She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

Xie Wanqing was stunned by the sudden slap and it took her a while to come to her senses.

She covered her rapidly swelling cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Shen Jingshu, her voice trembling: "You hit me again? What right do you have to hit me!"

Shen Jingshu took a step closer, her aura domineering, "So what if I hit you?"

Seeing that things were going badly, Feiyun quickly stepped in front of Xie Wanqing and said bravely, "Young lady, how can you hit someone! Our cousin is the future young mistress of the Cheng family!"

Shen Jingshu didn't even look at her. "Jinse, slap yourself."

Upon hearing this, Jinse's eyes lit up. She darted forward and delivered two resounding slaps, one on each side, causing Feiyun to stumble and fall to the ground.

Feiyun felt a burning pain in her cheeks, her ears were ringing, and she saw stars. She couldn't get up for a long time.

"Who do you think you are? How dare you point fingers and yell at me like that?" Shen Jingshu looked down at Feiyun, her voice icy. "Today I'll teach you what the rules of the Marquis's mansion are!"

Seeing Shen Jingshu's appearance, Xie Wanqing shouted, her voice trembling with fear, "Don't come any closer! If you hit me, you're disgracing the Cheng family!"

"Young Madam is quite formidable." Shen Jingshu sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "Cousin, have you forgotten that I was the one who pleaded with Mother for you to secure this marriage? If it weren't for me, you'd probably still be worrying about how to marry into the Cheng family."

Xie Wanqing's face turned pale and then flushed as Shen Jingshu touched a nerve.

She glared at Shen Jingshu through gritted teeth, wishing she could devour her alive. "Don't go too far! You're just marrying a warrior, spending your days fighting and killing. What's so good about that!"

Overwhelmed by rage, she disregarded her fear and rushed forward, intending to fight with Shen Jingshu.

Shen Jingshu grabbed Xie Wanqing's wrist and twisted it hard, causing Xie Wanqing to cry out in pain.

"Let me go!" Xie Wanqing struggled, but couldn't break free from Shen Jingshu's grip.

"Today I'll show you what it means to respect the superiors and inferiors!" Shen Jingshu said, and with a sudden shove, she pushed Xie Wanqing to the ground.

Xie Wanqing fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face from the pain. She looked up at Shen Jingshu, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.

The commotion on the platform carried to the front yard, and everyone looked up to see Xie Wanqing sitting on the platform of the Moon Appreciation Pavilion in a disheveled state, with her maid lying beside her, while Shen Jingshu stood opposite them. The group was facing each other, and the atmosphere was tense.

Madam Cheng and Madam Bai's faces immediately darkened. This Xie Wanqing was truly unfit for public life; she had to cause trouble on such a joyous occasion.

Song Wan frowned, a bad feeling creeping into her heart. She knew her daughter best; Xie Wanqing must have said something offensive that angered Jing Shu.

Today is the day the Cheng family presents their betrothal gifts, and many relatives and friends from both families have come. If things get out of hand, it will be a disgrace to the Pingyang Marquis's mansion.

"Granny, go and see what's going on," Song Wan instructed.

Granny Chen responded and hurriedly led several maids toward the Moon Appreciation Pavilion.

Cheng Wenhao also looked puzzled. He didn't know what had happened, but judging from the situation, it must be quite serious.

He felt that Xie Wanqing must have done something stupid again.

"I'll go take a look," Cheng Wenhao said, getting up to get up.

Old Madam Cheng grabbed him and said irritably, "What are you doing? Who are you? How dare you run around the Marquis's mansion like this! Stay put!"

“But…” Cheng Wenhao wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Bai Shi.

"No buts! Just listen to what your grandmother says!"

With his mother and grandmother both speaking, Cheng Wenhao could only sit obediently, his dislike for Xie Wanqing growing even stronger.

This woman is utterly incompetent and more likely to cause trouble than anything else.

Just then, a shrill voice suddenly rang out from outside the mansion gate: "Imperial edict has arrived—"

Everyone was startled, and Shen Zizhong quickly got up to personally greet them.

