RWNEFE -Chapter 424 The Shen Family Moves Residence!

Shen Lanxi lowered her eyes, her voice as cold as frost.

“Let me make this clear today—whoever violates the rules of the Shen family, I, Shen Lanxi, will show no mercy!”

What were the Shen family’s rules?

Simply this: no one was allowed to test Shen Lanxi.

“Elder Sister, how can you be so unreasonable? I’ll go to the palace and see Father Emperor right now. I don’t believe you truly dare to repudiate me!” Zhou Yunsui had married into the family with her own purposes, but she would not allow herself to suffer such humiliation.

A few sarcastic remarks would have been tolerable, but Shen Lanxi had ordered someone to slap her in front of so many people.

It was as if Shen Lanxi had no regard at all for her status as a member of the imperial family.

Father Emperor would never allow it.

“Princess…” Old Madam Shen had not expected Shen Lanxi to be so unyielding.

Wasn’t it just a matter of staying somewhere for a short time?

Her eldest son was Shen Lanxi’s father—why couldn’t he stay at her residence?

The princess had only been concerned. What was wrong with that?

“Grandmother, there’s no need to call her back. Let her go if she wants. His Majesty is worried over the Fifth Prince’s affair—she’ll only run into a wall if she goes,” Shen Lanxi said coldly.

Old Madam Shen looked at Shen Lanxi, whose bearing was growing ever more imposing, and hesitated.

“No matter what, she is still a princess. You had someone strike her in front of so many people—she surely can’t bear that humiliation.”

Shen Lanxi sneered. “Father is seriously ill, yet she dared to send someone into his room and worsen his condition. If His Majesty learns of this, it won’t be just a slap!”

Shen Yuanxin tried to slip away quietly, but the two brothers, Yuanpeng and Yuanhao, would not let him leave so easily.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Panic filled Shen Yuanxin’s eyes as he hurried to explain to Shen Lanxi.

“Elder Sister, the princess and I meant well. That maid climbed into Father’s bed of her own accord—it has nothing to do with us.”

Shen Lanxi replied, “Even if you didn’t order it, you cannot escape responsibility.”

Remembering Shen Lanxi’s methods, Shen Yuanxin’s face turned pale.

“Elder Sister, the princess and I truly have been wronged.”

“I think you’ve been living too comfortably,” Shen Lanxi said coldly, “and have forgotten how you struggled to survive in Dongchuan.”

Shen Yuanxin’s legs nearly gave way beneath him.

“Elder Sister, from now on I will strictly control the princess. I will never let her make such a mistake again.”

“The death penalty may be spared,” Shen Lanxi said flatly, “but punishment is unavoidable. One leg—or fifty lashes. Choose.”

Old Madam Shen nearly fainted when she heard this.

“Lanxi, you mustn’t!”

Fifty lashes could cost Yuanxin his life. One grandson had already been sent away before—the Shen family could not afford further losses.

Shen Lanxi’s tone was unyielding. “Without rules, nothing stands. If today’s matter is brushed aside, they will commit even greater mistakes in the future!”

“I won’t, Elder Sister, I truly won’t…” Shen Yuanxin fell to his knees, begging for mercy.

“Lanxi, Yuanxin knows fear now. He won’t do it again!” Old Madam Shen also pleaded anxiously.

Shen Lanxi replied, “Today they dared to scheme against Father in order to manipulate me. Next time it could be Grandmother, Mother, or any of the brothers and sisters. If I yield at every turn, will the Shen family still have a place in the capital?”

“Or will we retreat step by step until we are driven back to Dongchuan?”

Her stern words left no one in the room daring to speak.

“Bind that maid who climbed into Father’s bed and send her to Zhou Yunsui. If the princess has already gone to the palace, throw the maid at the palace gates.”

Then she turned to Shen Yuanxin.

“Do you want to bear the reputation of being disloyal, unrighteous, and unfilial?”

