The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Shen Xinghao did not return to Beijing with Marquis Zhenbei. He returned to Marquis Zhenbei's mansion before Marquis Zhenbei.

Returning to his home after leaving Beijing for many years made him feel strange and a little uncomfortable.

Today is the day his father returns to Beijing, so he got up early in the morning and packed everything, waiting for his father to come home.

But he waited from morning until almost evening, but there was no sign of his father.

Just when he was anxiously ordering people to bring the horses so that he could go out of the city to meet him in person, someone from the mansion who had gone out to inquire about the news came hurriedly to report.

"Third Young Master, the Marquis entered the palace upon his return to the capital today. It was our Empress who personally went to the palace gate to greet him. She also hosted a banquet for the Marquis. He has just left the palace and will be here soon."

"Ah!" Shen Xinghao was confused. His beloved sister personally went to the palace gate to greet their father, and even held a banquet in the palace to invite his father to have a meal?

Was there something wrong with his ears, or was there something wrong with his brain? His beloved sister had long been at odds with their father because of that worthless person in the palace, so how could they suddenly reconcile now?

Could it be true, as his elder brother said, that his beloved sister has now come to her senses, recognized the reality and decided to leave that bastard?

The person who reported back saw that Shen Xinghao was silent and thought something had gone wrong, so he called out softly, "Third Young Master, do you have any other instructions?"

"Ah!" Shen Xinghao, having regained his composure, looked at the person who had come to report and said in dissatisfaction, "The Marquis is almost back, and you're just now bringing back the news. Where did you get this information?"

"Well," the person who reported the news lowered his head in embarrassment. "When I went to the palace gate to inquire about the news, I heard that our Queen personally welcomed the Marquis into the palace and even hosted a banquet for him. I was so happy that I followed the Marquis's personal guards who returned with him and waited at the palace gate."

"I just saw the Marquis leave the palace, so I hurried back to report the news."

This reason made Shen Xinghao laugh and cry. He couldn't hit or scold him now, so he could only smile bitterly.

Shen Xinghao waved his hand and said, "Okay, go down." He felt annoyed when he saw this person. It seemed that this marquis's mansion really needed to be reorganized. These servants were more lax than him, the master.

Just as Shen Xinghao had calmed himself down, someone came to report that his father had returned home.

Shen Xinghao quickly put down the teacup in his hand and stood up to greet him.

"Dad, why did you come back just now?" When Shen Xinghao saw Zhenbei Hou, he immediately stepped forward to support him.

"What are you doing, brat?" Zhenbei Hou knocked Shen Xinghao's hand away. "Your father isn't too old to walk yet, why are you trying to please him?"

"No, I'm just worried that you've been drinking and might fall. If you fall, Jiaojiao will fly back from the palace to kill me." Shen Xinghao looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei aggrievedly, rubbing his beaten hand. His father's hand was still as strong as ever.

"Go away, you little bastard. Which eye of yours saw your father drinking?" Zhenbei Hou glared at Shen Xinghao with dissatisfaction. This kid has been tactless since he was a child.

He was in a very good mood today and should have gotten drunk, but because he was in the palace, he didn't want to lose his manners, so he held back. He already felt regretful, and this guy was adding fuel to the fire.

Shen Xinghao leaned over and sniffed hard, and indeed there was no smell of alcohol on his father.

"Stinky boy, what are you smelling? Are you a dog?" The Marquis of Zhenbei slapped his silly son in disgust. He used to be a very smart child. Could it be that he became stupid after staying at the border for too long?

"Dad, it hurts." Shen Xinghao covered his shoulder that was hit by Zhenbei Hou. His father liked to beat him since he was a child, and this habit has not changed until now.

"As a man, can you please not be so pampered?" Marquis Zhenbei frowned in disdain, looking at Shen Xinghao. Normally he seemed okay to him, but why did he dislike this guy today?

"Father, if you keep hitting me like this, you'll make me stupid!" Shen Xinghao complained to the Marquis of Zhenbei.

"So what if he's stupid? He's not smart anyway. How much stupider can he be?" The Marquis of Zhenbei was in a good mood and joked with his son.

"Hmph!" Shen Xinghao feigned dissatisfaction and angrily whispered, "I knew you were biased."

