Under the emperor's nose, the most taboo thing is officials colluding in private!

Originally, neither Lin Shichang nor Luo Ming were particularly prominent figures in Beijing, but this matter involved far-reaching implications…

If neighboring countries saw such a huge scandal happening in the capital, they would think that all the officials of the Great Xia Kingdom were like this!

The emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

Even the Marquis of Yong'an, at this critical juncture, had no choice but to reluctantly abandon his illegitimate son, Lin Shichang.

In addition, Lin Shichang abused his position to build a water park for himself in Ningzhou, which caused the Luo River to breach its banks and flood more than a dozen counties and towns below, seriously arousing public anger.

The emperor ordered Lin Shichang to be brought back to the capital for trial. If nothing unexpected happens, his days as a human being are numbered.

Shen Shangxu, the former magistrate of Furong County, was also exonerated.

Moreover, after he arrived in the local area, he devoted himself to serving the people. Now that the position of the top official in Ningzhou County is vacant, the emperor directly appointed him to fill the vacancy.

Liu Yingying felt that Lord Shen had finally gotten his wish and hoped that he would stay true to his original aspirations and treat the people of Ningzhou County kindly!

Having achieved her goal in coming to the capital, she met Xue Ye's expectant gaze and said, "Xiao Ye, we should go back!"

Xue Ye immediately stood up; "I'll go pack my bags right now!"

After saying that, she turned to leave, but Liu Yingying quickly stopped her, "Actually...it's not that fast, you have to wait until I reopen the shop before you can leave!"

Hui Niang and the others cannot do without a place to settle down and make a living!

It rained heavily in the capital for three days, and the sun finally came out today.

Accompanied by his longtime classmate Gu Tao, Shen Shangxu walked out of the Dali Temple prison.

Gu Tao was panicking!

He originally thought that his classmate was just an illegitimate son in his family, not valued, and that no one would stand up for him.

This time, death is certain!

That's why he acted so recklessly, openly trying to snatch the list from Liu Yingying's hands...

But to everyone's surprise, Shen Shangxu was able to walk out of the Dali Temple prison!

He was even promoted two ranks!

"Brother Shen, you've suffered these past few days. I've prepared wine and dishes at Tianxiang Restaurant to welcome you back and wash away the dust of your journey. Shall we go there now?"

"No, I didn't expect to return to the capital in this way. My parents must be worried about me. I need to go home first. I appreciate your kindness, Brother Gu!"

Shen Shangxu spoke in a calm tone, as if he had no idea what Gu Tao had done before.

Gu Tao nervously observed his expression, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that there was nothing amiss.

It seems he was unaware of this...

Gu Tao wanted to persuade him further, but Shen Shangxu's attitude was firm, so he had no choice but to give up.

"Brother Gu, please wait!"

Shen Shangxu strode out, where servants from the Shen family had been waiting for some time in a carriage.

Gu Tao stopped in his tracks, staring at the departing figure for a long time, seemingly weighing something in his mind…

"My lord, Lord Shen is now the prefect of Ningzhou, and the Shen family has a certain foundation in the capital region. If he is transferred back to the capital in the future, I'm afraid..."

His confidant lowered his voice, glanced around, and Gu Tao naturally understood what he was about to say.

He sighed softly, "Being an official in the capital isn't easy..."

Whether it's the Gu family or the Shen family, they're nothing more than insignificant ants under the emperor's nose!

For children from families like theirs, climbing the ranks in officialdom inevitably requires enduring much more hardship.

Otherwise, he would not be willing to betray the friendship he had built with his classmates over the years!

Outside, Shen Shangxu was picked up by Shen Yi, the son of the Shen family's steward.

The young man was good-looking, and the father and son were deeply trusted by the head of the Shen family.

To Shen Shangxu's surprise, before he could even speak, Shen Yi stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Seventh Master, you've suffered these past few days! The head of the family and the second master are waiting for you to return home; they are both very worried about you!"

Worry?

Shen Shangxu's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. He knew it was just a polite remark, and there was no need to take it seriously with Shen Yi.

Upon returning to the Shen family, he was first served by servants and maids to bathe and change his clothes, and then went directly to the courtyard of his grandfather, Shen Anchang, the head of the Shen family.

A welcoming banquet had already been set up in the main hall. Grandfather sat in the main seat, with Grandmother beside him, waving to him with loving eyes.

"Ah Xu is back. You've suffered these past few days, haven't you?"

Shen Shangxu said calmly, "Grandson is well, thank you for your concern, Grandmother!"

In between his replies, his gaze casually swept over the other people present.

The entire eldest branch of the Shen family was present today, sitting in orderly rows to the left of the old patriarch.

The third and fourth wives have already separated from the family and therefore were not present.

His father, Shen Tongxing, sat to the right of his grandfather, with his stepmother, Nie, sitting beside him.

On an occasion like today, Shen Shangxu's birth mother, Aunt Yang, is not qualified to be present.

He greeted each of the elders present according to custom, and then sat down in the seat below the old lady at her invitation.

Although Shen Shangxu was a son born out of wedlock, he was the most handsome among all the children of the Shen family, and his talent was unmatched by his brothers.

This is why he received more attention from his grandfather and more love from his grandmother from a young age.

Even his birth mother, though only a concubine of the second master of the Shen family, was treated much better than ordinary concubines.

But that's all.

No sooner had he sat down than the old man spoke in a stern voice, “Ah Xu, you have turned misfortune into blessing in disguise. You were able to take up the position of the top official in Ningzhou Prefecture entirely because His Majesty cherishes talent. You must not fail His Majesty’s imperial favor in the future!”

"Grandson will remember his grandfather's teachings!"

Shen Shangxu nodded slightly in agreement. In fact, he understood that there was another warning hidden in the old man's high-sounding words.

Although the Shen family has many members, none of them are particularly spoiled or wasteful, but they also lack any truly outstanding individuals…

Although Shen Shangxu was a person of exceptional talent and intelligence, he was also very stubborn. When he was young, he made a slip of the tongue to speak out for a criminal, which was reported to the emperor and he was banned from taking the imperial examinations for ten years!

This is why he didn't pass the imperial examination until he was twenty-nine years old!

He achieved the highest rank of Tan Hua (third-place scholar) in the imperial examination, but offended the emperor by pointing out the shortcomings of the current government when he entered the palace to meet him.

Thus, he was demoted from a brilliant and promising scholar to a lowly seventh-rank official in a remote and impoverished area.

After he was demoted and forced to leave the capital, even his father had given up hope that he could be transferred back.

But to my utter surprise, this guy came back so quickly!

And it was a promotion!

This is indeed a good thing for the Shen family!

Therefore, the old man had to give him such a serious warning, hoping that he would not repeat his old mistakes!

His father, Shen Tongxing, thought the same way. Although this son was a son born out of wedlock, he was still his eldest son.

Because of his mother's lowly status, he was not valued in his childhood before he showed any extraordinary talent.

By the time Shen Tongxing noticed his son's exceptional talent, the relationship between father and son was already irreversible.

Shen Tongxing was also quite helpless about this.