Amidst the panic throughout the Shen residence, Mo Yan coldly said, "If anyone harbors disloyalty towards the Prince's Mansion, the Prince, or the Princess again, they'd better think it over carefully, because their today could be your tomorrow!"
After saying that, he and Mo Wen left with the palace guards and the corpses scattered all over the ground.
Looking at the courtyard stained red with blood, Shen Xuanxuan stumbled. "Brother, what should we do?"
“Sister, Father is coming back soon. Let’s wait for him to make a decision. Let’s not talk about Mother and the others. The Princess Consort has been good to us. This time, the Princess Consort and the young prince almost got into trouble. The Prince must be furious…” Shen Yiyu comforted her in a low voice.
"I know……"
"You may all leave now. Clean up this place and be careful with your words and actions from now on. Do not go out and cause trouble. And do not spread what happened today..." Shen Yiyu instructed the group again.
"Yes, Young Master!" The crowd quickly dispersed, feeling uneasy staying there.
Inside the Prince of Yan's residence, Chu Tianze, dressed in casual clothes, sat in the courtyard playing the zither, while Bai Chuxiao rested her head on him, listening quietly.
The melodious sound of the zither echoed in the courtyard, captivating listeners and bringing them a sense of peace and comfort.
"I never knew you could play the zither so well..." Bai Chuxiao said with a smile as the piece ended.
“Ever since I married Xiaoxiao, it seems like we’ve always been apart, constantly on the go. These quiet days of playing the zither feel almost unreal to me!” Chu Tianze said softly.
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "Isn't that right? But even during these quiet days, the Prince Yan's mansion is still running smoothly. It proves that it can't do without us, and we don't need to do everything ourselves like before."
"Not bad, but Xiaoxiao used to play the pipa very well. I'd be lucky enough to hear her play a piece again..."
"I don't know many pieces to play. That old piece, 'Ambush from Ten Sides,' is too violent and I don't want to scare the little dumpling..."
“Little Baozi wants to hear a soothing piece of music, so you can continue playing!” Bai Chuxiao continued.
"good!"
After saying this, Chu Tianze stroked the long zither again, and the elegant music slowly spread out, causing Bai Chuxiao to close her eyes slightly...
Murong Xuan, Mo Yan, and Mo Wen, who were standing outside the courtyard, stopped in their tracks upon seeing the scene inside, not daring to go up and disturb them.
"Should we still report to the Second Young Master...?" Mo Yan asked in a low voice.
"He seems quite relaxed, but let's let it go since he's keeping Xiao-mei company," Murong Xuan murmured.
Two days later, Shen Tao finally returned to Yongzhou with several guards, and the Shen family had already been dealt with.
"Father, you're finally back..." Shen Yiyu and Shen Xuanxuan seemed to have found their pillar of support...
Shen Tao sighed, "I'm sorry to have troubled you two siblings..."
"The prince is unwilling to see us, and we can't even apologize. What should we do?" If the prince punishes them, that would be fine, but if he does nothing, it's even more unsettling. If things continue like this, the Shen family will be marginalized.
"I'll go to the Prince's residence immediately..."
"The bodies of my father, mother, and eldest sister..." Shen Xuanxuan thought for a moment before speaking.
"Alright, Xuanxuan, stop mentioning it. Our Shen family will pretend these people never existed. Haven't you caused enough trouble already? Since the Prince's Mansion has dealt with their bodies, we shouldn't interfere anymore. Everything at the manor will remain the same, and the funeral arrangements will be waived. Don't upset the Prince's Mansion any further..."
Shen Xuanxuan nodded, "Daughter understands..."
"It's good that you understand. This whole mess is your mother's own fault. It's also my fault for not locking her up immediately when I noticed her dissatisfaction earlier."
“Alas, what’s done is done. We should all behave ourselves and not allow anyone to bring up those past military achievements. If the Princess Consort gives birth to the little prince safely, the Prince and the others may be able to let go of their resentment towards the Shen family. This time, your mother’s words have offended both the Prince’s Mansion and the Murong Mansion. We can’t enter the Prince’s Mansion for the time being, so you should visit the Murong Mansion more often when you have time.”
"Understood, Father!"
Shen Tao gave some instructions before heading to the Prince of Yan's residence.
Inside the main courtyard, Bai Chuxiao nestled in Chu Tianze's arms, leisurely munching on a crisp peach, watching him handle official business, and occasionally feeding him a few bites.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, General Shen requests an audience, saying he has come to apologize!"
Mo Yan bowed as he approached, not daring to look up. Lately, the prince and princess had been so affectionate that they had to think long and hard before they could muster the courage to go in and report, for fear of accidentally upsetting them.
"Send him back to reflect on his actions and discipline the people in his household. Unless it's absolutely necessary, he shouldn't come out..."
Chu Tianze didn't even raise his head, and spoke calmly.
"yes!"
Upon hearing the rejection, Shen Tao, who was outside the mansion, remained calm. "This humble general understands. Please convey a message to the Prince and Princess: the Shen family has no ill intentions towards the Prince of Yan's mansion. Everyone in the Shen family will reflect deeply within the mansion in order to ensure the safety of the Princess and the young prince. Before the young prince is safely born, no one from the Shen family will move around outside."
Mo Yan nodded slightly. "I will convey General Shen's words. Please return."
"Thank you for your trouble..." After saying that, Shen Tao turned and left. However, before returning to the Shen residence to rest, he first went to General Murong's mansion.
Murong Yuan, who happened to be returning from the military camp, heard the report and still had someone invite him in.
Inside the hall, Murong Yuan sat at the head of the table, while Murong Cheng and Murong Xuan sat at the lower table.
Dressed in military uniform, Shen Tao strode in, bowed respectfully to the person above him, and said, "Greetings, Lord Marquis!"
Ever since the Prince of Yan's Mansion openly issued the proclamation to "purge the court of corrupt officials," Chu Tianling has already ordered the revocation of the former official titles and ranks of the Murong family and related personnel in the Prince of Yan's Mansion.
But nobody cared. They didn't care about him being the emperor, let alone the ridiculous imperial edicts he issued. So, they continued to call him the same way they always had.
Murong Yuan nodded slightly, "General Shen, please have a seat!"
Shen Tao sighed softly, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "My lord, I have come here to apologize. Please do not take my wife's words to heart. I am fully aware of how much the Marquis's mansion has helped the Prince of Yan's mansion. Compared to that, my own small matters, which I have only achieved today thanks to the Prince's patronage, are utterly insignificant..."
Murong Yuan said calmly, "I naturally won't take the words of an ignorant woman to heart. However, she shouldn't have attacked Xiao'er and her unborn child, and even said such vicious things. Not to mention Your Highness, even the entire Murong family cannot tolerate this. If General Shen has any dissatisfaction with the handling of Madam Shen, he can certainly come to the Murong family..."
Shen Tao quickly cupped his hands and said, "I wouldn't dare. This humble general has no objection to the handling of my wife, but now that everything that needed to be dealt with has been dealt with, this humble general hopes that it will not affect the relationship between our two families..."
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