AWB Chapter 126 Pang's Cousin
Chapter 126 Pang's Cousin
The meal was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests. Zhao Dechuan had been frustrated and not valued in recent years, so he was already very familiar with the interpersonal relationships. Even though he was quite dissatisfied with Shen Jingchuan in his heart, he did not let him notice it at all.
Needless to say, my uncle Zhao Dehai has been on the business road since the incident in the Marquis' Mansion, and socializing can be said to be a common occurrence.
So after three rounds of drinking, Shen Jingchuan's face was flushed and he felt very satisfied.
Besides, he felt even more regretful in his heart. What Sister Yi said was indeed correct. After all, he and the Zhao family were related by marriage with two children. Moreover, after seeing the wealth of the Marquis' Mansion today, he felt that he really shouldn't have distanced himself from them.
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There were a group of male guests at one table and female guests at another.
Apart from Old Madam Zhao, her aunt and Zhao Xueqing, there was only an unfamiliar girl at the table among the female family members.
The girl is frail and weak, and although she is beautiful, she looks a little bitter, with a pair of sad and resentful eyes. Although she is not very old, she inexplicably makes people feel old and sad.
She wore a beige skirt embroidered with eight-treasure ruyi and peach blossoms, a white gauze cover, and a set of gold-inlaid white jade headpieces on her head. Although simple and elegant, each piece was of extraordinary quality and the colors were excellent.
Zhao Xueqing introduced in a gentle voice: "This is your cousin, the same age as you, her last name is Pang, you can call her Cousin Lian."
When Zhao Xueqing spoke, Shen Shuyi paused for a moment, a little confused.
Last name Pang?
Is there such a person in the Zhao family?
Although he didn't remember this person's identity for a moment, Shen Shuyi still greeted her in a warm voice: "Cousin Lian."
Pang Xinlian's eyes fell on Shen Shuyi, and she said quietly, "Cousin Yi has never thought of visiting the Qingyuan Marquis' Mansion for so many years, why do you think of it now?"
Shen Shuyi curled the corners of his lips, just finding it interesting.
Although they had just met, she could clearly feel Pang Xinlian's hostility towards her.
"My cousin was not in Beijing before. She was weak and had been meditating and recuperating in the Jade Buddha Temple." Zhao Xueqing explained in a gentle voice.
Pang Xinlian smiled in an ambiguous way and said slowly, "Is the feng shui of the Jade Buddha Temple really that good? My cousin is in great health now."
Shen Shuyi curled his lips and smiled, "Of course it's good. I think my cousin is not in good health, so she can stay in the Jade Buddha Temple for a while."
Pang Xinlian was stunned for a moment, probably because she didn't expect Shen Shuyi to speak like this, and immediately said: "Forget it, that place is full of men, it's not convenient for me to go there. Besides, it's not necessarily bad for women to be more delicate, most men don't like women to be tough."
The eldest aunt seemed to be unable to bear it, and she coughed a few times, then said with a smile: "Eat vegetables, as long as you live comfortably, who cares what others think."
After saying this, Pang Xinlian looked at her aunt, tears welling up in her eyes, and she was about to cry: "Aunt has everything, so it's natural for her to say it so easily."
Shen Shuyi: "..."
Zhao Xueqing seemed to have gotten used to this, and said, "Mother is right, cousin, although we are women, we don't need to please anyone. Just live your life happily and freely, why bother about the preferences of men."
Pang Xinlian sighed resentfully and lowered her eyebrows: "I am not like my cousin. My cousin is the daughter of the Qingyuan Marquis's Mansion, so she can do whatever she wants. But my cousin is not me, so how can she know the pain in my heart?"
In a word, Zhao Xueqing was described as a rich lady who was immune to the sufferings of the world and had no worries.
But it was obvious that Pang Xinlian's days in this mansion were exactly the same.
Madam Zhao frowned and said in a deep voice, "Alright, alright. Today is a happy day. It's rare for Sister Yi to come back. Why are you talking about all this nonsense?"
After that, Madam Zhao's eyes fell on Pang Xinlian and she said gently, "Lian Jie'er, relax. Grandmother will definitely find you a good marriage in the future and will not let you down."
After her grandmother said this, Shen Shuyi remembered Pang Xinlian's identity.
Pang Xinlian's biological mother was her aunt whom she had never met. Unlike Zhao Derong's parents' orders and matchmaker's words, Zhao Deyue ignored her parents' opposition and insisted on marrying a scholar named Pang and secretly decided to spend her life together.
Later, something happened to the Pang family and the scholar died. Zhao Deyue's life suddenly became difficult.
She was naturally spoiled by nature, used to a life of luxury, and she did not get along well with her mother-in-law. It could be said that she caused unrest in the Pang family.
Not long after the scholar's death, Zhao Deyue met a military general guarding the border. The two were in love for a while. Zhao Deyue immediately abandoned her daughter Pang Xinlian, remarried and left Beijing.
She had been gone for so many years, and the events of her previous life happened so long ago that Shen Shuyi completely forgot that she had such an aunt. It was no wonder that Pang Xinlian would be hostile to her.
After all, as a granddaughter, my appearance here means I am here to share her favor.
Shen Shuyi's expression remained unchanged. He only remembered that the Pang family was an ordinary family. After his son passed away and his daughter-in-law remarried, only the second branch of the family remained.
Because her biological mother was not likable, Mrs. Pang naturally didn't like Pang Xinlian either.
However, after Mrs. Zhao found out about this, she felt sorry for her granddaughter, so she gave the Pang family some money and brought Pang Xinlian to the Qingyuan Marquis Mansion to raise her carefully.
This stay lasted for nearly ten years.
Old Madam Zhao put all her thoughts about her two daughters into Pang Xinlian, providing her with the best food, clothing and other necessities. She even bought a courtyard and arranged servants for her in the mansion.
It can be said that compared with Zhao Xueqing, the real legitimate daughter of a marquis, Pang Xinlian is no less inferior.
But after raising her for almost ten years, Pang Xinlian still had such a resentful temperament. But Old Madam Zhao felt pity for her, always thinking that she had been separated from her mother and lost her father at a young age, so she loved her very much.
Thinking of this, Shen Shuyi couldn't help but recall the tragedy of his maternal grandfather's family in his previous life.
Although Emperor Qianwu did not intend to reuse the Qingyuan Marquisate, after so many years, he had no plans to move away.
The Qingyuan Marquis Mansion has been lukewarm for many years. Although it lacks wealth, it has always been safe and sound.
It was not until later that a major witchcraft case broke out in the south, involving treason.
Someone secretly reported that the remnants of the Second Prince were using witchcraft to try to bring the Second Prince back to life and have him reincarnate in order to overthrow the rule of Emperor Qianwu and plot to usurp the throne.
At this moment, the imperial guards found a puppet under the century-old banyan tree in the Qingyuan Marquis Mansion.
The puppet is wearing a dragon robe with the birth date of Emperor Qianwu written on it in red ink and is also filled with fine steel needles, which is really frightening to see.
Emperor Qianwu was furious and linked this incident to the rebellion in the south. He determined that the Qingyuan Marquisate was still a member of the Second Prince's party and was involved in it.
As a result, the entire Qingyuan Marquisate was sentenced to execution. His grandfather, who had spent half his life in military service, his always kind grandmother, and his two uncles who had been innocently punished, all failed to escape.
She put a lot of thought into it at that time, but she only managed to secretly save Zhao Baopeng, who was the only bloodline left in the Qingyuan Marquis Mansion.