Chapter 2 - Asking For Dowry

After Wen Changhou who read the imperial decree left with the eunuchs who accompanied him, the Luo family returned to it's previous atmosphere.

The old lady was helped up on a chair. The maids served tea to the family, which were all gathered. As soon as she drank a sip, everyone's face was lighten and they looked for their own positions. The old lady and Luo Renshou sat in the main seats. While the other juniors sat down in their respective seats.

Since as a young child, Luo Shuyu did not get much love from Luo Renshou, and was even a little alienated. His attitude also affected the care for him by the old lady.

Perhaps Luo Shuyu in the previous life cared too much about family affection, and always made excuses for Luo Renshou's alienation. Only when he was needed, Luo Renshou would show a fatherly appearance and pretend to care for him and tell him few smoothing words. Now thinking about it more, is to use him to get news of the Third Prince' Mansion.

In the early years, Luo Shuyu wanted to get close to Luo Renshou. After all, he was his biological father and the only person he could rely on in this world. But after experiencing all these things, Luo Shuyu turned around and looked at Luo Renshou again. He was just a villain who had forgotten righteousness. He didn't like his mother. He just coveted the benefits that his mother's family could bring him. So he married him back then. Before marrying mother, he was just a sixth-rank little official, then became a big extent. his mother's natal family has brought him to his current position. Not only did he forgot righteousness, but he avoided it after the accident that happened to his mother. No wonder their Luo family had never been in contact with the Chen family in these years.

Seeing these people he used to be his relatives, each of them seemed as kind and gentle as a Bodhisattva, but in fact they were all abominable, and Luo Shuyu only felt chills.

He now clearly remembers that after he and the third prince were imprisoned, Luo Renshou had never seen him in the jail. He used a piece of Jade left by his mother to find his biological father to save his child. However, Luo Renshou left him with only one sentence: life and death have fate, wealth is in heaven, fate is sometimes necessary, and fate is always indispensable.

With a meaning that, he won't save anyone. Self-preservation is important. Maybe it's not self-preservation. Maybe he personally presented fabricated evidence with both hands.

Luo Shuyu really hates this father who is known as "gentle and humble". The imperial decree he is holding at the moment is no longer heavy. In his previous life, he felt that this imperial decree was taking his life, but in this life it was his life-saving talisman. It is the guarantee for his future.

In his previous life, he believed too much in his human-faced and beast-hearted father. He had never doubted whether he had a father-son relationship with him, and he was blindfolded.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that I was so stupid. My father occasionally gave me a little affection between a father and son, and I revealed the affairs in the Third Prince' Mansion to him one by one. Now I have to doubt that the plot against the third prince as colluding with enemies has a lot to do with my father.

Thinking of this, Luo Renshou just raised his old smile to Luo Shuyu's as a loving father: "Shu Yu, from now on, you should start preparing for marriage in the courtyard. Don't worry or think about anything else, here, father will do everything for you. Don't worry."

Luo Shuyu wondered why he couldn't see his father's indifference to him, if he still had a little affection for him, how could he be indifferent to him? He had been in the Luo family for many years, and as a son of a main wife, he would have lived well. But It's better to be born by common people, than to be a son from the Luo family.

I only hate the stupidity and ridiculousness of myself, which is, the kind of family affection I insists on. What a joke.

Luo Shuyu endured his nausea and gave Luo Renshou a straight punch: "Father, since I am going to marry the third prince, I can't let the prince lose face. I'm not thinking about anything else. I want to get my mother's dowry. I hope that my father can hand over the keys to my mother's dowry storage room in time."

His mother married Luo Renshou with Shili Hongzhuang¹. Mother family was a family of officials in Beijing. At that time, mother was also a talented artisan woman who was vying to marry by a group of young talents in Beijing. Later, the Chen family died because of an incident. It didn't take long for his mother to die due to an illness, and no one mentioned the dowry. In his previous life, he married into the royal family. Luo Shuyu did not know whether it was intentionally or unintentionally, his father never mentioned the dowry to him. Once at a banquet, he saw his fourth brother's wife wearing a Hanfu sable robe. He praised her and was very impressed by it. Then a woman sitting next to him mentioned his mother, saying that she had a robe like that in the past. He realized that something was strange, but unfortunately, he was blinded at the time.

