Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Early the next morning, after paying her respects to Lady Xiao, Shen Anning ordered a carriage to be prepared. Accompanied by a grand retinue of maids and attendants, she departed from the mansion.

In her previous life, Shen Anning, born of humble origins, was illiterate. Due to certain circumstances, she had often behaved improperly in public and even disgraced herself before the Court, becoming the capital's laughingstock. Noble ladies looked down on her and avoided her, leaving her with few social connections. Deeply discouraged, she retreated into herself, focusing solely on domestic affairs. In the seven years she was married into the Marquis’s household, excluding two years bedridden due to illness, she ventured out fewer than ten times in the remaining five years.

During those five years, the Lu family's social engagements were primarily handled by Xiao Fang Shi of the main branch and Luo Shi of the second branch. Shen Anning, who merely held the empty title of the heir's wife, had faded into obscurity, forgotten by the world in some neglected corner.

Now, as she lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, she saw the streets bustling with crowds, lively and vibrant. The magnificence of the buildings, the breadth of the streets, the grandeur of the city, and the liveliness of the market—all filled her heart with longing.

The streets of the capital were a thousand, no, ten thousand times more bustling than those of Lingshui Village.

Shen Anning sat in the carriage, gazing intently, taking in every detail. She thought to herself that in her previous life, she had missed out on this vibrancy, but in this life, she would fully immerse herself in it.

After about half an hour, the carriage stopped in front of an old, simple yet solemn and imposing mansion. The entrance was adorned with elegant and simple carvings and paintings, with beams so lifelike they seemed to breathe, and an aura of grandeur and openness. Though the mansion was somewhat aged and appeared narrow and small compared to the sprawling estates of the capital, which often spanned acres, and though it was far less magnificent than the Marquis’s residence, this old mansion was a relic from the previous dynasty. Every stroke, every carving, exuded the decay of history, the steadfastness of scholars, and the pinnacle of artistic achievement.

This mansion was the ancestral home of the Shen family.

Over half a year ago, Shen Anning had left from here to be married.

Shen Anning had no memories or feelings toward the Shen family, her rumored Chief Grand Secretary grandfather, her father who placed third in the imperial examinations, or her noble mother. Yet, the pomegranate flowers blooming in the courtyard, the daughter red wine buried deep beneath the trees, the long-faded and old wind chimes hanging by the window—all spoke of the expectations and hopes her family had for her before she was even born.

If only the Shen family had not been destroyed, if her grandparents and parents were still alive, what would they have been like? And what would she be like now? Would things be vastly different?

But alas, there are no "ifs" in life.

Fate can be cruel and unforgiving.

After paying respects to the ancestors in the ancestral hall and discussing arrangements for a memorial service, Butler Meng, with tears in his eyes, led Shen Anning on a tour of the Shen family's old mansion for what felt like the tenth time. At each spot, he pointed and explained to her: "This is where the master scolded the Young Master. The Young Master was mischievous in his youth and lost the master’s favorite inkstone to a classmate. He was struck ten times with the ruler right here."

"This pomegranate tree was planted in the first year of the Young Master and Madam's marriage. The Young Master said that by the time the Young Lady grew up, the tree would be bearing fruit. Oh, and that jar of daughter red wine is still buried under the tree. I once dug up the soil to take a glance, thinking to drink it when the Young Lady married, but the Young Master said the wine must be buried for eighteen years and only taken out when the Young Lady turned eighteen."

At this, his aged face twisted into a bitter expression. "The Young Master also insisted that the Young Lady must not be married off early—she must stay until at least eighteen. Madam would tease him, asking how he could be so sure it would be a daughter and not a son. The Young Master said he just knew, claiming the Young Lady had sent him a dream while still in her mother’s womb…"

The nearly seventy-year-old steward would often tear up at this point, turning away to wipe his tears secretly from Shen Anning.

Shen Anning was equally moved. If the Shen family were still here, how happy she would be!

A moment later, she looked at the aged face before her. For a brief instant, Shen Anning almost blurted out the question: Did he know that the adopted daughter now in the Marquis’s household was his biological granddaughter? But she swallowed the words before they could escape.

The steward was so devoted to the Shen family—a man who could send his own granddaughter away, exchanging one life for another for the family’s legacy. For someone so loyal, even if his fateful mistake had inadvertently led to this absurd situation, even if the suffering of her past decade or so was largely "caused" by him, Shen Anning still could not bear to confront him.

If he had shown even a hint of selfishness, would she have had the chance to reclaim her heritage fifteen years later?

Meng Anran was Meng Anran, and Butler Meng was Butler Meng.

With this in mind, Shen Anning set aside the topic. Soon, she focused all her attention on the matter at hand and discussed with the old steward: "Grandpa Meng, it has been half a year since I married into the Marquis’s household, and I’ve grown accustomed to life there. When I first married, the situation was unclear, so I did not bring my adoptive parents from Lingshui Village here. Now that I’ve settled in properly, I plan to bring them to the capital to provide for them in their old age. After all, they raised me. What do you think, Grandpa Meng?"

Shen Anning had entrusted the old mansion to Butler Meng’s care and often consulted him on matters related to the Shen family.

Butler Meng was visibly surprised by Shen Anning’s words. After a moment, he nodded approvingly and said with warmth, "Young Lady, you are alone in the capital with no one to turn to in times of hardship. Though the Wu Family is of humble status, they raised you with affection. If they can come to the capital, they can provide you with support in the future. I fully support your proposal."

