Chapter 104: Forced Confession

——In the past, the mansion was bustling with people coming and going, but today, at noon, the mansion was still eerily quiet. The maids and servants walked very lightly, for fear of making a mistake and displeasing their master.

Shen Anan got up early in the morning and stood in the yard. The fog was hazy until the sun completely shone down, slowly dispersing the thick fog.

A thin layer of water droplets also formed on her body.

Mo Xiang took the cloak and tied it on her. "Miss, you have been standing for an hour. It is cold outside. You should go back to the house."

"How are mother and grandmother?" She spoke for the third time, still saying the same thing.

"Everything is fine. Madam drank the tranquilizing soup yesterday and is still asleep now. The old lady has just woken up, so don't worry, young lady."

"Hmm." Her fingertips were very cold, almost without any temperature. Mo Ran took out a hand warmer and put it in her hands to warm them.

"Young lady." The gatekeeper ran in hurriedly.

Shen Anan, who was about to go back to the house, immediately turned back and asked anxiously, "But what news did the Fourth Prince send?"

The old woman was stunned for a moment, then shook her head. "A scholar came to the corner gate. He said he was an old acquaintance of the young lady and would be leaving Beijing soon. He had something to say to the young lady."

Shen Anan frowned and looked at Mo Xiang.

At this time, some old acquaintance would come to look for her.

"Did the visitor tell you his name?" Mo Xiang asked.

"I don't know his full name, but he said his last name is Zhang. He will be going to Jiangnan to take up his post the day after tomorrow, so I want to meet you."

"No, let him go." Shen Anan frowned and refused directly, then walked back to the house.

The old woman was still standing in the yard, and Mo Xiang urged her, "What are you standing there for? Didn't the young lady say she didn't want to see you? Why don't you go and reply?"

Only after the old woman left did Mo Xiang walk into the house.

The stove crackled in the house, warming up Shen Anan's frozen body little by little.

Mo Xiang went to the closet to get a set of dry clothes and helped her change into them. "At the beginning, the master said that Master Zhang stayed in the capital for so long, but now he suddenly wants to leave the capital."

The Shen family had been very busy these days and had no time to take care of him. Now that he suddenly left, it was probably because the officials in the Ministry of Personnel saw that his father was about to lose power and wanted to quickly distance themselves from him.

"That county was specially allocated to him by Xiao Yuan. I heard that it is very easy to make achievements in politics. It is a good thing for him to leave."

She was so worried now that she had no time to listen to his farewell and reminiscing about the past.

After everything was tidied up, Mo Ran replaced the hand warmer for her. Shen Anan couldn't sit still any longer, so she stood up and said, "Let's go sit in grandma's yard."

When she arrived, Old Madam Shen was having dinner. Seeing her coming, she waved and said, "You haven't eaten yet. Come, sit down and eat something."

She had no appetite, but she still accompanied the old lady to eat some.

"It's very cold in the morning, don't stay outside for too long, and take care of yourself." Old Madam Shen warned.

"I feel irritated, and staying outside can help me calm down," Shen Anan put down his chopsticks and took a long breath.

She felt uncomfortable with the powerlessness of being unable to help in anything, which made her feel that all her busy planning these days, and even her rebirth, were a joke.

Madam Shen patted her hands gently and said, "It's not a desperate situation yet, don't worry or be afraid."

She nodded.

At this time, all those old friends and father's friends kept their distance from them, and even the Lin family, with whom they were engaged, did not dare to have any contact with them. They could not count on anyone and could only save themselves.

"Grandmother, I want to go to the Fourth Prince's mansion to get some information."

"Okay," Old Madam Shen did not object. "Looking around the capital, the only one who can help us is the Fourth Prince. Go ask him. If it's difficult, don't force it. The Emperor is in his prime, so even the Fourth Prince has to hold back a little."

"Don't worry, grandma. Your granddaughter knows what's going on."

She stood up and left Anshou Hall, ordering Mo Xiang to prepare the carriage and prepare to go to the Fourth Prince's Mansion.

"Madam, can the eldest lady think of a way to find the Fourth Prince?" the maid beside the old lady asked worriedly.

The old lady shook her head, half-closed her eyes and said nothing.

The emperor is determined to deal with the Shen family. Unless they have a falling out, the fourth prince will only anger the emperor if he speaks out.

"Bring me my imperial robes."

"Madam." The nanny frowned, "I'm afraid the emperor won't see you at this time."

"Not now," Madam Shen looked out the window with her beautiful eyes, and said in a faint tone, "Let's wait a little longer."

——Shen Anan was welcomed by Qingan all the way into Xiao Yuan’s study.

The window frame was half open. Standing in the yard, one could see the straight back of the man in the study, who was writing something with his head down.

