Chapter 033 Burning with Jealousy
In response to Chen Qingtong's questions, Shen Yichen just nodded and smiled most of the time, but he also felt relaxed deep down in his heart.
This may be the first time since traveling back to ancient times that people facing this era do not have to disguise themselves all the time and can appreciate the night view of Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty.
The two of them were walking slowly like this, when suddenly a muffled "bang" sound came from the direction of the Inner Qinhuai River, and then a blooming firework lit up the entire sky.
“So beautiful.”
The fireworks in the sky were reflected in Chen Qingtong's pupils, and a longing smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
"Do you like this view?"
"Well, I've loved fireworks since I was a kid."
"But this beautiful view only lasts for a moment."
"That's enough for a moment, isn't it?"
Chen Qingtong turned his head and asked Shen Yichen a question.
Yeah?
Shen Yichen had no answer in his heart. After all, everyone’s pursuits were different. Sometimes in life, it would be nice if one could shine for a moment.
"Brother Yichen, do you still remember the scene when we climbed up to the roof of the Duke's Mansion to watch the fireworks when we were little?"
“I don’t remember much.”
Shen Yichen has very vague memories of these childhood memories. It is already difficult for him to remember the appearance of Chen Qingtong as a little girl, let alone the specific events.
"At that time, we couldn't go out , and the fireworks outside were often blocked by the high walls of the mansion. It was only when you took me to climb up to the roof that we could see these beautiful fireworks."
As she was talking, Chen Qingtong suddenly smiled and said, "But later your mother found out and gave you a good scolding."
Listening to Chen Qingtong telling these childhood memories, Shen Yichen felt very strange, as if he was experiencing someone else's life personally.
On the second floor of a teahouse beside Nanshi Street, the second son Zhu Ji and several members of the Zhu clan were eating snacks and sipping tea, discussing which brothel on the Qinhuai River they should visit next.
At this moment, Zhu Jin, who was sitting by the window, seemed to have discovered something. He pushed Zhu Ji's arm, pointed to the distance downstairs and said, "Second Young Master, look, is that Miss Qingtong from the Taining Marquis's Mansion?"
"You must have seen it wrong. Why would Sister Qingtong come here so late at night?"
"How is that possible? If you don't believe me, just take a look."
Zhu Jin was a little anxious. Although there was a curtain between male and female students when they were studying in the inner courtyard private school, they had been classmates for several years and had seen each other quite often. How could he have mistaken one person?
After hearing what Zhu Jin said, Zhu Ji turned his head doubtfully. When he saw clearly, his expression changed instantly. The reason was not Chen Qingtong, but he saw Shen Yichen!
Why is this maidservant here with Chen Qingtong?
"Ms. Qingtong doesn't seem to be alone. Is the person next to her Shen Yichen?"
Not only Zhu Ji discovered Shen Yichen's existence, but several other clan members at the table also recognized him.
At the same time , Zhu Ji's expression became more and more ugly.
Because Chen Qingtong was Zhu Ji's target marriage candidate, it had nothing to do with love, but because she was the only daughter of Marquis Taining.
As long as he could marry Chen Qingtong, it would be equivalent to getting the support of the entire Taining Marquisate. In addition, his mother was now the principal wife. The combination of the two forces meant that Zhu Ji would be able to challenge the eldest son Zhu Yi's inheritance status!
However, over the years, Chen Qingtong has always ignored Zhu Ji. Now she is hanging out with Shen Yichen, a maid's son, at night. It's like the old hatred has not been resolved, and new hatred has been added!
"What did the Second Young Master say? We can't just stand by and watch, right?"
The clan members who followed Zhu Ji were all very clear about his ambitions. In addition, due to the previous family dinner at the Chengguo Mansion, both parties had already formed a feud with Shen Yichen, and they certainly could not let him go now.
"Come on, follow me downstairs to meet this slave-born child!"
Zhu Ji was not polite, or rather, he did not take Shen Yichen seriously at all. He immediately stood up and called these clan members, preparing to go downstairs to teach them a lesson.
The group walked out of the teahouse, and Shen Yichen was still listening to Chen Qingtong telling stories about his childhood.
Suddenly, a harsh voice came from my ear: "Shen Yichen, you are really in a good mood."
Looking in the direction of the voice, Shen Yichen saw Zhu Ji and a few others walking towards him with unfriendly looks, clearly looking for trouble.
"Zhu Ji, what do you want to do?"
Chen Qingtong naturally discovered Zhu Ji and the others. She subconsciously stood in front of Shen Yichen and questioned him .
But this time, Shen Yichen did not let Chen Qingtong stand in front of him. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her behind him.
This action of pulling the wrist made Zhu Ji jealous. In ancient times, men and women should not touch each other. Although Chen Qingtong is not yet of age, she is not someone you, Shen Yichen, can touch!
"Second Young Master, what a coincidence. Nice to meet you."
Shen Yichen also replied indifferently, not even bothering to do the basic bow. Since the other party came with bad intentions, there was no need to be polite.
"Shen Yichen, could it be that you became famous at the family dinner that day and have forgotten your identity today?"
Zhu Jin, who was standing by, couldn't help but jump out and ridicule Shen Yichen when he saw that he couldn't even perform the etiquette.
