When the Sheng family heard Sheng Wenjin's question, they were all shocked.

The act of borrowing a life was done discreetly, requiring only Sheng Wenjin's birth date and time. How could Sheng Wenjin know that his life had been borrowed?

The strangest thing is that Sheng Wenjin should have died after borrowing the life force. But this child was lucky and only fell into a coma.

Prince Rui found it strange that he had borrowed Sheng Wenjin's life, yet Sheng Wenjin was only unconscious, and even sent someone to secretly check on him.

The conclusion is that a wisp of his celestial soul was sealed within his body, and Sheng Wenjin will remain in a coma for life, which is not a serious matter.

But then another unexpected event occurred. Sheng Wenjin not only regained his senses, but his personality also changed drastically, and his abilities were greatly enhanced.

Sheng Lingtian went to see Prince Rui again, and Prince Rui also sent people to investigate, but everyone who got close to Sheng Wenjin mysteriously disappeared.

Later, Prince Rui felt that he hadn't returned the life he had borrowed, so he stopped caring about the matter.

And so the matter was left unresolved...

Upon hearing Sheng Wenjin's question, Sheng Lingtian, Old Master Sheng, and Old Madam Sheng all changed their expressions.

"We didn't know! You're our most beloved grandson, how could we possibly know? If we had known, we would never have let Mu Rou'er succeed!"

"Yes, yes! We didn't know! Wen Jin, you're now the Vice Minister of Revenue, and you've made great contributions at the border. Could you please ask the Emperor to spare our Sheng family?"

After being shocked, Old Master Sheng and Old Madam Sheng hurriedly shook their heads. Old Madam Sheng even lay down on the ground and grabbed the hem of Sheng Wenjin's long robe.

Sheng Wenjin closed his eyes briefly, his expression a mixture of pain and complexity. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze held a distant quality.

“Grandmother, how could you not know?”

"Heh heh heh... Is power and status really that important to you? So important that you can just give up your grandson, whom you've spoiled since he was a child?"

"We didn't! We don't know!"

Madam Sheng still shook her head and refused to admit it.

At this moment, Sheng Lingtian stared intently at his eldest son: "Yes! We know..."

"Sheng Lingtian!"

Before Sheng Lingtian could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Old Master Sheng.

"Father, there's no hope! Even if we don't admit it, there's no hope! If what we've done is exposed, it's a crime punishable by the confiscation of our property and the extermination of our clan. It's already a miracle that we've left some bloodline!"

Sheng Lingtian appeared remarkably calm at this moment, as if he had already accepted his fate.

When Old Master Sheng heard Sheng Lingtian say this, he closed his eyes and said nothing more.

"Wen Jin, are you still my son? The Sheng Wen Jin of the past?" Sheng Lingtian had always had this question. Sheng Wen Jin had changed so much after he regained consciousness that he felt his son was no longer his son.

He even suspected that Sheng Wenjin might have been possessed by a powerful ghost, so he wanted to confirm this before he died.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Wenjin gave Sheng Lingtian a deep look. "Father, I am still Sheng Wenjin."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Lingtian smiled with satisfaction. It was good that his son was still the best. He didn't know what the future held for his other two sons, but Sheng Wenjin had already brought honor to the family.

Sheng Lingtian's efforts were not in vain. After all, if he had not sided with Prince Rui, he would not have been able to get close to the Chu family and give birth to such an outstanding son.

He is dead, but his descendants can still carry on the Sheng family tradition.

In the future, the descendants of the Sheng family will all settle down in the capital city, completely shedding their peasant status.

However, Sheng Wenjin's next words poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

“However,” Sheng Wenjin paused, then continued, “Although I am Sheng Wenjin, I am no longer your son. From today onwards, I will take my mother’s surname and change it to Chu! In the future, I will be called Chu Wenjin, the grandson of the loyal and valiant Chu family!”

"Mother, I want to change my surname too! I want to be called Chu Wanwan!" Sheng Wanwan smiled with her eyes crinkling at the sight of Sheng Wenjin's cruel and heartless actions, and looked at her mother in a childish voice.

"Mother, my brother and I will also change our surname; we will both be surnamed Chu!"

Sheng Wenyu and Sheng Wenze also stepped forward and spoke.

When the old master, the old lady, and Sheng Lingtian heard about Sheng Wenjin and his siblings' decision, they were astonished, their shock evident in their expressions.

They stared wide-eyed at the children before them, incredulous.

"What...what do you mean by this?" Old Master Sheng asked in a trembling voice, as if trying to confirm whether he had misheard.

“The meaning is very clear,” Sheng Wenjin replied calmly. “From now on, I am no longer Sheng Wenjin, but Chu Wenjin. My younger siblings and I will take our mother’s surname and become part of the Chu family.”

Sheng Lingtian's face was pale. He tried to find his voice, but could only utter a weak, hoarse sound: "Wen Jin, you are the pride of the Sheng family, the hope for the future..."

"Yes, I could have been the pride of the Sheng family. When I was young, I saw my father always being looked down upon by his colleagues, who thought he was just a gigolo who lived off women. But in Wen Jin's heart, my father and mother had a harmonious and loving relationship."

Wen Jin was proud of his father, who was also a fierce general on the battlefield!

At that time, I thought that I must strive to become like my father, not only to bring glory to the Sheng family, but also to let everyone see that the descendants of the Sheng family do not rely on nepotism, but on their own strength and hard work to earn respect.

But…” He paused, a bitter undertone in his voice, “But now I realize what a cold-blooded and hypocritical family I was born into. I feel disgusted to be a member of this family!”

After Sheng Wenjin finished speaking, his eyes reddened. He took one last look at the Sheng family members, then turned and walked off the guillotine.

Madam Chu glanced at the Sheng family, said nothing, and then left with the children...

Upon hearing Sheng Wenjin's words and watching Chu Shi leave with the children without any regret, Sheng Lingtian felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

Scenes from the past replayed before his eyes. How happy his family was before Mu Rou'er came to the Sheng family! Whether it was Madam Chu or the children, their eyes always shone with light when they looked at him.

Although he knew it was all just a mirage, that period of time truly made him happy and fulfilled.

But now, everything is ruined...

Old Master Sheng closed his eyes, saying no more. He had long anticipated this day: the victor is king, the loser is a bandit.

However, Madam Sheng and her two other sons and daughters-in-law were still unwilling to accept their fate, and the fear of death drove them mad.

"No! Madam Chu, you can't leave! Wanwan is the little goddess who protects the country! You must send Wanwan to beg the Emperor! The Emperor will surely show mercy because of the little goddess who protects the country!" Old Madam Sheng roared.

"Sister-in-law, please save us! We knew nothing about what my brother and parents did! Why should we, the second and third branches, lose our heads because of what happened to your eldest branch!"

Madam Sheng shouted loudly.

"Wanwan, your second uncle has never offended you. Please, let us go!"

Master Sheng pleaded with Sheng Wanwan, his eyes filled with a desperate desire to live.

Madam Sheng the Second and Master Sheng the Third also knelt on the ground and kowtowed in the direction of Madam Chu.