Chapter 86 Chapter 86 "Torture instruments"?

Dismissal from office and stripping of title? Dismissal from office and stripping of title?!

Mrs. Shen was stunned for a long time, and even wondered if this was true.

After thinking about it, it seems that this is really the case. He was the one who proposed to marry Zhu Yinluan at home and then left it there.

It's just that Mrs. Shen was shocked when she heard it. Although she was shocked, she didn't take it to heart. After all, who can easily give up money and power? Not to mention the noble title, so she thought Shen Jingzhan was joking from the bottom of her heart.

But today Shen Jingzhan mentioned it again, and even if Madam Shen didn't want to care, she had to take it seriously.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Mrs. Shen scolded him.

Even Lord Shen frowned and told Shen Jingzhan not to talk nonsense. What dismissal and demotion, what law? The matter concerns the emperor of the court, how can he speak without thinking?

"Father and mother, don't you believe what your son said? Why don't you go to the palace today to report on the training situation of the camp outside the capital, and take the opportunity to test and ask in front of the emperor. Then you will know whether this is true or not."

Zhu Yinluan thought about the "physical evidence" that Shen Jingzhan had given her before.

It's getting worse.

Because she knew that Lord Shen and Madam Shen were not in a good mood at the moment, if she spoke rashly, she might offend them.

In the past, everyone knew that Shen Jingzhan was good at choking people, and they also knew that he was a double-faced lunatic. Everyone in the family was afraid of him, but when they really saw this scene, Zhu Yinluan couldn't help but remain silent.

Besides that, he was also first-rate at contradicting his elders, and his contradictory remarks were well-reasoned and well-founded. Lord Shen couldn't easily respond to his words, let alone Madam Shen.

No matter what he said, he was "beaten" back by Shen Jingzhan.

It's not easy to find a loophole now, but he is threatened by Shen Jingzhan again.

As soon as the word "threat" came to her mind, Mrs. Shen opened her mouth and almost slammed the table, "You bastard! Are you threatening your parents?"

Madam Shen was born in a rich and powerful family, and had always been noble and elegant, but at this moment, she was forced by Shen Jingzhan to speak without restraint and in a rude manner.

Thinking that Zhu Yinluan was still here, she always had to act like a mother-in-law to maintain the face of her elders, so she quickly cleared her cough and straightened her expression.

It was also the first time that Zhu Yinluan saw Madam Shen lose her composure like this. The tension in her heart eased a lot and she found it funny for some reason, but she did not laugh.

While Shen Jingzhan continued to confront Madam Shen, he did not forget to pick up some dishes for her, and they were all her favorites, the ones she loved to eat, and the ones she often ate. He gently told her to eat slowly.

When he spoke to her, he was gentle, considerate and attentive, but when he spoke to Madam Shen and Lord Shen, he was stern and cold, with no smile in his eyes.

She was watching from the side and thought he was amazing. His expression changed in just a moment. No wonder he had been acting in front of her for so long and she couldn't see it. "..."

Speaking of this, Zhu Yinluan was thinking, since Shen Jingzhan mentioned dismissal from office and stripping of title, why didn't he mention that she had the sealed decree in her hand?

While thinking this in her heart, Zhu Yinluan already knew why.

Is he....worried that Madam Shen will target her?

"The mother didn't take her son's words to heart, and when something went wrong, she blamed it on her son?"

“You——” Mrs. Shen’s temper, which she had finally suppressed, was provoked by Shen Jingzhan’s words, and she kept saying “you, you, you” several times.

But she revealed the following words. Although Madam Shen did not say it directly, Zhu Yinluan could already guess what Madam Shen was going to say.

Most of the time, it was similar to the scolding he just said, which was very...unpleasant to hear.

"How can you treat a title of nobility and official position as a joke?"

“Doesn’t mother also treat her son’s marriage as a joke?” Shen Jingzhan fought back. He would fight back against Mrs. Shen in the same way as Mrs. Shen said.

Lord Shen didn't know how to interrupt, with his son on one side and his wife on the other. He looked at each other and simply kept silent, picked up the silver chopsticks, and continued eating like Zhu Yinluan.

Zhu Yinluan originally thought it was inappropriate for her to eat alone, but now that Lord Shen was accompanying her, the awkwardness was relieved.

Thus, the situation formed a strange confrontation.

Zhu Yinluan and Lord Shen were having dinner, while Shen Jingzhan and Madam Shen were arguing.

The moment Lord Shen picked up his chopsticks, Madam Shen wanted to side-glance at him and tell him not to eat, but if she really said that, it would definitely scare Zhu Yinluan.

