Chapter 5: Tit for Tat

“Unfilial granddaughter, get down on your knees!”

Shen Miao did not move for the Old Shen Furen’s words.

Everyone looked at her in shock. Shen Xin was not in the residence due to battles, leaving Shen Miao to be brought up by Old Shen Furen. With Shen Miao’s weak and cowardly character, she had never before refuted Old Shen Furen’s commands when she was that severe. She actually did not kneel today?

Was it true that as long as the matter was related to Prince Ding, she would have tremendous courage?

“ZuMu, what mistake did Fifth Lady (referring to herself) made?” Shen Miao calmly asked.

“Is the fever making Fifth Younger Sister confused?” Shen Yue was the first to speak with an anxious expression on her face, “ZuMu only spoke in a moment of anger and would not truly punish you. As long as you admit your mistake then the matter would be concluded. Why are you being stubborn?”

This sentence had already placed the fault of knowing one’s error , being unwilling to change and going against elders onto Shen Miao’s head.

“Impudent! The skies have fallen!” Old Shen Furen was so angry that she suddenly sat upright and her voice became sharper. Shen Yuan Bo was so frightened by Old Shen Furen’s sudden action that the sweet steam milk pastries he was holding accidentally fell onto the ground, causing him to burst into tears.

“Seventh Son mustn’t cry.” Ren Wan Yun saw that her youngest son was crying and immediately took a few steps forward to pull him in her arms as she looked at Shen Miao with an unfavourable manner, “Fifth Lady, are you crazy? Who taught you to go against one’s elders?”

Shen Miao looked at Ren Wan Yun.

Second Furen, Ren Wan Yun, who wore a blue silk dress was full-bodied, with a rosy and fair plump face. When one saw her, she looked kind and benevolent as she usually had a smile on her face. She had the authority of the household in her hands and everyone in Shen residence respected her fairness in handling matters. She was entirely worthy as a good daughter-in-law and wife.

Shen Miao also thought the same up until she was married off. Shen Xin added almost half of his assets into the dowry but, in the end, only a few ended up at Prince Ding’s residence. Why was it like that? It was naturally because it was swallowed up by Ren Wan Yun.

Ren Wan Yun confiscated the more valuable items in the dowry and with the owner changed in addition to Shen Xin not being in the capital, she was married foolishly into Prince Ding’s residence. Her dowry was the reason that she had lost her standing in the entire Prince Ding’s residence. It was all due to this good Shenshen’s ‘fairness’.

“Second Shen’s remark means that Fifth Lady is wrong?” Shen Miao softly said, “But Fifth Lady does not know where one went wrong.”

“Stupid thing!” Old Shen Furen did not hold back and immediately cursed, “Already at such an age and still does not know what shame is. To steal a look at His Highness Prince Ding. You have shamed the entire Shen residence! And to even dare to rebut me. Who taught you the rules for you to be this disrespectful!”

Shen Miao sighed softly in her heart. Old Shen Furen usually had an air of arrogance but once she opened her mouth, it was the speech of a songstress. Which old furen of a noble family would curse like this? It was exactly like a common prostitute. Before, she did not feel that way but after being an Empress and seeing this, she felt that Old Shen Furen’s words had brought down her status.

“Steal a look at His Highness Prince Ding?” She tilted her head in confusion.

Shen Yue could not help but say, “Fifth Younger Sister, although it is known that you are in love with Prince Ding, but to fall into the water just to steal a look at Prince Ding is detrimental to the face of this residence. Moreover, His Highness Prince Ding would not be happy in his heart. Fifth Younger Sister, you had better find a chance to apologise to Prince Ding.”

Being in love with Prince Ding and having to apologise to Prince Ding. Which female would be willing to lose face in front of her beloved man? In her previous lifetime, Shen Yue also spoke like that and Old Shen Furen thought likewise, but Shen Miao felt that it was embarrassing to death and was then confined by Old Shen Furen in a rage.

Thisone sentence of being in love with Prince Ding and not knowing any shame, thus ruining one’s own reputation, implicated the entire residence. Shen Yue looked gentle and elegant but her mind could turn and twist things. Shen Miao could not help but look at her.

Shen Yue just finish speaking when she saw Shen Miao peering at her. That pair of black eyes like grapes were exceptionally clear, as if they contained some special intention, shocking her for a moment.

In the next second, Shen Miao’s faint voice was heard, “Second Older Sister, what in love with His Highness Prince Ding. This sentence cannot be said. At the moment, Fifth Lady is a young lady yet to be wed. To say such a thing, one would fear that this would destroy Fifth Lady’s reputation.”

Shen Yue was stunned.

The entire noble circle in the capital knew that Shen Miao was in love with Prince Ding. Although Shen Miao had not stated it before, her words and deeds had indicated as much. Why did she deny it now?