At this time, he heard the word dowry, and his eyes swept towards Luo Renshou.

Luo Renshou was also taken aback on the spot. He was shocked. He didn't understand how Luo Shuyu suddenly mentioned the dowry of his deceased wife. How could he think of it.

Luo Renshou thought of Luo Shuyu as a ger who had never been in interaction with others before and was easy to coax. He must have wanted to draw some affection from his father. So he put a smile on his face, trying to take the initiative into his own hands and said, "Your mother's dowry is naturally good. Why have you started thinking about it before you get married? You will be the Third Prince's wife in the future. If someone were to hear you, they would say that I am incapable of teaching my own children. Haven't I taught you to understand the general principles of human beings and not to have too much greed?"

Luo Shuyu has experienced life and death, but he is not afraid of Luo Renshou's moral suppression. He remembers that Shen Mingyun said in the book that this is called moral kidnapping.

Luo Renshou taught him? Luo Shuyu even wanted to sneer in front of him, poking his face.

How could this Renshou, who has been in the court all year round, have no understanding of the behavior of the Third Prince. As a father, he laughed without any worries while watching his child enter the dragon's and tiger's lair.

How can I be generous? Will I give up my own life again? Go to the Third Prince's Mansion as a spy for them, so as to pave the way for the Luo family?

This is Luo Renshou. He is a "loving father" who has used up all the waste.

Now, for Luo Shuyu, the House of the Third Prince is not a Tiger's Lair, but a safe haven for him in the future. Returning his mother's dowry is just his first step to shelter from the wind. He has to prepare for the future, regardless of whether he will experience it again in his life. Before death, he will try to change the fate of him and Li Mingjin, and change the fate of his child.

"Father, things like general principles and capacity have nothing to do with me bringing my mother's dowry into the Prince's Mansion. I remember my mother's last wishes, one of which is that her dowry will be fully inherited by me. Now that I am about to enter the Third Prince's household, the dowry is our Luo family's strength, and we must not shame the royal family. If I don't do well and our family can't hold their heads up, the people outside may say that Father has objections to the marriage conferred by the Emperor." Rather than oppressing people with the fact that Luo Renshou treated him badly, it is better to directly oppress him with the Emperor. Disrespect to the Emperor is what Luo Renshou cares the most about.

Luo Shuyu, who has always been obedient and well-behaved, and who has almost never made any resistance to Luo Renshou's words, suddenly became tough, making Luo Renshou very uncomfortable. He has a good face, and Luo Shuyu always poked at his points. The smile on his gentle face gradually faded.

Luo Renshou didn't know who instigated Luo Shuyu to say these things, but he did have to take care of his own face. The imperial decree was irresistible, and he could not bear the reputation of his father's unkindness. He now has to appease Luo Shuyu and figure it out. Who is chewing the tongue in his ear, every word accusing him of invading his dead wife's dowry, his son always said that he couldn't hear a single echo in three sentences, and when he became so eloquent.

In order not to be criticized, Luo Renshou could only temporarily promise him: "I will let someone count your mother's dowry, and then I will give you a list to add makeup to you."

If Luo Shuyu didn't mention it today, he would naturally not mention it, but since it is for this reason, he has no reason to lose his share in front of the juniors. The whole family is listening here. He doubts that Luo Shuyu did it on purpose, and it makes him feel uncomfortable.

Of course, Luo Shuyu was deliberate. If he went to Luo Renshou privately, he will send him away with few words, or refused to see him. He could only speak in front of everyone in order to agree to his request.

Liu's mouth moved and wanted to say something, but the old lady who had been enjoying her maid pinching her shoulders suddenly said, "Shu Yu, you're going to be married to the Prince's Mansion. Don't be so petty, or it will be difficult for you to be liked. Your father is going to swallow your mother's dowry, is this even believable?" She twisted around the prayer beads in her hand, but what she said was contrary to the Buddha's will, and it was acrimonious. Which told him not to take his mother's dowry, and let Liu to continue squandering it.

