Chapter 45 Witness, Lord Mu, have you remembered everything? ...

*

Clang

The comb, porcelain bottle, and other items on the dressing table were swept to the ground. Yu Qingxue covered her face with her hands, staring incredulously at the ugly person in the mirror with a swollen face and scattered marks on it.

"My face, my face..."

What she was most proud of was her face. After she arrived in the capital, Shen Linlang took her to and from various prestigious families. What she heard most often was people praising her for her good looks. There were also many young men who admired her beauty and privately called her Jade Lady.

"Quick, give me the thing!"

Mother Qin knew what she wanted, and quickly took out the box.

She rummaged through the rouge and powder, haphazardly applying it to her face, but instead of enhancing her beauty as usual, it made her look even more terrifying.

"Madam, once the swelling on your face subsides, you will surely be the same as before."

Qin's mother's words did not comfort her; she continued to frantically rub herself, finally letting out a scream, throwing what she was holding away, and pointing at her reflection in the mirror, "This isn't me, this isn't me..."

The door was pushed open from the outside, and Yu Liuzhu walked in with a cold face, her gaze filled with undisguised disdain.

She immediately covered her face, trying to hide herself.

Yu Liuzhu gave a look, signaling Qin Mama and Dengzhi to step outside.

Qin's mother looked worried and hesitated, "Miss, Madam has suffered so much, it's understandable that she's upset, you..."

"I came here to persuade her."

Upon hearing Yu Liuzhu's words and seeing that Yu Qingxue did not object, Qin Mama hesitated for a moment before having no choice but to leave.

Dengzhi closed the door, leaving only the mother and daughter inside.

Yu Liuzhu bent down and picked up a piece of snail-shell ink, rubbing it between her fingertips a few times. "This kind of bluebird's head can only be sold at the Western Regions goods shop in the horse market. It's rare and expensive. You've been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures for many years, yet you haven't forgotten these worldly things. I don't see you using them on a regular basis. Who are you showing them off to in private?"

“A woman dresses up carefully so that men can see her.” Yu Qingxue said, her eyes suddenly flashing with a strange light. “When those young men see me, they can’t take their eyes off me. With my looks, I could have been a person of high status, but I was suppressed by your mother and hastily married off by your grandmother.”

At this point, the radiance gradually darkened, turning into resentment.

"Tang'er, I did all this for you!" She dared not touch her own face, not only because she was frightened by her appearance, but also because of the pain.

"For me?" Yu Liuzhu smiled. "I asked you last time, what have you accomplished? Don't talk about how much you've done, in my eyes it's all been useless."

"Tang'er, how could you say that to me?" Yu Qingxue shook her head desperately, not knowing whether she didn't want to see herself like this, or she didn't want to see Yu Liuzhu like this. "My life is ruined, but you can't! Listen to your mother, you must not let that wicked child succeed no matter what. They owe us, and they must pay it back!"

She didn't see the look Yu Liuzhu gave her in return, a look of utter disdain that seemed to mock her.

"I don't need you to teach me how to do things. If you really care about me, you'll know what I'm thinking and you should know what to do."

"Tang'er?" She was surprised, then delighted. "The way you speak is just like someone of high status."

Just then, Xu Mama's voice came from outside. Qin Mama seemed a little flustered, and her reply was somewhat incoherent, "My mistress... is here, she's here, but it's a little inconvenient for her, please wait a moment..."

"It's alright. Where does Miss Tang'er live? Let me pay my respects to her first."

“Miss Tang’er…”

Before Qin's mother could finish speaking, Yu Liuzhu lifted the curtain and came out.

Xu Mama still maintained some of her previous respect for Yu Liuzhu, saying, "Miss Tang'er is here too, that's wonderful."

She briefly explained the situation, then said with some emotion, "We've all seen how much my eldest aunt has doted on Miss Tang'er over the years. My general and his wife treat you, Miss Tang'er, as their own daughter, far better than the fourth young master. But fate has played a cruel trick on us, and some things have to be confronted face to face."

As luck would have it, the Ninth Master of the Marquis of Yongyi's residence happened to be a guest at our mansion, and my general kept him here as a witness. If Miss Tang'er is willing, please help us persuade your mother.”

“My mother loves me, and my uncle and aunt love me too. How could I forget their kindness? Now that things have come to this, I can only try my best to calm their anger. You wait here, I will go and persuade my aunt.”

After Yu Liuzhu finished speaking, she lifted the curtain and went into the room.

"Old sister, are you sure we don't need to go in?" an old woman asked Xu Mama.

Granny Xu shook her head, "Let's wait and see."

Two cousins, one real and one fake.

Before, when there was no real one, she felt that the fake one was not only well-behaved but also sensible. Now that there is a real one, she doesn't know if it's just prejudice, but she feels that the fake one is not only fake in person, but also in temperament and character.

