Ming Dynasty: Pick up attributes from the battlefield to create the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 161 The Shen family has collapsed! They're trying to curry favor!

East Palace!

It was heavily guarded by numerous imperial guards.

Escorted by a group of imperial guards, Zhu Biao slowly stepped into the East Palace.

And in front of the palace gate.

Lady Lü, along with a group of palace maids and servants from the Eastern Palace, was already waiting respectfully at the palace gate.

Upon seeing Zhu Biao return, Lady Lü moved lightly, bowed slightly, and respectfully said, "Welcome back to the palace, my husband."

Zhu Biao looked at Madam Lü and nodded slightly.

Subsequently.

His gaze swept over the Imperial Guards beside him, as if he had thought of something.

After a while.

Zhu Biao's gaze fell on Zhang Baihu, who had escorted Shen Yu'er back, and he asked, "How are Zhu Ying's wife and children?"

Zhang Baihu hurriedly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, she has now returned to the residence. As Your Highness instructed, I have allowed Madam Zhu to rest in the residence for a few days. Your Highness will summon her at that time."

Zhu Biao nodded with satisfaction in his eyes and said, "You have done well this time. I hereby grant you and your Imperial Guards a ten-day rest."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Baihu's face immediately lit up with joy. He knelt on one knee and said loudly, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Zhu Biao smiled and nodded, then strode towards the East Palace Hall, sat down in his seat, and began to review the memorials.

daily.

As the crown prince, Zhu Biao had to review almost the same memorials as Zhu Yuanzhang.

The Ming Dynasty had only been established for a little over twenty years, and its administration was extremely complex.

This was also a major drawback after Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the position of prime minister, as a multitude of affairs piled up on the emperor and the crown prince.

Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were quite diligent; otherwise, those who indulged in extravagance would never have been so diligent in governing.

Zhu Biao took his seat and began reviewing the memorials.

Lady Lü followed closely behind Zhu Biao as they entered the main hall together.

Seeing Zhu Biao already reviewing memorials, Lady Lü pondered for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, and tentatively asked, "Husband, Zhu Ying's wife and children have come to Yingtian. Should our Eastern Palace prepare some gifts to bestow upon them as a favor?"

Zhu Biao held a memorial in one hand and a pen in the other. After hearing Lu Shi's words, he did not raise his head and replied calmly, "What should be bestowed has already been bestowed. I have already sent it to the Ministry of Rites. You do not need to worry about this matter."

Hear this!

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Lady Lü's eyes.

However, in front of Zhu Biao, she quickly composed herself and showed no signs of distress.

She walked slowly behind Zhu Biao, gently massaging his shoulders, her voice soft: "Your Highness, I've heard a rumor, but I don't know if it's true or false."

Zhu Biao didn't even look up, continuing to peruse the memorials, and casually asked, "What rumors?"

"Isn't Zhu Ying's wife a woman from the Shen family?"

Lady Lü leaned closer to Zhu Biao, her expression inquisitive: "It is said that she is from the same family as the concubine my brother married, a daughter of the Shen family, merchants from the north."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao paused slightly, his brows furrowed instantly, and a look of displeasure flashed in his eyes. He coldly said, "After Zhu Ying's wife was granted an imperial title, the Shen family had no connection with her whatsoever."

"Furthermore, regarding what the Shen family has done to Zhu Ying, from beginning to end, Zhu Ying will never have any connection with the Shen family."

"Furthermore... do you know what the relationship is between your brother's concubine and Zhu Ying?"

As soon as these words fell.

Lu's heart tightened suddenly; she keenly sensed the disgust Zhu Biao felt for the Shen family in his words.

immediately.

Lady Lü calmed herself, suppressing her anxiety, and cautiously asked, "Husband, is there some connection between them?"

"Your brother's concubine is a woman from the Shen family who was once engaged to Zhu Ying."

Zhu Biao put down the memorial in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and said with a hint of disgust on his face: "However, the Shen family is a snob who loves the rich and hates the poor, and they are even more fond of currying favor with the powerful."

“In the past, Zhu Ying went from Beiping Prefecture to Daning Prefecture to join the army, which was also related to the Shen family.”

"This is how the Shen family framed Zhu Ying and made his engagement null and void."

