Chapter 58 - Compromised

Shi Junhe knew that Mo Shujun was implying Dong Hui. He showed a helpless expression on his face, “Mother, I already have Hui.”

Speaking of this, Mo Shujun looked even worse. She said angrily, “How dare you to mention her? It has been so many years, but you still don’t get a son. If she were in another noble family, she would be divorced and driven back home. I’m being kind enough not to divorce her. Will you really keep no son for your whole life?”

“Mother, I have a son. Chi is…”

Shi Junhe just said a few words when he was interrupted violently by Mo Shujun, “Wenren Chi. Wenren Chi. His last name even isn’t Shi. Can he be your son? To speak bluntly, he is just a flunky in our family. Can he…”

Mo Shujun vented her anger. But when she saw Shi Junhe’s face became angrier and angrier, she stopped talking with embarrassment.

After a while, she reluctantly explained, “I don’t mean it. But in the final analysis, it is better for you to have a natural son!”

This time Shi Junhe said in an extremely tough tone, “Chi is my own son!”

He took a deep breath, and painfully recalled the past, “When his father died in order to save me, I vowed that Wenren Chi would be my own son for my whole life. Mother, you have taught us that one cannot live without conscience!”

Mo Shujun was choked and had nothing to say.

She really wasn’t reasonable in this matter. However, she was still not reconciled, so she argued, “I don’t mean that you cannot regard Wenren Chi as your son. But the blood in his vein doesn’t belong to our Shi Family. Then what about your title? Are you going to make an outsider inherit it?”

Shi Junhe couldn’t bear the word “outsider”. When he was about to refute, Mo Shujun glared at him, “Junhe, Yunyang fought for this title. You can’t be so selfish!”

Shi Junhe was choked by her words. He could be willful in anything, except for this title. He was not qualified to be willful when dealing with it.

He was silent for a while, and then answered in a low voice, “Mother, I know what to do. You can rest assured. The future Duke Shi will only be someone from our Shi Family.”

With the guarantee, Mo Shujun actually seemed released a little.

Just when Shi Junhe thought that this conversation was about to come to an end, Mo Shujun said again, “Although the matter of the title isn’t a big deal, Junhe, you still need to have a son, your own son.

I realize that Zhou Ruru can bear easily at the first glance. In addition, the Zhou Family is blessed. It is definitely not a problem to give birth to a healthy boy for you next year.”

“Mother…” Shi Junhe said helplessly.

Mo Shujun glared at him, and then said, “There are three forms of the conduct that is not filial, of which the worst is to have no descendants. If you don’t have a son, what should I say to Yunyang after I die?”

Shi Junhe again had nothing to say, but he was still unwilling to compromise.

Mo Shujun knew her eldest son very well and smirked, “If you can’t make the right choice, I will go and tell Dong Hui.”

“Don’t!” Shi Junhe shouted in surprise. Seeing that Mo Shujun’s attitude was resolute, he had to say in a low voice, “Mother, don’t tell Hui. She can’t stand it.”

Mo Shujun sneered, “How can’t she stand it? I don’t think she dares to disagree! When others’ wives know that they can’t give birth to a boy, which one of them won’t make her husband marry a concubine to bear a descendant as early as possible? However, she isn’t active at all, but she also doesn’t allow you to marry a concubine. How is this rational?”

Shi Junhe couldn’t talk back. He couldn’t explain to Mo Shujun. When he married Dong Hui, he promised her that he would only marry her in his life.

“Mother.” Shi Junhe sighed softly and said gently, “This is not a trivial matter, and it is difficult to decide in a short time. Mother, please give me some time and let me think about it. I’ll answer you later. Is that okay?”

Of course, Mo Shujun knew that this was her son’s strategy of avoiding this matter, but she didn’t push him any more. She only said, “Anyway, Ruru is going to stay for a while in our house. You think about it!”

Shi Junhe responded helplessly, and sighed heavily again.

At the family banquet later, Mo Shujun showed great interest in Zhou Ruru. She even arranged her to dine beside her. And on the other side of Zhou Ruru was Shi Junhe.

If such an intention was still not obvious, Mo Shujun’s words after the banquet would make everyone understand.

“Hui, it is the first time that Ruru has come to our house. You can arrange a room for her in the east garden!”

Everyone at present was stunned, and didn’t expect that Mo Shujun would make such a decision.

Zhou Ruru was a person brought by Third Master’s Family. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to live in the room of First Master’s Family?

Of course, Dong Hui was unwilling to lead such a trouble in her family, so she said with embarrassment, “Every guest room in the east garden has been used before. If I make Sister Zhou live in the room having used by others, it will be inappropriate.”

But Mo Shujun looked at Zhou Ruru, and asked with a smile, “Ruru, will you feel wronged?”

“No, no. I’m fine with everything!” Zhou Ruru quickly waved her hands to define her position, and then showed a shy smile to Dong Hui, “Then I shall bother Sister Dong.”

Instead of regarding her as a sister-in-law, Zhou Ruru called her Sister. Dong Hui’s face became embarrassed. She turned to look at Shi Junhe in disbelief, but the latter could only look away with guilt.

Dong Hui shivered and couldn’t even speak.

Shi Qingxue held Dong Hui’s hand under the table and smiled innocently, “In this case, Aunt Ru can live in the Langyue Pavilion! Only King Rui’s eldest son has lived there. The room is cleaned every day, and Aunt Ru certainly won’t feel wronged. Moreover, the Langyue Pavilion is close to the Luotong Boudoir. I can spend more time getting along with Aunt Ru.

Grandma, what do you think of this arrangement?”