The old lady has no values. There are only two things that she values most in her life. One is her most promising son, Luo Renshou, and the other is money. Her son has lost face in front of her by her grandchild, and her mind didn't miss her daughter-in-law's dowry that she's about to loose. She naturally wanted to teach Luo Shuyu a few words.

Why should his mother's dowry be used supporting those black hearted people?

He was very disdainful of the old lady in his heart. Luo Shuyu said indifferently: "What grandmother said may need to be considered. I haven't heard my father mention my mother's dowry until now. I just reminded him. I also hope that some people will return what they shouldn't have."

He is a person who has died once, do you think he is still afraid of Luo family?

Liu was insinuated by Luo Shuyu and wanted to say a few words, but the old lady obviously didn't want her to : "Prepare the child well for marriage, don't lose our face." This was directed to Liu regarding these things. She waved her hand and left "Okay, there's nothing else, I'll go back first." She was very happy at first, after all, they will be relatives of the emperor somehow in the future. As for the character of the third prince, it is none of her concerns. Within the scope of her consideration, she has never been close to Luo Shuyu, but this Shu Yu suddenly wants to take the dowry, which has swept her mood.

"Yes, mother." Liu's head bowed as a group of maids walked the old lady out the door.

Luo Renshou looked at Luo Shuyu uncomfortably, and found a reason to leave. Before leaving, he called his two eldest sons to the study to discuss matters.

Liu looked at Luo Shuyu, but didn't say anything. She walked away with a maid while a painful expression on her face. Nearly half of the room walked out.

The rest of juniors looked at Luo Shuyu, who was holding the imperial edict in his hand, with envy, jealousy, stupidity, and of course disdain.

The disdain was from Luo Shuyǔ², who is pampered by Liu.

Luo Shuyǔ squeezed his newly hung jade pendant and said: "Third Brother, you have not married the third prince, yet you put on a show, for those who don't know would think you are already the third prince wife."

"I don't have the time judge you." Luo Shuyu patted his sleeve and looked at the cuffs of the auspicious cloud pattern without raising his eyelids.

With such a casual attitude, Luo Shuyǔ felt offended. Whatever he thought of, he leaned closer to Luo Shuyu: "Third brother, you may not know what kind of person the Third Prince is… I've heard that he kills people like a demon. Maid's corpses are often carried out of his room, and as long as he fancies someone, he'll strike them with his whip, not stopping until he's whipped their skin to shreds. I can tell you more if you'd like."

"Then I really don't know as much as you, fifth brother. You, unmarried ger, actually knows about other men's sexual affairs. I don't know how our father will feel when he finds out. Try asking for more blessings." Luo Shuyu responded lightly. It is very important for a woman to have a good reputation, and the same is true for the ger.

Luo Shuyǔ was caught off guard by Luo Shuyu's counterattack. He really did not expect that Luo Shuyu suddenly had a talent for argumentation. He was stuck in his throat and couldn't get up. For a while, he couldn't find words to refute. He was so angry that he could only go back to his place, and watch at the back of Luo Shuyu leaving gracefully.

"Fourth sister, why didn't you help me!" Luo Shuyǔ complained to the girl sitting quietly next to him.

Luo Shuyue smiled softly, and calmly said: "What's the harry? After he gets married, there will be a good show. The Third Prince's Mansion is so good, can't it be his turn?"

Luo Shuyǔ was comforted by her, and snorted softly, thinking of that too, why not wait to see Luo Shuyu's turn to a joke.

When he returned to Ruyi courtyard, Luo Shuyu was relieved. His father's attitude just chilled him, and would not affect him anymore.

The grievances between Luo Shuyǔ and him are nothing more than whose fabrics are better and whose looks are better. He has never cared about this. What he really has to face is the protagonist in the novel that can affect his fate____Shen Mingyun.

In the novel, from the perspective of Shen Mingyun, it is mentioned that the third prince's favorite person is Shen Mingyun, but afterwards the matters were messed up by Shen Mingyun himself. The emperor suddenly interfered for some reason and pointed Luo Shuyu to the third prince instead.

Luo Shuyu looked at the imperial edict in his hand and he sighed softly.