Chapter 434: After Binding the Child-Bearing System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 435: A Passerby's Rise to Power (3)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

"Xiao Fu, go tidy up the storage room first, take out some clothes and things for use.

Also, from the jewelry and fabrics Third Sister sent over, pick a few bolts to make into clothes, keep the rest to mix and match."

Shen Yao returned to her room and immediately arranged for Xiao Fu to hurry and get to work.

A concubine-born daughter's small courtyard basically had nothing alive in it, even the decorations were very ordinary and common.

Today was also thanks to Shen Rong's generosity, sending precious jewelry and fabrics as if they cost no money; otherwise Shen Yao still wouldn't have good clothes to wear.

Xiao Fu nodded in acknowledgment, turned around, and took the things she had carried back to the storage room.

There were a few rough maids responsible for sweeping in the small courtyard, but none could serve as personal attendants. Xiao Fu called them over to help, and it went unexpectedly smoothly.

Shen Yao just sat in the room like that, a cup of already completely cold warm tea placed at her side.

"Host, can we enter the palace smoothly? I feel the Madam Shen side has some difficulty."

The system returned after eavesdropping on gossip, quietly reminding the host not to be so leisurely, that she still needed a bit of nervous emotion.

Shen Yao rolled her eyes at the empty room, "Please remove the 'ba' character.

Madam Shen isn't the problem; Shen Chunbai agrees, Shen Changyu supports, and I can smoothly enter the palace via the imperial selection."

When it comes down to it, the ones who call the shots in the Shen Family are just these two; other people's opinions are useful but not much.

She raised her head and touched her somewhat disheveled hair; Shen Yao spoke casually, saying this mission's background was even more stimulating and challenging than before.

"This country is going downhill; perhaps in not many years it will disappear. My appearance is to extend the existence time of a soon-to-be-short-lived dynasty; completing this mission will definitely yield rich rewards."

System:...

Why is the host so confident? It seems ever since arriving in this world she's been a bit excited.

"Because I really like this world," Shen Yao said, a smile on her face.

Calm for so long, Shen Yao had almost forgotten the boiling blood of dueling magic with people; despite the risk of premature death, as long as she thought of being able to become the final winner, Shen Yao couldn't control the urge to fight and try.

The Imperial Palace — truly a place both familiar and strange.

Shen Yao stayed in the small courtyard for two days; during this period, aside from Shen Changyu and Shen Rong sending people with some things, the others — including Shen Chunbai and Madam Shen — had no reaction at all.

Shen Yao could still sit still, but Xiao Fu, who served her, was a bit nervous; she often went out to run errands for the Young Lady, and there was quite a bit of gossip in the mansion.

"It's fine; wait a couple more days until Father and Mother speak, and we'll have an easier time."

Shen Yao's tone was flat when she spoke, as if talking about today's weather.

Xiao Fu was comforted by her own Young Lady's words, turned around, and gave herself a pep talk.

Another day passed; the old steward came to the small courtyard to summon someone, saying the Old Master wanted to see her.

Shen Yao changed into a light green long dress, embroidered with a few flowers and grasses; her hair was lightly coiled up with a few green jade hairpins.

"Trouble you, Steward."

"Fourth Young Lady is courteous."

The old steward led the way with a beaming smile, explaining along the way, seemingly true yet not, that the Old Master had been extremely busy these past few days, running between court and study, occasionally going to the suburban barracks to inspect, truly unable to squeeze out any free time.

"Now, he's finally able to catch his breath and rest a bit, so he arranged for me to come invite Fourth Young Lady over; one can see how much the Old Master values Fourth Young Lady."

Blah blah blah.

Shen Yao discovered for the first time that the old steward really could talk; every sentence hit the mark.

This is tactfully whitewashing Shen Chunbai.

Since that's the case, as long as Shen Chunbai can firm up his determination to send her into the palace, she won't pursue his hesitation and indecision.

"Father."

After several days, father and daughter met again in the study.

Without Shen Changyu and the three siblings as witnesses, Shen Chunbai's tone toward Shen Yao was a bit kinder.

He asked repeatedly whether Shen Yao truly wished to enter the palace; Shen Chunbai stroked his grown whiskers, "Yao'er, Father doesn't know why you must enter the palace, but know that once inside, the Shen Family cannot provide help; even so, you have no regrets?"

Shen Yao raised her head to look at Shen Chunbai not far away, understanding he was testing her.

Sending a woman into the palace — how could they not provide a bit of assistance? Truly relying on oneself to live in the Imperial Palace, sooner or later something would go wrong.

Lowering her eyes to cover the emotion in them, Shen Yao hesitated again and again, then summoned her courage, "Replying to Father, your daughter has no regrets; only asking Father to pity your daughter's difficult lot and grant your daughter's wish to enter the palace."

Shen Chunbai:...

Shen Chunbai discovered he couldn't quite figure out this daughter who never showed her hand.

Clearly a timid and cautious disposition — how could she suddenly change so much, insisting on entering the palace?

As for Shen Yao's claim of being deeply attached to the current Holy Emperor, just let it go in one ear and out the other; what virtue the Emperor has, Shen Chunbai, as a military official who has attended court year-round as a decorative figure, knows most clearly — his appearance can't even be called good, yet this can still make a spring-hearted girl fall for him at first sight? Fooling a ghost.

"Since your heart is set, Father will naturally satisfy you," Shen Chunbai had also been considering the matter of changing people these past few days; added to that, his eldest son Changyu also supported Shen Yao entering the palace; compared to Shen Rong, who couldn't measure up anywhere, Shen Chunbai changing his mind was perfectly normal.

Shen Yao received a definite answer, her face full of joy, "Daughter thanks Father for granting this favor."

