Chapter 225

Chapter 225

Haizhou City fell, and Zhao Yongxi was captured, his life was temporarily spared.

But the great clans within Haizhou City were not so "fortunate."

To avoid the reputation of excessive slaughter from purging the great clans after his ascension, which would tarnish his name, Han Zhang took ruthless measures this time.

He directly ordered Han Qinnian, Shao Langzhou, and Kang Zhanxun to follow Huang Chao's example—taking up the clan genealogies and, amid the chaos of the siege, wiping out several centuries-old great families to the last man!

He wanted to be an emperor with absolute power, and he could not afford to show mercy to such centuries-old clans.

No scheme or intrigue was as secure as cutting them all down with a single blade.

With historical precedent showing that after Huang Chao exterminated the great clans, humble-born talents flourished and imperial power grew more stable, he saw no reason not to follow that precedent!

As for the imperial clansmen of the Zhao royal house, Han Zhang had for now only executed Emperor Taixuan's bloodline, while the rest were taken into custody and brought back to see how things would unfold.

This was not out of soft-heartedness.

He had raised the banner of "restoring the Former Crown Prince's rightful line." If he slaughtered the entire Zhao clan, he would be destroying his own banner and unable to silence the criticism of the realm.

By sparing these lives, he could both display "benevolence" and pave the way for future conquest of neighboring states.

For when people have no way out, they burst forth with latent resistance; but once given hope of survival, they lose the will to fight.

To avoid excessive resistance on his path to unifying the realm, this show of "benevolence" was quite necessary.

Besides, Han Zhang was not afraid of these people surviving and stirring up trouble.

If he were so wary of them that he couldn't keep them in check, then if the realm were taken from him again, he could only blame his own incompetence.

And so, the great clans within Haizhou City were wiped out cleanly.

The remaining nobles and officials, along with the Zhao clansmen and the fallen emperor Zhao Yongxi, were all stripped and dressed in prison garb, shackled and chained, and escorted back to the capital.

Han Zhang and his forces had finally won a great victory and were returning in triumph.

...

Meanwhile, in the capital.

Father Shen and the others had returned from the frontier to the capital as soon as Han Zhang had retaken it, because the frontier's harsh climate was unsuitable for young children like Xiao Tao'er, and staying there too long would harm their health.

So, as soon as the capital's crisis was resolved, the family members brought their children back to the capital.

When they received word of the great victory at Haizhou and that Han Zhang's forces were already on their way back, Father Shen, Mother Shen, and the rest were beside themselves with joy.

Father Shen was so excited he jumped to his feet, unable to contain his elation, pounding the table hard, his face reddening.

"Good, good, good! This old man truly didn't misjudge that lad Han—he's a fine one indeed! He actually conquered the realm, actually did it! This old man, this old man..."

The rest of his words caught in his throat, for he was too overcome with emotion—his muscles trembling all over, unable to control his speech.

He never imagined that he, Shen Houde, a "lackey" scorned by all, would one day be hit by a stroke of luck from the heavens!

From now on, he would be the emperor's father-in-law, and his Shen family would be imperial relatives—no longer a humble, obscure clan that anyone could bully.

"Hahaha, ancestors bless us, bless us..."

At last, unable to hold back, Father Shen burst into hearty laughter, echoing through the hall, brimming with unrestrained delight and pride.

Shen Huairen and Lv Shurou were about to pass out from excitement, their faces flushed with ecstasy, crowding around Father Shen, piling on the flattery:

"Father, you truly have foresight! Had you not planned so far ahead and schemed in secret back then, how could our Shen family have achieved such fortune today?"

Shen Qingquan was equally thrilled: "Father, we were truly wrong about you back then. Had you not endured humiliation and shouldered that reputation for heartlessness, how could we all be sitting here safe and sound, embracing this boundless wealth and honor?"

Though Han Zhang's rebellion had succeeded now, without Father's careful scheming back then, they, as family members, would hardly have come through the rebellion unscathed.

Even the greatest fortune is only true fortune if you're alive to enjoy it!

The other branches of the Shen family, who had shared in the hardships, were also overjoyed, crowding around to heap on the praise:

"Father, you're truly remarkable! That move was a stroke of genius!"

"Master, we always knew you weren't truly cold-hearted—there must have been a deeper meaning to it all!"

"Master, your wisdom is unmatched, your ability to bend without breaking is that of a true hero! We knew all along that with your talents, you'd eventually rise to prominence and bring glory to the family..."

Amid the flattery of his concubines and children, even a hard-hearted man like Father Shen was happy as a clam, basking in self-satisfaction.

This irritated Mother Shen, Shen Huaizhi, and Shen Qinglan—that trio of mother and sons—to no end!

For all three were the type who loved attention and flattery, so how could everyone only praise that old geezer and ignore them?

Mother Shen immediately sat up straight, clearing her throat with loud, pointed coughs:

"Cough, cough, cough... cough, cough, cough... cough, cough, cough...!"

One after another, loud and unmistakable.

Shen Qinglan and Shen Huaizhi also puffed out their chests at the same time, their eyes signaling for everyone to look at them—they, that mother-and-sons trio, were the real focus today!

Li Huilan flushed red: "..."

