Chapter 35: The Shi Family, Xiaojiu’s Origins?

Meanwhile, at the Shen residence, Madam Shen had just returned home when she saw her husband coming back from outside.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Madam Shen couldn’t help but ask, “What happened?”

Shen Zhixing recalled the scenes in the cave and felt a deep pain in his heart.

A group of children around the same age as their daughter, some even younger, were controlled by those black-clad men using drugs, whipped and trained like killing machines — truly worse than beasts.

Holding Madam Shen’s hand, Shen Zhixing slowly said, “I didn’t expect such things to happen in the county I govern. It’s my dereliction of duty.”

He recounted the entire situation in the cave to his wife in detail.

If it weren’t for Cuihua guiding them to avoid traps and stealthily attacking the black-clad men one by one, even the soldiers he brought might not have made it back.

“The black-clad men committed suicide as soon as the officials captured them. As for the children, the officials dare not harm them, but if released, they worry about harming the villagers. So now they’re kept inside the cave, guarded by soldiers outside.”

Shen Zhixing was overwhelmed with worry, not knowing how to arrange for these children.

Madam Shen took out a lounger and pulled Shen Zhixing to lie down and rest.

“Sit down and rest for a while. If it really doesn’t work, then let them live in the cave for some time, sending food daily. When they’re willing to come out, then arrange their future,” Madam Shen said, massaging his temples.

“That’s all we can do. This chair is nice, very comfortable to lie on,” Shen Zhixing closed his eyes and rested.

“This is from that little girl’s family in Taoyuan Village who saved our daughter. That little girl, at such a young age, is the head of the whole village, and the whole village listens to her. She’s quite remarkable,” Madam Shen praised.

Thinking of this, Shen Zhixing recalled the little girl from Taoyuan Village.

“Does my wife feel that this little girl looks familiar? Have you seen her somewhere?”

“I have no impression. I heard that the little girl has no parents and was raised by the villagers. Maybe you met her parents,” Madam Shen guessed.

“That’s possible,” Shen Zhixing said.

“Who would be so cruel as to abandon a baby girl on a mountain? It’s been five years and no one has come looking for her,” Madam Shen thought of their daughter and felt the little girl’s parents were truly heartless.

“Wait, I know who she might be,” Shen Zhixing suddenly sat up straight in his chair, trembling as he gripped the armrests.

“Who?” Madam Shen gently massaged her husband’s temples, asking.

Shen Zhixing looked at his wife and whispered with difficulty, “The Empress… the Empress!”

With a bang, Madam Shen was shocked and pressed down too hard on Shen Zhixing’s head, pushing him back onto the chair.

“Ah! Madam, please be gentle!” Shen Zhixing feared she would do it again.

“Xiaojiu is a princess? The emperor’s daughter? How could she be abandoned on a mountain? And what about the Empress?” Madam Shen’s mind was full of questions.

“Keep your voice down; there are ears everywhere. I’m only guessing. When I was in the capital, Shi Family’s Second Young Master showed me a childhood portrait of his sister. This little girl looks exactly like the Empress did as a child,” Shen Zhixing whispered.

Mentioning the Shi family, both of them felt a heavy mood.

The Shi family’s patriarch was once a famous Zhenbei Marquis guarding the northern border.

It was well known that among the four kingdoms, Dongxia was the weakest. The other three kingdoms tried to divide Dongxia, attacking from three sides. The Shi family’s army fought to the death and defended Dongxia’s territory.

Since then, the reputation of the Shi family’s army spread across the four seas, becoming the guardian deity in the hearts of the Dongxia people.

Because of the Shi army’s existence, the other three kingdoms dared not easily provoke them, forming a strange balance among the four kingdoms.

But five years ago, due to a small border chaos, the Shi family patriarch and all adult men of the Shi family were killed at the border. The Shi army was defeated, losing several cities.

News reached the capital, and from the palace came word that the Empress, who was about to give birth at the time, was unable to bear the shock. She went to the Great Buddha Temple to pray for the Shi family, but on the way encountered horse bandits, was chased, and fell off a cliff to her death.

The only grandson of the Shi family, the son of the eldest Shi son, was only seven years old and mysteriously drowned in his own courtyard.

At that time, only the Shi family matriarch and a group of female relatives remained. Fortunately, the three wives of the Shi family were visiting their natal families. Hearing the news and realizing the situation was bad, they did not tell anyone about their pregnancies and secretly hid at their natal homes, later giving birth to boys, so the Shi family line did not die out.

But recently, news from the capital said the youngest Shi grandson was kidnapped and has not been found. The Shi matriarch has since fallen ill and cannot recover.

The common folk are not fools. It’s clear the enemy wants to wipe out the Shi male line. Otherwise, the Shi army would not have lost despite being surrounded by three kingdoms, nor would a single Shi male have perished. And the young grandson didn’t survive either.

Anyone with a brain can see it’s an attempt to end the Shi family’s bloodline.

The incident remains unresolved. No one knows if the current emperor wants to investigate or not.

No one dares to speak about it because those who once stood up for the Shi family have now been demoted or dead.

Like Shen Zhixing himself…

He gripped the armrest tightly, his heart filled with unspoken grief and rage.

General Shi, a lifetime warrior, had fallen to the point where only old women and children remained of his entire family.

How ridiculous, how tragic.

Madam Shen said with sorrow, “The Empress has been kind to us. Whether or not Xiaojiu is the Empress’s daughter, since she appeared in your county, it means fate has brought her here. We must protect her well.”

Shen Zhixing forced back tears and replied, “Don’t worry, madam. People in the capital won’t notice this place.”

“I will write to my father now and ask him to visit the Shi family. Even if it’s not true, at least give the old matriarch some hope to live on,” Shen Zhixing said as he got up and headed to the study.

Madam Shen watched her husband leave and sat on the lounger, recalling the past.

She and Shen Zhixing were childhood sweethearts; their families arranged the engagement early, waiting for Shen Zhixing to pass the imperial exam to hold the wedding.

But unexpectedly, the Princess Royal favored Shen Zhixing, who had just topped the exams and was parading through the streets.

Knowing Shen Zhixing had a fiancée, she still pressured him to marry her as her prince consort.

When Shen Zhixing refused, she planned to ruin the fiancée’s reputation to force the broken engagement.

Thinking of those times, Madam Shen still shuddered. If not for the Empress’s attendant appearing in time to send her out of the palace, she might have been defiled by the princess’s guards, ruining her reputation and dragging her family into disgrace. Such scandal at the Dowager Empress’s birthday banquet would mean the entire family’s exile.

After that day, the Empress pleaded before the Dowager Empress to bless their marriage, which helped avoid much trouble.