In the study room of Shen Mansion, Shen Ao was still looking as sinking as water. He was walking back and forth in the study room with his hands behind his back. Occasionally he would sit on the couch, but he couldn't bear to be irritated, so he immediately stood up and started walking back and forth.
After all, Shen Ao was born in the military. Although it was inherited from his family, the study room was simply and roughly decorated.
There are two rooms inside and outside the study.
The door to the back room is closed, so you can't see the layout inside.
In the outer room, facing the door and against the wall, there is a square table with a cup of tea on it, and two chairs placed on the left and right for the guest and host.
There is a desk against the wall on one side of the main desk, with some papers, pens and some books scattered on it.
There is also a sword hanging on the wall, which is both for home security and self-defense.
There was a knock on the door, and Shen Ao turned to face the door and said, "Come in."
Shen Xiyao pushed the door open and walked into the study. Under Shen Ao's glare, she walked closer and Yifu said, "Grandpa, what's wrong with me?"
"Kneel down." Shen Ao shouted.
Shen Xiyao said nothing and knelt gently on the floor, but stubbornly straightened her back and looked at Shen Ao.
"Why? Not convinced? Today in front of the Holy Spirit, you said such words without shame. What do you think of the civil and military forces of the dynasty? You, a little girl, can't be so arrogant."
"..."
Shen Xiyao opened her mouth, but had no way to defend herself. Although she was confused and didn't know what happened, her personality made her unwilling to admit her mistake.
Shen Xiyao lowered her head and stared at her knees. Although Shen Ao's scolding voice was in her ears, she didn't listen to a word. She kept thinking about what happened during the day.
It felt like my grandfather had reprimanded me for a long time, and in the end I only heard one sentence: "Kneel down here and reflect on yourself."
"Grandpa, what on earth... happened?"
Finally, after Shen Ao finished speaking, Shen Xiyao asked.
"you……"
Shen Ao's anger suddenly rose. He snorted and walked out of the study with a dark face, shaking his sleeves.
After a while, the old housekeeper Shen An walked into the study and helped Shen Xiyao up: "Miss, please get up. The Marquis has left the house and will probably come back later. You should go back to your room first."
"Grandpa, where did he go?"
The old housekeeper shook his head.
"I don't know, old slave."
"I understand, thank you old housekeeper, I'd better wait here for my grandfather to come back."
After saying that, Shen Xiyao knelt on the ground again.
"Hey, miss, why are you bothering? It's cold underground and it's not good for your health."
Shen An tried to persuade her for a while, but Shen Xiyao was not moved at all.
The old housekeeper shook his head helplessly and slowly walked out of the study.
After a while, Shen An returned to the study carrying a small tray. On the tray was a bowl of white porridge and several plates of side dishes.
"Miss, please have something to eat."
"Thank you butler, please put it on the table first."
Shen An looked at Shen Xiyao who was kneeling on the ground, shook his head and left the study helplessly.
It was getting late at this time, and every household began to light up candles. Against the backdrop of the candlelight, in another mansion, the sound of girls playing in a small building could be heard.
The small building is not luxurious, but it is very exquisite. The decoration inside the building has obviously been thoughtful, showing the gentleness and delicateness of the owner.
Compared with Shen Xiyao's boudoir, this place is like heaven and earth. This is what a lady's room should look like.
Under the veil, two girls were gathered around a table. One girl gently put down the ink stick in her hand, and then lifted up a silk handkerchief covering the paper, revealing a pair of unfinished ladies inside. picture.
"Miss, you are ready. You can continue painting."
The sitting girl hummed softly, looked away from the bronze mirror on the side, grabbed a pen, and carefully painted on the drawing paper, looking at the mirror again from time to time.
The maid stood opposite the girl, her eyes constantly moving on her young lady and the painting.
"Miss, you are so beautiful."
The girl glanced at the maid, feeling a little disgusted.
“What’s the best place to look at?”
"The young lady is good-looking, and her paintings are also good-looking. They all look good!"
The girl stopped the pen in her hand, raised her head and glanced at the maid with dissatisfaction, and said coquettishly: "Slick tongue!"
The maid was a little dissatisfied and cried out.
"No way!"
Indeed, the maid was not lying. The girl was indeed good-looking. She had a round face with some baby fat, and her big eyes were shining brightly.
There is nothing special about the girl's facial features. If you take the facial features individually, each of them is very ordinary, but when you put them together, you have a very attractive face, and the more you look at it, the more beautiful it becomes.
"You're right, my granddaughter is indeed beautiful."
While the master and servant were having fun, a voice came from outside the door.
The girl rolled her eyes and complained a little.
"What kind of wind has brought Prime Minister Chu here?"
Chu Rupeng didn't answer, he smiled and walked to the desk to check his granddaughter's paintings.
The girl stood up and took her maid aside to salute.
"Well, my painting skills have improved, but my craftsmanship is a bit stronger."
The girl grabbed Chu Rubeng's sleeve and shook it, saying coquettishly: "Grandpa, did you come to see me just to laugh at me?"
Chu Rupeng enjoyed her granddaughter's coquettishness very much and let her laugh while grabbing her sleeves and twirling her beard.
"Okay, okay! Didn't I praise your improvement in painting skills?"
