The old Prince Ning glanced at Prince Ning and then at Shen Yun, sighing deeply.
“How about this, we both take a step back. Su Shi, if you truly cannot bear to part with her, you can bring her into the manor. But you must also accept the main consort chosen by your mother.”
“Crack…” The sharp sound of a teacup falling to the ground echoed.
Shen Yun’s hands trembled slightly; the teacup in his hand had shattered on the floor. He looked at the fragments of the imperial kiln's tri-color lotus-patterned teacup on the carpet. With a cold expression, he slowly raised his head to look at the old Prince Ning. He seemed to be trying to discern how his grandfather, with such a noble status, could utter such shameless words.
“Presumptuous, Shen Xuzhi! What do you mean by this? Showing such disrespect to an elder.” The old Prince Ning, accustomed to being high and mighty his entire life, could not tolerate Shen Yun’s overt disdain. He was finally enraged.
Prince Ning, Shen Zhongwen, watched the two of them, once again falling into a dilemma.
The Princess Consort Ning beside him was startled. She had always been afraid of the old Prince Ning. Although she had dared to negotiate with him before, it was because she knew his intentions. That was why she dared to propose her terms. But at this moment, she felt it was better not to provoke him easily. However, she felt she could still say a few words to Prince Ning.
“My Lord, look at the Heir Apparent. He has just entered the manor and already disrespects his grandfather. In the future, will he likely respect you, his father, and me, his mother?”
Before she could finish speaking, Shen Zhongwen shot her a silencing glare. This foolish woman, fearing no chaos, was already slandering and gossiping in front of them. At the same time, a face devoid of desire, gentle and indifferent, flashed through his mind. Her current appearance might no longer be related to beauty, but she remained the person he loved most in his heart.
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Zhongwen began to refute. He quietly told the old Prince Ning that he had long promised to bring Ming Zhu back and enfeoff her as a county princess. He had already submitted the memorial for enfeoffment. Brother Yun had already married and lived in harmony with his wife, never having a quarrel. They were a perfect match, so he had also submitted a memorial to enfeoff her as the Heir Apparent’s consort. As for marrying another wife for Brother Yun, that should be dropped.
“Absolutely not!” The old Prince Ning was furious. “I will go to the palace immediately. The decision of who to enfeoff as the Heir Apparent’s consort is the prerogative of our Prince’s manor. Even the Emperor cannot interfere with that.”
This was the truth. The Emperor might have a word or two to say about the enfeoffment of a prince’s heir. Other matters could be opined upon. However, he truly could not interfere excessively. No matter what, Emperor Yongxing had to consult the old Prince Ning’s wishes. If he disagreed, the subsequent enfeoffment would not proceed.
While they were fiercely debating, the Princess Consort Ning came up with a good idea. Seizing the opportunity, she instructed a trusted嬷嬷 to send out a small, two-person palanquin. It headed directly towards the scholar’s mansion.
At this moment, Su Xiao Qi had just comforted Madam Zhao. She then heard that someone from Prince Ning’s manor had arrived. Su Xiao Qi, half-believing, went out to see a green-canopied, two-person palanquin stopped before her. The accompanying Madam Huang waved her silk handkerchief, seeking merit in front of Su Xiao Qi. She claimed that the old Prince Ning of Prince Ning’s manor disliked her fundamentally. Regardless of how Prince Ning and the Heir Apparent pleaded, he refused to allow Su Xiao Qi into the manor. He wouldn't even permit her as a concubine. It was only after their Princess Consort interceded on her behalf that he agreed to let her enter the manor as a concubine.
“Don’t worry, Madam Su. You have the Heir Apparent’s favor. Work hard and give birth to a little Heir Apparent. Our Princess Consort will definitely speak for you again and help you get enfeoffed as a secondary consort. By then, no one will dare to bring up your background.” Madam Huang looked as if she was genuinely concerned for Su Xiao Qi, making Su Xiao Qi feel nauseated.
Infuriated, she laughed coldly, “Do I care to enter your Prince Ning’s manor as a concubine?”
“Oh, little lady, why do you speak like that? Prince Ning’s manor is no ordinary place; it is a renowned establishment in the entire capital. Even being a concubine there is better than being the main wife in a noble family.”
Su Xiao Qi looked at Madam Huang before her, feeling there was nothing more to discuss. The two were simply not on the same wavelength. It was like talking to a wall. Realizing this, Su Xiao Qi directly sent her away. The damnable Prince Ning’s manor, whoever wanted to live there could, she thought with disgust. Hmph, and they wanted her to be a concubine? She owned plenty of residences; she didn't need to live in their prince’s manor.
