RWNEFE -Chapter 474 A Box of Pearls Buys the Tian Family’s Entire Life

Was it poison she used?

How could she have the green silkworms?

What made Wang Bao even more alarmed was what came next: the Sixteenth Prince, taking advantage of Shen Lanxi’s return to the residence, launched a palace coup.

The Sixteenth Prince was only eleven years old!
…

Shen Lanxi suddenly appeared at the dining table in the Shen residence, and every member of the Shen family went silent as she entered.

“There’s nothing going on at the palace today,” Shen Lanxi said with a bright smile. “I thought, in a few days, it will be Fourth Aunt’s birthday, so I came back early to celebrate!”

Everyone at the table turned to look at Madam Tian, who was dumbfounded.

Her birthday was still more than two months away!

Madam Tian forced a smile. “Lanxi, you are very thoughtful.”

Shen Lanxi added thoughtfully, “I might be busy later, so I wanted to send my wishes early!” She handed a box of pearls, each the size of a longan, through Chunxue to Madam Tian.

Madam Liu and Madam Miao were furious. Why didn’t Lanxi ever remember to celebrate their birthdays? Since when had their relationship improved? They watched every day right under her nose—how could she ignore them?

Shen Lanxi’s smile grew even brighter, while Shen Congwen felt his heart sink deeper with every passing moment.

A bad premonition hung in the air.

Sure enough, without Shen Congwen needing to guess, Shen Lanxi’s next sentence made the whole family’s faces change.

“Fourth Aunt, your brothers at home seem to have been enjoying themselves recently!”

Clang! The pearls in Madam Tian’s hands fell into her bowl with a crisp sound.

Madam Tian’s face went pale instantly.

Shen Congyi immediately frowned at Madam Tian. “What has your family done?”

Madam Tian’s face drained of color, cold sweat pouring out like a mad torrent.

“No… I—I don’t know! I truly don’t know! Lanxi, I’ve been at home. Whatever happened at my family’s house, I really didn’t know.”

Shen Lanxi slowly withdrew her smile. “Today, I received a memorial detailing the Tian family’s crimes. One item read: the Tian clan, relying on the power of the Prince Regent, bullied men and women, oppressed the villagers, seized merchants’ businesses, and occupied commoners’ fields and estates.”

Madam Tian, terrified, collapsed to the floor.

“Lanxi, it’s not my fault! I truly didn’t know!”

Shen Lanxi’s gaze darkened as she swept over Shen Congyi before resting on Madam Tian.

“I naturally believe Fourth Aunt. But whether the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishments believe it is another matter.”

Shen Congyi shouted angrily: “Madam Tian! Your family committed crimes, but you can’t drag our children into this!”

Madam Tian’s heart sank instantly to the bottom of her stomach.

After a moment, trembling, she stammered, “I severed ties with my family long ago. Everyone knows this. Whatever the Tian family did has nothing to do with me!”

Shen Lanxi curled her lips into a smile and looked at the others at the table.

“Is that so?”

The severing of ties was indeed true. Not just Madam Tian—after the Shen family’s troubles, each daughter had sent severance letters from her own family.

“Yes, that’s true!”

“Yes, indeed!”

Even Old Madam Shen and the Shen family’s female relatives all spoke up in testimony.

Shen Lanxi said, “Good. Tomorrow at court, I will have the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishments handle it impartially!”

Madam Tian, trembling, was supported to her feet by her children. She was dazed, not knowing how she finished her meal or returned to her chambers.

Back in her room, it took her a long time to recover. Seeing the pearl box on the dressing table, she smashed it to the ground like a madwoman, then erupted into hysterical wailing.

Just after crying a few times, Shen Congyi kicked the door open in anger.

Behind him came a line of household guards carrying wooden boards and long nails.

“The madwoman is now confined to Yilan Courtyard. From today onward, without my order, no one is allowed to let her out!”

“Yes!”

Madam Tian, unable to vent her anger, ran wildly toward the door. Before she could reach Shen Congyi’s robes, someone pushed her to the ground. The door slammed shut with a clang, and a series of clattering sounds followed.

Madam Tian sat dumbfounded on the floor, staring blankly at the door. Her fingers accidentally touched the pearls scattered on the ground.

Now it was clear why Shen Lanxi had suddenly returned home for a meal—it was to claim the lives of her entire clan.

A box of pearls had bought her entire life.

“Master, I’m not mad…”

“My child, come save me, I’m not mad…”

The Shen family had an unforgettable dinner. After Shen Lanxi left, everyone hurriedly returned to their own courtyards, still unsettled.

The disaster in the Shen family’s fourth branch served as a warning to the other two branches.

“If your family bullies others with their power, I can’t save you!” Shen Conglian said decisively.

Madam Liu, though displeased at Shen Conglian’s bluntness, had also been intimidated by the previous scene.

“I know. My family wouldn’t dare.”

Shen Conglian stared at Madam Liu. “You know Lanxi’s temperament better than I do. She is harsher with her own than with outsiders. The Tian family? Their entire clan is doomed!”

Madam Liu’s eyes darted around, and she shivered in fear. “Tomorrow, I’ll send a message to my family. They must behave properly.”

Shen Conglian raised his neck proudly. “If they get into trouble, I won’t plead for them. You too—if trouble comes, you’ll be the first I dismiss!”

Madam Liu, even more unhappy, dared not argue at this moment.

“Understood, Master!”

The third branch felt the same.

“Maybe we should send your family back to their hometown!” Shen Congli considered repeatedly.

Madam Miao disagreed.

“My family is innocent! They’ve done nothing wrong. Why should they leave?”

Shen Congli sneered. “Can’t you see? Lanxi is openly punishing their crimes, but in reality, she’s taking revenge for the Shen family’s past troubles—revenge for the severance letters your family sent.”

Madam Miao couldn’t believe it. “No way… It’s been so long. Before, when our family had celebrations, Lanxi even helped host them. She wouldn’t hold a grudge, would she?”

Shen Congli sneered. “Whom do you blame? Your family! Without the Shen family, they’d still be farming in Jiangnan. How could they be in the capital, living this life of wealth? Everything they have is thanks to us.”

“After the Shen family’s misfortune, it’s reasonable that they feared being implicated—but they didn’t even send a morsel of food or a single silver ingot. That’s heartless!”

Madam Miao went pale hearing Shen Congli’s orders.

“So… Lanxi did this on purpose?”

Shen Congli sneered. “Otherwise, what? Do you think my fourth brother is so clever and yet, when trouble arose, didn’t immediately declare Madam Tian mad and lock her up?”

Understanding dawned on Madam Miao. Her face lost all color.

“Fourth brother took advantage of the situation—he wanted revenge for the severance letters all along.”

Shen Congli’s tone was smug. “You think so? With a husband like me, you better be secretly pleased.”

Terrified, Madam Miao knelt and clutched Shen Congli’s legs.

“Master, don’t follow Fourth Brother’s example! Tomorrow, I’ll clear relations with my family and reclaim what was sent to them!”

That midnight, the main gate of the Prince Regent’s mansion was suddenly smashed open.

The Shen family, already uneasy in their sleep, woke immediately at the noise.

Old Madam Shen startled awake from her dreams, shouting, “The raiding family has come again…”