Zhu Yinluan is sensitive and suspicious by nature. If I really do this, I'm afraid she will start to think too much.

There was a dead silence between the two of them. Zhu Yinluan wondered whether she should jump out to smooth things over, because Madam Shen was obviously no match for Shen Jingzhan, and she was embarrassed at the moment.

But she didn't know what to say. After thinking for a while, Zhu Yinluan didn't mention the matter. She said, "Why don't you talk to your husband in a nice way? So as not to hurt the harmony of the family?"

There was a sense of stagnation and tentativeness in her tone of voice.

Although she didn't say anything, she still interrupted the conversation after all, and Mrs. Shen's expression eased a little.

Lord Shen also picked up some food for Madam Shen, saying that it was getting cold, and asked her to talk after she finished eating if she had anything to say.

Speaking of dishes, Zhu Yinluan helped Madam Shen and Shen Jingzhan say, "Most of the dishes prepared by mother-in-law today are what husband likes. Husband should not disappoint mother-in-law's kindness."

"What about Luan'er?" Shen Jingzhan asked her.

Zhu Yinluan couldn't help but be stunned. What was she questioning?

"Does Luan'er like it?"

"I like it. My mother-in-law also prepared dishes that I like." Although it was not as much as Shen Jingzhan and Lord Shen's, it was still a lot, and they were even placed in front of her considerately.

When I was in the Wei family, how could I have such an honor?

"Since you like it, Luan'er, eat more." He smiled at her, carefully picked up the fish sashimi, and helped her remove the fish bones.

Although the atmosphere has eased, the matter has not been resolved.

Mrs. Shen took two bites of the food and said to Shen Jingzhan, “Isn’t this all for you?”

"For you and your wife." Not only did he mention Shen Jingzhan, he even quickly added Zhu Yinluan.

Shen Jingzhan raised his eyes and looked at Madam Shen indifferently. He did not respond for a moment, as if he wanted to quietly tell her what nonsense she could say.

Mrs. Shen felt a little guilty when he looked at her, so she also picked up some dishes for Zhu Yinluan and said seriously,

"Yin Luan is weak, and she had a hard time keeping this baby. If she has another baby in the future, won't you feel bad for her? If Meng Yun marries her and keeps the baby in her arms after giving birth, it will be a great honor for her."

"My son will bring glory to Luan'er himself, why would he need to rely on a girl from the Meng family? Besides, Luan'er is precious to my son, like a priceless treasure, and she doesn't need an heir to raise her value."

Priceless treasure...

I don’t know if he said this on purpose, but in front of Madam Shen, Lord Shen and so many servants, Zhu Yinluan couldn’t help but blush.

It was difficult to say anything at this moment, so he just looked at Shen Jingzhan.

He seemed not to understand the deep meaning in her eyes and was still smiling at her.

Zhu Yinluan, "......"

Madam Shen was at a loss, so she asked him directly, "What exactly do you need to agree to let the Meng family girl marry in? Or do you dislike the Meng family?"

Meng Yun was a girl she carefully selected, who was somewhat similar to Zhu Yinluan.

Meng Yun is naturally not as good as Zhu Yinluan in appearance, but it is mainly in expression and aura that she is somewhat similar to Zhu Yinluan.

It wasn't just Mrs. Shen who thought so. She had privately asked many of her confidants, and they all said it was true.

That's why Mrs. Shen is so interested in the daughter of the Meng family.

Meng Yun was indeed a sensible person. When Madam Shen brought Zhu Yinluan over, she followed Zhu Yinluan and always consciously or unconsciously imitated Zhu Yinluan's way of speaking and doing things.

How is this not considered tact?

Marrying such a person should be worry-free. He passed the test of Zhu Yinluan, but he didn't expect to run into a wall with Shen Jingzhan.

Mrs. Shen didn't know whether Shen Jingzhan was too young and hot-tempered, or was just deeply in love with Zhu Yinluan at the moment. He was always stubborn and would not listen to any advice, whether it was good or bad.

"My son will never take a concubine in his lifetime, so mother should just give up on this idea."

Madam Shen, "...Is there nothing to discuss?"

She didn't want to mention this matter in front of Zhu Yinluan, but now that it had come to this, Mrs. Shen couldn't care about anything else and asked Shen Jingzhan directly,

"You are responsible for the family's title. Let me ask you, if Yinluan gives birth to a daughter and you two have no children in the future, who will the title be given to?"

