Chapter 90: Banished to the Cold Palace

“I’m doing this for the sake of you and the Shen family.” Concubine Shen’s roar rang out in the palace.

Shen Anan left the palace under the guidance of the palace maids. Passing by the corridor, she pointed at the palace maids and eunuchs coming towards her not far away and asked, "Which direction are those people going in a panic?"

The maid raised her eyes and looked towards where Shen Anan was talking about, her face slightly pale, "Those are all working in the Imperial Study, cousin, come here with this servant."

The maid led Shen Anan out of the corridor and into a small path, then whispered, "It should be to Concubine Ning's palace. In the palace, besides the Imperial Concubine, the Emperor's favorite is Concubine Ning."

Shen Anan tilted her head to look at those people again, her red lips slightly pursed.

pet? I'm afraid the emperor is going to bring charges against Concubine Ning.

"There's still something going on in the mansion, let's hurry up."

Several people quickened their pace and left the palace without any hindrance.

Xiao Yuan was talking to Ling Chenyi when he saw the palace gate open and Shen Anan walked out with Mo Xiang.

"She came out so soon? Is Concubine Shen recovered from her illness?" Ling Chenyi was a little surprised.

Xiao Yuan looked at the unhappy face of the woman, frowned and walked over, "What's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly leave the palace? But..."

"The Fourth Prince has achieved his goal, so why should I stay in the palace?" Shen Anan raised her eyes and looked at Xiao Yuan, her tone full of sarcasm.

"What's the meaning?"

"What do you mean? Doesn't the Fourth Prince know? Get out of the way." Shen Anan pushed Xiao Yuan away angrily.

"Wow, who is this blind person who offended Miss Shen again?" Ling Chenyi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

Shen Anan glanced at the two of them coldly, "Snakes and rats belong to the same nest!"

"Xiao Yuan." She stood still and looked at him, "I thought that although you were cold-hearted, you were at least a decent person. I didn't expect that you could be so mean."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and was about to leave. Xiao Yuan quickly stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, "What's going on? What happened in the palace?"

"Of course, the scene that the Fourth Prince wanted to see the most happened." After Shen Anan finished speaking, she pushed Xiao Yuan's hand away, quickly got on the Shen Mansion carriage, and left.

Now that such a big thing has happened, she must go back as soon as possible to tell her father and eldest brother and come up with a solution.

Xiao Yuan stood on the long palace road, and the carriage gradually disappeared from his sight.

"Or... I'll send someone to check out what's going on?" Ling Chenyi pinched his throat and asked as quietly as possible.

"Ask Concubine Shen's people to come to the mansion to see me." Xiao Yuan's face was gloomy and he jumped onto the carriage.

…

"Aren't we going to the palace to report to the emperor?"

"Go back home first." Xiao Yuan's voice was extremely gloomy.

"Are the master and the eldest son here?" Shen Anan asked the housekeeper of the Shen Mansion as soon as he got off the carriage.

"Young lady, you are back." The housekeeper was a little surprised, but very happy. "I am back, Master, the young master and the lady have not been able to eat for the past two days, so they are worried that you are not eating well and sleeping well in the palace."

"Go to the courtyard of my eldest brother and his wife and ask them to go to the master's study, quickly."

Shen Anan strode into the mansion, and the housekeeper saw how anxious she was and immediately trotted into the mansion.

In the study, the servant was grinding ink, and Shen Wen was sitting behind the desk with a pile of papers in front of him. When he heard that Shen Anan was back, he immediately put down his wolf-hair brush.

"Dad." Shen Anan pushed open the door and came in. Shen Wen asked first, "How is it in the palace? Did your aunt make things difficult for you? Also, why did you come back so soon?"

Shen Anan was anxious all the way, her throat was very dry, she first went to the table to drink a cup of tea, and then said, "I'm afraid something is going to happen in the palace, and it's related to my Shen family."

Shen Wen's expression changed, and he stood up from behind the desk. "What's going on? Tell me slowly. Are you okay?"

Shen Anan shook her head, “I’m fine.”

Just being used as a target.

When Madam Shen and Shen Changhe arrived, the atmosphere in the study was terribly cold and stagnant. Shen Anan was narrating the process, so the two did not ask any questions and sat down to listen patiently.

But the more they listened, the colder and more gloomy the faces of the family of three became.

"Did you see what the stamp on the bottom of the vase is?" Mrs. Shen asked.

"I got a vague idea." She asked someone to bring paper and pen, and roughly drew the outline on rice paper and showed it to Shen Wen.

"He'er, take a look, do you recognize it?" Shen Wen felt that it was somewhat familiar but he couldn't remember it.

Shen Changhe walked over and just glanced at it, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, "I recognize it, this is the mark of the Zhang family business."

After these words were spoken, there was a brief silence in the room. Shen Changhe and Shen Wen looked unhappy and did not speak for a while.

"Which Zhang family?" Madam Shen asked in shock, "Could it be... the Zhang family in the prison who is colluding with the enemy?"

"That's right." Shen Changhe nodded.

Mrs. Shen's eyes blurred and she almost lost her balance. "Oh my God, what is she trying to do? Is she going to kill the entire Shen family?"

Shen Anan went over silently to rub Madam Shen's back, and then said, "Not really, the vase is obviously fake, the emperor recognized it at a glance, aunt just wanted to use the vase to tell the emperor that Concubine Ning is connected to the Zhang family."