She had seen this scene countless times in her previous life.

The cold wind was so fierce that it penetrated into the cracks between people's bones. Shen Anan gathered his cloak and was about to walk in when he unexpectedly met the man's gaze who turned his head to look at him.

Frowning, he put down his pen and ink, then immediately stood up and walked out.

Shen Anan stood still in the yard, trying to suppress the sadness in her heart, but still snorted, "Last night, my father and eldest brother were taken away by Zhou Yunfeng."

Xiao Yuan's heart trembled, and he pursed his thin lips tightly. He walked over to block most of the cold wind for her, and said softly, "I know, I have sent people to keep an eye on them. Lord Shen and Master Shen will not be in danger of their lives for the time being."

temporary? In other words, everything is fine now, but I don’t know what will happen in the future.

"Can't you save them?" She looked up, her clear almond-shaped eyes unconsciously becoming moist.

He felt a slight pain in his heart and raised his hand to wipe the mist off her eyelashes, but then he curled his fingers and finally took them back.

"It's cold outside, let's go inside first."

Without being told, Qing'an immediately closed the window and went to prepare the heater and move it into the study.

She sat by the fireplace for a long time before her body gradually warmed up.

Xiao Yuan looked away from her trembling fingertips and said softly, "The emperor claimed to be ill and skipped the morning court for the past two days. Now no one can see him. The case of Concubine Ning has been handed over to the second prince for trial."

He said that it was to comfort the Second Prince for the loss of his mother, but in fact he was afraid that if it was handed over to others, they would not be able to control him and the Shen family. If there was one person in the capital who most wanted the Shen family to fall, it would definitely be Xiao Ze.

Your Majesty, you want to put the Shen family to death! ! ! !

Shen Anan breathed a sigh of relief. Now was not the time to feel uncomfortable. She forced herself to stay alert and asked, "Where is Concubine Ning's body? And the case file, can I take a look?"

"Okay." Xiao Yuan pulled out a few documents from the table and handed them to her. "These were delivered yesterday. I've read them. There are witnesses and evidence. We have... met the conditions for a final decision."

Shen Anan flipped through the files and her eyes suddenly fixed on the murder weapon, which was a hairpin with a very sharp end. The file described that it had directly pierced Concubine Ning's neck.

"No matter how stupid Concubine Shen is, she would never use her hairpin to kill someone. Isn't this just courting death?"

Xiao Yuan nodded, his eyes moving away from her little face, "I also suspect it's a frame-up, but... Concubine Shen has already confessed. I sent someone to see her secretly, but she refused to say anything."

Concubine Shen admitted it, and this case was almost certain to be punishable by death. After all, Concubine Ning gave birth to the second prince, so it was possible that three clans would be implicated.

There is almost no possibility that my father and elder brother will get out. Now they are just waiting for orders from their superiors to determine their guilt.

"She's crazy. She poisoned the concubine who was pregnant with the royal heir, and she admitted it?" Shen Anan couldn't believe it.

Although there was a heater right next to her, she felt as if she was in a snowy place, with cold hands and feet and a pale red hue.

Her eyes were red and looked like they would break at any moment.

"Don't worry. I said that nothing will happen to the Shen family. If it comes to that, I will arrange for someone to send them out of the capital."

Shen Anan frowned slightly and shook her head slightly, “No, the emperor will not let you go.”

Xiao Yuan's cold eyes slowly warmed up, and he pursed his lips slightly, "Don't worry, I know my limits."

"Master." Qingfeng pushed open the study door and walked in in a panic, "Something happened."

Xiao Yuan glanced at Shen Anan, without avoiding her, "Speak."

Qingfeng lowered his head slightly. "The Ministry of War has received news that Concubine Shen has signed a confession of guilt, and Zhou Yunfeng has tortured Lord Shen and Master Shen, apparently intending to force them to confess."

Shen Anan stood up in an instant, her knees hitting the bottom of the desk with a loud noise, but there was no pain on her face, only a pale look.

"Don't worry." He walked out from behind the desk and stood beside Shen Anan.

"Even if you force a confession under torture, there must be a charge. What charge do they want to put on Lord Shen?" He said in a cold tone.

Qingfeng glanced at Shen Anan before continuing, “They wanted to frame Lord Shen as the mastermind behind Concubine Shen’s murder of Concubine Ning. Lord Shen refused to admit it, and I heard…he suffered a lot.”

Concubine Shen's murder of Concubine Ning could be due to competition for favor and jealousy between women, but if it was the Shen family who was the mastermind, then it was forming a clique for personal gain and disrupting the government, and their death did not deserve a pity.

The Shen family cannot admit it. If they do, it will be a serious crime of confiscating their property and exterminating the entire clan.

