Chapter 349 Two Hundred Thousand Taels to Appease Shen Lanxi!
Emperor Renxiao was angered by the news sent back from Dongchuan. If the contents of the secret letter were true, the Great Zhou, which had been finally pacified, would probably be in trouble again.
"I'm fine, I've just been busy with state affairs lately and I'm a bit tired!" Emperor Renxiao had already ordered people to keep the news of his fainting a secret, as nothing could go wrong at this critical juncture.
"You wretched child! If it weren't for Lan Xi's sake, I would never have spared you!" Emperor Renxiao glared at Zhou Ru'an and cursed angrily.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I will never hide anything again. Please forgive me this time. I will never be so clever again." Zhou Ru'an knelt pitifully on the ground, begging for forgiveness repeatedly.
Shen Lanxi looked worried: "Uncle, how about I go to Medicine King Valley myself to ask for medicine for you?"
Emperor Renxiao was very pleased to see her like this.
"No need. I've just been drinking too little water lately, and my internal heat is a bit excessive. A little cooling tea will do the trick."
With a worried expression, Shen Lanxi quickly went to pour tea for Emperor Renxiao.
"Lanxi, I called you over so late because I wanted to discuss some countermeasures with you."
Zhou Ruan knew that his life was now entirely in Shen Lanxi's hands, so he knelt obediently on the ground, not daring to utter a sound.
"Uncle, you overestimate Lanxi. What countermeasures could I possibly have?" Shen Lanxi said nonchalantly.
After pondering for a moment, Emperor Renxiao said, "Today, an urgent report came from Tianjin that the maritime navy is colluding with the rebels and intends to seize the entire Dongchuan."
Shen Lanxi was greatly shocked.
"No way, isn't the Tianjin naval fleet the princess's son-in-law's family? Do they intend to rebel?"
Emperor Renxiao's eyes flashed, and he said fiercely, "Zhou Qiwu helped outsiders plot against the prince, betraying her own side. I will not let her get away with this."
Shen Lanxi: "Uncle, the Third Princess and her children are all in the capital. They wouldn't dare to cause trouble in Liangjinmen."
Emperor Renxiao worriedly said, "I'm afraid Zhou Qiwu has already sent a message to Jinmen, asking him to put pressure on the court."
Shen Lanxi snorted coldly: "Then we can't let Zhou Qiwu and the others go back. Letting them go back is like letting a tiger return to the mountain."
Emperor Renxiao glanced at the furious Shen Lanxi, then looked down at his son kneeling on the ground, who showed no backbone whatsoever.
The fire in my heart has become even stronger.
"We definitely won't let them go, but we can't keep them confined in the mansion either."
"Lanxi, Wang Xiangrong sent assassins to kill you. I cannot give you a satisfactory explanation. I'm sorry you've been wronged!" This was the real reason why Emperor Renxiao summoned Shen Lanxi.
Intended to appease!
“Uncle, for the sake of the court’s overall interests, what’s a little hardship? Lanxi doesn’t care about that.”
Emperor Renxiao nodded: "I will order the lifting of their confinement tomorrow. There is still one night left. If you feel uncomfortable, you can go and talk to them. Remember, don't go too far."
Shen Lanxi's eyes lit up, and she happily bid farewell to Emperor Renxiao before rushing to the princess's residence.
"What are you doing here?" Wang Xiangyi asked coldly, looking at Shen Lanxi who had suddenly appeared.
She came openly and legitimately by imperial decree.
"Two hundred thousand taels of silver, I will plead with His Majesty to spare you and your two children."
Wang Xiangyi looked at Shen Lanxi with a cold and suspicious expression: "You would be so kind?"
Shen Lanxi sneered: "Two hundred thousand taels of silver to buy your brother's life is a very good deal!"
Wang Xiangyi didn't believe it and scoffed, "Even if you don't come, His Majesty won't do anything to us."