She smiled, “Fifth Younger Sister, there is only our own family here. These things need not be hidden…”

“Second Older Sister!” As she was talking, Shen Miao suddenly interrupted her as she loudly and severely said, “Second Older Sister must be careful with her words as trouble will come when improper words are spoken. His Highness Prince Ding is a Royal aristocrat and, we, as old influential family, must be even more cautious with our conduct. Previously it was Fifth Lady that was young and immature, leading towards thoughts and deeds being misunderstood, but what happened the other day was a lesson. Fifth Lady will restrict one’s words and actions so may Second Older Sister please not say such words.”

These words stunned not only Shen Yue but everyone in the house, including Old Shen Furen.

Shen Miao was usually very soft and timid and had never spoken loudly before. She was one who was obedient and easy to control. How could her words be this swift and severe?

A flash of light crossed Chen Rou Qiu’s eyes. Shen Yue was still young, and therefore was not as smart as her. She came from a family of scholars and so was not without smarts. Usually she was lofty in nature and would never admit defeat, so when she saw her own daughter was at a disadvantage, she was annoyed and immediately with a gentle and soft voice said, “With one sentence Fifth Lady could clear up the matter of being in love or not, but when all is said and done, who is able to guess a female’s heart. But Fifth Lady better listen to Third Shenshen’s words, your Second Older Sister words were not wrong. His Highness Prince Ding’s status is noble, hence, one should apologise to him.”

“That is correct.” Old Shen Furen also recovered and said, “Send a card to Prince Ding’s residence tomorrow and personally apologise.”

Shen Miao almost laughed with rage. These words could actually be used to deceive the innocent her in the previous lifetime. To see it now, she was a Di daughter of a family with military lineage, her status was very noble, so why should she go to a Prince to apologise. If that was done, where would Shen Xin put his face? One was afraid this would be yet another joke that would spread in the capital from tomorrow onwards.

She also finally understood that Old Furen saw Shen Xin, who was delivered by the YuanPei, as a sore in her eyes and could not wait to see the First household make a fool of themselves every day. The best would be for it to collapse as early as possible, and because Shen Xin and Shen Furen were not in the capital, she could use Shen Miao as a raft.

In this world, how could there be such a good thing?

Shen Miao lightly smiled as her eyes fell onto Shen Qing who was quiet from the beginning. She said, “Eldest Sister, when I fell into the water, there was only you at my side.”

Shen Qing raised her head and nodded quietly. She had already thought of it previously, Shen Miao would definitely say that it was her who pushed her into the water but Shen Qing was not afraid. The one who currently made the decisions in the Shen family was Old Furen and Ren Wan Yun, and Shen Miao only had the title of a Young Lady but was in actuality a daughter that the three households did not care about. As long as she insisted, Old Furen and Ren Wan Yu would side with her. At that time Shen Miao would be considered to be lying and would definitely be disliked by Old Furen, who would punish her heavily. She deserved it! Who told her that a vulgar and ignorant daughter like her could also fight with her for Prince Ding, she should have drowned on that day!

“Eldest Sister, did you also see His Highness Prince Ding?” Shen Miao asked, but she did not only mean this.

“Have seen.” Shen Qing replied.

“Then it is as such. In the previous day, it was obvious that Eldest Sister and I were playing at the edge of the pond and I accidentally fell into the water. At the same moment His Highness Prince Ding, who was passing by the Shen residence, came in to get the painting from Second Shu and encountered the incident.” Shen Miao shook her head, “If I were to steal a look at Prince Ding, where would I get the information from? It is unreasonable for Second and Third Shu’s servants to pass the news to the Inner Residence. How would one know that His Highness Prince Ding would come to the Shen residence to request a painting from Second Shu, unless one is a prophet? Or…” She leisurely continued, “Could it be that His Highness Prince Ding sent a card to our residence?”

Shen Qing did not understand the meaning Shen Miao’s words and wanted to refute with a frown but she heard her own mother suddenly shout, “Eldest Daughter!” The voice was unable to hide the urgency behind it.

Shen Miao glanced at the pale looking Ren Wan Yun and the suddenly nervous Chen Rou Qiu and smiled faintly.

What she said, how could anyone not hear the meaning beneath the words when there were so many smart people in the residence.

When Fu Xiu Yi went over to the Shen residence the day before, it was because when he passed by the Shen residence he remembered the chess bet with Shen Gui and went looking for him for a painting.

Now Shen Miao asked if a card was sent in advance… Presently the Emperor hated when the Princes and officials got too close and if one were to send an invitation in advance, what does the card mean? To plan for the future person next in line?

There were thousands of eyes and ears in the world, who would know if there were any spies of the Royal Family in the Shen residence. Some words could not even be said aloud.

The sentence from Shen Miao had already gone above the conduct of females concerning the loyalty of the officials. Shen Xin was in the Northwest region and naturally it would not affect him, but there was still Shen Gui and Shen Wan in the Shen residence and these two people held positions in court.

This reason, Shen Yue and Shen Qing did not understand but Ren Wan Yun and Chen Rou Qiu definitely understood.

Shen Miao sneered in her heart. They wanted to trample on her reputation, so she brought out Shen Gui’s and Shen Wan’s heads to bet. Did her Second and Third Shens understand? Was it worth it? Did they dare?