Chapter 7: Explanation

Shen Tang turned to the spirited Second Master Xie, who was sitting astride his horse.

Xie Guiyin was indeed curious about what Shen Tang wanted to say.

However, despite his curiosity, he didn’t forget that he was here to escort the bride in place of his elder brother. “My elder brother is waiting for the auspicious ceremony. If you have anything to say, Second Miss Shen, you can wait until you enter our Prince Jingyang’s Manor.”

Shen Tang replied, “No one from the Pingyuan Marquis Manor will be getting into your Prince Jingyang’s palanquin today. Please leave.”

Xie Guiyin furrowed his brow.

Nanny Sun  had assumed that Shen Tang was upset about taking Shen Juan’s place and was going to make a few demands before getting into the palanquin. So, she hadn’t stopped her. However, she hadn’t expected Second Miss to refuse the marriage altogether.

Second Madam had been worried that Second Miss would cause trouble and had sent Nanny Sun  to watch her. Seeing that Second Miss was behaving well, she had thought that Second Madam was being overly cautious. She hadn’t imagined that Second Miss’s docile behavior was merely a way to lull everyone into a false sense of security.

Did Second Miss even know what she was doing?!

Xie Guiyin, sitting on his horse, suddenly laughed. “Second Miss Shen, do you know what the consequences will be for tricking our Prince Jingyang’s Manor?”

Shen Tang remained unfazed, calmly replying, “You don’t need to remind me, Second Master Xie. I know about the power of Prince Jingyang’s Manor.”

“The palanquin will return empty because your elder brother doesn’t need the auspicious ceremony. He will wake up before tonight.”

Xie Guiyin said, “Are you so certain, Second Miss Shen? What if my elder brother doesn’t wake up without the auspicious ceremony?”

“If he doesn’t wake up, I, Shen Tang, will accompany him in death!”

Shen Tang’s voice was clear and resolute, echoing through the air.

The bustling scene at the gate instantly fell silent.

Everyone was speechless, exchanging bewildered glances.

Although Xie Guiyin was the one who came to escort the bride today, Chen Qi, Xie Guimo’s bodyguard, was also present. He was puzzled. “Second Miss Shen, you’re so confident that you’re willing to bet your life on our Master waking up. Why are you unwilling to get into Prince Jingyang’s palanquin?”

Shen Tang replied, “My Eldest Sister is the one betrothed to your Master. If the auspicious ceremony doesn’t work, I will become a widow. It’s fine if I marry, but since your Master will be fine, how will my sister and I get along afterward?”

“My Eldest Sister is the closest person to me in this world. I cannot, knowing that your Master will be fine, steal her marriage.”

Chen Qi said, “Master is still unconscious now. How can Second Miss Shen be so certain that he will be fine?”

“We were ordered to escort the bride, and Second Miss Shen has sent us back with just a few words. If the Prince punishes us, we can’t bear the consequences.”

It seemed that no matter what she said, they would force her into the palanquin.

Shen Tang pulled out the gold hairpin from her hair and stabbed it into her arm.

Blood immediately stained her wedding gown, dripping onto the ground.

Shen Tang, enduring the trembling in her forehead, asked Chen Qi, “Is that enough for you to go back and report to Prince Jingyang?”

Chen Qi was startled. He hadn’t expected Shen Tang to be so resolute. Fearing that she might do something more drastic, he quickly said, “Enough, enough…”

Shen Tang pulled out the hairpin and threw it at Chen Qi’s feet.

The hairpin struck the stone ground, making a clear clinking sound.

Shen Tang, clutching her arm, turned and walked back into the manor.

Ginkgo  supported her, her face pale. Shen Tang said, “Take me to the ancestral hall.”

Shen Sui, Second Master, and Third Master were all in Pine Crane Hall. When they learned that Shen Tang had refused the marriage, they rushed to the front gate, but by the time they arrived, Prince Jingyang’s palanquin was already gone.

Upon learning that Shen Tang had gone to the ancestral hall, Shen Sui went to find her. As he entered the courtyard, he saw Shen Tang, dressed in her wedding gown, kneeling outside the ancestral hall.

