Chapter 106 Concubine Shen's Complaint
"Don't be afraid, grandma is here." The old lady patted the back of her hand comfortingly. The grandmother and granddaughter followed the soldiers and turned several corners in the dark and damp dungeon, and were still moving forward.
The further she went inside, the stronger the smell of blood became, and the wailing became more shrill, and she couldn't help but look up.
A bloody, unrecognizable man was tied to a wooden frame, his clothes had been whipped into strips, leaving him almost naked. Only the slight movement of his chest showed that he was still alive.
"Are my father and brother here?" She suddenly asked, remembering Qingfeng's words.
Dad and elder brother were tortured, weren't they even more miserable than this man? Although there were torches in the cell, she felt cold all over, as if she was in a world of ice and snow, and her whole body was numb from the cold.
"Yes, but the guards are very strict and no one is allowed to get close."
So, apart from the Fourth Prince who could find out something, he had no idea what the situation was.
"Here it is, you two need to hurry up."
He took out his key and opened the door of a cell.
The sound of the chains startled the disheveled woman who was curled up inside. She sat on the ground with her arms around her legs and looked towards the door in horror.
The old lady's heart, which had been calm for a long time, suddenly broke. Her eyes turned red almost instantly and tears flowed.
No matter how much she hated her for not fighting, she was still her daughter after ten months of pregnancy, so she walked in quickly.
Concubine Shen's face was extremely dirty, but she immediately stepped back.
"Who are you? Are you here to kill me?"
"Aunt." Shen Anan took off her hat, and put it back on again in the candlelight so that Concubine Shen could see her face clearly.
"Who do you think wants to kill you?" Old Madam Shen half-knelt beside her and held Concubine Shen's shoulders. "Tell me what happened, and I'll find a way for you."
"Mother," Concubine Shen burst into tears in an instant, hugged Old Madam Shen and cried in fear.
"Mother, please take me away. I regret that I shouldn't have disobeyed you. The palace is a hell. It's full of demons. They want to kill me. Please save me."
Even though Old Madam Shen was very angry, she finally softened her heart when she saw her proud daughter crying like that.
"Tell me what happened, how Concubine Ning died, and why your hairpin became the murder weapon. Only if you tell me can I find a way to save you."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Shen suddenly paused and stopped crying. She left Old Madam Shen's arms, curled up to the side, lowered her head and said nothing.
The old lady frowned, "Speak now, are you trying to make me die of anxiety? Do you want the entire Shen family to die because of this?"
"It turns out that mother didn't come for me." Concubine Shen raised her empty eyes, which were filled with hatred. "I was wondering why you came here. It turns out that you were not worried about me, but my brother and nephew."
She sneered, full of sadness, and glanced coldly at Shen Anan, "You are really a good mother and grandmother. You can do anything for their family, but you are so cruel to me!!"
She almost screamed out the last two words, and Shen Anan immediately covered her mouth, "Keep your voice down, do you want us all to die here right now?"
"Humph." Concubine Shen sneered nonchalantly, "Why are you pretending? If you had listened to me and married the Fourth Prince earlier, the Second Prince and Concubine Ning would have been nothing, and my Shen family would not have fallen to this point."
"In the final analysis, it's all your fault. You wanted to protect the Shen family's honor, but you were unwilling to give up a daughter. Now someone has taken the initiative and plotted against you.
It's all their fault. ”
Madam Shen keenly grasped the key point of her words, "You said you were plotted against, who plotted against you?"
“Hahahaha,” she suddenly raised her head and laughed, “I won’t tell you. You don’t love me. You don’t care whether I live or die. We will die together. Why should I suffer while you are fine? It’s obviously you who did something wrong.”
"It's been ten years. Why are you still so stubborn? How could the Shen family abandon you? If so, how did you survive in the palace again and again? Isn't it your brother who secretly helped you?"
The old lady was so angry that her head was dizzy. She shook Concubine Shen vigorously, "You are my daughter. Even if I risk my life, I will save you. Tell me, then I can find a way to save you."
"Don't lie to me." Concubine Shen pushed the old lady down, "You old woman, you have never had me in your heart. You have disliked me since I was a child, and you resolutely left me after I got married."
“Grandma.” Shen Anan was startled and quickly helped the old lady up.
Concubine Shen continued to accuse, "Do you know how I have lived these years? I have been harmed by treacherous people time and time again, and my life has been on the line for many times. If you hadn't left, and you had given me advice and cared as much as you did for Shen An'an, how could I be helpless and childless?"
"He abandoned me and killed me!!"
The last sentence was not spoken loudly, but Shen Anan heard it clearly, "It was the emperor, it was the emperor who did it, right?"
"No." Concubine Shen looked away in panic, "What emperor? Concubine Ning is the second prince's biological mother, the one he loves most. What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I was the one who killed Concubine Ning. She provoked me and mocked me for not having any children and dying alone. So I killed her."
