. It's precisely because she's simple and honest and doesn't know how to be bad that those scoundrels keep framing her, trying to make her as dirty as they are..." His tone was full of sarcasm and disdain.
Another person nodded in agreement: "Fortunately, Prince Zhan took Miss Li Xue to live in the Prince Zhan's mansion; otherwise, the upright and honest niece of the Duke of Wu would have been defiled by these shameless villains..."
The two were not talking loudly, but several people nearby could hear them clearly. Their gazes toward Shen Minghui were full of mockery and disdain. Lei Shi was a stepmother who could not tolerate the daughter of the first wife, so it was understandable that she was ruthless and wanted to get rid of her.
Shen Lixue is Shen Minghui's biological daughter. After being separated from him for fifteen years, he not only failed to compensate her or show her any love, but also conspired with his second wife to frame his own daughter. He is heartless and shameless, and truly unworthy of being a father.
Shen Minghui's face turned ashen, and streaks of cold light shot towards Shen Lixue like sharp swords. This rebellious daughter was born to bring him down. He truly regretted not killing her with a single blow when she first arrived in the capital and no one knew about her.
Shen Lixue walked slowly through the crowd. She noticed the hostility from Shen Minghui, Lei Shi, Shen Yingxue, and Mu Zhengnan. She smiled coldly. This was just the beginning. She would continue to press them until they had nowhere to run. Then they would resort to desperate measures, and she would be able to find out the truth from fifteen years ago.
In the room, Shen Caixuan, her head wrapped in a thick white cloth, slowly woke up. Through her hazy vision, she saw an overwhelming red: bright red curtains, bright red sheets, brocade quilts, bright red "double happiness" characters pasted on the walls, bright red candles burning on the high table, and even the pastries on the small table were covered with red strips.
Shen Caixuan was startled, her drowsy mind instantly clearing up. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked around.
"Oh my, you're finally awake!" The matchmaker, dressed in a festive dress, waving a handkerchief, swayed and walked over.
"This is...the bridal chamber!" Shen Caixuan's heart sank to the bottom. After all the twists and turns, she still couldn't escape the fate of marrying Lei Cong.
"Yes, you and Young Master Lei have already completed your wedding ceremony and entered the bridal chamber. You're family now." The matchmaker kept nagging, "You're already a member of the Lei family. Don't try to kill yourself anymore. Just stay with Young Master Lei, be a good wife and mother, and you'll enjoy endless wealth and honor!"
"Who cares about this damn wealth and glory!" Shen Caixuan roared with all her might, her beautiful eyes almost spitting fire with anger, her small hands clenched into fists, and she gritted her teeth. She clearly slammed her head against the table, so why didn't she die? Why did she still get into the bridal chamber?
The matchmaker was so startled that she stood there stunned, staring blankly at Shen Caixuan, unable to recover for a long time.
"Young Master!" With the maid's greeting, the curtain opened, and Lei Cong, dressed in red and wearing a red flower, walked in. His lewd face was gloomy, and his gaze towards Shen Caixuan was like that of a hungry wolf eyeing a delicious little lamb, drooling with desire.
Shen Caixuan shuddered, her eyes filled with terror, and she quickly pulled her clothes tighter.
"Congratulations, Young Master Lei! May Young Master Lei and Young Madam Lei be happily married and have a son soon!" The matchmaker said with a smile, her eyes sparkling, and she didn't leave.
Lei Cong took out a large ingot of gold and held it out to the matchmaker. The matchmaker's eyes widened instantly, and she was overjoyed. Such a large ingot of gold was enough for her to live on for most of her life.
The matchmaker snatched the gold, smiled broadly, and quickly retreated, saying, "Thank you, Young Master Lei!" After leaving the room, she made sure to close the door and send the maid away.
Having worked as a matchmaker for many years, she could tell what the grooms were up to just by looking at their expressions. Lei Cong was a womanizer and a philanderer. The first thing he did after the wedding ceremony was not to entertain the guests, but to go back to his room to "eat" the bride. Since they had given her such a large ingot of gold, she naturally had to do them a favor.
The doors and windows were tightly closed, blocking the view from outside. The room was somewhat dim, and the red candles on the high table flickered, reflecting the bright red of the room, creating an indescribably eerie atmosphere.