Chapter 62: Rules of Respect and Hierarchy

Back at Jinlin Courtyard, Shen Ning received a greeting card sent by Mrs. Shen.

"Mrs. Shen said that she would bring Miss Shen over to see the princess early tomorrow morning." Mammy reported respectfully, "The maid sent by the Shen family also said that the princess and they are all relatives, with broken bones and tendons, what happened before I am unhappy because I have no choice but to be harsh on the princess in order to preserve the family’s reputation. I hope that the princess will be generous and understand their good intentions. "

Shen Ning put the greeting card aside and said calmly: "Go and tell the doorman that I am not feeling well and will not see guests tomorrow."

"yes."

In the next few days, Shen Ning concentrated on developing the antidote. After drinking the tonic soup in the morning, she went out to exercise and went to the pharmacy in the afternoon. She was not interested in anything outside the house.

In the past few days, more than a dozen invitations have been sent to the outer courtyard, either for tea or flowers, but Shen Ning ignored them.

As time passed day by day, the regent became busy and disappeared almost all day long.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of September, and there were only three days left before Shen Yan entered the palace and became a concubine.

The town government sent someone to tell her that Mrs. Shen missed her daughter and asked Shen Ning to go home for a reunion.

This time Shen Ning did not refuse, simply dressed up, and took a carriage back to Shen's house.

Mrs. Shen personally led people to greet her and warmly welcomed Shen Ning into the house.

"I invite you home today because of my grandmother's instructions. Firstly, I want to apologize to you, and secondly, I miss you and want to have a good talk with you." Mrs. Shen led Shen Ning to the old lady's Fushou Hall, " After all, my grandmother is getting older and she used to be more harsh because of the family reputation. Ning'er, can you forgive us? "

Shen Ning said nothing.

forgive?

The person who was willing to forgive them was already dead, and she, a latecomer, had no right to say forgive.

"Whether it is the regent or the emperor, they are all nobles." Mrs. Shen wanted to hold her hand, "Ning'er, the Shen family and the royal family will both prosper and suffer. You -"

Shen Ning avoided her hand and said coldly: "With whom will the Shen family prosper and suffer?"

Mrs. Shen was startled: "Ning'er?"

"With the regent, or with the emperor?" Shen Ning's eyes were cold, and her tone was a bit sarcastic, "Is the emperor willing to be with you both for glory and loss?"

Mrs. Shen frowned: "Ning'er."

"It's okay to let me come back and see. It's okay to have a meal or drink tea." Shen Ning's attitude was indifferent, as if she was thousands of miles away, "But don't think about anything else."

Mrs. Shen's face was a little confused. She looked at her and hesitated to speak, but finally smiled and said: "Go and see your grandmother first."

Arriving at the Fushou Hall, the servants all knelt down to pay homage to the Princess Regent. The Shen family stepped into the threshold and saw Shen Yan nestled in front of Mrs. Shen.

After learning the rules of the palace for half a month, Shen Yan looked much more dignified, her actions were gentle and calm, and she was no longer as petty as before.

Seeing Shen Ning come in, she stood up and saluted Shen Ning: "Sister."

However, compared to Shen Ning's coldness and toughness, Shen Yan's gentleness and dignity have lost a bit of momentum.

"We are all one family, there is no need to be formal." Mrs. Shen said quickly, "Ning'er, please sit down."

The two maids brought a chair and placed it on the seat on the right side of Mrs. Shen. Shen Ning sat on it without any expression, took the tea from her grandma, closed her eyes and gently scratched the rim of the cup with the tea lid.

"Ning'er." Mrs. Shen's attitude was much gentler than before, "In two days' time, your sister will enter the palace as a concubine. Although you two sisters will have different generations in the future, there is nothing you can do about marrying into the royal family. I just hope that the two of you will have a deep love for each other and live in harmony in the future, so that the Shen family can be harmonious."

Shen Ning said nothing.