"What are you talking about, little bastard? This should be said by your eldest and second brothers." Zhenbei Hou glanced at Shen Xinghao and complained in his heart, "This eldest son is different after all. He is so old, but he acts like a child."

"Go, prepare some wine and food, and have a good drink with your father." If he didn't get drunk, the Marquis of Zhenbei would not be able to calm down.

"Dad, I haven't eaten yet. Do I have to drink with you?" Shen Xinghao did not have a good meal today because of the relationship with the Marquis of Zhenbei.

"You little bastard, who stopped you from eating in your own home?" The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at his disappointing son, and his dissatisfaction instantly filled his heart.

"It's okay for a grown man to skip a meal." The Marquis of Zhenbei turned around and pointed at the things in the hands of the group of guards following behind him, saying, "Those are all delicious things your sister brought you. There are snacks, candied pork elbows, and so many delicious things. How can you let them go?"

Hearing that Shen Tianjiao had prepared delicious food for him, Shen Xinghao smiled, "Okay, Dad, your son will have a good drink with you tonight."

"Come, hurry up and get the food and wine ready. The Marquis is in a good mood today and wants to drink."

"Throw away all that wine and go get some good wine from our wine cellar." No matter how good or precious the wine Li Rui sent was, the Marquis of Zhenbei would not drink it.

"Why?" Shen Xinghao looked at Zhenbei Hou in confusion. This was the wine given by his sister. What was his father doing wrong?

"That's not what your sister prepared. We won't drink anything given by a dog." Zhenbei Hou waved his big hand and went back to his yard to change clothes.

"Oh, I see." Shen Xinghao immediately understood what Zhenbei Hou meant. He turned around and ordered, "Throw out all the wine and set out the rest of the food quickly. I'm hungry and need some wine and meat."

In the courtyard of Marquis Zhenbei, Marquis Zhenbei and his son Shen Xinghao sat together, one tasting wine and the other eating meat, getting along harmoniously and not interfering with each other.

"Dad, this pork elbow is so delicious." Shen Xinghao's mouth was full of oil, and he felt extremely satisfied.

Marquis Zhenbei looked up at Shen Xinghao, feeling very disgusted with the way he ate, as if he hadn't eaten for days.

"You should eat more politely. You don't look like a young master at all. You look more like a beggar."

"Father." Shen Xinghao's mouth was so full of meat that he couldn't even speak clearly. "When did our family have so many rules and regulations? Didn't you always teach us brothers to drink and eat meat with big mouthfuls, that's what it means to be a man?"

"Why did things change after returning to Beijing? I'm not my second brother, a civil servant. Everything he does is so formal and pedantic. It makes me tired just watching him do it."

Marquis Zhenbei felt like beating up Shen Xinghao again. This kid really had to be beaten for a while.

The three brothers of the Shen family, the eldest brother Shen Yiyang and the youngest brother Shen Xinghao both inherited the mantle of Marquis Zhenbei and became brave and invincible generals.

Only the second son, Shen Tingzhi, was an exception. He liked reading more than martial arts since he was a child. Although he was forced to learn martial arts, he finally chose to take the imperial examination and embarked on the path of a civil servant.

"You're the only smart one, you little bastard!" Zhenbei Hou didn't even bother looking at Shen Xinghao. "Mind your words and actions, and control your banditry."

"Your nephew may come to our house in a few days to learn martial arts. If you, as an uncle, don't behave properly and get laughed at, that's fine. But if you teach your nephew bad things, I'll break your legs."

"Nephew?" Shen Xinghao suddenly felt that the pork elbow in his mouth was not fragrant anymore. His sister hadn't even given birth to a child, so where would his nephew come from?

"Look at you, you useless guy. Swallow what's in your mouth." The more Zhenbei Hou looked at Shen Xinghao, the more disgusted he became.

Shen Xinghao swallowed the meat in his mouth, but he swallowed too quickly and almost choked to death. He picked up the wine jar beside him and drank several mouthfuls before he recovered.

"Oh my, the more I talk about you, the more useless you become." Marquis Zhenbei felt sad when he saw the wine jar that Shen Xinghao had drunk from. Wine must be savored slowly to appreciate its flavor. Drinking it like a cow drinking water is really a waste of food.

