RWNEFE -Chapter 86 My Lord!

For a brief moment, Wei Dongzhu wavered—but he quickly came back to his senses. Rules are always made by the strong. For all one knew, that saying might have been fabricated by some emperor dissatisfied with his son, merely to justify punishing him—avoiding public condemnation for cold-bloodedness while instead earning praise for righteous impartiality.

“Is it really possible?” he murmured to himself.

Shen Lanxi replied succinctly, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

If you don’t act, there’s only one outcome. If you do, the result is no longer fixed.

A bitter smile tugged at Wei Dongzhu’s lips. He didn’t truly believe in Shen Lanxi’s words.

But—

“If you truly manage to clear your Shen family’s name and uncover the real culprit behind the massacre of the Wei Army, then we will acknowledge you as our lord!” Compared to the oath he had sworn before, this was a far graver vow.

The rest of the Wei Army repeated Wei Dongzhu’s words, one by one, solemnly and carefully.

“If you achieve it, we will acknowledge you as our master!”

Being at someone’s disposal was one thing; acknowledging a master was another entirely. Once a master was recognized, life and death lay wholly in that person’s hands.

At this point, it was tantamount to Wei Dongzhu and the others indirectly acknowledging their true identities. Since they didn’t spell it out, Shen Lanxi didn’t expose it either.

“Then let’s wait and see.”

“Good!” Wei Dongzhu replied.

Shen Lanxi recalled how awkward it had sounded to be called “Miss Shen.”

“From now on, you will address me as My Lord.”

After being shocked repeatedly by her words earlier, Wei Dongzhu and the Wei Army now found no resistance at all in calling her that—and even felt that the title suited her perfectly.

“My Lord!” Wei Dongzhu led the Wei Army in a respectful salute and called out together.

If they called her “Miss Shen” or “Young Master,” they felt like servants or household retainers. But “My Lord” was different—it made them feel free once more, like commanders again.

Though the Wei Army was gone, their backbone remained. As long as they lived, they would always be generals, always soldiers.

Shen Lanxi had given them back the dignity of soldiers.

“I’m going to the Princess’s residence. I’ll bring two maids and four guards. You all bear burn scars and carry an aura of hardened valor—it would only make the Princess’s people wary and suspicious.”

Wei Dongzhu nodded. “Take Shi Da and the other four. We’ll coordinate inside the city.”

“No need,” Shen Lanxi said. “You’ll leave the city in batches and go find Liu Yanhui outside the walls. He’ll tell you what to do.”

No escort? Even with her martial prowess, how could she possibly protect her entire family if the city’s soldiers surrounded her?

Did she have another card up her sleeve?

“Yes!” they answered.

Chunxue, Qiushuang, and Shi Da with the other four immediately went to change clothes.

Half an hour later, Shen Lanxi’s carriage came to a steady stop at the gates of the Princess’s residence.

Shi Da stepped forward to announce, “Our master, Lanxi County Princess of the Shen family from the capital, has come to congratulate the Third Princess on her birthday!”

The guards at the gate immediately went inside to report.

“Princess, Shen Lanxi has arrived!”

Zhou Qiwu was discussing matters with the Second Prince, Zhou Ru’an. Hearing the report, she immediately shot Yuan Lang a smug look.

That little wretch—she really walked straight into the trap.

“Ru’an, step aside for now. I’ll go meet that little bitch myself.”

Zhou Ru’an had always lusted after women. Back in the capital, he had long coveted Shen Lanxi’s beauty, but with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor protecting her, he hadn’t dared even steal an extra glance. Now it was different. A phoenix fallen to the ground became no better than a chicken. Just thinking of Shen Lanxi’s face and alluring figure made Zhou Ru’an restless with desire.

“Aunt, spare Shen Lanxi’s life…” he said.

One look at Zhou Ru’an’s eyes, and Zhou Qiwu knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Go wait in your room,” she said. “Aunt will make sure you get what you want.”

