RWNEFE -Chapter 670 Leaving the Shen Family Tonight!

“Master has returned!” Hearing the movement, Lian’er hurried forward to greet him.

Shen Yuanhao glanced silently at the person who came up to him, then stepped past her without a word.

Lian’er stiffened. The healthy color she had painstakingly restored to her face instantly faded again.

“Master, I’ve had the kitchen prepare some hot soup. It’s cold and damp outside—please drink a bowl to warm yourself.”

All this time, Lian’er had relied on gentle concern to win a man’s favor, and it had always worked. Today, however, she met with cold indifference.

“Pack your things. Take the children and stay at an inn for now.”

With a clang, the bowl of hot soup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

“Master, did I do something wrong?” Lian’er hurriedly knelt beside Shen Yuanhao, clutching at the hem of his robe with both hands.

Shen Yuanhao pressed his fingers to his forehead, the irritation on his face deepening.

“I was mistaken before. You and I have neither matchmaker nor formal betrothal. For you to live in the Shen household with the children is improper. After the New Year, I will have someone deliver a formal proposal and marry you properly. At that time, you can remain in the Shen family openly and with dignity.”

So that was it. Lian’er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But although it sounded thorough, there were far too many uncertainties in between.

“Master… did His Majesty say something?”

A trace of regret flickered in Shen Yuanhao’s eyes as he began to ponder the Emperor’s words.

The Emperor had said that the Shen family could take concubines in the future, and that his marriage should be decided by the elders of the family. Was that a reproach? He had ignored the warnings and taken Lian’er in—so was the Emperor now unwilling to concern himself with the sons of the Shen family?

Although the others in the household had said nothing, he could clearly sense that Yuanxu and Yuanjing looked at him with a new distance in their eyes.

Was he in the wrong?

“And since when is His Majesty someone you may inquire about?” For the first time, Shen Yuanhao spoke to the woman beside him in a harsh tone.

Lian’er’s whole body stiffened, her face turning even paler.

“Go pack. Leave the Shen residence tonight.”

Lian’er glanced at the darkening sky outside, then thought of the two children. A mist of tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

“Master, I can go anywhere, but the children are too young. They cannot endure such tossing about. Besides, they’ve already fallen asleep. If they catch a chill from the cold night air and fall ill, what should we do?”

Shen Yuanhao was just about to relent when a voice sounded from outside.

“Father, Grandfather and Grandmother ask you to come over.”

Shen Yuanhao was momentarily stunned. Outside stood his eldest son, An’er.

Thinking of how much he owed this child over the years, Shen Yuanhao’s heart hardened once more.

“If they catch a cold, call a physician. But if I return and you haven’t left, don’t blame me for sending you back to the frontier.”

The more Shen Yuanhao thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. He gave Lian’er a deep look, the thought women only cause trouble surfacing in his mind, and then he turned and left without another glance.

After Shen Yuanhao departed, Lian’er could no longer support herself. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

Back at the frontier, the master had treated them so well. How had he changed so much after returning to the capital?

Because of this unspoken warning, the Shen family kept an extremely low profile during the New Year. At the reunion dinner, no one even dared to mention the palace.

The elders remained tight-lipped, and the younger generation, mindful of Shen Emei and Shen Chengfeng being confined, kept so quiet they were like mute statues.

In the blink of an eye, the New Year passed. Perhaps the continuous sound of firecrackers made people forget many things, as if turning over a fresh page.

Officials in the capital who had dealings with the Shen family gradually resumed their visits.

The three young men of the Shen family, bringing along the younger members, also began making calls at various households.

“Minister Liu, it’s been a long time.” Although Shen Yuanxu and the others had been back for some time, they had been busy settling their families and waiting for news from the palace, and had not yet visited old friends.

Liu Yanhui smiled warmly. “Even if you hadn’t come, I was planning to visit your residence today.”

After a few polite exchanges, Liu Yanhui ushered them inside.

“I heard from the children at home that your two boys study at the same academy as mine. They even asked us to bring you some gifts.” Shen Yuanxu used the children as an opening topic.

Liu Yanhui smiled. “My mother has taken my wife and children back to our hometown for the New Year. This year, I’m the only one in the capital.”

Shen Yuanjing said, “Then you must be lonely. Why not come to my home for the New Year?”

Liu Yanhui waved his hand. “You’ve only just returned and should spend time with your family. How could I intrude? Besides, after the New Year, His Majesty will make an inspection tour to the south. As Minister of Revenue, I must resume my duties starting tomorrow.”

Shen Yuanhao looked surprised. “So soon? Tomorrow is only the third day of the New Year.”

Liu Yanhui replied, “To enjoy the ruler’s salary is to share the ruler’s burdens. These are duties we ministers must fulfill.”

During the years away from the capital, they had kept in touch with old friends by letter. But letters were lifeless things—how could they compare with meeting face to face?

The distance between them now did not matter. Once they spent more time in the capital, their relationships would naturally return to what they had been before.

Shen Yuanxu deliberately tried to draw Liu Yanhui closer, speaking often of past events.

“Do you remember Liu Laohu?” he said, first baiting him with the name.

Liu Yanhui naturally remembered.

“You mean Liu Laohu, who escorted us into exile in Dongchuan?”

Seeing how clearly Liu Yanhui remembered, Shen Yuanxu smiled.

“You’ve got a good memory. When I entered the capital this time, I even saw him. He’s now serving with the Capital Guard.”

“Did you greet him?” Liu Yanhui asked.

Shen Yuanxu shook his head. “No. So many years have passed—he’s probably long forgotten who I am.”

Shen Yuanjing sighed. “So many years have passed in a blink. Time really flies.”

Shen Yuanhao added, “Back then we were all still young. Now our children are nearly taller than us.”

Liu Yanhui said, “Back then, it was thanks to your care that my family survived the journey into exile. Otherwise, we would probably have died along the way.”

Shen Yuanjing replied, “If you want to thank someone, thank His Majesty. Without her, how could we be sitting here chatting and drinking tea so leisurely?”

“Time really does pass quickly…”

…

At noon, the three of them dined at Liu Yanhui’s home. He even showed them all the treasures he had collected since the days of exile.

For an entire morning, it felt as though they had returned to the past, to the days when they fought side by side.

On the way back, Shen Yuanxu thought that Shen Yuanjun was Liu Yanhui’s brother-in-law. Now that they had returned, Shen Yuanjun would probably bring his wife and children back soon as well.

And what about Yuanqing, Yuankun, Yuanpeng, and the others? Once they learned the family had returned to the capital, could they really sit still?

Shen Lanxi had assumed that after she declared the abolition of the rule forbidding Shen family men from taking concubines, the first to respond would be those already in power. She had not expected it would be the younger generation instead.

Just a few days after the Lantern Festival, Hu Jinyu selected two beautiful maidservants to serve her son. In the other branches, it was as if flowers were blooming—one after another, pretty maids were placed in the rooms of grown heirs, their purpose self-evident.

The Shen household, once stagnant like still water, seemed suddenly filled with life. Throughout the residence, bright youthful faces appeared everywhere, as if new vitality had been infused into the entire estate.