Li Delu, accompanied by a troop of imperial guards and carrying the imperial edict, strode into the Pingyang Marquis's residence.

Upon seeing Shen Zizhong, Li Delu beamed and bowed, saying, "This servant greets the Marquis and offers my congratulations."

Shen Zizhong was completely bewildered. He looked at the imperial guards, then at the imperial edict in Li Delu's hand, and cautiously asked, "May I ask, Chief Steward Li, what... is this for?"

Li Delu didn't answer, but instead looked around and asked, "Where is Miss Shen? Why isn't she here? Quickly, let her come to receive the imperial decree."

Shen Zizhong then asked Uncle Fu to invite Shen Jingshu.

A group of people waited in the front yard, not daring to breathe. After a while, Shen Jingshu walked over quickly, followed by Yaoqin and Jinse. Uncle Fu and Granny Chen followed at the back, along with Xie Wanqing, whose face was swollen and who looked unwilling.

Li Delu and the others came to a stop. He cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Pingyang Marquis's Residence, Shen Jingshu, receive the imperial decree—"

Everyone knelt down.

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

Jiang Jin'an, the head of the Commandery, is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, possessing exceptional talent and strategy, and has repeatedly rendered great service to the court. However, he has now traveled far to Yangzhou, which may cause him to miss their wedding. I, mindful of his sincerity and moved by his deep affection, hereby appoint him as his successor to Shen Jingshu, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingyang. I have ordered the Imperial Household Department to prepare the betrothal gifts to ensure their happy union. I hope that the two will live in harmony and serve the country together after their marriage.

Admire this! "

Upon the issuance of the imperial edict, everyone was startled again, raising their heads and exchanging bewildered glances.

No one expected that His Majesty would personally arrange the betrothal for Jiang Jin'an—this was an immense honor! Jiang Jin'an had actually won the Emperor's favor so much!

Such favoritism towards a favorite minister is truly unique.

Shen Jingshu watched the ants crawling on the bluestone bricks and listened to Li Delu's recitation. She didn't react for a moment, and her mind went blank.

It was only when Song Wan quietly called her name that she snapped out of her daze.

"What are you waiting for, Miss Shen? Quickly accept the imperial decree."

After Li Delu finished reading the imperial edict, he handed it to Shen Jingshu with both hands and said with a smile, "His Majesty said that the case that Commandant is handling this time is very important, so he specially sent me to deliver the betrothal on his behalf. Please don't take offense."

Shen Jingshu accepted the imperial edict. She hadn't expected the emperor to pull such a stunt, which caught her off guard. "Your Excellency, what are you saying? Your Majesty's attention to this matter is beyond my gratitude. How could I possibly take offense?"

Li Delu nodded in satisfaction, flicked his whisk, and the master of ceremonies, understanding the command, stood at the vermilion gate and began to read out the list of betrothal gifts.

"Two sets of pearl and amber necklaces."

"Two sets of pearl, kingfisher feather, and jade hairpins."

"Four pairs of gold hairpins and bracelets."

"Five golden ruyi scepters."

"A garment of exquisite gold and vibrant colors."

"Three hundred bolts of brocade and silk."

……

"Two hundred thousand."

"One thousand taels of gold."

Outside the mansion, onlookers couldn't help but click their tongues.

This betrothal gift is far too generous!

The long gift list included items that should have been on the dowry list, such as a chaise longue, a jade screen, and a carved dressing case. Nothing was missing.

Is the cousin of the Marquis of Pingyang's family lucky?

Nonsense! Only legitimate daughters have good fortune; that's what true golden branches and jade leaves are!

Is marrying a favorite minister of the emperor better than marrying a wealthy merchant?

That's incredibly powerful!

Some of the girls who came specifically to watch the spectacle were practically wringing their handkerchiefs to shreds. Had they known this would happen, they would have stuck to the Commandant's side first!

Who would have thought that this seemingly cold and aloof Yama was actually a devoted lover!