After whispering to Xue Ning, the Empress, having received his assurance, showed a hint of relief, but he also knew that the Empress’s words were not to be taken lightly, and what was said couldn’t be unsaid. He was putting his mother in a difficult position, so he had to find a way to give her a way out.

Therefore, even before the Empress spoke, he raised his voice and said, “Mother, while Shen Meng is indeed admirable, she already has a husband. As your son, I am not willing to be another woman’s concubine. If you truly care for your son, please retract your previous words. Shen Meng and her husband share a deep bond, and it would be unfair to them.”

The Empress took the opportunity given by Xue Ning and said, “Alright, since you put it that way, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to insist on it. It would seem as though I, the mother, am unreasonable and meddling.”

She glanced at Shen Meng and waved her hand dismissively. “You may leave. Let’s pretend my previous proposal was never made.” The ministers wouldn’t be pleased to see an Empress who easily changed her mind, but when it came to securing the succession, her maternal instincts were beyond reproach.

In reality, the people would also prefer a more compassionate Empress. After all, a tiger does not devour its cubs. If the Empress were too cruel and heartless, they would worry about their own heads.

Everyone present was clever enough to keep their mouths shut. Since the Empress had said to forget about it, no one dared to spread the somewhat comical marriage proposal. After all, talking too much about royal affairs could cost one their head.

The banquet quickly resumed its cheerful atmosphere, and the minor incident seemed to be easily forgotten by most. However, afterward, not a single person who should have been concerned about the matter could forget it.

Back in her palace, the Empress’s previous jovial demeanor faded, replaced by a grim expression. Her gaze was like that of a hungry tiger, and even the palace attendants dared not meet her eyes.

Sensing the Empress’s bad mood, the eunuchs serving her were extra cautious, even their breathing was measured, and they poured tea and water with extreme care, afraid of making any mistakes that might incur the Empress’s wrath.

After the eldest princess left with the decree granting the marriage, the Empress suddenly asked her attendant, who had been serving her faithfully, “Lai Fu, tell me, what’s so special about Shen Meng that my son values her so much?”

Naturally, the Empress held her children in high regard, especially Xue Ning, whom she loved the most. If someone married her precious son, they should cherish him as if he were a treasure. It was a great fortune for Shen Meng to be noticed by her son, yet she didn’t seem to appreciate this blessing and dared to defy her will.

If it weren’t for Xue Ning’s intervention, she would have undoubtedly thrown this blind woman into the dungeon. But since Xue Ning was so fond of her, she would rather endure her own suffering than allow her to be harmed.

Lai Fu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “This old servant may not understand much, but when I was young, I once loved someone too. At that time, I felt that when you love someone, there aren’t necessarily many reasons behind it.”

A wistful look appeared in her cloudy eyes, and her whole demeanor softened. “Your Majesty, when you married His Majesty, you were also a romantic. Naturally, you wouldn’t want the person you love to be hurt. Back then, Lord Lian was the same. When you met him, it wasn’t for power that he loved you.”

Speaking of the deceased Lord Lian, the Empress’s gaze also softened. When she met her beloved, she was just an overlooked princess, and the courtiers were all opportunists. Because she was overlooked, she endured a lot of bullying, but he was always kind to her.

Later, in order to secure the throne, she had to marry someone else as the empress. After finally getting rid of the empress and being able to marry her beloved Lotus, their child ran into trouble, leaving her beloved Lotus feeling unwell.

After the empress was enthroned, there was still a grand ceremony to be held. At that time, she couldn’t possibly bother her beloved, who was nearly half dead from illness, nor could she dare to trouble him with the trivial matters of the harem. So she found the current Noble Consort to temporarily manage the affairs of the palace.

But later, when their child Xue Ning returned, her beloved Lotus was taken away cruelly by the heavens. Thinking of this, she sighed deeply. “An Ning followed his father and is too soft-hearted and infatuated.”

She hoped her beloved would be infatuated with her, the more infatuated the better. But as a mother, she didn’t like to see her son too infatuated with a woman. After all, deep love could lead to suffering, and why did he have to love someone who already had a legitimate wife and didn’t have any feelings for him?

She beckoned Lai Fu over, indicating for her to listen to her orders.

Lai Fu listened attentively, but after hearing it, she hesitated slightly. “Isn’t this inappropriate? Your Majesty promised Prince Ning not to do anything to Shen Meng.”

A dark cloud passed over the Empress’s face. “My son is softhearted, of course, he wouldn’t. But if he’s like his father, he might never be able to love anyone else in his lifetime. Do I, as his mother, have to watch him suffer all his life?”

Compared to ministers, of course, her beloved son was more important. “Keep an eye on him. When he marries his beloved in a grand ceremony, he will naturally be grateful to his mother.”

