funbook-pk Chapter 115 The First Beauty Who Became a Substitute Bride (31)
Chapter 115 The First Beauty Who Became a Substitute Bride (31)
After the ceremony, Shen Chumo finally became the true mother of the nation.
From then on, she and Xie Yanhuai attended the morning court together to handle national affairs. The dragon throne that used to be the only one in the court was now replaced by two dragon and phoenix thrones placed side by side.
This was also the real reason why Shen Chumo had hesitated to become empress. Becoming empress was simple, but if she only relied on Xie Yanhuai's favor to ascend to the position, she would still not have accomplished her mission.
To truly avoid being manipulated by others, one must rely on one's own abilities and influence to gain a foothold.
Initially, many ministers had doubts about Shen Chumo, but after several court sessions, Shen Chumo's accurate suggestions each time completely overturned their prejudices.
In addition, Xie Yanhuai will begin to settle scores with those officials who had secretly sided with the King of Chu after Xie Siyuan left.
Xie Yanhuai simply found an excuse and demoted them one by one to various impoverished small towns, so that they could continue to contribute to the Great Xia Dynasty.
This included Shen Han. When Madam Xu and Shen Huanyu learned that Shen Han was going to serve as the magistrate of a poor county, the two were almost scared to death.
They had long been accustomed to the luxurious and extravagant life in Chang'an, but now they were being asked to move to a poor, backward, and desolate place. This was like a bolt from the blue!
Madam Xu's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief, and she said in a trembling voice, "Master, how can this be? How can we survive in that poor, remote place?" As she spoke, she nervously wiped the cold sweat that kept pouring down her forehead with a handkerchief.
Shen Huanyu also started crying and fussing, "Father, you have to think of a way! We're living peacefully in Chang'an, how can we go to a place like that?"
"I've heard the people in those places are very barbaric, and my daughter doesn't want to go." She tugged at Shen Han's sleeve, as if that would change his mind.
Shen Han exhaled a heavy breath and said solemnly, "The imperial decree has been issued. You have to go, whether you like it or not!"
Madam Xu was still unwilling to give up, a hint of despair and resentment flashing in her eyes. "Master, are we really going to sit here and wait to die like this? Can't you go and beg the Empress? After all, she is also a member of the Shen family. She can't just stand by and watch us suffer."
Shen Huanyu said resentfully from the side, "Why should we beg her? This is definitely Shen Chumo's way of deliberately retaliating against us. She's being unfilial!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Han was instantly enraged. He glared at Shen Huanyu with wide eyes, raised his hand, and slapped Shen Huanyu hard across the face.
"Slap!" The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the room, and five red marks instantly appeared on Shen Huanyu's face.
Shen Han angrily retorted, "What kind of time is this to be spouting nonsense! You even dare to address the Empress by her given name! You're becoming more and more presumptuous!"
Shen Huanyu was stunned by the beating, tears welling up in her eyes, but she dared not cry out. She could only lower her head and silently endure her father's scolding.
Madam Xu was also frightened by Shen Han's actions. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Shen Han's arm, pleading, "Master, don't be angry. Huanyu was just acting impulsively and said the wrong thing."
Shen Han took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then said sternly to Shen Huanyu, "Remember, from now on, you are not allowed to mention the Empress's name again, and you are not allowed to make any disrespectful remarks."
My demotion had nothing to do with the Empress, but was due to the King of Chu. Although the King of Chu has left Chang'an, let's not forget what we did back then!
"His Majesty has already shown us great magnanimity by sparing us; are you determined to kill our entire family?!"
The recent changes in official positions made Shen Han very clear about the reason for his demotion. How could the emperor tolerate a subordinate who had once tried to betray him?
Shen Han knew that his family had secretly colluded with the King of Chu, which was undoubtedly a betrayal in the eyes of the emperor.
Xie Yanhuai did not directly punish them, but only demoted them to a small county town, which was already an extraordinary act of mercy.
Although Shen Huanyu felt resentful after being reprimanded by Shen Han, she dared not utter another word.
She recalled her life of luxury in Chang'an and was filled with regret. Back then, she only thought about climbing the social ladder and believed that the King of Chu would be the future emperor, but she never expected to end up like this.
The transfer order came down quickly, and Shen Han and his family packed their bags and prepared to leave Chang'an.
In the cramped carriage, Shen Han and the other two remained silent, only able to lift the curtain for one last look at the bustling city of Chang'an, when they unexpectedly encountered a stranger.
Ms. Wu was dressed in the most fashionable satin brocade of the time. The satin brocade was a very unique lotus root color, like a water lily blooming in spring. It was fresh and elegant yet noble, and it shone with a soft and dazzling luster under the sunlight.
Ms. Wu stood with a tall man. The man said something to her, and Ms. Wu burst out laughing, her smile as radiant as a flower in the sunlight.
Wu was already beautiful, and after leaving the Shen residence, she seemed to have become several years younger, making her a perfect match for the young man.
Shen Han felt a mix of emotions. In truth, he wasn't drunk at all. He had taken a liking to Wu Shi, but out of pride, he didn't dare to openly express his desire to take her as a concubine.
He could only take advantage of being drunk to commit his indecent acts, but afterwards, Wu's desperate appearance deeply hurt him. She was just a servant; it was her good fortune to have taken a liking to her.
Therefore, Shen Han simply let Xu Shi bully Wu Shi, but now, Wu Shi is someone they can no longer reach.
Xu also saw Wu, and her face instantly turned extremely ugly. She had done a lot of harm to Wu in the past, and now seeing Wu looking so glamorous, her heart was filled with jealousy and resentment.
She couldn't help but sneer, "This Wu woman is truly shameless. At her age, she's still flirting with men in the street. What a vixen!"
Madam Wu seemed to notice Shen Han and the others' gazes. She slightly raised her head, looked at the three people in the carriage, and then examined their attire.
The carriage was simple and cramped, a low-class carriage that the Shen family used to look down upon, but now the three of them were crammed into one carriage.
A subtle, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of Wu's lips; her smile held both mockery and relief.
Shen Han felt his face burning when Wu looked at him like that.
He tried to avoid Wu's gaze, but there was nowhere to escape.
Madam Xu was furious. Her face flushed red, and she was about to burst into a tirade, but seeing Shen Han's gloomy expression, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Shen Huanyu shifted uncomfortably to the side, feeling as if Wu's gaze was piercing her like thorns.
She had been used to bossing Wu around since she was a child, and now that the roles were reversed, this huge difference made her feel very uncomfortable.