Quick, female general, I traveled through time to save my father

Chapter 359: The Mother of the Bomen Raises Her Stepson 26

He asked the servants to clean up the mess and bring new teacups.

"Uncle, you're overthinking it. You learned carpentry before you joined the army." Sirong's fingertips gently stroked the wood grain on the table, the sound like a spring hitting a stone.

"Those elaborate dressing boxes you made with your own hands, the more complicated the hinges, the more likely they are to get stuck. On the other hand, the elm wood boxes and crates of ordinary people's homes can still open and close smoothly even if they are dropped or bumped."

She raised her eyes and looked into Shen Shigen's suddenly constricted pupils: "The principles of this world are interconnected."

The bamboo shadows outside the window swayed, casting mottled light and shadows on her white skirt.

Sirong picked up the celadon teapot, and the amber tea drew an arc in the air. "The imperial court allows men to take concubines, but strictly prohibits taking concubines. Have you ever thought about why, my Lord?"

When the teacup was about 70% full, she gently twisted her wrist and collected it without spilling a drop. "Just like this cup of tea, if there are two owners, which one should I offer it to first?"

The veins on the back of Shen Shigen's clenched fist bulged.

"Not to mention..." Si Rong pushed the teacup in front of him, and the porcelain bottom touched the sandalwood, making a light "click" sound.

"Madam Minghua is pregnant with your child. Between you and our son, who will inherit the title in the future? Who will be the head of the family?" She suddenly chuckled. "Or... when Madam Minghua's child is born, will you ask for him to be named the Crown Prince?"

The last sentence was like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath. Shen Shigen stood up suddenly, and the rosewood armchair made a harsh sound as it scraped against the ground.

"How could that be? Junyao is my eldest son!!!"

Sirong calmly stood up and took down a nine-linked dressing box with loose mortise and tenon joints from the Duobao Pavilion. It was the wedding gift he had made with his own hands.

The original owner had always loved it, but as Sirong had said, it wasn't very practical. Shen Shigen's craftsmanship needed improvement.

So Sirong placed it in the uncle's study and treated it as a fine work of art.

"Look," she said, lightly flicking the hinges with her fingertips. The gilded hinges immediately groaned under the weight. "No matter how delicate an object is, it can't withstand the force exerted on both ends."

Shen Shigen frowned and placed the teacup heavily on the table: "Are you teaching me a lesson?"

Sirong calmly poured him a refill of tea. "I wouldn't dare. I just think that Master is always reasonable. Some things, if spoken openly, will be better for everyone."

She raised her eyes, her gaze as calm as water: "Think about it, all the concubines in the mansion are obedient. Why? Because they know their place. When they are favored, they are well-dressed and well-fed. When they fall out of favor, they can't cause any trouble."

"But it's different for a concubine." She tapped the table lightly with her fingertips.

"You are my equal in status, but we have to share a husband and a family business. As time goes by, we will inevitably fight for your favor, for power in the mansion, and even..." She paused, "for the future of your offspring."

Shen Shigen sneered: "You think long-term."

"It's not that I'm thinking too far ahead." Si Rong shook her head gently, "It's the blood and tears lessons of past dynasties that are there. Have you ever seen a noble family take a concubine and still have peace in the backyard?"

"Logically speaking, I should really stop my uncle from taking a concubine, or simply learn from those women in the backyard and use some tricks to fight for favor and power." Sirong gently stroked the celadon teacup on the table, and her fingertips left a faint mark on the glaze.

Shen Shigen sneered, a trace of contempt flashed in his eyes: "Then why don't you do it?"

His gaze was like a knife, as if he wanted to cut her open and see through her. In his eyes, she was just an orphan with no one to rely on. In terms of family background, talent, and temperament, how could she compare to Minghua? Now she pretended to be so noble, but it was only because she knew she could not win the competition, so she put on such an attitude.

Sirong met his gaze and suddenly smiled: "Master, do you think I'm retreating to advance?"

She walked slowly to the window. The crabapple trees in the yard were in full bloom, and the petals fell in the wind, with a few of them sticking to her sleeves.

"You're wrong." She gently brushed away the petals. "I don't fight, not because I can't win, but because..." She paused, her eyes clear as she turned around. "I've seen better scenery."

Shen Shigen was stunned.

"There are more interesting things in this world than harem fighting, and there are more worthwhile ways to live than fighting for a man's favor." Her tone was calm, but every word was as sharp as a needle. "My Lord, you may think I'm being hypocritical, but have you ever thought about it?"

"Maybe I really don't want it anymore?"

"Aren't you afraid that after you leave, Jun Yao will be neglected as you said?"

Si Rong looked into Shen Shigen's eyes and smiled softly, "Don't be afraid! If Jun Yao can't even protect himself, then I, as a mother, have failed in my parenting."

Shen Shigen's pupils shrank slightly as he watched her calmly straighten the teacup. Not a drop of tea spilled, the bottom of the cup made a crisp sound as it hit the table.

"I believe that the uncle will give each of his sons..." Sirong paused for a moment, "a chance to speak for themselves."

"Moreover, I believe that even if Jun Yao does not become the prince of Wuwei Earl's Mansion one day, there will only be one reason." Si Rong looked at Shen Jun Yao with gentle eyes.

Shen Shigen frowned slightly.

Sirong suddenly smiled, her smile like a spring breeze in March blowing across a frozen lake. "That can only be because..." She tapped the letter on the table with her fingertips. "My son no longer wants this position."

As she turned around, the hem of her skirt wafted a faint scent of agarwood: "After all..." her voice was so soft it almost disappeared in the wind. "When an eagle spreads its wings, how could it be attached to its nest on the branch?"

Shen Junyao, who had been standing beside Sirong, suddenly raised his head and looked at Sirong with wide eyes when he heard what Sirong said.

“My mother understands me!!!”

When she saw Shen Junyao, her eyes were about to burst into tears, and Sirong felt a little guilty, but it disappeared in an instant.

Sometimes middle school boys still need a little encouragement.

Shen Shigen, who was standing by, was silent for a moment after hearing what Sirong said. He finally said, "Let me think about it," and left the study.

In the original plot, Shen Shigen is conceited, arbitrary, careless and ambitious.

In fact, everyone has overlooked the fact that he started from a grassroots and relied on himself to get to where he is today.

He came from a humble background, but he was able to carve out a bloody path through a sea of ​​corpses and blood. It was definitely not just luck that counted.

Those who say he is careless, have they ever thought about why, among so many soldiers, he is the only one who can escape death again and again? Why, amidst the flash of swords and the shadow of swords, he is the only one who can seize the fleeting opportunity?

Those were the medals he earned with every scar on his body and at the cost of his life.

When he saved the prince, everyone thought he had just gotten lucky. But who noticed that he had already seen the clues from the prince's clothes, conversation, and even his eyes?

Sirong was not trying to whitewash him, but she felt that given Shen Shigen's past, it was reasonable for him to want to find a daughter of Madam Minghua as his legal wife.