News of the Shen family’s downfall spread like wildfire as soon as the soldiers arrived. By the time they were led out, a crowd of curious onlookers had already gathered at the entrance.

It was a sight to behold: the once-grand, impeccably dressed nobles, their feet never touching the dirt, were now bound together in a chain by a single rope, pulled by soldiers in front.

Refuse to cooperate? One tug at the front and the whole chain would stumble along, with the risk of someone tripping and falling.

Try any tricks? As if the other soldiers standing by were mere decorations?

They were seasoned veterans, hardened by the battlefield, not ones to show any mercy.

Compared to this, the Shen Yanrong couple, holding their children and trailing behind, seemed out of place.

The people of this era had few forms of entertainment. Gossip and watching the spectacle were their rare forms of universal participation. Any family’s misfortune would soon be whispered everywhere, even a prominent family like the Shens couldn’t escape the public’s enthusiasm.

Therefore, seeing the different attire and treatment of the two groups, everyone guessed what was going on.

“Honestly, the Shen family is a bunch of scoundrels.”

“Those rumors, I bet they were spread by someone with ulterior motives.”

“It’s a complete injustice.”

“The Rong family was so prosperous back then, and now, just a decade or so later, the Shen family has followed in their footsteps.”

“How can you compare the Shen family to the Rongs? The Rong family was known for their integrity and strict discipline, the Shens, heh.”

“…”

Before, out of respect for Shen Shiren’s status, even gossip was kept discreet. Now, with the Shen family under investigation, these people had no reservations.

Hearing the increasingly loud discussions around them, Lu Yao and Shen Yanrong remained calm and composed, as if the subject of their conversation wasn’t them at all. In contrast, Wang Lao Tai Tai and the others were not so calm. In the past, they would have sent someone to tear the mouths of these gossiping women apart. Now, they could only helplessly let them talk.

Why did this happen so suddenly?

Who knows what will happen next.

Thinking about this, everyone felt even more anxious, their sobs growing louder.

Lu Yao and Shen Yanrong held their children and followed behind, unaffected. They even spoke to their children from time to time, worried they might be scared.

Yunhao and Yueyue were very well-behaved. They didn’t cry or make a fuss because of this sudden change. They simply snuggled up to their parents, watching those who had been so fierce towards them before now whimpering and crying, looking so fragile. Their little eyes flashed with confusion, then they looked at the soldiers in armor beside them, as if understanding something.

The two children secretly planted a seed in their hearts to become strong. They weren’t afraid like their parents worried.

In their eyes, as long as they didn’t separate from their parents, it didn’t matter where they went or what they did.

And their parents had assured them that they would always be together.

That was enough.

Because the emperor personally ordered the investigation, the Shen family was taken to the Heavenly Prison.

There must have been some major movement recently, because besides the Shen family, many others were also imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison.

The leader handed over the prisoners to the jailer in charge of the prison. His eyes swept over a certain spot, and he whispered a few words to the jailer.

The jailer, according to gender, sent them to different cells one by one. However, when it was Lu Yao’s family of four’s turn, he directly put them in a separate cell.

This made the Shen family members very dissatisfied:

“Why can they stay together, but we have to separate?”

“Yeah, we’re a family, why can’t we stay together?”

The Shen family members had been used to their domineering ways for years. When the incident happened suddenly, they cried, wailed, and threw tantrums in front of the fierce soldiers, but it was useless. In the end, they were tied up. They were afraid, but they didn’t dare say anything more. Now, seeing that these people treated Shen Yanrong’s family differently, even though they were apprehensive, their courage grew when it came to their own interests.

Xie Zheng, the leader, coldly swept his gaze over the group: “Any objections?”

The few who thought the fierce soldier had already left trembled in fear under his gaze, shrinking their necks and not daring to speak.

“Behave yourselves!” Xie Zheng said, then lowered his presence. After the jailer had settled everyone, he left the Heavenly Prison and returned to the palace to report.

Lu Yao watched him leave and recalled the original plot.

The book mentions that the leader who went to the Shen family to confiscate their belongings was a general who had returned to the capital not long ago and was deeply trusted by the emperor. It was because of him that the Shen family’s deeds were exposed.

This general was a distinguished warrior with a remarkable record of achievements. However, he was seriously injured in a battle and, despite the efforts of countless physicians, he couldn’t recover after two months of treatment.

Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but sigh. This general was truly a pity. She wondered if his fate could be changed with her, the butterfly, in this lifetime.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Yanrong asked worriedly, seeing her lost in thought.

Lu Yao snapped out of her reverie and shook her head, saying she was fine. But Shen Yanrong whispered, “I wonder who that officer was. If it wasn’t for him, we’d probably be crammed in with those people.”

They had secrets, and if they were with those people, they couldn’t make any moves.

Lu Yao nodded. This officer, who looked cold but was actually kind-hearted, had given them a good start, and they would be much better off here.

The environment of the Heavenly Prison was naturally not good. There were no windows, only torches along the corridor for illumination. Using the dim light, Lu Yao saw the prison’s facilities.

The cell was very spacious, except for a wooden bed and a wooden toilet, there was nothing else.

The wooden bed wasn’t very big, and it was a tight squeeze for their family of four. Fortunately, there was straw and a mat on the wooden bed, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable to sleep on.

No comparison, no harm. After looking at the Shen family members in the next cell, she felt instantly relieved.

Overall, it was much better than she expected.

Lu Yao and Shen Yanrong put the two children on the bed, sitting on either side of them.

“Father, Mother, are we going to live here from now on?” Little Yunhao looked at his parents with worry. He was older than his sister, so he knew more and thought more.

Lu Yao rubbed his head: “We’ll be going out.”

Hearing the answer, Little Yunhao nodded obediently, sitting next to his sister. Little Yueyue was also very well-behaved. Besides her eyes darting around, she didn’t make a fuss because of the harsh environment.

The two children were so well-behaved and sensible, which made Lu Yao and Shen Yanrong feel both comforted and heartbroken.

“Yunhao, Yueyue, let’s do some crafts.” Lu Yao didn’t want to see her children looking restrained because of their good behavior. She wanted to distract them.

The two children’s eyes lit up. Mother’s little rabbits were so cute, they loved them.

But…

They forgot to bring the little rabbit with them.

Shen Yanrong, like Lu Yao, loved his children. He couldn’t bear to see them disappointed. He smiled at his wife, reached into his pocket, and took out something.

Lu Yao’s eyes were sharp. She recognized it immediately and exclaimed in a hushed but exaggerated tone: “Yunhao, Yueyue, look what Father has!”

The two children raised their heads, saw what Shen Yanrong was holding, and couldn’t help but cheer:

“Little rabbit!”

“Father, you’re amazing!”

The children were genuinely happy.

Imagine this: you’re grieving over the loss of something important, thinking you’ll never have it again. Then, in the next moment, it appears before you. Who wouldn’t be surprised and moved by this feeling of losing and regaining something?

Shen Yanrong glanced at his wife, met her eyes full of smiles, and his expression softened. He smiled back and handed the rabbit to the two children: “This is the first rabbit Mother made. Don’t lose it.”