Shen Zhen lowered her attitude considerably, taking all the blame upon herself.
Upon seeing Shen Zhen bow her head and admit her wrongs, Mrs. Zhang found it difficult to maintain her firm stance. She found herself in a dilemma and turned her gaze to Zhang Chen.
"Chen’Er, you are my own nephew, and I would never let you suffer any grievances. This marriage was arranged by your mother while she was still alive; how can that girl defy it? Rest assured, I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation. She will marry no matter what, even if she doesn’t want to." At this moment, Shen Zhen stepped forward, holding Zhang Chen’s hand, speaking softly and gently: "The reason I mentioned delaying for three to five years is not because of your Second Lady’s claim of wanting one person for two husbands, but to allow you to have some interaction with Shen Ling, to cultivate some feelings, so you can get to know each other. With a buffer period of three to five years, I’ll try to create opportunities for you to be alone with Shen Ling. By then, you can naturally achieve a successful relationship. Even if that girl still resists in three to five years, the interaction during this time will make her less resistant."
"You are my flesh and blood, no different from my own son. Don’t overthink it; just stay here peacefully and wait for the right moment to marry." Shen Zhen’s voice was full of earnestness.
Upon hearing Shen Zhen’s words, Zhang Chen understood that there must be some changes he was unaware of, but since Shen Zhen was his elder and was pleading with such humility, he could not muster any strong words in response. Zhang Chen, appearing as a true young lad, had tears in his eyes and showed signs of being moved: "Uncle, I thank you. I thank your entire family."
Shen Zhen found these words somewhat strange but couldn’t find any reason to refute them.
"Good child, stay here in the mansion and live well! Our family will never mistreat you." Shen Zhen patted Zhang Chen’s shoulder in a consoling manner.
As they were speaking, a sudden rush of footsteps was heard from outside, and a figure quickly dashed in. It was Steward Lai, the head steward of the Shen Mansion. He entered the room and bowed to the old lady and the other masters: "The old servant pays respects to the old madam and greets all the present masters."
"What is it?" Shen Zhen released Zhang Chen’s hand and inquired.
"Reporting to the old master, constables from Jinling Prefecture have arrived, claiming that our mansion is harboring a court’s wanted criminal..." Lai Changrong spoke while casting a meaningful glance towards Zhang Chen.
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhen’s expression immediately turned serious, his entire face gloomy as he reprimanded, "Our Shen Family is a prominent family in Jinling and a clean, upright household. How could we possibly harbor a wanted criminal from the court? Turn the constables away for me!"
Lai Changrong looked at Shen Zhen with a bitter expression, then glanced at Zhang Chen: "Old Master, those officials have official documents from Jinling Prefecture, and it seems they’re targeting this young master..."
"Did you not hear what I just said? Our Shen Family is upright and has not harbored any wanted criminals!"
Shen Zhen emphasized his words, reiterating them.
Lai Changrong laughed bitterly and had no choice but to turn and retreat.
Shen Zhen looked at Zhang Chen, who sighed softly: "I am causing trouble for the Shen Family."
"What are you talking about, child? We are family, why speak of such things? I couldn’t protect your parents back then, but don’t think I can’t protect you. The Northern Land is chaotic; who knows where your True Body is? As long as you don’t admit you are Zhang Chen or the court’s wanted criminal, I will ensure your safety. As for your identity issue, you cannot use your current name for now. Tomorrow I will arrange a false identity for you. Just stay peacefully in Jinling; with our Shen Family here, no one can touch you." The old lady spoke with authority, warming Zhang Chen’s heart slightly.
"I am an exiled criminal of the court. What if the court finds out..." Zhang Chen felt some emotion in his heart.
Listening to Zhang Chen’s words, Shen Zhen spoke with pride: "This is Jinling! If we say you are Zhang Chen, you are Zhang Chen. If we say you are not Zhang Chen, then you are not Zhang Chen."
Hearing Shen Zhen’s words, Zhang Chen glanced at him, internally astonished at the power of the Shen family.
Both sides conversed for half a day, then a welcoming banquet was arranged, and Zhang Chen’s family returned to Lixiang Garden.
Only at the gates of Lixiang Garden stood two enchanting figures, both of whom Zhang Chen recognized. One was Jiang Nan, who secretly winked at Zhang Chen, and the other was Shen Ling.
Shen Ling stood with an unpleasant expression, blocking Zhang Chen’s path.
"Does Miss Shen have any business?" Zhang Chen asked, looking at Shen Ling draped in red attire.
"Toad, don’t harbor any delusions. I will never fall for you. I’m not hiding it from you; I already have someone I like. You better give up right now." Shen Ling’s voice was full of condescending scorn.
"Oh?" Zhang Chen said calmly, letting out a soft "oh," and scrutinized Shen Ling from top to bottom.
"What do you mean by ’oh’?" Shen Ling glared at Zhang Chen furiously.
