Chapter 69: A Precious Steed as a Gift

By evening, the guests had dispersed, each preparing to return to their respective mansions.

Miss Ning still wished to keep her guests longer, but Miss Tan had to go home as it was her birthday the next day.

“Sister, please don’t mind the trouble. Come to my house tomorrow for a cup of wine. I won’t invite anyone else—just us sisters relaxing for half a day.”

Earlier, Shen Shi had also seen Madam Shen off to her carriage. Fearing she might slight her, Madam Tan hurriedly invited Shen Shi as well.

“Madam, please bring Fourth Miss Shen to our humble home for a visit. It would bring honor to our household!”

Shen Shi had always looked down on the Tan family, disdaining her husband’s low official rank, and declined with indifference.

At the gate, Madam Shen was about to board her carriage when she suddenly stopped, turned back, and frowned as she instructed:

“Madam Tan has invited both you sisters—this is her kindness. Tomorrow, there will be no outsiders at the Tan residence. It is only proper for you to bring Fourth Miss Shen along.”

With that, she left Fourth Miss Shen behind and boarded the carriage alone to return to the mansion.

Shen Shi had felt uneasy all day, and now it was as if she had swallowed a fly—an indescribable disgust.

The Lady of the Ningguo Duke had personally visited, and the Tan sisters-in-law were naturally delighted. They bowed twice before preparing to board their carriage.

Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats was heard from outside. A proper-looking servant boy led a tall, majestic horse, its coat as black as ink and smooth as satin, and hurried over to Miss Tan to present it.

“Tomorrow is the young lady’s birthday. The Duke has sent this horse as a birthday gift, complete with saddle, bridle, and reins. Fearing Miss Tan might refuse, he ordered me to lead the horse and deliver it to your residence.”

By now, it was late, and the lanterns at the second gate shone brightly.

The glossy, magnificent steed stood out even more, drawing everyone’s attention.

Miss Ning was startled. She went over to stroke the horse’s mane and realized it was indeed that fine steed.

Earlier that day, she had mentioned Miss Tan’s birthday to her brother and asked to borrow the horse for a ride, though it had been said in jest.

Seeing Tan Leyao’s excellent riding skills, she had wanted to lend her a truly good horse to enhance her reputation, which was why she had begged her brother to let her ride it once.

Although the Ningguo Mansion had countless fine horses, this one was particularly renowned—a thousand-li steed, priceless and hard to come by.

For young ladies, playing polo was just a minor amusement, and she had never truly intended to keep this precious horse.

Tan Leyao was flustered. She tugged at Miss Ning’s sleeve and stamped her foot anxiously. “It’s all because of your nonsense, sister! The Duke has actually sent this horse! Hurry and tell the servant boy to take it back and apologize to your brother!”

Miss Ning, thinking it was due to her own influence, quickly covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Dear sister, he’s never been this generous before. I suppose with so many guests today, he couldn’t back down. He treasures this horse like a jewel—he wouldn’t even let me touch it twice. If we don’t take it now, when will we ever get the chance? It’s your birthday—what’s there to fear in accepting a gift?”

Miss Tan was unwilling to accept it, her face flushed with anxiety. “For us young ladies to receive a horse as a birthday gift from the Duke—wouldn’t that be a laughingstock!”

She adamantly refused, but the servant boy wouldn’t take it back either. The two sides went back and forth for a while.

Miss Ning earnestly persuaded her, “Sister, take this horse back as my gift to you in return. You gave me that white horse the other day, and I haven’t thanked you yet. If you still feel uneasy, I’ll bring my brother along tomorrow. We won’t bring gifts or rewards—we’ll just happily enjoy two meals of wine at your house.”

With this, the Tan sisters-in-law had no choice but to bow in gratitude and leave.

The servant boy led the horse, following behind to escort them safely back to the Tan residence.

Only after all the guests had dispersed did Miss Ning agree with Shen Shi to go to the Tan residence together the next day, and they each departed.

Shen Shi, accompanied by her half-sister, had not yet returned to Phoenix Ripple Courtyard when the news reached there.

The maids and elderly servants chattered endlessly, all saying that Fourth Miss Shen had brought shame upon their relatives.

“All looks and no substance, can’t even speak properly, stammering worse than us maids!”

