Shi Junhe got good news in King Rui’s mansion, but he didn’t feel relieved after going back home.
In fact he was anxious and asked somebody random for help. He had actually believed that Mo Junyang could solve his problem.
After he thought it over, he believed that it was not that simple.
His opponent was not an ordinary person but Mo Shujun. He couldn’t go against her.
Even though he was critical of what Mo Shujun did, it didn’t mean that he could turn against his mother.
“Alas!”
Shi Junhe walked to the East House with complicated feelings. A young manservant ran to him in a hurry. “My Lord, bad news. The people in the Shou’an Hall said that Princess Royal made the maid Leng Yan her sworn daughter and would grant her marriage!”
“Ridiculous!” Shi Junhe rebuked him automatically and then realized Mo Shujun’s intention.
He had never expected that Mo Shujun who always paid attention to the status and rules would consider taking a lowly maid as her sworn daughter just to make him marry her.
If Leng Yan became Princess Royal’s sworn daughter, it would be serious. Even if she couldn’t be registered in the family tree, she would have a higher position and wouldn’t be a maid in Duke Shi’s mansion.
If Shi Junhe married Leng Yan, he couldn’t take her as somebody insignificant as they had imagined.
While thinking, Shi Junhe turned pale and grabbed that manservant, asking coldly, “What on earth happened? I have told my mother that I won’t marry Leng Yan. Why are there such rumors?”
The manservant trembled. “I… I don’t know. The news about the sworn daughter and marriage was from the Shou’an Hall. But I saw Leng Yan making a wedding dress urgently. It’s not a rumor that she will get married.”
“Wedding dress!” Shi Junhe clenched his fists in a rage and wanted to beat somebody.
The manservant shrank his neck in fear and didn’t dare to meet Shi Junhe’s eyes. He just spoke haltingly. “I know this news is… So please don’t worry, My Lord. I have told them not to spread the news. It is not widely circulated in the mansion, especially…”
He smiled to flatter Shi Junhe and continued, “Madam doesn’t know.”
Shi Junhe’s tight face finally softened, and he patted his trusted servant, praising him. “Well done. Go to the East House and warn the servants. Tell them to do more and talk less.
Now Madam is pregnant. If there is something wrong because somebody gossips, I will show no mercy.”
“Yes!” The manservant agreed instantly, but then he asked hesitantly, “But we can’t keep it secret forever. When Princess Royal announces the marriage, Madam will know.”
Shi Junhe didn’t retort him. And as he knew about this family, even if he compromised with Mo Shujun, somebody might not let him hide this matter, and then…
He could hardly imagine what would happen when Dong Hui knew this.
“Anyway, you tell them first. I have my plan,” Shi Junhe ordered hurriedly and then strode to the Shou’an Hall.
In the Shou’an Hall, Mo Shujun was drinking tea in the room leisurely. Seeing Shi Junhe, she was not surprised and just greeted casually, “You are back.”
Obviously, she had expected Shi Junhe to come.
With a long face, Shi Junhe asked coldly, “Mother, why did you do that?”
She spread the news that he would marry Leng Yan and apparently wanted him to suffer.
Mo Shujun put down the teacup and smiled. “I told you that if you don’t want me to interfere in Shi Qingxue’s case, you have to marry Leng Yan.”
“But Hui is pregnant. I can let the Shi Family have an heir soon. Why do you still…”
“Huh! Hui, Hui… What’s her good point? You are entranced by her. You can forgive her even after she was jealous and not virtuous?” Mo Shujun interrupted Shi Junhe impatiently and vented her resentment of Dong Hui for the first time.
Shi Junhe was clear that Mo Shujun and Dong Hui were not on good terms for a long time, but hearing Mo Shujun’s complaint, he was stunned.
After a long time, he stated helplessly, “Mother, even if you don’t like Hui, please don’t irritate her for the sake of the baby in her womb. If there is something wrong with her, it might be two lives. Do you want to see such a tragedy?”
Mo Shujun didn’t change her expression. “No more words. Since you asked me not to punish Shi Qingxue, you should meet my request. You have to marry Leng Yan. The wedding date will be in one month. If you don’t want everybody to know it, I can agree to arrange it in private. After all it’s just a concubine.”
In another word, she had given in. If he didn’t listen to her, he would be unreasonable. And as long as he agreed to marry Leng Yan, it didn’t matter how to do it. It would be okay after she was sent to the East House.
It seemed to be a good term. Earlier, Shi Junhe might think Mo Shujun sincerely considered for him and hoped that he had an heir. But Dong Hui was pregnant now and the baby might be the future heir, but Mo Shujun still insisted on demanding him to marry Leng Yan.
He couldn’t help but think about her intention.
Shi Junhe pursed his lips and looked at Mo Shujun seriously. “Mother, I have promised to Hui that I won’t marry anybody else. Now she is pregnant, and I won’t break my promise.