The Langyue Pavilion was the best room in the east garden. Although it was far from the room of Master, Mo Shujun couldn’t refuse Shi Qingxue’s proposal. Still, she should praise her, “Sixth Lady is so thoughtful. Then arrange it like this!”

When everyone left, Shi Qingxue still planned to take charge of the arrangement of Zhou Ruru, but she was stopped by Shi Baoning. Shi Baoning blamed her without pausing, “Qingxue, what exactly are you thinking? Haven’t you guessed out Zhou Ruru’s intention when she comes to our house this time so far?”

But Shi Qingxue asked indifferently, “What’s wrong?”

Shi Baoning glared, “Don’t you know grandmother’s plan? Do you really want to let Zhou Ruru live in the east garden?”

Even she knew that Zhou Ruru didn’t come here to recuperate as a guest, but planned to stay here for a long time as a member of the family instead!

Shi Qingxue looked at Shi Baoning in a strange way, and struggled for a long while before asking, “Do you care about this?”

“Why don’t I care?” Shi Baoning retorted subconsciously, and then she immediately understood why Qingxue had such a doubt. She instantly became awkward and helpless.

She was stiff for a while, and sighed helplessly, “Qingxue, I know that you blamed me for not having defended mother in front of grandmother. But I really didn’t mean it. I just didn’t have other options…”

Shi Baoning grabbed Shi Qingxue’s hand and repeatedly explained this. Even though Shi Qingxue was really angry before, there was no way for her to remain indifferent at this moment.

Perhaps Shi Baoning was really a filial granddaughter of Mo Shujun, but she was also connected with Dong Hui because she was her daughter. How was it possible that she really didn’t care about her mother’s suffering?

Thinking of this, Shi Qingxue couldn’t get mad any more. She took the initiative to hold Shi Baoning’s hand and explained, “Baoning, don’t worry. That woman wants to cause trouble in our First Master’s Family. We won’t make it easy. But grandma has already said it, and if we don’t obey her words, mother will be in a passive situation. As for what it will be like after she moves in the Langyue Pavilion, isn’t it under our control?”

Shi Baoning then understood Qingxue’s plan, and instantly was relieved. She smiled, “You are really smart.”

After thinking for a while, she was also worried, “The Langyue Pavilion is indeed far away from the main room, but it is where King Rui’s eldest son used to live. Didn’t His Highness live there days before? Now we arrange her into the room. What if His Highness comes here again?”

Couldn’t they make King Rui’s eldest son move to somewhere else for a noble girl in an aristocratic family?

Shi Qingxue pouted her mouth with anger, “The house of the Shi Family is not his family yard. The Mansion of King Rui is just one or two streets away from here. Does he have to live in our house? Moreover, our house is too small for him, the finicky god.”

Last time when Mo Junyang left Shi Junhe’s reading room, he didn’t even return to the Langyue Pavilion, which made Shi Qingxue angry for a period of time. She simply ignored him in the end.

Shi Baoning was frightened, and keenly aware that this topic was not suitable for them to continue to talk about. She hurriedly said, “We don’t worry about this now. Let’s think about how to get rid of that woman.”

Even Shi Baoning, who had always been gentle, called Zhou Ruru by “that woman”, which showed how much Zhou Ruru’s intention made those of First Master’s Family uncomfortable.

At this time, Shi Junhe did not have time to pay attention to Zhou Ruru’s affairs. After talking with Mo Shujun, he thought for a whole night, and finally he could only find Wenren Chi.

It didn’t need to be mentioned temporarily what the two of them had talked about secretly in the reading room for two hours. The father and son went to and left the court calmly the next day anyway.

As soon as Shi Junhe left the court, he walked towards the east garden. When he passed the Flower Bridge, he saw a woman in pink standing in the middle of the bridge.

He took a closer look, and found that she was exactly Zhou Ruru.

But Zhou Ruru didn’t seem to find him. She held a thin paper umbrella in her hand and looked far, as if admiring the snow.

Shi Junhe had no intention to disturb her, and was just about to change his way, but he saw Zhou Ruru put away her paper umbrella and wave her long sleeves. She actually began to dance in the snow.

There were no musical instruments or songs accompanied. But Zhou Ruru seemed born to be a dancer. Her movements were soft and gorgeous, as attractive as a snow elf in winter.

Shi Junhe couldn’t help but stop to appreciate, but just when he was fascinated, Zhou Ruru paused a little and fell to the ground.

Shi Junhe was shocked. He quickly went up to hold her up and asked with concern, “Why are you so careless that you fall down?”

Zhou Ruru turned her head and saw Shi Junhe. First, her face flushed and said shyly, “Brother Shi, why are you here? I’m alright.”

Stared at by the timid eyes, Shi Junhe was so uncomfortable. He let go of her and took two steps backwards, politely saying, “Since you are alright, then you go back to the room first. It’s cold outside in winter. And it is not suitable to stay outside for long.”

“Thanks for Brother Shi’s concern.” Zhou Ruru repeatedly thanked him, and she even was about to bow to Shi Junhe.

But she didn’t stand firmly. She fell towards Shi Junhe again. Shi Junhe couldn’t dodge and could only hold her into his arms.

“What’s wrong with you?” Shi Junhe couldn’t step aside, so he raised his hands and asked awkwardly.

Zhou Ruru looked up and her eyes were full of tears. She said pitifully, “I seem to have twisted my ankle. Could you please send me back to the Langyue Pavilion?”

Shi Junhe could only promise her. But when he just held her back to the Langyue Pavilion, he met Dong Hui coming out from the Luotong Boudoir, and they looked at each other.