Chapter 200 Madam Cao
Qi Jinping's brows slowly furrowed.
Not only did Shen Anan not understand, he also didn't understand Hua Sheng's feelings.
His eyes slowly moved to the carriage, and the girl's outline could be vaguely seen through the curtains.
He pursed his lips and remained silent.
In a dark cave, a fire was slowly burning.
The man in coarse linen clothes lowered his head and drilled the wood with all his strength. His palms were pierced by splinters, but he did not stop.
It's like a puppet with its soul taken away.
"How could it be her? How could it be her? Why is she there?"
He muttered to himself, and the fire suddenly burned up, illuminating Shen Yunbai's dull and lifeless eyes.
He sat down on the ground behind him with a plop, in a daze.
The copper coin rolled out from his sleeve and lay alone on the ground, which was particularly eye-catching.
Shen Yunbai pursed his lips tightly, and after a while, he slowly picked up the copper coins on the ground one by one.
"I'm sorry, you shouldn't have saved me, otherwise you wouldn't have risked your life."
Along with his voice there was a loud bird song, which was particularly harsh and out of place in the silent night.
"who?"
After putting the copper coin into his arms, he instantly stood up and rushed out.
The place where the birds were singing was dark and silent, without even the rustling of branches; it was eerily quiet.
Shen Yunbai frowned and looked up, then saw a package on a tree branch, hanging alone and swinging back and forth.
He narrowed his eyes and took the package with a leap.
After making sure that there was no one around, he took the package back to the cave.
He sat by the fire, opened the package, and inside lay a small, bloody severed finger.
His pupils suddenly shrank, and anger immediately surged up.
Shen Anan knew that he was on this mountain, but she did not seek revenge.
She sent Chen Tian's severed finger to threaten him! !
Shen Yunbai clenched his fists, his knuckles were blue and white, his eyes were full of cruelty, and deep in his pupils was hidden a hint of guilt and despair.
The only person who offered him a helping hand ended up dying at his hands.
"So, I was born to be like this. I deserve to be abandoned and struggle alone."
Later, at the innermost part of the cave, there was a lonely grave with no name on it. Only a few copper coins and all of Shen Yunbai’s light were buried in it.
——
"Miss, Uncle Zhong is back?" Mo Xiang said.
Shen Anan opened his tired eyes, rubbed them, and immediately got off the carriage.
Also brought back with Uncle Zhong was a middle-aged woman with fair skin and beautiful looks. She still had some charm, but she lowered her head as if she was nervous and afraid.
"Girl, the old slave is back."
Uncle Zhong bowed to Shen Anan.
"Hurry up, did you have a smooth journey?"
"It went well." Uncle Zhong nodded.
"Who is this lady...?"
Uncle Zhong then remembered the woman on the side and said in a low voice, "She is Cao Pei's wife. I thought the young lady might be able to use her, so I brought her back."
Shen Anan's eyes flashed with surprise, and he looked at the woman.
"I, a commoner, pay my respects to the Fourth Prince's wife." The woman immediately knelt down and saluted. From an official's wife to a commoner, she was quite flexible.
Shen Anan said nothing and looked at her solemnly.
The woman's face turned paler and paler, as if she was frightened. Her voice began to tremble. "Fourth Prince's Consort, although I am Cao Pei's wife, we are not close husband and wife. I still have a pair of children to support. I hope you will be magnanimous and let me go back."
This seems like a normal reaction.
Shen Anan restrained his expression, "As far as I know, you and Cao Pei are a young couple, from farmers to officials, supporting each other all the way, how dare you say that your relationship is not close?"
"It's true. I dare not lie. Cao Pei is a sinister and cunning man. He is good at scheming. Later, he rose to prominence and became a playboy. He doesn't care about me, his wife."
The woman started to cry as she spoke. "The county governor's office is not short of young women. If it weren't for the sake of his position and not being talked about, he would have divorced me long ago. We would have been separated in spirit long ago."
"Fourth Prince's wife, everything I said is true. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check. I swear on my two children."
Shen Anan raised her eyes and looked at Uncle Zhong, who nodded slightly at her.
"How old are your children this year?"
The woman paused for a moment before answering, "My daughter is eight years old, and my son is seventeen."
"They are still children and have no idea what Cao Pei has done!"
"Where are they?" Shen Anan asked without answering.
"At...at my parents' home."
