Chapter 19

Perhaps due to what Shen, the Ministry of Rites Official and Shen Li said, they took out a treasure from the dowry, intending to use it as a gift for the Third Prince, Xue Ning.

The royal family is not lacking in treasures, especially for favored princes like Xue Ning. The more precious the gift, the more it reflects the giver’s intentions. Shen Li’s willingness to use such a valuable item indicates his emphasis on establishing a relationship with Xue Ning.

Although they were going to the same appointment, the two son-in-laws traveled in separate carriages. Shen Li and her son remained in the first carriage, while Liang Jue followed closely behind in the second.

The personal servant couldn’t help but complain about Shen Li’s favoritism: “The master only said you should come, but she insisted on bringing Young Master Xiang. By bringing his own son, he’s paying even less attention to you.”

Liang Jue casually flicked away the paper he had read on the surface, his tone indifferent: “You don’t need to accompany me inside later, just go back. Stay with Old Man Xia for a while and come back when you learn to control your mouth.”

The servant, who usually relied on sweet talk, was stunned. Old Man Xia was the gardener of the mansion, but he wouldn’t do anything other than tending to the flowers. Working with him meant dealing with dirty soil, not to mention it was tedious and boring.

Old Man Xia had one flaw—he couldn’t speak, being a mute who only uttered “ah ah ah,” and wasn’t pleasant to look at. Tears welled up in the servant’s eyes immediately. Liang Jue’s tone showed no mercy: “I won’t repeat myself. If you find Old Man Xia’s inability to speak bothersome, becoming like him would be a waste of time.”

His tone carried a hint of coldness and impatience. Perhaps because he appeared too gentle and harmless next to Shen Meng, even those around him started to overstep their bounds.

The servant was intimidated by his attitude, and his crystal-clear eyes remained wide, refusing to blink. When his eyes started to sting, he quickly wiped them with his sleeve, not daring to make a sound.

He had misjudged the situation. When dealing with those female proprietresses, his master never showed any retreat. Even when dealing with Shen Li, he always considered the bigger picture. It was just that his attitude towards Shen Meng was too gentle, making him forget that his master was not someone easily manipulated. Liang Jue was never a softie who could be easily influenced by a few words.

While the cartwoman braved the cold wind, the Ma Mansion was already lively and warm.

The plum blossoms in the Plum Garden were in full bloom, emitting a refreshing fragrance. The guests sat in the Plum Pavilion, chatting lively about current interesting topics. Some, afraid of the cold, wrapped themselves up like rice dumplings, with some even holding delicate hand warmers.

These young people, each with their own charm, had abandoned their flashy attire today, opting for plain clothes. They did so to avoid overshadowing the main character and causing displeasure to the person they should be trying to please.

In fact, these people didn’t need to be so modest. As soon as Liang Jue entered, he spotted the young man among them wearing a bright red cloak.

It wasn’t because his clothes were luxurious or expensive, or because of the bright color he wore. It was because the young man’s appearance was exceptionally beautiful, a rarity in this world.

But the demeanor between his eyebrows was not as arrogant as those noble sons in the capital, but rather carried a kind of compassionate and transcendent temperament.

Liang Jue got the definition of him: he should be a person of temperament. His mother wrote in the letter she sent yesterday: This Third Highness has been studying Taoism with his senior fellow apprentice, Taoist Master Wuchen, he is intelligent, but his character is somewhat peculiar. He acts based on his preferences and temperament, but having lived in the deep mountains for a long time, he is simple-minded and should be easy to get along with.

Liang Jue was adept at handling things, even versatile. But that didn’t mean he didn’t like those with sharp edges. For such simple-minded people, he couldn’t help but feel a longing in his heart. In fact, at first glance, he had a good impression of the other party.

However, when they approached, Shen Li pulled Shen Xiang to sit beside this Third Prince in a flattering manner. His footsteps paused for a moment, then turned towards the direction where the unmarried girls were exchanging handkerchiefs.

Although he had a good impression of the Third Prince, since Shen Meng had spoken, it was better to keep a low profile.

But just as he intended to keep a low profile, the lively crowd suddenly quieted down. Liang Jue looked up and saw Shen Li looking at him with a subtle expression, containing disbelief, jealousy, and unwillingness.

Shen Xiang, being more straightforward, directly waved at Liang Jue and said, “Brother-in-law, the Third Prince just mentioned you, he wants to talk to you. Come over quickly.”

