Chapter 396: No Forgiveness]
That is to say, after she was exiled, he no longer protected her along the way and after arriving at Shili Village. Did she bear a grudge against him as her father?
Didn't she ever think about the fact that he was already over fifty? How could he possibly protect her? Would he risk his life against the strong Xiao Yunqi?
Just because of this, his most beloved daughter actually poisoned him!
Why...is this happening!
Why!
Shen Shian was devastated and his hair even turned white overnight in prison.
Yang Cuicui was so angry that she scolded Chen Meixin until she was covered in blood. However, no matter how much she scolded her, it could not change the fact that they had been poisoned too deeply and there was no cure.
This case, which involved a case within a case, was finally concluded in a very short time.
As the main culprit, Chen Meixin was sentenced to lingchi after the autumn, Wang San was sentenced to beheading after the autumn, and Zhang Youcai was sentenced to several years in prison.
As for Xiao Yunqi, Shen Shian and Yang Cuicui, although they were not good people, they were indeed innocent in this case and were acquitted by the government.
Even if they were released, what awaited them was only the torture of the toxins in their bodies and the slow death.
The three of them had once shamelessly come to Chen Fenghe's house to ask for help.
After all, so many people in the village were poisoned by arsenic or Wang Sanzhong, these irrelevant people were all saved by Chen Fenghe. After all, they had some blood relationship or relatives with her. How could she just stand by and watch them die?
However, Shen Fenghe was too lazy to meet them.
Firstly, perhaps Chen Meixin had gotten impatient and increased the dosage of the poison she gave them—otherwise, Xiao Yunqi wouldn't have vomited blood in public. Perhaps Chen Meixin could have poisoned them to death without anyone noticing, leaving them unaware of the cause. This, in a sense, was a case of unwavering justice, wasn't it?—causing them to become acutely poisoned within a short period of time, leaving them unable to recover even from the effects of the poison.
Secondly, she really hated these people and didn't want to waste a second on them.
However, she did send someone to bring a few words to Yang Cuicui, telling her that she had forced her mother away, and after she married into the Eastern Palace, she abused and mistreated her two younger siblings in the Prime Minister's Mansion, intending to starve them to death, and hinted to two servants late at night to drown them in the pool. She only beat her up, and the account was not settled.
Now that she has magnanimously decided not to pursue the matter any further, Yang Cuicui still shamelessly asks her to save her. She is simply shameless and dreaming!
It was the first time that Shen Shian learned that Yang Cuicui had tried to drown Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing, and he couldn't help but stare at Yang Cuicui in shock.
He favored his concubine over his wife for so many years, naturally because Yang Cuicui was considerate, followed him wholeheartedly, and knew many seductive tricks in the romantic world. He favored her much more than his legal wife, who was strict and only knew how to gently advise him to be self-disciplined and polite.
But... he never thought that these were just illusions that Yang Cuicui showed in front of him. When he couldn't see her, she was so vicious that she even wanted to harm his children!
However, Shen Shian is now more or less just a dying person who speaks kindly, and even subconsciously beautifies his own image.
In fact, how could he not have noticed that Yang Cuicui treated his wife's children harshly over the years, and even secretly helped her brothers from her natal family to embezzle a lot of the Shen family's property?
He just...selectively turned a blind eye.
In any case, Shen Shi'an seemed to be in a state of awareness before his death. Even when he went to the Yun family's door every day, he would not get close. Instead, he would kneel at the door from a distance, looking haggard, as if he was apologizing.
Chen Fenghe finally went out to meet him.
When Shen Shian saw her walking up to him, he looked up in surprise and called out in a trembling voice: "Feng...Feng He, you are willing to come to see Daddy, do you... do you... forgive Daddy?"
Shen Shian's hair is now completely white, and the wrinkles on his face are several times deeper than before because of sitting in the wind for a long time. His lips are so dry that they have bright red cracks. He looks so miserable.
However, Shen Fenghe did not soften her heart.
She lowered her eyes and looked at him calmly, then asked calmly, "Shen Shi'an, you should know that I didn't save you not because I didn't forgive you, but because even if I forgave you, it would be too late to save you, right? The daughter you have doted on all your life is so cruel that she didn't even give you a chance to survive. Now, even if Hua Tuo were reborn, he wouldn't be able to cure the poison in you."
Chen Fenghe clearly saw that the little glimmer of hope that had flickered in Shen Shian's eyes was extinguished in an instant like a burnt-out candle.
He looked at Chen Fenghe in despair for a moment before lowering his head. His back was as hunched as a septuagenarian's. He whispered, "Fenghe, Daddy was wrong. Daddy has felt guilty towards your mother, you, and Yichuan Qingxing all his life. Now that Daddy is about to die, can you... can you... forgive me?"
