AWB Chapter 301: I Failed Her Again
Chapter 301: I Failed Her Again
The old duke's hand trembled.
No matter how many people say this, he will still be suspicious.
The only thing he believed without a doubt was what his wife said.
"I, when Zhuzhu was about to get engaged to the Fourth Prince, I did place someone beside the Crown Prince. However, I haven't been able to use it yet."
The lady shuddered, turned over, and raised her hand again.
The old Duke closed his eyes resignedly.
Finally, the second slap was not delivered. The lady put down her hand, sat up, covered her face and cried, "You evildoer, you had your entire family executed in your previous life. It's our own fault. No one else can be blamed. If anyone is to blame, blame you men for your greed and insatiable desires!
It seems that the eldest brother's family really wants to marry Yaoyao to a fool in order to pave the way for Zhuzhu to become the queen. No wonder she hates Zhuzhu, targets Zhuzhu, and plots against the fifth prince...
Poor Yaoyao, I didn't know anything and just blamed her for bringing disgrace to our family. What kind of family do we have? The Shi family's family is the dirtiest!
She said she hated us.
Old man, do you know? In her previous life, Yaoyao came to the capital when she was ten years old. Her biological father and stepmother didn't like her, her brothers ignored her, and Zhuzhu treated her well on the surface, but she showed off her exclusive favor everywhere.
I also told her that the Duke's Mansion was her home, and she should not have any barriers with her relatives, but should be honest with them and do whatever she wants.
I thought that I was doing her justice by giving her a life of luxury, so I left her alone. I thought I was treating her equally, giving her the same thing I gave Zhuzhu.
Her life was not as good as Zhuzhu's. Her brothers didn't like her because she had a bad fate and her personality was not pleasing. But Zhuzhu had a good fate and was reborn with a gentle and generous personality and good popularity. The whole family doted on her.
Therefore, although she was a noble lady of the Duke's Mansion, she was born with a cautious, radical and extreme character.
She said that she felt insecure and only tried to please Zhuzhu in order to save more money. However, in the eyes of others, she was plotting against Zhuzhu, and everyone hated her, saying that she was scheming, cunning and materialistic, and did not have the demeanor of a noble lady.
I had no idea about it, and I considered her a nuisance and a ruin to my reputation, so I hastily married her off to an old man who could be her grandfather.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and Shi Jia breathed a sigh of relief, but he strangled her neck with a rope, forcing her to suffocate.
I said to her, Yaoyao, grandma regrets it. Grandma is sorry for you. Grandma owes you too much. From the time you were born and came to the Shi family, to the time you got married and left the Shi family, the debt you owed to you has been increasing. If there is an afterlife, grandma will definitely treat you well and hold you in the palm of her hand..."
The old Duke's eyes gradually became moist, and he hugged his old wife and said, "It's not your fault, it's all my fault. I am the one who should blame myself, and I am the one they should resent."
The old lady cried until she was almost out of breath: "Old man, it's too late, too late... I have let Yaoyao down again. How could this child be so unlucky? Why did she come to our family again? Why did she get tortured by us again?
In this life, she came to Beijing at the age of fifteen. You see, when she came, she was full of energy.
The first time I saw her was in the middle of winter. It was freezing and snowy outside, and everything seemed bleak. Then, I saw her eyes, which were full of vitality, clear as ice, and pure as snow. I thought at that time that this child was more vital than the plum blossoms in the plum garden.
But what about now? In order to protect Zhuzhu, she was married to a merchant casually. Did you see it this morning? She was so scared when she received the imperial edict. She will never forgive us, never... Zhuzhu, how can you be so cruel? You don't even leave us a way out! "
*
"My elder sister is too independent," Fu Nanjun hurried over to tell Shi Yao in Guanju Courtyard, "It turned out that the marriage was her idea. I don't know where she got the courage to lie to the emperor!
Yesterday, the Emperor questioned Lord Cui for his poor handling of the case. Lord Cui was afraid of being punished, so he said that he had found out that those men in black were the Fifth Prince’s men…”
After the imperial edict came down, Fu Nanjun immediately went back to her parents' home and asked the old tutor to inquire about it. Finally, she asked Qin Shun and found out the whole story.
As soon as he returned to the Duke's Mansion, he did not have time to eat lunch, so he told Shi Yao everything.
Shi Yao planned to take a few days off and was lying on the kang pretending to be sick.
First, several sisters-in-law came to visit, and finally Fu Nanjun came to visit.
Banxia and Wuxi were standing guard outside the door. Shi Yao listened carefully and said self-deprecatingly, "So it was my elder sister's idea, and also the emperor's idea. I am so honored that even the emperor is concerned about my marriage."
It turned out that Shi Mingzhu was afraid that she would marry the Fifth Prince. No wonder she hated her so much.
If there was no reason to talk nonsense, Shi Mingzhu would have hoped that she would marry a beggar, right?
"Sister, you underestimated the Shi family, and you also underestimated yourself." Fu Nanjun shook Shi Yao's hand and said earnestly, "In the battle more than ten years ago, the Shi family made the greatest contribution, even greater than the master. Sister, you don't know that the children's songs sung in the streets at that time were all praising the achievements of the Shi family.
Fortunately, the old man did not get too carried away. He realized something was wrong and lay dormant in time. He handed over his military power twice. Finally, he and the eldest master returned to Beijing, the second master guarded the border, accompanied by the second wife, and the children of the second wife and the eldest and third wives were left in Beijing as hostages.
After three or four years, the emperor finally let down his guard, but this was only on the surface. In the past few years, your eldest brother's generation of eight brothers, except for your second brother, all of them can be considered generals and have made their mark in the capital camp. In addition, the second master has cultivated a group of confidants in the northwest camp. How could the emperor not be on guard?
Otherwise, why would the Fourth Prince try so hard to form an alliance with the Shi family? It was because your brothers saw that they were useless that Imperial Concubine Ning dared to embarrass your elder sister in front of all the officials and their wives yesterday. "
Shi Yao expressed her sincere gratitude and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, for coming here to help me solve my doubts."
Fu Nanjun stroked her face gently and said with pity, "We are all women, we have no choice. You have suffered this misfortune. When the sisters-in-law heard the news, who wouldn't feel sorry for you? Sister, think more positively, life must go on.
Your elder sister has made a big mistake. The old master and the old lady are disappointed. They will no longer have any expectations of her. The second house will no longer support her. When the fourth prince marries a concubine, her hard days will be ahead. "
Shi Yao lowered her eyes: "But, elder sister is still the favorite of the Duke and the Prince."
Fu Nanjun paused and asked solemnly, "What does the second sister want to do?"
"My elder sister framed me again. Although the frame-up was successful, she killed one thousand enemies but lost eight hundred of her own. She also lost the hearts of the elders. Sister-in-law, why don't you tell me, what will the eldest master think of me? Will he be angry that I harmed his precious daughter again?"
Fu Nanjun felt desolate, and his eyes became more and more pitying: "This, I don't know."
Shi Yao laughed at herself, her face as white as snow: "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I am young and weak. I only have a maid brought from Jinling, and the rest are the old master and the old lady's spies. So, what can I do? I just have to accept it. If I marry into the Xie family, sister-in-law should be more at ease. At that time, I will be a fish at the mercy of others."