"No, Dad, where did my nephew come from?" Shen Xinghao looked at Zhenbei Hou in confusion. "I only have Jiaojiao as my sister, and she hasn't even given birth to a child. Where did a nephew suddenly appear from me?"

"Be careful with your words!" The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at Shen Xinghao, his expression suddenly changing. "How many times have I told you that the capital is not like the border? You have to be careful with what you say and do. Why can't you remember?"

"I know, we're at home." Shen Xinghao lowered his voice.

"It's not okay at home either. Once you form a habit, you can't change it outside." Zhenbei Hou put down the wine glass in his hand and looked at Shen Xinghao seriously.

"Oh, I know I was wrong, Dad. I will be more careful next time." Shen Xinghao blinked and smiled foolishly at Zhenbei Hou.

"You kid." Zhenbei Hou looked at Shen Xinghao and shook his head helplessly, "Do you still remember the child who was fostered under your sister's name?"

Speaking of Shen Xinghao, I still have some impression of him. At that time, he was so angry about this incident that he almost rushed into the palace.

"Father, the nephew you're talking about isn't that child?" Shen Xinghao said anxiously, "Father, Jiaojiao will have her own children in the future. No matter how anxious you are, you can't just drag someone else's child over to be Jiaojiao's son."

"Jiaojiao was forced by that old witch into a last resort, so she agreed to foster the child under her name. Can Jiaojiao feel what you're doing?"

Marquis Zhenbei was speechless looking at Shen Xinghao. When did he become capable enough to be the head of his precious daughter's household and make her listen to him?

"I didn't choose this child, Jiaojiao chose it herself. She has been raising the child for quite some time. Apart from being a little thin, he's quite good in every other respect. He's well-educated, kind, and has good character."

"Besides, he seems to be getting along well with Jiaojiao. After all, as long as you keep a child by your side, he will become your own."

Marquis Zhenbei is a man with a strong ability to accept things. After he figured out what Li Muyang meant to Shen Tianjiao, he automatically regarded Li Muyang as his own grandson in his subconscious.

"Wouldn't Jiaojiao be wronged in that case?" The three brothers of the Shen family are all sister-con, and Shen Xinghao is especially obvious. He always puts Shen Tianjiao first in everything, and no one can let his sister be wronged.

"I'm not wronged." Zhenbei Hou reached out and patted Shen Xinghao, "Jiaojiao can't have a child with that bastard. It's good like this now. With this child by her side, Jiaojiao can feel confident."

"No one can predict the future, but right now Jiaojiao needs this child. Xinghao, do you understand?"

Shen Xinghao nodded. He actually understood everything the Marquis of Zhenbei said. In that era, women were treated very harshly. Childlessness was a grave sin, especially since Shen Tianjiao was now the Empress.

If Shen Tianjiao had no children, this would become the focus of attack by those with ulterior motives. However, it would be different if she had an adopted son by her side. Even if Li Muyang was not born to Shen Tianjiao, but was raised by her, he would have the status of the legitimate son of the Empress, and no one could say anything about it.

"When the child enters the mansion, you will be the one to teach him. After spending time with him, you will become like uncle and nephew."

"Xinghao, you must treat that child as your own nephew. You must not look down on him. Do you understand?"

The Marquis of Zhenbei really has good intentions. Li Muyang is now his grandson, and he will be the next king supported by the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Shen family.

Shen Xinghao and Li Muyang have a good relationship, which is good for Shen Tianjiao, the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, and the Shen family.

"Father, I know that I will treat him as my sister's child. I am only dissatisfied because I feel that Jiaojiao has been wronged. I will not take this dissatisfaction out on a child."

Although most of the people in the Shen family have murderous auras, they are all kind-hearted people and will not bully others at will, let alone a child.

"Father, I know. I know my son's character best." The Marquis of Zhenbei poured a glass of wine for Shen Xinghao and placed it in front of him. "Father is just afraid that you will feel unfair for your sister and let that child suffer."

"Son, Dad is old, and his health is getting worse every year. In the future, the only ones who can help and support your sister will be you brothers. So you must live in harmony and discuss everything. Remember?"

"Okay, Dad, I've got it. Come, let me toast Dad." Shen Xinghao was most afraid of talking about such sad topics. He made an excuse to toast the Marquis of Zhenbei and changed the subject.