Chen Fenghe's tone remained calm as he spoke calmly, "I came out precisely for this matter. My mother is dead, and I have no right to forgive you on her behalf. Yichuan and Qingxing, they escaped from Yang Cuicui's clutches and followed me into exile here. I'm sure they resent you, their father, for not protecting them. However, they are still young, and their memories of you are already sparse and weak. Perhaps they will forgive you when they grow up. As for me..."
Chen Fenghe couldn't help but think back to when she first came here through time and space.
At that time, the Crown Prince had just been falsely accused of treason and news came that he was executed. Chen Meixin and Concubine Duan came with Shen Shi'an's secret order to force the original owner to "hand over" the evidence of the Crown Prince's treason so that he could surrender to his new master, the Fifth Prince.
The original owner had no choice but to hit her head against a pillar and died. It can be said that she was forced to death by her own father and Shen Meixin.
A mocking smile appeared on the corner of Chen Fenghe's lips, and he said, "As for me, I will not forgive you. Even if you kneel here and turn into a pile of bones, I will not forgive you."
Just like the original owner's mother, they are already dead, and she has no right to forgive those who have hurt them on their behalf.
As for whether the original owner or his mother would forgive him after Shen Shi'an died, that was not something she could control.
After saying what he wanted to say, Chen Fenghe went back without looking back.
From then on, Shen Shian never appeared at the gate of Yun Mansion again.
Xiao Yunqi, he and Yang Cuicui died within a month.
Ever since Xiao Yunqi learned that he had been poisoned by Chen Meixin and was incurable, he gradually went mad. He wandered around the village in tattered clothes all day long, and whenever he met someone, he would pull them over and tell them that he had ascended the throne and that they would kneel down and shout "Long live the emperor!"
After a long time, everyone avoided him.
Because he was the most domineering person in the family, he always ate first and ate the most of Chen Meixin's cooking. Therefore, he was the one who was most seriously poisoned. Within three or four days, he didn't even have the energy to wander around the village. He lay miserable and decadent in the leaky house, but he kept shouting nonsense like "I am the emperor, why don't you kneel down quickly!"
Xiao Yunshuo went to see him once on the day of his death.
Xiao Yunqi was disheveled and slumped like a beggar on a pile of stolen straw, muttering crazy words over and over again.
Xiao Yunshuo originally thought that he would feel happy when he saw Xiao Yunqi like this.
After all, he was determined to promote this younger brother, and thought that after he ascended the throne, he would be his right-hand man, different from his other brothers.
In the end, he was betrayed and plotted against by his most trusted younger brother.
Now he is reaping the fruits of his own actions and ending up in such a situation. It is all his own fault. He should have been happy to have his revenge.
However, at this moment, seeing the emperor who had always followed him, followed his lead and obeyed him in everything now so miserable, even worse than a beggar, Xiao Yunshuo felt a little sad for some reason.
When he was young, his grandfather saw him playing with his younger brothers and told him about it with a mixture of satisfaction and sadness.
"You brothers are good people. But... Alas! The imperial family is the most ruthless..."
He didn't understand at the time and naively asked what this meant.
Grandfather just patted his head and said, "You will know when the time comes."
Now, he naturally understood the meaning of this sentence.
Xiao Yunshuo squatted down and slowly removed the disguise of "Mr. Yun" on his head, revealing his true face.
When Xiao Yunqi saw him come in, he shouted weakly at first but then madly: "Kneel down! Why don't you kneel down when you see me!"
However, as the disguise on his face gradually disappeared, Xiao Yunqi's eyes gradually changed from turbid madness to confusion, then to astonishment and shock, and finally, to horror.
He suddenly hugged his head in pain, and curled up in the corner like a frightened bird. He was too scared to look at Xiao Yunshuo again, and only begged over and over again: "Royal brother, I know I was wrong! Don't blame me! Don't blame me! It was father! It was father who ordered me to frame you and kill you! Every wrong has its perpetrator, don't look for me, go find father, don't look for me! I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean it... But... I... I also want to be loved by father, I also want to be emperor! Why are we all princes, you can be the emperor, and I can only be your follower... I... I won't accept it!"
He was like a child, expressing his unwillingness and ambition over and over again.
As he spoke, he seemed to feel guilty again. He suddenly knelt down and kowtowed desperately to Xiao Yunshuo: "Brother Crown Prince, I was wrong! I shouldn't have listened to my father. I hurt you... and myself... Wuwu..."
Xiao Yunshuo saw him crying like a child, and it felt like something was blocking his chest and he couldn't breathe.
He and Xiao Yunqi are the same in that they are not favored by their father.
However, Xiao Yunqi had one thing less than him, which was the presence of a prince.
He must have tried very hard to gain his father's appreciation and to be noticed.
