"Why?" Shen Minghui's face instantly darkened. She was his daughter, and everything she had belonged to him. This reward was for her, and therefore for the entire Prime Minister's mansion. He had the right to decide how to use it.
"I promised Prince Zhan that I would donate all these rewards tomorrow!" Shen Lixue smiled lightly, speaking casually.
"What? You're going to donate all this gold and silver jewelry?" Shen Yingxue was so shocked that it took her a while to come to her senses. "Do you know how much all this gold and silver jewelry is worth? Why didn't you discuss it with Father?" Donating it all without even thinking about it, Shen Lixue is such a complete fool. This amount of silver is enough to make you rich for two generations.
“There’s a flood in Jiangnan, and that’s exactly when money is needed. Tomorrow, Father will take the lead in donating. I’m donating my reward, and Father won’t object, right?” Shen Lixue smiled as she looked at Shen Minghui. He would definitely feel bad if she donated so much money. It was precisely because she knew he would feel bad that she wanted to donate even more. The money was a reward for her, and she didn’t need anyone else’s permission to do with it.
Shen Minghui's face was terribly gloomy. Shen Lixue brought up the donation from the imperial court. If he said he disagreed, wouldn't that be disobeying the emperor? This rebellious daughter never does anything to her own liking. If she wanted a reputation for being kind-hearted, she could have just donated some money to show her sincerity. She actually donated it all. She is extremely foolish!
Having informed Prince Zhan of the matter of the donation, there was no way to reverse it. Shen Minghui had no intention of saying anything more. He was furious, glanced coldly at Shen Lixue, flicked his sleeves, and strode out of the living room.
Shen Lixue didn't care and said calmly, "Someone, take the rewards to the bamboo garden!"
In Yun Garden, Shen Caiyun lay on the bed recovering from her injuries, while Aunt Jin sat to one side, her eyes red with jealousy, sobbing, "Caiyun, you didn't see it! How many chests of gold and silver jewelry there were! They were dazzling, blindingly bright! And the list of gifts could stretch from the doorway to the wall! Those were all Emperor's rewards. If it weren't for Shen Lixue, all of these rewards would have been yours! So much jewelry, enough for us to live on for two lifetimes! With the Emperor's backing, we'd made it in the Prime Minister's mansion, and no one would dare bully us. But now, all the credit has been stolen by Shen Lixue, and we got nothing..."
Shen Caiyun, growing impatient, glared coldly at Aunt Jin: "Shen Lixue's plan is better than mine. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly, so stop complaining!"
Aunt Jin suddenly stopped crying and stared at Shen Caiyun in shock: "Caiyun, that Shen Lixue is nothing but a fame-seeker. She changed your plan and took it to the Emperor to claim credit. She stole your credit. How can you remain indifferent?"
"Her plan is completely different from mine. It was her own idea and has nothing to do with me!" Shen Caiyun glared at Aunt Jin and explained impatiently.
"Caiyun, how could you think like that? If it weren't for your plan, how could Shen Lixue have come up with such a perfect strategy?" Aunt Jin shouted sharply, her eyes filled with anger and resentment as she looked at Shen Caiyun, as if she was disappointed in her.
"Are you ever going to stop?" Shen Caiyun frowned, grabbed a pillow, and threw it hard at Aunt Jin. This useless mother of hers always complains when something goes wrong.
Seeing Shen Caiyun lose her temper, Aunt Jin was startled and dared not provoke her further. She softened her tone, picked up the porcelain bowl from the small table, and handed it to her: "Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. The medicine is getting cold, so drink it quickly!"
A faint warmth wafted through the air, and a delicate medicinal scent lingered in the air. Shen Caiyun's eyes narrowed, and she slammed the porcelain bowl to the ground. "This medicine is practically useless. If I take this lousy medicine every day, my injuries won't heal in six months. Where is Aunt Zhao? Go and call Aunt Zhao here."