"Since Concubine Ning is suspected of collaborating with the enemy, something must happen to her. So when the emperor calms down, he will suspect that it was our Shen family who did it on purpose to oppose Concubine Ning." Shen Wen said in a deep voice.

After all, he was an old fox in the officialdom and he saw the crux of the matter in just a few words.

Under his strict teaching, the Shen family, both the direct and collateral branches, had never been involved in any factional disputes. Unexpectedly, they were eventually dragged down by the schemes of a married sister.

"Master, if you go to explain to the emperor now, will it be too late?" Madam Shen was very worried.

Shen Wen shook his head. "Once the seeds of suspicion are planted, it will be too late to do anything. The emperor will only think that we want to distance ourselves from the matter and use the imperial concubine to pay for the crime."

Also, she is my own sister after all. I am angry, but I can't bear to watch her die.

"Chang He and I are at home, you don't have to worry." Shen Wen's face was obviously tired, but he still tried his best to comfort his wife and daughter gently.

"Madam, the court is in turmoil. We, the Shen family, may be stuck in the mud someday. Please find a family for An An as soon as possible."

Mrs. Shen nodded, held Shen Anan's hand, and her face was silent.

"Master." There was a knock on the study door, and the servant walked in quickly. "Master, there is news from the palace that Concubine Ning intended to assassinate the emperor, and she has been arrested and sent to the cold palace. The second prince's mansion has also been surrounded by heavy troops and is not allowed to enter or leave."

Shen Wen and Shen Changhe looked at each other and their eyes darkened.

The servant left, and Shen Wencai said, "It's the job of the Imperial Guards to surround the Second Prince's mansion, but He'er hasn't received any news. It seems that the Emperor is really suspicious of us father and son."

"Dad." Shen Changhe's face was grim. "Things have come to this point. According to my opinion, it is better to go all out and go with the flow."

Shen Wen looked at him sternly, "He'er, have you forgotten your father's warning?"

"I dare not forget." Shen Changhe cupped his hands and said, "But now my father and I have been forced to do something stupid. Rather than being suppressed and feared by all parties and becoming the target of public criticism, it is better to support a wise ruler. I think that in terms of qualifications and character, the fourth prince is better than the second prince."

Shen Wen kept a sullen face and said nothing.

"Dad." Shen Changhe was a little anxious. "The Second Prince has fallen, and the Fourth Prince is the designated crown prince. Why can't the Shen family follow the will of the people?"

"Okay, stop talking." Shen Wen said coldly, "When your grandfather was alive, he repeatedly told us that the Shen family must not participate in the struggle for succession between factions, and must only be loyal to the emperor. How can we let the Shen family be defeated by you and me, father and son?"

"Dad, that's pedantic!"

"Dad." Shen Anan also suddenly spoke, "If this matter was not secretly supported by the Fourth Prince, but was just my aunt's will, my daughter also thinks that Xiao Yuan can follow."

Shen Wen frowned and looked at his wife and daughter. Since his son and daughter said so, Mrs. Shen naturally supported her children unconditionally.

"My husband, you are too loyal and old-fashioned. It's time now. If we don't stand on the same side, neither the new emperor nor the current emperor will give us a foothold."

"What should we do with An An?" Shen Wen asked in a deep voice, "Should we follow the Imperial Concubine's advice and marry the Fourth Prince to form a harmonious relationship?"

For a moment, everyone in the room fell silent and no one spoke.

"Alright, let me think about this matter again, you all go back and rest first."

Shen Wen leaned tiredly in the armchair. Mrs. Shen felt a little distressed and immediately stood up and told her children to leave together.

When passing by the garden, Mrs. Shen returned to Longxiang Pavilion first, and the Yu brother and sister walked on the bluestone path.

There was no one around, Shen Anan suddenly stopped and looked at Shen Changhe, "Brother, when did you get in touch with Xiao Yuan?"

Shen Changhe's eyebrows jumped, and he lowered his eyes to meet Shen Anan's clear and bright almond eyes.

He was silent for a while before he said, "Since the Imperial Concubine intended to marry you to the Fourth Prince."

"Father thinks that as long as the Shen family stays out of it, they can stay away from this dispute. However, the Shen family is too powerful. Even if they stay out of it, the emperor will not believe it."

He saw it from the palace banquet that day when he listened to the imperial concubine's coquetry and arranged a marriage for An An.

The Shen family cannot remain immune, and he wants to use his talents and the Shen family to exchange for his sister's freedom to marry.

"Brother." Shen Anan's voice was a little choked.

Shen Changhe touched her head and said, “You grew up in Jiangnan. My parents and I have never done anything for you, so you naturally have not taken on the responsibility of the Shen family.”

"Don't worry, the situation in the court is now clear. The Second Prince has no capital to fight anymore, and the Fourth Prince is almost certain to win. Our Shen family will be fine."

"What about father? If he finds out, he will definitely punish you."

Shen Changhe shook his head. "Now that things are in a state of panic, I just made the decision that should be made for my father."

Shen Anan pursed her lips, her eyes slightly lowered, “Brother, what my aunt did, was it really not the Fourth Prince’s intention?”

"No." Shen Changhe answered with certainty, "Even if he does this to everyone, he won't do this to..."