The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Chapter 334 Shen Cao's Letter

In the Prime Minister's study, there was only a dim candlelight.

The Empress sat opposite Du Cheng, her face illuminated by the dim candlelight.

A smug look appeared on her face. "What could possibly happen in the palace? It's just the same old thing that happened at the banquet!"

"What happened at the banquet? Why did the Emperor leave in such a huff?"

The Empress smiled sneer and told Prime Minister Du what had happened at the banquet.

"Father, do you think that bitch Shen Shuhua has noticed something?"

Prime Minister Du stroked his beard and said expressionlessly, "It's alright. It doesn't matter what she finds out. I've already made arrangements at the border. She won't be able to find anything."

"But why did the Emperor suddenly get angry?"

The Empress glanced at Prime Minister Du and explained, "Father, have you forgotten how our Emperor ascended the throne?"

Reminded by his daughter, Prime Minister Du's thoughts drifted back twenty years.

At that time, the emperor was just a prince. Because his mother was of low status, he was bullied by people in the palace.

Especially when banquets were held in the palace, because he was not favored, his seat was often in a corner.

The princes whose mothers were of high status mocked him.

Because they were far from the Emperor, a dispute arose. When the Emperor came to inquire, those people simply brushed it off with a few words.

Instead, it was the emperor, who was still a prince back then, who was reprimanded.

It turned out to be the case.

He frowned, somewhat displeased. "Keep a close eye on that fake one in the palace. Don't let her ruin my plans."

"Don't worry, I know."

The Queen looked down at her fingernails and spoke casually.

"Father, is that person you mentioned reliable? We don't want to end up losing both our wife and our money."

"This is not your concern. Just take good care of things in the palace and let me know immediately if there is any disturbance."

"By the way, how is the Third Prince these days?"

"Don't worry, I can eat and drink well. With the 'wet nurse' taking good care of me, I've gained a lot of weight."

"That's good."

"Is there anything else you need to do tonight?"

"There was a girl named Shen Cao at the banquet today. I noticed that Princess Wanyue and Old Madam Shen were very close to her."

"Even that bitch Shen Shuhua scolded the princess who had just entered the palace because of her."

"Father, do you think we should send someone to thoroughly investigate this girl?"

Prime Minister Du dismissed it, waving his hand dismissively, "She's just a country girl, not worth our trouble."

"Unless there is something important, do not leave the palace lightly," Prime Minister Du advised.

"You are the Empress, your status is special, and you are easily discovered."

"I understand, Father."

After saying that, she looked up, put on her hat, and left the Prime Minister's residence quietly.

It was as if they had never been there.

However, on the rooftop, which they hadn't noticed, a dark figure also left after she did.

……

Early the next morning, news came from Chengqian Palace.

The Empress was unwell and excused all the concubines from paying their respects.

After hearing Cao Mama's report, Shen Shuhua sneered and looked in the direction of Chengqian Palace.

She said that the Empress was clearly in good health, so why did she fall ill for a day every now and then?

So she secretly went to commit thievery at night.

……

A month after Shen Cao went to the capital, Shen's parents in Xin'an County received her letter.

The letter said that she had rented a house in the capital and asked them to set off for the capital immediately.

The letter also said that Wanyue wanted to open a restaurant with her in the capital, so that they could stay in the capital.

After reading the letter, Mr. and Mrs. Shen were filled with mixed emotions.

They have been away from the capital for more than a decade.

Now that I've gotten used to life in Xin'an County, I'm ready to return to Beijing.

At first, they were reluctant to part with him, but after thinking about it carefully, they realized that once their eldest son passed the imperial examinations, he would definitely stay in the capital.

Cao'er has started doing business in the capital now, and she definitely won't be coming back.

The second son heard about it and started thinking about joining the army.

The younger daughter loves to cling to her older sister. Having not seen her for so long, she has been talking to them about going to the capital to find her sister.

They knew that Cao'er wanted them to go to the capital because she didn't want the family to be too far away.

This departure is probably a permanent one.

When I come back in the future, it will be as a guest.

The couple discussed it and then called over Grandma Zhang.

Grandma Zhang now helps out at Shen's restaurant. Because she has no worries about food and drink, she is in a good mood, and her complexion has undergone a dramatic transformation compared to a year ago.

She was very grateful to the Shen family, especially to Shen Cao.

It's fair to say that without Shen Cao, she and her granddaughter wouldn't be where they are today.

In the study, Mr. and Mrs. Shen sat opposite Grandma Zhang.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Cao'er?" Granny Zhang knew that they had received a letter from Shen Cao from the capital today.

Seeing the somber expressions on Shen's parents' faces, her first thought was whether something had happened to Shen Cao in the capital.

Mrs. Shen waved her hand, "Cao'er is fine. We called you here today because we want to discuss something with you."

"Cao'er wants us to move our home to the capital."

"She has already prepared a house in the capital."

"We called you here today because we want to hand over Shen Family Restaurant to you."

"Xiaoyu's cooking skills are getting better and better, and she can take care of both Shen Family Restaurant and Baicao Garden."

"We were thinking that after we leave, you and Xiaoyu can move to Shen's Restaurant."

"Your old house has been renovated, but it's still not as convenient as this place."

"Anyway, the house will just be empty after we leave, so you can move in."

Grandma Zhang was surprised by this. She didn't react for a moment, but her eyes were red, clearly showing her reluctance.

"Are you planning to never come back?" she asked, her voice choked with emotion.

Mother Shen was also reluctant to part with them, and her eyes reddened. "Yes, the children will probably all be in the capital from now on, and we will have no choice but to go with them."

“Grandma, if it weren’t for your advanced age, I would also like to bring you to the capital.”

Grandma Zhang waved her hand, "I won't bother with that."

Then, she breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, after you leave, I'll bring Xiaoyu to live here and look after your house."

"If you ever want to come back in the future, you'll have a place to stay."

"By the way, you just said you're going back to Beijing? Were you originally from Beijing?"

Shen's mother looked at Shen's father and then said, "Yes, we fled to Xin'an County sixteen years ago during the famine."

Upon hearing Shen's mother's words, Granny Zhang was taken aback at first, then a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes. She looked at Shen's father and mother for a long time without daring to speak.