Luojing·Shangchunfang.
Shen family.
Although the Shen family is not in the court, it is one of the four major families in Luojing. In addition to the royal family, there are also the Lu family where Zhongshu Ling (prime minister) is located, and the Cai family of Taishi Palace.
The Cai family were relatives, and the queen of Emperor Yongxi belonged to the Cai family.
In addition to these four families, there are also ten wealthy families, making up the most powerful aristocratic families in Luojing City.
The head of the ten wealthy families is the Pei family, where Wu Ninghou Pei Hao belongs. The Pei family is a family of military generals. They were once one family with three nobles, and were extremely prominent. Although they are now in decline, they are still the top nobles in Luojing City.
There are old aristocrats and there are new aristocrats.
Among the new rich, there are four families: Su, Liu, Cao, and Gao. These all only rose up within a hundred years, and some even rose up within the past few decades.
Some people rise and others fall. The transition between the old and the new is indispensable for struggle. In addition to the political battles and sides in the court, the competition between the shopping mall and the younger generation has never stopped.
Especially in Zhenwuyuan.
All kinds of overt and covert fighting never stopped for almost a day.
The Great Zhou Dynasty relied on military force to build its country, and the whole world respected military force. Whether they were civil servants or military generals, if they did not know how to use martial arts, they would be looked down upon.
In the officialdom, you can't just start a fight if you disagree, you must always pay attention to the teacher's reputation.
But in Zhenwu Academy, there are not so many scruples. As long as you don't like it, you can challenge. Those who dare not accept the challenge will be looked down upon and considered a coward. If you lose, you will not be considered a challenger. A coward, but also very despised.
The senior officials of the Zhenwu Academy allow and even encourage this kind of healthy competition among their students, but they prohibit assassins.
Once someone is killed, it's a big deal.
People of the Shen family do not hold official positions, but they have hereditary and non-replaceable titles. The Shen family played a role in the founding of the Zhou Dynasty because the Shen family once spent all their wealth to recruit troops from the royal family, the Ye family. Once you are granted the title of Duke, you will not be offered any other positions in the court.
They only have the tax-free privilege of doing business within the Great Zhou Dynasty, but the Shen family has never exercised this privilege for a day. They pay a fair amount of tax and never default on it.
In addition, the Shen family runs "Huitong", the largest bank in the Zhou Dynasty, and even the court's tax liability settlement is done at "Huitong".
To put it bluntly, the Shen family is the manager of Dazhou's money bag.
Even the Ministry of Household Affairs may not know how much money Da Zhou has, but the Shen family knows it clearly.
The imperial concubine of Emperor Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty was from the Shen family. The third generation emperor also had blood from the Shen family. Almost every generation of the royal family and the Shen family had marriages.
Therefore, the relationship between the Shen family and the royal family is the closest.
The current head of the Shen family, Chengguo Gong Shen Zhuang, does not need to go through the process of meeting Emperor Yongxi. He can directly enter the south study room of the Dazheng Hall.
But now, Shen Zhuang, who was in his prime, turned gray overnight. His favorite fourth son, Shen Zhiyuan, was assassinated at the age of eighteen.
When Shen Zhiyuan's mother and Shen Zhuang's concubine Liu Zhimei got the news, she had already fainted from crying.
When Shen Zhuang was young, he was unruly and uninhibited. He was surrounded by thousands of flowers and not a single leaf touched him. Only after meeting Liu Zhimei did he feel that he had met true love and accepted his heart.
Liu Zhimei came from a humble background, so it was naturally impossible for her to be the wife of a duke. Therefore, Shen Zhuang's wife was someone else, but his favorite was Liu Zhimei.
Liu Zhimei gave birth to a son and another daughter, namely the fourth young master Shen Zhiyuan and the sixth young lady Shen Meier.
"Go ahead and let the whole government pay tribute to the Fourth Young Master!" Shen Zhuang sat blankly on the stone steps of the courtyard with red eyes. He called the housekeeper to him and gave an order.
"My lord, please express my condolences."
"Compare it to the prince's specifications!"
"Master, Madam..." the butler reminded, Fourth Master Shen is a concubine after all. No matter how much you favor him, you cannot break the rules and national laws.
"Everyone is dead, and she still cares about this. Can I still make the decision in this family?" Shen Zhuang roared angrily, with blue veins showing on his neck and forehead.
…
"Your Highness, we are still a step too late." Qingyi couldn't help but take a breath of air when she saw the white lining at the door of Shen's mansion and the red lanterns were replaced by white lanterns.
How could Ye Liuli not know.
When she returned to Nanya, she went to Zhenwu Courtyard as soon as possible. Only when she arrived at Zhenwu Courtyard did she find out that Fourth Young Master Shen did not live in Zhenwu Courtyard on weekdays, but went home.
Zhenwu Academy does not force these students who have residence in Luojing to live in Zhenwu Academy, especially old students with high talents like Fourth Young Master Shen.
If they want to graduate from Zhenwu Academy, they can do so at any time.
Students of the Zhenwu Academy can graduate and leave at any time as long as they can reach the fourth level of cultivation, while students who are thirty years old and have not yet reached the fourth level are forced to leave.
