Chapter 102: Another Turbulence
"It's okay." Miss Chen smiled and talked about something else with Hua Sheng. Shen Anan sat on the side with a frown on her face.
If that's the case, it's more likely that Miss Lin was locked up by her family.
Half an hour later, the banquet began. Hua Sheng invited the girls from each family to the flower hall. Shen Anan stayed with Hua Sheng the whole time. Apart from the strange look in her eyes, she did not suffer any grievances.
Until the end of the banquet, the servant beside Ling Chenyi came to invite them. Hua Sheng settled the few remaining girls and accompanied Shen Anan to the front yard.
The banquet was over, and Xiao Yuan and the others were in Ling Chenyi's study.
"I returned the person safe and sound." Hua Sheng said with a smile as he entered the room.
The few of them were silent, their faces solemn, the atmosphere was a little weird, Hua Sheng was stunned, "What's wrong? What are you doing..."
"It's nothing, some court matters. The female members of the family haven't left yet. Hua Sheng, you go back and greet the guests first." Ling Chenyi said.
Hua Sheng glanced at a few people, then looked at Shen Anan and nodded, "Okay, then you guys chat, I'll leave first."
Hua Sheng left and the study door was immediately closed. Shen Anan's heart skipped a beat and her face gradually darkened. She walked over, looked at Xiao Yuan in the armchair, and asked.
"what happened?"
Xiao Yuan's movement of turning the jade ring was slightly slow. He looked up at her, his thin lips tightly pursed, "I just received news that Concubine Ning is dead."
Shen Anan breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the death of Concubine Ning affected the Shen family, it was not a fatal incident.
"How did she..."
"The news from the palace is that she was killed by Concubine Shen."
Xiao Yuan's words made her unable to come back to her senses for a long time, "What did you say? Concubine Shen killed Concubine Ning? How is that possible?"
The Emperor is keeping a close eye on Concubine Ning now. No matter how stupid Concubine Shen is, she will not touch Concubine Ning. Besides, how can a concubine who has been banished to the cold palace hinder her?
"That's what the palace said, and Concubine Shen has now been taken under control."
Shen Anan looked at Xiao Yuan in a trance for a while, and suddenly asked him, "Did you know about it in advance?"
"I don't know," Xiao Yuan shook his head, "I originally planned to meet Concubine Ning in the next two days, but I didn't expect someone would get there before me."
Shen Anan nodded, found a chair and sat down, her face tense, clutching the handkerchief in her hand.
Concubine Shen represents the Shen family. If she killed Concubine Ning, it would be equivalent to the Shen family killing Concubine Ning. Now that the Shen family and the Fourth Prince are on the same front, he really has no reason to do so.
"Where are my father and elder brother?" she suddenly stood up and asked nervously.
Xiao Yuan frowned, "They are all in the mansion, not in the palace, don't worry."
How could Shen Anan be at ease? "No, I have to go back and take a look."
The shadow of the emperor’s last warning has not yet dissipated. Mother will definitely not be able to withstand if anything happens to father and elder brother again.
She started to walk out. Ling Chenyi wanted to stop her, but Xiao Yuan raised his hand to stop her, "Don't panic, I'll take you back."
She couldn't hear what others were saying. She walked out in a hurry and got on the carriage. Her face was still tense and her heart was beating fast.
"Do you think it's because the Emperor knows that you and I are so flamboyant today..."
The emperor is afraid of the Shen family and the fourth prince, so it is not impossible that he set up this plan.
"No," Xiao Yuan shook his head, "Concubine Ning's body was found early this morning, before we came to the Marquis' Mansion for the banquet."
"No, then what is going on." She really didn't think Concubine Shen would be stupid enough to kill Concubine Ning.
Xiao Yuan stared at her tense little face, his almond eyes full of anxiety, and suddenly reached out to cover her hand that was clasped tightly on her chest, "Don't panic, I'm here, the Shen family will be fine."
"You don't understand." She bent down and took out her hands to support her skull. "I have worked hard for a long time just to change my fate and change the direction of the Shen family. If something happens to the Shen family, I will really feel ridiculous and useless."
"An An," Xiao Yuan's voice trembled slightly, and his hanging fingertips were slightly cold.
Change the fate and direction of the Shen family?
What exactly is in her dream, and what is their ending?
He opened his mouth, then closed it in silence after a while. In the end, he didn't have the courage to ask. Even he himself didn't know what he was afraid of.