Liang Jue, who had spread out the bedding at home, shivered suddenly, feeling a bit cold. He hugged the hot water bottle filled with boiling water closer to his chest, flipped through the account book sent by the shopkeeper, looked out the window, and silently calculated Shen Meng’s return time.

After leaving the banquet venue, Shen Meng walked straight out, ignoring the complex gazes of sympathy or inquiry, and avoiding further interaction with others, solely intent on returning home as soon as possible.

However, before boarding her family’s carriage, she was intercepted by someone. The roadblocker was none other than Liang Rong, who had recklessly spoken out in court earlier.

She only blocked Shen Meng without saying a word.

After standing in the cold wind for a while, Shen Meng felt chilly and had to break the silence first. “What do you want from me? If you have something to say, say it quickly. It’s cold, and my husband is waiting for me at home.”

Her tone was indifferent, perhaps because she and Liang Rong had never gotten along particularly well in her previous life. Even in this life, she could only reluctantly tolerate being in the same place as her for the sake of Liang Jue. But that was only if Liang Jue was present. In his absence, she didn’t feel inclined to show any kindness to this elder sister-in-law.

After much hesitation, Liang Rong finally asked, “Why did you refuse the Empress just now in court?”

To be honest, Shen Meng’s refusal was unexpected to her. Although she didn’t want her to agree to the Empress’s marriage decree, she never expected her to refuse it altogether.

After all, if it were up to her, she would definitely cherish her own life more. Previously, she disliked Shen Meng because this marriage was sought by Liang Jue, and his attitude was very humble and cautious, easily influenced by Shen Meng’s emotions.

But today truly exceeded her imagination. She never expected Shen Meng to be willing to defy the Empress for Liang Jue’s sake. This really caught her off guard. She stopped Shen Meng impulsively, but once she spoke, she found it wasn’t so difficult to voice her thoughts.

Shen Meng found the situation inexplicable. “I already have a legitimate husband. I can’t possibly let the Third Prince become my concubine. Do you really prefer me to divorce Liang Rong and marry that prince?”

She thought Liang Rong would hope for her refusal. Did she misjudge? Liang Rong seemed so caring; she should be concerned for her.

Her suspicious gaze fell on Liang Rong, making the latter very uncomfortable.

“How could that be! I just don’t want to see my brother become a widower. This is also the Third Prince’s plea for you. Otherwise, you would have offended His Highness, and my brother would suffer as a result.”

She didn’t intend to speak so harshly, but it came out that way, sounding sarcastic.

Shen Meng really couldn’t understand Liang Rong’s thought process. She nonchalantly echoed, “Yeah, I’m really scared too. Thanks to the Third Prince’s help, Her Majesty spared me. Can you step aside now?”

In fact, when Liang Rong approached, Shen Meng could sense that she seemed to be trying to show goodwill. But who was she, Shen Meng? She didn’t want to accept such kindness. It’s better for both to maintain mutual dislike. After all, if Liang Rong really cared for her, she should hurry up and let her get on the carriage. It’s late, and the cold wind is blowing, making her feel chilled all over.

Liang Rong was provoked by Shen Meng’s attitude. She wanted to retort but remembered the awkward situation Shen Meng would be in. Plus, her own impulsiveness played a role, so her momentum weakened: “I was just curious. After all, in that situation, if you had accepted, our Liang family wouldn’t have suffered much.”

She hadn’t actually expected Shen Meng to refuse. She had planned the subsequent developments well: exploiting Shen Meng’s wrongdoing, she would arrange for her to divorce Liang Rong.

Having her son usurp the main wife was not a glorious matter. Based on the Empress’s mindset of compensating the Liang family, Liang Rong would likely lead a comfortable life in the latter half of her years.

She calmly said, “I’ve refused, and that’s that. Do I need a special reason? If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

With that, she circumvented Liang Rong, lifted the curtain, and boarded the carriage, instructing the coachwoman to hurry back. She had drunk some wine at the banquet, not to the point of drunkenness but feeling uncomfortable nonetheless.

The coachwoman obeyed her mistress’s orders. Despite knowing that Liang Rong seemed to be of higher rank than her mistress, she obediently whipped the horses, kicking up dust.

Left alone, Liang Rong stood still, blown by the cold wind, still puzzled about why Shen Meng had refused the Empress’s marriage decree. Could it be that she had misjudged all along? Actually, her sister-in-law had always been quite devoted; she just didn’t show it usually.

Come to think of it, Shen Meng hadn’t even taken any other concubines. Initially, she just thought Shen Meng wasn’t interested in men, but now she realized it might be because she was deeply in love with her brother.

As Liang Rong pondered, Shen Meng sneezed repeatedly in the carriage. Today’s banquet was simply unlucky. She didn’t dwell on it and just wanted to go home early, curl up in her warm bed.