RWNEFE -Chapter 348 Spending Hundreds of Thousands of Taels to Buy a Terrible Idea

“Lanxi, today is a big day for the Shen family. Let’s not say anything that might spoil the mood and bring bad luck,” Zhou Yunyu said with a stiff smile.

Shen Lanxi glanced at Zhou Yunxue, thought for a moment, and nodded.

“Today really is a big day.”

Joy flashed across Zhou Yunyu’s face, but before her smile could fully form, Shen Lanxi added: “Then we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Zhou Yunyu’s heart sank instantly.

She had secretly called Shen Lanxi a discarded woman. Given Shen Lanxi’s petty and ruthless temperament, she would surely make things difficult for her.

“Lanxi, we sisters haven’t gathered in a long time. Why don’t I host another day? We can go to Wangjiang Tower for drinks!”

Shen Lanxi replied, “It really has been a long time… seven years, or was it eight?”

Zhou Yunyu stiffened again.

“Don’t worry. I’ve returned to the capital and I’m doing quite well. In the future, I’ll take good care of you—and your family,” Shen Lanxi said ambiguously before going off to toast guests.

Watching Shen Lanxi’s half-smiling expression, Zhou Yunyu felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Even when she left, her whole body still felt cold.

After the banquet, Zhou Yunxue sought out Shen Lanxi.

“Lanxi, don’t take what Zhou Yunyu said to heart. She’s just jealous. Her life behind the scenes isn’t nearly as glamorous as it looks.”

“I know,” Shen Lanxi said. “After you came to see me last time, I had someone investigate why you married Fang Wenting.”

Zhou Yunxue lowered her head in embarrassment, pressing her lips tightly together.

“If you want a divorce, I’ll help you.”

Zhou Yunxue looked up in shock. Divorce… she had thought about it before.

“Lanxi, my family investigated Fang Wenting back then too, but at that time my family had fallen from power, and I had already lost my reputation. I had no choice but to marry him. Now I have a son and a daughter, and he’s working hard to advance. I don’t want a divorce.”

Shen Lanxi remembered that Zhou Yunxue had been implicated because of her, so she was willing to show some patience.

“I can give you a promise. If you ever want a divorce, I’ll arrange for you to establish a woman’s household and return to the capital to live safely. If you want to take your children with you, I can help with that too.”

Zhou Yunxue’s eyes flickered. After a moment of silence, she shook her head.

“Lanxi, I’m doing fine. When my husband passes the examinations, he’ll become a proper seventh-rank official. If he places in the top three, he could even be promoted another rank. This is good enough.”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “As long as you’re satisfied. But if you ever want a divorce, my promise will always stand.”

Zhou Yunxue had more to say, but Shen Lanxi had already shifted the conversation, leaving her preoccupied as she departed.

The next day, Shen Lanxi entered the palace and lodged a complaint against Zhou Yunyu’s husband.

“Uncle, yesterday at Shen Yuanxu’s wedding banquet she publicly insulted me, calling me a discarded woman. She even used her husband’s position as an examiner in this year’s imperial examinations to threaten Zhou Yunxue. Uncle, Zhou Yunyu is bullying others by relying on power. I haven’t even bullied anyone with my own influence, yet she dares to do so over my head. Uncle, you mustn’t show favoritism…”

“And if you do… then I’ll start bullying people with power too…”

Emperor Renxiao looked at Shen Lanxi with a complicated expression.

“Look at yourself. What do you look like now? Where is the imposing commander of the Zhenbei Army? Where is the victorious general? If outsiders saw you like this, how would they respect you?” he said, though the corners of his mouth twitched as if suppressing a smile.

Shen Lanxi sat on the steps beside the desk, looking as if she might start throwing a tantrum.

So many people had witnessed the events of the previous day that word had already reached the emperor’s ears.

Emperor Renxiao was very satisfied with Shen Lanxi’s habit of reporting everything to him, yet also somewhat displeased with her current helpless demeanor.

Sometimes people were contradictory like that—hoping their subordinates were strong, yet worrying that strength might threaten their own position.

