While the father could defy the imperial decree and refuse the marriage, the Shen family would inevitably face the emperor's wrath.
“Father is willing to offend the Emperor for my sake, and Zhao Zhao is also willing to marry into the Prince of Qin’s mansion for Father’s sake.” Seeing Shen Mingjiang about to speak, Shen Youying quickly added, “Moreover, it’s not just for Father’s sake.”
Shen Youying lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "And my brother."
When Shen Xiuyi was mentioned, both father and daughter fell silent.
After a long silence, Shen Youying raised her eyes, a faint hope in them: "If my brother comes back, he can't be burdened with such a crime..."
The messenger submitted a memorial accusing Shen Xiuyi of colluding with the Western Xia and defecting to the enemy before the war. However, the Shen family actually received information that Shen Xiuyi had been assassinated the night before the war with the Western Xia. Shen Xiuyi's confidants secretly tracked down his whereabouts and finally found signs of a struggle on the edge of a cliff, as well as half a piece of his robe hanging on the cliff rocks.
Such a high cliff, a fall would almost certainly be fatal. But neither the officials' men nor Shen Xiuyi's confidants could find Shen Xiuyi's body.
The fact that neither the person nor the body was found fits perfectly with the fact that Zouma was accused of defection.
But deep down, Shen Youying still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps her brother was lucky enough to survive.
Shen Mingjiang clearly shared the same hope as her. He sighed and said, "I sent people to look for him before I went to prison, but there has been no reply so far."
“Therefore, the Shen family cannot afford any more trouble.” Shen Youying continued, “Father needs to recover his health before sending people to continue searching for my brother. If Father offends the officials because of me and gets into trouble again, how can I, a woman confined to the inner quarters, search for him?”
What she said made sense. Shen Mingjiang remained silent for a long time, pacing back and forth like a trapped beast: "But the Prince of Qin is really not a good match."
"The King of Qin may not be as incompetent as the rumors suggest."
Not wanting him to worry, Shen Youying picked out what had happened at the Zhou family villa and told him: "Compared to Prince Chen, I would rather marry Prince Qin. Moreover, Prince Qin is willing to protect my reputation, which means he still values my appearance to some extent. As long as I don't go against him, I can't live too badly after I marry him."
As she spoke, she tugged at Shen Mingjiang's arm and smiled, saying, "Besides, isn't there still Father? If I really can't stand living in the Qin Prince's mansion anymore, Father can come and take me home."
Shen Mingjiang remained silent for a long time, but finally couldn't persuade her otherwise. He sighed deeply and gently touched her hair.
"My son has suffered."
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