Chapter 55

Shen Ruojin took the pregnancy-maintaining medicine ^[1]a bitter herbal concoction to prevent miscarriage. from Mother Yang’s hand and drank it all in one gulp.

“The abortion medicine prepared by Doctor Chen is really getting more bitter. I always heard people say that this medicine is so bitter it makes people sick. Now I know it’s true.”

Mother Yang quickly brought tea to help Shen Ruojin rinse her mouth and offered her some plums to lift her spirits: “Young Madam, you’ve been worrying too much about the affairs of the eldest young lady and the concubines. That’s not good for your health. The prince treats you so well, and Madam has noticed that the other wives have already given birth to grandchildren. Now the most urgent thing is to take care of your body and give the prince a child as soon as possible.”

Shen Ruojin smiled bitterly. How could she not understand the situation? However, due to her recent arguments with her sister-in-law and aunt, as well as the constant news about Tao Sheng she received, her anxiety couldn’t be calmed. Her periods had never been regular, making it difficult for her to have children.

Just as Shen Ruojin was considering whether to follow Madam Shen’s advice and use a folk remedy to get pregnant, Madam Guan’s mother came to ask her to come over for an important matter.

When Shen Ruojin arrived at the main room, she noticed that Madam Guan looked very unhappy. Carefully observing her, Shen Ruojin slowly walked over and asked, concerned, “Mother, you look tired. Is it because you didn’t rest well last night?”

Madam Guan coldly replied, “How can things be fine with someone as troublesome as you?”

Shen Ruojin’s face turned even paler. She forced a smile and asked, “Why would you say that, mother?”

“Let me ask you, King Rui wants Miss Luo. Besides your mother, who else did you tell?”

Shen Ruojin stammered, “My mother has been in poor health and couldn’t discuss this with Tao Sheng, so I… I told my father and grandmother.”

“That’s fine,” Madam Guan said coldly. “But didn’t we agree that only your family would make the connection and not act recklessly? Why did you report it to the Emperor?”

Not only did they leak this uncertain matter, but they also angered the Emperor, who punished Prince Rui. Although the official statement was that Prince Rui was disrespectful to the Emperor and not filial, it was clear that his punishment was tied to the plan involving Tao Sheng.

Princess Rui had always said that the Emperor’s health was poor recently, and as his son, Prince Rui should prioritize his father’s health over recruiting new people at this time. Instead of seizing the right moment to build connections, Shen Ruojin’s family leaked the news.

Years ago, a young lady from our mansion married into Prince Rui’s house as his principal wife. Even though she was a concubine, it was a great honor for the Guan family.

Prince Rui and Princess Rui were strong supporters of the Guan family. As a girl from the Guan family, Princess Rui maintained close ties with the mansion. But after this incident, Princess Rui openly expressed her disappointment, calling her family incompetent for not handling such a small matter.

Shen Ruojin also felt deeply frustrated. Since marrying into the Guan family, she had brought many benefits to her natal family, the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion. Even Shen Yu was now more respected because of her. Yet, her family only held her back when it came to something this important.

Now, with this mistake, it would be difficult for her to hold her position in the Guan family.

At first, Shen Ruojin took some secret pleasure in thinking that Tao Sheng couldn’t marry Prince Rui. She never expected this to backfire on her.

For half a day, Shen Ruojin humbly served Madam Guan, smiling the whole time, which eventually lessened her mother-in-law’s dissatisfaction.

Shen Ruojin stayed in the main courtyard until Madam Guan finished her meal, then she returned. Although she had stood beside Madam Guan serving dishes, she hadn’t eaten a bite of the hot meal herself.

When she dragged her tired body back to her courtyard, her wet nurse reported that her father had come to the Duke’s Mansion and was waiting for her at Yin Lanxuan.

Yin Lanxuan was a pavilion located between the front and back courtyards of the Guan family. It was appropriate to meet guests here, especially one’s father.

However, Shen Yu usually liked to show off. Whenever there was something important, he would call her back home to discuss it. It was rare for him to visit her in person.

Since the incident in Ling State, the situation at the border had become tense, and the Ministry of Revenue began recalling the silver that officials had borrowed from the national treasury, asking everyone to repay the silver with interest.

Those in Wenyuan Marquis Mansion who received only salaries but had no real positions were also included in this.

The Shen family had been running a deficit for years. With only expenses and no income, such a situation nearly cost Shen Yu his life.

Because the Shen family lacked money, they had borrowed heavily from the Ministry of Revenue over the years. Shen Yu had no money of his own and had to consider his wife’s dowry. Luo Xin’s dowry was managed by people under Grand Master Luo, and Shen Yu, despite guarding a fortune, couldn’t touch a single coin.

Anxious and without options, Shen Yu had no choice but to ask Shen Ruojin for help. Already dissatisfied with her family, Shen Ruojin felt frustrated when she realized Shen Yu’s intentions and immediately refused. “When I got married, my family prepared a dowry for me. But because it was small, my in-laws complained. If my dowry had been generous, I would help my father in this emergency. But now my food, clothing, and everything else come from the Guan family. If my in-laws found out… my life would become even harder.”

“But the mansion urgently needs money, and borrowing from others is costly. We’re really struggling,” Shen Yu added, clearly in difficulty.

“It hasn’t been easy for me living in the Guan family these past years. With such a big family, including the old lady, the mistress, and the uncles and aunts from other branches, along with several troublesome concubines, things have been hard. Father has always loved me, so please consider my situation and don’t make it harder for me or the prince.”

Shen Yu, who was easily persuaded by the women in his family, saw that Shen Ruojin seemed thinner and frailer than before. Her slender figure looked like it could be blown away by a gust of wind. With her gentle words, Shen Yu quickly abandoned the idea of borrowing money from her.

“If things are really difficult for you, then it’s fine. You’ve always been smart and capable, even more so than the boys in the family. Do you have any ideas now? Can you help your father think of a solution?”

Shen Ruojin’s eyes lit up. “I heard from the prince that Tao Sheng recently received two farms from His Majesty. No matter how much she refuses, she’s still your real daughter and should do her part for the family. Tao Sheng’s household is small, and with a salary, they don’t have many expenses. I think they’re the least short of money. If you really can’t make ends meet, why not ask Tao Sheng?”