"Now, do you understand?"

Every word Zhu Biao uttered revealed his loathing for the Shen family. Perhaps only the Shen family could inspire such disgust in the crown prince.

Perhaps the Shen family never imagined that Zhu Ying, whom they could easily deal with in the past, would reach such a level, facing the Emperor directly!
Listen to what Zhu Biao said.

Madam Lü's expression changed instantly, her heart filled with shock and lingering fear: "There is such a connection."

"Your Majesty, I was unaware. If I had known beforehand, I would never have allowed my brother to have any connection with the Shen family. The Shen family has gone too far."

At this point, Madam Lü's voice trembled slightly. These words were not lies; she truly knew nothing about it.

Originally, she thought that she might be able to win over Zhu Ying by leveraging the fact that Shen Yu'er and her brother's concubine were from the same family, thus gaining an advantage for her son's future.

But now it seems that this road is completely blocked.

If this is truly the connection, then Zhu Ying would probably despise her.

"The Shen family are merchants; it's best to avoid dealing with them."

Zhu Biao said coldly, then picked up the memorial again and began to focus on reviewing it, ignoring Lady Lü.

Lady Lü thought to herself, "It seems the Crown Prince is extremely dissatisfied with the Shen family. No, I must remind my brother not to get too close to the Shen family, otherwise it will really be troublesome in the future."

“That Shen family girl must not be involved with us; we must divorce her.”

now.

Lady Lü had already made a decision for her brother.

After all, her maternal clan was related to her, and even more so to her son.

Now that the Eastern Palace is lacking a mistress and a crown princess, Lady Lü has been working hard towards this goal, so she absolutely cannot afford to make a single mistake.

at the same time!

The Shen family mansion was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.

"father."

Shen Rong hurried into the inner hall with a flustered expression, clearly indicating that something serious had happened.

"I just received news that Shen Yu'er has already entered Yingtian."

"Moreover, the previous news has been confirmed; she has indeed been granted the title of Fourth-Rank Imperial Lady."

As he spoke, Shen Rong's voice trembled, clearly shocked by the news.

Hear the sound.

Shen Wansan, who was sitting in the armchair, suddenly stiffened, and almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

The old man's face instantly turned very ugly, his brows furrowed. At this moment, Shen Wansan fell silent, his heart filled with struggle, resentment and regret surging up like a tide.

Clearly, if he had known from the beginning how capable Zhu Ying was, he would never have targeted Zhu Ying in that way.

If he had known that Zhu Ying and Shen Yu'er were in love, he would never have sent assassins to kill Lin Fu and Shen Yu'er.

He could have done a great job, and even Zhu Ying would have been grateful to him.

But he destroyed all of this with his own hands.

How long will it take for the people sent to find Zhu Ying to return?

Shen Wansan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and asked in a low voice.

"It will probably take some more time," Shen Rong replied immediately, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"Alas." Shen Wansan sighed deeply, his old face full of bitterness: "Now it seems that I really made a mistake back then."

"If I had known Zhu Ying was so outstanding, I shouldn't have dealt with him in the first place, and I certainly shouldn't have sent people to kill Shen Yu'er and the others."

He said this.

Shen Wansan's face was filled with deep regret, and he seemed to have aged considerably all of a sudden.

"Father," Shen Rong quickly comforted him upon seeing this, "Our letter should have been delivered to the northern frontier by now. As long as Zhu Ying isn't stupid, he will definitely stop fighting with the Shen family."

Shen Wansan nodded, but a heavy weight still weighed on his heart, and he couldn't shake off the feeling: "I hope so."

At this moment!

"father."

Shen Mao also rushed into the hall in a panic, his face pale, even more anxious than Shen Rong had been.

See this.

Shen Rong's expression changed, and he looked over abruptly.

Shen Wansan's heart sank suddenly, a bad premonition welling up inside him, so he immediately asked, "What is it now?"

"Yan'er was divorced by the Lü family."

Shen Mao was panting heavily, his face filled with anger and resentment: "Now, we've been kicked out of the house by the Lü family."

As soon as these words fell.

Shen Wansan's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his already somewhat hunched body seemed to shrink even further. His eyes widened, and he said incredulously, "What did you say? You were divorced?"

