Reborn in Dunhuang, I am farming and doing business in the desert

Shen Zhao thought for a moment, then stood up and went out: "I'll go outside and take a look. Brother, keep the book safe so it doesn't get lost."

"Yeah." Shen Xun put the book into the box, and then went out of the gate with his sister.

I saw a carriage parked outside the door, and two servants, a man and a woman, standing next to the carriage.

When the two saw the Shen brothers and sisters, they quickly bowed and said, "Greetings to Mr. Shen and Miss Shen."

Shen Zhao waved his hands: "What's the matter? Tell me quickly."

The male servant said, "The master of the house is hosting a family banquet today, and he has specially sent me here to invite the girl back to the banquet."

The maid added: "The guest of honor is Princess Chengyang. Please come back with us as soon as possible."

Shen Zhao pondered for a moment, then nodded and agreed: "Okay, wait a moment, I'll go get ready."

He went back into the house, changed his clothes, recombed his hair, put on hairpins and rings, and when Shen Zhao walked out he was met with his elder brother's worried eyes.

"Don't worry, brother. With Princess Chengyang here, they won't dare to play tricks."

"Then you have to be careful too." Shen Xun said as he called two maids and asked them to follow his sister and Song Qiao to Xue's house.

Shen Zhao did not object and took Song Qiao into the Xue family's carriage. The other two maids followed the Xue family's maid on foot behind the carriage.

When we arrived at Xue's house, we saw a lot of vehicles parked in front of the gate. Servants were feeding grass and water to the cattle and horses, or cleaning up the feces on the ground.

Shen Zhao walked into Xue's house without looking around, followed by three maids.

When she arrived at the main reception hall and was about to go in, she was stopped by the Xue family maid: "The mistress is in the backyard, please go to the backyard to talk."

Shen Zhao looked at her and said nothing.

When they arrived at the hanging flower gate, the maid stopped Song Qiao and the other two again: "You three cannot enter."

Shen Zhao turned around and looked over: "Why can't I go in?"

"The mistress has instructed that outsiders and servants are not allowed to enter." The maid replied with her eyes lowered.

Shen Zhao sneered: "In that case, let's go back." Then he was about to walk back.

The maid was anxious and was about to grab Shen Zhao's sleeve, but was slapped in the face by another maid from the Shen family: "How dare you! How dare you disrespect my daughter?"

The maid didn't expect that the maid from the Shen family would hit someone, and was stunned.

Shen Zhao glanced at the sturdy maid, smiled and nodded: "Well done."

Then he asked, “What’s your name?”

The maid quickly replied: "My name is Tian Xiu, and my husband's surname is Zhao."

"Tian Xiu, that's a great name. You'll be rewarded when you get back." Shen Zhao said to the Xue family's maid, "You, the Xue family, are too bullying. You dare to attack even a servant. Go tell your master that I, Shen Zhao, am the younger sister of the Minister of Rites, and my father is a nobleman. How can I let you bully me?"

As soon as the voice fell, someone clapped their hands: "So she is the sister of Taichang Shen Shaoqing, she is really extraordinary."

Shen Zhao looked back and saw several men in gorgeous clothes standing not far away.

The speaker was a long-bearded man about thirty years old, with a handsome face, long eyebrows and narrow eyes, looking like a scholar.

Someone explained: "This is His Royal Highness Prince Rui, why don't you quickly pay your respects?"

Shen Zhao hesitated for a moment, then bowed to Prince Rui: "I, Shen Zhao, greet His Royal Highness Prince Rui." "No need to bow." Prince Rui looked at Shen Zhao with a smile, and said softly: "The princess is right, you look exactly like Xue Lingyao."

Shen Zhao lowered his head and remained silent, maintaining a humble attitude.

Upon seeing this, King Rui said nothing more and went to the main hall with several of his followers.

Shen Zhao then stood up and glanced at the Xue family servants who stayed behind.

The Xue family servant bowed and said, "I'm sorry for being so rude. Please follow me into the garden. The princess and the mistress are admiring the chrysanthemums."

"Well, lead the way." Shen Zhao said coldly.

Afterwards, she, Song Qiao, Tian Xiu and others followed the Xue family servant into a huge courtyard.

Only then did Shen Zhao realize that the hanging flower gate that the servant had taken them to before actually led to another small courtyard, which was not in the same direction as this one.

Her expression gradually turned colder, and she came to a big house in silence.

The wooden windows and doors of the big house were all opened, and it was seen that it was full of people.

Princess Chengyang sat in the main seat, with Lady Xue Wang and a strange noble lady sitting on her two sides.

Xue Lingyao was sitting with a young woman, and the two were talking.

Shen Zhao walked forward slowly and bowed to Princess Chengyang: "Shen Zhao greets Her Royal Highness the Princess."

"Get up quickly and come to me." Princess Chengyang was very happy to see her, her eyes and eyebrows were full of joy.

Shen Zhao didn't understand what was going on, so he slowly approached the princess and knelt down beside her.

The princess took her hands and looked at them, then said with a smile, "After being dressed up like this, you look like Lingyao. It just so happens that both of you sisters are here today, so I have something to tell you."

"I'm all ears." Shen Zhao responded in a low voice.

The eldest princess said: "It's like this, King Rui wants to choose a princess from an aristocratic family. I think you sisters are good, so I mentioned it to him."

Shen Zhao frowned slightly: "We are sisters? Princess, you are wise, I don't have sisters."

"Who said there are no sisters? Aren't you and Lingyao sisters?" The eldest princess said with a look of evil interest, "But you can't be a princess with your status, so why not marry Lingyao as a concubine?"

Shen Zhao was furious when he heard this, but he still bowed to the princess and said, "Princess, although I look like Xue Lingyao, I have no evidence to prove that she and I are sisters."

This Princess Chengyang is really calculating. She didn't acknowledge her identity, nor did she announce that she would adopt me. But she wanted to control my life right away. Even buying a slave shouldn't be done like this. She wants to give me away without spending a penny. What a nice thought!
The eldest princess didn't expect that the girl would dare to talk back, and she couldn't help but smile coldly.

Mrs. Xue Wang, who was standing by, felt something was wrong and quickly came over to smooth things over: "Look at what you are saying, kid? Didn't the princess acknowledge your identity last time? Why are you saying this?"

"What identity of mine do you want to acknowledge? The princess didn't say anything." Shen Zhao glanced at Xue Wangshi with a calm expression.

Mrs. Xue hesitated for a long time, and seeing that the princess didn't say anything, she had no choice but to say, "Since you are the same as Lingyao, what's the problem with recognizing you as a sister? Besides, you are just an adopted daughter picked up by the Shen family from the wild. Do you want to be a lonely person without a father, a mother, or a family for the rest of your life?"

Shen Zhao smiled and replied: "My adoptive father, mother and brother are all my family members. Why do you insist on saying that I am a lonely person?"

She looked around and said, "If the Queen Mother hadn't summoned me here, I would be living well with my parents and brothers. Madam Xue has also been in the northwest for several years. She must know that my parents have always loved me and never let me suffer any grievances, right?"

"You..." Mrs. Xue Wang felt extremely embarrassed and blushed as she asked, "Are you still blaming the Queen Mother?"

"I dare not. How dare I blame the Queen Mother?" Shen Zhao said coldly, "It's just that I, Shen Zhao, am also a girl from a good family, not a slave girl of the Xue family. I'd better leave it to you, the daughter of the Xue family, to be a concubine." (End of this chapter)