Chapter 64

Old Madam Shen was holding her chest, looking uncomfortable. Shen Ruojin noticed this and pretended to “wake up slowly.”

She held her grandmother, tears on her face, appearing as if she had been badly treated. If Guan Muyun had been there, he would have felt very sorry for her.

Unfortunately, Guan Muyun wasn’t there today. Shen Ruojin looked around and saw that only Mrs. Guan, whom she usually disrespected, was there for support.

She had made many friends over the years, but Tao Sheng rarely appeared. Most thought she must have a better relationship with Lord Luo than Tao Sheng, but nothing had happened.

With no outside help, they could only rely on their own people. Shen Ruojin noticed Amber, Old Madam Shen’s smartest maid, was with them.

She straightened her expression and told Amber, “Grandmother has always been sick and can’t handle this anger. Please help.”

Amber stepped forward, looking nervous: “Madam, young lady, there are three princesses at the banquet today. Even though I haven’t been to school much, I’ve listened to operas with you. It would be very disrespectful to deceive the princesses. I don’t know how to start.”

Shen Ruojin felt something was off: “What do you mean?”

Amber glanced at Old Madam Shen and said, “I’m too timid to speak carelessly, especially not to deceive the princess. I hope the old lady and the second young lady understand.”

“You mean I lied?” Old Madam Shen asked sharply. “Who gave you the courage to speak like this?”

Princess He’en, having rested enough, put down her teacup and stood up: “Lord Luo came to the flower-viewing party with the emperor’s approval. I will tell the emperor about this commotion. If you help the Shen family deceive, it is still disrespectful. You could be punished. Think carefully.”

Amber looked at Old Madam Shen and Shen Ruojin and finally said, “Princess, I didn’t intend to deceive. When Miss Shen found out that Miss Luo had been found, she got very sick. Later, the old lady and master decided to join the selection for the East Palace companion, so they delayed recognizing Miss Shen.”

“After Miss Shen recovered and became a companion to the Eastern Palace, the old lady remembered Miss Luo. But they thought Miss Tao Sheng was just a girl from the countryside and feared she would bring shame to the family if adopted, so they considered adopting her as a daughter. If that didn’t work, they would say they were twins born to the lady that year.”

Princess He’en frowned.

Just now, she noticed something strange when she heard about Ruojin pretending to be sick.

After Shen Ruojin became the tutor in the Eastern Palace, there were no reports of her being ill.

This means Shen Ruojin knew the truth before participating in the selection. In other words, the Shen family knew Shen Ruojin’s identity was fake but still let her participate as the legitimate daughter.

If this is confirmed, the Shen family will face severe consequences.

Old Madam Shen laughed angrily: “Even if what you said is true, children should obey their elders. She doesn’t want to be recognized for various reasons and doesn’t listen to her elders. Isn’t that the truth?”

“But Miss Luo didn’t say that at first,” Amber replied. “She wasn’t upset. She just thought about how her adoptive parents had passed away and didn’t have any other children. She wanted to take care of their affairs as their daughter after their death, and honor them by burning incense every year. This shows how loyal she is.”

After Amber’s reminder, everyone remembered that even though Lord Luo’s adoptive parents had returned, they had been missing for years and treated as deceased. In this situation, Tao Sheng didn’t rush back to the Marquis’ Mansion, showing her affection for her adoptive parents.

Madam Shen refused to give up and asked, “When she saw her biological father’s car, she didn’t even move or say hello. Could it be that she was doing this for her adoptive parents?”

“I know the girl used to respect the Marquis,” Amber said. “If the family hadn’t forced her to marry, and if she didn’t agree, she wouldn’t have been allowed back and would have cut ties with them. Why would she behave like this?”

“Forced to marry?” Princess Heqing widened her eyes. Could it involve Prince Rui? This was a royal secret, making it inappropriate to discuss.

But Amber explained, “Back then, the second young lady fell in love with the prince of Lingguo, but she was already engaged to the prince of Changxing Marquis’s mansion. The family had to explain to the Changxing Marquis’s family.”

“So they forced Miss Luo to get engaged to the Marquis of Changxing, thinking it was a great favor. Miss Luo didn’t want to, leading to a falling out with the Marquis. The old lady also said the family would no longer have a relationship with her. Since there’s no relationship anymore, the Marquis is no longer her father, and Miss Luo’s behavior is justified.”

Everyone knows what kind of person the Prince of Changxing is. If Tao Sheng had married him, she probably wouldn’t be who she is today.

This family not only favored Shen Ruojin but also tried to force a husband on Tao Sheng that she didn’t want. This was truly unfair.

Now that they have cut ties, he still has the nerve to ask Tao Sheng for money. How shameless can one be!

“It’s nonsense to say that the young lady is unfilial.” Amber said calmly. “The young lady misses her mother, but the old Madam and the Master won’t let her return, so she can only meet her privately. When the second young lady Shen was getting married, the Madam was not well, and it was Miss Tao Sheng who took care of her.”

The ladies with daughters were moved by this. The husband’s family wouldn’t allow their daughter to come back, keeping a fake daughter who wasn’t related by blood. As the wife of a marquis, Luo Xin had to sneak around to see her daughter, which was very sad.

Thinking of her youngest daughter who just got married, Princess He’en even started to cry.

Old Madam Shen finally realized something was wrong: “You have only been in the mansion for two years. How can you know about events from years ago? It seems your words are nonsense.”

“Hasn’t there been enough talk about these issues in the family?” Amber replied. “Not just me, but even Agate and Peony, who came later, heard a lot from their mothers and know all about this. Old Madam, justice is in the hearts of the people. Miss Luo is your granddaughter. You can’t treat her like this; otherwise, you won’t be able to explain it to the old marquis in the afterlife. While there’s still a chance to make things right, you should admit it.”

Old Madam Shen was so angry she almost fell over: “You are slandering me!”

“My princess, you are wise,” Amber said, bowing to Princess He’en. “Whether I am slandering you or not, you can ask the mistress, the mistress, and other servants who know about this. Even if we go to court, I will give the same testimony.”