Chapter 20 It was the son's momentary vanity that led him to this situation.
The strange event that has been the subject of much discussion in the capital has an impact on the Shi family that goes far beyond simply losing some money and attracting some criticism.
When Shi Qingchen presented these extraordinary remedies for curing diseases and saving lives, although the cost of the medicine was exorbitant, everyone was still very grateful for his kindness.
But now, the girl from Yunxi has produced the same prescription and sold it to the people at an extremely low price. The people's gratitude towards Shi Qingchen has immediately turned into hatred and contempt, after all, the price difference is more than ten times.
Now, throughout the entire city of Kyoto, whether in teahouses, restaurants, streets, or alleys, people are cursing and despising Shi Qingchen, accusing him of stealing Yunxi's recipe and calling him utterly shameless.
Of course, this public opinion is definitely being guided by Yunxi's people. After all, this kind of reputation is what a hypocrite deserves.
The dispute over who stole whose prescription has been going on in Kyoto for more than ten days, but so far neither side has produced any strong evidence to prove that the prescription belongs to them.
However, the people who actually benefited from it had already tipped their scales in favor of Yunxi.
They all believed that the person who could create so many life-saving remedies must be a noble person who is compassionate towards all living beings and has pity on suffering.
They would never be like the Shi family, constantly exploiting these formulas to greedily reap huge profits.
However, Gu Nanxiao's price reduction at his ice shop caused great dissatisfaction among the officials, gentry, and wealthy people in the capital towards the Shi family.
They thought the ice they bought from the Shi family was cheap and a good deal, but they didn't expect that the cost of making ice was even lower than they imagined, so much so that even if the selling price was cut in half, the ice shop could still make a profit.
They were already extremely envious of the Shi family's ice shop business, and now they felt even more resentful. They felt that over the past few years, the Shi family had unjustly swindled them out of a lot of money, making them feel like suckers for a long time.
The discontent and resentment of officials, gentry, and common people were not the most fatal flaw. What made the Shi family even more uneasy was the emperor's overt and covert warnings in court.
The Emperor suspected Shi Qingchen of deceiving the Emperor and questioned all of his proposed policies for governing the country, the system for appointing and dismissing officials, and the regulations for amending the law. The Emperor even felt that those sound policies for governing the country might not have originated from him.
Moreover, after Gu Nanxiao presented the iron smelting formula in the name of Miss Yunxi, he became even more suspicious that the Shi family had some other amazing formulas that they had not presented to the court.
After the tide receded, the Grand Secretary summoned Shi Qingchen to his study alone, dismissed all the servants, and ordered the guards to guard the courtyard.
The Grand Secretary, his eyes bloodshot, glared angrily at Shi Qingchen, then raised his hand and slapped him hard across the face. He then shouted angrily:
"You good-for-nothing illegitimate son, you have never told the truth from beginning to end. If the formula you invented really came from your mind, how could it have spread outside?"
And what about Yunxi, who was burned to death? If she truly possessed unparalleled talent, why didn't you tell your father sooner? Such an extraordinary woman should have been protected properly; why let her perish in the flames?
Upon hearing this, Shi Qingchen looked up in surprise, only to see his father's expression. A wave of overwhelming regret washed over him, as if it were drowning him.
It turns out that what he thought was protection, what he thought was the best way out for Yunxi, was actually the main reason for her death.
He never imagined that his father wasn't so fixated on social status. On the contrary, he himself had always believed that Yunxi was an orphan of unknown origin and would never be accepted by the family.
If he had known this would happen, how could he have been willing to let Lin Yunxi endure the humiliation of writing a confession and signing a contract of servitude?
So much so that when Yunxi looked at him one last time before she died, it was filled with hatred.
Before hearing what his father said, Shi Qingchen always felt that he was the best person for Yunxi, but he just used the wrong method.
However, class division, social status, and the father's rigidity were the real culprits in killing Yunxi.
But now, everything has turned out the other way around. The father's rigidity is not so strong, the concept of social class can be broken, and class division can be compensated for with talent.
In the end, the person who killed Yunxi was none other than him, who had a far-reaching scheme in the name of love.
Shi Qingchen could no longer hear what his father was saying; he simply listened to the admonitions with a numb expression.
Finally, when the Grand Secretary, exhausted from his tirade, stopped panting heavily, he came to his senses, slowly knelt on the ground, and earnestly confessed:
"It was the son's momentary vanity that led him to attribute other people's achievements to himself. But the son did not intend to deceive his father; he simply longed for his father's approval and affection."
Although the Prime Minister already had a conclusion in his mind, he was still so angry after hearing him admit it that it felt like a huge rock was stuck in his chest.
Looking at Shi Qingchen kneeling before him now, he only felt that he was timid and utterly useless. But unwilling to admit that he had misjudged him, he persistently pressed on, asking:
"Are none of those prescriptions and strategies really your work?"
Shi Qingchen's expression flickered; he knew that if he told the truth, he would be completely despised by his father. So he could only continue to lie, forcing himself to continue:
"Father, to be precise, many things were discussed by Miss Yun and me. Especially those policy discussions and laws, how could she, a mere woman, possibly understand them?"
These words finally softened the Prime Minister's expression, and he deeply agreed with Shi Qingchen's reasoning. It was somewhat plausible that a wild girl from who-knows-where could come up with some unorthodox secret recipes.
But he felt it was completely impossible for her to have such far-sighted insights into important political affairs.
In this light, his son is indeed qualified to be the young master of the family. After all, any one of his essays could easily surpass the work of many talented young people in the current dynasty.
Thinking of this, the Grand Secretary let out a long sigh, personally helped Shi Qingchen, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet, and said with a hint of warning:
"From now on, you must not play those petty tricks again. Matters concerning the development of the family must be discussed frankly with your father. You must never try to hide anything from him again."
Having served as an official for decades, my experience far surpasses that of a greenhorn like you. The officialdom is a treacherous place, where even the most powerful families can be wiped out in an instant by the wrath of an emperor.
You are the family heir that your father has the highest hopes for. You must think carefully before you act, and always put the family's interests first. Never let small things cause you to lose sight of the bigger picture, understand?
Shi Qingchen avoided his father's expectant gaze, and gently helped himself to his feet, taking the arm of the Grand Secretary. When he looked up again, his eyes were brimming with tears, and his expression was filled with filial piety. He nodded, his voice choked with emotion, and replied:
“Son, remember your father’s teachings and you will never hide anything again. Please do not be disappointed in your son. I will dedicate the rest of my life to the family and do my best to ensure that the legacy of our ancestors continues.”
The Prime Minister nodded in satisfaction, temporarily accepting the blame for Shi Qingchen's lie.
The father and son then discussed the trouble caused by the prescription and its solution for nearly an hour before coming out of the study together.
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