She often felt like the odd one out because she was too normal compared to her husband, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law.

The rest of the Shen family: "..."

Damn, they'd forgotten about those three!

But the old ginger is the spiciest.

Father Shen reacted first, his smug expression vanishing in an instant—his face-changing speed was truly admirable.

With practiced ease, he shifted to a tender expression, grasping Mother Shen's hand, his gaze soft and brimming with emotion, his voice dropping a register:

"But in the end, the greatest credit for our family's fortune today goes to you, my dear wife."

"Had you not labored so hard back then to bear me a fine son like Lan Geer, so clever and refined, and raised Huaizhi into such an open, sincere, and well-connected lad, how could our Shen family have such blessings and opportunities?"

"And it was your foresight, insisting back then on settling the marriage with the Han family as a way to repay a debt of gratitude. That move not only won me a reputation for loyalty and righteousness but also let our Shen family climb this ladder to the heavens..."

At this, his tone shifted to guilt, and a look of remorse surfaced in his eyes:

"My dear wife, in the past, it was all my fault—I was wrong, I was bewitched, and I failed your true heart. The past is past and cannot be undone, but from this day forward, I will make it up to you!"

"After all the storms and ups and downs we've been through, I've come to truly understand that it's my wife who stood by me through poverty who is the best and most devoted. To have married you, my dear, is truly a blessing earned over three lifetimes."

"My dear, just give me a chance to make it up to you, won't you? For the rest of our lives, let us as husband and wife support each other, with our children and grandchildren around us, sharing in this heavenly joy and abundant wealth..."

Though Father Shen had entered middle age, in his youth he had been able to sweet-talk Mother Shen into marrying down, so his appearance and bearing were naturally outstanding.

Even now, with wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, he remained a refined, handsome silver fox.

With such shamelessly cheesy sweet talk, coupled with those eyes that could make even a dog feel adored, even Mother Shen, who already knew the true nature of the man beside her pillow, couldn't help going soft.

Ugh, why was she such a pushover!

The spineless Mother Shen could only scold herself internally while helplessly soaking in these long-missed sweet nothings, finally blushing to the tips of her ears and letting out a deliberately haughty snort:

"Of course! My son and my boy are naturally the finest under heaven."

And then.

And then... nothing.

In middle age, Mother Shen had once again fallen for Father Shen's sweet talk.

Shen Qinglan: "..."

So, really, one couldn't blame her for being lovesick over her husband—it's all in the genes!

With Mother Shen pacified, there were still Shen Qinglan and Shen Huaizhi to handle.

Then there were the brothers Shen Huairen and Shen Qingquan, who had fully inherited Father Shen's genes—selfish when it suited them, but also able to swallow their pride when needed.

Shen Qingquan said, dripping with fake envy: "Second brother, you're so lucky it's enough to make anyone jealous!"

"Tell me, back then when the capital was full of talented young men like fish in the sea, how did you happen to set your sights on brother-in-law, who was just a poor scholar from a humble family? Now brother-in-law has conquered everything and come back victorious, soon to take the throne after the abdication. You'll be the Emperor's consort! Second brother's eye for picking a man is sharper than even the old immortal in the temple!"

His tone was practically dripping with envy and resentment.

Shen Qinglan was immensely pleased by this reaction, unable to help lifting his chin high, his brows and eyes brimming with pride:

"What's this about having an eye for men? Don't give me that! My husband and I are destined by heaven, tied by the Moon God's red thread—a match made in heaven! Whether my husband is a poor scholar or the future ruler of all under heaven, I love only him, only the man himself!"

Then, he cast a sidelong glance at his younger brother, his tone dripping with unabashed boasting and infuriating provocation:

"Oh dear, anyway, true love like mine and my husband's—Fifth Brother, a shallow, heartless guy like you would never get it."

Shen Qingquan swelled up like a pufferfish in anger: "..."

It was just stealing a man once, not a blood feud—they were brothers after all, why go this far!

Shen Huairen, on the other hand, offered Shen Huaizhi sincere flattery, his tone extremely ingratiating:

"Second brother, everything in the past was my fault, I was foolish! Back then, when I favored the concubine-born brothers a bit more, it was truly for the good of our Shen family, never out of disregard for you, my legitimate younger brother."

"Regardless, we are blood brothers born of the same mother—break our bones and the sinews still connect. When you and Lan Ge'er fell on hard times, didn't your elder brother still look after you?"

"In the past, I was blind, unable to recognize gold and jade for what they were! I never saw how capable my second brother truly was. It's all thanks to your good relations with second brother-in-law and your crucial assistance at the critical moment—otherwise, where would our Shen family be today, with this overwhelming wealth and honor?"

Shen Huaizhi was equally gratified by this 'heartfelt' praise, immediately puffing out his chest like a victorious rooster:

"Elder brother, it's good that you now realize you were blind back then! As the saying goes, great wisdom appears foolish. You all used to look down on me and Lan Ge'er, thinking we weren't as shrewd or calculating as you. Well, now you know, don't you?"

"This family—without me and Lan Ge'er—would fall apart!"

Shen Huairen's face turned green: "..."

Making a living is hard, but swallowing your pride is even harder!