"Marriages have always been arranged by parental orders and matchmakers’ words. If you could decide the engagement by yourself, you wouldn’t have to come here and behave arrogantly with me. Just give it up and obediently marry me! Although I don’t like you either, we must obey our parents’ mandate." Zhang Chen replied with a sarcastic tone.
As for marrying Shen Ling?
Impossible!
Completely impossible!
Between him and Shen Ling, there is absolutely no possibility! Shen Ling secretly meets with other men, so how could Zhang Chen want such a woman?
But the other party had a hostile attitude towards him, and he didn’t mind speaking unpleasantly to disgust the other party a bit. If he could provoke the other party and make them reveal some secrets, he might be able to untangle the complex situation within the Shen Family.
Sure enough, upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Shen Ling’s emotions suddenly became agitated: "You toad, how could you deserve to marry me? Do you really think my uncles and those old masters sincerely want me to marry you? Stop dreaming, they only want that treasure left by your mother. They agreed to the marriage simply to buy time, hoping that Zhang Gaoqiu from the Zhang Family could use their bloodline to unlock the treasure. If it succeeds, they’ll naturally annul the marriage. You are of Zhang Family bloodline, as is Zhang Gaoqiu, so there’s no reason it won’t work!"
After saying this, Shen Ling suddenly paused, realizing she might have spoken too rashly. Her pupils shrank, and she quickly turned to leave.
Jiang Nan, standing nearby, gave Zhang Chen a wry smile: "She has been cherished by her family since childhood, being the Shen Family’s darling. Her nature isn’t actually bad; she’s just used to being willful, so don’t hold it against her."
Having said this, Jiang Nan swiftly chased after Shen Ling.
Watching Shen Ling’s departing figure, Zhang Chen stood expressionless in place. Chengyu remarked from the side, "Zhang Chen, it seems the Shen Family is trying to stir something up."
"I know." Zhang Chen replied.
"Should we strike first?" Xiaodouding displayed an attitude as if fearing the world isn’t chaotic enough.
Zhang Chen shook his head: "We can’t! The Shen Family isn’t simple, they have a Tenth Tier Divine Spirit overseeing things, we can’t act recklessly."
Zhang Chen’s eyes looked towards the Shen Family’s private quarters. In the void above the quarters, a subtle flow of Qi Mechanism was circulating. Though obscure, it couldn’t escape his Dharma Eye. Within it, the power of the Tenth Tier was flowing. The Shen Family controlled seventy percent of the nation’s water transport; accumulating a Tenth Tier Divine Spirit wasn’t surprising to him.
"First, try to find the clues about the treasure left by my mother, then plan a way to take it away. Only after that shall we leave the Shen Family." Said Zhang Chen.
He needed first to understand the situation in Jinling, then decide the subsequent course of action.
Zhang Chen walked leisurely back to the room. The more the Shen Family schemed, the happier he felt, knowing he wouldn’t need to hold back when taking action.
"Chen’Er, the Shen Family is vast and powerful, a major force dominating the world. We’re in a weak position, perhaps it’d be better to swallow our pride and find another path in Jinling. Your peaceful survival is most important; the things your mother left behind, however good, are merely external possessions. Giving them up wouldn’t be a loss." Mrs. Zhang looked full of worry.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen smiled: "You needn’t worry, I have measures in my heart."
Shen Family needs time, but doesn’t Zhang Chen also need time?
Who knows how Zhang Chen will have grown to unimaginable heights in three to five years?
"Besides, even if we wanted to leave, we likely can’t." Zhang Chen thought silently.
After hearing Shen Ling’s words, Zhang Chen realized that the Shen Family had made two plans and would certainly not let him go. If Zhang Gaoqiu doesn’t break the restrictions left by his mother, they would still need him.
However you view it, the Shen Family has no reason to let him leave.
"This is really difficult! What should I do?" Zhang Chen sat pondering various ideas.
First of all, the things left by his mother must be very important; else they wouldn’t catch the Shen Family’s eye. They rightfully belong to him, and Zhang Chen absolutely wouldn’t give them up. Secondly, now that he had entered Jinling, whether he could leave wasn’t up to him.
Time is slowly passing.
The next day, Shen Xu arrived, with a stack of documents in hand.
"Greetings, Second Uncle." Zhang Chen saluted Shen Xu.
"Here’s the new household registration we’ve prepared for you. The new identity has been arranged seamlessly, with no flaws at all." Shen Xu handed over the documents.
Zhang Chen took the Travel Permit, glanced at it, and found that the name on the document was not Zhang Chen but: Shen Chen.
His little brothers and sisters had also changed their surname to Shen.
"Now your identity is flawless; even if the officials wish to trouble you, they can’t." Shen Xu said with a smile.
Upon this, Zhang Chen showed a joy: "Thank you, Uncle. I’m just worried whether this will trouble the Shen Family."
"The world is vast; hiding a few people isn’t difficult." Shen Xu replied indifferently.
After chatting for a while, Shen Xu said his goodbyes and left, leaving Zhang Chen standing in the courtyard, silently pondering the household registration in his hand.