Union

Chapter 172 Crazy
Lin Shuqing had beautiful ideas, but these wonderful fantasies were like illusions in water, easily shattered by the slightest breeze.

When Lin Shuqing learned from her parents that Yunying had not only been freed from slavery by the Emperor but had also been granted the title of a sixth-rank concubine, her first thought was that she was hallucinating.

But then her sister said, "This is absolutely true. The imperial edict has already been issued, and Chen Yanzhou even went to the palace in person to obtain it."

Lin Shuqing was so angry that she screamed "Ah!"

She kept tearing at her hair, rummaging through her clothes and bedding, and even picked up the pregnancy-preserving medicine by the bedside and smashed the whole bowl of medicine and the bowl away.

As luck would have it, the medicine bowl smashed right onto Marquis Chang'an.

Even though Marquis Chang'an managed to dodge and avoid being hit in the face, his clothes were still soaked, making the scene rather comical.

In addition, Lin Shuqing used a lot of force, and the medicine bowl that hit her chest almost made a hole in her chest.

Marquis Chang'an winced in pain and, in a fit of rage, slapped Lin Shuqing twice across the face.

"You unfilial daughter, you have caused trouble one after another, and now you even want to kill your father? You are truly a wicked girl. The Marquis of Chang'an's family is really unlucky to have given birth to you."

Marquis Chang'an originally hoped to use this daughter to establish a relationship with the Second Prince.

The second prince had an affair with Shuqing and was morally flawed. In addition, the crown prince was handsome and dignified, and was both the eldest son and the legitimate heir, and had a great reputation in the court. The possibility of the second prince inheriting the throne was extremely slim.

But no matter what, they were still imperial grandsons and nobles.

The Chang'an Marquis's mansion has been declining in recent years. If he hadn't devised a "beauty trap" to win over the nobles in the court, the Chang'an Marquis's mansion would not have been able to maintain its current glory.

Marquis Chang'an now pins his hopes on Lin Shuqing giving birth to the eldest son of the Second Prince's household.

As long as the next heir of the Second Prince's mansion is born from Shuqing's womb, why worry about the future of the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion?

This is the Marquis of Chang'an's delusion, and it is also the reason why he has not yet sent Lin Shuqing to a temple or strangled her to death.

He had tolerated this rebellious daughter in every way, yet she had no idea what terrible trouble she had caused, nor had she reflected on her actions regarding the divorce.

She still considers herself the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Chang'an, free to act as she pleases. She is unruly, wicked, and vicious. Even if this daughter were to rise in status one day, would the Marquis of Chang'an truly receive her help?
Looking at the venomous light in Lin Shuqing's eyes, Marquis Chang'an suddenly felt disheartened and realized that he could no longer rely on his daughter.

He gasped for breath, flicked his sleeves angrily, and finally threw down the words, "You'd better watch yourself!"

Leave in a hurry.

After Marquis Chang'an left the room, his wife spoke, "I know you're upset, but that's still your father. You laid a hand on him, Qing'er, don't you even want your family anymore?"

Lin Shuqing broke down and screamed, "My family? What use is my family to me? Yes, my family gave me life and raised me, but then what? You used me to climb the social ladder, deliberately ignoring my wishes and marrying me off to the Rongguo Duke's mansion. I was unhappy after I got married there, and I told you more than once that I wanted a divorce! But you just thought I was joking, and took it all as me being impulsive. It was you who forced me to have no other choice but to abandon my shame and do such a despicable thing."

Lin Shuqing was filled with resentment and hatred; her face was contorted with hatred, and she seemed to have gone mad.

"It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made such a mess of my life, and I wouldn't be in this situation!"

How ridiculous she is now.

She was pregnant with the second prince's child, was divorced, and is temporarily staying at her parents' home, but the second prince has not shown up yet!

Where does her future lie?
Can she really turn her life around with the baby in her womb?

For the first time, Lin Shuqing felt uncertain.

She was unsure if she still had a "future," but Yunying, a maid who had risen from humble beginnings, truly did have a future.

She turned things around!

She became a sixth-rank concubine!

If they meet again, she will even have to pay her respects!

How ridiculous this world is!
How surreal this world is!
Lin Shuqing frantically tore at her hair, screaming in despair.

Thinking of her own disheveled state compared to Yunying's triumphant spirit, she felt even more devastated and violently yanked a handful of her hair, throwing it to the ground.

Then, she threw out all the things on the bed, including the quilt, pillow, sachet under the pillow, and jade pendant.