Xiao Yunshuo could not forgive Xiao Yunqi's betrayal, but he could understand his ambition.
Perhaps, this is the tragedy of being born into an imperial family?
Xiao Yunshuo grabbed Xiao Yunqi's shoulders and whispered, "Fifth brother, wake up. Open your eyes and look carefully. What you see is not a ghost, not someone seeking your life, but your brother."
At first, Xiao Yunqi still curled up in the corner in pain and fear. It was not until Xiao Yunshuo repeated it several times that he seemed to regain some consciousness and looked up at Xiao Yunshuo: "Crown Prince...Brother?"
Xiao Yunshuo looked at him with pity, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.
Xiao Yunqi's eyes were blank, as if he still couldn't believe what he saw. After a long while, tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. His lips trembled as he confirmed again, "Crown Prince...Brother? Is it really you? You...you...are still alive? I...I didn't kill you...?"
Xiao Yunshuo shook his head and gave him a positive answer: "I'm still alive. How could you possibly kill me with your limited skills?"
Xiao Yunqi burst into tears and laughter all at once, mumbling, "Royal brother, you said... you're right. I... I'm just a mediocre person... haha, I have only mediocre abilities, yet I still fantasize about... about becoming emperor. I should have followed you, Royal brother, in a down-to-earth manner... instead of having unrealistic dreams... I... I'm a beast, I deserve to die..."
Xiao Yunshuo didn't say anything.
If Xiao Yunqi had understood these things earlier, he would not have ended up like this.
However, there is no medicine for regret in this world, and there is no way to start over.
However, even if he had the chance to do it again, could Xiao Yunqi really make a different choice?
People never give up until they hit the wall. Not many people can see through things from the beginning.
But there is no need to say these words anymore.
Xiao Yunqi confessed, crying and laughing. Then he suddenly raised his head and looked at Xiao Yunshuo, as if to defend himself again: "Royal brother, I... I didn't want to. At the beginning, I never thought of betraying you... But... But father found me and said... As long as I handle this matter well, as long as I kill you, Royal brother, he will make me the crown prince... I... I also want to be the crown prince... Royal brother, please don't blame me... Don't..."
Xiao Yunqi's words came to an abrupt end. At the same time, the hand that had been tightly grasping Xiao Yunshuo's sleeve suddenly lost all control and fell abruptly and dejectedly onto the straw.
Xiao Yunshuo's heart suddenly felt a sharp pain.
Putting aside all the power struggles, the emperor and the royal family, the dead person in front of him was his brother. He had half the same blood as him and even looked somewhat similar to him.
If... if they were not born in an imperial family, how could they have ended up like this?
Xiao Yunshuo was silent for a long time before he said softly, "I know. My royal brother knows, and I don't blame you..."
After saying this, he raised his hand to cover Xiao Yunqi's lifeless eyes.
When I came out of the abandoned house, the night sky was covered with dark clouds and it started raining without me noticing.
Yuan Xu was standing guard outside. Seeing that he looked a little strange, he couldn't help but said worriedly, "Your Highness..."
Xiao Yunshuo looked up at the dark sky, sighed, and said, "Talk to Village Chief Wu tomorrow and tell him that the Yun family is willing to pay for his funeral and bury him."
"Yes." Yuan Xu agreed, and Xiao Yunshuo got up and went back.
Chen Fenghe lit some soothing incense, and upon seeing him return, she poured him a cup of tea, saying, "This is freshly harvested Rain-Predated Longjing tea, which was brought in a few days ago by merchants from Hangzhou Prefecture. It's incredibly sweet and fragrant, and it calms the mind and spirit. Your Highness, please try some."
Xiao Yunshuo took it and took a sip. It was indeed a good tea, and the haze in his heart seemed to be dispelled a little.
Chen Fenghe also took a sip of tea and then chatted casually, "Yesterday, Village Chief Wu said that in about half a month, it will be time to harvest the winter wheat. Last year, when my mother and I first arrived, we also planted a field of winter wheat, and we need to harvest that too. But now it's raining. I just hope it stops soon, otherwise the harvest will be ruined."
Xiao Yunshuo thought about it and realized that the new Longjing tea from Hangzhou before the rain had to be transported all the way to the north. It would take at least a month on the road, and in a blink of an eye, it was already around the Grain Full season.
Although he had learned about farming from his teacher before, he did not have a more intuitive concept. Now that he heard Shen Fenghe mention it like this, it matched the contents in the farming books.
Now that I think about it, I've been living in seclusion in this village, and all I hear and see every day are the trivial matters of the village and various farm work. It's actually much more peaceful and tranquil than when I was the prince.
Being a prince or an emperor, holding the power to influence the fate of the world, is not necessarily any happier than being a farmer...
