RWNEFE -Chapter 633 Old Madam Shen’s Ambition!

Capital City

“Princess, the news of Shen Lanxi’s fatal injury has been confirmed,” the nanny said as she handed the letter to Zhou Xinrou.

“Is she dead?”

“Not yet.”

Zhou Xinrou took the letter and read it, still harboring doubts.

After a moment of thought—

“Take this letter to the Shen family.”

The nanny glanced at her cautiously. Seeing no hesitation, she immediately went to carry out the order.

After passing through several hands, the letter was finally delivered to Old Madam Shen.

“Mother, news has come from Dongchuan.”

Shen Lanxi’s severe injury was already known across the realm. Not long after the news spread, the Old Madam had heard of it.

“You brothers are all here. Tell me—what are your thoughts?” Old Madam Shen had already prepared herself for the worst. Now that the confirmation had arrived, she could accept it.

Seeing his three elder brothers remain silent, Shen Congyi cursed inwardly at their uselessness.

“Mother, we are naturally heartbroken over Lanxi’s accident. But this is not the time for grief.”

Shen Congli glanced at his fourth brother and followed his lead. “Mother, Fourth Brother is right. Although Lanxi is gone, our entire family remains. We must think about what comes next.”

“Eldest Brother, has something truly happened to Lanxi?” Shen Conglian found it hard to believe. Someone so formidable—how could she die?

He would believe anyone else might die before believing Shen Lanxi would.

Shen Congwen sighed. “It’s true. The news came from Dongchuan. By now, the court officials must also know.”

Old Madam Shen said, “I called you here to discuss what to do next. Who will go to bring Lanxi back?”

Shen Congyi glanced at his mother. Who would care about a dead emperor?

What mattered now was who would control the court.

“Eldest Brother, with Lanxi gone, the court is leaderless. The officials will surely come to our residence to discuss countermeasures.” Shen Congyi thought of how the capable younger generation of their family were away, while they—the elders—were still in their prime.

If they were to take control of Great Zhou, it wouldn’t be impossible.

His gaze flickered briefly to Shen Congwen’s leg, then to his second and third brothers.

All their families had descendants serving in the military. Only his branch lacked control of troops.

At that thought, Shen Congyi’s eyes darkened.

After long hesitation, Shen Congwen finally said, “We should discuss this with the Princess.”

Disappointment showed plainly on Old Madam Shen’s face.

With his daughter as emperor, his status naturally rose. But Zhou Xinrou was merely a former dynasty’s princess—why fear her?

They had respected Zhou Xinrou before because they feared the late emperor, and later because they feared Shen Lanxi. Now both were gone—what was there to fear?

“Eldest, a woman follows her husband after marriage. We are discussing major affairs. What would a sickly woman who barely leaves her quarters know?” Old Madam Shen scolded.

Shen Congwen felt uneasy, an inexplicable guilt in his heart.

“Mother, I still believe we should invite the Princess. She was born into the imperial clan, has seen much of the world. She may have good ideas.”

Old Madam Shen looked at him in frustration. How had she borne such a cowardly son?

Before, he feared the imperial family—understandable.

Later, he feared his own daughter—also understandable. That ruthless, unpredictable killer inspired fear in everyone.

But now the two people they feared most were gone. What was he still afraid of?

“My son, how can you be so timid?”

“With courage like this, how can you accomplish great things?”

At the words “accomplish great things,” Shen Congwen’s heart skipped violently.

Surely Mother didn’t mean…?

“Mother, absolutely not! We are subjects. We must abide by our duty. How could we…” He didn’t even dare say the words “commit treason.”

Old Madam Shen’s face darkened with pent-up resentment.

“We humbled ourselves before Shen Lanxi, yet she showed me, her grandmother, not the slightest respect. If not for the sake of the Shen family and for you sons, would I have endured speaking kindly to her?”

Hearing the bitterness in his mother’s voice, Shen Congwen lowered his head in shame.

“Mother, I have wronged you.”

Old Madam Shen sneered. “What wrong? Blame Shen Lanxi for overturning the natural order, for being unfilial and rebellious. We are the ones oppressed by her.”

“She has met this end by her own doing. At least she secured a future for our Shen family. After handling matters in the capital, send people to Dongchuan to retrieve her body.”

“With death, debts are cleared. Though she was unfilial, she did bring us back from Dongchuan.”

“As her elder, I decree that her merits and faults cancel each other. After bringing her back, bury her on our Shen family’s hill outside the city.”

At this arrangement, the four brothers reacted differently—some frowned, some wanted to object, some worried, others quietly pleased.

“Mother, Shen Lanxi was an emperor. After her death, she should be buried in the imperial mausoleum.”

Old Madam Shen’s face darkened. “An abandoned woman thinks she deserves burial in the imperial mausoleum? Is there such a rule?”

“In the past, abandoned women were thrown into mass graves or left in the wilderness. Letting her rest on a hill outside the city is already generous.”

Shen Conglian’s expression turned strange. How had the discussion shifted to burial arrangements?

Was Shen Lanxi someone they could manipulate?

Even if she were dead—

Could her body truly be handled by the Shen family at will?

Was Mother thinking too far ahead?

“Mother, continue your discussion. I’ll go ask Mr. Ruohua what the court officials are thinking.”

Without waiting for permission, Shen Conglian hurried away.

Madam Liu tried to stop him, but he was already gone.

“Mother, you know what happened when the Princess brought us to court before,” Shen Congyi said. “She is not of one mind with us.”

Old Madam Shen glanced at her fourth son, seeing clearly what lay in his heart.

“Lanxi planned for Yuanjing. You are planning for your own children. Naturally, you are not of one mind.”

Shen Congyi felt as if that sentence had struck him across the face.

Old Madam Shen declared confidently, “The realm now belongs to the Shen family. If Shen Lanxi, a woman, could become emperor, then the men of the Shen family can surely do better.”

Shen Congwen still looked hesitant.

“Mother, we should still invite the Princess to discuss this.”

Enraged, Old Madam Shen pointed at her eldest son and began berating him.

“How spineless can you be? I even thought of letting you become emperor, yet you must consult a woman for everything! Fine—don’t be emperor. Let her be emperor instead!”

Shen Congli began complaining as well, “Lanxi shouldn’t have had an accident at such a time. At the very least, she should have issued a succession edict before going to Dongchuan!”