Some of those things slid to the ground, while others were flung onto Lady Chang'an and Lin Shuyu.

The two hurriedly retreated. Perhaps due to shock and her daughter's disarray, Lady Chang'an staggered. Unable to dodge in time, she was struck squarely in the eye by the jade pendant, which scratched her eye and even caused blood to seep out.

Seeing this, Lin Shuyu was extremely anxious and quickly sent someone to help Lady Chang'an out.

Lady Chang'an removed the handkerchief covering her eyes, glanced at Lin Shuqing who was still screaming and crying as if possessed, and her heart grew colder and colder.

Lady Chang'an also left, so the task of lecturing Lin Shuqing could only be left to Lin Shuyu.

Despite her anger, Lin Shuyu stayed behind to have a heart-to-heart talk with her sister.

“That Yunying is just a maid, why bother arguing with her? It only lowers your status and dignity, while giving her face.”

This was precisely the most unbelievable thing Lin Shuyu found after hearing about that absurd story.

Shuqing, a noble lady from a noble family, must have lost her mind to even notice Yunying, a mere maid.

No matter how beautiful and favored that maid was, it couldn't change her background.

She's just a maidservant, not worthy of being called elegant. Even if Chen Yanzhou favors her a bit now, how can one who uses his looks to please another last long?

On the other hand, the reason Shuqing and Chen Yanzhou divorced wasn't because Yunying interfered. Ultimately, it was because Shuqing lacked self-respect and self-love, giving others leverage over her.

Is Shuqing now regretting it, so she blames everything on that maid and is using such insidious methods to deal with her?

Lin Shuyu felt she had discovered the truth.

But this truth is really unnecessary.

Lin Shuyu gently advised Lin Shuqing, "I won't say more. You're not a child anymore; you don't need me to remind you again and again. However, Yunying is not what she used to be. Although she has no powerful backing and her background isn't prominent, she is still officially registered with His Majesty. She has also been freed from slavery and is not someone you can manipulate or treat at will. Don't cause her any more trouble in the future, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Lin Shuqing didn't say. But judging from her furrowed brows and tightly knit face, the consequences were clearly not optimistic.

Leaving aside what happened afterward, let's just talk about this time. Shuqing sent someone to cause trouble for Yunying, but the task failed, and the person she sent was arrested. Whether this matter can be resolved peacefully is still unknown.

Thinking of this, Lin Shuyu's heart clenched.

She wasn't afraid that Chen Yanzhou would retaliate against Yunying and torment Shuqing. Shuqing was already as she was; no matter how much she was tormented, she wouldn't get any worse. Besides, Shuqing's pregnancy involved royal privacy. The fact that His Majesty hadn't yet made a decision on the matter was already a statement in itself.

As a subject, Chen Yanzhou would naturally not disobey the emperor. He would not reveal that Shuqing was pregnant, thus ensuring Shuqing's safety and infallibility.

What we need to guard against now is Chen Yanzhou's rage over a woman, which could lead him to target the Marquis of Chang'an's residence.

If the Marquis's mansion falls into misfortune, she, as a married woman, will lose face, and even worse, she will be implicated and suffer in her husband's family.

Thinking of this, Lin Shuyu couldn't sit still any longer.

She got up and left Lin Shuqing's room.

When they reached the door, Lin Shuyu glanced at Lin Shuqing again.

Lin Shuqing sat on the bed in a daze, staring blankly into the air, lost in thought. Shu'er, her hands gripping the blanket tightly, her eyes filled with malice.

This shows they didn't take her words to heart.

Seeing this, Lin Shuyu sighed and didn't want to say anything more.

Man's destiny is predestined.

She did reach out to pull Shuqing back, but Shuqing was determined to do something reckless, and there was nothing she could do.

Thinking this to herself, when they returned to Lady Chang'an's courtyard, Lin Shuyu finally said, "Mother, please change the people around Shuqing again. This time, replace them with some deaf and mute people, who are stubborn and obstinate. Keep a close eye on Shuqing and don't let her act recklessly again."

Lady Chang'an nodded slightly, instructing Liu Mama to arrange the matter.

Lin Shuyu then looked into her mother's eyes.

There was a wound at the corner of her eye, thankfully not deep and not very noticeable. But the wound was cleverly placed, perhaps scratching the tear duct inside, causing Lady Chang'an to cry uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Lin Shuyu became anxious. "Have you sent someone to fetch the imperial physician?" Eye problems are no small matter. We mustn't let anything serious get damaged and affect Mother's vision.

