Chapter 15 Young Master Lan!
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Shen Lanxi arranged for a servant to scrub her back. After making the head constable feel comfortable, he began to make his demands.
"Brother Liu, I bought some steamed buns and cornbread for the Shen family. Could you please deliver them to them?"
The post station wasn't outside, so Liu Laohu, the head constable, was quite at ease.
"Go on, go on. Since you're relatively well-behaved, let me give you a heads-up: they are prisoners."
Liu Laohu didn't believe that she had no connection with the prisoner, nor with him. As long as she didn't break the rules, he wouldn't interfere in other people's business.
Shen Lanxi immediately stated her position: "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I understand. They are criminals who deserve punishment for their crimes, not here to enjoy themselves. I was only entrusted with this task to ensure they didn't die on the road!"
Liu Laohu was very satisfied that Shen Lanxi understood immediately: "Go!"
When she arrived, there were two constables guarding the prisoners.
It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings. You need to bribe the leaders, and you need to bribe the henchmen even more, because those who are in charge of doing things are the henchmen.
After leaving Liu Laohu's place, Shen Lanxi went to the kitchen again, picked up the wine and dishes that she had asked the waiter to prepare that morning, and found two constables.
Two taels of silver, a good drink and food, and a few kind words were all it took to get in.
Everyone saw Shen Lanxi carrying a large bundle into the stable.
The Shen family members were all eager to see what she was carrying.
“Lanxi…”
Zhou Xinrou looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes and reached out to touch her face.
"Mother, I smeared some black mud on my face!" Shen Lanxi pushed aside the cornbread on the bundle, took a steamed bun from the bottom and put it in her mother's hand.
"Mother, I'm fine. I'll go to Dongchuan with you. Don't worry about me!"
Zhou Xinrou clutched the steamed bun, covered her face, and wept bitterly.
Shen Lanxi's eyes also reddened; now was not the time to cry.
"Father, this is yours!"
“Yuan Jing, Yuan Jun, Yuan Tang, Yuan Qing…” Each person had a steamed bun stuffed into their hand.
With tears streaming down her face, Yuan Qing took a bite of the steamed bun, chewed it a couple of times, and suddenly her eyes lit up. She broke the bun open and saw that it contained meat!
"Big sister, there is..."
"Shh, don't talk!" Shen Lanxi gave the four siblings a wink, and Shen Yuanjun's eyes lit up as he quickly stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth.
Meat! There's meat!
Having not tasted meat for eleven days, the young man's eyes reddened as he thought of his previous life of luxury, and he wolfed down his food the next second.
The rest of the Shen family rushed forward.
"Young Miss, where are ours?" Concubine Wei Rulan reached out to snatch them.
Shen Lanxi grabbed him and swept his gaze across him expressionlessly: "From now on, call me Young Master Lan. If my identity is exposed, it will be difficult for me to send you things again!"
Wei Rulan was initially quite angry, but upon hearing Shen Lanxi's words, she immediately understood. The Shen family was now considered sinners, their reputation ruined. If others found out, they would definitely drive her far away.
After ten days of stale food in the prison, plus a day of cornbread that would break your teeth during exile, Wei Rulan's biggest wish now is to eat and drink well on the way to exile.
"Understood, Young Master Lan!"
Shen Congwen sighed: "I'll explain things to them properly later."
Although the daughter didn't say it explicitly, it's estimated that her marriage to the Prince of Zhennan's mansion is no longer valid.
Shen Lanxi handed the steamed bun to Wei Rulan, and then gave it to the other children in the concubine's room in turn.
Old Master Shen and his wife sat not far away with their other three sons, their expressions changing from calm and composed at first to full of anger.
"Father, Mother, my eldest brother has gone too far. He didn't bring the food to you first, but instead shared it in his own room." The second brother, Shen Conglian, glared angrily in the direction of the eldest son's house.
The third brother, Shen Congli, gritted his teeth and was furious: "We were all exiled because of our eldest brother. The eldest branch of the family has wronged our Shen family. Now that they have food, they only think about their own room and don't even care about their parents. Our eldest brother is too unfilial."
The fourth brother, Shen Congyi, glared venomously at the eldest brother's house: "Eldest brother only cares about his own house, neglecting our parents and us brothers. Hasn't it been like this all these years?" When he was an official, he didn't think of helping his brothers, and now that he's been convicted, he wants to implicate them too. Why should he?
Grandpa and Grandma Shen were used to a life of luxury. After walking all day, they were already exhausted, but now they were suddenly energized by the excitement.
"Second son, go and call the eldest son over. I want to ask him if he still recognizes me and your father!" Old Mrs. Shen tried to stand up in anger, but failed twice. She could only stomp her feet and say harsh words!
The masters in the main house received steamed buns, while the servants received cornbread. Shen Lanxi distributed the food while talking to her father and mother.
"We wanted to offer you some rooms, but the constables wouldn't allow it."
The three Shen brothers had already told the Shen family about the meat that had been withheld.
After swallowing the steamed bun in his mouth, Shen Congwen said, "It's already very kind of you to follow us all the way and bring us food. If you do more, they won't know how to explain it!"
Shen Lanxi took out a bag of loose silver and handed it to her father: "I am looking after you in the name of a relative or friend of the Shen family, so there are some things that are inconvenient to do. Father and Mother, please take this money and ask for some water on the way, so that it will be easier for you!"
In the past, Shen Congwen would never have bothered with a bag of loose silver coins, but now he could only silently accept them.
"I've already bribed the constables. As long as the Shen family doesn't cause trouble, they won't do anything to you!"
Looking at his daughter's well-organized arrangements, Shen Congwen realized that even though only eleven days had passed, he could hardly recall what his daughter used to look like, dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by servants.
"Why do I smell meat?" Shen Yuanqing, the concubine's son in Aunt Wei's room, sniffed around with a puzzled look.
The four siblings in the main room exchanged silent glances, quickly stuffed the steamed buns in their mouths, and secretly wiped the oil off their hands.
Shen Yuanjing: "No way, you're so obsessed with eating meat, you're practically delirious!"
Shen Yuanqing hung his head and remained silent.
Shen Congwen pursed his lips, but ultimately said nothing.
"Brother, Father and Mother are calling you!" Shen Conglian coldly tossed out these words, glanced at Shen Lanxi, and turned to leave.
Previously, with Princess Minrou supporting the main branch, no one dared to say anything openly. Now that Princess Minrou's title has been revoked and her whole family has been exiled because of Shen Congwen, can the resentment of the other branches still be suppressed?
"I'm going back."
She came here to deliver things, and the other exiled prisoners had long been restless.
"Sir, my son is too young to eat that cornbread. Could you please have pity on him?" The disheveled woman, hunched over, was struck down by a whip before she could finish her sentence.
"If you want food, pay up. We're escorting prisoners, not running a charity. If you don't have money, get lost and die."
The woman covered her face and wept as she brushed past Shen Lanxi. Soon after, angry curses came from the crowd.
"You useless little bitch, you can't even beg for a steamed bun, what use are you, you jinx..."
Chunxue and Qiushuang waited anxiously until they saw their young lady come out of the stable.
"Miss, next time I'll deliver the things myself. There are all sorts of filthy people over there, I don't want them to offend you!"
She has already explained everything that needed to be explained and arranged everything that needed to be arranged; she won't personally deliver it every day.
"Let Aunt Li deliver it. My identity is too conspicuous; it's inconvenient for me to show my face in public so often!"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
