Duke Jing's younger sister

Inside the Shen family ancestral hall.

Candles were lit in front of rows of black lacquered memorial tablets. The dim flames cast a flickering light, illuminating the white names of the deceased on the tablets.

Yang knelt on the cushion, clasped her hands together, and looked dejectedly at one of the many spirit tablets on the wooden frame.

That was her husband, the old Duke who died on the battlefield.

In fact, he is not old at all. If he were still alive this year, he would only be forty-three years old.

A bitter smile appeared on Yang's lips, and the tears in her eyes were illuminated by the candlelight. What about the promise of growing old together?

What a liar.

The door opened behind him.

Shen Li walked in slowly, and Nanny Qin followed her and closed the door again.

"Lier, you're here." Yang said softly.

Shen Li felt a pang in her heart and took two steps forward, kneeling on the cushion next to Yang.

Mrs. Yang looked a little listless, as if she had aged a lot in an instant. She had been in charge of the Shen family for many years and rarely showed her vulnerable side in front of others.

To outsiders, the Shen family was supported by Shen Beiqi. Only Shen Li, a woman, knew best how much effort Yang had put into this family.

Unfortunately, no matter how well or outstandingly the women in the harem do, the most they can get in return is a phrase "adhering to the virtues of a woman", and they can never be respected like men.

The last time Shen Li saw her so helpless and confused was when the old Duke died unexpectedly.

"Li'er, I'm sorry for making you suffer... It's the Shen family that's wronged you, and it's also your mother who's wronged you."

Shen Li shook her head and said, "Mother, the Shen family has been very kind to me in raising me, and they have never owed me anything."

Yang sighed heavily, turned around slowly, and held her hand.

"Qi'er... did such a shameful thing to you. If a son is not well educated, it is the fault of his father. Now that his father is gone, it is my fault as a mother for not educating him properly!"

As she said this, Yang was about to kowtow to her. Shen Li was startled and quickly helped Yang up. "Mother, what are you doing? Aren't you going to embarrass your daughter?"

"Li'er..." Yang's voice trembled and she choked with sobs. "You can say that mother is selfish or snobbish, but you and your brother cannot be together no matter what!"

Shen Li was startled and her face suddenly turned pale. She pursed her lips and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Yang looked at the tablets of the Shen family's ancestors on the wooden frame again.

"Your name has been included in the Shen family tree. The ancestors of the Shen family are also your ancestors. Although you and Qi'er are sworn brothers and sisters, there is still a gap between you and the moral code of human relations!"

Yang closed her eyes and spoke sadly, "He stands too high. Even a small stain will be magnified infinitely, not to mention the scandal of brother and sister having an affair that is intolerable in the secular world!"

"Not only him, but also you. You will all be despised by the world. By then, all the dirty words and all the dirty water will be thrown at you and him. Rumors are as fierce as tigers. By then, the Shen family... will become a complete joke of the entire Southern Wu!"

Yang knelt down and took two steps towards her, holding her hands tightly, as if grasping a life-saving straw, and said earnestly,

"Just think of it as mother begging you to break off this relationship with him and help mother protect the Shen family, so that mother can have the dignity to go to the underworld to meet the ancestors of the Shen family and your father in the next hundred years!"

"Li'er...Mother begs you!"

Yang's sobs echoed in the ancestral hall.

Shen Li knelt on the mat and felt cold all over, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

At this moment, she deeply understood what fate is.

No matter how hard she tries, she will still fail in the millions of uncertainties that may occur at any time in life.

These uncertain factors are probably fate.

She was mocked by these changes, teased by these uncertainties, and had to follow their rules like a puppet.

Once she tries to change her fate, complications will arise and force her back to where she was.

Just like the last moment, she was still full of expectations and wanted to find Shen Beiqi to ask him clearly, but at this moment, she was thrown back into the abyss.

In the end, she couldn't enter the gate of Cuibai Hall.

She also didn't know what answer he would give her.

It's just a question she will never ask again.

She entered the Shen family as an adopted daughter and received the Shen family's favor.

She gave up her love and repaid the Shen family's kindness, which was the result.

How can one not repay the kindness received from others?

Her eyes gradually became clear, and she looked at Yang and asked slowly, "Mother, what do you want your daughter to do?"

Yang's eyes brightened instantly, and she smiled with tears in her eyes, "Mother knew that you have been a good child who cares for others since you were young. Mother only hopes that you can find a good marriage for yourself as soon as possible!"

Shen Li lowered her eyes, bent down, and kowtowed deeply to Yang.

"Within a month, my daughter will marry herself off."

……

The most famous actor in Xing'anfang is undoubtedly Yaoyue Gongzi from Yalexuan.

Although he was a man, he had an extremely flexible figure, a delicate forehead and beautiful eyebrows. He wore a light pink costume that flowed freely, had a graceful manner and was full of charm. He looked even more charming than an ordinary woman.

If Luo Cheng hadn't said that the female role on the stage was a man, Shen Li and Shen Zhiyan would not have noticed.

They usually don't like to watch short plays. Even if they go out, they mostly hang out at rouge and powder shops. Women love beauty by nature and are always easily attracted by those exquisite rouge and powder boxes.

This time, it was also Xiao Wenyuan who said that Young Master Yao Yue was quite famous in Jiangdu City, so they came here because of his fame.

They thought that Young Master Yao Yue was a handsome and heroic young man, but they were actually blinded by his appearance.

They sat on the second floor. The seats downstairs were packed with people, and even the stairs were full of people, which was enough to show how popular Young Master Yao Yue was.

"Why do you seem so depressed all day?"

Shen Li didn't pay any attention to what was being sung on the stage. Ever since she came out of the ancestral hall that day, she had been worried all day long.

At this moment, she was sitting on the pear wood chair, her soul had already wandered in the sky. Only when she heard Luo Cheng's questioning voice did she gradually come back to her senses.

"No." She shook her head.

"Not depressed, or not unhappy?"

She was depressed, but even more unhappy. She was worrying about where to find someone to marry her off within a month.

Getting married is not like buying and selling things.

Thinking of this, she felt a little regretful. She should have said a longer period of time, such as two months or three months.

Recalling what happened in the royal enclosure a few days ago, she suddenly had the idea of ​​marrying Luo Cheng, and for a moment she wondered if she had been kicked in the head by a donkey.

But now that she thinks about it, marrying him is not a bad idea. Or, she can ask him for a favor...

After all, we are friends, so he shouldn’t refuse to help me when I’m in trouble, right?

She glanced sideways at Luo Yan beside her.

I decided to test the waters a little to see if he had any thoughts of getting married recently.

"Luo Cheng?"

"Hmm?" He responded while throwing peanuts into his mouth, "What's wrong?"

"You are... already eighteen years old this year, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." Shen Li nodded slightly and organized her words secretly, "I heard that your brother has not married yet?"

Among the sons of the aristocratic families in Jiangdu, if the eldest son has not married, the second son cannot get married either.

If his elder brother Luo Jue is reluctant to marry, then Luo Chen may have no choice but to marry her within a month.

"Yes," Luo Cheng stopped what he was doing and looked at her in surprise, "Why are you asking this?"