Chapter 118 Leaving the Capital

He always felt that he liked girls who were obedient and polite, not troublesome, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and preferably more reserved.

At first, Lin Yurou met his standards in every way and he really liked her. Today she is very different from before, but he actually feels that she is more lively today and he can't take his eyes off her.

He is really crazy!

Shen Changhe smiled self-deprecatingly, "Let's go, it's getting late."

When the brother and sister returned to the mourning hall, the coffin had already left the hall.

He took the mourning paper from the servant and followed behind Shen Wen silently. The Shen family did not have many direct descendants, only his brother and sister, so the burial ceremony was quite lonely and desolate.

"Master, the Duan family's coffin was taken out from the east city gate." The housekeeper reported in a low voice.

Shen Wen nodded slightly, and left from the west gate at a different time and street from the Duan family funeral team.

Many people along the way were watching and whispering, and most of them were comparing the desolateness of the Shen family with the grandeur of the Duan family.

I heard that the old man of the Duan family had countless disciples, and the funeral procession stretched for several miles, with the constant wailing sounds piercing one's eardrums.

It was also heard that the Fourth Prince Xiao Yuan respected Master Duan so much that he personally asked the Emperor for permission and carried the coffin himself.

There is also a romantic story in it, which says that the third daughter of the Duan family fainted from crying several times, and it was the Fourth Prince who comforted and took care of her without taking off his clothes.

But those have nothing to do with the Shen family or Shen Anan.

She had no mind to listen to the discussions.

Now that she was buried today, she had completely lost her grandmother.

"An'an." Madam Shen pulled her sleeves, "You've been kneeling for an hour, get up, let's go back."

Shen Anan did not move, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Mom, please let me stay for a while, just a little while."

Mrs. Shen wiped away her tears and stood beside her.

A carriage was driving on the quiet official road and finally stopped not far away. Shen Anan did not look back, but only heard the salutes from his father and brother.

She didn't care. What she was thinking at the moment was that her grandmother must not like staying here alone. She must like the house in Jiangnan more. When everything is settled in the future, she will definitely take her grandmother away.

A pair of bluish-white fingers with distinct joints reached over her kneeling body and inserted a stick of incense into the incense burner in front of the grave.

A tall and majestic figure stood beside her, blocking most of the sunlight.

She didn't look up, and suddenly thought of the prince carrying the coffin. The funeral of the Duan family today must be very grand.

In comparison, the Shen family is rather shabby and pitiful, just as my grandmother said. I think the person in the palace should be very satisfied.

"I'm late." He whispered and held out his hand to Shen Anan.

His hands were covered with calluses from years of martial arts practice, and were too rough to look like those of a prince.

Shen Anan took his wrist and used it to stand up.

Her legs were numb from kneeling, and she could only stand with the help of Mo Xiang.

The strong wind in the mountains made her mourning clothes look even thinner. Her haggard and pale face made Xiao Yuan feel heartbroken.

"It's not too late," she forced herself to bow, "The Fourth Prince is here to burn incense, and our Shen family is already very grateful."

Xiao Yuan pursed his lips tightly, with a gloomy look between his brows, and did not explain anything.

Even if he didn't say it, everyone understood it in their hearts.

The old man of the Duan family was once a first-rank official and was also the prince's mentor. The emperor would certainly grant mourning, and countless officials would follow suit.

Regardless of whether the emperor wanted to promote the Duan family intentionally or unintentionally, what he wanted to see was that no one cared about the Shen family, so Xiao Yuan really shouldn't have come.

Xiao Yuan turned his gaze away from Shen Anan and looked at Shen Wen and Shen Changhe, and the three of them walked to a quiet place.

"The old lady's funeral is over. Sir Shen, have you made any decision about what to do next?"

Although the emperor pardoned the Shen family, he never issued any decree to deal with the matter. His ambiguous and deliberately suppressive attitude made it difficult for the Shen family to gain a foothold in the capital.

Shen Wen smiled faintly, "Tomorrow morning, I will resign from my post to the emperor and leave the capital with my family."

Xiao Yuan's eyes darkened, and he tilted his head to look at Shen Anan who was not far away.

After a moment, he retracted his gaze and nodded, "Alright, the capital is full of twists and turns, so I'll stay out of the spotlight for now. When the situation is settled, I'll take Lord Shen back to the court."

Wait until the overall situation is settled, that is, wait until he takes that position.

This is a promise to the Shen family, and also a hint.

Shen Wen followed his gaze and looked at his daughter, frowning slightly.

With the previous experience of Concubine Shen, he really didn't want the Shen family to have anything to do with the royal family again.

"It would be nice to return to the countryside. I have been in the government for several years, and I am tired of walking on thin ice every day and living in fear."

Xiao Yuan frowned but said nothing more. Today was the day of Madam Shen's burial, and he didn't want to argue with Shen Wen.

"Who can say for sure what will happen next?"

No matter where Shen Anan goes, she must eventually return to the capital.

Or... the Fourth Prince's mansion is very big, so it is easy to hide someone there.

The strength and sharpness in his eyes made Shen Wen extremely uneasy.

The crisis has not been resolved yet. Is it possible that the Shen family will never be able to escape the entanglement with the royal family in this lifetime?

Shen Changhe didn't think so much about it. The specific details depended on An An's opinion. If An An was willing, he would support it.

As the sun sets, the group descends the mountain and returns to the city.

After working hard for many days, Shen Anan leaned against the wall of the car, closed his eyes tiredly and took a rest for a while.