Those rouged and powdered maidservants, with their raised brows and curled lips, were the most cutting.

Pear Moon listened nearby, thinking it was the Shen family’s poor upbringing of daughters that allowed a concubine-born girl to become a laughingstock.

She had heard from Granny Fan that the Shen family’s concubine-born daughters were not allowed to leave the house, only permitted to learn needlework in the courtyard.

Fourth Miss Shen’s birth mother was an embroiderer maid, naturally unaware of how noble daughters should be taught.

Without guidance from instructing matrons, and the legal wife not caring in the slightest.

Suddenly thrust into society, how could she know how to speak or act?

One cannot become skilled without a teacher, mastering everything out of thin air?

At the flower appreciation gathering while drinking tea, Fourth Miss Shen dared not sit, only standing behind her legal sister.

Dressed in a plain, slightly worn moon-white gauze gown, with faded old silk flowers in her hair.

The only presentable items on her entire person were a pair of gold gourd earrings.

The official wives nearby mistook her for a maid, all saying Madam Shen’s maid had a decent appearance but not a single good garment.

Later, when Old Madam Ning emerged, everyone came to pay respects and offer greetings.

Only then did the crowd learn she was actually Ning Yuanjun’s sister-in-law, Shen Shi’s own younger sister, a proper daughter of the Shen family.

Seeing Shen Si Jier dressed this way, Old Madam Ning felt Madam Shen had done it intentionally.

Thinking to herself that even if the Shen family was sending a concubine-born daughter as a concubine, there was no need to present such a shabby appearance, as if resenting Ningguo Mansion for using power to pressure them.

She believed her grandson held high position and power, worthy of marrying sisters, and would not mistreat anyone.

But this Shen Si Jier dared not speak a word, even more timid and dull than her second sister, making Old Madam Ning dislike her even more.

Choosing a concubine isn’t just about looks—how could her grandson favor such a wooden beauty?

Though Old Madam Ning was displeased, Madam Shen had entirely different thoughts.

Shen Si Jier had lovely features and a humble disposition, exactly what men favored most.

Moreover, her birth mother came from lowly origins and remained a minor concubine in the Shen household, with her deed still in Madam Shen’s hands.

If she gained Ning Yuanjun’s favor and bore a child, Madam Shen could control her through her birth mother, ensuring obedience.

As for Shen Si Jier’s plain and frugal attire, Madam Shen intended it to display family values.

Letting all the female guests see that the Shen family disdained fame and fortune, sending a daughter as concubine not for money or power.

When her eldest daughter Shen Shi married, the overly lavish dowry had sparked gossip among petty people.

They said the legal daughter’s dowry was subsidized by the merchant-born third daughter-in-law.

Hearing this spread, Madam Shen was furious beyond measure.

If a generous dowry invited gossip, dressing a concubine-born daughter in finery would surely breed worse rumors!

Madam Shen resolved that this time, sending a concubine-born daughter as concubine, the maternal family would not contribute a single item to the dressing case.

She wanted Ningguo Mansion and the capital’s elite to know the Shen family were not upstarts.

Even as concubines, Shen daughters relied on virtuous and elegant character.

Madam Shen’s plan was sound, but she did not yet know that Shen Si Jier’s few words had already offended the Ning family.

After seeing off the guests, Miss Ning first sent her younger sister back to rest, then went to Crane Longevity Hall.

“Shen Si Jier stood beside sister-in-law like a bullied child. We kindly invited her to sit at the table, but she kept talking about legal-born and concubine-born, saying she should stand to serve me. Second and third sisters were furious, persuading her for a long time before she left. I hurried to scold the maids, forbidding them from gossiping in the concubine’s courtyard.”

Old Madam Ning had been chatting with Madam Ning, her expression turning unpleasant.

Madam Ning then knew her son was right—Shen family women were truly best left untouched.

Old Madam Ning had always cherished Shen Shi and held Grand Secretary Shen’s family in high regard, but now she too frowned.

“I had always thought the Shen family was a scholarly household. Who would have imagined they would raise their daughters this way? Their eldest and third daughters are decent enough, though the second is a bit timid. But these concubine-born daughters—they can’t even hold their own in public? Are they just paper-doll beauties?”