r18novel Chapter 340 is going to kill me.
Chapter 340 is going to kill me.
Shen Xianzhang knelt down almost without hesitation. "Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and I am deeply grateful, but I dare not accept it! Before his death, the Grand Tutor left a will that the Shen family should not acquire permanent property, should not change its social status, and that its descendants should be loyal to the country. Those in office should not be greedy or despicable, and should not receive rewards without merit."
"His Majesty bestowed a title upon the Shen family out of his deep affection for the Empress. This is a favor granted by the Emperor, not because the Shen family's sons have rendered meritorious service to the nation or brought blessings to the people. The Shen family has always been a family of scholars and officials, and we are accustomed to a life of poverty. If we were to accept a title, it would change our social standing to that of a noble family, which is certainly not what the Grand Tutor desires. Please forgive us, Your Majesty!"
These words are exactly the same as Shen Shixi's.
Li Yuanke said, "Since ancient times, the Empress Dowager's family has always received favors and rewards. If my father-in-law insists on declining, how can I be at peace with myself?"
Shen Xianzhang thought for a moment and said, "If Your Majesty insists on bestowing a reward, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant the Shen family fifty acres of wasteland as sacrificial land. My entire household would be eternally grateful!"
How could Li Yuanke possibly offer fifty acres of wasteland?
Isn't that shameful?
He wanted to reward two hundred acres of fertile land, but Shen Shixi refused, saying, "Where did those acres of land you're rewarding come from? Didn't they have to be taken from the people?"
The land obtained through confiscation and extermination of the family is all in the hands of the Ministry of Revenue. It was originally government property, meant for the common people to support their families. By giving it to the Shen family, you've opened a door for them to accumulate land. They can forget about ever owning another piece of land again; everyone will be eyeing it.
"Then what do you suggest we do? I am the emperor, and to put it nicely, I am rich and powerful. Even when I bestow a few acres of land upon my wife's family, I can't do this or that."
Shen Shixi said, "Alright, you don't have to worry about this anymore. My dad wants fifty acres of land, so he can have fifty acres. He won't need any more."
The sacrificial fields are used for several purposes: firstly, to pay for incense, candles, and paper money for ancestral worship; secondly, to cover expenses such as repairing ancestral halls and graves; and thirdly, to support the elderly, widowed, and infirm in the clan, or to sponsor the education of poor clan members.
Shen Shixi issued an imperial decree summoning his third brother to the palace, where he and his wife spoke with Shen Shilang.
"Since I entered the palace, my third brother has been managing all the businesses I owned. You originally wanted to study, but you ended up traveling all over the country for my sake."
Shen Shixi asked directly, "What are your plans? Do you want to study or become an official?"
Shen Shilang said, "I'll just do what I'm doing now. I'm already familiar with it. I don't feel comfortable handing it over to someone else. Someone has to do it. I know you don't lack people, but with such a large business, are you really comfortable entrusting it to someone else?"
What do I have to worry about? You think I'm so incompetent. I may not have other things, but surely I have a few useful people?
However, Shen Shilang has indeed gotten the hang of things and is doing quite well, so replacing him would be a troublesome matter.
"Of course, family members are more trustworthy than outsiders!" Shen Shixi coaxed. "It would be wonderful if Third Brother would help me. But as you've seen, how much of those properties can I actually use? Aren't all the food, clothes, and things I use the Emperor's?"
"Those things will eventually be left to your nephews, won't they? You're not even helping me with the work; you're working yourself to the bone for your nephews so they can buy you extra liquor in the future."
Shen Shilang hadn't even had a sip of wine yet, but he was already tipsy. "Of course! He's my own nephew, if I don't care, who will?"
Li Yuanke looked away, unable to bear to look directly at him.
He felt so sorry for Shen Shilang that he wanted to grant him an official position, albeit a minor one, to give him a proper status and prevent him from referring to himself as a "commoner."
He's the emperor's brother-in-law, after all.
Shen Shilang was about to refuse, but Shen Shixi stopped him, saying, "Please accept the Emperor's kindness!"
Li Yuanke granted him the title of Chaoqing Dafu, a fifth-rank official, and from then on, he could receive a salary from the court.