"I am indeed forgetful. It seems that it is not just about poetry. I may not be as good as you in memory even if I flatter you."
Shen Yichen immediately retorted, "Since you like to mention family dinners and status, then I will tell you what happened at the family dinner again and see who can disgust whom more."
Sure enough, when Shen Yichen emphasized the four words "flattering", Zhu Jin's memory of being ridiculed by all the nobles and important officials in Nanjing was activated in his mind, and his face instantly turned the color of liver.
"Humph, Shen Yichen, it seems that you are much more eloquent now."
Zhu Ji said coldly. He didn't expect Shen Yichen to fight back so sharply, which was completely different from his image over the years. He was even more aggressive than at the family dinner that day.
"I don't deserve it. I just didn't show my ability before."
Shen Yichen showed no sign of weakness, and this was indeed the truth.
During this period of time, he has always been polite and elegant, but this does not mean that Shen Yichen is no good when it comes to scolding others.
You have to know that the irritable old man on the Internet in later generations is so good at cursing that he can curse eighteen generations of relatives and friends ten times in different ways. Shen Yichen only needs to learn a little bit, and he can almost curse Zhu Ji's three generations of ancestors.
Of course, Shen Yichen would not do this. After all, both parties have the same ancestor. He cannot do a one-for-one exchange of ancestors as he did with Li Da.
Moreover, it was too straightforward and crude, and the other party might not understand it. However, it was more than enough to deal with this kind of verbal attack.
"Shen Yichen, do you really think that we won't dare to touch you just because you, a maid, gave birth to a child?"
A sturdy man next to Zhu Ji couldn't help it anymore and almost wanted to reach out and fight with Shen Yichen.
He had some concerns in Duke Chengguo's Mansion before, but now he has the support of the Second Young Master. Why would he bother arguing with this maid's son? Just give him two punches!
"I do think so. If you don't believe me, you can try it and see who will be more miserable among us."
After saying this, Shen Yichen simply took a step forward and stood directly in front of the burly man.
In terms of height, Shen Yichen was almost half a head shorter than the other party, but in terms of momentum, Shen Yichen completely crushed the other party.
Even when Shen Yichen looked over, the sturdy man didn't dare to look him in the eye!
Why am I afraid? Is it because of the attention paid to this maid giving birth to a child at the family dinner that day?
Or is it because he was kept by the Duke and will be included in the family tree and become the third son in the future?
If I take action today, will I be retaliated by this boy and severely punished by the Duke in the future?
If Shen Yichen was timid, the strong man might have attacked directly. But Shen Yichen not only did not back down, but on the contrary, he was very imposing, which made the other party unable to figure out the details and feared that Chengguogong Zhu Yong had already acknowledged that this maid had a child.
In ancient times, people emphasized hierarchy and nobility. As long as Shen Yichen had the possibility of becoming a duke's illegitimate son one day, this strong man who dared to take action today would definitely not end up well in the future.
Not to mention this sturdy man, even Zhu Ji felt a little worried when he saw Shen Yichen's posture.
Mainly because Shen Yichen's performance on the day of the family dinner was too brilliant, and his poem "Linjiangxian" became famous in Yingtian Prefecture and was praised by many scholars, which gave Zhu Ji a great shock and a sense of crisis.
You have to know that your father, the Duke, would not easily keep anyone to talk alone, let alone let him keep a maid like Shen Yichen to give birth to a child.
No one can guarantee what his father has promised Shen Yichen. If the sibling fight is exposed, he will definitely be the one who suffers in the end.
After all, Shen Yichen has no hope of inheriting the title no matter what, but I, Zhu Ji, do!
Not only that, the confrontation between the two sides also attracted the attention of many passers-by. It is human nature to love to watch the excitement, and some people have slowed down their pace to see if there will be a fight.
"Zhu Kai, you step back first."
Zhu Ji shouted at the strong man to leave. Now more and more people were watching, and the patrol officers of Yingtian Bingmasi were not far away. If he took action, the impact would be too great and it might end up being more trouble than gain.
What's more, Zhu Ji has already thought of a more sinister way to deal with Shen Yichen, killing without shedding blood!
"Oh, you are quite sharp-tongued, but Shen Yichen, do you know what the consequences will be if you secretly meet with the only daughter of Marquis Taining?"
After hearing this, Shen Yichen's face became serious, and he realized that the problem was somewhat serious.
"Don't talk nonsense, what do you mean by private meeting?"
"If it's not a private meeting, why would a young man like you meet the only daughter of Marquis Taining alone? Are your status qualified for it?"
"Zhu Ji, please don't slander me maliciously"
Chen Qingtong behind him also stopped him righteously. Women in ancient times attached great importance to reputation, especially the children of nobles, whose reputation was related to the face of their family.
Objectively speaking, Chen Qingtong really shouldn't travel alone with Shen Yichen. She should at least bring a maid or servant with her, otherwise she would easily be slandered, just like what Zhu Ji is doing now.
But the meeting was purely accidental, and the carriage from the Hou Mansion had not arrived yet. Chen Qingtong was so happy that he didn't consider so many etiquette issues at all and invited Shen Yichen to travel with him.
Now that the hidden dangers have been exposed, it is really hard to defend ourselves.