Shen Chunbai waved his hand, "Mm, go back and prepare carefully; this imperial selection is set for mid-March." Right now it wasn't even past the first month; about two months remained, and there was quite a lot Shen Yao needed to learn.

Shen Yao left the study; on the way back she was stopped again by a maid from the main courtyard, saying Madam Shen requested her presence.

Shen Yao:... This husband and wife, do they not coordinate at all when handling matters?

All converging at once is good too; saves Shen Yao from having to expend effort a second time.

"Trouble you."

"Fourth Young Lady is courteous."

The maid of the Main Courtyard led Shen Yao over, but before she could even enter the door, Lady Shen gave her a taste of her own medicine.

Shen Yao:...?

She stood blankly at the doorway for a quarter of an hour; when she went to announce her arrival, she was told Lady Shen was resting and to wait a moment—she gave no face at all. Shen Yao smiled coldly, turned, closed her eyes, and collapsed to the ground.

"She doesn't even look at the current situation; Lady Shen has simply lived too well these past few years and forgotten how she endured her bitter days of old."

Shen Yao's sudden collapse caught Lady Shen completely off guard.

Let's not even talk about manipulating a Concubine-born Daughter, much less Shen Chunbai and Shen Changyu's dissatisfaction—just Shen Rong alone could drive Lady Shen to complain herself to death.

"Mother! What exactly are you thinking? Targeting Fourth Sister benefits us in no way. Are you really going to force me into the palace and tear me apart from my cousin brother?"

Shen Rong was nearly stunned senseless by her own mother's move, praying in her heart that Fourth Sister's health would hold up; if she fell ill and withdrew now, Shen Rong herself would have to enter the palace to fight for wealth and status.

Lady Shen was already feeling guilty and panicked, and upon hearing her own biological daughter complain about her, she immediately retorted by bringing up the Yuan Family's niece, saying that even without this concubine-born sister, they still had their cousin sister, and it would all be the same.

Shen Rong:...

How could it be the same? Is Mother serious? Is she joking with me?

"The cousin sister surnamed Yuan is not only concubine-born, but she has an older brother above her and a younger brother below her. Do you expect the cousin sister to rise in the world and help lift up this whole group of poor Shen relatives?"

Shen Rong felt she was a bit slow, but she never expected her own mother to be even more naive. How could the Yuan Family, in such a dilapidated and complex state, be relied upon? "Fourth Sister is my real sister; what is a cousin sister?"

Lady Shen:...?!!!

After being talked back to by her eldest son and then by her daughter, Lady Shen was truly on the verge of breaking down.

It turned out that the ancestral home she valued was considered so wretched in the eyes of her own children—and then there was her own mother... Lady Shen clutched her chest, hardly daring to think about it.

Shen Rong had no time to argue these things with Lady Shen; she reminded her mother not to cause trouble for Fourth Sister, not just for the Shen Family, but for her own sake!

Lady Shen:... What sins, what retribution! This is my own retribution!

The "collapsed" Shen Yao had no idea that Lady Shen had broken down again because of her.

At this time, Shen Yao was lying in her room resting. After the doctor finished his diagnosis and said she needed recuperation, Shen Chunbai directly arranged for the best care, and Shen Changyu even personally sent someone to inquire about the daily situation of the Small Courtyard, directly raising Shen Yao's treatment to that of a Legitimate Daughter.

Shen Yao:... See, some things are just this simple to accomplish. Pick the right timing, and everyone around becomes a source of strength.

Sleeping soundly, Shen Yao spent the following days recuperating from her illness.

After all, the doctor who came to diagnose her also said that Shen Yao's body had some illnesses, and proper rest was indispensable.

As for Lady Shen, who caused all this trouble, she still stayed quietly in the Main Courtyard. On the surface, there was no punishment or reprimand, but judging by the number of times Shen Chunbai and Shen Changyu and others went to the Main Courtyard, her life was also one of deep suffering.

After all, the younger generation of the Yuan Family hadn't come to visit for some days.

You have to know that during this period previously, the Yuan Family loved to come to the Shen Family to mooch off them.

"So whether it's the original owner or Shen Rong, why on earth must they marry into the Yuan Family?"

Marrying into a family whose future you can see at a glance is pure torment.

Shen Yao didn't understand. From the words of Shen Changyu and the others, she could tell they didn't like the Yuan Family as their maternal relatives, yet Shen Rong was going to marry Yuan biaoge. Was she supposed to marry in and then somehow separate and live on her own?

The internal affairs of Great Clans in ancient times were complex and tangled. Thinking the Shen Family's situation was terrible? Quite the contrary—the Shen Family was already a model of simple population and good feelings, surpassing eighty percent of official families in Yu Guo.

"Perhaps they wanted to strengthen ties through marriage? Military officers are inferior to civil officials, and there are many restrictions regarding marriage."

Shen Rong wanted her life after marriage to be a bit easier, so marrying back into the Yuan Family was no problem.

The only debatable point was that the Yuan Family was a bit hopeless, and relying on Yuan biaoge alone was powerless to turn the tide.

Shen Yao turned over in bed, "Relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself."

Shen Rong wanted her life after marriage to be easier, so she would marry the cousin brother from her maternal family. If she regretted it in the future, would she blame herself for the choice she once made? Would she romanticize the road not taken?

Shen Yao abruptly curled the corners of her mouth into a smile. It seemed she herself had no right to mock others. She chose to enter the palace, so she would definitely go smoothly? Isn't there an old saying that plans cannot change as fast as circumstances?

At least it was her own choice. Even if the ending failed, she couldn't blame others.

Firm in her faith, she closed her eyes. Shen Yao stopped speaking and fell asleep.

The long night would eventually pass. When the dazzling sunlight fell upon the ground, a new day quietly arrived.