Shen Zhiyuan is smart and talented, but he doesn't practice martial arts very hard. Even so, he easily broke through the fourth rank and reached the graduation standard long ago. He was accepted by Vice Dean Shan Shui and became the true disciple of the inner courtyard. .
However, he was unwilling to leave the Zhenwu Academy. Firstly, he had not had enough fun in the free atmosphere of the Zhenwu Academy. Secondly, the people selected into the Zhenwu Academy were all talented elites, especially the girls. None of them were born ugly. For For Mr. Shen, Fourth Master, who inherited the excellent genes of his father Shen Zhuang, this is his paradise. Why would he be willing to go home after graduation and work as a cow or a horse?
"Your Highness, do you want to come in?"
"You're here, so of course you have to go in." Ye Liuli said, some things still need to be known to the Shen family, and some conflicts would be best to kill the source directly.
"Call the news, Ye Li, counselor of Nanya Jing'an Department, wants to see Mr. Shen!"
"yes."
When the concierge saw Nanya's token, he naturally did not dare to neglect it and quickly turned around and went in to report it.
"Nanya Counselor, I'm missing!" Shen Zhuang's eyes were bloodshot and he was in an extremely bad mood. He was in a state of sadness. How could he be in the mood to see guests?
"Master, it seems that Miss Qingyi is among the people here." The concierge of the Shen family must be smart and know most of the dignitaries in the capital.
Qingyi is Ye Hongyi's disciple and a famous person in Luojing. If the concierge doesn't know her, he would be derelict in his duty.
"What is she here for?" When Shen Zhuang heard that it was Qingyi, his attitude immediately changed. This was naturally due to Qingyi's identity.
"Old slave, I don't know."
"After I tidy up a little, you take me to the side hall." Shen Zhuang ordered. He really couldn't see guests in his current state.
A moment later, Ye Liuli and Qingyi met Cheng Guogong Shen Zhuang in the side hall of Shen Mansion.
"Forgive me for taking the liberty of visiting me, Mr. Shen."
"What does Counselor Ye want to see me for?" Shen Zhuang was also the owner of a flower in the bush, so naturally he could see Ye Li's daughter at a glance, but he didn't want to go into details, nor did he want to tell the truth.
"I'm here because of the assassination of Fourth Young Master Shen."
"What do you mean?" Shen Zhuang raised his brows, and a powerful force suddenly emanated from him. The entire side hall was filled with a domineering pressure, and even the two orchids at the door were affected. , the leaves all bent down.
What a strong cultivation level.
It was rumored that Shen Zhuang indulged in sexual activities and his body had long been empty. Although his talent was extremely high, he could only reach the second level of martial arts. Now it seems that the rumors are just rumors.
The pressure that Shen Zhuang put on Ye Liuli was definitely that of a first-grade grandmaster.
In desperation, Shen Zhuang lost control and exposed his cultivation. He immediately realized it and quickly withdrew the pressure, instantly becoming the gentle and elegant Mr. Shen again.
It can be retracted and released freely, which clearly means that the cultivation level has reached an extremely high level.
Everyone in the world underestimates the head of the Shen family.
"Has Master Shen ever checked the cause of death of Fourth Master Shen?" Ye Liuli asked.
"Of course, the wound is in the heart. It is difficult for ordinary people to detect it. It is the Youhong Technique of Xirong Puppet Shadow Hall." Shen Zhuang said.
"Mr. Shen, are you sure?"
"Master Ye, my eyesight is not that bad." Shen Zhuang's face darkened slightly and he said displeased.
"Because I got the news that the death of Fourth Young Master Shen was not caused by Xirong Puppet Shadow Hall, but someone was secretly plotting against Mr. Qixing and asked to be assassinated using Puppet Shadow Hall's techniques," Ye Liuli said.
"Is the news true?" Shen Zhuang stood up in horror, "My son has not formed a life-or-death enmity with anyone. Who paid to kill someone in Qixing Pavilion?"
"Sir Young Master Shen once troubled the students of the Zhenwu Academy and broke the legs of five Xirong wolf riders in the street. Is this possible?" Ye Liuli asked.
"Isn't there no evidence that this kid did it?" Shen Zhuang frowned slightly. As a father, how could he not know the ridiculous things his son did?
"The evidence is for the weak against the strong, and the strong against the weak. There is no need for evidence at all. As long as he thinks it was you, what can you do?"
"So, my son's death is really related to the Xirong people?"
"If the people of Xirong wanted to attack Fourth Young Master Shen, why would they go to Qixing Pavilion and specify the method of Puppet Shadow Hall? Isn't it unnecessary?"
"Perhaps this is the cunningness of the Xirong people. They do the opposite and make people feel that they are not them." Shen Zhuang retorted.
"It's not impossible, but at this time, they have no reason to do this. Although the Zhou Dynasty is in trouble internally and externally, it has not yet reached that point. Although the Xirong people are barbaric, they are not stupid." Ye Liuli explained and analyzed.
"I don't care who he is, if he kills my son, I will never let him go!" A murderous look flashed in Shen Zhuang's eyes, and the pain of losing his son was heartbreaking.
"The revenge of Fourth Young Master Shen must be avenged, but the Young Master must not fall into the trap of others to sow discord and kill someone with a borrowed knife!" Ye Liuli reminded solemnly.
"I naturally know that, and there is no need for Mr. Ye to remind me to see the guests off!"
