The imperial edict caused a sensation among the powerful and influential families.

The first to be affected by the loss of the cake was General Hu Yanshan, who originally commanded the Shen family army.

Then there's Prince Cheng, who's behind Hu Yanshan.

Within an hour, Hu Yanshan quietly went to a villa in the suburbs of Beijing to discuss countermeasures with Prince Cheng, who was hiding there.

Prince Cheng was so angry that he smashed a teacup: "I thought that by not touching or making any moves against Qi Yunxiao, he wouldn't be so wary. But Qi Yunxiao is too lucky! How could he bring that old geezer back from a trip to Da Xia?"

Hu Yanshan was a burly man with a strong build, a true testament to his training. He was quite skilled, and at that moment, he could only think of one option: "Your Highness, how about I go and kill that Shen Zhongyi?"

Prince Cheng glared at him irritably: "You go? Do you think he's a fool? If Shen Zhongyi kicks the bucket, you'll be discovered immediately for leaving the Jingxi garrison. Do you think he'll still tolerate you living then?"

Hu Yanshan frowned: "Then who do you think is suitable? Anyway, Shen Zhongyi has just returned, and we haven't had time to win back those old relationships yet. Now is the best time to make a move."

That's the truth.

Of those old brothers I haven't seen for many years, how many are still of one mind with Shen Zhongyi?

Everyone has their own clan and offspring, and too many things to consider. How can they possibly be as united as they were when they fought side by side on the battlefield?!

People change.

But if we wait a few more days, and after Shen Zhongyi meets, contacts, and wins over those people, the situation will change.

After all, regaining control of the Shen family army means there's a huge amount of power that can be manipulated!

After a moment of contemplation, Prince Cheng's gaze fell on the person who had been pretending to be mute.

Cheng Ping felt the gaze of the Prince of Cheng, and in surprise, he dropped the black chess piece in his hand, pointed to his nose, and asked, "What should I do?"

Prince Cheng nodded slowly: "You shouldn't have appeared in the capital in the first place. If you had gone, he wouldn't have suspected you."

"Are you sure?" Cheng Ping asked back.

Prince Cheng's face darkened: "You don't want to go?"

Cheng Ping chuckled and said, "Fine, I'll go." Then he turned and left.

Watching Cheng Ping leave the study, Hu Yanshan frowned and asked, "You trust him too much. He's been dismissed by His Majesty for so long, he must have been desperate to come to you."

Cheng Wang gave him a look: "I might not have believed it before, but if this matter is accomplished today, I will dare to use him."

Hu Yanshan thought about it and smiled, "That's true."

Prince Cheng knew about Cheng Ping and Qi Yunxiao's connection in Shenjia Village, which meant that Hu Yanshan also knew about it.

Even if Cheng Ping had a past with Qi Yunxiao, as long as he killed Qi Yunxiao's father-in-law, the feud would be truly established.

It certainly cut off Cheng Ping's way back.

Cheng Ping returned to his residence, made careful preparations, and then turned to leave.

As night fell, the Duke of Wei's mansion was bustling with activity, and everyone from top to bottom was in high spirits.

His Majesty the Emperor bestowed upon the Duke of Wei a great deal of gold and silver, and also granted him real power. It was an immense honor and a great trust from the emperor!

Therefore, the Duke of Wei also rewarded the guards, servants, and personal soldiers who had stayed at the Duke's mansion over the years, and allowed them to drink and celebrate, of course, in shifts.

The white-haired cook prepared a large table of delicious dishes and various items for the ancestral hall sacrifice. After offering incense and making sacrifices at the ancestral hall, Duke Wei ate a sumptuous dinner and got very drunk!

The Duke of Wei, who had drunk too much, kept asking to read military books, so he was sent to the study.

Shen Qingyu and Qi Yunxiao, a married couple, were worried about his condition, so they went over to take care of him.

The Duchess of Wei also went over to look.

Everyone assumed that one person was drunk and the whole family was serving him, but little did they know that the Duke of Wei and his wife, as well as the Qi Yunxiao couple, all had solemn expressions in the study.

The Duke of Wei, Shen Zhongyi, who had just been speaking with a lisp, was now clear-headed and solemn.

"Is everything arranged?" Duke of Wei asked.

Qi Yunxiao nodded: "The arrangements have been made. Nearly a hundred Dragon Guards have been stationed around this study."

Zhao Yuzhu frowned: "Why did His Majesty ask you to be the one to stick your neck out?"

It's very frightening.

Shen Qingyu sighed: "It's one thing to be the first to stick your neck out, but why didn't you send more people to protect you?"

Duke Wei chuckled: "This is all I'm good for. If we can catch that big fish, His Majesty will be at ease, and so will we."

Qi Yunxiao knew Shen Qingyu was worried, so he held her hand and comforted her, "His Majesty sent the Imperial Guards to protect her, which shows his attitude. If there were too many guards, then the person wouldn't have come."

Shen Qingyu sighed deeply: That's true, but she was still worried!

While feeling worried, Shen Qingyu simply called Zhao Yuzhu along, and the two of them went to the small kitchen next to the study to prepare a late-night snack.

Doing something can always distract you.

Qi Yunxiao didn't stop them: It's good that the two of them do something, so that they won't panic even more when a crisis comes.

Shen Qingyu bought some sweet wine and small glutinous rice balls from the space store with a worried expression, preparing to make osmanthus sweet wine glutinous rice balls.

Dad loves to eat this.

As she boiled the spring water and added sweet wine, Shen Qingyu muttered in a low voice, "This lousy place is really awful!"

Zhao Yuzhu sighed, "No matter how bad things get, we have no other choice right now..."

“You can go back.” Shen Qingyu pouted.

She felt guilty.

My parents didn't have to come, but they went to great lengths to come and be with me.

But as soon as his father returned to this place, the emperor put him on the hot seat.

This is risking your life!

If they hadn't come, this problem wouldn't have happened at all!

Thinking of this, Shen Qingyu's gaze became even more resolute: "You've all seen it, I'm fine here, I'm doing very well, you should all go back!"

Zhao Yuzhu slapped Shen Qingyu on the head: "Silly girl, what are you thinking? Danger is everywhere. What good will hiding do?"

"Do you think our business has always been smooth sailing? You had no idea we were being chased and attacked!"

Shen Qingyu was genuinely surprised: "Such a thing happened? When?"

“You were only twelve years old then, right? Yes, twelve. When our business started to improve, we became the target of jealousy…” Zhao Yuzhu slowly recounted the dangers of that time.

The competitor paid some fourteen or fifteen-year-old thugs to chase after Zhao Yuzhu and Shen Zhongyi with large machetes.

In the critical moment, Shen Zhongyi pushed Zhao Yuzhu, but shielded her from behind.

Shen Zhongyi was stabbed several times in the back!

Fortunately, it was winter, and everyone was wearing thick cotton-padded coats. Those thugs had never actually killed anyone before, and seeing the blood everywhere, they were afraid of actually killing someone, so they ran away.

Shen Zhongyi needed dozens of stitches in his back that time, and Zhao Yuzhu took care of him in the hospital for almost a month.

"We were afraid you'd worry, so we had to lie and say your dad and I were away on a business trip, which is why we missed your entrance exam for junior high..."