I Want to Marry Shen Miaomiao

Sure enough, they saw the Nie Family carrying in one betrothal gift after another.

This time, the Nie Family gave them a lot of face, with a betrothal gift of 88 tai.

Jiang Ce's face was beaming. "Oh! Good, good, good, the Nie Family really cares about you."

Qin Shuang, standing nearby, laughed and said, "See? Shen Miaomiao, you should be content!"

Shen Miaomiao said, "You guys certainly got me a good price."

Qin Shuang scoffed coldly, "Your reputation is ruined now. You'll never find a better family than the Nie Family. You should be secretly happy!"

Shen Miaomiao looked at her and said, "Qin Shuang, you're really shameless. If it weren't for you, how could I be laughed at by others?"

Qin Shuang retorted angrily, "Who told you to be born into my womb? If you're so capable, then don't be born into my womb!"

Shen Miaomiao kept looking around.

Qin Shuang laughed and said, "You're not expecting Shen Tao to come and save you, are you? Don't even think about it, he's too busy to bother with you!"

Then they saw Shen Tao, Shen Bin, and Shen Yi riding over on horseback.

Shen Tao stared coldly at Qin Shuang and said, "Qin Shuang, I've told you, Shen Miaomiao will not marry into the Nie Family."

Qin Shuang looked at Shen Tao on horseback and said:

"None of your business! You're not her father!"

"You're unwilling to pay for my family's affairs, so what right do you have to interfere?"

Shen Tao's face darkened as he said:

"Because I raised Shen Miaomiao, and because I provided her with Shen Miaomiao house, shop, and estate."

Why don't I have a voice?

Qin Shuang said calmly, "What you gave her, naturally belongs to her. What right do you have to interfere?"

Shen Tao was stunned for a moment. Shen Miaomiao looked at him pitifully and said, "Shen Tao, I'm so miserable! I haven't eaten for days."

Qin Shuang sneered, "Shen Miaomiao, you don't need to play the victim anymore. Tomorrow, go to the Nie Family, and you can eat whatever you want."

Shen Tao said to the constables outside, "Surround this manor and forbid anyone from entering or leaving."

The constable obeyed and left. Shen Tao looked at Qin Shuang and said, "Qin Shuang, don't go too far."

Qin Shuang snorted coldly and said, "You think you can stop us with just your bunch of constables?"

Everyone saw that all the people from Jiang Family Village came out, hundreds of the Jiang Family members, looking very aggressive.

Shen Tao's expression changed; how could he possibly win against this?

He only had a few dozen constables under his command.

Jiang Ce stepped forward and said:

"Hey, isn't this Shen Tao? Coming to the wedding today?"

"You've raised this daughter with so much difficulty, you should at least give her some dowry, right?"

Shen Tao's face darkened as he said, "Jiang Ce, who do you think you are?"

Jiang Ce laughed heartily:

"I'm nothing special, but I gave birth to two sons and a daughter, Shen Bin and Shen Yi..."

Oh, no, they'll be called Jiang Bin and Jiang Yi soon. Our Jiang Lineage clan patriarch said that you are, after all, descendants of the Jiang Family.

When will you come back to acknowledge your ancestors and return to your roots?

Shen Bin scoffed, "Jiang Ce, who do you think you are? You want us to go back and acknowledge our ancestors?"

Jiang Ce looked at Shen Bin and said:

"Our Jiang Lineage family has produced many talented individuals, which is something you can't compare to."

Take our Jiang Lineage for example. We've produced a general, a prefect, and three county magistrates.

What about the Shen Clan? They're getting worse and worse. The Empress from the Shen Clan is about to be deposed. I advise you to abandon your evil ways and embrace the light!

Shen Yi scoffed coldly, "You want us to join the Spring and Autumn Annals Jiang Family? Keep dreaming! You bunch of robbers and bandits, utterly shameless!"

The Jiang Lineage clan patriarch stepped forward and said:

"Originally, I planned to send you back to the Jiang Family, but seeing your reaction, I changed my mind."

Even if you beg us, we will not take you in.

Shen Bin scoffed and said, "We don't care. Go back to your Jiang Family. Your Jiang Family is much better. What does it have to do with us?"