She didn't know what her father, brother and the Fourth Prince had said, and she didn't have the energy to ask at the moment. She needed a good sleep so that she would have the energy to think about those troubles.

The carriage of the Shen family and Xiao Yuan's carriage separated at the city gate and entered the city from the east and west gates respectively.

After returning home, Madam Shen was worried that she would become ill due to depression, so she wanted her to stay in Longxiang Pavilion for a few days. However, Shen Anan did not go and went back to Begonia Garden and fell asleep.

Even dinner was skipped, but Mo Xiang was still worried and stayed by the bed all night.

Sure enough, he developed a high fever that night.

She hadn't had any dreams for several days, but tonight she had nightmares one after another. The ending of her previous life and the tragedy of this life were linked together, making her unable to open her eyes.

The bitter taste flowed from her mouth into her throat, and she finally regained some strength and opened her eyes slightly.

"Girl," Mo Xiang's eyes turned red with anxiety.

Shen Anan pulled the corners of her lips and fell asleep again.

She heard Mrs. Shen's distressed sobs and her father and brother's anxious inquiries.

At daybreak, the snow on the ground turned into ice, and the cold wind blew, making people shiver with cold.

Shen Wen and Shen Changhe are going to attend the morning court today.

Madam Shen watched over Shen Anan for a while, and then quickly ordered the servants to prepare carriage hand warmers and thicker cloaks for the father and son.

"My husband, please control your temper and don't forget the important matter today."

The father and son were going there to resign from their official positions and stay away from the imperial city, and would no longer have anything to do with the people here.

Officials who had disagreed with Shen Wen's political views in the past will definitely be in trouble today. Mrs. Shen is afraid that Shen Wen will act impulsively and cause another dispute.

"Don't worry, ma'am. I know what's going on." Shen Wen pulled his cloak closer, his deep eyes hiding a shrewd look.

Shen Changhe came out of Shen Anan's boudoir, his brows and eyes were dark, "Anan, I'm sorry to trouble you to keep watching over me."

"Don't worry." Mrs. Shen sent the father and son out of the yard and repeatedly reminded them.

Now the Shen family can no longer afford any mistakes.

The carriage was moving very slowly on the icy ground, and by the time it reached the palace gate, most of the ministers had already arrived.

They gathered in twos and threes, and when the Shen Mansion's carriage arrived, the voices stopped for a moment. Everyone turned to look at the carriage, but no one came forward to speak.

Shen Changhe jumped off the carriage and helped Shen Wen down. The father and son stood alone beside the carriage and did not talk to anyone.

Wait for the bell to ring, and then go to the Fengtian Hall to attend court.

No one spoke, and no one made any sarcastic remarks, but just the looks people gave the father and son made anyone feel uncomfortable.

Shen Wen put his hands in his sleeves and said to Shen Changhe, "Humanity has always been like this since ancient times. Don't take those gossips to heart."

Shen Changhe is young and has not seen as much as he has. Shen Wen is worried that Shen Changhe is used to being praised and will find it difficult to accept it.

"Don't worry, Dad. I understand."

He didn't take those people's gazes to heart at all.

"Oh, General Shen missed the morning court for a few days. I thought you wouldn't come. What's going on? Is Madam Shen's funeral over?"

The second prince Xiao Ze walked towards the two of them with a smile.

Shen Wen remained calm and bowed to Xiao Ze, "Your Majesty has not dismissed me from my post yet, so I must attend the morning court."

Xiao Ze sneered, his eyes full of coldness.

"Noble Concubine Shen killed my mother. Lord Shen, do you think that the matter can be covered up by killing an old lady?"

Want to continue serving as an official in the court? How is that possible! ! ! !

Shen Changhe clenched his ten fingers into fists little by little, "Second Prince, my grandmother has passed away, please be kind and do good deeds."

Xiao Ze seemed to have heard something funny, and said sarcastically, "I am the son of a dragon, so even if I say something unpleasant, or do something unpleasant, you have to put up with it. Do you still think your Shen family is still the same Shen family as before?"

He has tolerated the Shen family for a long, long time.

“Master Shen, have you forgotten what you went through when you were hung on the rack in the Dali Temple?”

His eyes were cold and he stared at Shen Changhe with a fake smile.

Shen Changhe's eyes turned slightly red and his fists were clenched.

Shen Wen touched his arm lightly and bowed to Xiao Ze.

"I think the Second Prince knows exactly how Concubine Ning died. Using my father and I may not be enough to appease the Second Prince's anger. If you are truly filial, you should clear the cause of Concubine Ning's death."

Xiao Ze's face froze visibly.

Of course he knew that his mother's death had nothing to do with the Shen family, and he also gained a lot of help in this matter, but it was his mother who died after all, and he still felt very sad.

But he had no ability to take revenge on the real murderer, so he could only vent his anger on the impoverished Shen family.

To put it bluntly, it's just bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and venting one's anger.

"As expected of a man who once held the position of Grand Commandant, he is really good at making up stories and whitewashing his words."

"Your Excellency the Second Prince is too kind."

Xiao Ze sneered, "I hope that when we get to Fengtian Palace later, Lord Shen can still be so eloquent."

He glanced at the father and son, his lips tinged with sarcasm, "Don't be scared to death."

He tilted his head to look at Shen Changhe again, and said with a smile, "Master Shen, does your injury still hurt? It must be uncomfortable to be whipped by a whip dipped in salt water? Don't let your legs shake later in Fengtian Palace."

He couldn't provoke Shen Wen, the old fox, but Shen Changhe was young, and even he was afraid in front of his father, let alone him!

"Don't worry, Second Prince." Shen Changhe said coldly.