Shen Qinghe shook her head, crying.
"No, I truly love you..."
Wen Zhixuan laughed again, "Then why are you questioning me? I knew from the beginning that the person who saved me wasn't you, but I never exposed it. You keep saying you're sincere to me, but you're enjoying Lu Yanhe's special treatment of you. In the end, we're all the same kind of people, neither of us is any cleaner than the other."
Shen Qinghe trembled, but could not speak.
If sisters are too different, it is easy for them to develop grudges.
She desperately wanted to surpass Jiang Shuman, but she also knew that their backgrounds were worlds apart. Even without Lu Yanhe, Jiang Shuman still had other options.
Unless Jiang Shuman is completely dragged down from her pedestal and trampled underfoot, she will never be able to recover.
It was so close to success.
But then an unexpected incident occurred.
Jiang Shumiao!
Jiang Shuman is so lucky.
She has a younger sister who is the reincarnation of a goddess, which is equivalent to a trump card.
Who can harm her in the slightest?
Shen Qinghe gritted her teeth in hatred, but there was nothing she could do. All the past details were dug up again, and she felt like a clown who had been stripped naked in public, standing there helplessly to be judged and humiliated.
But the person she loved most, her husband, told her the truth clearly.
You deserve it!
Shen Qinghe broke down in tears.
Wen Zhixuan had already turned and left.
The rumors weren't just directed at Shen Qinghe; Wen Zhixuan faced far more attacks in court than any woman could say.
Emperor Hongde, annoyed by the noise, summoned him to the palace.
Wen Zhixuan immediately apologized, saying, "I was willful in the past and never expected it to cause such consequences, which has put Your Majesty in a difficult position. It is my fault."
Emperor Hongde: "..."
He wanted to say something reprimanding, but the Censorate kept pressing him on one point.
Wen Zhixuan, as an official of the imperial court, failed to cultivate his personal morality. The saying goes, "Cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world." If he couldn't even cultivate himself, how could he possibly assist the emperor in governing the country?
Shen Jiming was subjected to even more intense scrutiny.
Even the dead Jiang Sixian was dragged out and 'whipped'.
"Never mind, it's not entirely your fault."
Emperor Hongde had long known of his affair with Shen Qinghe, and their marriage was even bestowed upon them by him. The Censorate dared not directly accuse him of being blind and muddleheaded, but instead openly and covertly accused Wen Zhixuan of deceiving the emperor.
In short, he is not qualified to be the Vice Minister of the Chancellery.
The equal-field system can no longer be implemented.
How could an emperor allow his subjects to hold him back?
"It's all just rumors, and they can't force you and your son to take a blood test. But since things have gotten this far, it still needs to be resolved."
Wen Zhixuan believes that blood kinship testing has no scientific basis, as anyone's blood can mix in water.
"It is up to Your Majesty to decide."
Emperor Hongde pondered for a moment and said, "Your wife is just a woman confined to her home; no matter how much she talks, she can't cause any bigger trouble. But her father is different."
Upon hearing this, Wen Zhixuan understood that Emperor Hongde was trying to sacrifice a pawn to save the king.
Abandon the sunken and the bright, protect him.
He cannot express his opinion, otherwise he would appear too cold-blooded.
Emperor Hongde said, "Alright, you may go back now. I will make my own decision on this matter."
Wen Zhixuan remained silent for a while before bowing and saying, "Yes."
Soon, another rumor began to circulate in the capital.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Shen Jiming, favored his concubine over his wife, not only causing her death but also scheming for his daughter's marriage, attempting to forge a marriage alliance with the Lu family, and sowing discord between Princess Huaiyang and Princess Huyang. Even more egregiously, he used his daughter to poison his own son, frame his siblings, and vie for control of the household.
This rumor immediately cleared Shen Qinghe's name.
Even Jiang Sixian's evil deeds and being struck by lightning were interpreted as Shen Jiming's scheme to make room for his concubine.
The root of all evil lies with Shen Jiming.
With the instruction of his uncle, Lu Yanhe also stepped forward to clarify that he and Shen Qinghe had never crossed any lines and that their relationship was that of true brother and sister.
He also mentioned that not long after Jiang Sixian's death, Shen Jiming made a big show of promoting his concubine to the rank of official wife. He and his fiancée went to visit his cousin, but they were almost framed for 'adultery' by Fang.
This shows how deep the Shen family's schemes were, which is outrageous.
If Jiang Shuman were here, she would probably spit in his face.
You were the one with malicious intentions, and you got caught red-handed. If it weren't for me coming to your rescue, you would have been drowned in spittle long ago.
But Emperor Hongde was very satisfied with the result.
Since Shen Jiming is no longer useful, he must protect Wen Zhixuan.
The Empress, in accordance with the Emperor's wishes, summoned Shen Qinghe into the palace.
This was Shen Qinghe's second time entering the palace; the first time was to see her mother off.
When she stepped into this place, which proclaimed the center of power, again, she felt a mix of emotions.
There was excitement, nervousness, and trepidation.
Guanju Palace.
Shen Qinghe bowed her head and greeted the Empress.
"This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress, may Your Majesty live a thousand years."
The Empress said, "Get up."
Shen Qinghe thanked him, but still didn't dare to look up.
The Empress didn't have a good impression of her, but she didn't deliberately make things difficult for her either. She simply said in a formulaic manner, "I've summoned you here today to ask you some questions. Rumors are circulating in the capital, all pointing to you, and His Majesty is very troubled by this. Therefore, today I want you to tell me the truth: what exactly happened to your mother?"
The Empress knows perfectly well how Jiang Sixian died, but now she pretends to be ignorant in order to bring Shen Jiming down.
Shen Qinghe understood her implication and knew what was in her best interest.
Memories of the past flashed through her mind, the last being Shen Jiming's insults and slaps.
She closed her eyes and knelt down with a thud.
"Please, Your Majesty, grant me justice."
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