Shen Lanxi raised an eyebrow: "Not buying? Fine then, I'll submit the evidence that you've been colluding with Zhou Ru'an to His Majesty right now."
Seeing that she stood up to leave, Wang Xiangyi hurriedly said, "Stop."
Shen Lanxi didn't stop.
Seeing this, Wang Xiangyi dared not harbor any more illusions and quickly ran to Shen Lanxi to stop her.
"I can give you the silver, but you must promise that after you take the silver, you will not reveal our affair with Zhou Ru'an."
Shen Lanxi: "I need to see the money immediately."
Wang Xiangyi: "A written agreement is also required."
Shen Lanxi laughed and said, "I dare to set it up, but do you dare to put it out for the world to see?"
Wang Xiangyi was furious and snorted coldly, "You wait!" After saying that, she quickly went into the inner room.
Fifteen minutes later, Shen Lanxi left the princess's residence carrying the box.
The next day, both Zhou Qiwu's and Zhou Ru'an's households received an imperial edict simultaneously, lifting their confinement. Both households used the same reason: Zhou Ruyuan was about to marry a concubine, and the two households were asked to help with the arrangements.
Although the name of a concubine contains the character "妃" (fei), she is actually a concubine.
Even when the royal family took a concubine, she was carried in a small sedan chair, and a few tables of food and drink were served. Even the dowry that the concubine brought when she entered the family was regulated and could not exceed a certain amount.
Before Shen Yuantang left, the Shen family kept a close watch on her, and Old Madam Shen kept a close eye on her, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
Finally, the day before the wedding arrived, Shen Yuantang started making a scene again because of the wedding dress and dowry.
"When my sister got married, she had a ten-mile-long red bridal procession. Why is it that when it's my turn, I only have a mere twenty loads of things, and they're all worthless. Even the silver notes in my dowry are only a few thousand taels."
"Where is my mother? I want to see my mother..."
Shen Yuantang was being held down by the two women, the old lady Shen, who was yelling so loudly that her head was about to explode.
"If you continue to act so recklessly, and His Majesty punishes us, do you want our whole family to be exiled again?" Old Madam Shen said angrily.
Shen Yuantang felt that she had nowhere to vent her grievances. She was the daughter of Princess Minrou and the niece of the current emperor.
Not only was she not allowed to marry into a wealthy family as a principal wife, but she was also forced to become a concubine.
A concubine is a lowly thing; if you're going to be one, you should be the principal wife.
"Mother, I want to see my mother!"
Old Madam Shen was annoyed by Shen Yuantang's nagging, so she sent someone to fetch Zhou Xinrou.
The person who went to fetch her returned shortly afterward and reported: "The princess is unwell and the royal physician is being summoned for treatment."
Old Madam Shen hardened her heart: "Go and call Lan Xi, let Lan Xi treat her!"
When Shen Yuantang heard her elder sister's name, she trembled. She thought that they were siblings from the same mother, and even if her elder sister came, she would still side with her.
"Go and call her! I want my older sister to stand up for me!"
Madam Shen was so angry at those words that she almost vomited blood.
"You scoundrel, you talk as if I've bullied you. You've tarnished the reputation of the women in the family, and I haven't even settled that score with you yet, and you're turning around and blaming the family."
Madam Shen wished she could just send Shen Yuantang to the Prince's Mansion in a sedan chair right now!
Shen Lanxi had some things prepared for Shen Yuantang's dowry, and was just about to send them over when the Shen residence sent someone to fetch her.
"Lanxi, you're finally here. Your sister, that scoundrel, has caused quite a scene!"
Why make a fuss the night before you leave? You just want your family to give you more money from your dowry.
Madam Shen originally had some savings, but now that she's made such a fuss, she won't get a single tael of silver more than she should.
"What? I heard you don't want to get married?" Shen Lanxi looked at the disheveled Shen Yuantang, her gaze deep.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