Lady Chang'an said, "I have already sent someone to invite them; they should be back soon."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Tears, tinged with salt, streamed down her wounds, causing Lady Chang'an to gasp in pain.

Lady Chang'an could only lie on the recliner, letting the maid wipe her tears with a silk handkerchief. Seeing this, Lin Shuyu wanted to take over the task from the maid, but then she thought of her mother's delicate eyes and how she might hurt her if she didn't use enough force.

Lin Shuyu remained seated, but she was anxious.

She was talking to the Lady of Chang'an Marquis when the imperial physician finally arrived.

After the imperial physician examined the wound and made a diagnosis, he learned that the wound was not serious and that as long as the medicine was taken on time, it would recover in about half a month. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But if your eyes are injured, there are many things to avoid. Not only should you avoid spicy and stimulating foods, but you should also avoid strong emotions like sadness and tears…

The imperial physician explained everything in detail before the body was finally sent away.

After everyone left, Lady Chang'an, who had been holding her breath, finally relaxed. Only then did she have the mind to inquire about Lin Shuqing's matter.

After learning from Lin Shuyu that she had said everything she needed to say and that Lin Shuqing was stubborn and unyielding, Lady Chang'an was both angry at her lack of ambition and somewhat disheartened.

After a long while, Lady Chang'an said, "Forget it, let her be. I'll have someone keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't cause any trouble. Now I just hope she's lucky and can at least give birth to a son."

If a son is born, he will be the first offspring of the Second Prince's household. Given that he is a male heir, the Second Prince's household will not fail to value him.

Even in the palace, they will take her somewhat seriously. With some further manipulation in the shadows, Shuqing might still have a chance to rise again.

But would reviving Shuqing really benefit the Marquis of Chang'an's household?
The thought popped into her mind, and Lady Chang'an couldn't help but shudder.

Realizing what she was thinking, Lady Chang'an quickly banished the thought from her mind.

What was she thinking?

That was her daughter, whom she had carried for ten months and raised with the utmost care. Her Shuqing had to get better and live a life of luxury; how could she continue to live a life of despair and decline?

Wouldn't that be like tearing out her heart as a mother?

Despite these thoughts in her mind, Lady Chang'an's expression remained remarkably calm.

Seeing this, Lin Shuyu did not feel that there was anything wrong with her mother's behavior.

It all comes down to Shuqing's fault.

She kept causing trouble, and she wore down her parents' patience.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. If you get hurt the first time, the second time, and the third time, you won't want to be hurt even by your own parents.

"This is not the time to think about these things," Lin Shuyu said. "Mother, for now, we should still keep the household on our guard."

"Beware of what?"

Lin Shuyu said, "How could Mother be so confused? Of course, she should be wary of Chen Yanzhou."

Chen Yanzhou brought Yunying back to the capital from afar, and couldn't bear to be separated from her for even a day, showing just how much he loved her. Shuqing had taken advantage of Yunying, even trying to have her defiled and sold, and even wanted her dead. In Chen Yanzhou's eyes, what difference was there between that and wanting to take his own life?
Chen Yanzhou had been cheated on by his sister, but since the man was the second prince, he had to swallow his anger and keep it a secret, not uttering a single unnecessary word.

Now, it can be said that Shuqing has personally handed the opportunity to him.

Lin Shuyu said with worry, "Chen Yanzhou is no saint. How could he let himself be bullied without fighting back? It just so happens that you met his sweetheart this time. He would even go to the palace to ask for an imperial decree for Yunying. What wouldn't he do to avenge Yunying?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Chang'an's expression visibly turned ugly.

"He's just a young punk..."

“Mother, don’t underestimate him. How can he be just a young punk? He’s the son of the Duke of Rong, the top scholar bestowed by His Majesty. If Chen Yanzhou hadn’t been so stubborn and refused to sever ties with Grand Secretary Tong, he might have been promoted several times by now.”

Lin Shuyu went on and on, proving that the Lady of Chang'an was not one of those ignorant women.

Actually, she was worried that Chen Yanzhou would make a move, but the events that had happened in the manor these past few days had been so turbulent that she started to think the best of things.

But sometimes, things aren't entirely under her control. She's not the Queen Mother of the West; how could everything possibly go her way?

Lady Chang'an took a deep breath and had someone escort Lin Shuyu away. She sat in the room for a long time before finally standing up, rearranging her belongings, and sending someone to invite Marquis Chang'an over.