Please forgive me. I won’t marry Leng Yan!”
Mo Shujun raised her brows and asked with threat, “So you want me to drive Shi Qingxue out of the Shi Family?”
Shi Junhe shook his head, but before Mo Shujun nodded with satisfaction, he responded, “You won’t.”
“Qingxue is not only my daughter but also the future wife of His Excellency, the future King Rui now. She has such honorable status. Unless you want to turn against King Rui, you wouldn’t do something like this to hurt yourself and others.”
Moreover, Mo Junyang would never allow anybody to damage Shi Qingxue’s interest.
In fact, Shi Junhe knew that but didn’t speak out. He just stared at Mo Shujun calmly, whose face turned pale.
“You!” Mo Shujun had never been threatened openly. She choked and got furious, but she couldn’t retort him.
Indeed, she was afraid of Mo Junyang, but…
“Huh! So what even if you are right?” Mo Shujun suddenly snorted.
Before Shi Junhe reacted, Mo Shujun added haughtily, “Now I can’t control Shi Qingxue. It’s true. But you…”
She stared at Shi Junhe with a cold smile. “But you are my son. Do you dare to refuse to listen to me?”
Mo Shujun threatened him with her status for the first time and suppressed him. He didn’t have any chance to resist.
“Alright. I have made the arrangement. Just marry Leng Yan. Otherwise, I am not sure what will happen.”
Shi Junhe gritted his teeth and felt surprised and angry. Since Mo Shujun said that, it meant that she didn’t care about their relationship as the mother and the son. He was sure that his mother didn’t do everything as simply as she said.
“Goodbye, Mother.” Shi Junhe finally spoke two words and then turned to leave.
He didn’t waste his energy on something that he couldn’t stop. So he went back to the East House.
Dong Hui was talking with somebody happily. She was stunned to see him. “My Lord, what’s the matter with you?”
Shi Junhe waved his hand and told the others to leave. There were only two of them in the room.
Duke Shi knelt to Dong Hui unexpectedly and looked solemn. “Hui, I am sorry.”
Dong Hui was petrified and stared blankly at Shi Junhe. After a while, she hurriedly helped him up. “Junhe, what are you doing? Get up!”
But Shi Junhe refused to get up, and there was guilt on his dignified face. He replied in a hoarse voice, “No, Hui. Just let me kneel. I have broken my promise. I can’t do what I promised to you.”
“A man can’t kneel. I know your feelings for me.” Shi Junhe was above anybody in Dong Hui’s heart.
How could she make him keel to her? She insisted on helping him up and expressed seriously, feeling moved, “What happened? Get up and tell me.
We are a couple for twenty years. Even though we have conflicts, we love each other. As long as you tell me, the problem will be solved.”
Shi Junhe gripped Dong Hui’s hand and pulled her into his arms. He pondered for a long time and finally told her what Mo Shujun forced him to do.
Dong Hui kept silent for long and didn’t even change her expression.
It made Shi Junhe restless again. “Hui, I know I am good for nothing and don’t dare to turn against Mother. You need to take care of yourself. Our baby…”
“So Princess Royal doesn’t care if she will lose her son but forces you to marry that maid, right?”
Shi Junhe nodded in a daze and thought Dong Hui’s attitude was weird, but he didn’t know what was wrong.
It was scarier that Dong Hui laughed after that, out of character.
“Hui, are you okay? If you are mad, just tell me. Don’t hide it, or you may harm your health.” Shi Junhe grabbed Dong Hui’s hand nervously and tried to comfort her.
However, Dong Hui took back her hand slowly and raised her brows with a sullen expression but had a smile. “Who said I am mad? It’s not your fault. I won’t blame you.”
Shi Junhe finally heaved a sigh of relief, but Dong Hui continued in a cold voice, “But, since Mother is not kind, don’t blame me if I am cruel.”
“Hui, what are you going to do?” Shi Junhe was panicked and asked subconsciously.
Dong Hui smiled silently and then responded, “Don’t worry. It’s between me and your mother. I promise not to get you involved…”
Looking at Shi Junhe’s cold face with concern, Dong Hui was touched. At least, the man she had chosen put her in his heart. Then she assured him, “I won’t get our children involved.”
Shi Junhe stated seriously, “She is my mother anyway. Don’t do anything recklessly. Otherwise, we will suffer.
Moreover, I just came back from King Rui’s mansion. His Excellency promised to help me solve this problem. We still have one month. How about we wait and do nothing for now? Maybe he has a solution.”
Even though Shi Junhe was angry with Mo Shujun who was autocratic, he still didn’t hope that Dong Hui would go against her. It would bring them more harm than profit.
However, when Dong Hui heard Mo Junyang’s name, she didn’t change her mind and turned away stubbornly.