Mrs. Shen's expression was gloomy. She stared at Shen Ning for a long time before she said calmly: "The loss of innocence in a daughter's family is fatal to a wealthy family. My attitude was not very good that day, but I never stopped. Considering the reputation of the family, you are now married to the regent, and you are considered a royal relative. From now on, in every word and deed, you must pay attention to maintaining the dignity of the royal family and the dignity of the Duke's palace. "

Shen Ning lowered her eyes and stared at the tea cup without saying a word.

The old lady's face darkened: "Shen Ning——"

"Since grandma keeps saying that she wants to maintain the dignity of the royal family and the reputation of the Shen family, why hasn't she done it at all?" Shen Ning looked up at her, her eyes cold and cold, "I am the regent princess, and I am considered the royal wife here, and grandma , the mother and sister are the wives and daughters of the minister, where are the etiquette and rules of the emperor and his ministers? "

After the words fell, Mrs. Shen's face froze, and then turned from green to white, and from white to red: "Shen Ning, what do you mean by this? Do you want me, a grandmother, to kneel down for you? You -"

"Grandma said it herself, to maintain the dignity of the royal family." Shen Ning interrupted her, "The Duke's Mansion is such a large and prestigious mansion, but even I can't follow the rules my grandma teaches her granddaughter. How can I say it to others?" Isn’t it ridiculous and makes people think that the Shen family is a small family?”

Mrs. Shen's face turned pale and blue at these words. Her anger could hardly be concealed, but she could not refute a single word.

"Sister." Shen Yan frowned and spoke disapprovingly, "Grandma taught us the rules for outsiders. Today it is our relatives who are speaking, so naturally we should focus on filial piety. If there are outsiders present, grandma and mother should naturally abide by the rules. Rules, wouldn’t it be a bit unkind if even family members adhere to the rules of respect and inferiority?”

Shen Ning looked at her with a smile: "Why are you in such a hurry? I am just refuting my grandmother's so-called royal dignity and family reputation. As for whether my sister will continue to abide by filial piety or observe the hierarchy between the monarch and the minister after entering the palace, it is your own business. I am not interested in interfering."

Shen Yan pursed her lips: "Sister, we will also be monarchs and ministers in the future..."

"What did you say?" Shen Ning raised his eyebrows.

"When the emperor takes power, I will be his concubine. When the regent gives up the power of regent, won't he also be a minister?"

Shen Ning raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and her smile was full of sarcasm: "You want to talk to me about the relationship between the emperor and the minister?"

Shen Yan bit her lip: "It's not that I want to talk, but the emperor and the regent are..."

"Then let's wait until the emperor takes power." Shen Ning looked at her indifferently, "If the Zhenguogong Mansion is powerful, it can assist the emperor as soon as possible and take back the power of the government from the regent. By then, the whole Yongguo will listen to him. There is no need to imagine here."

After saying this, she put down the teacup: "I think you invited me back today not to apologize to me, but to let me understand my identity. When I see Shen Yan in the future, I will be more respectful and polite to her. After all, she will be the emperor's concubine in the future, and I am just the regent's concubine, right?"

Mrs. Shen was embarrassed: "Ning'er..."

Shen Ning stood up and turned away without looking back.

"Big sister!" Shen Yan chased after her, "Big sister, wait for me."

Shen Ning paused and looked at her expressionlessly: "What else do you want to say?"

"Big sister." Shen Yan walked up to her and said in a faint voice, "We are a family, sisters, I have no reason to embarrass you. What happened in those days, whether it was grandma, mother or me, was all for the sake of family and self-interest. I am also worried that Big sister will lose her reputation, which will make it difficult for me to get married in the future. I think Big sister can understand."

"Then what?" Shen Ning nodded slowly, "I can understand it, then what do you want to say?"

Shen Yan was silent for a moment: "Big sister has married the regent, and the emperor has issued an imperial decree to make me a concubine. The impact caused by Big sister's loss of innocence no longer exists. Naturally, I will no longer have resentment towards Big sister. I hope we can still get along as before and maintain the deep sisterhood."

Shen Ning looked at her disdainfully: "You want to maintain the deep sisterhood, I have to obey you? Shen Yan, do you want to go to the river to look at yourself?"

Shen Yan's expression froze.

Shen Ning turned and left, leaving her alone standing there stiffly, her expression as gloomy as if she had been poisoned.