Shen An stared at the woman for a moment before speaking calmly, “Get up, as long as you tell me what I want to know, I won’t embarrass you.”
"Yes, thank you, Fourth Prince's Concubine." Mrs. Cao stood up awkwardly and walked forward behind Shen Anan.
Finally, they stopped under a tree. Shen Anan turned around and looked at her. Mrs. Cao immediately lowered her head and stood properly.
"Cao Pei has a younger sister. Have you seen her?"
"Yes, she got married the same year I married Cao Pei."
"She got married?" Shen Anan asked in surprise, staring at Madam Cao closely.
"Yes... yes, my sister-in-law and Cao Pei are twins. They are of the same age and got married in the same year." Mrs. Cao took a step back, her face full of caution.
"What's her name?"
"Cao Rou."
"Who are you marrying?"
"A scholar, his last name seems to be Shen, but he later went to Beijing to take the imperial examination and completely lost contact with his family."
He was the official from the Hanlin Academy who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination with Cao Rou. But wasn’t it said that the two of them were just an engaged couple?
"Are you sure they are married?"
Madam Cao nodded immediately, "I am sure. Our family was poor at that time, and I bought the dowry for my sister-in-law to send her off when she got married."
Shen Anan remained silent, as if thinking about something.
Mrs. Cao slowly lowered her head and said nothing.
Some fragmentary clues slowly formed a long line in Shen Anan's mind.
Not an engaged couple, but a married couple! !
If Cao Rou had already been married, then the emperor would be stealing his wife, so the woman was unwilling.
However, the outside world's statements are actually whitewashing the emperor's foolish behavior.
After all, if word gets out that he stole my wife, I will be cursed for eternity and be infamous for eternity.
But what role did Concubine Shu play in this?
What is the relationship between the man in white and Concubine Shu, and is the man in white the master from the Hanlin Academy?
Or was it that the affair with Concubine Shu was orchestrated by the emperor just to get rid of that man and take possession of his wife?
If so, then the emperor really treats Concubine Shu...
But even Xiao Yuan once said that Concubine Shu did go to Xiangjue Temple for a short stay every month.
Shen Anan felt as if she had some clues, but it was even more complicated and confusing.
"You just said that the family Cao Rou married into was named Shen?"
"Exactly."
Shen Anan thought of Shen Yunbai.
"Does that family have any relatives, like sons or nephews?"
"Probably not."
"Did they have any children when they went to Beijing to take the imperial examination?"
Madam Cao frowned and thought for a while, then shook her head. "No, I have never heard of it. I only know that my sister-in-law died suddenly for unknown reasons. She did have a son at that time, but he disappeared. Cao Pei never allowed me to mention it."
Not a child, not a nephew, but with the same surname, who could that be Shen Yunbai?
Shen Anan can now confirm that the tablet enshrined by Shen Yunbai in the mansion is undoubtedly that of Lord Shen from the Hanlin Academy.
She frowned and thought, not paying attention to her surroundings for a moment.
Mrs. Cao slowly raised her head and glanced at her.
His hand slowly reached into his sleeve, a cold light flashed, and the sharp dagger desperately stabbed towards Shen Anan's chest.
Shen Anan watched coldly but did not move.
Clang——
Just as the dagger was about to pierce Shen Anan's chest, Mrs. Cao's wrist suddenly felt numb, and the severe pain that followed made it impossible for her to hold the hilt tightly.
With a bang, the dagger fell to the ground.
Mrs. Cao bent over in pain, holding her wrist, with cold sweat on her forehead.
Qingfeng jumped down from the tree, staring at Mrs. Cao with cold eyes without a trace of warmth.
She knew that she had no chance and she could not avenge her husband.
He simply fell to the ground and sat down, his eyes became dull and tears kept falling.
"You know I'm lying?"
Shen Anan glanced at her well-maintained face and smiled mockingly, "The days of being a complaining woman who is not satisfied with your life are not what you should be like now."
She had a deep understanding of this, so she could tell at a glance that Cao Pei must be very good to her, or at least never criticized her.
“Haha, hahahaha…”
She laughed softly, "Husband, I was useless and failed to avenge you, but don't worry, I have already taken care of our child, and I will be here to accompany you."
She picked up the dagger and put it across her neck, but hesitated for a moment, then looked up and stared at Shen Anan.
"You killed my husband, I wish I could kill you, but I didn't lie about Cao Rou."
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