In her previous life, Shen Anning had been too overwhelmed to care for others and feared that her adoptive family’s humble status would bring shame to the Marquis’s household. Thus, she never brought her adoptive parents and younger brother to the capital, leaving her with no one to talk to even when she was bedridden.

She had expected Butler Meng, who was so devoted to the Shen family, to oppose the idea. To her surprise, the old man was more principled and far-sighted than she had imagined.

"Then I’ll trouble you, Grandpa Meng, to handle this matter for me."

Butler Meng agreed without hesitation. Shortly after, Shen Anning continued to inquire, "By the way, Grandpa Meng, do you know if there are any other collateral branches of the Shen family? When the Shen family was exterminated to the third degree, were there any survivors within the three clans? Or are there any relatives outside the three clans?"

Shen Anning asked with sudden curiosity.

Butler Meng pondered carefully. "Back then, everyone within the three clans of the Shen family was executed and publicly displayed. There were no survivors. As for those outside the three clans, fearing implication from the incident, they have over the years either cut ties, changed their surnames, moved far away, or gone into hiding. It would be difficult to find any traces of them now…"

Butler Meng thought hard, and after a moment, a spark of recollection flashed in his eyes. "However, the master did have a younger half-brother who went south for trade. He was an illegitimate child born outside, so they had little contact. But because the incident was such an extremely serious matter, he was also implicated. Later, I heard that before the incident, the second master had just divorced his wife, and his first wife took their son, remarried, and changed their names. It’s possible that the second master’s descendants are still out there…"

Butler Meng recalled in detail, his eyes lighting up slightly by the end.

Shen Anning, upon hearing this, looked delighted and said, "Then could you send someone south to find them for me, Grandpa Meng?"

She continued with emotion, "After all, that incident back then happened because of my family. Now, I am the only surviving bloodline of the Shen family, alone in this world. Whenever I think of the past, Ning Er often lays awake alone at night."

Here, Shen Anning cast her gaze toward the numerous illustrious tablets in the distant ancestral hall and straightened her back slightly. "Besides, I heard that Elder Shen once gathered many talented individuals, supported impoverished scholars, and even established schools to personally teach eager students. Though I am a woman and cannot carry on Elder Shen’s legacy, I know that now, with the new emperor's reign, the court is rebuilding everything and is in need of talent. As a woman, I may not be able to serve the court directly, but I can nurture descendants for the Shen family and accumulate good deeds and virtue for future generations—"

At this, Shen Anning suddenly turned her gaze back and fixed it squarely on Butler Meng. "Grandpa Meng, I want to allocate some silver to renovate the school behind the old mansion. I also want to find those distant relatives of the Shen family and carefully nurture them. If opportunity arises in the future, I would like to find a descendant to adopt into the Shen family, to inherit Elder Shen’s aspirations and bring glory to our family name—"

In her previous life, Shen Anning, struggling to survive in the high-ranking household of the Marquis, had no energy to spare for others. But now, reborn and aware of the uncertainties ahead, she needed to pave the way for her future.

A lone woman could hardly survive in this world. Yet, just before her death in her previous life, someone had sought her out, claiming to be a distant relative of the Shen family who had received Elder Shen’s kindness. That person, only seventeen at the time, was outstanding and gifted. Even the usually arrogant Lu Suian had praised him, saying, "This youth is a pillar of talent."

Unprecedentedly, Lu Suian had taken him under his wing personally.

The following year, at eighteen, that youth passed the imperial exams with top honors, becoming the youngest *zhuangyuan* in the Great Yu in a century, astonishing the entire capital!

Thus, Shen Anning now stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall, straightening her back and speaking with firm, resolute words.

Her voice was not powerful; on the contrary, it carried a touch of delicacy. Yet the weight of her words pierced through the old man’s heart, passed through heavy doors and windows, sturdy walls, and traveled far, far away.

Butler Meng looked at the slender figure before him. For a moment, it seemed as though he could see through her delicate form to the elegant, upright, and vigorous figure of the past. He seemed to catch a glimpse of the master in the Young Lady.

Immediately, Butler Meng’s eyes reddened, and he trembled with excitement. Just as he was about to speak, a loud voice suddenly rang out from afar, stealing his lines—

"Well said! Truly worthy of being Elder Shen’s descendant!"

The man laughed heartily, his voice cheerful and bright. Shen Anning and Butler Meng turned simultaneously to look. Standing outside the moon gate was a man in white holding a fan, with a vast bamboo grove behind him. He stood before the green bamboos, his eyes warmly smiling and sparkling as he looked at her.

Noticing their intense gaze, the man laughed for a moment before catching himself. He stood still, raised his fan, and tapped his own head lightly. "Ah, my apologies! I was passing by your esteemed residence and saw the gates of Elder Shen’s old mansion wide open. Without waiting for announcement, I couldn’t resist stepping in. I have been presumptuous."

He bowed deeply toward Shen Anning from a distance, offering repeated apologies. Shortly after, he walked over leisurely, smiling at Shen Anning. "I am surnamed Pei, Pei Yujin. I once had the honor of studying under Elder Shen."

Then, pointing to his face, he added, "Miss Shen, we’ve met once before—at the Marquis’s residence. Do you remember?"

It wasn’t until he approached and she got a clear look at his face that Shen Anning let out a cold, unforgiving laugh.

She might not remember others, but this Pei Yujin was unforgettable.

Three months ago, at a banquet hosted by the Lu family, he had mistaken her for a maid and ordered her around, making Shen Anning the laughingstock of the entire event.