Chapter 174
**Chapter 174: A Lack of Appreciation**
Cai Ping looked at her with admiration. "Today is the birthday of the old matriarch of the Zhen Nan Marquisate. Lady Sun held up the imperial decree, demanding a divorce and instructing her maid to move all her dowry out. For now, the dowry is being stored at the princess's residence."
"The marquisate has borrowed quite a bit from Lady Sun's dowry—at least twenty thousand taels, all on IOUs. If they don’t return it, Lady Sun might just take her sword to the palace gates and end it all, haha."
"With Lady Sun temporarily residing at the princess's residence, and with Princess Zhao Yang protecting her, the marquisate can only seethe in silence. The Zhen Nan Marquisate is in chaos, and the old matriarch's birthday banquet is a complete disaster, leaving them utterly humiliated."
Shen Wei listened in shock. What a decisive and formidable woman Lady Sun was!
Taking a sip of warm ginger tea, Shen Wei planned to visit Lady Sun at the princess's residence in a couple of days. They were close friends, and given the troubles Lady Sun faced with the marquisate, Shen Wei felt it was only right to show her some concern.
...
In the following two days, the scandal surrounding the Zhen Nan Marquisate stirred up a storm in the city. Public opinion was sharply divided; women sympathized with Lady Sun's plight, while men understood Shangguan Xuan's choice.
The gossip was rampant, and the citizens of Yanjing discussed it over tea and meals.
On a day when the sun was warm and comforting, the winter sun kissed the skin, bringing a cozy warmth. Shen Wei instructed her servants to prepare a carriage; she was heading to the princess's residence.
Shen Wei's pregnancy was stable, now over five months along. To keep warm, she dressed heavily, resembling a fluffy winter cat. Cai Ping carefully supported her, her eyes scanning the path to ensure it was smooth, fearing Shen Wei might trip.
"Master, look over there," Cai Ping whispered.
Following Cai Ping's gaze, Shen Wei spotted the plum blossom garden within the marquisate. Early winter had just arrived, and the several dozen white plum trees still had leaves, with buds beginning to form on the branches.
Where there were plum blossoms, there was naturally Liu Ruyan, along with her maid, Xue Mei.
Liu Ruyan wore a simple silver winter gown, with a single white jade hairpin adorning her hair. She walked gracefully among the plum trees, gazing softly at the unopened blossoms.
With her snow-white complexion and slender figure, Liu Ruyan looked like a celestial being descended to the mortal realm.
Shen Wei felt a twitch in her eyelids as she noticed Liu Ruyan's thin attire and couldn't help but ask Cai Ping, "Hasn't anyone sent winter fabric to Liu Fei this month?"
According to custom, the side consorts of the marquisate received several bolts of new fabric each quarter to make clothes.
Yet Liu Ruyan was still wearing an autumn dress.
Given Liu Ruyan's frail health, it was concerning that she liked to wander around in the cold. The expenses for her medicinal herbs were substantial each year, leaving the accounts department quite distressed.
Cai Ping shrugged, looking helpless. "The storeroom sent five bolts of fine cotton fabric to Liu Fei. But she refused to accept it; she only wants good fabric in silver, plain colors, white, or light jade. The storeroom's stock isn't enough, so Liu Fei had someone fetch five bolts of silver-white fabric from her family."
Shen Wei: ...
What a peculiar side consort.
In the plum blossom garden, Liu Ruyan seemed to sense a disturbance. She lifted her beautiful, cloud-like eyes and glanced at Shen Wei from a distance, a hint of mockery crossing her lips before she continued her stroll.
Shen Wei looked down at her own attire and asked Cai Ping, "Do I look ugly? Why did Liu Fei show such disdain?"
Cai Ping was equally puzzled. "Master, you look splendid, elegant and noble."
Shen Wei was speechless, truly unsure of what Liu Ruyan was thinking. Not wanting to linger, she took Cai Ping and left the Yan Wang residence.