Perfect. She’d been worrying about how to humiliate the elder and younger wretches alike, and now the idea had delivered itself to her doorstep.

Just imagining Zhou Xinrou witnessing her daughter being ravaged by Zhou Ru’an made Zhou Qiwu itch for that moment to arrive sooner.

After the Shen family received the news, they immediately headed to the gate—just in time to run into Zhou Qiwu and Wang Xiangyi.

“Perfect timing. Let’s all go welcome Lanxi at the gate,” Zhou Qiwu said warmly.

Shen Congwen frowned in disagreement. “You are a princess. Lanxi is merely a junior. By rights, she should be the one paying respects to you.”

Zhou Qiwu replied gently, “You’ve traveled thousands of miles to celebrate my birthday, and Lanxi was separated from you along the way—she must have suffered greatly. I’m just an aunt caring for a junior. Status is secondary. Let’s go welcome Lanxi first.”

Shen Congwen couldn’t refuse any longer and could only bring the children along.

When they arrived, Shen Lanxi was just stepping down from the carriage.

Dressed in red beneath the rosy glow of the sunset, she looked like a blazing flame. Her porcelain-white skin was flushed with life, making her beauty even more peerless.

Seeing her like this, both Zhou Qiwu and her daughter felt a surge of dark resentment—especially Wang Xiangyi, who nearly tore her embroidered handkerchief apart.

She was even more beautiful than before.

Wang Xiangyi remembered when Shen Lanxi first entered the capital—homesick and timid, her looks not yet fully matured. The snobbish women of the capital had used the two of them for comparison.

They said Wang Xiangyi was a phoenix fallen to the ground, worse than a chicken. Even though her mother was a princess, she wasn’t favored by the imperial family—she was no better than a wild hen anyone could trample. They said Shen Lanxi, favored by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, could overshadow her even if her mother was only a commandery princess, perching proudly like a phoenix on the branch.

Recalling all those humiliations in the capital, Wang Xiangyi wished she could stomp Shen Lanxi underfoot right now, crush her face, and see how she could still put on airs without it.

“Lanxi~” Zhou Qiwu adjusted her expression, assuming the role of a loving aunt as she walked forward.

Shen Lanxi smiled faintly and curtsied. “Aunt.”

Chunxue and Qiushuang each held a box. Shen Lanxi said with a smile, “I wasn’t sure what Aunt might like, so I prepared two gifts—one is the Thousand-Treasure Brocade Robe, and the other is Peonies in Rival Bloom, painted by Master Chunmian of the former dynasty.”

Zhou Qiwu’s eyes lit up. “The Thousand-Treasure Brocade with warming properties in winter and cooling in summer?”

“Exactly.” Shen Lanxi opened the box before her.

Under the sunset, the multicolored gemstones shimmered brilliantly—so beautiful that Zhou Qiwu nearly forgot how to breathe.

It was said that this robe was a royal treasure, always kept within the imperial palace. To think it had ended up in that little wretch’s hands—no need to ask, it must have been a reward from the Empress Dowager.

Zhou Qiwu’s face nearly twisted with jealousy.

“This is far too precious—how could you give it to me? Put it away quickly!”

Shen Lanxi closed the lid and smiled. “Only someone as noble as Aunt is worthy of the Thousand-Treasure Brocade. This is merely a junior’s token of respect. If Aunt refuses again, it would mean this junior is being unfilial.”

Zhou Qiwu wanted to refuse with dignity—but the words simply wouldn’t come out.

“…Very well. Then take back the peony painting.”

Shen Lanxi’s gaze flickered. “How could that do? That painting is for Uncle as well—a junior’s token of respect. It wouldn’t be right to honor Aunt and forget Uncle.”

Zhou Qiwu couldn’t be bothered to waste words on Wang Mingru and said vaguely, “You’ve thought things through well. Come inside—let’s sit and talk.”

Shen Lanxi smiled lightly. “Alright.”

A few steps behind, Wang Xiangyi stared coldly at the two maids and four guards following Shen Lanxi into the residence.