Chapter 138 The Jewelry I Gave Her

Chapter 138 The Jewelry I Gave Her

She stared at the cabinet door, heartbroken.

Behind the pear blossom gate, the sound was cut off. Xie Yan walked back to his private room in the secret chamber with a furrowed brow.

It summoned a shadowless being.

"Have you let anyone know about Grand Commandant Shen?"

Only the two of them knew about this, so how did Xue Qingning find out?

Wu Ying immediately knelt down, "How dare I speak presumptuously about what Your Highness has ordered?"

Xie Yan looked at him. With Wuying always around him, it was indeed unlikely that it was the sound of his footsteps.

That means someone else has found out about Shen Minghan's affairs, which makes things even more complicated.

"Shadowless, two things, take care of them immediately."

"Your Highness, please give your orders."

"First, immediately send someone to investigate who the Second Princess Consort has been in contact with recently."

"The second matter is to immediately select ten maids to serve around the two imperial consorts."

Xie Yan gave a few more instructions, and Wu Ying immediately accepted them and left.

*

On the day of Consort Wei's birthday, the weather was already getting cooler.

The past two days have seen two light rain showers, which have cooled the heat considerably.

The elderly and those with weak constitutions all wore an extra half-sleeved garment to protect their chest and abdomen from the cold.

A brocade quilt was added to Shen Nanzi's bed. The quilt was mainly peach-red and woven with various patterns of children and grandchildren.

Staring at the pattern, Shen Nanzi was somewhat stunned; this was part of her dowry.

She took it out to cover up the wound twice in the first year, but her relationship with Xie Yan became like the ice layer in winter, gradually thickening.

She was furious when she saw it, so she put it away and put it at the bottom of the box.

Could it be that my aunt thinks that because they've been sleeping together these past few days, she can still have a child for him?

Looking back, I see the side-by-side cloth pillows, and the outer side where Xie Yan slept.

Shen Nanzi summoned her great-aunt.

"Let's replace this brocade quilt!"

The great-aunt also looked at the brocade quilt with the image of a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons, her face full of sorrow, "It was Prince Jing who ordered it to be changed."

Shen Nanzi was somewhat surprised, "Him?"

“Yes!” Auntie said, “Yesterday, this old servant and the maids were sewing quilt covers for you in the courtyard.”

"We also took out the old quilt covers to air them out. When Prince Jing saw this bed, he said he would use this one!"

The aunt sighed and asked in a low voice, "Would the Princess like to drink the contraceptive soup?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nanzi knew that her aunt had misunderstood and was worried about her. "Aunt, I am not in love with him, so there is no need to worry."

"Let's sew a new one, and throw this one away!"

Xie Yan, who had turned back outside, stood at the doorway, holding a brocade box in his hand, his eyes still filled with lingering expectation.

After overhearing the conversation between the master and servant in the inner room, her fingers tightened around the brocade box, a sour feeling welled up in her eyes, and her chest felt bitter.

Qinghe, who was behind her, was anxious to go in and report, but Prince Jing was standing right in front of the door.

Xie Yan turned around and handed the brocade box to Qing He, his voice indifferent, "Tell the princess that I am waiting for her in the carriage."

"Yes!" Qinghe had no choice but to lower her head and accept it.

Wu Ying was somewhat annoyed and complained to Qing He:

"This is a piece of jewelry that His Highness spent half a day choosing and then paid a high price to have the artisans in the jewelry shop work day and night to make it."

"Please, my master, do not disappoint His Highness's kindness!"

Qinghe wasn't going to back down either, "It's so valuable, why don't you give it to me?"

Wu Ying was speechless. He was afraid the princess would throw it out in front of him.

"You little brat, you've got a sharp tongue. How could I, a grown man, stoop to your level?"

Having said that, as if afraid that Qinghe would say another word, he fled as if he were running away.

Qinghe had no choice but to carry the brocade box into the house.

Shen Nanzi also got out of bed and was washing up.

Qinghe waited a while, until Shen Nanzi was combing her hair, before presenting the brocade box to her.

"This was given to you by His Highness Prince Jing; he said it was jewelry."

jewelry?

