PDLP Chapter 355 Madam Shen
Chapter 355 Madam Shen
A few days later, Madam Shen entered the palace.
An Lingrong accompanied Shen Meiyu in waiting in the main hall, and soon they saw two dignified and well-mannered women coming in.
When I got closer, I saw that in addition to Mrs. Shen, there was also a young and beautiful woman.
The woman had a face as rosy as a peach, skin as white as cream, a dignified and steady appearance, clear eyes, and a look that showed her elegance. Although she was walking, her posture was light and her manners were graceful. Every step she took was of just the right elegant rhythm, and the hairpin on her head swayed slightly with her steps.
This lady's demeanor is three points greater than Shen Meizhuang's.
Wang Zhiwei, the eldest daughter of the Shen family.
An Lingrong suddenly felt like a primary school student meeting her teacher, and she couldn't help but straighten her posture.
"Mother, sister-in-law!"
Shen Meizhuang called out sweetly.
Entering the hall, the two knelt down and bowed deeply: "Your Highness greets the Imperial Concubine, and greets the Imperial Concubine Wen!"
"Mother, sister-in-law, there's no need to be so polite!" Shen Meizhuang helped them up, looked at Madam Shen and said with a smile, "Mother, how are you and father? I miss you very much."
Madam Shen grabbed her hand and said, "Thank you for your concern, everyone at home is fine."
The mother and daughter exchanged a few pleasantries before Shen Meizhuang turned her gaze to the woman: "After not seeing you for several years, my sister-in-law is still as charming as ever!"
Wang Zhiwei said in a serious and respectful tone, "Your Majesty, you are so kind! Your Majesty has become more dignified, elegant, and radiant. Now that you are pregnant, I wonder if your health is good?"
As she spoke, she bowed slightly, her demeanor showing the gentle manners of a lady from a noble family.
"I'm fine, but I'm in the palace and can't fulfill my filial duties to my father and mother. Fortunately, I have you and my second sister-in-law at home, and I feel much more at ease. Thank you, my eldest sister-in-law."
After Shen Meizhuang finished speaking, she bent down slightly.
Wang Zhiwei saw this and quickly moved away, her tone becoming even more respectful. "Your Majesty, you are too kind. Serving my parents-in-law is my duty as a minister. I dare not owe you a single word of thanks. I will do my best to take good care of the Shen family. Your Majesty, please rest assured."
An Lingrong watched their conversation from the side.
Shen Meizhuang smiled widely, her eyes bright and warm, and her words were full of concern and affection for her family. In contrast, her sister-in-law had always been respectful and distant, and her words and actions adhered to the etiquette due to the imperial concubine. From her upright posture to her appropriate choice of words, everything showed that she was a woman raised in a wealthy family.
However, An Lingrong also keenly caught the genuine joy in her sister-in-law's eyes, a true expression of affection for seeing a long-lost relative. If she hadn't noticed this subtle detail, she might have thought they were not getting along.
Wang Zhiwei pulled out a brocade box from her bosom, handed it to Shen Meizhuang, and said, "This is the amulet that your wife and I went to the Fahua Temple to get for your Majesty. I hope everything is going well for you."
Shen Meizhuang's eyes instantly reddened as she reached out and gently opened the brocade box. Inside, a peace amulet lay quietly, its yellowed paper embodying the peace of the ancient temple and the blessings of Buddhism.
"Thank you, sister-in-law, and thank you, sister-in-law."
While Shen Meizhuang was looking at the amulet, Wang Zhiwei turned around and took out another brocade box from his sleeve.
This time, she handed the brocade box to An Lingrong, her face still serious. "This amulet is given to Her Majesty Wenfei. I hope you won't dislike it."
An Lingrong was startled at first, a flash of surprise in her eyes, and then she was filled with joy, "Me too?"
Seeing her take it, Wang Zhiwei relaxed a little, and her originally tense shoulders drooped quietly: "I heard from my mother-in-law that your majesty is weak. May this talisman bless your majesty with peace and health, and may everything go smoothly."
It was her first time dealing with An Lingrong, and she was a little nervous, afraid that An Lingrong would dislike her gift.