Shen Caiyun, who was usually gentle and quiet, suddenly lost her temper, startling the maids and nannies outside the room. They looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
After losing her temper, Shen Caiyun felt a little regretful. She pretended to be invisible every day and was often bullied. She had been suppressing too much anger in her heart. Just now, she was annoyed by Aunt Jin's nagging and couldn't control her temper.
Faced with Shen Caiyun's angry reprimand, Aunt Jin was first taken aback, then overjoyed: "Caiyun, you finally want to rebel! Do you know that Aunt Zhao and Shen Lixue are in cahoots? Giving you ineffective medicine must have been a pre-arranged plan to make things difficult for us, mother and daughter."
"Aunt Zhao and Shen Lixue, they have no relation, right?" These two were completely unrelated. In all the days since they returned to the manor, Shen Caiyun had never seen them team up against anyone.
Aunt Jin looked around, then lowered her voice mysteriously: "A few days ago, after you were severely punished, those two, working together, forced their way into Madam's small storeroom, turning it upside down. They must have stolen quite a few things..."
"Is that really true?" Shen Caiyun frowned slightly. After being punished, she had been lying on the bed and knew very little about the outside world.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask the maids!" Aunt Jin appeared virtuous, magnanimous, and with a clear conscience, making people unconsciously believe her words more.
Seeing Shen Caiyun lower her head and remain silent, Aunt Jin thought to herself that there was hope, and continued to wail: "I'm old, so I don't mind suffering a little, but I'm carrying your unborn brother in my belly. If you keep being so harsh, the child might not survive. Without a son, neither of us will be safe in the Prime Minister's mansion. Even if you marry into a wealthy family, you'll still be looked down upon..."
Aunt Jin pretended to wipe away tears with a handkerchief. Seeing that Shen Caiyun didn't resist her words, she continued pitifully, "Caiyun, you're a girl, marrying into a good family is your only future. But you've suffered such a serious injury. If you don't get good medicine and are left with scars, your husband's family will definitely look down on you. Aunt Zhao and Shen Lixue are deliberately trying to cut off your future..."
“Aunt Zhao, it’s true that she ordered the medicine to be brewed, but Shen Lixue… she is already the future Princess Consort of Anjun. Why is she targeting me, an unknown concubine’s daughter?” Shen Caiyun had long witnessed the cold-bloodedness of the Prince of Anjun. She didn’t even dare to speak to him, let alone seduce him. Shen Lixue had no reason to target her.
“Caiyun, this is also my fault. After you went to prison, I wanted to find you a good home. I subtly suggested to Shen Lixue that we see if you could marry Prince An as a concubine. But Shen Lixue flew into a rage and scolded me severely. Your father had also asked me to participate in managing the household, but Shen Lixue held a grudge against me and stopped me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be drinking such bad medicine now…”
Aunt Jin wiped away her tears and recounted her confrontation with Shen Lixue with embellishments, omitting her coercion and placing all the blame on Shen Lixue. Her aggrieved appearance made it hard to blame her.
"How could you be so foolish?" Shen Caiyun glared at Aunt Jin with hatred, resenting her for going to find Shen Lixue. She had indeed secretly admired Dongfang Heng, but his cold-heartedness had scared her away, and she dared not get any closer.
"Mother was wrong in this matter, but I only mentioned it tactfully and did nothing. It's Shen Lixue who is narrow-minded and won't let us mother and daughter go!" Aunt Jin wiped away her tears and sobbed softly.
Shen Caiyun was speechless with anger. She knew that Aunt Jin was straightforward and prone to causing trouble. Shen Lixue was extremely intelligent and would definitely be able to see that it was just a joking question. If she didn't agree, no one would force her.
After returning to her residence, Shen Caiyun did not approach Prince An, nor did she do anything to harm Shen Lixue. Yet Shen Lixue actually wanted to exterminate them all because of that joke. She was too cruel and heartless: "You should go back first. I need to think carefully about my next plan. I will not let Shen Lixue go."
"Okay, then you should get some rest!" Aunt Jin's eyes lit up. She symbolically pulled the blanket up for Shen Caiyun, then slowly walked out of the room, her hand on her belly.
