Chapter 53: She didn't want him to die, but she wanted him to live a life worse than death...
"You married my father because you suspected he had killed Song Jiusi..."
Liu Ruhua was the first to change color. She rushed to Shen Changfeng and shouted in a low voice: "Don't say it! Stop it now!"
Lin Meizhu and Chuqi looked at each other and both had the idea of retreating.
Li Jieyi seemed to have eyes behind her back and stopped them, "Everyone stay."
Liu Ruhua continued to persuade him, but Shen Changfeng was completely lost in thought, unable to listen to anything else. Li Jieyi's meticulous care for Chu Qi pierced his eyes. If Li Jieyi hadn't suddenly appeared in the paddock, seemingly coincidentally selecting the problematic horse, he would have eliminated this annoying Chu Qi long ago!
The thought of Li Jieyi not only forcing him to sign the divorce agreement but also personally handing Lin Meizhu over to that man filled Shen Changfeng with uncontrollable fury. If he couldn't live well, then no one else could! With a twisted mindset determined to destroy everything, he vented his hatred by turning his words into swords and spears. "You married my father with a hatred that threatened to overturn the Shen family's fate, yet despite your repeated investigations, you haven't found even a single clue that my father framed Song Jiusi."
Li Jieyi's face turned pale, and she gritted her teeth and slowly uttered two words: "Shut up!"
The guard was also an eyewitness to the battle that year. When he heard this, his heart tightened and the image of Xuanfu city shrouded in smoke appeared before his eyes. He was overwhelmed with grief and couldn't help but burst into tears.
Recalling the time when the Di Rong army was approaching, Xuanfu was besieged for many days until its food and grass were exhausted, morale was low, and the people were unstable. It was only a matter of time before the city was captured. After discussion, the generals of Xuanfu decided to send elite troops to feign an attack and launch a surprise attack to lure away the enemy cavalry and make them fall into a trap set in advance. Then the remaining troops would attack from the side with all their strength to tear open a gap, and cooperate with the central army to disrupt the enemy formation.
This surprise attack was crucial to breaking the impasse, and its significance was self-evident. It was also an extremely dangerous plan, and all involved were aware that once a warrior left, they would never return. The leader of the elite force was Shen Zhongda, a renowned general known for his valor. However, no one anticipated that Song Jiusi would be the final one to leave the city.
Shen Changfeng said, "You suspect someone of being afraid of death and fleeing from the battlefield, putting all the blame on the Shen family. The eldest princess Xizhao Niuzhu uses both kindness and power. Who would dare to play tricks in front of you? But all along, you have only been willing to believe your own suspicions, and refused to face the evidence on the table... My father did not lie at all."
Li Jieyi interrupted him: "That's just his one-sided statement!"
Shen Changfeng said, "Everyone present can testify! It was Song Jiusi who made the last-minute decision to replace the general. The battlefield is ever-changing, and no one expected Di Rong to see through the trap and use his own tactics to lure the enemy deeper into their territory!"
Li Jieyi clenched her fingers fiercely into her palms, her forehead veins throbbing and radiating to her solar plexus. She screamed, "You have no idea what Shen Zhongda has done! He's a sinister and despicable villain! When the scouts reported the change, he could have sent reinforcements, and he clearly had time! He was the one who, seeking military merit, hid behind the city gates, watching helplessly as two thousand Song soldiers perished in the minefield! Two thousand whole men! They could have survived!"
Shen Changfeng's voice also became aggressive. "At that time, he took over the command of Song Jiusi. He had to consider not only the two thousand people who left the city, but also the thousands of people behind him! What's more, Song Jiusi issued a military order before leaving. No matter what happened outside the city, no action could be taken without receiving a signal! At that time, holding back was the best option!"
Li Jieyi suddenly laughed out loud, and looked down at Shen Changfeng with contempt, "The best choice? You are a greenhorn who has never even seen a real battlefield. What qualifications do you have to speak nonsense here?" She became calmer and calmer as she spoke, and her heart, which had been beating wildly in her chest, slowly settled back to its original place. She thought to herself that she had almost fallen into this kid's trap and was almost led by him.
