Yuanyuan’s words were heard loud and clear by everyone outside!
Everyone’s expressions instantly turned colorful.
Some thought this drama was absolutely juicy and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Some were afraid of being resented by Murong Yan and the Third Princess’s household…
At that moment, Murong Yan on the bed also woke up.
She had thought she was dreaming.
Although she didn’t know why she would have such a dream, she… didn’t reject it…
When she opened her eyes with some satisfaction, she discovered that it wasn’t a dream at all.
The man was real…
Her purity had been ruined?
Murong Yan felt as if she’d been struck by lightning, her mind going completely blank.
She turned her head mechanically and then saw Yuanyuan flashing her a mocking smile.
She immediately understood.
“Ahhhhhhh—”
Murong Yan’s scream pierced the night sky, drawing even more people over.
The traveling palace was very lively tonight.
Everyone had heard about an engagement.
It turned out that County Mistress Murong Yan and Sheng Mingjian were already betrothed.
Tonight, the two young people had a bit to drink and acted on impulse — dry wood and raging fire…
In short, their wedding was set for three months from now.
There was also an old nanny who slipped and fell into the water tonight, drowning…
Of course, few people cared about such a trivial matter.
Everyone was congratulating the Murong and Sheng families, but in their hearts, they had plenty of thoughts.
Anyone who could appear here was no fool.
If anyone said there was nothing fishy about tonight’s events, no one would believe it.
But no matter who set up whom, Murong Yan had lost.
Rumor had it that after Murong Yan screamed, she vomited a large mouthful of blood and fainted.
After being revived by the imperial physician, she lay motionless and silent. The physician said she was “suffering from shock” and would recover after some time…
The carefully cultivated County Mistress of the Murong family — was this all she amounted to?
Some people looked down on the Murong family in their hearts.
The happiest person about this matter was undoubtedly Sheng Yong.
Sheng Yong was grinning from ear to ear. Although the process tonight was unsavory, the result was quite good.
His son could marry a County Mistress. As long as he scored well in the year-end exams, he wouldn’t need to worry about the Murong family not promoting him.
As for reputation, in matters like this, the woman suffered, but the man’s side wouldn’t be affected much.
In short, the Sheng family had come out ahead.
Sheng Mingzhu, on the other hand, was so angry she felt dizzy and even snapped a fingernail…
Sheng Mingjian had clearly said he liked her and wanted to marry her.
Yet in the blink of an eye, he’d hooked up with Murong Yan?
What did Sheng Mingjian take her for?
Although Sheng Mingzhu had already gotten together with Zhu Qisheng and didn’t take Sheng Mingjian too seriously either.
Sheng Mingzhu still felt furious and utterly humiliated!
Meanwhile, Sheng Minmin, Sheng Mingshu, and Duanmu Rui were overjoyed.
They had let Sheng Mingjian and Murong Yan reap the bitter consequences of their own actions, creating a pair of resentful spouses, and their hearts felt much lighter.
When Sheng Mingshu first heard his legal mother tell him about Sheng Mingjian and Murong Yan’s plan, he was a bit confused. Later, he figured out — could it be that the Princess had feelings for him?
Just now, hiding under the bed, he’d heard that old nanny imitate his voice and say those things to the Princess, and Sheng Mingshu was completely certain.
He had never imagined the Princess would fall for him.
At midnight, in the quiet of the night, the two met at the racecourse on the back hill.
Sheng Mingshu was very nervous, and so was Duanmu Rui.
Duanmu Rui knew she couldn’t hide her feelings for him anymore. Since she couldn’t hide it, she wouldn’t.
Duanmu Rui wasn’t one to drag things out, so she simply invited him out.
Kicking a pebble under her foot, she steeled herself and looked at Sheng Mingshu.
“You probably know… how I feel by now…”
“Yeah…”
Even under the moonlight, Sheng Mingshu’s face could be seen turning red.
“So… what do you think of me?”
What did he think?
The Princess’s favor made Sheng Mingshu feel deeply honored, and also excited and thrilled…
Deep in his heart, he had always admired the Princess greatly.
The Princess had a noble status but never used her power to bully others.
The Princess was kind-hearted and sincere, like a brilliant pearl radiating dazzling light.
Such a person naturally attracted others’ attention.
But Sheng Mingshu couldn’t tell whether this happiness came more from vanity and self-interest, or from his true heart.
Without a doubt, if he could marry the Princess, his “dear father” would certainly focus on cultivating him.
His “dear eldest brother” and “dear third brother” would no longer dare to move against him.
His status in the Sheng family would rise sharply, surpassing Sheng Mingjian.
If he entered officialdom, he might also save twenty years of detours compared to others.
Then his birth mother, Concubine Ruan, could finally hold her head up high!
The benefits Duanmu Rui could bring him exceeded his imagination.
For a moment, Sheng Mingshu was deeply tempted.
But this wasn’t fair to Duanmu Rui.
If he couldn’t return the same genuine feelings, he felt he would owe Duanmu Rui.
If he married Duanmu Rui for the benefits she could bring, he would become a person consumed by greed.
That version of him would be no different from the “dear father” he despised and the two “dear brothers” he hated.
He didn’t want to become someone like them.
Sheng Mingjian then thought of his legal mother.
Sheng Yong had schemed against the Huang family back then — though there was no concrete evidence, Sheng Mingshu felt the Huang family tragedy was very likely connected to Sheng Yong.
Sheng Yong had no genuine feelings for his legal mother, only calculation.
That was why his legal mother had to deal with Sheng Yong.
His legal mother even loathed the sons she’d borne with Sheng Yong, who were so similar in character to him…
If he agreed to Duanmu Rui purely for benefits, deliberately scheming to marry her.
Would Duanmu Rui’s love for him eventually turn into hatred?
After much thought, Sheng Mingshu felt he needed time to determine his true feelings.
Sheng Mingshu took a breath, organized his thoughts, and told all of this to Duanmu Rui.
Honestly, the more Duanmu Rui listened, the happier she felt.
If he’d had ulterior motives, he could have gotten everything just by going along with her.
But Sheng Mingshu didn’t, which proved she hadn’t misjudged him!
Sheng Mingshu was a rare gentleman.
Her heart felt sweet.
“After the metropolitan exam and the palace exam, I’ll wait for you to tell me how you feel.”
After Duanmu Rui finished speaking, she ran off shyly, taking Yuanyuan from the shadows back to her own courtyard.
Only when she returned did she discover her mother, the Grand Princess, was waiting for her in her room.
After Murong Yan and Sheng Mingjian’s engagement was settled, Duanmu Rui had told the Grand Princess everything that had happened.
The Grand Princess was both angry and relieved.
Angry that her daughter hadn’t told her about such a big matter at all.
Fortunately, it turned out fine in the end, and they’d even turned the tables on Murong Yan, making her suffer a huge loss. The Grand Princess was also relieved that her child had grown up.
But the Grand Princess still worried about her daughter, afraid that the Third Princess and Murong Yan might retaliate secretly, so she’d secretly sent two of her own shadow guards to protect her daughter.
Little did she expect that in the middle of the night, her daughter would sneak out to meet Sheng Mingshu…
The shadow guards returned quickly, and the Grand Princess had already heard the content of their conversation from them.
The Grand Princess felt incredibly conflicted.