"father."

"father……"

As Shen Mao finished speaking, a heavily made-up woman in a purple dress hurriedly ran into the inner hall.

It was Shen Yan'er.

She staggered, her hair was disheveled, her face was streaked with tears, and she was crying uncontrollably, looking utterly pathetic.

Upon seeing Shen Wansan, Shen Yan'er's tears flowed like a burst dam, and she immediately threw herself in front of him, her voice filled with endless grievance: "My daughter has been divorced."

"Today, Lü Hao said that my Shen family are merchants and not worthy of him. Moreover, my Shen family has offended the most promising general of the Ming Dynasty. He does not want to get involved."

"So...so he divorced his daughter."

Shen Yan'er cried her heart out, her shoulders trembling violently.

"The Lü family actually divorced you because of Zhu Ying?"

Shen Wansan said with anger and disbelief: "He is the son of a high-ranking official, and also a member of the imperial family."

Why would they be afraid of Zhu Ying?

Shen Wansan was filled with doubt and shock, unable to understand why the Lü family would make such a decision.

Compared to Zhu Ying, a mere military man, the Lü family were the true powerful figures in the imperial court!

Why should they be afraid of Zhu Ying?
but.

The facts are now settled.

His daughter has already been divorced.

Shen Wansan was completely panicked at this moment.

He realized that he had underestimated the importance the court attached to Zhu Ying, and even more so Zhu Ying's current influence in the court, which even the Lü family feared.

Incredible!

It's only been a few short years!
Zhu Ying has undergone such a dramatic transformation.

and.

With Shen Wansan's shrewdness, he quickly realized that the Lü family was not unaware of the grudge between Zhu Ying and his Shen family.

And now, without any warning, Shen Yan'er has been divorced, and this happens precisely when Shen Yu'er has entered the capital.

Clearly, this is inextricably linked to Shen Yu'er.

Lu Hao's sister is the Crown Prince's concubine and holds power in the inner palace. She must have heard something that made Lu Hao decisively issue a letter of divorce to Shen Yan'er.

Apart from that.

Shen Wansan couldn't think of any other reason.

"Could it be that the Crown Prince is dissatisfied with my Shen family?"

Shen Wansan thought of a possibility, and it was this possibility that made him feel extremely uneasy, and his whole body was soaked in cold sweat.

If that's really the case, then the Shen family is truly doomed.

"impossible."

“My Shen family has always adhered to the law, and even our clandestine affairs will not be exposed.”

"The Crown Prince has no reason to target my Shen family."

But then.

Shen Wansan also tried his best to comfort himself and get rid of the unease.

"father."

Shen Rong's face was extremely pale, his eyes filled with anxiety: "What should we do now?"

"We finally managed to get on the good side of the Lü family, and now they've divorced Yan'er?"

At this moment, Shen Rong's voice carried a hint of despair, and his eyes were filled with helplessness as he looked at Shen Wansan.

As the eldest son of the Shen family, he was supposed to inherit the family business in the future, but now it seems that the Shen family has really gotten into a huge mess.

Divorce me!

This is no more complicated than the process of divorcing a wife.

A concubine's status was only slightly higher than a maid's, and divorcing her didn't require many complicated steps, but divorcing a wife was different.

Although Shen Yan'er was born into this extremely wealthy family and received a substantial dowry, she was ultimately only a concubine.

The divorce was over, but it was a heavy blow to the Shen family.

When asked by his son.

now.

Shen Wansan was completely at a loss. He felt his head was in a complete mess and he couldn't make sense of it at all.

This series of blows is too much.

Now he truly felt the enormous impact of Zhu Ying's promotion and ennoblement. Even in the capital, a border commander could make his Shen family so miserable.

This is not something an ordinary commander could do!
Without a doubt, Zhu Ying's status in Yingtian City far exceeded that of an ordinary commander.

The three words: Champion Bo!

The significance of this is immense.

Moreover, Zhu Ying once again made the greatest contribution in this Northern Expedition, which must have had an impact as well.

"Sigh." Shen Wansan sighed deeply, his heart filled with helplessness.

He knew that he had to ease tensions with Zhu Ying, otherwise his Shen family might really be doomed.