That's strange.

After an incense stick had burned, Yu Liuzhu helped Yu Qingxue, whose face was covered by a veil, out.

"This Tang'er girl is quite sensible. She knows not to make things difficult for our general and his wife, and she actually helped persuade her own mother to come out," another old woman muttered quietly.

Xu Mama seemed lost in thought, and when she heard Yu Liuzhu say that she wanted to go with them, she had an indescribable feeling.

Without any delay, the group headed straight for the General's Mansion.

Upon seeing this, the servants of the General's Mansion all made way for her, while many of them cast discreet and strange glances at Yu Liuzhu.

My past life in the Marquis's mansion seemed to be repeating itself.

Yu Liuzhu stood up straight, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

Meanwhile, Granny Xu, who was walking behind, quietly fell a distance behind and was talking to Shen Qinglu, who had arrived at some unknown time.

"Why is Sister Tang'er here?"

After explaining the situation, Granny Xu said, "Miss Tang'er didn't let us in, so we waited outside. I suppose she was worried about her own mother, so she came along too."

"It really is a case of mother and daughter being of one mind," Shen Qinglu said meaningfully, then smiled slightly.

The lotus-like face and pear blossom makeup are not only bright and beautiful, but also show a touch of purity that is untouched by the world. The red and white colors complement each other, making it most captivating.

Granny Xu, however, seemed to be seeing things, managing to spot the black stamens amidst the pear blossom makeup.

*

The atmosphere inside the main hall was not good.

Mu Hanshi was not there, nor was Shen Kunyao.

Between Shen Linlang and Yu Zhiheng, Gu Ruxu stood as a barrier. With Gu Ruxu present, they barely spoke, even though one of them clearly had a lot to say.

This aunt must have done it on purpose!

Yu Zhiheng thought to himself.

When the servants from the front courtyard came to report that the people had entered the mansion, Gu Ruxu immediately ordered someone to bring Shen Kunyao and Mu Hanshi back.

Before they arrived, Yu Liuzhu and Yu Qingxue had already arrived.

"Qingxue, your face..." Yu Zhiheng exclaimed, looking at Yu Qingxue, who was wearing a veil, in shock.

Even with the lower half of Yu Qingxue's face covered, the shocking redness, swelling, and scratches were still visible.

When he mentioned his face, Yu Qingxue instinctively wanted to cover it. At the same time, her eyes, unable to hide her hatred and fear, involuntarily turned to look at Shen Linlang and Gu Ruxu.

Gu Ruxu raised an eyebrow and asked her sister-in-law with a hint of relief, "How did she get the injury on her face?"

Shen Linlang nodded slightly to indicate that it was her, and then quietly explained why she did it.

"That vicious woman!" Gu Ruxu said hatefully, "It seems I went too easy on her."

Her sharp, piercing gaze fell upon Yu Qingxue, who shuddered in fright. Her already aching face seemed to ache even more, and she wished she could cover her face and run away.

The moment she moved, Yu Liuzhu immediately supported her.

It was said to be helping, but in reality it was to stop her, to prevent her from deserting at the last minute.

She clenched her fists, bit her lip, and looked at Yu Zhiheng with resentment, "Brother, what exactly did you say to them? The matter is over, and Mother has already admitted that she switched the child. Why do we still need a confrontation? If it really is a confrontation, why didn't you go to Mother, but instead brought me here?"

"Qingxue, your mother has always loved you dearly, you can't be unfilial." Yu Zhiheng no longer cared about the injury on her face, and kept giving her subtle hints with his eyes, "Think about how your mother has protected us since we were little. You can't put her in an unjust position for your own selfish reasons. If you insist on going your own way, I can't protect you either."

That last sentence was tantamount to a threat.

Yu Qingxue was filled with great hatred.

It's always been like this. Whenever something happens, whether it's their mother or their eldest brother, the first person they abandon is her.

"Brother, it was Mother who did it; I knew nothing about it..."

"You, Yu Qingxue, still claim you didn't know? If you didn't know Ali wasn't your biological daughter, how could you be so heartless as to hurt her? Under the guise of applying medicine, you actually used a hairpin to poke her wound. You truly have the heart of a snake!"

Gu Ruxu slammed her hand on the table, took a few steps to her, and glared at her relentlessly, as if she wanted to pierce her with her eyes.

She shrank back, not daring to meet his gaze.

The room was filled with a stifling atmosphere, like the smell of mud rising from the walls, making it hard to breathe.

Shen Qinglu lowered her eyebrows slightly, constantly stroking her other wrist with one hand, feeling the cold hardness of the quiver beneath the sleeve, just like her current state of mind.

It was cold and hard.