"None of the dreams are real. They are just... dreams."
He murmured, not quite sure himself.
Shen Anan looked up in a daze, frowned and looked at him. It was as if a huge rock was thrown into the already restless lake of her heart, causing quite a few waves.
Dream? Does he have those memories too? still……
"I will prove it to you." Starting from the Shen family, I will change the fate of the Shen family and prove that those are not true, they are just a nightmare.
Xiao Yuan gently stroked her cheek. Shen Anan shuddered and immediately dodged to the side. Her eyes were full of doubt and her breathing became faster.
He immediately sat up straight and stopped trying to get closer.
"What is your dream like?" She suppressed the waves in her heart and asked through gritted teeth.
“I don’t remember.”
Shen Anan frowned and looked up at Xiao Yuan. He still just smiled calmly, "I really don't remember. I'm not lying to you."
How could he say how terrible he was in the dream, how sad she was, and how suffocating that marriage was.
Wouldn't she then retreat, feel disgusted, and run away?
"Some scattered fragments, I forget them every time I wake up, and I don't know what I dreamed about."
What he said seemed to be true, and after a while, Shen Anan retracted his gaze and nodded slightly.
Thinking that maybe something went wrong, she was able to be reborn, so it was not impossible that he dreamed of some details.
When Xiao Yuan saw that she had relaxed, he lowered his eyes and looked away.
It doesn't matter whether those nightmares are told or not. He will make up for them one by one and make sure that the things she is afraid of will never happen again. That is enough.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Shen's house. Shen An'an jumped off the carriage without waiting for Mo Xiang to help her, and hurried into the house, completely forgetting the person in the carriage.
"..." It was Xiao Yuan who took the initiative to speak, "Go slowly, don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
She paused slightly and looked back at the tall figure standing next to the carriage. The man was as green as jade, with a stern face. His tall and majestic features gave people a sense of security, especially the fierceness of holding great power.
Power nourishes people, that's generally the case.
She couldn't remember how many times he had told her not to worry, that he would take care of everything!
If it was in the past, she would certainly reject him coldly, but today, she stood there for a while, then suddenly turned around and bowed to him, "Thank you, Fourth Prince."
After saying this, he walked away completely.
"I'll let you find out that it was just a nightmare." Xiao Yuan stared at the woman's back until she completely disappeared, then he restrained his expression and returned to the carriage.
——
Shen Anan did not return to Haitang Garden, but went to the old lady's Anshou Hall first. It happened that Shen Wen, Shen Changhe, and Madam Shen were all there, and the maids were busy coming and going.
As soon as Shen Wen saw her, he said, "An An is back just in time. Hurry up, ask your maid to go back to Haitang Garden to pack up and go with your grandmother."
"Let's go, where are we going?" She walked into the flower hall and looked at several people with solemn expressions. The old lady sat firmly in her seat with a stern look on her face.
"Go back to Jiangnan. I've asked someone to prepare a carriage. You can leave immediately. You grew up in Jiangnan. Your grandmother also stayed in Jiangnan for several years and just returned. Everything in the capital has nothing to do with you."
The emperor will not pursue the matter of the two female relatives.
This could have been avoided if Madam Shen had not come back this time. He couldn't let his mother and daughter be implicated in vain.
"What about you and my mother? What are you going to do?"
"I'll accompany your father and your eldest brother." Mrs. Shen didn't shed a single tear today. On the contrary, she was very calm. "An'an, your grandmother will be handed over to you. I have asked someone to convert a small half of the family property into silver notes, which is enough for you to have food and clothing for the rest of your life."
"Mom has never left the capital since she was a child, and that person would not allow her to leave."
After Mrs. Shen finished speaking, she immediately told Mo Xiang to hurry up and clean up, obviously she had already made arrangements.
She held Shen An'an's hand, tears slowly welled up in her eyes, and she was reluctant to let go, "The only thing that mother is worried about is you. You must listen to your grandmother in the future, but my An'an has always been smart and independent."
Shen Wen and Shen Changhe didn't say anything else. They sat in their chairs with their heads down, and their expressions could not be seen clearly.
"That's enough. Everyone, get out of here." Madam Shen, who had been silent all the time, suddenly shouted. The busy maids in the room were stunned and so scared that they dared not move.
"What are you standing there for? The old lady told you all to go down." The nanny behind the old lady stepped forward and said. The maids looked at each other, put down the things in their arms and quickly retreated.