Shen Yuanxin stiffened, his lips trembling. “Elder Sister, we are blood siblings…”

Shen Lanxi gave a cold snort. “You should be grateful Father is not in grave danger. If anything had happened to him, you would not be facing merely fifty lashes or the loss of a leg.”

Shen Yuanxin shuddered violently, remembering Shen Lanxi’s cold ruthlessness in Dongchuan. He trembled uncontrollably.

He was wrong. He should never have listened to the princess. He had known full well that Shen Lanxi showed no mercy even to family—he should never have taken this step.

“Elder Sister, I was wrong. I’ll never dare again.”

“Have you chosen or not?” Shen Lanxi pressed.

Shen Yuanxin looked at his grandmother, hoping she would plead for him.

“Grandmother, save me! I’m the imperial son-in-law—I can’t lose a leg!”

“Grandmother, fifty lashes will kill me. I don’t want to die…”

His pleas stirred sympathy in some of the Shen family.

Shen Yuanhe and Shen Yuanrui, who had just arrived, heard the cries from inside and silently retreated, hiding outside the door.

“Lanxi, perhaps…” Madam Liu softened, about to plead for mercy, but Hu Jinyu tugged her sleeve and gently shook her head, signaling her to remain silent.

Madam Liu trusted her high-born daughter-in-law and swallowed the rest of her words.

Shen Lanxi let out a cold laugh. “Drag him away and break one of his legs.”

Shen Yuanxin screamed in terror.

“I choose the lashes! I don’t want to be crippled—I choose the lashes!”

Old Madam Shen fainted on the spot.

No one said the punishment was too severe, even though fifty lashes might cost Shen Yuanxin his life.

One sentence Shen Lanxi had spoken struck deeply: if Shen Yuanxin could conspire with the princess to scheme against Shen Congwen today, tomorrow he could scheme against them as well.

Shen Yuanxin had never been a good person; he and the princess were like rotten fish thrown together.

Soon, the sound of lashes and screams echoed from outside.

Everyone felt their hearts tremble.

“Elder Sister, will the palace blame us?” someone asked.

Shen Lanxi replied, “Father’s condition worsened because of Zhou Yunsui’s fault.”

Then she said, “Move Father to the Ducal residence to recuperate.”

Eyes flickered among those present, but everyone lowered their heads in silence.

Even Old Madam Shen, who had awakened in her room, no longer felt dizzy or unwell upon hearing this.

That was the First-Rank Protectorate Duke’s residence!

Compared with it, the Shen family home was nothing more than an ordinary house. If she could live there, all the titled ladies in the capital would envy her.

From then on, the Shen family and the Ducal residence would be one household. No one would dare say Shen Lanxi and the Shen family were separate anymore.

…

“My Lady, are you really letting Master Shen move into the Ducal residence?” someone asked.

Shen Lanxi replied calmly, “It’s only a place to sleep.”

Understood.

The true core of the Protectorate Duke’s residence had never been the mansion or the title—it was her.

Wherever she was, that was the center.

Just as Old Madam Shen was thinking of ways to move there herself, Shen Lanxi arrived.

“Grandmother, before, I feared unrest in the family and the risk of the Shen family being harmed again, so I did not let everyone move there.”

Old Madam Shen nodded. Previously, there had even been assassinations at the Ducal residence.

“Now that I have secured my footing, and our household has grown so large, this residence has become too crowded.”

Old Madam Shen nodded again. “Lanxi speaks rightly.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Grandmother, I will leave the matter of moving the household to you. The palace has been unsettled recently; for His Majesty’s safety, I must keep a close watch.”

Old Madam Shen was even more pleased.

“Go and attend to your duties. Leave the matter of moving to me with complete confidence.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Grandmother,” Shen Lanxi said.

~

After hearing Zhou Yunsui’s complaint, Emperor Renxiao was indeed angered.

“Wang Bao, send someone to investigate.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Two hours later, the investigator returned to report.

After hearing the findings, Emperor Renxiao flew into a rage and immediately ordered that Zhou Yunsui be driven out of the palace.