In her slightly lowered gaze, a snow-white hem fluttered past, accompanied by the scent of bamboo. Her heart grew colder, and a mocking smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Yu Qingxue cried out in grievance, her voice trembling with sobs, "Sister-in-law Chen, you are not me, how can you know my suffering? My whole life is ruined, my only hope is my child. Do you know what kind of expectations I have for her? But she is an imbecile. I have nowhere to vent my bitterness, and when I am overwhelmed with grief, I wish I could die with my child in my arms!"

You probably haven't seen how families who have children with intellectual disabilities treat them, have you? Forget beatings, they drown them, throw them to the ground, or let them starve to death—it's commonplace!

These heart-wrenching words, each uttered with tears, truly tell a story.

As for the families she mentioned, it wasn't all because they couldn't afford to raise their children; some simply killed their mentally challenged children out of shame.

From this perspective, whatever she did to the original owner—whether it was hitting, scolding, or almost drowning—seems to be justifiable.

The complexity of human nature is the source of much suffering in the world.

The midwife from back then is dead, and Xie has taken the blame for everything. If she denies it to the death, and there are no witnesses or physical evidence, even if Shen Qinglu herself testifies, she cannot be convicted.

Qin Mama, who was beside her, also knelt on the ground. "After giving birth, Madam was so exhausted that she fainted, and I was the only one who took care of her. The old lady decided to switch the babies and strictly forbade me to tell anyone. I was afraid of the old lady and dared not utter a word all these years. I deserve to die..."

The two women, mistress and servant, were of one mind and knew how to fill in the gaps, leaving no room for further investigation or accountability, and shifting all the blame onto Xie.

Yu Zhiheng was furious, his face turned ashen, but he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal.

"What else do you have to say?" Shen Kunyao asked him. "That's your mother. We're not going to report it to the authorities because of you. You just said you wanted to give Linlang and Ali justice. So let me ask you, how do you plan to handle this?"

What else can Yu Zhiheng do?

He was filled with hatred and resentment, hating his sister for being so unreasonable and his wife for being so inconsiderate. "I...I'll have someone send her back to her hometown right away, and she's not allowed to return to Beijing..."

"That's it?" Gu Ruxu almost laughed out of anger. "Brother-in-law, do you think we're all dead?"

"Then what do you want?" Yu Zhiheng clenched his fists. "That's my own mother, the children's own grandmother. Are you going to kill her, make me an unfilial son, and let the children bear the name of bullying their elders before you're satisfied?"

The word "filial piety" seems to cover everything up.

Xie must have known this outcome, which is why she took the blame for the whole thing.

Shen Qinglu glanced at the person seated at the head of the table. He seemed to be in the midst of worldly affairs, yet he could remain detached from them, so aloof and indifferent, so cold and icy.

Besides her, Yu Liuzhu's gaze was also there.

Yu Liuzhu's face was bare, without any makeup, and her green dress made her complexion look even worse. In addition to her obvious sickly appearance, she also looked visibly haggard.

Those eyes, suppressing their emotions, held thoughts they couldn't hide.

"With Lord Mu as my witness, may I say a few words?"

This is truly treating the Shen family as if they were dead!

Shen Qinglu sneered inwardly, but feigned incomprehension. "Sister Tang'er, Lord Mu can't make the decision. Why are you asking him? Shouldn't you ask my mother, my uncle, and my aunt?"

Shen Kunyao and Gu Ruxu exchanged a glance, their eyes unfathomable.

Shen Linlang, however, had a complicated expression and frowned.

“Sister Ali, you misunderstood me. I just thought that he was someone my uncle invited, someone that my uncle and aunt trusted and valued, so I asked him first.”

"I don't know much, so whatever Sister Tang'er says goes." Shen Qinglu said, glancing at Mu Hanshi with her dark, night-like eyes.

Mu Hanshi happened to be looking at her too. Their eyes met, and there was an undercurrent that no one else could detect, like ice and fire meeting, so incompatible.

Under Mu Hanshi's calm gaze, she casually raised her hand, triggering the mechanism of the hidden arrow. With a "whoosh," the arrow passed between Yu Qingxue and Yu Liuzhu and embedded itself in the pillar behind them.

Yu Qingxue clutched her head and screamed.

"I'm sorry, my hand slipped just now." Shen Qinglu said without the slightest remorse, her dark eyes like an endless darkness that inspired fear in those who looked at her.

Shen Kunyao thought to himself that this child was quite bold. He turned to Mu Hanshi and apologized, "Lord Mu, please don't be offended. When a child gets a new toy, he is naturally curious and wants to play with it."

Mu Hanshi remained unmoved, calm and silent with no expression, only a faint ripple passing through his deep, still eyes.

