Chapter 47 Inquiry

The Ning Consort’s words at the banquet surprised all the noblewomen and young ladies present.

By formally accepting the Shu family’s divorced daughter as her goddaughter, what exactly did the Ning Consort mean?

They initially thought today was simply for the Prince Shinzi to see, and when they saw the Shu family’s divorced daughter had come, they were curious.

But they didn’t expect this turn of events!

People couldn’t help but think back to the recent rumors.

However, they didn’t believe them. Although the Prince Shinzi was refined, he wasn’t known for womanizing. Moreover, when the Shu family’s daughter had already married into the Anding Marquis family, the women in the secluded mansion were still at their husband’s home. They knew it wasn’t easy to have contact with men outside.

Now that the Ning Consort had recognized the Shu family’s daughter as her goddaughter, there was nothing more to say.

Thinking back to the Ning Consort’s resolute refusal to let the Prince Shinzi take a concubine and the Shu family’s daughter’s boldness in divorcing while pregnant and having her daughter listed in the family tree, it seemed somewhat fitting.

They could understand and offered their blessings to the Ning Consort and Mrs. Shu.

The purpose of today’s banquet had been achieved, and the Ning Consort was very satisfied, happily ending the event.

On the way back, they met Madam Qiao again. Madam Qiao still had a sour expression and said, “If I hadn’t spoken to you at the door and met the Queen, would your daughter have become the Queen’s goddaughter?”

Mrs. Shu was about to retort, but Shu Yuwan stepped forward with a smile, “Madam is right, thank you! I will send a thank-you gift in the future!”

Madam Qiao became even more upset and left in a huff.

Shu Yuwan politely bid farewell, making Madam Qiao feel a bit embarrassed.

Mrs. Shu said, “Why bother with her? She just can’t stand to see me doing well!”

Shu Yuwan smiled, “Having someone to banter with like this adds some fun to your outings, doesn’t it, Mother?”

…

On the other side, the Ning Consort happily ended the banquet. The Prince Shinzi came over and said, “Mother, didn’t you say that after the banquet ended today, you would give me an answer after seeing Shu Yuwan?”

The Ning Consort nodded indifferently, “I can give you an answer now. I have accepted Shu Yuwan as my goddaughter at today’s banquet.”

Upon hearing this, the Prince Shinzi’s face turned pale, showing anger and a sense of being deceived, “Fine, this is your answer. I will never marry then!”

The Ning Consort, unmoved by her son’s anger, said, “Shu Yuwan is a good girl from the Shu family, but she is not suitable to be your wife. If you marry a divorced woman with a daughter, you will be the subject of ridicule for life!”

“I don’t care!!!”

“I do!” the Ning Consort said angrily.

“Do you really think your father has only one son like you?”

“He still has a illegitimate child in Yangzhou! If you marry a woman with such a background, I’m afraid even the royal relatives won’t stand for it. In the future, when your father entrusts that illegitimate child to inherit the throne, there will be leverage.”

The Prince Shinzi was shocked. He actually had a half-brother from an affair in Yangzhou. At the same time, he found it normal. Over the years, his father had been lenient everywhere, while his mother followed behind to clean up the mess. His father had been secretive and had some omissions, which seemed normal.

At that moment, he vowed never to be like his father. Shu Yuwan was enough for him. If he married her, he would never let her down.

But now, it seemed he didn’t have that chance: “I don’t care about the position of the prince!”

The Prince Shinzi turned and left.

The Ning Consort remained behind and said, “You don’t care? Do you think if an illegitimate child inherits the throne, your legitimate son will have a way out?”

Prince Shinzi left the Mansion and wandered outside. Finally, he arrived at the courtyard next to Shu Yuwan’s.

Shu Yuwan heard Qing Dai report for the third time that the Prince Shinzi was lingering outside.

She led Qing Dai and others to open the courtyard gate.

The Prince Shinzi’s eyes lit up when he saw Shu Yuwan.

Shu Yuwan bowed, “Prince.”

“But what did the Ning Consort instruct you to convey, Brother?”

The Prince Shinzi shook his head, “Miss Shu Yuwan, I came to ask you…”

Shu Yuwan interrupted, “Since it’s a message from the Queen, Brother, please come in.”

The Prince Shinzi stopped talking, knowing the doorway wasn’t the place for conversation, and followed Shu Yuwan into the courtyard.

Once inside, Shu Yuwan’s expression turned cold. When they reached the hall, everyone else had left, leaving only Qing Dai and other trusted aides by her side. Shu Yuwan said calmly, “Prince, do you know that I am a divorced woman? If you, as the prince, associate with me, my reputation will only get worse.”

The Prince Shinzi, now somewhat sober, apologized, “I’m sorry, I just found out today that Mother has accepted you as her goddaughter, and I lost my composure.”

“It is my honor to be the Queen’s goddaughter.”

“But, but, I cannot marry you…”

Although the Prince Shinzi’s behavior was inappropriate, Shu Yuwan was surprised by his straightforwardness. She also saw that the Prince Shinzi was very upset. She didn’t have those feelings for him and didn’t understand why he wanted to marry a divorced woman like her. She asked, “Prince, why do you want to marry me?”

The Prince Shinzi smiled bitterly, “It seems you don’t remember me at all.”

“Do you remember the young man named XiaoShinzi you met by the moat during the Lantern Festival?”

Upon hearing the Prince Shinzi’s words, a vague memory flooded Shu Yuwan’s mind. It was when she was around twelve or thirteen years old, accompanying her two brothers to see the lanterns, and she encountered a young man contemplating suicide by the moat. She had persuaded him not to.

Seeing the Prince Shinzi’s hopeful eyes, Shu Yuwan asked, “Are you that young man?”

“Exactly!” The Prince Shinzi was delighted that Shu Yuwan remembered.

He recounted the situation back then, “At that time, Father fell in love with a maid named Chunxiu, kept her secretly, and she became pregnant. When Mother found out, she went and killed the maid. Father wanted to kill Mother and me, sacrificing them for his beloved woman. The guards around me took me out of the mansion. At that time, I couldn’t understand why Father and Mother were always in conflict. Father even wanted to kill me. If it weren’t for you, I might have jumped into the moat. I’ve always remembered you since then. But later, Mother sent me to Qingzhou, and we were separated for many years. Although I often followed your news, the distance made communication slow. When you got married, I found out. I thought we had no fate in this life, but seeing you doing well made me happy. However, An Shaoyu didn’t cherish you, mistaking pearls for fish eyes.”

“But this also gave me a chance. I want to marry you, to protect you by your side in the future. I don’t care what others think or see. I will treat Wenyue as my own daughter and love her as such. For me, your daughter is my daughter.”

“Will you, will you?”