This sentence was ostensibly said to Shen Jingzhan, but in fact it was also meant to warn Zhu Yinluan.

Let her think it over carefully. What will happen in the future if she doesn't have a son?

"This girl will eventually get married!" Mrs. Shen chattered.

"Mother, you think too much." Shen Jingzhan didn't care at all, "These things are still far away."

“Why is it so far?” Mrs. Shen couldn’t help herself.

"Please answer my question. Isn't that what I said?"

"If that's the case, I will find a way to avoid embarrassing Luan'er and the children. Besides, mother, have you forgotten that in our dynasty, it's not only men who can be granted titles?"

Madam Shen, "..."

Zhu Yinluan's heart also skipped a beat, and she looked towards Shen Jingzhan.

Suddenly she felt that everything she said was meaningless, because Shen Jingzhan doted on Zhu Yinluan so much that no matter whether she gave birth to a boy or a girl, he would give the child the best.

Mrs. Shen was still unwilling to give in. She was about to speak, but Lord Shen frowned and stopped her, "Okay, you are not even quiet for breakfast. Let's discuss this later. Let's eat first."

Mrs. Shen could only hold back her words.

Shen Jingzhan was not affected at all. He took care of Zhu Yinluan, scooped soup and served her dishes, speaking softly to her.

After breakfast, Shen Jingzhan and Zhu Yinluan went to visit Old Lady Shen.

Lord Shen was about to go out, and Madam Shen was circling around him, expressing her dissatisfaction, and asked him why she had stopped him just now?

He hadn't even finished speaking, and Shen Jingzhan didn't nod.

Lord Shen sighed, "Madam has wasted so much time talking, do you think Ting Lan is willing to give in?"

Mrs. Shen thought about it and realized that there really wasn't one.

But not now, maybe in the future?

Yesterday she heard from her mother that there was a rift between Shen Jingzhan and Zhu Yinluan, so now was a good time to take the room.

"What's going on?" Lord Shen paused while changing his clothes.

Mrs. Shen was afraid that she couldn't explain it clearly, so she asked the old lady who was eavesdropping in the corner to come over and explain what happened in her eyes yesterday.

After listening to this, Lord Shen didn't know what to say?

How can this be considered a rift or endless quarrel?

It's clearly just a young couple flirting.

What's more... Lord Shen asked Madam Shen if she hadn't seen it today.

Mrs. Shen was confused and asked him what he saw.

“Ting Lan’s face…” Madam Shen probably didn’t notice it, and Lord Shen didn’t beat around the bush with Madam Shen.

Tell her directly that there are slap marks on Shen Jingzhan's face.

“What?!” Mrs. Shen exploded on the spot when she heard the slap marks from being punished.

"Husband, are you sure?" Mrs. Shen asked.

Lord Shen nodded to indicate that he was not wrong. Although the slap mark on Shen Jingzhan's face had almost disappeared, he could still see it.

If Madam Shen is dissatisfied, who else can beat Shen Jingzhan?

In this family, Old Mrs. Shen would not touch him at all.

Shen Jingzhan has always been outstanding since he was a child. Not to mention being punished or beaten, he has never even heard a harsh word or two.

Now he was not only beaten, but was beaten by a woman.

Hitting him in the face, how shameful!

Zhu was too presumptuous. How could she slap her own husband?

"I'll go call her over!" Mrs. Shen was about to go out, but then she stopped and asked her mother to ask Zhu Yinluan to come over.

Lord Shen quickly grabbed her and told the old lady to go down and not to call anyone.

"My husband, why are you stopping me?" Madam Shen was dissatisfied. "Zhu is becoming more and more arrogant now. She deserves to be punished."

She was still angry about being contradicted by Chen Jingzhan, and she was worried that she couldn't find an outlet to vent her anger, so she set her sights on Zhu Yinluan.

Besides, she had agreed to the Meng family's affairs at the beginning, but now she has started to change her mind. The old mother only heard the general idea yesterday and didn't even know about the slapping. Maybe there are other things.

Zhu Yinluan was quiet but intelligent. Maybe she was trying to retreat in order to advance, which was why Shen Jingzhan refused to allow the girl from the Meng family to marry into the family.

Lord Shen originally didn't want to get involved in this matter, but today at the dinner table, he saw the tense atmosphere between the mother and son. He was afraid that he would have to intervene if he didn't do something about it. He was afraid that there would be trouble in the family in the future.

So Lord Shen delayed the time of going out to let Madam Shen calm down, and told her not to think about taking a concubine, and to make it clear with the Meng family as soon as possible.

