"Isn't it possible? Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"Although Mr. Shen is a good official, his family status is still a bit lower than that of the royal family, right?"
If it hadn't been for this person's shouting, no one would have dared to think about it.
The young man who just shouted this voice was surrounded by people before he could leave.
"Young man, what basis do you have for saying this?"
"Does anyone in your family work in the palace?"
"Is it possible that you know some inside information?"
The young man said: "I, I was just talking casually..."
"How can you say this casually!"
"That's right, this is no joke."
Seeing that he really couldn't escape, the young man had no choice but to say: "I was really just guessing, because I heard someone said before that the prince's engagement ceremony should be thirty-two tributes, and the wedding ceremony should be sixty-four.
"I counted just now, and there were a total of twenty-four gifts carried into Shen's mansion today, which is only one level lower than the engagement.
"In addition, everyone has also seen that today, Lady Chenglan accompanied the prince to the house.
"If the palace hadn't wanted to get married to the Shen family, I really can't think of anything else worthy of such a grand ceremony."
While everyone was still discussing outside, Li Zian and Ms. Cheng Lan had been invited to the main hall.
"I heard that Mrs. Shen was ill, and the concubine specially told me to visit her on her behalf."
Shen Zhonglei hurriedly asked someone to invite Mrs. Shen San and asked her to accompany Ms. Cheng Lan to visit Mrs. Shen.
Anyway, Mrs. Shen can't speak clearly now, and outsiders can't understand what she says. Shen Zhonglei is not afraid of her nonsense.
After Mrs. Shen San came over, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
This is the female official next to the Dowager Empress. She has never received a person of this status before, and she is afraid that she will be rude in some way.
Fortunately, Ms. Cheng Lan didn't have any airs and her attitude was very kind. With a few words, most of Mrs. Shen's nervousness dissipated.
Mrs. Shen still lives in the main courtyard, the largest part of the back house.
Apart from never coming to see Mrs. Shen again in the morning and dusk, Shen Zhonglei never treated Old Mrs. Shen harshly.
Even because Mrs. Shen was bedridden, she specially added a lot of servants to her courtyard.
When Mrs. Shen San accompanied Ms. Cheng Lan over, Grandma Liu had already received the news and was waiting at the entrance of the courtyard with her people.
"Old slave has met the female officer Cheng Lan and the third lady."
Aunt Liu used to have a lot of fun fighting for power and favor, but now she is accompanying the moody old Mrs. Shen every day, and she has long since lost her previous energy.
Normally, Mrs. Shen had left all the matters around her to the people below her, and she had long since given up on everything.
Today I also heard that the female official Cheng Lan came to visit Mrs. Shen on behalf of the concubine, so she quickly changed her clothes and ran over to greet her.
While leading the two of them inside, Aunt Liu said: "Ms. Cheng Lan, my old lady has had a bad temper since she got sick. If I am rude in any way, I hope you will bear with me."
"This is natural. People who have been ill for a long time usually have a bad temper.
"Mrs. Shen is both an elder and a patient. How could I care about her?"
While talking, three people had already entered the main room.
Although Old Mrs. Shen is bedridden, there is no peculiar smell in the room because she serves many people and washes and ventilates the room frequently.
When she heard footsteps at the door, Mrs. Shen lay motionless on the bed.
She has become somewhat resigned to her fate now, and it is difficult for everything around her to arouse her emotions.
Until Nanny Liu walked to the bedside, bent down and said: "Old lady, the female officer Cheng Lan who is beside Concubine Fengrong has come to see you."
Official Cheng Lan?
Mrs. Shen had no idea who this person was.
But after a little reaction, Princess Fengrong still knew.
She turned her head and looked towards the bed with great effort, and saw a woman who looked to be in her thirties, with an oval face and a dignified appearance.
She is wearing an elegant bamboo-green palace dress that does not deliberately outline her waist, and even has a somewhat pure and refined look.
She is truly worthy of being the person next to Concubine Fengrong.
But why did Princess Fengrong suddenly send someone to see her?
Old Mrs. Shen was wondering in her heart when she heard Female Officer Cheng Lan say, "I have met Old Mrs. Shen. I am accompanying the Crown Prince to give you a gift and come to visit you on the orders of the Dowager Empress."
Giving a holiday gift? Mrs. Shen became more and more confused now.
She lay down every day and her life was in a state of confusion.
What day is today?
Besides, even if it was a holiday, only Shen Zhonglei could go to the palace to give gifts. How could the Crown Prince come to give gifts to the Shen family in person?
Old Mrs. Shen was wondering when she heard the official Cheng Lan say: "Miss Shen is well-educated, gentle and virtuous. She is loved by both the Dowager Empress and the Princess. Even the prince is full of praise for Miss Shen. The county The Lord is even closer to Miss Shen as a sister.
"The Concubine had praised her before, saying that one look at Miss Shen's character and knew that the Shen family must have a strict family tradition.
"Before the crowning ceremony of the Crown Prince, the Dowager Empress said that she would invite you to the palace as a guest sometime. Who would have thought that you would fall ill all of a sudden.
"That's why the concubine ordered me to come and visit you, and also brought you some fine medicinal materials from the palace's inner treasury.
"The Concubine also said that from now on, when the two families get married, they will both be her own.
"If you eat these herbs well, don't be polite. You can just ask someone to go to the palace to get them later."
"Get... get married?" Old Mrs. Shen was shocked. She thought she had heard wrongly and turned to look at Grandma Liu.
Aunt Liu took out her handkerchief, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and said with a smile: "Isn't that right? You should take good care of yourself and try to get better after the new year, so that you can participate in the wedding between the prince and our eldest daughter. Engagement ceremony."
Old Mrs. Shen was so anxious that she stretched out her only movable arm and grabbed Nanny Liu's hand.
But the more anxious she became, the more speechless she became. She could only make purring sounds, and her saliva kept flowing out.
Aunt Liu felt so disgusted that she still had a smile on her face and wiped the corners of her mouth.
"The old lady is so happy and confused!"
Seeing this, Female Officer Cheng Lan stood up and said, "Then I won't disturb Mrs. Shen's rest. I will visit her again when I have time."
As she spoke, she asked the attendants behind her to put down several boxes, which contained the finest medicinal materials brought from the palace. .
Old Mrs. Shen was shocked and angry. Who said that the Shen family was going to marry Prince Rui?
She had clearly selected several disciples from aristocratic families in the capital, all of whom were good enough to match Shen Tianshu in terms of age and other conditions.
The most important thing is that their family can provide further help to Shen Zhonglei.
If he were to marry Prince Rui now, wouldn't Shen Zhonglei be trapped in this one-third of an acre of land in Huguang for the rest of his life?