"Mother." Madam Shen and Shen Wen looked at the old lady together.
"If you want to leave, go ahead. I just got back and my butt hasn't even warmed up yet. I won't leave!"
"Mom," Shen Wen's eyes turned red with anxiety, "At this critical moment, please listen to your son."
"Dream on!" Old Madam Shen sneered, "I am half buried in the ground, I have seen all kinds of storms and waves. It's just a small matter, it's not worth you to be so nervous. It's just an unjust case, it won't make our Shen family lose their composure."
His daughter is stupid, but she is not the pig from Dongshikou who bumps into everything.
"Grandmother," Shen Changhe frowned and said, "The emperor has been dissatisfied with us for a long time. Even if everyone knows that it is a false accusation, he will try every means to make our Shen family convicted of this crime."
It is almost impossible to overturn the verdict. The king is angry and three clans are implicated, which is a light punishment. For that person, this is the best opportunity to get rid of the Shen family. Maybe...
It remains to be seen whether he was the one who planned this matter.
"Then we can't leave. Since they are coming for our Shen family, all of us, young and old, men and women, should wait. Life or death is determined by fate. I will not run away!!!"
"Mom!" Shen Wen was so anxious that tears fell down.
Back in the palace, when the emperor held the knife to his neck, he did not change color at all. Now that his family is around, he just can't muster that kind of courage.
"Okay, everyone sit down. Regardless of life or death, our family is together, and that's what's most important."
"Wenwen, have someone go to the branch of the Shen family and ask those with young children to make plans early and take them away as soon as possible."
"Yes." Shen Wen calmed himself and told the housekeeper to do it immediately.
"Let's just wait." After saying that, Old Madam Shen leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
"Master, Master." Half an hour later, the servant hurried into the mansion, "The Imperial Concubine has been imprisoned in the Dali Temple dungeon."
"Yeah." Shen Wen glanced at the motionless old lady and responded softly.
Now he had calmed down. Life and death made no difference. The only things he was worried about were his wife, daughter, and mother. They were not afraid, so he was naturally not afraid either.
Time passed by little by little. Today the sky got dark exceptionally early. In the blink of an eye, the sun was completely hidden by the dark clouds, and the sky was extremely gloomy.
Shen Changhe personally stood up and lit the candle, illuminating the entire room.
"Let someone prepare food. No matter what happens, we have to fill our stomachs first."
"I'll go." Shen Anan stood up and went out to make arrangements. As soon as she left, Shen Changhe also stood up, "I'll go with my sister."
After leaving the flower hall, the brother and sister asked the servants to prepare food and stood in the yard.
The colored glaze lamps illuminated the entire courtyard. The surrounding darkness that had been gathering towards the courtyard was dispelled by the light.
They were like being in the only light in the darkness, shrouded and surrounded by darkness, unable to see the road ahead.
"Brother, did you follow me out here to ask Miss Lin?"
"Did she go... today?" Shen Changhe asked in a low voice.
"No." Shen Anan pursed her lips, always feeling that saying this at this critical moment seemed a bit cruel to her eldest brother.
"I asked the princess to ask Miss Chen, and she said that Miss Lin had not left her house for quite some time. The Lin family explained to the public that she was ill."
The night was silent, with only the sound of the wind howling, which hurt people's faces and made their eardrums buzz.
"That's fine."
After a long while, Shen Changhe said softly, "The Lin family did the right thing. In this way, I will have no worries and will not worry about her anymore."
Shen Anan was silent for a while.
She suddenly thought of Zhang Yeyang and curled her lips.
Fortunately, his sisters came at the right time, otherwise they would have lost their lives before getting married.
"I haven't had much contact with Miss Lin, but it's not too little either. This matter should be the intention of her family."
"Yes." Shen Changhe nodded, "I know that girl is brave and kind, I was worried that she would do something reckless, now that Lord Lin is watching, I am relieved."
He had never doubted her character. At this moment, keeping oneself safe was the best option. Otherwise, innocent lives would be wasted.
Shen Anan tilted her head to look at Shen Changhe, the glass light was very weak, and she could only barely see his outline.
He stood alone in the dark night, his back still straight, just as she remembered him in two lifetimes.
"If our Shen family can escape from this predicament..."
He didn't say the rest of the words, they all died on his tongue.
Shen Anan did not ask any further questions. She raised her head and looked into the sky. She didn't know when the few beams of moonlight covered by the dark clouds would be able to clear away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
