Shen Zhao never thought that Shen Zhixiu would be so angry because of his visit to the Zhanshi Mansion.
He hadn't been beaten by his elders since he was eight. Today's humiliation was truly profound, and he felt indignant. Why could his uncle hold such a high position while he had to languish in a place like the Hanlin Academy?
He sat in the study in the outer courtyard with a red and swollen face. If he had not taken into account the hierarchy of seniority, he really wanted to smash everything in the room.
Chao Yun was right. If he didn't climb up, he would be suppressed by his third uncle all his life.
The servant brought tea, and Shen Zhao took two sips, but he couldn't suppress the suffocation in his heart.
The servant Yuanbao suddenly pushed the door open and came in, "Master, the second master is here and wants to see you."
Shen Zhao was stunned. What was Shen Hong doing here? Although they were of similar age and cousins who grew up together, their personalities were different, so their relationship was just superficial.
Shen Hong rarely looked for him privately.
"Please come in, Second Young Master."
Could it be that he heard that he went to the Zhanshi Mansion and came to inquire about the news?
After all, they had taken the imperial examination together before, and Shen Hong had ranked higher. Now that he had left the Hanlin Academy, Shen Hong was still feeling depressed there.
As soon as Shen Hong entered, he saluted Shen Zhao. He was wearing a green bamboo leaf patterned robe and a jade crown. His gestures were standard and serious, revealing the unique Confucian spirit of a scholar.
"Brother, after much thought, I still think you should continue to stay in the Hanlin Academy."
Shen Hong is a well-educated and upright person, but he is not very good at dealing with people.
In Shen Zhao's words, if you read too many books, you will become a little stupid.
Just like at this moment, Shen Zhao had just been scolded by Shen Zhixiu, and the red marks on his face had not yet disappeared, but Shen Hong came to lecture him.
Chen Zhao looked impatient, "What are you talking about, second brother? This is an official document from the Ministry of Personnel, how can we refuse it?"
Shen Hongshu was angry, but he was not stupid. How could he not see that this was Shen Zhao's excuse?
"Brother, have you ever thought about this? Third Uncle is a close minister of the emperor, and his position is the position of the Shen family."
"The Emperor is in his prime, the Crown Prince is also an adult, and the other princes are also developing their own forces. Are you going to the Zhanshi Mansion at this time to tell the Emperor and the court officials that the Shen family has chosen sides?"
When he spoke of the latter part, Shen Hong became a little excited, and his tone rose unconsciously.
Even if what Shen Hong said was true, it still sounded particularly harsh to Shen Zhao's ears. He didn't believe that Shen Hong had no selfish motives. It sounded like he was saying this for the good of the Shen family, but it didn't come at the cost of ruining his future.
Shen Hong couldn't eat the grapes, so he blocked others from eating them.
"Second brother, what are you talking about? Does Third Uncle's position of power mean we have to stay in the Imperial Academy forever?"
"I just don't believe it. Are you really willing to waste your time in the Hanlin Academy?"
"A place like the Hanlin Academy is only worth a year or two. Do you really plan to stay there for three to five years?"
Shen Hong shook his head, expressing his disapproval. The Hanlin Academy was a noble government office, lacking real power, but it was not a place to waste time.
He spent more than a year in the Hanlin Academy, and his main tasks were compiling the Veritable Records, historical records, and the Six Departments' memorials. Although these duties seemed leisurely, they actually allowed him to learn a lot about statecraft.
Shen Zhao scoffed at the Hanlin Academy, but forgot that not everyone could enter. If the two of them were not descendants of the Shen family, they might have had to go through a lot of trouble to get in.
But it was obvious that even if he said this, Shen Zhao would not listen.
Chen Hong's tone became more serious. "If big brother doesn't want to stay in the Imperial Academy, he can ask Uncle San to find him a place to be sent out. Or find a place in the capital where he can gain experience. Why does he have to go to the Imperial Household?"
“As soon as you entered the Zhanshi Mansion, Third Uncle was embarrassed in front of the emperor. Don’t say this is your personal matter. If your surname was not Shen, I would not bother to say it.”
Chen Hong couldn't figure it out. He could see all the twists and turns here, but Chen Zhao couldn't figure it out?
He added, "I think you're selfish and only think about yourself. But have you ever thought about why the Crown Prince insisted on having you go to the Zhanshi Mansion? Isn't there a reason for Third Uncle?"
"Or do you really think you have such great talent that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has chosen you? I think he's just using you to check and balance Third Uncle."
Shen Zhao was filled with shame and anger for a moment. How could he be so useless in Shen Hong's eyes?
"What's wrong with what I did for my own future?"
"If you want to be Third Uncle's dog, I won't stop you. But don't boss me around or yell at me."
Chen Zhao snorted again, "Don't think I don't know your little thoughts. Just because Third Uncle scolded me, you stepped on me too. Do you think that by doing this, Third Uncle will look at you differently?"
"I'm telling you, you're overthinking it. Our family doesn't have any titles, so we have to rely on ourselves for our future. When Third Uncle has children, he'll have to pave the way for them, so how much benefit can he give you? I advise you to rely on yourself. It's better to rely on yourself than on others."
Shen Hong looked at him deeply when he heard this, knowing clearly that if he continued, it would only hurt his feelings more.
"Brother, think about it yourself. I'm leaving first."
"Goodbye."
After Shen Hong left, Shen Zhao was so angry that he swept all the pens, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk to the ground.
Before he could vent his anger, his father Shen Zhiheng called him to the study to talk.
Just as he expected, he was advised not to go to the Zhanshi Mansion.
He naturally didn't dare to treat his father the same way he treated Shen Hong, but his words were also perfunctory and dissatisfied.
Seeing that he was very emotional, Shen Zhiheng knew that he would not be able to explain himself clearly for a while, so he asked him to go back and think about it and give him an answer tomorrow morning.
Not long after Shen Zhao left, Xiangdong came to Shen Zhiheng's study with a food box.
"Master, this is the chicken soup I personally prepared. You've lost some weight these days, so drink some of this soup to replenish your body."
Xiangdong has a cold personality and rarely smiles. Even when she says caring words, her words aren't as gentle and tender as others.
But Shen Zhiheng just fell for her tricks. The colder her temper was, the more he thought about her.
Shen Zhiheng pulled Xiangdong and let her sit on his lap.
He opened the lid of the soup bowl again, stirred it gently, and started drinking.
"It's delicious. You can tell that this soup was made with great care."
"Take a sip too."
As he said that, he put the spoon close to Xiangdong's lips.
Xiangdong frowned slightly, turned his head away and said unhappily, "Master, you know I don't like soup."
Shen Zhiheng didn't think much about it. Xiangdong often made soup for him these days, but she really didn't like it very much.
After drinking a bowl of soup, Shen Zhiheng put the bowl aside, pinched Xiangdong's waist and kissed her.
Shen Zhiheng's study is very large, with a small compartment at the back containing a bed and a bathroom.
Xiangdong lay on the bed with her head tilted back, her clothes already pulled down to her waist. Shen Zhiheng's thin lips moved along her waist, not noticing the sneer on Xiangdong's lips.
In order not to affect her brother's future, she made a careful revenge plan. In a year at most, Shen Zhiheng would die as if from a sudden illness.
With a ripping sound, Xiangdong's skirt was torn. At the same time, there was a knock on the door outside the study.
"Master, Young Master, and Princess request an audience."
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