An Lingrong tightly grasped the brocade box with both hands and nodded vigorously, "Thank you, Madam."
"You're so welcome, Your Majesty!"
An Lingrong gently opened the brocade box and examined the amulet. A warm feeling welled up from the depths of her heart, quickly spreading throughout her body. She raised her head, her eyes meeting Shen Meizhuang's, and they smiled at each other.
When Madam Shen saw they had finished their conversation, she came over to An Lingrong, took her hand, and looked her over carefully before saying, "Your Highness, I haven't seen you for two years. I think you seem to have lost a lot of weight. Didn't the Imperial Concubine take good care of you?"
After saying that, she glared at Shen Meizhuang in pretended anger.
Upon hearing this, An Lingrong's eyes flashed with cunning, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a playful smile. She took advantage of the situation and said, "Yes, Auntie, my sister who likes to eat won't let me eat, and my sister who doesn't like to eat forces me to eat. I'm going to lose weight, isn't she? Now that you're here, there's finally someone who can control her. You have to make the decision for me!"
As she spoke, she gently shook Mrs. Shen's hand, just like a spoiled little girl.
Shen Meizhuang looked at her mischievous appearance, feeling both angry and amused. She stretched out her finger and gently tapped her forehead: "You are so smooth-talking. You don't want to eat cold drinks when I don't let you, and you don't want to eat tonics when I ask you to. Sister-in-law, when you see Aunt Lin, you must complain to her!"
Mrs. Shen was so amused by their conversation that her eyes narrowed into slits. She waved her hand and said, "You two have different opinions. I don't know who to believe!"
Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Of course you trust me!"
After saying that, the two of them couldn't help but giggle again.
"Alright, alright, you two are both good children," Madam Shen said. "My Lady Consort, you have to take care of Madam Wen and be more obedient to her. Madam Wen, you have to listen to my Lady Consort and take good care of yourself so that Madam Lin won't worry."
A master of keeping things balanced.
An Lingrong nodded obediently, "How is my mother?"
"Don't worry, Madam. Her eyes have improved a lot and she is in good health. Just don't worry. This time I came here, she asked me to bring you a lot of things, and also some good news."
"What good news?"
"Some time ago, Yue'er returned to Chuzhou Prefecture and passed the county, prefectural, and imperial examinations. Now he's a scholar with a legitimate academic title!"
"Really?"
Mrs. Shen took out a letter from her bosom: "He asked me to bring this to you!"
An Lingrong quickly took the letter, unfolded it, and read it word by word, with the corners of her mouth unconsciously rising.
After reading it, she bowed slightly and saluted Madam Shen, her voice clear and sincere: "Thank you, Madam Shen."
Madam Shen waved her hand with a humble smile on her face: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is the result of his own efforts and has nothing to do with me."
An Lingrong shook her head and said seriously, "If it weren't for Madam finding him a good school, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today. Madam, I will always remember your kindness."
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen turned her gaze to Wang Zhiwei who was standing beside her and said, "If your Majesty wants to thank anyone, thank me, your daughter-in-law!"
Hearing her words, An Lingrong was stunned, her eyes full of confusion.
Madam Shen explained, "Her father is Lord Wang, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College. Your brother has received a lot of advice from Lord Wang!"
An Lingrong suddenly realized that it was no wonder that her brother passed the examination and became a scholar when he was not even twelve years old.
An Bihuai was not good at writing and she herself got a headache when she saw a book. She originally thought that good bamboo shoots would come out of bad bamboo, but it turned out that there was a great scholar teaching her knowledge!
An Lingrong said solemnly, "Thank you, Madam!"
Wang Zhiwei waved her hand quickly, "Your Majesty, you are too polite. Now that he has the title of scholar, he can go to the Imperial College to study. I will take care of everything, so your Majesty can rest assured."
With a learning platform like the Imperial College, my younger brother will definitely be able to make further progress in his studies.
"Your Majesty, this child is smart, diligent and studious. He will become a great man in the future." Mrs. Shen said with a smile.
"Thanks to your good wishes, Madam. I also hope that he can achieve something and take good care of his mother in the future."