The Jiang Lineage clan patriarch sneered:

Okay, I hope you can smile again in the future.

The Shen Clan is about to face a terrible disaster, don't you know that?

Shen Tao squinted and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The Jiang Lineage clan chief said, "Drive them out."

Shen Tao and his two companions were quickly driven out by Jiang Lineage. Shen Tao clenched his fist and said, "Jiang Lineage is too arrogant."

Shen Bin looked at Shen Tao and said, "Shen Tao, what do we do now?"

Shen Tao sighed and said, "I'll go find Zhou Wanwan and see if she can help us?"

Shen Bin raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you sure you want to find a six-year-old child? Zhou Wanwan, do you think she can help us?"

This is outrageous.

Shen Tao nodded and said, "Only she can help us."

He had barely finished speaking when the butler rushed over and said:

"Young master, something terrible has happened! We've received news from the Shen Clan that a large number of soldiers have suddenly surrounded our house."

Furthermore, all the men in our family have been arrested, and I heard the women didn't fare much better.

"There's a possibility they'll be sold into slavery."

Shen Tao was stunned. "How could this be?"

The butler said, "I don't know the specifics either, but the master and several young masters have been arrested."

Shen Tao clenched his fist and said, "The Emperor of Great Qi is trying to force our Shen Clan to our deaths!"

In truth, the Emperor of Great Qi wanted something very simple: he wanted to force the Empress to compromise.

However, the Shen Clan still held considerable prestige in the court, and with the support of veteran officials for the Empress, he could not easily depose her.

Shen Tao's father was also unlucky this time; a problem arose when the Ministry of Revenue allocated disaster relief funds during a famine year.

Officials below him embezzled funds, and the remaining accounting records were deliberately framed against Shen Jingxiu by his opponents, who falsely accused him of embezzling disaster relief grain and forming a clique to deceive the emperor.

The emperor, intending to weaken the power of the Shen Lineage, ordered the confiscation of their property without conducting a thorough investigation.

Shen Tao was furious. "Absurd! When did my father embezzle disaster relief grain? It's clearly a frame-up!"

When he returned home, he saw Zhou Wanwan eating dinner. He knelt down and pleaded, "Please, Master, help me! Save my father! Save the lives of my Shen Clan family!"

Zhou Wanwan put down her chopsticks and said:

"Hey! Can you please calm down?"

It's been two days since the news came from the capital, and your father has been locked up in jail for two days already. What's the use of your anxiety now?"

Shen Tao thought about it and agreed, "What do we do now?"

Zhou Wanwan said:

Don't worry! I've made all the arrangements in Beijing, your father is fine.

However, Shen Miaomiao is in a bit of a predicament. She's getting married tomorrow. Have you thought it through?

Shen Tao gritted his teeth and said, "I've made up my mind. I want to marry Shen Miaomiao. That will save me a lot of trouble."

Zhou Wanwan said:

"Then let's do it this way! Your wedding room will be set up here!"

Since you're planning to get married, then we can get everything ready tonight.

Shen Bin and Shen Yi, standing to the side, twitched their lips; this was too surreal.

Shen Bin said, "Shen Tao, have you thought this through? Isn't what we're doing a bit inappropriate?"

Shen Tao looked at Shen Bin and said, "Then what do you think I should do? And what about Miaomiao?"

Shen Bin frowned. Shen Miaomiao's reputation was truly ruined now; even if a marriage was arranged, no one would dare to marry her.

Shen Tao's marriage to Shen Miaomiao might not have a good reputation for a while, but Shen Miaomiao also loves Shen Tao, so it's actually a win-win situation.

Shen Yi said with a happy face:

"I think it's fine this way, what's wrong with it?"

"We'll still be family then, and Shen Tao will be our brother-in-law. We'll still live together."

Shen Bin nodded and said, "Alright, let's set this up today."

Zhou Wanwan waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, you don't need to make any arrangements. I've already taken care of everything here, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Shen Tao looked at Zhou Wanwan and said, "Then I'll go to the Jiang Family to pick up the bride tomorrow?"

Zhou Wanwan shook her head and said:

"Shen Miaomiao will depart from the Jiang Family tomorrow."

Then bring the bride directly to our side. As for the Nie Family, I have my own arrangements.