Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Grandfather, why don't you let Shen Jingwan out first."

Hearing this, Shen Huaizhong couldn't help but frown and replied with a look of sullenness: "Why let her out? She is just a troublemaker. If the maids at the ancestral temple hadn't all been replaced by servants, I would have even considered sending her back to the ancestral temple!"

Shen Chuning quickly spoke to comfort him, "Grandfather, please calm down. It's not always a bad thing for the younger generation to make mistakes occasionally."

However, Shen Huaizhong's expression grew increasingly gloomy, and he retorted, "Humph! Last time, she caused such a farce outside the city that I was reprimanded by His Majesty in the court. If she is released again, who knows what kind of disaster she will cause!"

Shen Chuning's eyes rolled, and she continued, "After all these years, you've come to understand our emperor. As long as you're still useful, a slap in the face will definitely pay you back. Since you were reprimanded by the emperor, hasn't your uncle been appointed as the chief examiner for the next imperial examination?"

Shen Huaizhong sat at the desk, frowning slightly, carefully recalling what had happened over the years. After repeated thinking, he had to admit that the facts seemed to be true.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh deeply again.

I felt secretly sorry in my heart. Aning is such a smart and clever child. It would have been great if she was born a boy!

With her talent and wisdom, if she were to enter the court, she would surely achieve great success.

Although Shen Huaizhong felt regretful, he nodded slowly, indicating that he agreed to release Shen Jingwan.

However, he still warned with concern: "Even so, your grandmother must keep a close eye on her and not allow her to act recklessly and cause any major trouble."

After getting her father's consent, Shen Chuning agreed obediently and said that she would go to Songhe Hall to visit her grandmother as soon as she returned to her residence.

Seeing this, Shen Huaizhong waved his hand to signal her that she could leave.

Who would have thought that as soon as Shen Chuning stepped out of Shen Huaizhong's study, she looked up and saw a little maid from Songhe Hall standing quietly at the door waiting for her.

Seeing this scene, Shen Chuning couldn't help but mutter inwardly: "Speak of the devil, and he'll appear!"

So she followed the little maid to Songhe Hall.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Mrs. Shen leaning on the couch with a scarf on her head.

Seeing this, Shen Chuning's face instantly changed to a worried expression.

She quickly walked to the bedside and asked with concern, "Grandma, what's wrong with you? You were fine in the hall just now, how come you look so bad in just a short while?"

Hearing Shen Chuning's question, Madam Shen sighed helplessly, then slowly said, "Alas...what else could it be? It's because you're so mad at your useless Sixth Brother!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Chuning's lips unconsciously pouted, and she muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Grandma, do you really want Sixth Brother to marry that Xiao Jinhuan?"

"What's wrong with being the Sixth Princess? You have the closest relationship with Cheng Liu, so can't you go and persuade your Sixth Brother?" Old Madam Shen held Shen Chuning's hand tightly and asked anxiously.

Shen Chuning seemed to be burned by fire, and she pulled her hand back with great force, her movement seeming a little stiff and abrupt.

Her face turned pale instantly. "Grandmother, have you forgotten? When An Ning was eleven years old, she had a disagreement with the Sixth Princess in the palace. She gouged out the cat's eyes and sent it to our house as a warning. Do you really want to let such a vicious person into our house?"

Hearing this, Madam Shen's face darkened and she responded coldly, "That was just my childhood. It's been so long, why do you keep holding on to it? Besides, whether you're in the third house or adopted into the second house, she's still your cousin. Isn't it a good thing to have a closer relationship?"

"No!" Shen Chuning refused loudly without hesitation.

However, Old Madam Shen remained unmoved and continued indifferently, "We in the Shen family don't keep useless people. Cheng Liu hasn't made any progress in recent years, and now it's time for him to make a difference. If you're unwilling to help persuade him, that's fine. The position of the Third Prince's principal wife is still vacant. In my opinion, marrying you to him would be a good idea."

In the end, Mrs. Shen even threw away the last bit of disguise and cover-up.

After Shen Chuning heard this, she was slightly startled at first, and then she couldn't help but chuckle, but her laughter was full of anger and ridicule. "Grandmother, are you so eager to tie the Shen family to the Third Prince's ship?"

Her eyes were fixed on Old Madam Shen.

Madam Shen did not flinch at her granddaughter's questioning. Instead, she said with a serious and earnest expression, "The Third Prince is the one with the greatest hope of inheriting the throne among all the princes. Grandmother made this arrangement for your own good."

However, only she herself knew that with Shen Jingwan's background, even if she could marry into the Third Prince's Mansion, she could only be a concubine at best.

In comparison, if Shen Chuning could enter the Third Prince's Mansion first, it might pave the way for Shen Jingwan's future.

At this moment, Shen Chuning could no longer suppress her inner rage. She stood up abruptly, her eyes as cold as ice, and stared fearlessly at Old Madam Shen. "Sixth brother won't marry Xiao Jinhuan, and I will definitely not marry Xiao Yuanlang! Grandmother, you'd better give up this idea as soon as possible!"

Her words were firm and powerful, leaving no room for negotiation.

When Mrs. Shen heard this, she was immediately furious and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

As she spoke, she tried to straighten her body, wanting to suppress the rebellious granddaughter in front of her with the authority of an elder.

Unexpectedly, the moment she stood up, she suddenly felt a strong sense of dizziness, causing her body to sway and she fell heavily back onto the bed.

Madam Shen quickly reached out to support her head, a look of pain on her face, but she still said fiercely, "There are no other young people in the family except you now. Grandmother is seriously ill. From today on, you will move to Songhe Hall to take care of me. Don't even think about returning to Shandong!"

After she finished speaking, she gasped, her eyes fixed on Shen Chuning, waiting for her response.

However, Shen Chuning just stood there quietly, her eyes always fixed on Old Madam Shen, as if she wanted to see through her grandmother.

The entire room fell into a suffocating silence for a moment...

Madam Shen continued, "Do you want to be known as an unfilial person?"

Shen Chuning sneered. She had already died once, so why should she care about her reputation?

"Shen Jingwan is still at home. Let her come out to take care of me. I have other things to do." After she said that, she left Songhe Hall without looking back.

In the end, Shen Jingwan was released from house arrest, but she spent most of her time in Songhe Hall taking care of the sick, and occasionally went to the Sixth Princess's residence.

……

On this day, Shen Chuning was looking at a map in the study. The epidemic had passed for a while, but there was still no news from Shen Chengwu.

Just as she was watching intently, Birui ran in, knelt on the ground, and cried, "Miss, help me!"