Meanwhile, Qu Jingyun was confronting Shen Cong, her expression unfriendly.

“I’ve already said it, my aunt would never harm us, nor would she run away with the money. There must be some misunderstanding here. Who knows if you’re deliberately framing them?”

"I won't believe a word you say."

Shen Cong glared at Qu Jingyun, looking as if he couldn't hear a word she said.

Seeing this, Shen Yue quickly stepped in front of Qu Jingyun to protect her.

“Mother didn’t lie to us. You were deceived by your aunt. She has already run away with your cousins. They colluded with the rebels with Lin Qingping. They ran away because they thought the General’s Mansion was finished.”

Shen Yue already understood these things.

However, Shen Cong was completely unaware of this and blindly trusted his own judgment.

Until Chen Song slowly walked over.

“What they said is true. My aunt did collude with Lin Qingping to frame the General’s Mansion. Fortunately, my mother discovered it in time, which prevented a major disaster.”

"Because of this matter, I have been kneeling in the palace for half a day. If it weren't for my mother's proper handling, I would probably have been branded as a traitor, and the General's Mansion would not have escaped the blame either."

Shen Song gave a self-deprecating laugh, his sympathetic gaze falling on Shen Cong.

"Stop making a scene. We were foolish to trust the wolves and tigers around us."

Seeing that even his most trusted elder brother had said so, Shen Cong's expression seemed to waver.

Then, as Shen Song recounted the events of the past two days, his face turned deathly pale.

"You don't trust Mother, you don't trust Sister, so why don't you trust me? Can't you see how much I trust Auntie and Lin Qingping?"

"Qi Mingyue handed the defense map to Lin Qingping. Lin Qingping led the rebel army to cause trouble and even tried to kill me. My aunt thought the General's Mansion was finished and ran away with the money. All of these things are true."

Even if you're stupid, you can understand that if Mother hadn't made plans from the beginning and even communicated with the Emperor, the General's Mansion would have been destroyed by now.

"Even now, do you still believe him?"

Chen Song's expression grew increasingly awkward.

He looked at Shen Cong in front of him as if he were looking at his former self.

Those two brothers are really too stupid to be manipulated by these people.

"How could this be..." Shen Cong stood there dumbfounded, his face filled with disbelief.

The events of the past two days were truly beyond his comprehension.

A metallic taste rose in his throat, and a sharp pain shot through his chest. Overwhelmed with anger, he vomited blood.

Then I knew nothing more.

He was sick for three whole days, with a persistent high fever.

Even when Qu Jingyun specially went to the palace to invite the imperial physician, it was to no avail.

"Young master is escaping reality." The imperial physician sighed helplessly, wrote out a prescription, and left.

Qu Jingyun's gaze fell on the person lying on the hospital bed, who was talking incoherently, and her eyes filled with heartache.

Although she was disappointed in him, he was still her son after all.

"Is my brother alright?" Shen Yue asked with a worried expression.

Qu Jingyun shook her head: "He'll be fine."

She sat by the bedside, taking care of him with a worried expression.

Watching Shen Cong call out for his mother one moment and his cousin the next, struggling on the bed with his eyes closed.

Her heart clenched instantly.

She kept whispering in Shen Cong's ear, "Mother is here, Mother will protect you. It's Mother who failed to take good care of you."

Upon witnessing this scene, Shen Yue gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and left the room to the mother and son.

As soon as I closed the door, I turned around and met Shen Song's gaze.

"How is Cong'er?"

“He’s still the same as always, talking nonsense. Mother is taking care of him,” Shen Yue replied gently.

She glanced cautiously at Chen Song out of the corner of her eye.

When the other person looked over, he quickly looked away.

A wave of annoyance washed over me.

I'm so useless, won't my brother despise me?

"Are you afraid of me?" Shen Song suddenly asked.

Startled by the question, Shen Yue quickly shook her head: "No, I'm not afraid."

But he didn't look fearless at all.

Seeing this, Shen Song did not reprimand Shen Yue as before, but instead spoke in a gentler tone.

He lowered his voice and asked, "Big brother won't hurt you. Can you tell big brother why you're afraid of him?"

Shen Song's gentle words dispelled Shen Yue's defensiveness.

She stared blankly at the other person, and obediently said, "My cousin said you don't like me, that I'm stupid and have embarrassed you, and that I should stay away from you, otherwise I'll only annoy you more."

"It's Qi Mingyue again!" Chen Song clenched his fists.

She looked at Shen Yue with a hint of heartache in her eyes.

He had inquired about Shen Yue's life at the manor in the past few days and couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

He has always considered himself the eldest brother and hoped to protect his younger siblings.

Little did I know that they had been suffering in places I couldn't see.

If Qu Jingyun hadn't come back, who knows how much more injustice she would have suffered.

"You've had a hard time these past few days," Shen Song said quickly, reaching out to gently embrace Shen Yue. "It's all my fault, I've neglected you all too much."

Feeling the embrace of her long-lost elder brother, Shen Yue suddenly felt like crying.

"From now on, no one will be able to bully our general."

"Mmm." Shen Yue nodded in agreement.

After a long while, Shen Song finally released Shen Yue.

Seeing that Shen Yue hesitated, he said, "Say what you have to say. There's no need to be polite in front of me."

"Big brother, how are you and your wife doing?" Shen Yue finally mustered up the courage to ask.

Seeing that the other party was silent, she pressed on: "Your sister-in-law has sacrificed a lot for this family and is sincere to you. Now that you know Lin Qingping's true colors, you should know who is good to you."

Shen Yue tried to persuade him earnestly, and Shen Song immediately showed a bitter smile on his face.

"I haven't seen her for the past few days, and I'm too ashamed to see her. I don't know what to say to her."

A look of bewilderment crossed Chen Song's eyes.

He had been thinking a lot these past few days, especially about his past with Yin Xue.

The two were childhood sweethearts and had loving moments both before and after their marriage.

But who could have imagined that his good fortune would not last long? He was deceived and chose someone else, which even brought Yin Xue a lot of pain.

It's all his fault!

"I know what I'm doing, Yue'er, don't worry." Chen Song pulled her emotions away from her memories.

He was too ashamed to see Yin Xue!

Shen Yue saw all this and finally just let out a long sigh.

She saw Chen Song's pain, but was powerless to help.

"Miss, Qi Yun'er ran away from the west of the city with the money. Our men disguised themselves as robbers and stole the silver back. The three of them fled in a panic in the southwest. Should we continue to follow them?" Qu Jiu came in and reported.

Qu Jingyun responded knowingly and waved her hand.

"Ignore them, they're no threat."

After that, it's up to fate.

Qu Jiu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then turned and left.