Chapter 107: Climbing High and Falling Hard
It is difficult to disobey the imperial order, let alone the "will of heaven"?
Looking at the memorial in front of him that was in accordance with the will of heaven, the emperor's face turned ashen, but he had to force out a smile that said "in accordance with the will of heaven."
A bright yellow imperial edict, accompanied by the eunuch's shrill voice, announced to the world:
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Shen Jiao, the second daughter of the Shen family, is gentle and virtuous, and has received auspicious blessings from Heaven. She and the third prince, Xiao Jingren, are a match made in heaven. Their marriage is hereby granted, and an auspicious date is chosen for the ceremony. This is decreed!"
As soon as the imperial edict was issued, the capital was in an uproar again!
"A celestial goddess and a priest! A perfect match!"
"This is a marriage destined by heaven!"
"A blessing to Dayin! A blessing to Dayin!"
The Shen family naturally also received the imperial edict.
For a while, the Shen Mansion was decorated with lights and full of joy—at least on the surface.
The housekeeper led the servants in and out, carrying silks, satins, gold, silver and jade items awarded by the royal family.
Chen Jiao and Shen Yan stayed in the palace under the pretext of "restoring their pregnancy". They said it was to avoid the fatigue of traveling, but in fact, they were watched more closely by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and they were spared the many complicated matters of a wedding.
After all, the "Heir of God" and the "Chosen Daughter" cannot make any mistakes.
The atmosphere in Shen Qingyuan's study was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.
Chen He stood by the window, watching the servants busy in the yard, his voice calm and unwavering: "Father, by now, you should have understood everything, right?"
Shen Qingyuan sat on the armchair, frowning, rubbing his temples: "Understand what? Understand this 'blessing' sent from heaven?"
There was a hint of fatigue and sarcasm in his tone.
He seemed to have aged ten years these days.
First there was the scandal of his daughter getting pregnant before marriage, then there was the incredible "coming of a divine man", and now there is the sudden arranged marriage.
He, the General Zhenbei, had been shrewd in the court all his life, but now he felt that he had become the biggest joke in the entire capital.
"Father," Chen He turned around, his eyes sharp as he stared directly at Shen Qingyuan, "If she wasn't his own flesh and blood, who would go to such great lengths, even involving 'fate', to pave a path to success for her?"
Shen Qingyuan suddenly raised his head, a trace of doubt in his eyes: "You mean..."
"Think about Lu Jiuxiao, the chief inspector of the Imperial Observatory." Chen He's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.
"Lu Jiuxiao?" Shen Qingyuan repeated the name, as if trying to recall something. "Why did he help Erjiao?"
"Lu Jiuxiao and the Shan family are from the same hometown." Chen He said lightly.
Fellow countryman!
These two words, like a bolt of lightning, split Shen Qingyuan's chaotic thoughts!
He stood up suddenly, and his face turned pale in an instant!
Shan Zhuyu...Lu Jiuxiao...fellow countryman...
Chen Jiao's date of birth...
impossible!
Shen Qingyuan staggered and held onto the edge of the desk, his fingers turning white from the force.
"Zhu Yu she...she won't..." His voice was dry.
Chen He's eyes were cold, without any mercy: "Father, some things don't exist just because you don't want to believe them."
"When my mother married into the Shen family, she was no longer a virgin. You had your suspicions. But her sweet words, coupled with your affection for her, suppressed them."
"Later, Shen Jiao was born. She didn't bear much resemblance to you in her features, so you just thought she looked like her mother."
"But now it seems obvious who she looks more like."
Shen Qingyuan's breathing became rapid and his chest heaved violently!
He remembered how gentle and considerate Shan Zhuyu was when she first married him, and the complex look that flashed across her eyes when she held the infant Chen Jiao.
Those details that he had deliberately ignored or never thought about deeply now flooded into his mind like a tide!
"evil creature!!"
Shen Qingyuan slammed the table and jumped up from the armchair, his eyes red!
The teacup on the table jumped up and fell to the ground, breaking into pieces!
He rushed to the corner in a few steps, where there were boxes of red lacquer dowry with wedding characters on them. They were prepared for Chen Jiao.
He raised his foot and was about to kick it hard!
"Great! What a Shan Zhuyu! What a Lu Jiuxiao! How dare you bully me like this!!"
His voice was hoarse and distorted due to extreme anger, and filled with the humiliation of being betrayed!
"Do I, Shen Qingyuan, have to watch myself toil away and prepare a dowry for someone else's bastard?!"
"I raised her for over ten years! And I'm raising someone else's daughter!"
"Puff——" a mouthful of blood almost spurted out!
"Father!"
Shen He's cold voice sounded in time. She stepped forward and stood in front of Shen Qingyuan, stopping his leg from kicking towards the dowry box.
"He'er! Get out of the way!" Shen Qingyuan roared, veins throbbing on his forehead. "I won't give you this dowry! Not a penny! Let her leave the house and go find her biological father!"
Chen He remained motionless, his eyes frighteningly calm: "The dowry cannot be less."
She paused, her voice becoming even colder: "On the contrary, it should be more respectable and more glorious!"
"You...!" Shen Qingyuan was still furious as he glared at his daughter, completely confused as to why she was acting like that. "Are you crazy?! That's my enemy's daughter!"
A faint and cold smile appeared on the corner of Chen He's mouth, as if he could see through the future:
"Father, what are you anxious about?"
"They went to great lengths to elevate Chen Jiao to the high position of 'God's Chosen Daughter' and tie her to the Third Prince. What was their intention?"
"Naturally, it means greater power and higher status."
Shen Qingyuan was breathing heavily, still burning with anger.
Shen He continued: "Haven't you heard a word?"
“If you climb high, you will fall hard.”
Her voice was light, but it carried a chilling feeling that made one's heart palpitate.
"How high they stand now, how hard they will fall in the future."
"If we start a fight now and destroy the dowry, it will only give certain people what they want. It will give them an excuse to attack the Shen family, saying that we are disrespectful to the 'Goddess of Heaven' and dissatisfied with the royal family."
"Why not just go with the flow and make this scene more lively?"
Chen He looked at the bright red dowry boxes with a deep look in his eyes:
"Father, just watch. This wonderful show has just begun."
"Whatever they owe our Shen family, I will make them pay back with interest, one by one!"
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