The girl threw off Chu Rubeng's sleeves, wrinkled her nose and snorted. She took the tea offered by the maid and put it in front of Chu Rubeng with both hands.
"Grandpa, please have some tea."
Chu Rupeng hummed softly. He took the cup, took a sip, and placed it on the table. Then he looked at his granddaughter carefully.
The girl looked a little embarrassed.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?"
Chu Rupeng said with emotion: "When I see you, I realize that I am old."
"How could Grandpa feel this way?"
"Today I met a little guy in the Royal Garden. He is a woman like you, but what he said was quite interesting."
The girl rolled her eyes.
"Let me guess!"
Without waiting for Chu Rupeng to speak, he continued: "The highest female officials in the court are only from the fifth rank, and they have no chance to meet His Majesty. The princesses and female officials living in the palace are not involved in government affairs and will not say anything that interests Prime Minister Chu. So.
There are only the Tianfeng Army on duty in the palace. I guess ordinary soldiers will not attract the attention of the important officials in the court, so there are only three captains. Although I don’t know who is leading the Tianfeng Army today, but it must be the three of them.
one."
Chu Rupeng was greatly relieved and laughed.
"As expected of me, Chu Rubeng's granddaughter! You guessed it right."
Chu Qingying held her head up very proudly, put her hands behind her back, jumped behind Chu Rubeng, and reached out to massage Chu Rubeng's shoulders.
"Grandpa, tell me who you are?"
Before Chu Rupeng could say anything, a servant woman came into the door and saluted.
"Sir, the housekeeper is waiting outside the courtyard, saying that Marquis Shen is visiting."
Chu Rupeng looked at the servant who delivered the message in surprise, and shook his head with a smile.
"This old guy is already old, but why is he so thoughtful?"
Then he said to Chu Qingying: "You know who it is this time."
After that, stand up.
"You go to bed early and I'll go check on this old guy."
It's getting later and later, and it's already Xu time.
Finally, there was a commotion in front of the gate of Jibei Hou Mansion.
As soon as Shen Ao returned home, he went directly to the study. He looked at the untouched mouthful of white porridge on the table, shook his head and sighed.
"Get up, stop kneeling. The adults think you are young and ignorant, and forgive you."
Shen Xiyao stood up silently and looked at her grandfather with some confusion.
"Grandpa, you don't have to do this today."
Thinking of what happened during the day, Shen Xiyao felt a little irritable.
"Hey, kid."
Shen Ao sighed.
"Don't blame me for blaming you too much.
You must know that our Jibei Marquis Mansion only has you and me, my grandfather and grandson, in the court. Although we still have some connections in the army, they are all rough men. Let them go into battle to kill the enemy, and each one is more active than the other. But When it comes to discussing matters in court, it is far inferior. Besides, we are in the army after all, and water from afar cannot quench our thirst for nearness."
But in the court, the Jibei Marquis Mansion has neither support nor minions. You are just a small sixth-grade captain. Although I am here, there is also the saint's holy family. But how long can the holy family last? It will eventually run out, what will happen to the Jibei Marquis Mansion then?"
Shen Ao paused and then said: "Besides, once I die, the imperial court will take back the title of Marquis of Jibei. You are the only one left in the Shen family. If there is no more help from the ministers, what will you do then? I Even if I go underground, I won’t have the shame to see your parents."
After hearing Shen Ao's words, Shen Xiyao couldn't help but fell silent. In the end, she just felt blessed and exited the study.
When she reached the door, Shen Xiyao stopped, but did not look back, and just said coldly.
"I will not let the Shen family decline!"
After saying that, he opened the door and walked out of the study.
Returning to her boudoir, Shen Xiyao ordered her servants to find Yunxiang, then sat at the round table. As soon as she poured a glass of water, Yunxiang came over.
"Miss, are you looking for me?" Yunxiang saluted.
Shen Xiyao sipped her saliva and nodded slightly. Then she put the teacup on the table, raised her head without saying a word, and stared at Yunxiang with cold eyes.
"Miss, what are you doing? I'm so scared when you're like this."
Yunxiang was a little panicked as she kept being looked at like this.
After a while, Shen Xiyao looked back and spoke slowly, but her tone was extremely serious.
"Yunxiang, you and I grew up together. We are called master and servant and are actually sisters. We are the closest people around me. I will only ask you once, and you must answer me truthfully."
"Miss, what do you want to ask?"
Yunxiang answered with some trepidation.
“Did I do or say anything that I wouldn’t normally do?”
A look that it would indeed be like this flashed through Yunxiang's eyes, and it disappeared briefly.
"No, miss. You never said anything strange or behaved strangely."
Shen Xiyao narrowed her eyes and her voice became colder
"Really not?"
Yunxiang straightened her expression, raised her hand and said, "Miss, I swear. I have never seen you behave in any strange way, nor have I heard you say anything strange."
Shen Xiyao stared at Yunxiang for a long time. Seeing the serious expression on the little maid's face, she finally let out a long breath.
"Okay, you go down."
Yunxiang took a few steps back, turned around and stuck out her tongue. She also patted her chest with her little hand. Just as she was about to walk out of the room, she remembered something again. She turned back and said, "Miss, I will be pregnant in a few days."