"I've been busy for so long, and the Meng family has already reached an agreement. How can they go back on their word?"

"Today I saw that Ting Lan's attitude was very firm. He would not take a concubine. Besides, Madam, didn't you see it?" Lord Shen said that if this matter was really handled, it would inevitably push his son and daughter-in-law further and further away, and it would definitely not succeed.

"Besides...Ting Lan loves Zhu. He was so happy when he was slapped that he didn't care. Why is Madam making a fuss?"

After all, isn't it all about the fun in the room?

"My husband, what you said is really nice. The mark from yesterday's beating is still there today, which shows how hard Zhu Yinluan hit him, not to mention that he hit me in the face."

"What's wrong with being hit in the face?" Lord Shen thought she was making a fuss.

"Ting Lan has also been on the battlefield and led troops to fight. His wife's strength is nothing to him."

"Besides, after this slap, I'm afraid he feels good about it."

Madam Shen was speechless after hearing what Lord Shen said, "The Zhu family is about to be thrown into prison. Zhu Yinluan's family background is so poor, and she has been married for a short time, but her husband is satisfied with her."

Lord Shen smiled, "The Shen family is also a high-ranking family. They don't need to form an alliance with aristocratic families to consolidate their status and power. Since Ting Lan has chosen someone he likes and married her into the family, and now he has a wife, they can just live their lives behind closed doors. What are you making a fuss about?"

"Besides, I'm not the only one who is satisfied with my daughter-in-law. Madam, look at the whole family, from the old lady to Sister Yu, who is not satisfied with her? This is enough to show that my daughter-in-law is a good person."

"Madam is not an ordinary woman. You really wouldn't be prejudiced against your daughter-in-law just because she promised someone before, right?" Lord Shen praised Madam Shen, saying that she was magnanimous and had a good eye for talent, and was definitely not that foolish person.

Who doesn’t like to hear nice words, especially the praise from her own husband? Mrs. Shen’s anger instantly disappeared by half.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm the bad guy, and now that things have gotten to this point, you step in and act as a peacemaker."

Mrs. Shen was worried, always feeling that Shen Jingzhan was too fond of Zhu Yinluan.

What if Zhu no longer likes him in the future?

How much can I like him when I see him hitting someone?

"It's good that Madam has thought it through. Just listen to me and make it clear with the Meng family as soon as possible. Don't hurt the relationship."

Madam Shen finally nodded and sent Lord Shen out of the house.

After hearing what the maids in charge said, Madam Shen was worried about Shen Jingzhan's plan to move out with Zhu Yinluan, so she turned around and went to Old Madam Shen's place, hoping that she would help talk to her. However, she didn't expect to come back empty-handed and didn't see anyone.

Before Mrs. Shen could speak, Old Lady Shen knew why she came and asked her to sit down.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn't beat around the bush. Old Mrs. Shen asked her if she came for the Meng family's matter.

Mrs. Shen smiled awkwardly and said yes, “Mother, you know everything?”

"There was a big commotion in the front yard, how could I not know about it?" Old Mrs. Shen sat up.

"The daughter-in-law is also for the sake of having an heir to the eldest house." Mrs. Shen sighed.

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings." Old Madam Shen, like Lord Shen, told her not to worry about it anymore.

Mrs. Shen’s words shattered the remaining thoughts of Mrs. Shen, and she had no choice but to give up.

"My daughter-in-law knows."

Old Madam Shen saw that she was frowning and told her not to worry, "Do you still remember that I asked someone to look at Zhu's birth chart?"

Mrs. Shen nodded and said she remembered.

"She is a blessed person, and will surely benefit her husband's family and descendants."

Old Mrs. Shen was old and believed in these things very much, so Mrs. Shen could only agree and say yes.

I originally wanted to bring up the matter of Zhu Yinluan beating Shen Jingzhan, but seeing that Old Lady Shen looked unhappy, I didn't say it.

Zhu Yinluan left Yunmei Hall and was led out by Shen Jingzhan. She was puzzled, "Where are you...husband going to take me?"

"Of course, we're going to our new home." Shen Jingzhan held her hand.

Still in the Shen family mansion, Zhu Yinluan couldn't break away too obviously, in case Mrs. Shen heard about it.

Because of the Meng family's affairs today, she estimated that after Shen Jingzhan went out, Madam Shen would come to lecture her, but she didn't expect Shen Jing to take her out.

The people following him didn't have any gold or silver valuables, so how could what he said at the banquet not be false?