Basking in the warm sunshine, Aunt Jin smiled like a cunning fox. Aunt Li's plan was indeed brilliant. By preparing a few bowls of terrible medicine, she could get Caiyun on her side. It was no wonder that she schemed against her own daughter. Caiyun was simply too uncooperative, avoiding teaching Shen Lixue a lesson. She was her greatest enemy and foe, and there was no reason for her to let her go.
She knew her daughter best. Caiyun was cunning and scheming, and dealing with Shen Lixue was a piece of cake for her. She would go back and take good care of her pregnancy, waiting for news of Shen Lixue's defeat. Then she would bring down Aunt Zhao, and the Prime Minister's Mansion would be in her and Aunt Li's hands. Her unborn child would also have good conditions to grow up in. She would entrust the rest of her life to her son.
Shen Lixue presented a plan to control the floods and received a reward from the emperor. Shen Minghui held a banquet to celebrate her success, and many high-ranking officials and nobles from the court attended.
Shen Yingxue, dressed in a plum-red floor-length gown, gracefully entered the banquet hall. Her sleeves flowed like water, and the long hem trailed on the ground, leaving a faint mark on the polished floor. Her stunning beauty was captivating, and many of the noblemen present were mesmerized by her gaze.
"Miss Shen!" Zhou Wenxuan slowly walked up to her, his eyes filled with infatuation and admiration.
"Young Master Zhou!" Shen Yingxue smiled slightly, concealing the smugness and pride in her eyes. She was the most beautiful woman in the capital, with unparalleled beauty. Any man who saw her would be attracted to her.
"Second Sister!" With Qingling's call, Shen Caiyun, dressed in an elegant Xiang dress, her thick black hair gently tied up with a jade hairpin, slowly walked into the living room, supported by her maid. Her refined and elegant temperament attracted the attention of many young men from prestigious families.
"That's the fourth young lady of the Prime Minister's residence; her temperament is truly extraordinary..."
"A beauty has emerged from the Prime Minister's residence..."
The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, and some of the gazes that had been fixed on Shen Yingxue shifted to Shen Caiyun. Shen Yingxue's smiling face darkened slightly, and her eyes were filled with anger as she looked at Shen Caiyun.
Not far away, sitting in a seat, Shen Caixuan, who had been completely ignored, stared at the radiant Shen Yingxue and Shen Caiyun, silently cursing through gritted teeth.
"Where is Miss Shen?" a guest asked in confusion, as today's celebration banquet was held for her.
"The eldest sister is probably getting ready, she'll be here soon!" Shen Caiyun smiled gently, polite and proper. However, some guests' gazes darkened. Was she deliberately neglecting the guests by taking so long to get ready?
"Look, Prince Zhan is here!" Someone exclaimed, and everyone's eyes turned to the door. Dongfang Zhan, dressed in a royal blue brocade robe, was incredibly handsome. He walked into the living room with a smile, and his gentle gaze fell on Shen Yingxue and Shen Caiyun in the center of the room.
Shen Caiyun lowered her head slightly, while Shen Yingxue proudly raised her head and glanced at Shen Caiyun triumphantly. She was the legitimate daughter, while Shen Caiyun was the illegitimate daughter. When encountering distinguished guests, Shen Caiyun was simply not worthy of being presented.
"Prince Zhan!" Shen Yingxue smiled gently and gracefully went to greet Dongfang Zhan. Suddenly, a person walked out from behind him. Her beautiful face and warm smile, which was even more dazzling than the sun, were none other than Shen Lixue.
Shen Yingxue abruptly stopped in her tracks, her face flushed with embarrassment. Why was Shen Lixue walking into the living room with Prince Zhan? Was she really trying to seduce him?
Shen Lixue glanced at Dongfang Zhan, smiled, and gracefully walked into the living room. She had met Dongfang Zhan by chance at the door and had not come with him on purpose. Seeing that Shen Yingxue had misunderstood, she was not in the mood to explain.