Shen Changfeng pursed his lips, then slowly raised half of his mouth corner, his voice hoarse and unpleasant: "There is another possibility, that is, Song Jiusi knew that his time was running out, and he would rather die on the battlefield... You should know the inside story better than me."
"You've been searching for so many years. Are you really looking for someone, or are you trying to make yourself feel less guilty when you wake up in the middle of the night?"
The flesh beneath Li Jieyi's eyelids twitched, suddenly jerking as something pulled at her. A biting cold wind lashed her, rustling her wide white sleeves. The gold and silver threads of her robe clung to her skin, as if they had emerged from her flesh, yet bound her like a cage of their own. She was like a frozen statue, only her pale eyes hinting at a hint of life.
The wind suddenly tightened and everyone fell silent.
The air was filled with surging waves of hatred and murderous intent, the sky and the earth changed color, dark clouds rolled down and pressed down, the sky seemed to be under tremendous pressure, and in the next moment it would be crushed to pieces and turned into dust.
The guard's heart skipped a beat and he broke out in a cold sweat, thinking: The extermination of the Li family involved more people, even Liu Ruhua was one of the victims, and she has always been a source of worry for Li Jieyi. Why does this prince always say things that hurt her so much?
When Liu Ruhua heard him mention the previous emperor's elimination of his followers, she thought of how she had grown up like a duckweed because of that. She felt desolate and sad in her heart, and sat down in the snow in despair, tears rolling down her eyes.
Shen Changfeng's eyes moved to Chuqi's face, and he continued meaningfully: "Some people will reincarnate, and they will also choose the right time to recognize each other..."
Seeing Li Jieyi's attitude toward Chuqi in the paddock, Shen Changfeng had a vague premonition that Chuqi was the missing person. By deliberately making ambiguous statements to Chuqi, he had successfully sowed the seeds of suspicion in her heart. And Lin Meizhu, hearing Shen Changfeng's words, might have assumed that Chuqi actually had clues about her past but had been hiding them from her. Aren't they supposedly close siblings? Why wouldn't they even share something so crucial?
Sure enough, Lin Meiju raised her eyes and looked at Chuqi, and Chuqi lowered his head silently in response to her inquiring look.
These few words easily provoked the relationship between Li Lin and Chu Qi. When it comes to disgusting people, Shen Changfeng's ability is indeed the pinnacle, and no one can surpass him.
Chen Chali heard the lanterns on the eaves rattling, and when he looked up, he saw hail. He cautiously tried to pick up the broken umbrella, but someone had stepped on it and killed him.
"I'm certainly to blame for your awful behavior today. I owe everyone an explanation." Li Jieyi lowered her eyes, and when she looked back up, her voice had condensed into a cold blade. "You always say I don't care about you, so today I will take good care of you."
"You have acted erratically and recklessly, wantonly murdering servants in Tianxiang Tower in Yijing Garden simply to vent your anger. Your careless actions have embroiled you in internal turmoil, causing unrest within your family... Now, out of jealousy and hatred, you have persecuted key figures in the court, nearly causing a catastrophe... These are all examples of your unparalleled behavior. You hold a high position, but lack the virtue to match it. Instead, you are arrogant and lawless, a practice that Heaven cannot tolerate."
"I will submit a letter of apology to His Majesty. I have failed to educate my son properly, and I accept the punishment willingly. As for you...if the Dingbei Palace keeps you any longer, its century-long reputation will be ruined. If the royal family keeps you any longer, it will also be a loss of face. Bring me paper and pen!"
When everyone in Tingyun Pavilion heard this, they realized that Li Jieyi was really angry. The implication in her words was obvious enough: once this letter of apology was submitted, Shen Changfeng would most likely be stripped of his title!
The guards and others fell to their knees and said, "Princess, please reconsider!"