The second prince really stopped at nothing to get rid of the Shen family.

Shen Anan's steps were a little shaky, and she could hardly stand. "They can't be in trouble. I've already hurt them once, and I can't watch them get into trouble again."

She put her hand to her lips, trying to suppress her panic, calm herself down and think of a solution.

"The emperor's intention is clear. I'm afraid no other official will dare to stand up and speak for the Shen family at this time. What should I do?"

The Second Prince is cruel and ruthless. Even a strong man would not be able to withstand it in their hands. Besides, my father is old and can't withstand some torture.

"An'an." A warm hand suddenly covered her shoulder. Shen An'an seemed to have grasped the last straw. "Xiao Yuan, please save my father and brother. I know you have the ability. Please save them."

She cried in a panic, not knowing what to do. She didn't even know what she said.

She only remembered that at this time in her previous life, Xiao Yuan already held great power in the court and was able to call the shots.

"I'll find a way, don't panic."

She raised her head, her misty almond-shaped eyes looking at Xiao Yuan's stern face. The few beams of light that came in fell on him, as if he was covered with a layer of fluorescence.

She forgot that in this life, Xiao Yuan had repeatedly lost the opportunity to overthrow the Second Prince because of saving her and the Shen family, and was even feared by the emperor, so his ability was very limited.

Her face grew paler and paler, and the deep powerlessness she felt almost drove her crazy.

Is she working in the wrong direction? Why, the current trajectory is even more terrifying than the previous life.

"Please sit down first." Xiao Yuan helped her sit down and poured her a cup of tea. The faint fragrance of flowers immediately filled the room.

It’s just that Shen Anan was so distracted at the moment that she didn’t notice it.

She held the hot tea, her fingertips were trembling. Xiao Yuan stroked her back silently and gently. Her body was stiff and she didn't even notice the intimacy between them. Her brain almost lost the ability to think.

She couldn't panic, she couldn't panic, Shen Anan repeated it over and over in her heart, trying her best to calm her mind.

"Yes, Concubine Shen," she suddenly came back to her senses and looked up at Xiao Yuan, "The reason they tortured my father and brother was because of the confession Concubine Shen accepted. If Concubine Ning was not killed by Concubine Shen, then is there a chance for this matter to turn around?"

Xiao Yuan frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, "If Concubine Shen has not confessed her guilt, I can try to take a chance with Xiao Ze."

But the key to the problem was that Concubine Shen refused to speak. He had already sent people there, but she gritted her teeth and said nothing.

He pulled up a chair and sat down opposite her, leaning forward slightly.

"Now the emperor is on Xiao Ze's side, and Concubine Shen has pleaded guilty. We have all the evidence. Strictly speaking, they can be convicted and sentenced. They have dragged it on until now, but they still want to drag the Shen family down completely and give them no chance to turn things around."

"Our only breakthrough is Concubine Shen."

"I understand." Shen Anan nodded vigorously.

If Concubine Shen pleads guilty, no one else can interfere. All of Xiao Yuan's actions will be unjustified, and the emperor and court officials will not allow it. However, if there is any dispute, it can be overturned and re-investigated.

At least it can delay for a while. The most important thing is that my father and brother must not continue to stay in Zhou Yunfeng's hands.

"I want to see Concubine Shen, do you have any solution?"

Xiao Yuan raised his eyes and glanced out the window, then said softly, "Okay, but we have to wait until after dark."

"Okay." She suppressed her excitement and whispered, "But I'm afraid I can't stand her. I want to bring my grandmother with me. She knows Concubine Shen well, and maybe she will find something."

"Okay."

Xiao Yuan stood up and left the study, gave a few instructions to Qing'an outside, and then returned after a while.

"You and Madam Shen should pack up and choose some darker clothes. I will take you to see her later in the night."

Shen Anan stood up immediately, her clear almond eyes wandering, "You... that place is Zhou Yunfeng's territory after all, will it be dangerous for you to go there?"

If he extends his hand into the Second Prince's territory, can he get away with it unscathed? Will he suffer any losses like when he was in the Second Prince's residence?

Whether it is the prince or the officials with different political views, they will place spies in the other camp. Once they are used, this chess piece will be useless.

Xiao Yuan raised his lips slightly, and said gently, "Don't worry, this is just a small thing, it's nothing to me."

In the past, he would have certainly teased her, but today, looking at her red eyes, he just couldn't bear it.

"I have someone prepare dinner. I will take you home after dinner."

"I……"

"For some details, I still need to talk to Old Madam Shen in person. There will be rules when she talks to Concubine Shen."

Xiao Yuan spoke up to stop her from refusing, and his reason was irrefutable.