Shen Nanzi found it amusing; this was the first time she had received jewelry from Xie Yan since their marriage.

If a girl accepts jewelry from a man before marriage, it is considered a declaration of love.

After marriage, a woman receives jewelry from her husband: firstly, as a way to maintain their love, and secondly, as a gift for daily life.

But they have an extra layer: a symbol of status.

The more elaborate and ornate the jewelry, the more it signifies the husband's wealth and the mistress's financial freedom.

Another point is the husband's indulgence and pampering of his mistress's expenses.

In the past, when she couldn't have what she wanted, she would desperately wear jewelry on her head, afraid that others would see the poverty and embarrassment in her marriage.

Now, she no longer needs these things to maintain her life; she lives as she pleases.

You can make it as elaborate as you like, or as simple and elegant as you like.

Even if you moved a mountain of gold to her, she wouldn't care, because she already had her own mountain of gold.

"Give it back to him, I don't need it." Shen Nanzi didn't understand what he meant.

Over the years, she had guessed his thoughts countless times, but now she didn't want to think about it anymore.

How can you expect a man who uses his brother's accounts to threaten her to be deeply in love with her?

Upon receiving the order, Qinghe quickly left and headed towards Prince Jing's courtyard.

The aunt said with relief, "Your Highness, you should dress more formally today, after all, it is the Imperial Concubine's birthday."

"Let's keep it simple. His Majesty's health is not good, and it would be inappropriate to be too grand."

"Yes, I was too naive. I'll have a maid come and help you change your clothes."

*

Inside the carriage of Prince Jing's residence, Xie Yan had been waiting for more than half an hour. In the past, he would have already told the coachman to leave.

Now, he doesn't find the waiting too painful; in fact, he's looking forward to it, hoping she'll appear before him wearing the jewelry he gave her.

That headdress was extremely exquisite. With her beautiful face, she would surely outshine all others and be breathtakingly beautiful if she wore it.

For the first time, Xie Yan was captivated by her beauty.

The previous unpleasantness was quietly suppressed in my heart by the anticipation that had been built up.

When there was movement outside the carriage, Xie Yan's anticipation reached its peak, and his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the carriage curtain.

Shen Nanzi didn't expect Xie Yan to still be waiting, after all, she had dawdled for a long time and even made Cheng'er change her clothes again.

She did not intend to ride in the same carriage with him to the palace.

While still holding Cheng'er's hand, she let Cheng'er go first.

The child is almost seven years old, and his little hands no longer have the chubby feel of when he was a child; they have become somewhat hard.

Calluses formed where I touched them.

This kid has a fierce determination; he wants to learn everything to the extreme.

"Be careful," Shen Nanzi reminded him from behind.

Xie Chengze had already steadily boarded the carriage, and turned his hand over, saying, "Mother, hold Cheng'er's hand, and be careful!"

Hearing the child's voice and holding Cheng'er's little hand, Shen Nanzi's heart was filled with joy.

Her face was practically overflowing with maternal love; she thought Cheng'er was the best in every way.

The moment the curtain was lifted, the mother and son looked at Xie Yan inside the carriage, and their previous maternal affection and filial piety instantly vanished.

His expression turned serious and indifferent.

Xie Yan, who was full of anticipation, lost all hope when he saw Shen Nanzi's headdress.

The heart inside the chest plummeted to the bottom, a feeling of loss beyond words.

She didn't wear it. Was it because she didn't like it, or...?

He thought the headdress was beautiful, and it was the style she liked.

I'm afraid she doesn't want to wear the one he gave her!

Shen Nanzi and Xie Chengze sat on the right-hand side as the carriage wheels rolled.

The carriage was silent for a while before Shen Nanzi turned her head to look at the little person beside her.

She held his hand, kneaded it, and comforted him.

Xie Chengze was just a child, and Shen Nanzi quickly coaxed him back to his senses.

After a moment of hesitation, she asked in a low voice, "Mother, are we going to see the Sixth Imperial Uncle?"

Shen Nanzi nodded, "It's Consort Wei's birthday, let's go and offer our congratulations."

"Cheng'er misses Sixth Imperial Uncle." Xie Chengze, who had just been comforted, choked up a little.