None of the younger generation in the Shen family were afraid of Shen Lanxi. Upon hearing that the palace had imposed a house arrest on them, they immediately began to reflect on their mistakes.

The news that Shen Conglian had gone to the Gao family to demand an explanation spread quickly.

It is unknown what the outcome of the discussion in the mansion was. Shen Conglian stayed in the Gao mansion for more than two hours. When he came out again, he had already changed his tune.

"My Shen family and the Gao family have only just begun to get acquainted. It's normal for a daughter of the Shen family to have contact with any man, since there is no engagement or marriage certificate yet."

Is this normal?

That's the Shen family.

In the eyes of the common people, the Shen family was like royalty. Did the Gao family have a death wish to fool royalty?

Besides, His Majesty has not yet established an heir apparent, and Shen Chengfeng is a highly sought-after candidate, which means he is the future crown prince and the future ruler of the country.

How dare the Gao family?

The scholar was taken to the Shen family, but they couldn't get anything out of him. Now the whole capital is watching them. Even if the scholar trips and falls in the street, the people might think it was the Shen family who did it.

At this time, the scholar must be well.

Gao Mingyue needs to be well too.

~

"The Gao family promised that once things calmed down, they would send Gao Mingyue to a temple to spend her life ascetic and chanting Buddhist prayers to atone for her sins." They also made some other promises, but those promises could not be mentioned in front of Shen Emei.

Shen Chengfeng and Shen Emei listened obediently. Being confined to the palace was worse than having one of their legs broken.

"That scholar was not instructed by anyone; it was all a coincidence." Shen Conglian couldn't understand how such a coincidence could happen, yet he couldn't find any clues about human involvement.

All clues point to a coincidence.

"That scholar, stay in the capital for now. Once things have calmed down, kick him out of the capital and never take the imperial examinations again." Shen Conglian wanted to teach the scholar a lesson, but he couldn't resist the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

A life for a life!

He didn't remember any of the other laws, only this one.

That person in the palace is ruthless and vicious; he can't risk his life.

"I'm tired too. Your father will be back in a couple of days. Let them punish you!"

"I'm sure you'll be convinced when they set you on your way!"

He didn't want to be the bad guy. Looking at Shen Emei's expression, even if he wanted to control her, that wretched girl definitely wouldn't listen.

After Shen Emei left, Shen Conglian looked at his grandson with a pained expression.

"Chengfeng, when your father returns, your grandfather will go to the palace with him to ask His Majesty to grant you a marriage."

“We’ll have His Majesty find you a good one. Someone like Gao Mingyue is not good enough for my grandson.”

It's all because of that person who delayed his grandson's wedding, turning his perfectly good grandson into a widower.

Fortunately, given their family's current status, even if they become widowers, they will still be highly sought-after men in the capital.

Just two days after the Shen family's affairs had calmed down, the three sons of the Shen family returned to the capital one after another.

Shen Yuanhao arrived first, followed by Shen Yuanxu two days later, and Shen Yuanjing arrived on the 29th of the lunar year.

They all came back before the Lunar New Year.

This time they were going to stay in the capital, and the three of them brought their families back with them.

Miao's grandson stood beside her. The whole family was overjoyed to welcome Shen Yuanhao back, but they never expected to see a family of four.

Madam Miao turned her head and glanced at her grandson, who stood silently beside her, and sighed silently.

Look at those two children, they're not much younger than Shen An.

Shen Yuanhao returned home, first settling the people he had brought back, and then led the woman and two children to apologize to his parents.

Before the family of four could even speak, they knelt down on the ground.

“Father, Mother, Lian’er is the daughter of a farmer in the border region. When I went up the mountain to fight bandits, I was caught in a trap by the bandits. It was Lian’er who saved my life. Lian’er is a good woman, and I cannot let her down.”

Upon hearing that her son had once been on the verge of death and that she disliked Lian'er's background, Miao immediately left halfway.

Shen Congli sat to the side with a cold face, not saying a word.

Madam Miao glanced at Lian'er and the children around her, and said softly, "You may get up now!"

When Shen Yuanhao got up, he made sure to help Lian'er up as well.

"Have you written to His Majesty about your marriage?"

Miao's biggest worry was that if they kept it a secret even from her own family, they certainly hadn't told the palace.

As expected, she was right.

"Mother, your son did not tell His Majesty."

In her letters, Miao dared not tell her son much about the situation in the capital, for fear of worrying him.

Now that he's back in Beijing, there are some things he should naturally know.

"Take Lian'er and her child back first, then come and talk to us!"

Shen Yuanhao turned his head and saw that Lian'er and the child were looking at him with anxious eyes, so he immediately smiled and comforted them.

Since the world is at peace now, what major event could be more dangerous than the chaos that followed?

Shen Yuanhao soon returned.

"His Majesty hasn't summoned the younger generation of the family to the palace for a long time. The children in the family are making a fuss about going to the palace to play, but after several attempts, they have all been turned away by the people below."

Shen Yuanhao's heart tightened as he suddenly remembered the rumors he had heard earlier.

"Could it be that His Majesty is not truly born to the Empress Dowager?"

Miao was so frightened that her face turned pale.

"Shh, is that something you should say? Take it back right now."

Shen Yuanhao's expression also turned ugly.

“Even if it’s not, it has to be, do you understand?” Miao sternly admonished her son.

Shen Yuanhao's eyes flashed, and he nodded silently.

Only because His Majesty was born to the Empress Dowager is he connected to the Shen family.

"Your family doesn't object to your marriage with Lian'er. But His Majesty previously said that no son of the Shen family should take a concubine. You should think it over carefully."

After a moment of silence, Shen Yuanhao said, "I will go to the palace later and explain to His Majesty that we will marry Lian'er properly and bring her into the family."

Miao muttered under her breath, "That Lian'er comes from a less privileged background. Fortunately, An'er is not young anymore. If we arrange a marriage for him with a family of similar standing, it will be able to help him in the future."

Shen Yuanhao nodded with some difficulty.

His Majesty had already instructed that the three brothers enter the palace together. However, due to Shen Yuanhao's marriage, he could only submit a memorial to the palace first, and then wait for the summons.

With the New Year approaching and the palace bustling with activity, Shen Lanxi took some time to order several gifts and had them delivered to the Shen family by a pale-faced eunuch.

"His Majesty has been extremely busy these past few days, discussing state affairs with ministers until midnight every day. He simply cannot find the time."

"Her Majesty said that she has taken Lord Shen Yuanhao's matter to heart. Lord Shen's marriage can only be decided by the elders of the Shen family."

"The rule that no son of the Shen family is allowed to take concubines, as previously stated, is hereby repealed, effective today!"

"This is His Majesty's reward to Lord Shen Yuanhao. His Majesty will summon Lord Shen Yuanhao again after he has finished his work these past few days."

The rest of the Shen family were used to it, but Shen Yuanhao's heart skipped a beat.

What important thing could be so busy that you don't even have time to see him or say a few words to him?

Is His Majesty intending to treat the Shen family coldly and distance himself from them?

Why?

Aren't they family? (End of Chapter)