Chapter 292 Victory Celebration Banquet!
Liu's smile froze for a moment, then she smiled even wider.
"Didn't your uncle come?" The old lady was showing off just now, right among the officials.
No one knows a mother better than her son, and Shen Yuanxu knew that his mother wasn't just saying what she meant. He also knew that without him pressing her, his mother would inevitably tell him the truth.
“Yuantang took Yuanqing to the temple to pick up your aunt. She doesn’t know anything about her. She’s been gone for more than half a month and they still haven’t brought her back.” Liu didn’t dare to say Zhou Xinrou’s name, so she could only say something vague, knowing that her son would understand anyway.
“Even concubines and children born out of wedlock are not qualified to enter the palace. Your grandmother was afraid of causing trouble, so she kept them all locked up at home and didn’t allow any of them to go out.” Liu Shi burst out laughing as she said this.
In recent years, the eldest son's wife has become increasingly arrogant. Several of her illegitimate daughters have dared to act superior and domineering. And that Zhang Zifen is even more outrageous, taking advantage of the eldest son's wife's absence.
Now things are much better; the person who could cure her has returned.
Thinking about this, Liu felt even better.
"Son, now is not the time to talk. When we get home, your mother has something to tell you." Seeing her other son waving his hand incessantly, Liu urged her eldest son to go back.
Her eldest son was her darling, and so was her second son.
Now everything is alright, the sons are finally back, and the whole family is finally together again.
Shen Yuanxu returned to the group and saw that his two younger brothers, Yuanjing and Yuanjun, were depressed. He explained the explanation he had received from their mother to them in a more refined way, as a way of comforting them.
“Aunt went to the temple to pray for us, and Yuantang and Yuanqing went to pick her up. Grandmother was worried that seeing your half-brothers and sisters would affect your mood, so she kept them at home and didn’t let them go out.”
Shen Yuanjun's mood improved after hearing this.
"Brothers, do you think Father regrets not letting his illegitimate sons go with us to the Northwest?" Shen Yuanjun asked deliberately, holding back his anger.
Shen Yuanjing said with a bitter and helpless tone, "Father likes scholars, and I hope he can raise his illegitimate children to be the kind of people he expects!"
Unlike Shen Yuanjing, Shen Yuanqing wasn't subtle at all; he simply said, "I'm afraid it's unlikely!"
Shen Yuanjing burst out laughing, and his mood improved considerably.
The older sister is right; a good mood is indeed built on the suffering of others.
The Shen brothers returned to their ranks one after another. In order to allow the people of the city to more directly experience the might of their Great Zhou army, Emperor Renxiao specially ordered that the parade be extended.
They didn't return to the palace until the auspicious hour of noon.
The Ministry of Rites played music, and the sounds of singing, dancing, and string instruments slowly rose, creating an image of a peaceful and prosperous world, which greatly pleased Emperor Renxiao.
Emperor Renxiao couldn't even remember how long it had been since he had felt this joyful.
Today, the imperial court and the harem are all gathered together. Emperor Renxiao is flanked by Empress Qi Yingqun, and below her is Shen Lanxi, a testament to their high status.
Royal relatives, civil and military officials, and their families filled the vast palace with their bustling presence.
Emperor Renxiao glanced at those relatives without leaving a trace. Now that the world was at peace, it was time to find an opportunity to send them back to their fiefdoms.
After exchanging pleasantries, the ladies of the court began to glance at Consort Shu, who was also seated at the lower level.
Logically speaking, a concubine shouldn't be present in such a setting, but she was a concubine of the royal family and the birth mother of the war god Zhou Ruyuan, so her status was clearly exceptional.
However, even so, Consort Shu's appearance on such an occasion was quite abrupt. Unless, there was another arrangement involved.
The noblewomen quickly scanned Emperor Renxiao before their gazes fell on Shen Lanxi.
After going around in circles, these noblewomen all understood what the royal family was planning.
Shen Lanxi is truly blessed. She has a mother of noble status, is favored by the Empress Dowager, and later has a husband that everyone envies.
Later, when the Shen family fell into misfortune, it was only a minor setback. Although they were implicated and divorced, they were lucky enough to take advantage of this opportunity to compete with men for profit. Look, now they are on equal footing with their ex-husband, the Prince of Zhennan.
What kind of fate is this? It must be a fate that God cherishes in the palm of His hand!
The noblewomen felt a pang of jealousy, and Consort Shu was no exception.
I never expected the Shen family to actually turn their fortunes around, and Shen Lanxi to become so successful. If I had known, I should have taken a risk when they left the palace last time.
Unfortunately, hindsight is always 20/20!
Emperor Renxiao had a pleasant conversation with Shen Lanxi, Wei Dongzhu, Liang Shao, and others. During the conversation, he expressed his gratitude for the sacrifices made by the Wei family army and even broke with ancestral rules by inviting the martyrs of the Wei family army to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Apart from Liang Shao, who was granted the title of Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, all the others received titles and rewards.
As a role model for women, the Empress also bestowed many women's items upon Shen Lanxi, and announced in front of everyone that the Empress Dowager's former palace had been cleaned up so that she could return to the palace for a short stay at any time.
For a time, the emperor was wise and the ministers were loyal, and the ladies of the court lived in harmony and happiness – a truly prosperous era!
...
After the victory banquet, Emperor Renxiao, slightly drunk, was helped to rest by the palace servants.
After the imperial relatives, officials, and their wives left the banquet, Shen Lanxi returned home with generous rewards.
After the victory banquet, even more important matters remain. Settling the soldiers who have gone to the capital, attending court tomorrow to express gratitude, receiving their promoted official robes and salaries, and then the transfer of power and possessions—all these tasks will keep us busy for several months.
Wei Dongzhu and the others followed behind Shen Lanxi. Although their accommodations in the capital had been arranged, there was too much time today to visit them. For various reasons, they temporarily rested at Shen Lanxi's Zhenbei Marquis's residence.
The two groups split up at the fork in the road leading to the Shen family mansion, one going left and the other right.
"General, shall we rest at home today?" Chunxue asked quietly.
Shen Lanxi: "On the first day back in Beijing, I should naturally rest at home!"
Chunxue: And then? Having spent so much time with the young lady in the military camp, I've gotten used to the completely contradictory meanings in her words.
According to this statement, it's not certain that it will happen on the second day, right?
The Shen family members left earlier than Shen Lanxi. They had already returned home and were now sitting in the main hall with expressions ranging from serious to strange.
Shen Conglian, who had always followed the army, frowned unconsciously as he looked at his parents, who were sitting calmly and steadily.
After hesitating for a long time, I still gave them a reminder.
"Father, Mother, Lanxi has been in the army for a long time and has accumulated a lot of power. She has killed quite a few people. I'm just giving you a heads-up so you won't offend her later!"
The meaning is very clear: don't go looking for trouble!
Shen Congwen was immediately displeased: "Why is my second brother speaking to Father and Mother so rudely now? Could it be that he has been in the army for too long and has also learned the bandit-like manner of those soldiers?"
Liu's face immediately fell. So, these people who were enjoying a life of luxury in the capital looked down on these soldiers.
"Brother, what are you saying? Don't forget, our Shen family was able to return from Dongchuan thanks to those scoundrels you keep talking about."
Hmph, eating with a bowl in hand, then cursing the cook after putting it down. A scholar, an official, indeed! Shameless!
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