Duke Jing's younger sister

"After the banquet, Your Majesty and Your Majesty will probably take a short rest, and then you can come out."

It is said that people resemble each other, and Yue Yang's cold tone is 70% similar to his master.

Since it is not convenient to go in and ask my brother, it is the same to ask Yueyang.

She pulled Yue Yang aside and asked in a low voice, "Yue Yang, let me ask you, did your brother promise Ren Jiao Rui to Gu Nan Xiao?"

Yue Yang, who was being pulled by Shen Li, was a little reserved. He pulled his sleeves back calmly and said, "That's right, Third Miss."

"Have you been hiding this from your mother?"

"Yes."

Shen Li: "..."

She didn't mean to stand up for Ren Jiaorui. In her opinion, it was much better for Ren Jiaorui to marry into the Gu family than to stay in the Shen family as a concubine.

But everyone has their own aspirations. What she thinks is good may not be good for Ren Jiaorui. She might be crying loudly in the mansion right now, scolding her to death.

However, she was not an overly kind-hearted person. She would not think that she deserved it, nor would she add insult to injury. She also would not think that her brother's behavior was unfair to Ren Jiaorui.

He had said before that he would take care of Ren Jiaorui's matter, but she really didn't expect that he would handle it this way.

I couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

He once said, "Filial piety is the principle of heaven, the righteousness of earth, the foundation of human beings, and the basis of virtue."

But in the way he handled this matter, he did not take Yang's feelings into consideration. He could obviously have chosen other better and more tactful ways.

But he didn't do that.

Instead, he chose an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

As if to vent her anger, she deliberately put Yang, who was most concerned about respectability, on the spot, forcing Yang to cover up the lie for Shen Li for the sake of the Shen family's reputation.

He thought of everything, even the fact that she would be criticized after breaking off the engagement with the Gu family and that it would be difficult for her to find another partner in the future.

After all, Shen Li's surname is Shen, and even if Ren Jiaorui is loved by Yang, she is still a person of a different surname. Even if she has moral flaws, it cannot damage the reputation of the Shen family.

Yang's high-sounding explanation at the betrothal ceremony sounded to others as if Ren Jiaorui was coveting Third Miss Shen's fiancé and deliberately schemed to steal her away.

Otherwise, which family would make a temporary substitution at the betrothal ceremony? This is truly unprecedented.

Therefore, although Shen Li's marriage to the Gu family did not take place, it was not subject to any gossip, but instead won sympathy from everyone.

After all, most of the guests attending the banquet were wives from various families, and they had all encountered obscene women who would actively stick to their husbands.

Putting myself in other people's shoes, I couldn't help but empathize with Shen Li, whose marriage was snatched away by a low-class guy, and I felt sympathy for her.

For a moment, everyone present looked at Ren Jiaorui with eyes full of contempt, disdain and disgust.

It was as if she was a pile of stinking dog shit, or a rat crossing the street that everyone wanted to kill.

Ren Jiaorui was so confused that she had to bear all the strange looks and criticisms for her.

Shen Li felt inexplicably flustered. At this moment, the Duke's Mansion was probably in chaos.

Yang's anger had not yet been vented, and she was afraid that after returning home, there would be a fierce quarrel between mother and son.

No wonder he wanted to take me out of the house...

Shen Li was stunned for a moment, then turned back to his tent and sat on the couch in a daze.

Green grass, blue sky and green mountains.

The flag with a golden dragon on a black background above the altar fluttered in the wind. On the polo field, young men and women chased each other, riding majestic horses, holding long whips, and galloping in the sun.

Their laughter and cheers were filled with youthful energy and passion.

Under the sunlight, the tent was bright, and the air was filled with bursts of heat, making it a little stuffy.

Soon, a steady sound of footsteps was heard. Without looking up, she knew who was coming.

As he approached, the aroma of wine became stronger, and the tip of the black boots came into view. Shen Li raised her eyes and met his gaze.

Every time he finished drinking, his eyes would become deeper, as if a layer of mist covered his peach blossom eyes, making them watery. But his complexion remained unchanged, still as white as jade and extremely handsome.

His lips slightly raised, as if he was smiling. He looked at her for a while, then squatted down in front of her and asked,

"What's wrong? Who made my little A-Li angry?"

Such a long-lost, loving question...

Shen Li suddenly felt dazed, as if she had returned to a long, long time ago.

The handsome and elegant young man who loved to wear white clothes squatted in front of her. He was obviously trying to coax her, but his tone was full of mockery.

"Crying again? Who made our little A-Li angry?"

A gong sounded outside the tent, accompanied by faint cheers. I wonder which young man's ball skills were so outstanding that he won the first prize.

He was tall, and even though he was half-squatting in front of her, his line of sight was slightly higher than hers.

Shen Li raised her head slightly, and when their eyes met, she saw her blurry silhouette reflected in his eyes.

"No one provokes me..." Shen Li said in a muffled voice, "I just don't want to see you disobey your mother for me."

Shen Beiqi was a little drunk, and he narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he wanted to see her more clearly.

"Not for you."

She remained silent, her eyes always fixed on the tip of his straight nose.

"I'm doing this for myself."

"I don't believe it." She lowered her eyelashes and murmured softly.

I heard a young man's very light laughter.

He seemed a little helpless, raised his hand and stroked her fair cheek, no matter what his purpose was, no matter whether he was willing to admit it in his heart.

In her marriage with the Gu family, he was indeed doing it for his own sake.

Even though the Gu family is not a merchant family, they are a prominent family with a distinguished family background.

Even if Gu Nanxiao was not mediocre in appearance or talent, but was exceptionally charming and talented, he would not want to see her marry into the Gu family.

But what if the person she was going to marry was Luo Cheng, the man her heart desired?

So what should he do?

He slowly withdrew his hand, his bony fingers curled slightly, and his eyes darkened inch by inch.

The atmosphere was inexplicably a little subtle.

There were turbulent emotions in his eyes that she couldn't understand, like an unfathomable ocean, seemingly calm on the surface, but with endless waves surging deep inside.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Ah Li, what are your plans after you break off the engagement with the Gu family?"

Intend?

It's not like she hadn't planned on it.

After breaking off the engagement with the Gu family, she wanted to find a suitable marriage for herself to avoid falling into the same passive situation of marrying into the Gu family next time.

Many things are easy to think of but difficult to do.

She only knew a few people and seldom attended poetry gatherings or flower shows. Where could she find a suitable person?

Oh, right, Luo Cheng!

Luo Cheng is about the same age as her, so he must know many men of the right age who are gentle and have decent family backgrounds. Maybe she could ask him to help introduce some.

But given her current situation, which man would be willing to marry her?

She lowered her head sadly and said unhappily, "Not yet."

Shen Beiqi pondered for a moment and asked indirectly, "Have you ever thought that the person you like may not be suitable for you?"

Although Luo Yan is good, considering the current situation, the person who is most suitable for her is himself.

Besides, he had loved her for so many years, but now he had to hand her over to someone else to take care of her, which really made him feel a little worried.

Shen Li was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

His words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Could it be that he had guessed something and discovered her inappropriate feelings towards him?

Shen Li looked up at him in disbelief, trying to guess some clues from his expression, but he looked normal and there was no sign of any flaws.

"Is suitability more important than liking someone?" she asked.