Chapter 68: The Power of Words to Distinguish the False from the True [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Ignoring the presence of Mr. Gu beside her, Shen Tang hurriedly asked Wu Ling, "Coffin? What coffin? When did this happen?"

The dancer was so frightened that she covered her head and trembled like a leaf.

Mr. Gu looked at Shen Tang with a deep gaze and asked the question that had been bothering him: "You don't know about what happened to you?"

Shen Tang replied irritably, "My house was raided."

"Steal a house? What do you mean by that?" Mr. Gu was not angry at her harsh words. Instead, he humbly asked for her explanation. This reaction was very unbelievable to those who knew Mr. Gu well.

"I have amnesia!"

Shen Tang's confession came as a complete surprise.

Seeing Mr. Gu's eyes widen slightly in astonishment, she laughed self-deprecatingly: "You're very surprised and shocked, aren't you? I've forgotten everything that happened before I was exiled! Even the 'brother-in-law' identity that Gong Yunchi mentioned was something he offered to me, and I just went along with it."

Mr. Gu was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting this to be the case.

After a long pause, he asked, "But—why?"

Shen Tang said, "Why? You want to ask me why I used a false identity? No reason! It's just that I didn't want to cause trouble for myself. But you all thought you were so clever! Besides, how would I know if the identity is real or fake? Maybe I really am his brother-in-law."

Mr. Gu pursed his lips and fell into deep thought.

At first, he thought he had unraveled the mystery and seen the truth, but as the dancer revealed more secrets, things became even more complicated.

Judging from Gong Cheng's reaction, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family had disappeared. He and Gong Shi were completely unaware of the matter and even less aware that the new bride had been replaced.

The Shen Lang before us has amnesia—let's believe his story for now—so what was Shen Lang's identity before?

Why did she resemble Madam Shen by six or seven points, and why was she used by Madam Shen as a substitute to marry into the Gong family?

Could it really be a male heir of the Shen family who was lost to the outside world? After all, it's not unfounded to say that noble families may appear respectable on the surface but are actually corrupt inside.

But if the two tribes hadn't encountered the barbarians and exile but instead successfully formed a marriage alliance, wouldn't the bride's identity have been discovered? This isn't marriage at all, it's enmity! It's not like a folk tale about a substitute bride; folk tales can have unexpected twists and turns, but in reality, there can be endless feuds.

In the blink of an eye, Mr. Gu had countless thoughts running through his mind.

Shen Tang had an even bigger headache than him.

She doesn't mind being a gossipmonger, nor does she mind getting involved in gossip herself, but she does mind not understanding the gossip that happens to her.

When people are agitated, they are prone to anger and loss of control. Having lost all patience, she resorted to violence, threatening the dancer in an attempt to force her to calm down and answer her questions. Naturally, this didn't work. At this moment, Mr. Gu gently patted her shoulder and said, "Let me down."

Shen Tang: "What can you find out?"

Mr. Gu said, "I have the means."

Word magic is a good thing.

Two hundred years of chaos have long been marked by the existence of ruthless officials who specialize in using the power of words to torture people and extract the truth from their mouths.

Unfortunately, he will.

In addition, there was his unpleasant "scholarly way," which was, in a sense, made for this profession, and no one could lie to him—except for Shen Lang by his side. This was the first time he had encountered someone who didn't use words of magic, but purely controlled his mind to prevent being spied on.

This undoubtedly requires strong self-control.

Shen Tang vacated the stage: "Okay, you can take over."

Mr. Gu pinched the dancer's chin with two fingers.

His seemingly withered and thin hands were surprisingly strong, and no matter how the latter struggled, he could not break free. He even left obvious finger marks, forcing the other party to look him in the eye: "With the balance in hand and the mirror on the stage, I can destroy evil and uphold righteousness, and distinguish truth from falsehood."

In short, it's about "distinguishing the true from the false".

Shen Tang frowned.

She had seen this incantation before with Qi Shan, but its effect was to tear through the enemy's defensive formation, allowing a clearer view of their movements. This Mr. Gu also used it, but its effect was to issue a message.

Indeed, the same words of power can be interpreted and used differently by different people, and the effects will naturally be different as well.

With the power of words activated, Mr. Gu was able to inquire with peace of mind.

When was the coffin delivered?

The dancer remained expressionless: "Half a month before the wedding."

"Is Shen Lang a descendant of the Shen family who lives outside the family?"

The dancer paused, then said in confusion, "I don't know."

Not knowing means not being sure.

Do you know where the coffin came from?

The dancer, of course, had no idea.

She recounted what the servants at the back gate had told her: "One night a very strange coffin was delivered."

Mr. Gu was patient: "Who delivered it?"

The dancer said, "Second Master Shen."

Mr. Gu then asked who Master Shen was.

Second Master Shen was the elder brother of Madam Shen's father. Unlike First Master Shen, who served in the government, Second Master Shen was a refined and romantic scholar obsessed with antiques. He spent his days leisurely engaging in philosophical discussions, drinking games by the stream, and traveling to scenic spots…

His words are so powerful that nine out of ten people can use them.

Shen Tang wasn't particularly concerned about the original owner's origins, but the truth revealed by the dancer was truly chilling—the original owner was brought to the Shen residence overnight by the antique-loving Second Master Shen, who was lying in a coffin. It was a strange coffin, which seemed bizarre no matter how you looked at it.

Mr. Gu was watching the drama unfold intently, muttering to himself, "Could it be that Shen Lang is actually Shen Er Ye's long-lost treasure? He's been keeping him away from home, but he brought him back because of health problems, and he just happened to fill the vacancy of Madam Shen and marry her off in her place?"

Shen Tang: "Mr. Gu likes to read folk tales?"

They seem to know all the clichéd plot points quite well.

Mr. Gu remained strangely silent for three breaths.

Shen Tang: "The Shen family is all dead, and there are no more people who know the truth. This dancer was just part of the dowry. How much of the truth could she possibly know?"

I doubt they were there to serve him personally.

Otherwise, it would be impossible not to know whether she is male or female.

Furthermore, how could a maidservant who truly serves closely know anything about dancing on a flower drum? Even if she learned it on the spot, she wouldn't have time to do so.

Perhaps she was originally a dancer kept in the Shen family.

Thinking of this, Shen Tang's brows twitched slightly.

What was caught?

She asked, "You serve Madam Shen personally?"

The dancer shook her head: "No."

Shen Tang said, "Tell me about your experience."

The dancer told the truth.

She was born into a lowly dance family and was sold at a young age. Before entering the Shen family mansion, she was taken by the head dancer to please a wealthy fellow villager and become his concubine. Unexpectedly, she had a son and a daughter, but the head wife of the family discovered this and sold her. She was then bought by the kind-hearted eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family and kept in her room to serve. Occasionally, she would perform dances and music for the nobles in the mansion and receive tips.

However, she was of low status and relatively old. Some said she was too old for a maid, while others said she was too young for a nanny, so she was always ostracized by the other maids.

Although they were said to serve in the room, it was really just sweeping and cleaning.

She never had the chance to serve tea and water or do Shen's hair and makeup; those tasks were done by the maids who had served her since childhood.

"Were the maids who served her personally included in her dowry?"

The dancer's answer was exactly what Shen Tang expected.

She said, "No."

The maids who accompanied the bride were all temporarily put together.

The personal maid was beaten to death for failing to serve her properly.

Shen Tang scoffed, "That's a ridiculous excuse."

So it turns out that Madam Shen's disappearance was premeditated; she even took her usual personal maid with her before she left.

The dancer shook her head: "It's not a lie, I was really beaten to death."

Shen Tang: "..."

(End of this chapter)