Chapter 100 The Truth of That Year

The guards from the Marquis of Changning's residence rushed in to drag Zhang Wang away, but Hongxiu kicked them aside.

Shen Chu smiled faintly, "We haven't even asked about what happened back then yet, why is Mother in such a hurry? Anyone who doesn't know better would think you're covering something up."

Chen's face darkened. "What can I hide? Ah Chu, today is, after all, a disaster relief banquet, a banquet held to provide disaster relief for the people of Hanyang."

Your fate is merely a family matter. If you neglect state affairs for family matters, and the Empress Dowager and Empress blame you, can you bear the responsibility?

"Since it is disaster relief, it is best to have it led by a truly kind-hearted person."

"You unfilial son, are you mocking my hypocrisy?"

Chen Chu shrugged lightly. "I didn't say anything. If that's how you think, there's nothing I can do."

"You!" Madam Chen was furious and secretly gave Marquis Changning a wink.

Marquis Changning hesitated.

Although he was also curious about the truth behind Shen Chu's prediction back then, he wanted to do a good job of organizing the disaster relief banquet.

"Ah Chu, let's talk about fate later. Let's finish the disaster relief banquet first."

"What if I insist on asking clearly at this time?"

Marquis Changning's face darkened. "You are now an official of the court. You should consider the overall situation. How can you delay the important task of raising disaster relief supplies for a trivial matter?"

"A trivial matter?" Shen Chu's eyes stung with tears. "Back then, this person only said a few words, and you abandoned me in the Taoist temple for seventeen years."

In my father's eyes, was my seventeen years of living alone and miserable nothing at all?

Marquis Changning's eyes flickered slightly. "Those things are all in the past, aren't they? Now you're back, and you've even become a fifth-rank censor. A bright future awaits you. Why keep bringing up those things from the past?"

Shen Chu took a deep breath, her voice choked with emotion.

"Does a father really think that the suffering A-Chu endured over the past seventeen years can be erased with a simple 'it's all over'?"

"Does Father know what kind of life Ah Chu has been living for the past seventeen years?"

Marquis Changning dismissed the matter, saying, "Your family has sent servants to take care of you, and your aunt sends money over every month. How can you possibly suffer?"

Chen Chu chuckled, “Heh, so in Father’s eyes, having servants and sending money is enough to raise a child well?”

Without the love of her parents, how could the servants truly care about A-Chu? And how could the money they sent her be used for A-Chu's food, drink, and expenses?

Over the years, Achu has been eating cold leftovers and has never worn clothes that fit properly. Even a lowly Taoist priest in the temple dares to bully her, punching and kicking her.

They put mice and snakes in Achu's bed, lured her to the mountains where she nearly became wolf food, and even pushed her off a cliff.

Shen Chu looked up, suppressing the tears in her eyes, as if Ah Chu's words to her were reappearing before her eyes.

"I believe that one day, my parents will definitely come to take me home."

"Chuchu, my mother sends someone to deliver money every month. They must love me, right?"

"I must study hard and learn the rules, so that one day when I return to the capital, I cannot bring shame to the Marquis's mansion or my parents."

"Chuchu, I've already registered for the imperial examination. Once I achieve academic success, I'm sure I'll become the pride of the Marquis's mansion, and then they won't look down on me anymore, right?"

Ah Chu was full of hope, but in the end, all she got was an assassin and Liehuo.

The resilient and optimistic Ah Chu was burned by the fire and hit by a beam. Before he died, he kept saying that he hoped to return to his parents' side and that his aunt could be taken care of until her old age.

"After hearing all this, does Father still think that Achu has never suffered?"

Marquis Changning looked displeased. "You've been back at the manor for so long and you've never mentioned it. I always thought you were well taken care of at the Taoist temple."

"Oh, perhaps my father asked me one question?"

Marquis Changning was speechless.

Aunt Qiao, who had arrived at some unknown time, was crying her eyes out, repeatedly murmuring, "I'm sorry, Achu, it's all my fault. I didn't know you were being bullied, and I didn't know you were suffering so much."

Shen Chu rubbed her fingers together, but still couldn't hide the resentment in her heart.

"My seventeen years of loneliness and misery were all because of this fake Taoist priest's prophecy. Now that we've caught him, can't I ask him a few questions?"

Chen said, "I didn't say you couldn't ask. Now that I know he's a fake Taoist priest, I'm very angry."

But right now, important matters are at hand, and your father means you should ask him later.

Having said that, he tugged at the Marquis of Changning.

Marquis Changning came to his senses and said, "Yes, let's drag the person away first and ask questions after the banquet."

"Wait!"

Pei Yuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, "It's just a matter of interrogating someone, why is Lord Shen being so slow?"

"I am very curious about this fake Taoist priest. If Lord Shen is unable to interrogate him, how about I take him back to the Flying Eagle Guard for questioning?"

Chen's face paled, and a hint of panic rose in her eyes.

After the Sixth Prince spoke, Marquis Changning dared not obstruct Shen Chu any further.

Shen Chu hadn't expected Pei Yuan to speak up. Although he sounded disdainful, he had helped him, saving her the trouble of arguing with Marquis Changning and Madam Chen.

She looked at Zhang Wang coldly and said, "Tell me, how did you predict the fate of the eldest son of the Marquis's mansion back then?"

Remember, you only have one chance.

Zhang Wang, pinned to the ground by Hongxiu, was terrified by the presence of so many high-ranking officials and nobles, and hurriedly said:

“I’ll tell you everything. Seventeen years ago, I met a lover named Chunyan, who was a maidservant to the Lady of the Marquis’s household.”

One day, Chunyan came to me and said that the concubine in the Marquis's mansion had given birth to a boy. The lady was afraid that the eldest son would take away her son's position in the future, so she wanted to send the eldest son away.

As soon as I heard that, I knew an opportunity had come, so I helped to come up with a plan to have the lady create some minor incidents in the mansion.

For example, they might smear oil on the stairs the old lady walks on so she can slip and fall, or arrange for something to be stolen from the house, or for the old lady to suddenly fall ill—all sorts of chaotic accidents.

Then I'll spread rumors that the eldest son of a concubine has a bad fate. When the time is right, I'll pretend to be a master and go into the mansion to do some calculations. I'll then say that the eldest son of a concubine is a cursed star and must be sent to a Taoist temple to be raised. Moreover, he can never see his family again.

The old lady believed this wholeheartedly, and upon hearing my calculations, she immediately had her eldest son sent away.

Afterwards, the lady rewarded Chunyan with a house in the south of the city and gave me a large sum of money to leave the capital. However, I couldn't bear to leave the prosperity of the capital, so I continued to live in the house the lady had given Chunyan.

Upon hearing this, Madam Shen flew into a rage, "So it turns out that all those inexplicable things I did back then—first breaking my leg, then losing things, then falling ill—were all your doing!"

No, you too!

She glared at Chen Shi with a face full of resentment, "Chunyan is your trusted maid, huh? So it was all your conspiracy."

"Chen, you are so cruel! To harm a newborn baby like Achu, you actually colluded with outsiders to murder your mother-in-law!"

A flicker of panic crossed Chen's eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Mother, don't listen to his nonsense. I haven't done any of these things."

This beggar is crazy, I don't know him at all, so how can I take what he says seriously?

Who knows if Shen Chu found some people to slander me?