Yu Liuzhu's face was pale, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Mother, Uncle, Aunt, I know you also have some complaints about my aunt. She also feels guilty and would like to send my grandmother back to her hometown and serve her."

Even if they are in-laws, they are still family. Even if Shen Kunyao, who holds military power, can't do anything to Xie Shi and Yu Qingxue, it's better to just ignore them.

"Linlang, what do you think?" Gu Ruxu asked Shen Linlang.

Shen Linlang sighed, "Otherwise..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Qinglu interrupted, "Mother, Aunt, I don't think it's appropriate. Grandmother is getting old, and Tang'er's mother isn't reliable either. What if the fire happens again?"

"Sister Ali, you can't just say things like that," Yu Liuzhu quickly reprimanded.

"Can Sister Tang'er guarantee that something like that won't happen again? If something really happens to Grandmother and your mother, you'll only have my mother to rely on. My mother definitely won't abandon you, right?"

Gu Ruxu was incredibly shrewd. She immediately realized something and her expression hardened. "Ali is right. I doubt my brother-in-law would feel at ease either."

Yu Zhiheng looked at this and then at that, unsure of what to say.

“Aunt, Tang’er has a suggestion, but I don’t know if I should say it?” Yu Liuzhu took a deep breath and said.

"Tell me about it," Gu Ruxu said, his gaze towards her now quite different from before.

“I’ve heard my aunt mention before that there’s a nunnery called Shansi Nunnery outside the capital, where people who have committed sins live. Why don’t we send my grandmother there so that she can repent for her sins and accumulate more good karma?”

The Shansi Nunnery she mentioned was originally the family nunnery of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

At the beginning of the Daye Dynasty, there were four great dukes, with the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion at the head. For families that rose to power through military means, bloodshed and sacrifice were commonplace, with the elderly burying their children and creating generations of widows.

That family nunnery was originally a place for the widows of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to recuperate. But from some point onwards, people began to send their own women who had committed crimes there for rehabilitation, and over time it became a place for the discipline of criminal women in the capital.

Sending people there would be a good place.

"Aunt, I wonder what became of those who were sent to the nunnery? Did any of them truly repent and be reborn, living to a ripe old age?"

Shen Qinglu's words were like a thunderclap.

Gu Ruxu's breath hitched, and her heart turned cold. "Everyone I know who was sent to the nunnery repented within two years and was freed from their sins."

So-called liberation is death.

"What is liberation?" Shen Qinglu asked knowingly.

"Sister Ali, liberation is death," Shen Changting whispered to her.

She seemed startled, and after a long pause, she asked, "Sister Tang'er, why do you want Grandmother to die?"

Yu Liuzhu met her unfathomable gaze, and the astonishment in his heart was beyond anyone's comprehension.

Could someone who should have died but didn't, be like myself...?

No.

My cousin used to be mentally challenged, so it's impossible for her to be blessed by God. I must be overthinking things!

“No, I just wanted my grandmother to have a good place to go… I didn’t know that the people in that nunnery didn’t live long. I thought it was a good place, I…” Yu Liuzhu explained, but suddenly saw the mockery in Shen Qinglu’s eyes. All her words were stuck in her throat, unable to go up or down.

Shen Qinglu rushed to Shen Linlang, pleading through tears, "Mother, please don't send Grandmother away, okay? If you really don't want to see her, let her live in Jingxin Courtyard with Sister Tang'er and Sister Tang'er's mother, okay?"

"Ah Li, is that really what you think?" Shen Linlang asked her.

“I don’t want to hate my grandmother. She is my father’s mother. I know my mother doesn’t want to put my father in a difficult position either. Our family has finally reunited. Let’s not separate, okay?”

Shen Kunyao frowned, thinking to himself that his nephew was far too simple-minded and kind-hearted. He was about to say something when Gu Ruxu stopped him with a look.

“Ali is the one who suffered in this matter, so she can do whatever she wants with her.”

"You..." After being married for many years, Shen Kunyao knew her best. This was the first time he had ever seen her take things so seriously and then put them down so easily.

"I believe in Ali."

This one sentence alone made Shen Kunyao glance at Shen Qinglu several times.

With tears welling in her eyes, Shen Qinglu looked at Yu Zhiheng, "Father, I don't want to put you in a difficult position, and you shouldn't put my mother in a difficult position either. From now on, you can take care of Grandmother yourself, okay?"

Yu Zhiheng's heart was in turmoil. When she suggested not sending Xie Shi away, she didn't utter a single objection, only thinking that her own flesh and blood were still her own flesh and blood.

"Good child, I promise you..."

Her eyes were brimming with tears, her dark, jade-like pupils swirling as if urging the wheel of fate to stop at Mu Hanshi. "Lord Mu, you are a witness to what happened today. Have you remembered everything?"