"Well... I'll get myself better in the next few days, and then I'll go to the fields and help everyone harvest wheat." Xiao Yunshuo said.
After hearing this, Chen Fenghe couldn't help but purse her lips and smiled, "You'd better not do that. If those young girls and wives in the village see it, there might be matchmakers coming to your house again..."
Before she finished speaking, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but stepped forward and grabbed her waist, grinning unhappily, "Are you deliberately trying to piss me off again? Or... are you jealous?"
Chen Fenghe couldn't dodge in time and was held in his arms. She could only blink and smiled, "Well... a little bit..."
Xiao Yunshuo narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at her gently, and suddenly said: "Feng He, to have a close friend like you in this life, what else can I ask for."
Just a few ordinary words could relieve the gloom in his heart. The only person in the world who could do that was the woman in front of him.
Even if he didn't say a word, she knew what he was thinking and would comfort him in time.
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. I just made a pot of tea and didn't do anything else."
Xiao Yunshuo didn't say anything more, just smiled.
Some things are self-evident. If you really try to explain them, the more you try to explain, the more confused you become.
Chen Fenghe gently pushed his hand away and said with a smile, "I'll go to the kitchen to see what dinner is for tonight. Let's have something vegetarian today..."
In the kitchen, Master Cao is preparing dinner with his apprentice.
Chen Fenghe tied his sleeves with a drawstring and said with a smile, "Master Cao, I will cook a few dishes myself tonight."
Upon hearing this, Master Cao hurriedly said, "Young Madam, this is unacceptable..."
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "It's no problem. I like cooking and used to cook for myself. I just suddenly wanted to do it. I'm afraid my skills may be a little rusty, so I'll have to trouble Master Cao for some help."
When Master Cao heard her say this, he gave up his insistence and gave up the main table in the kitchen.
Around Grain Full, the weather was warm enough that some of the vegetables planted by Chen Fenghe in the spring were ready to be eaten.
The Yun family also has its own vegetable garden. Although Xiao Yunshuo and Yuan Xu are not good at farming, they still pay people to plant it, so there are plenty of vegetables and fruits.
Chen Fenghe saw that the kitchen basket contained freshly picked loofah, green eggplant, black fungus, water celery, yam, mung bean sprouts, tofu and other vegetables. Another basket contained a fat white duck that had been plucked and cleaned, and there was a fresh mandarin fish in the wooden barrel next to it.
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "These ingredients are quite fresh."
Master Cao smiled and said, "That's right. They were all grown in our vegetable garden or raised in the river and pond. We caught them today."
Chen Fenghe nodded, put on an apron, and began to get ready.
Duck and fresh yam, together with codonopsis, wolfberry, lotus seeds, red dates, etc., are first simmered over low heat to make duck stew soup.
Then cut the green onion and ginger into shreds, and add salt, rice wine, sugar, a little soy sauce, etc., and put them together with the cut mandarin fish into a plate and steam them directly in the pot.
Cut the green eggplant into large squares, coat it with starch and fry it in oil.
I also made a dish of scrambled eggs with loofah, a dish of cold celery with black fungus, a dish of braised pork with tofu, and a dish of stir-fried mung bean sprouts.
After a while, several dishes were served on the table.
Qin Mengyue looked at the exquisite dishes and smiled, "This is obviously Feng He's craftsmanship. Master Cao's cooking skills are also good, but from time to time, I still want to eat Feng He's dishes."
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "That's not difficult. I don't get tired of cooking. On the contrary, it's quite interesting to do it occasionally."
Qin Mengyue nodded and smiled, "That's the truth. Even I haven't cared about cooking since I moved here, but sometimes I feel a little itchy."
Everyone chatted about family matters while eating.
Xiao Yunshuo was originally in a gloomy mood because of Xiao Yunqi's death, but it must be said that delicious food can soothe people's hearts the most, especially... the food was made by his beloved woman. Xiao Yunshuo's mood gradually calmed down.
In the next half month, Shen Shi'an and Yang Cuicui also died one after another.
As usual, the Yun family paid for the funeral expenses. Village chief Wu found people in the village and buried them in a cemetery outside the village so that their bodies would not be exposed in the wilderness.
However, there were naturally no relatives to announce the death or send off the deceased, nor were there any suona bands.
Naturally, Chen Fenghe had no intention of going from the beginning. As for Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing, Chen Fenghe was somewhat afraid that they were too young to be frightened, so she was vague about the fact that Shen Shian was dead and did not specifically mention it.
On the day of the funeral, she took her two little ones to read in the house and did not let them go out to watch the fun.
Considering what Shen Shian had done, she had already done her utmost to do this.
Shortly after the three people died, news came from the government office.
Chen Meixin is pregnant.
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