Not only Shen Sui but also Second Madam and the others had come to the ancestral hall. Seeing Shen Tang, Second Madam was furious. Her lips trembled as she spat out, “If you don’t want to take her place, you can just say it directly. No one will force you. Why do you have to make the entire Pingyuan Marquis Manor suffer because of your unhappiness?!”

How many times had she been forced to take her sister’s place?

A mocking smile curled Shen Tang’s lips. “Second Aunt, aren’t you curious why I dared to bet my life and refuse to get into Prince Jingyang’s palanquin?”

Second Madam was about to explode with anger. She suppressed her urge to strike her and said, “Why did you do this?”

Shen Tang’s gaze swept over Second Madam’s face before she turned to Shen Sui. “Father, I will kneel here in the ancestral hall until Prince Jingyang’s son wakes up.”

“When he wakes up, I will tell you.”

The way she was keeping them in suspense was infuriating. Second Madam’s nails, painted with bright red vermilion, dug into her flesh as she suppressed her urge to attack.

She had never been so angered by anyone before. She had asked why Shen Tang had done this, but Shen Tang refused to answer. Was she mocking her?!

But Shen Sui was present, so she could only hold back her anger.

Shen Tang knelt there, her posture straight.

Her arm was still bleeding.

Shen Sui didn’t know why his daughter had done this, but he knew that she wasn’t a capricious person. No matter how impulsive she was, she wouldn’t say that she would accompany someone in death.

Prince Jingyang’s palanquin had already left. Now, there was nothing else they could do except pray for the Prince’s son to recover.

Shen Sui said nothing and turned to leave.

Since he didn’t say anything, the others could only follow suit.

After Shen Sui and the others left, a younger maid brought over some wound medicine. Ginkgo carefully lifted the wedding gown from Shen Tang’s arm and applied the medicine to stop the bleeding.

The wound wasn’t large, but it had bled quite a bit, making it look frightening.

But what was even more frightening was whether Prince Jingyang’s son would wake up.

Ginkgo ‘s tears streamed down her face. “What if Prince Jingyang’s son really dies, Miss? You’ll…”

The words “be dead” rolled around in her throat but never came out.

Shen Tang chuckled, “He won’t die, and neither will I.”

It was just that she would have to endure this physical pain for now.

The city was under curfew at night, and news of Prince Jingyang’s son’s recovery wouldn’t reach the mansion immediately. She would have to kneel until tomorrow morning.

But thinking of her mother’s suffering, her missing brother, and her second brother who had been buried alive, she had to make her father believe that the Second Branch was harboring ill intentions towards him.

As long as she could make her father believe, even if it was just planting a seed of doubt, her suffering wouldn’t be in vain.

However, Shen Tang, who had been pampered and raised in luxury, had never endured such hardship. After kneeling for a while, her knees felt like they weren’t her own anymore. Coupled with the throbbing pain in her arm, the ordeal was excruciating.

Shen Tang had mentally prepared herself to kneel for the entire night, but to her surprise, before noon, her father arrived and helped her up from the ground. She was struggling to stay upright.

Shen Tang’s eyes welled up, thinking that her father was feeling sorry for her, that even though she had made such a mistake, he couldn’t bear to see her kneel. She choked out, “Father, I’m fine…”

Shen Sui said, “Get up. Prince Jingyang’s son has woken up.”

Shen Tang, “…???”

Woken…up?

Shen Tang was stunned.

Shen Sui was so surprised that his brow furrowed.

Didn’t his daughter believe with absolute certainty that Prince Jingyang’s son would wake up?

Why was she so incredulous now that he had actually woken up?

Shen Sui didn’t know that Shen Tang wasn’t surprised that Prince Jingyang’s son had woken up, but rather that he had woken up earlier than expected, even much earlier than in her previous life, when he had woken up at night.

But this was a good thing for her, meaning she wouldn’t have to kneel anymore.

Shen Tang was overjoyed and a little speechless.

It was a good thing that even though Prince Jingyang’s Manor wasn’t able to go through the auspicious ceremony. The lack of the ceremony hadn’t delayed his recovery, and he had woken up even faster.