"You..." Zhu Yinluan stumbled and was taken out by Shen Jingzhan.

After getting on the carriage, she asked, "Are you really... going to move out with me?"

Just now Shen Jingzhan talked about the new home.

"Yes, Luan'er, don't you believe it?" He said that she was not full just now, and moved the pastries on the table to her side, motioning her to eat.

"Or does Luan'er not want to follow me out?"

Zhu Yinluan didn't say anything, but she didn't forget that she was still angry.

After a few words of persuasion, Shen Jingzhan almost made peace with him!

The man saw through her temper and smiled.

She ignored him, and he didn't get angry either. He just kept talking to her, "The reason why I didn't ask anyone to pack my belongings is because there's everything you need over there."

Zhu Yinluan still didn't say anything, but she took the cake and ate it.

"What's wrong? If you keep it to yourself, won't you get angry?" Shen Jingzhan leaned over.

His body was too tall and broad, completely trapping her in his arms and forcing her into a corner.

"Stay away from me. I don't want to be so close to you." There was no one else here, so she looked at him coldly.

Shen Jingzhan answered her question irrelevantly and told her, "I have prepared some things in the new mansion, which may be useful for Luan'er to vent her anger."

It's no wonder Zhu Yinluan had wild thoughts, since Shen Jingzhan had brought whips, swords and other things into the room earlier.

She was alert for a moment, "What?"

The man couldn't help but laugh when he saw her suddenly alert expression. He raised his hand and pinched her little face. "What do you think Luan'er thinks?"

Zhu Yinluan didn't want to say anything, and Shen Jingzhan didn't push it too far.

He approached Zhu Yinluan and said mysteriously and seriously, "It's not what Luan'er thinks."

Zhu Yinluan blushed, but remained confident and said, "What do I think?"

“The ones that aren’t so good.”

Zhu Yinluan, "..." Did he know how to beat around the bush and keep people in suspense at this time?

Facing the man's smiling face, Zhu Yinluan felt more and more that she could not move away with him.

She stopped the coachman and said she wanted to go back.

The carriage stopped for a while, and Shen Jingzhan told people to continue.

The guard driving the horse in front thought about it, and finally decided to listen to Shen Jingzhan's words and continue driving the carriage.

Zhu Yinluan immediately argued with him, "You said yesterday..."

"What did you say?" He looked at her angrily.

"Yesterday you said you wouldn't make me angry again."

"Is Luan'er really angry?" he asked.

Yin Luan was just a little annoyed with him, but if she was really angry, it seemed...

She herself is not sure.

The man saw through her thoughts, but did not expose them, and Zhu Yinluan did not argue with Shen Jingzhan at this juncture.

Because she found that she couldn't get around Shen Jingzhan at all.

That's true. After all, he was the most talented young man in the capital who had just graduated from high school and the youngest minister close to the emperor in history.

No one in the court can beat him, so how could she?

After thinking for a while, Zhu Yinluan was no longer angry.

After the carriage drove into the main street of the capital, Zhu Yinluan heard the noisy voices through the curtains.

She wanted to look outside, but she made no move.

Shen Jingzhan didn't say anything. He lifted the curtain of the car. Zhu Yinluan felt the light and looked over, glancing at the man's handsome face.

Madam Shen would not bring Zhu Yinluan into the streets, and when sitting with Madam Shen, one must always be dignified.

She strangely discovered that after she had a showdown with Shen Jingzhan, the feeling of fear subsided. After she had a scene with him, she felt inexplicably more relaxed, as if she had less airs in front of him.

After watching for a while, Zhu Yinluan realized it belatedly and seemed to follow his movements again, and instantly withdrew her gaze.

After circling for a few more moments, the carriage stopped.

Zhu Yinluan was carried down from the carriage by Shen Jingzhan. She said she wanted to walk by herself, but she couldn't struggle against him.

This is a spacious, magnificent and elegant courtyard.

The first time she entered, Zhu Yinluan was instantly stunned.

Because it was her favorite pavilions and waterside terraces, the carved beams and painted buildings did not seem overly luxurious, but instead made people feel fresh and cheerful.

She didn't say anything and looked around unconsciously.

Shen Jingzhan followed beside her.

Zhu Yinluan walked around the main hall and front yard and into their courtyard.

This place was also built very well, bigger and wider than the Marquis' Mansion. After looking at the exhibits, Zhu Yinluan discovered a side room and walked in.

Shen Jingzhan opened the secret door next to him and motioned for her to look.

Then she saw a lot of strange things...

"Instrument of torture"?