It seems unreasonable that someone could receive a salary without doing any work, but the people in the Imperial Household Department all work for the royal family and receive the same salary from the court. Shen Shilang works for Shen Shixi and is the Empress's person, so it is not unreasonable for him to receive a salary.
Moreover, Shen Shilang also had military merits. Back then, when Li Yuanke personally led the expedition, he was in charge of collecting and transporting provisions, and his merits were recorded.
Shen Shilang was initially appointed to a fifth-rank official position, which was a whole rank higher than his second brother, who had studied hard for years and ranked in the top ten in the palace examination and was a sixth-rank Tongzhilang.
When he left the palace, he was walking as if he were flying.
Back at the Shen family home, a smelly shoe flew towards him. Before he could even react, his father was already hitting him with a stick.
"You unfilial son! I just declined the Emperor's offer of a title, and you've already been granted an official position! I don't have a son like you, good-for-nothing, wandering around all year round, doing nothing productive. You've disgraced our ancestors, and you still have the nerve to ask for an official position because of your sister!"
If Shen Shilang had known earlier that his sister hadn't discussed this with his father beforehand, he would never have accepted this immense wealth.
It's about to die!
While subtly dodging his father's attacks, Shen Shilang explained, "It wasn't what I wanted; my sister insisted I have it..."
"If she wants you to eat shit, you'll take it. If she wants you to eat shit, will you go too? The Emperor even wanted to bestow a title upon me, but I didn't accept it."
Not only did Shen Shilang get a beating, but Shen Xianzhang also dragged him by the ear to the palace to resign from his official post. Li Yuanke didn't want to deal with this stubborn father-in-law, so he said he had to take care of the child and asked the two of them to go see the Empress.
The father and son, with their heads bowed, were led to the inner palace and met Shen Shixi.
The father and daughter hadn't seen each other for over a year. Seeing that his daughter was doing well, the father was relieved.
Shen Shilang was beaten black and blue, and Shen Shixi felt sorry for her third brother, complaining to their father, "You always resort to violence without asking questions first. You're not young anymore, can't you be a little more composed?"
Shen Xianzhang was lucky he wasn't so angry he died. What kind of daughter would lecture her father like that?
He slapped his thigh in anger, "You, you...you're a mother yourself, can't you even be a little more considerate of your parents?"
"How have I not been considerate of you? Haven't I been well-behaved since I was a child? Have I ever caused you any worry? Alright, don't interfere in my third brother's affairs. I know my limits."
"Do you know any limits? If he's to be granted an official position today, tomorrow a minister will impeach the Shen family at the meeting, making things difficult for the Emperor! Your Majesty, I'm old and have no other thoughts. The greatest blessing is for the Emperor's empire to be stable, for Your Majesty to be healthy, for the Crown Prince and Princess to be well, and for the Shen family to be safe and sound!"
Shen Shixi said, "Father, how come my third brother is not worthy of this official position? He has made great contributions in disaster relief and transporting grain. Aren't these great achievements?"
"Who in the court dares to speak? Let him come and talk to me. I want to ask him, based on these two achievements, does my third brother deserve a reward? And stop peeking at my third brother all day long; he hasn't been idle either!"
Father Shen was unaware of this and looked at his son in disbelief.
Is he promising?
Shen Shilang was so moved he almost cried. He quickly straightened up, chest puffed out, head held high, "Your Majesty is too kind. I dare not take credit for this!"
Shen Shixi rolled her eyes at him.
Shen Xianzhang was speechless.
A few days after the seal was opened, on the first day of the second month, a grand banquet was held in Qian Yuan Palace. The Emperor held a full-month celebration for his twins, a boy and a girl. The Empress had not yet finished her postpartum confinement. For the sake of the Empress's health, the imperial physician and Qinghao suggested that the Empress stay in confinement for another month.
Shen Shixi had had enough of sitting and didn't want to sit anymore. Finally, under Li Yuanke's insistence, she agreed to sit for another half month.
Early in the morning, Li Yuanke changed into a bright red imperial robe, carried two children on his left and right, and rode in the imperial carriage to Qianyuan Palace.