And this feeling is getting stronger and stronger.

"Rong'er."

Shen Wansan raised his head and looked at Shen Rong with a serious expression: "Prepare gifts immediately, and make them quite generous."

“Go to the Zhu residence in person and tell Shen Yu’er that our Shen family was wrong and ask for her forgiveness.”

now.

Shen Wansan had lost his original authority, and his voice was filled with weariness and pleading.

He gave in.

Even before Zhu Ying had actually made a move, he was already afraid.

He cannot afford to lose.

The Shen family cannot afford to lose.

"But...but will that girl forgive us?"

Shen Rong hesitated, thinking about what the Shen family had done to Shen Yu'er before, he really had no confidence.

"Go and give it a try." Shen Wansan sighed again, his eyes full of vicissitudes: "Zhu Ying has already become a force to be reckoned with. Unless we really want to be his mortal enemy and fight him to the death, we can only try to ease the tension."

The tone was also filled with a sense of powerlessness.

"Yes."

Shen Rong nodded helplessly. Although he was uneasy, he could only obey his father's arrangement.

"father."

Shen Yan'er raised her head, her face streaked with tears, and looked at Shen Wansan with a wronged expression, asking, "What about our daughter?"

"Sigh." Shen Wansan looked at his daughter, but he didn't feel much heartache. All he felt was the helplessness of the Lü family divorcing her, which had deprived his Shen family of a powerful backer.

"Stay here for now. I'll send someone to the Lü residence to discuss this further."

His daughter has already been divorced; what else can he do?
Now, they can only cling to a sliver of hope and continue sending people to the Lü residence to negotiate.

Of course, based on his understanding of the Lü family, since they had already decided to divorce the concubine, their minds were made up and there was no way to change it.

Turn your eyes!
The Zhu family mansion!

Outside the mansion.

Shen Rong personally led dozens of servants and more than a dozen carriages, stopping at the gate.

It seemed that a lot of gifts had been prepared, which attracted many people to stop and watch the spectacle.

"Who are you?"

The guards standing watch at the gate, holding long sticks, walked up warily and scrutinized Shen Rong and his party.

"Please inform him, brother, that I am Shen Rong from the Shen family, and the elder brother of Madam Zhu of your esteemed household."

Shen Rong smiled broadly and spoke very politely: "I heard that Yu'er has moved to Yingtian, so I came on Father's orders to deliver some gifts and also to see my little sister."

As Shen Rong spoke, he took out a silver ingot from his pocket and quietly slipped it into the guard's hand.

The guard did not accept the silver. He was just an ordinary guard in the manor and did not know much about the affairs of the manor.

However, there are many rules in the household, and if one rashly accepts the gift, it might lead to trouble.

The guard hesitated for a moment, then said, "I haven't heard that Madam has any brothers, but wait here, I'll go ask the steward."

After saying that, the guard quickly ran into the mansion.

In the house!

"Young lady."

Lin Fu smiled broadly and looked at Shen Yu'er, saying, "The inventory has been basically completed."

"The imperial court has been very kind to the young master. There is a thousand taels of silver stored in the manor’s storeroom, and just now the Crown Prince’s Palace sent over a lot of daily necessities."

"Once you've familiarized yourself with the place in the next few days, this old servant will go to Yingtian City to take a look at the shops. It's time for the young master's business to expand in Yingtian."

Upon arriving in Yingtian, Lin Fu was also full of fighting spirit, determined to establish businesses for his young master and strengthen his family.

"Uncle Lin," Shen Yu'er said with a smile, her eyes full of concern for Lin Fu, "You can decide these things yourself. You are the only elder my husband and I have in this world. You don't need to ask me about everything."

"The rules cannot be broken."

Lin Fu smiled and shook his head, his face serious.

He always adhered to his identity and the principles he followed in his conduct within the household.

At this moment!

"lady."

"Butler Lin."

The guards on duty outside the mansion rushed over.

"What is it?" Lin Fu turned around and asked with a serious expression.

“Outside the mansion, a man named Shen Rong, who claimed to be the wife’s elder brother, arrived with more than a dozen carts of gifts.”

The guard respectfully reported, "They said they came to congratulate you on your arrival in Yingtian after learning of your arrival."

