Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

"Grandma, Yi'er and Axi will go change clothes first and come back to visit you later." Shen Zhiyi said as he stood up.

He took Tao Jiuxi's hand, and they both bowed to their grandmother.

"Okay, okay, Yier is tired, go and rest first. Ningqiu, you go and help with the arrangements." Old Lady Xie said lovingly.

"Yes, mother." Xie Ningqiu also stood up slowly. Her eyes fell on Shen Zhiyi, and there was a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, including love and a hint of imperceptible worry.

She was going to go back to her yard and have some heart-to-heart talks with her son.

Xie Ningqiu walked ahead, supported by her maid. Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, and each step exuded the dignity and grace of a lady from a noble family.

Shen Zhiyi and Tao Jiuxi followed behind at a short distance.

As soon as he left the bustling yet restrained hall, Tao Jiuxi breathed a sigh of relief. The tension that had been in his chest for a long time finally dissipated a little.

"Little girl, is my grandmother's house so scary?" Shen Zhiyi bent down slightly, lowered his voice and spoke in Tao Jiuxi's ear, while gently taking her hand.

Tao Jiuxi, however, seemed to be scalded, and quickly broke free from his hand, scolding him: "Someone is watching, you should be careful. It's because you want to leave a good impression on your family."

"I will definitely compensate you in the future." Shen Zhiyi looked at Tao Jiuxi lovingly, his eyes full of tenderness.

Soon, they entered Xie Ningqiu's yard.

The yard is quiet and elegant, with green trees and blooming flowers, and the fragrance of flowers fills the air.

"Yier, you and Miss Tao, come to my room."

Xie Ningqiu's attitude was quite amiable, which made Tao Jiuxi feel a little more relaxed.

Because in other families, teenage sons, even if they were not married yet, would always have several maids in their rooms. But her son had no such thoughts at all. Even if she carefully selected beautiful maids to send to his room, they were all kicked out in the end without exception.

Xie Ningqiu often saw her son inseparable from the disfavored Seventh Prince. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder in her heart whether her son was not interested in women.

The nineteen-year-old Shen Zhiyi was suddenly named Duke because of his outstanding achievements.

Once his identity spread, many families vied to marry their daughters to him. However, Shen Zhiyi always declined, saying that he had no intention of getting married for the time being.

Xie Ningqiu was not happy living in her husband's family, and her son was so disobedient, so she went back to her parents' home in anger.

This stay lasted for more than a year.

She had thought her son's marriage would be very difficult, and when she thought about facing those troubles when she returned to Beijing, she gave up the idea of ​​going back in the spring.

Until a month ago, she received a letter from Shen Zhiyi, saying that he wanted her to meet his future daughter-in-law.

Xie Ningqiu was extremely happy to know that his son was a normal man.

However, she was also a little angry in her heart, because she was angry that her son had arranged his marriage without saying a word.

Xie Ningqiu sat upright in the main seat, looking at Tao Jiuxi carefully with an inquiring gaze.

Tao Jiuxi felt uncomfortable under this gaze, and the expression on her face was extremely awkward. She forced a smile to try to ease the slightly tense atmosphere, and then lowered her head to avoid Xie Ningqiu's fiery gaze.

"Mother, if you look at me like this, Ah Xi will be embarrassed." Shen Zhiyi couldn't bear it any longer and said with a frown. There was a hint of blame in his eyes, as if he was blaming his mother for making Tao Jiuxi feel embarrassed.

Xie Ningqiu then slowly retracted her sharp gaze, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Miss Tao, there's no need to be so nervous. Since you are the one Yi'er holds dear to her heart, I naturally like you too."

"Thank you... Thank you, Madam..." Tao Jiuxi blushed and stammered, still struggling with how to address Xie Ningqiu appropriately.

"Axi, don't be nervous. My mother is a very nice person." Shen Zhiyi reminded softly from the side.

Xie Ningqiu was also a little surprised. Her son, who used to be serious and stern, had a smile on his face from the moment they met until now. This was something she had never seen before.

Tao Jiuxi naturally noticed Shen Zhiyi's slightly smiling eyes. His face became even redder and he buried his head even lower, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

"Miss Tao, I wonder where you are from? What does your family do for a living?"

"Madam, I am from Shuzhou. My father used to be the magistrate of Shuzhou. Now our family has moved to the capital, and my father does not hold any official position." Tao Jiuxi answered cautiously. After all, before she went south, her father had not yet been able to resume his official position.

"Then how did you meet Yier?" Xie Ningqiu asked with curiosity in his eyes and a look of interest.

After hearing this, Tao Jiuxi's face showed a trace of embarrassment, and he felt a little embarrassed to tell others that he had gone to the wrong mansion.

"Mother, Ah Xi's father was implicated in the investigation of Prince Shou's rebellion in Shuzhou, and his family suffered misfortune. I was in charge of this case, and that's how we met."

Seeing this, Shen Zhiyi quickly took over the conversation and continued, "Mother, I have never fallen in love with other women. Ah Xi is straightforward, kind, courageous and resolute. I beg you to love Ah Xi as much as I do."

Tao Jiuxi listened to Shen Zhiyi's praise of her. She didn't even know that in Shen Zhiyi's eyes, she had so many advantages.

I thought to myself, this is too much praise. What if her mother thinks it is not true in the future? Wouldn’t it be like a scam...

"I just asked a question and you rushed to protect me. Does your father know about you?" Xie Ningqiu raised his eyebrows slightly and asked Shen Zhiyi.

"After my mother passed away, I moved out and only went back to worship our ancestors on New Year's Day. I didn't mention this matter much to my father." Shen Zhiyi answered truthfully, and he really didn't want to have too much involvement with his father anymore.

Xie Ningqiu sighed.

"He behaved so badly towards us, mother and son. It's only natural that you should distance yourself from him. But now that you've established your own family, I'm afraid you'll be criticized."

"Mother, you've suffered so much injustice in the past, but you don't need to worry about this anymore. If they dare to bully you again, I'll make sure they settle all the past scores as well."

When his father, Shen Yuquan, married Xie Ningqiu, the two families were of equal status, a perfect match. Xie Ningqiu became pregnant just three months after her marriage, but Shen Yuquan couldn't wait to bring his mistress home, completely ignoring Xie Ningqiu's objections and insisting on taking her as a concubine.

Xie Ningqiu wasn't someone who couldn't tolerate a concubine. It was just that the concubine was already pregnant when she entered the house, so Shen Zhiyi lost his status as the eldest son.

If it was just a change in status, perhaps it could be tolerated. However, the concubine, relying on Shen Yuquan's favor, repeatedly provoked her. Taking advantage of Shen Zhiyi's absence from the capital, she plotted against Xie Ningqiu, causing her to have two miscarriages. However, Shen Yuquan turned a blind eye to this and even intentionally favored the concubine.

Shen Yuquan was indeed capable, rising steadily through the ranks of the government, eventually becoming a Grand Secretary of the Guanwen Hall, a second-rank official. As his position rose, his attitude toward Xie Ningqiu grew increasingly hostile, and he often declared that everything in the mansion would belong to his eldest son, born to a concubine.

Shen Zhiyi could not stay in the capital for a long time, and the servants were always accustomed to changing their attitudes according to the situation. Although Xie Ningqiu had no worries about food and clothing, he was always unhappy.

If Shen Zhiyi had not worked hard, he would still be controlled by Shen Yuquan, and Xie Ningqiu would not have been able to live in Jiangnan as he wished.

But at this point, his mother did not allow Shen Zhiyi to argue too much with Shen Yuquan, so she just hid in Jiangning Mansion.