Snow fluttered down, and Shen Changfeng's vision gradually became blurred. He stumbled on the snow, dragging his legs forward with one foot deep and one foot shallow. He suddenly remembered that he had walked towards her like this when he was very young. She sat on the rattan chair and looked at him coldly, killing his enthusiasm to be intimate and coquettish with her with her indifference and indifference. He walked slower and slower, and he never finished those few steps.
He originally thought that he was dissatisfied with himself, but subconsciously there was still some luck - they were blood relatives, even if she didn't like him, she would still consider the mother-son relationship or the family interests.
But today, he realized how wrong he was. Li Jieyi's hatred for him was deep and deep.
She didn't want him to die, but she wanted him to live a life worse than death.
In the past, he was the son of the eldest princess and the prince of Dingbei. All his social connections and power originated from this. After being stripped of his title, he would fall from the clouds to the mire, from a guest of honor to a shunned criminal. He would lose all his financial resources, and he would become the shame of the Shen family. His political enemies would reinterpret the memorials he submitted and list evidence of his crimes. The carriage he used, the mansion he lived in, the subordinates he promoted... could all become breakthroughs.
She had elevated him to a high position, but she was going to strip him of his identity with her own hands, and crush his pride in front of everyone.
Shen Changfeng was stunned and felt it was absurd. Li Jieyi could spend all her money to find someone who had no blood relationship with her, but she could also abandon him like an abandoned child. He couldn't help laughing, "Li Jieyi, I am your son!"
"But you are my son!" These few short words seemed to have exhausted all of Li Jieyi's strength, and every word was pierced with tears.
They were like wild beasts whose forbidden land had been invaded, baring their teeth, raising their pupils, revealing their sharp fangs, and doing their best to attack the other side's most vulnerable parts.
He laughed until tears came out, wiped away the blood that offended his eyes with shaking hands, looked up at the sky and laughed heartily, "Thank you!"
Li Jieyi ignored him and said, "Before that, I will first ask His Majesty for permission to annul your marriage."
Everyone's eyes involuntarily turned to Lin Meiju. It seemed that Li Jieyi was unwilling to change her mind easily, and Shen Changfeng looked crazy and would not plead at all. But if the Crown Prince's wife said a few words, maybe things would turn around?
Shen Changfeng slowly dropped his smile and looked towards the graceful figure. He could see Lin Meizhu's face lowered slightly, her eyes moving, her brows furrowed in thought. He knew she was always soft-hearted, reluctant to punish even the servants who had mistreated her. His cold heart suddenly felt a touch of warmth, and his dim eyes gradually gathered with tiny sparks of light. She knew everything he had done, and if she was willing to explain to Li Jieyi or plead with the emperor, there would surely be room for maneuver.
The sound of the rain and snow was so heavy that it made Lin Meizhu feel depressed. As if to catch her breath, she raised her head and her eyes fell on Shen Changfeng.
The rain washed the blood from his face, leaving the thin, long streaks a pale red, revealing fresh, grisly wounds. While hideous, they only made his skin appear even whiter than snow. From afar, he resembled a blossoming red plum blossom, possessing an eerie beauty. Fine snowflakes dampened his brow, adding a touch of loneliness to his already stern features. The dark figure stood alone in the snow, seemingly cut off from the world. Yet, even this proud and lonely figure possessed a gaze so gentle and peaceful, as if he had anticipated her gaze and had already met hers, joyfully and tenderly taking her in.
Lin Meizhu suddenly froze, her eyes moved slightly, and her heart seemed to be hit by something.
When Shen Changfeng saw her looking at him, his hope grew stronger, and then he saw that there was no fluctuation in Lin Meiju's eyes, and she turned her face away.
Her voice was respectful and polite, yet gentle and piercing: "Everything is decided by the eldest princess, and I, your daughter-in-law, must obey."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a muffled sound coming from the snow, followed by the panicked cries of Liu Ruhua and others.
"Long wind!"
"Prince!"
“Big Brother!”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
