Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Madam Hu ignored her daughter's words and didn't call a doctor. She grew increasingly depressed each day. Those who knew her condition assumed it was because she had lost face at the Shen residence. No one paid much attention to her changes. Gradually, her health deteriorated, to the point that she spent most of her days in a daze. But that's another story.

On the second day of the banquet at the Shen residence, a new story emerged in the capital: it turned out that Lord Shen Jingheng had a seven- or eight-year-old son who had been raised in his hometown. This time, he had come to the capital with Grand Tutor Li. Accompanying him was Grand Tutor Li's goddaughter, whom he had adopted in his hometown. Although the goddaughter was young, it was clear that she was a rare beauty and very intelligent.

These rumors quickly reached the emperor's ears.

"Minister Shen, I never imagined you had such a grown son! Why didn't any word of it come out before?"

“Your Majesty, my eldest son was born to a palace maid who was bestowed upon me by the Imperial Concubine. However, she was frail and passed away shortly after giving birth. The child was raised by the wet nurse in the mansion until he was two years old, and then sent back to my hometown in Zhongzhou Prefecture to be raised by my mother. He has hardly come to the capital in recent years, so many people do not know about him.”

"Oh, I see. He lost his mother at a young age; he's a pitiful child." Hearing Shen Jingheng's explanation, the Emperor thought of his own past and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. His own mother was also an ordinary palace maid who, despite giving birth to a prince, was not favored by his father. His mother died of illness when he was five years old. At that time, although he was a prince, he was someone everyone in the palace could bully.

Thinking of the hardships he had endured over the years, he suddenly wanted to see Shen Jingheng's child.

"Minister Shen, instead of bringing him to the palace tomorrow, I would like to see him."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Shen Jingheng's heart suddenly tightened. His hands, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, clenched tightly before he spoke in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree. However, my son is unruly and I fear he may have offended Your Majesty."

To everyone's surprise, the emperor laughed heartily upon hearing his words and waved his hand dismissively.

"Rest assured, my dear minister, even if he has truly offended me, I will forgive him." After saying that, he sighed with some regret, "It's a pity that he is studying under the Grand Tutor, otherwise I could have let him enter the palace to be the Crown Prince's study companion."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Shen Jingheng bowed even more deeply.

"Your Majesty, my son is unruly and truly unfit for such a great responsibility."

"Alas, he is the Grand Tutor's student; I dare not snatch him from the Grand Tutor's hands!"

That afternoon, Changyun and Shen Luo received an imperial decree to enter the palace and meet the emperor the next day.

After the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree left, Changyun asked Grand Tutor Li somewhat nervously.

"Teacher, why would the Emperor want to see me?" He felt it was understandable that the Emperor wanted to see Shen Luo, since he had only heard from Xia Xia last night that people in the capital didn't seem to know of Shen Luo's existence. Given Lord Shen's status in court, it was also understandable that the Emperor wanted to see his son, but why would he specifically want to see him?

Seeing that Changyun looked a little nervous, Grand Tutor Li smiled and comforted him.

"Don't be too nervous. The Emperor said he wanted to see both of you before we came. He didn't mean anything by it, so don't scare yourself."

After hearing Grand Tutor Li's explanation, Changyun felt somewhat relieved. Grand Tutor Li then taught him some rules and taboos to observe when meeting the Emperor. As for Shen Luo, Shen Jingheng was there, so he didn't need to worry about her.

On the fourth day after arriving in the capital, Changyun and Shen Luo followed Shen Jingheng and Grand Tutor Li into the palace to meet the Emperor.

The Emperor met them in the Imperial Garden. After exchanging greetings, the Emperor looked at the two somewhat reserved children standing before him and first inquired about their studies, then about their lives in the countryside.

Perhaps it was because the Emperor appeared so approachable that the two quickly relaxed, especially Shen Luo, who was still a child. She told the Emperor about their life in the village, how they caught birds, how they set traps to catch rabbits in the mountains, and how they harvested wheat and gleaned the ears of wheat. The Emperor laughed heartily, growing increasingly fond of the child before him.

"What are you saying? Why are you so happy?" Suddenly, a pleasant voice broke the relaxed atmosphere in the Imperial Garden.

Grand Tutor Li and Shen Jingheng immediately stood up and bowed to the palace-dressed beauty who was speaking and the boy she was holding hands with.

"Greetings, Your Highness! Greetings, Your Highness!"

Shen Luo and Chang Yun quickly knelt down and bowed to Consort Jiang and the First Prince.

Consort Jiang stepped aside to avoid Grand Tutor Li's greeting and returned the greeting.

"Grand Tutor, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This old minister is doing well."

After the group exchanged greetings, the emperor invited them to sit down and talk.

The eldest prince was not going to sit still in his seat. After exchanging greetings with the emperor, he had a palace servant take him to catch butterflies in the imperial garden.

The group found their places and sat down again. It seemed that the Imperial Concubine had just remembered the two people kneeling on the ground.

"Get up quickly, we've been so busy talking that we've forgotten about these two children."

"Thank you, empress!"

After expressing their gratitude, the two stood up from the ground, heads bowed, even more nervous than when they first met the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, do I resemble a tigress?" Suddenly, everyone heard Consort Jiang ask the Emperor this question during the silence.

"My beloved concubine is beautiful and gentle, how could she be like a tigress?" The Emperor asked, puzzled as to why she asked such a question.

"Since I am not a tigress, why did you all fall silent in the once lively Imperial Garden after my arrival?" Consort Jiang said, her face showing a helpless and aggrieved expression.

"Hahaha!" To everyone's surprise, her words made the Emperor burst into laughter again. When the Emperor laughed, the palace servants around him also laughed. Even Shen Luo and Chang Yun couldn't help but smile. Grand Tutor Li, watching the scene before him, also wore a smile.

Having finally stopped laughing, the Emperor pointed at Consort Jiang, whose face showed helplessness, and said...

"My dear consort, you're getting more and more mischievous. Just now, Young Master Shen was telling me about his life in the village, and I found it interesting. If you'd like to hear it again, I'll have him tell you the story."

Consort Jiang turned her gaze to the two children standing in the middle.

"Is this Lord Shen's eldest son?" Consort Jiang pointed at Shen Luo.

"Your Highness, this is indeed my son." Shen Jingheng quickly stepped forward and stood beside Shen Luo.

"Lord Shen, there's no need to be nervous. According to seniority, he should call me 'Aunt'." After saying that, she waved to Shen Luo.

"Good child, come to your auntie and let your auntie take a good look at you."

Shen Luo looked up at Shen Jingheng, and seeing him nod, she obediently took a few steps forward to Consort Jiang's side.

Consort Jiang scrutinized Shen Luo for a while before smiling and saying to the Emperor...

"I think this child does look somewhat like the Emperor!"

"Oh, really? Come to my side, let me take a closer look." The Emperor became interested after hearing Consort Jiang's words and asked Shen Luo to stand in front of him.

Shen Luo obediently stood over and let the Emperor scrutinize her for a while before he finally spoke.

"Hmm, he does resemble me somewhat. No wonder he looks so familiar; it's like I've seen him somewhere before. Isn't this exactly what I looked like when I was a child?"

"Your Majesty, my son's appearance is ordinary. How can he be compared to the Emperor's? It's just that many children in the world look somewhat alike before they grow up." Shen Jingheng quickly explained, fearing that the Imperial Concubine might misunderstand the Emperor's words.

"My dear minister, please don't be so nervous. I was just saying it casually. But your son does look quite like me."