Shen Tuo and Madam Xu stared at Shen Danru, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.
They had long heard that Shen Danru was a talented woman from Shengjing, but they never expected that she would be able to develop firearms.
"Another matter, I have already submitted a memorial to the Emperor, recommending Shen Cheng as the heir apparent of the Duke's mansion."
"Second brother, our grandsons have all grown up and it's time to think about their marriages. I think we should divide the family property."
“You can choose not to move out of the Duke’s Mansion. I will arrange for the mansion to be divided into east and west courtyards. You can move to the west courtyard.”
Chen continued.
He originally planned to separate from Shen Tuo and have them move out of the Duke's mansion after finding out the truth.
However, as soon as her son's family returned home, Yu Lan experienced fetal movement.
If Ru'er hadn't been there, Yu Lan would probably have met with misfortune.
Who knows what kind of trouble Shen Tuo will cause next?
Knowing that even if the truth were uncovered, Yang'er would never be able to return, the safety of her children and grandchildren was of greater importance at the moment.
Upon hearing Shen Shi's words, Shen Tuo and Madam Xu showed their resentment.
His descendants were also startled!
Although they knew they should have separated from the Duke's mansion and moved out thirty years ago, they still felt somewhat uncomfortable at this moment.
Shen Tuo was filled with anger; all his plans over the years had come to naught.
If he had known earlier that Shen Cheng was not dead, he would have definitely done everything in his power to find him back then.
"Brother, you promised twenty years ago that Shen Chao would be adopted by you and inherit the title. Don't you stand by your word?"
Shen Tuo couldn't help but question him.
Shen Shi sneered inwardly. If it weren't for the need to investigate what happened back then, he would have kicked Shen Tuo's family out of the mansion long ago.
However, he has to endure it for now.
“Second brother, the Great Shun Dynasty has clear laws stipulating that titles are passed down to the legitimate son, not the illegitimate son. Moreover, Shen Chao is not my biological son, and in terms of ability, he is not as good as Cheng’er. How can I pass the title to him?”
"This matter is settled, there's no need to argue anymore. It would be a laughing stock if word got out." Shen Shi waved his hand, signaling Shen Tuo to shut up.
"I chose my nephew over my own son to inherit the title. Do you think that's reasonable?"
Shen Shi said with a cold laugh.
He looked at his half-brother and thought his eating manners were really disgusting.
Shen Chao stood up and said, "Grandfather, what you say makes sense. The matter of inheriting the title should rightfully be passed on to Brother Cheng. I absolutely have no intention of competing with Brother Cheng for the title."
Despite saying this, he was still filled with anger towards Shen Shi and resentment towards his father and mother.
Twenty years ago, before the eldest uncle had found his son, if they had taken some steps to have him adopted by the eldest uncle, he might have already been named the heir apparent, and Chen Cheng would not have had the opportunity.
But now that things are settled, what can he say?
To avoid upsetting his grandfather, he had no choice but to step forward and accept the offer.
Hearing his son say this, Shen Tuo felt a pang of pain in his heart.
We can only wait for him to find another way in the future.
He failed to get rid of Shen Cheng more than 30 years ago, but now that Shen Cheng has not yet inherited the title, it is still not too late to get rid of him.
Shen Shi nodded: "Good to know."
Two days later, the Duke's mansion was divided into east and west courtyards.
The Emperor's decree has arrived, announcing that Shen Cheng will become the heir apparent of the Duke of Shen, inheriting the title of Duke of Shen.
Using her ruthless methods, Shen Danru swiftly eliminated the servants in the West Courtyard who had secretly sided with Shen Tuo.
This made the grandfather, Shen Shi, like his granddaughter, Shen Danru, even more.
Meanwhile, a major event occurred in Shengjing: the emperor gained a sixth prince.
Now, the struggle for the crown prince position is intensifying. In addition to Crown Prince Qi Jingcheng, the third prince Qi Jingrui and the seventh prince Qi Jingze are also eager to make their move.
Now there is another sixth prince, whose mother is said to be Consort Hui, who was once as famous as Consort Lan.
Since Shen Danru left Bianjing, he has not paid attention to matters of the court.
If her second brother, Shen Yutang, hadn't mentioned it to her, she might not know that the matter of the sixth prince was actually true.
Several years ago, there were rumors about the sixth prince. Some people investigated, but found nothing.
Everyone speculated that the matter concerning the Sixth Prince was nothing more than baseless rumors.
However, unexpectedly, the sixth prince actually appeared one day, carrying Consort Hui's keepsake and the blood letter she wrote on her deathbed.
The letter written in blood revealed the truth of her wrongful conviction and the origins of the Sixth Prince.
Back then, Consort Hui was framed by a villain and banished to the Cold Palace by the Emperor.
Later, it was rumored that she died in the cold palace.
Now, Qi Jingyu suddenly comes to claim kinship, saying that his mother was wronged back then. She gave birth to him in the cold palace and entrusted him to others before her death to protect him from villains.
In addition, Qi Jingyu brought ample evidence with him.
The Emperor conducted a thorough investigation into the case from that year, and indeed, as Qi Jingyu said, Consort Hui died unjustly.
The Emperor recalled his feelings for Consort Hui when they were young. Overwhelmed with grief, he posthumously conferred upon Consort Hui the title of Noble Consort Hui.
However, with Consort Hui dead, the Emperor's affections shifted to Qi Jingyu.
He felt both heartache and guilt when facing his son.
To make up for his son's misfortune, the emperor decided to bring Qi Jingyu into the palace and personally teach him.
The only regrettable thing is that Qi Jingyu was physically weak and sickly.
It is said that when Consort Hui was pregnant in the Cold Palace, she lived in harsh conditions and often lacked food and clothing, which led to her physical weakness and depletion.
In addition, Qi Jingyu was born in the dead of winter, so he was born weak and sickly.
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