In the plum blossom garden, Xue Mei followed Liu Ruyan silently. Liu Ruyan stopped, her delicate fingers gently touching a small, early-blooming white plum blossom.
"Beautiful," Liu Ruyan said, "but it's a pity that Shen Fei doesn't know how to appreciate it."
The cold wind blew, tousling Xue Mei's hair. She pushed the strands from her face and said softly, "Shen Fei is pregnant; she wouldn't stroll in such windy places to admire the flowers."
The plum blossom garden was situated in a wind tunnel; even when the winter sun shone, the wind was fierce and cold, leaving Xue Mei's cheeks flushed from the chill.
Liu Ruyan chuckled lightly. "Poor Shen Fei."
Xue Mei looked up at the sky, the sun glaring down. "Why is Shen Fei pitiful again?"
To Xue Mei, Shen Wei seemed to have fallen into a nest of wealth, diving into a honey pot. The Yan Wang doted on her, the empress trusted her, the main wife was confined, and Shen Wei held significant power in the inner court, with a child on the way.
If Shen Wei was pitiful, then there would be no one in the world with good fortune.
Liu Ruyan spoke lightly, a trace of mockery in her eyes. "She’s five months pregnant again. Clearly, she only wants a son to secure her position. Power is blinding, making one both pitiful and pitiable."
Liu Ruyan believed that Shen Wei would stop at nothing to have a son.
What was so great about having a son?
Men were fickle creatures. It was far better to have a daughter—delicate and beautiful, a hundred times better than a stinky man.
Xue Mei raised her hand to her forehead, silently thinking: [My lady, you had a daughter, yet I’ve never seen you care for her. Here you are criticizing Shen Fei...]
Shen Fei's daughter, Li Leyou, Xue Mei had seen a couple of times recently. The little girl was chubby and fair, with a bright smile, well taken care of by her wet nurse.
"Xue Mei, pick some plum buds to take back and dry them for fragrance powder," Liu Ruyan's voice called from ahead.
Suppressing her frustration, Xue Mei hurried to catch up.
...
The carriage rolled smoothly to the princess's residence.
Shen Wei supported Cai Ping as they disembarked. A maid from the princess's residence led the way, guiding Shen Wei inside. As they walked along the path, Shen Wei rehearsed her words in her mind.
When she saw Lady Sun, she mustn't poke at her wounds or bring up her scars. She needed to strike the right tone, showing appropriate comfort and concern.
Shen Wei recalled a female colleague from her previous life who had swiftly divorced after discovering her husband’s infidelity. That colleague appeared perfectly fine in public, as if unaffected.
It wasn't until Shen Wei saw her on the rooftop of their office building, leaning against the railing and crying in the wind, that she realized some people seemed strong on the outside but were merely hiding their fragile hearts, silently nursing their wounds.
"Don’t bring up any painful memories when I see Lady Sun," Shen Wei murmured to herself as she walked, repeatedly reminding herself. Besides comforting Lady Sun, she also needed to warn her not to be deceived by Shangguan Xuan's sweet words.
The marquisate would certainly not let Lady Sun go easily; they would find ways to lure her back.
In the warm chamber of Princess Zhao Yang, she was reading a storybook. Upon seeing Shen Wei, she quickly had hot soup brought over.
Princess Zhao Yang took Shen Wei's hand, urging her to sit on a soft couch. "You’re pregnant now; don’t go running around in this cold weather. If anything happens to the baby, my brother will surely be angry with me."
A maid brought in the warm soup and also draped a thick tiger-skin blanket over Shen Wei.
Shen Wei sipped the soup, glancing around but not seeing Lady Sun.
"Princess, is Lady Sun still resting?" Shen Wei felt a pang of concern for her friend.
Lady Sun was gentle and dignified, always dutiful, never making mistakes.
It was a pity she had encountered such a heartless and ungrateful man, ruining her once bright future. Shen Wei couldn't help but worry—had Lady Sun fallen ill and was bedridden?
Princess Zhao Yang set down her book, smiling as she told Shen Wei, "Lady Sun left Yanjing early this morning."
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