Chapter 525 Shen Wantang now has connections everywhere!

Shen Wantang nodded, her gaze becoming distant: "Yes, once the government finds out the truth, it will clear Shen Mingxuan's name. Since Shen Mingxuan didn't kill the person, she will naturally be released."

"Huh? She's really going to be released!"

Shen Wantang turned to look at Du Juan and asked softly, "What's wrong? You seem to really not want her to be released?"

Du Juan lowered her head: "This servant just feels that if she is released, she will inevitably cause trouble for you again and make things difficult for you. It's better for her to stay inside and be less of a worry. Your Highness, am I being too cynical?"

Shen Wantang laughed: "If you're considered 'dark,' then what am I? A great demon?"

"No, that's not true! The Crown Princess is just resourceful!"

Shen Wantang smiled even more happily. As expected of her maid, she was unconditionally on her side.

Her tone was confident: "Don't worry, even if she gets out of jail, she won't cause me any trouble."

Du Juan asked, puzzled, "Are you so sure? Have you found something on the young lady?"

"I don't need to get any dirt on her. Once she's out, someone will be more eager than me to deal with Shen Mingxuan."

Who is it?

"Liao Youhe".

As Shen Wantang spoke, she stood up and said, "Give me some clothes to change. Let's go to the prison again. We're just killing time anyway. There's something interesting going on over there. How can we not go and see?"

Du Juan and Qin Xin responded, helped her change her clothes, and accompanied her out the door.

The prison cell remained as dark and gloomy as ever.

But strangely, the wails and cries seemed to have subsided considerably today.

Shen Wantang was led inside by the jailer. Not far inside, she could already hear Shen Mingxuan and Qi Shi arguing.

Now Shen Wantang knew why the prisoners weren't howling like ghosts; they were just listening to the commotion!

Shen Wantang waved to the jailer, indicating that it was fine to take him here.

The jailer, having received a large sum of money from her, bowed and scraped and tactfully withdrew.

Shen Wantang wasn't in a hurry to move forward. She stood still, listening intently to the mother and daughter arguing.

"Xuanxuan, I am your mother. How can you not believe me but believe that outsider, Shen Wantang? I love you so much, protect you, and cherish you like the apple of my eye, and yet you bite me! Now that I've been arrested, are you satisfied?"

"Mother, stop giving me this nonsense. Just tell me, did you poison Liao Youhe's mother?"

"Of course not! I've told you many times, that old hag's death has nothing to do with me. Why would I poison her? What benefit would I get?"

"Hmph, the good thing is that it lets me go back to the Shen family from the Liao family! You've disliked that old hag for a long time, and you've said several times that you wanted to kill her. Don't think I don't know anything about it!"

Madam Qi screamed in fury: "You know? You know what you know! How much I've done for you, how much effort I've put in! All I wanted was for you to have a few good days, so I went to any lengths to plan everything for you, and this is how you repay me?!"

"So, Mother is admitting it? You really poisoned that old hag?"

"Shut up! It wasn't me! I did want to kill her before, but you're still her mother-in-law. If she dies, you'll have to observe mourning. It won't do you any good!"

"Who else could it be but you? Shen Wantang herself said it was you!"

"Shen Wantang doesn't know anything! She deliberately tried to sow discord between my daughter and me, and you actually fell for her trick?! Don't you have a brain?!"

"Fine, Shen Wantang doesn't know anything, but what about the officials? Don't they know anything either? They arrested you based on just one accusation from me? I don't believe it!"

"The government officials have all been bribed by Shen Wantang! Otherwise, why would my daughter and I have been arrested? This is all Shen Wantang's conspiracy. She might have killed that old hag and then framed us!"

Shen Mingxuan's voice was filled with anxiety and agitation: "I don't care who killed him, just take the blame and let me out first! I don't want to stay here for another second, or I'll die!"

Madam Qi was even more furious: "What about me? What will I do if you leave? If I confess and they really take me for the murderer, will I have a good ending? I'll die too!"

"No, if your mother didn't kill the person, the authorities will definitely release you. Besides, I'll pull some strings and plead for you while I'm out there. At most, you'll be locked up for a while and suffer a bit, but your life won't be in danger."

"Nonsense! Shen Mingxuan, how can you say such baseless things? Is this how you show filial piety to me?!"

Qi's voice was filled with resentment and disappointment: "Put in some strings for me? Plead for me? Can you? Would you?!"

"With your stupid brain, what connections do you think you can pull? Who can you ask to plead for you?"

"Do you think you're Shen Wantang, knowing the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice and becoming close friends with the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion? She even knows the Empress Dowager, who protects her at every turn and even took charge of dealing with her sister-in-law! She's practically all-powerful now!"

"And you? Who do you know?! You only know Liao Youhe! And Liao Youhe is a complete good-for-nothing. All he knows is how to live off women. He couldn't even pass the imperial examination!"

Listening to their heated argument from a short distance away, Shen Wantang couldn't help but nod in approval. It seemed that her plan to have someone promote her was quite effective!

The Empress Dowager certainly didn't protect her, and her punishment of Xiao Qingxi wasn't for her sake.

But who outsiders could possibly know exactly what's going on inside the Prince Ning's mansion?

In any case, outsiders will only see the Empress Dowager frequently leaving the palace to visit Prince Ning's residence, and they will only see Xiao Qingxi now looking disheveled and no longer daring to make a fuss.

With just a little manipulation, Shen Wantang could easily create the illusion that the Empress Dowager was protecting her and punishing Xiao Qingxi on her behalf.

She used this trick with great skill.

In her previous life, she had also created the illusion for herself that she was incredibly happy and deeply loved by her husband.

She even composed a folk song for this purpose, which she had the children in the streets and alleys sing. Every child who sang it received a copper coin.

The children were so enthusiastic, they wanted to sing it eight hundred times a day.

However, in her previous life, she did those things only to save face. She was too proud back then, unwilling to lose to her elder sister, and unwilling to be looked down upon by her father and mother. So even if there was only a little bit of affection, she would put on a show of it.

In this life, she created the illusion that the Empress Dowager was protecting her, but not for the sake of face; she did it to save her life.

While Shen Wantang was slightly distracted, Shen Mingxuan and Madam Qi were arguing louder and more intensely.

There's nothing else to it, but Shen Mingxuan hates it most when people say Liao Youhe is no good. It's as if saying Liao Youhe is no good means that her decision to marry him, which she was so desperate to do, was a huge joke.

She chose the wrong man in her past life, and if she chooses the wrong man again in this life, all her beliefs will collapse.