“All right, all right. For the sake of your loyal service, I’ll give you face and transfer the man elsewhere.”

Shen Lanxi achieved her purpose and immediately stood to give thanks.

“Uncle, may I ask you something?”

The emperor chuckled. “You’re so formidable—what could you possibly need to ask me?”

“I’m only formidable because I borrow your power,” Shen Lanxi replied. “I’m just curious—how did you think of marrying Shen Yuanxu to an equal wife? If it were me, I’d never have thought of it, even if I racked my brain.”

The emperor felt slightly awkward. He couldn’t very well tell Shen Lanxi that rumors were circulating that Miss Hu had tried to take her own life out of anger over Zhou Ruyuan’s affair with Shen Yuantang.

The Vice Minister of Personnel was a valued official whom he still needed, so he couldn’t allow the Hu family’s daughter to become a mere concubine.

It had been Wang Bao who casually reminded him that in common households it was not unheard of to support two wives. If so, why not an equal wife?

And besides, he did feel somewhat sorry for Shen Yuanxu. Judging from the quality of his essays, he was unlikely to succeed in the examinations. For the sake of that one statement—“When the nation is in peril, every man has a duty”—this marriage could be considered compensation.

The emperor glanced at Shen Lanxi irritably. “The Hu family’s legitimate daughter is well matched with Shen Yuanxu. As for the wife he married before… best not to mention her.”

A principal wife who could barely even walk properly—thinking of it only made him want to laugh.

“Yuanxu calls me uncle, after all. I can’t let my nephew’s heart grow cold.”

Shen Lanxi looked deeply moved.

“Uncle, it’s wonderful to have you as an uncle.”

Emperor Renxiao was greatly pleased. After Shen Lanxi left, he reviewed memorials at twice his usual speed.

But he hadn’t been pleased for even two days when Wang Bao received a secret report from Tianjin.

After reading it, Emperor Renxiao was so furious that he fainted on the spot.

Later, rumors spread that Wang Bao had poured three cups of ginseng tea down his throat to keep him alive.

As soon as the news leaked, the inner palace began to stir. That night, dozens of carrier pigeons and hawks flew out. One of them flew straight into Shen Lanxi’s hands.

The next day, someone secretly delivered a brocade box from Zhou Ruan’s residence.

“My lady, it’s banknotes again,” Che Mingyuan said.

Shen Lanxi pressed her lips into a cold smile. “Accept them. Then write a letter and place it in the box before returning it to him.”

“What should I write?” Che Mingyuan asked.

Shen Lanxi’s eyes turned slightly as she spoke: “Write that he should sacrifice the chariot to save the king—admit to having an illicit affair with Zhou Qiwou and fathering a son and daughter with her, but claim that he was framed by Zhou Qiwou, who seized leverage over him and forced him to obey her.”

Che Mingyuan’s mouth twitched. “Isn’t that a bit… insane?”

“Insane? Sometimes the more outrageous something is, the more people believe it. That’s called taking an unconventional path.”

Che Mingyuan wasn’t convinced. If he were Zhou Ruan, he would never comply.

Only a fool would spend hundreds of thousands of taels to buy such a terrible idea.

Yet less than a day after the letter was delivered, Zhou Ruan knelt in his residence, facing the direction of the palace, weeping tears of blood and carrying a bundle of thorn branches on his back to beg forgiveness. He even wrote a blood-stained memorial to present to the emperor.

Standing at the gate of the Duke Juding residence, Che Mingyuan stared dumbfounded in the direction of Zhou Ruan’s manor.

Madness… this world had gone mad.

That very day, Shen Lanxi was summoned to the palace overnight.

“Uncle, what’s wrong with you?”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me you were ill?”

When Shen Lanxi saw Emperor Renxiao reclining weakly on his couch, her eyes reddened. She hurried forward, stumbling as she rushed to his side, her expression full of concern.

The way she looked, she seemed even more like a true child of the emperor than Zhou Ruan, who was kneeling nearby.