Su Xiao Qi’s negotiation had failed, and Prince Ning’s manor had not succeeded either. Shen Yun’s enfeoffment as the Heir Apparent of Prince Ning’s manor was a decree personally issued by the Emperor and could not be changed. The memorial for Shen Ming Zhu’s enfeoffment as a county princess had already been submitted to the palace, and a result would soon follow. However, the matter of Su Xiao Qi becoming the Heir Apparent’s consort remained undecided. Thus, Shen Yun returned.
The old Prince Ning was furious. Prince Ning personally went to persuade him, but it was of no use. Instead, he was severely berated. The old Prince Ning’s stubbornness was notorious, and as he grew older, his temper became even more obstinate. He believed he had already compromised, not only allowing Shen Ming Zhu to enter the manor but also permitting Su Xiao Qi to follow Shen Yun. However, regarding the matter of status, he refused to yield under any circumstances.
Shen Zhongwen, as his son, came not to convince Shen Yun to obey him, but rather to persuade his father on Shen Yun’s behalf. The old Prince Ning was angered. This son had obeyed him for most of his life. His only act of defiance was leaving the capital to marry Zhao Shi, the daughter of a poor rural scholar. But in the end, he was brought back in his own way. Unexpectedly, this time he was again defying him because of Zhao Shi’s children. It seemed that Zhao Shi was his counter-destiny.
With this thought, the old Prince Ning’s dislike for Su Xiao Qi, who shared Zhao Shi’s background, intensified. He firmly refused to allow her to be the Heir Apparent’s consort.
Shen Zhongwen returned disheartened after being severely scolded. He encountered the Princess Consort Ning on his way. Thinking about these matters, Shen Zhongwen felt agitated and turned to leave. However, the Princess Consort Ning stepped forward and stopped him: “My Lord, are you determined to let that woman enter the manor as the Heir Apparent’s consort?” Now that Shen Yun was the Heir Apparent, the biggest issue was the matter of the Heir Apparent’s consort.
Shen Zhongwen was incredibly resolute. The more he recalled past events, the more he felt that Shen Yun could not repeat his past mistakes. Moreover, in the current Prince Ning’s manor, he, the Prince, was like a puppet controlled by fate. He was tired. Some things in life could be let go, but some matters required persistence. He felt they had to find a way to preserve something. In the past, his memory was deficient, and he could not recall many things, making him appear detached and indifferent. Thus, he could readily comply with fate’s commands. But now it was different. He finally had people and matters he cared about. He was willing to gamble for them, even if it meant opposing his own father.
“My Lord, leave this matter to your concubine.” The Princess Consort Ning, sensing Prince Ning’s thoughts, volunteered to handle it. Shen Zhongwen looked at the Princess Consort Ning with some surprise, finding it incredible. As detached as he was, he knew that Shen Yun was not the Princess Consort’s biological son. His heart would surely be elsewhere. Logically, she should resent him or refuse. Yet now, she was actively helping him persuade the old Prince Ning. The thought alone seemed impossible. But the Princess Consort Ning went. And she succeeded.
Shen Zhongwen, due to his deep distrust of the Princess Consort Ning, waited in the courtyard when he learned she was going to persuade the old Prince Ning. He wanted to know the result immediately and also ask her how she managed to persuade him.
“The old Prince has agreed to let Madam Su enter the manor. But the matter of the Heir Apparent’s consort still needs careful consideration.” The Princess Consort Ning, seeing Shen Zhongwen’s look of dissatisfaction, said, “My Lord, do not be anxious. Since fate has already agreed to this, it means there is great potential.” The Princess Consort Ning’s intention was to let Su Xiao Qi enter the manor first, not as a concubine, but simply as Shen Yun’s wife. However, the enfeoffment of the Heir Apparent’s consort should be postponed. Once she gave birth to a child for Prince Ning’s manor, she would then seek enfeoffment for that reason. The old Prince Ning, who always prioritized descendants, would certainly agree. After allowing Su Xiao Qi to enter the manor, if she served the old Prince Ning with filial piety, then as they say, humans are not made of wood and stone; how could they remain unmoved?
Shen Zhongwen thought this plan was quite good. Although it could not be achieved quickly, at least it would prevent him from completely falling out with the old Prince Ning. After all, that was his own father. If it were not absolutely necessary, he did not want to fall out with him. But on the other side was his son, a son he had failed for seventeen years. His heart was now filled with the desire to compensate him. He did not want to hurt him further, nor did he want him to tread the same path he himself had taken. His heart had long been shattered. Weighing the options, the Princess Consort Ning’s stratagem of a delaying tactic was indeed feasible.