Upon hearing the names of the Shen family and Shen Rong, Shen Yu'er and Lin Fu, who had been smiling, instantly turned grim.

even.

Both of them had eyes filled with anger and hatred, not to mention the grudge of being ambushed and nearly killed by assassins sent by the Shen family.

They also harbored hatred towards Zhu Ying, wanting him to die far from home.

This destined them to have an irreconcilable and unforgivable feud with the Shen family.

"Summon all guards," Lin Fu said coldly, his voice carrying a hint of chill.

"Yes." The guard immediately replied and quickly ran to gather more men.

"Young lady."

Lin Fu turned to look at Shen Yu'er, his tone concerned: "This matter can be handled by this old servant. You wait here in the manor."

“No.” Shen Yu’er shook her head, her hatred growing stronger. “I want to see him in person.”

With that, Shen Yu'er turned around without hesitation and walked out of the mansion.

Upon seeing this, Lin Fu frowned slightly, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, but he still immediately followed.

Outside the mansion.

Shen Rong stood beside the carriage, feeling somewhat uneasy. He didn't know if this trip would be successful, but his Shen family had been driven to a dead end and had no choice but to come.

at this time!

Tread.

Tapping.

A series of hurried footsteps came quickly from inside the mansion.

More than thirty guards, armed with sticks, marched in unison to the outside of the mansion and surrounded Shen Rong and his entourage.

Every guard had a cold expression, their eyes filled with vigilance and hostility.

Among these guards, there are actually some hidden Black Guards.

Follow closely.

Shen Yu'er and Lin Fu walked slowly out of the mansion.

Shen Yu'er was dressed in a red and black long dress, exuding a graceful and noble temperament and a majesty of a matriarch.

Lin Fu followed behind her, his expression serious; he was no longer the old man he once was.

When Shen Rong saw Shen Yu'er, he was startled and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

The once thin, blond-haired girl has completely changed. Shen Yu'er is now more beautiful and possesses an awe-inspiring aura.

This made Shen Rong realize even more deeply that Shen Yu'er was no longer the little girl who could be bullied by everyone.

"Sixth Sister." Shen Rong forced a smile and called out, her voice tinged with a hint of flattery.

"Who is your sixth sister?"

Shen Yu'er looked coldly at Shen Rong, her disgust undisguised. "Who is a member of your Shen family? And what are you doing here?"

Feeling Shen Yu'er's coldness, Shen Rong's smile instantly froze, making him look extremely embarrassed.

But he still tried to remain calm and said loudly, "Yu'er! Your father has come to congratulate you and bring some gifts after learning that you have come to Yingtian and have now become a Lady of Imperial Decree."

As Shen Rong spoke, he pointed to the carriage behind him.

"Heh." Shen Yu'er sneered, the hatred in her eyes growing even stronger: "Do I have a father?"

The sneer was full of mockery and anger.

"Yu'er."

Shen Rong's smile faltered, but he still continued, "It's true that you hate your father."

"After all, the Shen family has wronged you over the years."

"I feel even more sorry for Zhu Ying."

"But think about it, if it weren't for the Shen family, would you have been able to grow up?"

Is there still a chance for me to marry Zhu Ying?

"In the end, you still have to consider family ties."

These words carried a hint of moral blackmail, an attempt to sway Shen Yu'er.

"Considering family ties?"

A flash of anger crossed Shen Yu'er's eyes: "Raised me?"

Hearing this, she laughed, but it was a cold laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"The incident at the post station in Daning Prefecture was a way of severing this so-called kindness of being raised."

"As for the debt of giving birth to me, did you really give birth to me?"

"And what about the kindness of raising children? Did you really raise them?"

"Now, disappear immediately."

"I am not a member of the Shen family."

Shen Yu'er's voice was filled with anger and determination. The grievances and pain she had suffered in the Shen family over the years, as well as her hatred for the Shen family's attempt to kill her and Zhu Ying, poured out like a flood.

"Yu'er." Shen Rong wanted to speak again, trying to salvage the situation.

"Listen up, people of the Zhu family."

Lin Fu stepped forward and coldly said, "The Shen family is not Madam's family."

"If the Shen family comes in the future, beat them away with sticks."

……

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(End of this chapter)