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

Although Shen Qinghai said that he wanted to borrow troops from the Zhou family, he actually knew the situation clearly.

The Zhou family is a well-known family of loyal ministers, and their loyalty to the court even far exceeds that of the Shen family.

If he really foolishly ran to his father-in-law to borrow troops for rebellion, I am afraid that the always upright old man Zhou Antai would tie him up without saying a word and escort him to Emperor Jing to ask for credit and reward.

At this time, Shen Qinghe, who had been silent all this time, couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Now our aunt and cousin are living in the palace. No matter what, we can't have the idea of rebellion."

Finally, Shen Huaizhong looked around at his two sons with a serious face and said solemnly, "This matter is of no small importance. You must not speculate or spread it any further. Once I find out the truth, I will make a final decision."

After saying this, he fell into deep thought and began to carefully consider the conspiracy behind this matter.

Shen Qinghe frowned slightly and said disapprovingly, "Dad, you treat them as real family, but how could they ever truly take you seriously? Since ancient times, the mourning period for prime ministers was usually only a month, and even the longest period never exceeded three months! Yet, look at you now, you've actually been resting at home for a full eight months. In my opinion, His Majesty clearly wants you to complete the entire mourning period before allowing you to return to the court."

Shen Qingjiang, standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "That's right! Dad, not long after you left the court, His Majesty eagerly promoted Jin Jimin to the position. Furthermore, he's become increasingly adept and comfortable in his role as acting prime minister. If you were to return next month, how could he willingly hand over his hard-earned position to you?"

Hearing his two sons' words, Shen Huaizhong couldn't help but sigh deeply and slowly said, "Alas... I, your father, know all the situations you described. However, whether we can successfully return to the court is still unknown. So we must prepare for the worst-case scenario in advance."

At this moment, Shen Chuning, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly raised her head. After some deep thought, she said with a firm look, "If things really develop to that point, we might as well just rebel! I've secretly stationed many soldiers who returned from the Huguang army in the south. Father also firmly controls the navy in Shandong. As for the imperial court, if they want to send troops to suppress the rebellion, given Prince Hao's current military budget, his military pay will probably be completely depleted in just another month, and even rations will be in short supply. Without sufficient food and fodder, Prince Hao's army simply cannot march this far to reach here. The Zhou family has been engaged in a fierce war with the northern barbarians recently. The two sides are locked in a fierce battle, leaving them with no time to attend to other matters. This is undoubtedly a rare opportunity for the Shen family to catch their breath."

However, what Shen Chuning was thinking was far more than that.

You know, she has a large amount of silver in her hands. As long as she has enough funds, she can recruit soldiers and expand armaments.

In addition, my aunt and second cousin were both skilled at leading troops in battle. Once they had a strong and elite army, it would be easy to break through the capital, which was now in a state of terminal illness and difficult to recover. Shen Chuning cautiously suggested that they should really rebel.

But he was stopped by Shen Huaizhong. After all, the empress dowager was still in the palace and had a certain influence and deterrent power.

Therefore, things may not develop to the worst possible point, at most he will be sentenced to exile.

He believed that His Majesty might have been misled by the slander of treacherous villains and had temporarily lost his way.

But when His Majesty regains consciousness, he will surely be able to distinguish right from wrong and understand the Shen family's sincere loyalty.

It is even possible that the Shen family had received the imperial edict of recall before they arrived at the place of exile.

Shen Chuning found that no matter how much she persuaded her grandfather, she could not change his mind.

In desperation, she had to settle for the next best thing and suggested, "Since that's the case, why not send the women and children out of the capital first? Even if we end up being exiled, at least we can prevent them from suffering together!"

Although Shen Huaizhong was full of confidence in Emperor Jing, he couldn't help but be slightly moved when he heard his granddaughter's words.

Shen Qinghe, standing by, immediately nodded in agreement and added, "My mourning period will be over in less than four months. When I return to Shandong in four months, I can take the women and children home with me. This will give me some time to relax if anything happens in Shandong."

Shen Chuning frowned tightly, her face filled with worry. She said anxiously, "Now that Zuo Jiange has been exposed, the situation is urgent. I'm afraid we don't have much time left. We must make them pack up and leave as soon as possible."

Shen Huaizhong, standing beside him, also frowned deeply and responded worriedly, "But right now, nothing has been arranged properly. If they leave Beijing rashly like this, where can they go?"

Most of the Shen family's in-laws live in the capital area, which is obviously not a place to hide and seek refuge.

Shen Huaizhong's mind raced through various possible destinations, and the Yun family in Jinling came to his mind.

However, just a moment later, he shook his head vigorously, getting rid of the thought.

After all, the Yun family started out as a business family. Although they were financially strong, they had no power to resist those powerful officials, let alone the imperial power.

If he rashly went there for refuge, not only would he not be able to obtain effective protection, but he would also bring unnecessary trouble to the Yun family.

Just as everyone was racking their brains, Shen Chuning, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said with absolute certainty, "Let's go to Shandong to find Fourth Uncle!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinghai snorted coldly, his face showing dissatisfaction. He retorted, "Why go looking for that heartless guy? He didn't even rush back to the capital to mourn his mother when she passed away. Why bother asking for help from such a heartless person?"

His words were filled with resentment and accusations towards Shen Qingyuan.

At this time, Shen Huaizhong, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke slowly: "It was I who issued the order not to allow Qingyuan to return to the capital. The role he plays outside is much greater than if he returned to the capital."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at Shen Chuning gently, then said, "A Ning knows more about the inside story, so it's better for you to explain it in detail to your uncle."

Hearing this, Shen Chuning was stunned at first, then came to her senses and exclaimed "Ah? Ah!" twice.

She subconsciously reached out and touched her nose, her mind racing as she began to think about how to tell the story.