Liang Jue inexplicably felt a little nervous, but he wouldn’t be disrespectful. He stood up and walked over.

Xue Ning showed him a gentle smile and spoke very kindly, “I said earlier that the brother sitting on the east side looks familiar, as if I’ve seen him in a past life. But when I mentioned it, Uncle said you are the new groom of the Shen Family. I didn’t intend to disturb you, but Mister Shen said…”

Shen Xiang, afraid that he might say something inappropriate, quickly signaled to Liang Jue with his eyes, “I just said that Liang Jue brother-in-law must also think Your Highness looks familiar, but he’s just too timid to come over, so I suggested he come over and talk to you for a few words. Isn’t that right, brother-in-law?”

Would Liang Jue actually say that he wasn’t very willing to come over? Of course, he couldn’t tell the truth.

He smiled and said, “I also find Your Highness very familiar-looking.”

When he came over, he didn’t know what topics the other party would like, so he carefully chose topics that wouldn’t touch on any sensitive issues. But eventually, it seemed like the Third Prince was actively engaging him in conversation by asking him questions.

As Liang Jue conversed with the Third Prince, he could clearly feel the jealous glances cast upon him. He wasn’t one to seek the limelight, especially since he came at Shen Meng’s request, and had no intention of attracting attention.

However, all in all, the Third Prince’s goodwill towards him outweighed any negatives. Since he was already married, he posed no threat to unmarried men. If Xue Ning favored him, others would just see it as him being lucky.

Of course, there were downsides too. On the way back home after chatting with Xue Ning for a while, Shen Li couldn’t help but hum disapprovingly at him, “Let me remind you, don’t think that the Third Prince is really showing you favor just because he exchanged a few words with you.”

Liang Jue earnestly responded, “Thank you for your concern, Father. I know how to handle it.”

Before Shen Li could finish speaking, she was interrupted by him. What thanks for concern? He never even considered caring for him! He just wanted to mock Liang Jue, to remind him not to get too cocky, as the Third Prince wasn’t stupid. Once Liang Jue’s true colors showed, he would definitely face consequences.

He wanted to say more, but Liang Jue had already boarded the carriage, with Shen Xiang tugging at his sleeve from behind. “Dad, stop saying these things. Let him feel proud for now. If you offend him, it won’t benefit us in any way.”

Shen Li poked his forehead, “You’re still young, what do you know? Shen Meng’s wings have grown hard, and he only cares about his own father. If I don’t assert myself, everything in this house will go to Shen Meng. Forget about having a substantial dowry for yourself!”

Shen Xiang disagreed, “Then just hold onto Mom’s heart tightly. We haven’t given anything to our elder sisters anyway, so there’s no way we’ll get anything in return. Just endure it, Dad.”

Shen Li didn’t say anything more, following behind and boarding the carriage back home.

When Shen Meng returned, she naturally asked about the situation with Liang Jue on the spot. After hesitating for a moment, Liang Jue decided to tell her the truth.

Although he had been a husband before, that was years ago, and Shen Meng couldn’t really deduce much from these actions. She simply advised Liang Jue, “If he invites you, don’t go alone. If anything happens, don’t keep it to yourself, tell me.”

Liang Jue didn’t quite understand why Shen Meng was so concerned about Xue Ning, but her attitude didn’t seem like she was interested in Xue Ning. Instead, it seemed like she was wary of any wrongdoing from Xue Ning. Therefore, he just nodded and agreed to Shen Meng’s request.

In the following month, Xue Ning sent invitations to the mansion several times, often accompanied by gifts. Although most of the time it was Xue Ning sending good things to the mansion, he also took away a small trinket from Liang Jue.

It wasn’t anything valuable, just a jade pendant that Shen Meng had personally carved—a gift she had given him, a token of her affection. It was just a practice piece, but he treasured it dearly, always carrying it close to him. He hadn’t intended to give it away, but Xue Ning seemed to like it so much that he reluctantly parted with it.

Shen Meng was going through a crucial period these days. The outcome of her current affairs would determine whether she could smoothly advance in her career. Despite her busy schedule, she still made time to visit Liang Jue at home, although she couldn’t do much else.

Because of this, she momentarily neglected the situation between Liang Jue and Xue Ning. When everything was settled and the promotion documents came through, rumors had already spread in the capital, saying that the Third Prince had set his sights on her husband, expressing a desire to win his affection.

Shen Meng felt like the sky was falling. Who could tell her what had happened?