Her tone and behavior seemed a little crazy, and Shen Anan was furious, "Aunt, this crime will implicate the three clans, you can't admit it."
"I did it. Why can't I admit it? It doesn't matter if I implicate three clans. Anyway, I won't die. If I have to die, it's you. All of you should die."
Shen Anan forced himself to calm down and looked at her coldly, "Do you think that as long as you admit that you dragged the Shen family to death, the emperor will let you go? He is just using you to execute your mother's family."
"I've already told you it's not the Emperor, what are you talking about?" Concubine Shen screamed.
"Miss Shen." The officer knocked on the chain and reminded, "The time is almost up, please hurry up."
“Okay,” Shen Anan agreed, turning back to stare at Concubine Shen again.
Madam Shen held down Shen Anan's arm to stop her from speaking, and she slowly approached Concubine Shen, trying not to be so anxious and slowing down her voice.
"Mom really wants to save you. Apart from the Shen family, only the Shen family will sincerely do good for you. Don't be stupid."
Concubine Shen raised her eyes slightly, looked at the wrinkled hands covering her arms, and tears suddenly fell.
"Believe me, mother. Don't admit it. As long as you don't admit it, the Fourth Prince will find a way to force the Emperor to hold a joint trial with the three courts and re-investigate the case. He will definitely rescue you."
"Impossible." She turned her head and said calmly, "Don't waste your energy. Some of this is too dirty to be seen. The emperor will never agree to a joint trial by the three courts."
"Even if he kills everyone, he won't let the truth be known to the public."
Concubine Shen gritted her teeth, her eyes bloodshot.
"Mom, if you love me, please leave quickly, leave the capital, and stop caring about me. The Shen family and I are destined to have only one survive. I don't want to die. I have suffered for more than ten years, and my brother has enjoyed more than ten years of happiness."
"Let him sacrifice for his daughter once. Just this once, and let it be regarded as paying back for all the suffering his daughter has endured over the years."
Madam Shen's lips began to tremble, her face turned purple, "You mean, as long as you admit it and drag your brother into the water, the person behind you will keep you safe, right?"
"Yes." Concubine Shen nodded hurriedly, "Mother, please love your daughter once, just this once."
Old Madam Shen closed her eyes and her breathing quickened. She gritted her teeth, raised her hand in anger, and slapped Concubine Shen's tearful face hard.
"How dare you be so cowardly and despicable! I thought you were framed, but I didn't expect that you were... one of the masterminds!"
She bent over and coughed violently, almost unable to breathe.
"Grandma, grandma, what's wrong with you?" Shen Anan immediately supported her. The officers and soldiers reminded her again. Shen Anan had no choice but to stare deeply at Concubine Shen, and had to help the old lady leave first.
Concubine Shen withdrew her gaze from the prison door and fell silent. She curled up in the corner, hugged her arms and continued to be in a daze.
After leaving the Dali Temple prison, Madam Shen swayed slightly and suddenly coughed up blood. The weak candlelight barely illuminated her pale face.
Shen An'an felt as if someone had ripped her heart open. She was in so much pain that she trembled when she spoke. "Grandma, grandma, what's wrong with you? Why are you vomiting blood?"
He was fine, why did he suddenly vomit blood?
Mo Xiang and the old lady's nanny hurried over. When the nanny saw the old lady's condition, her face turned pale with fright and she immediately helped the old lady into the carriage.
Xiao Yuan didn't have time to ask more questions and told Qing'an to return to the Shen Mansion quickly.
Shen Anan hugged Madam Shen, crying silently, the fear and terror in her eyes made people feel distressed.
Xiao Yuan didn't ask whether Concubine Shen had given any explanation, he just urged Qing'an to hurry up.
The doctor had been waiting in Anshou Hall for a long time.
Madam Shen half-lay down, and while the doctor was checking her pulse, Shen Anan called the nanny to the outer room, "Hasn't grandma always been in good health? Why is this happening? Nanny Yang, what are you hiding?"
"Young lady." Nanny Yang's tears instantly fell and she knelt on the ground with a plop.
"The old lady didn't allow me to tell you, so I didn't dare to tell you."
Shen Anan's heart sank to the bottom of the valley, and her voice was difficult, "When did it happen?"
"Not long after the young lady returned to Beijing, the old lady's health began to deteriorate. She has been taking medicine for the past few months. The doctor said... she was afraid that her condition might not be good. That's why the old lady came back, hoping to see the young lady again and enjoy the happiness of family life."
She swayed slightly, her legs so weak that she could hardly stand. Xiao Yuan supported her in time and said softly, "There are many famous doctors in the capital. Don't panic. Maybe there will be a turn for the better."
As he was talking, the doctor came out from the inner room. Shen Anan immediately stepped forward and asked anxiously, "How is grandma?"
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