Chapter 44 Chapter 44 In my heart, it is always Chen Lingan...
The news of the incident in Chenjiaxiang quickly spread quietly in the official circles.
The ministers had long harbored resentment towards Chen Ling'an. Even those who sympathized with Chen Xiaomei's situation, such as Liao Kai and Yu Deshui, were unwilling to miss this good opportunity to expose Chen Ling'an.
Especially those officials who had quite a few secret affairs in the inner palace, they were jumping up and down, looking for teachers, collaborating with colleagues, carrying impeachment letters and looking for people to sign them everywhere, wishing to execute Chen Ling'an immediately and release Zhao Li without charge.
Although the Zhao family did not handle this matter properly, it was all the fault of Old Lady Zhao. Zhao Zhen was unaware of the inside story. Besides, it was a gift from an elder and could not be refused. What was Zhao Zhen's fault?
What? You said you were young, and you are a little young, but when love is deep, it's hard to control yourself. What's wrong with a man being gentle and considerate to women? Eighteen-year-old brides marry eighty-year-old grooms. This has been a common occurrence since ancient times. Just because you took your sister as a concubine, you cut off her life. How arrogant and cruel! It's outrageous!
Within a few days, dozens of officials signed the impeachment document.
The leaders discussed it and went to Liu's house.
Liu Fang held the impeachment letter and asked thoughtfully, "What does Lord Chen mean?"
Liao Kai: "That day, Chen Lingyi said that he could report the truth, so we didn't bother Elder Chen."
Liu Fang smiled slightly and did not comment.
Yu Deshui's eyes rolled. "Well, let's be honest with Lord Liu. The Chen family's attitude is a bit ambiguous, as if they're trying to protect Chen Ling'an. If we submit this impeachment letter, wouldn't that put Lord Chen in a difficult position? We might as well just not go."
Liu Fang stood up and slowly walked to the window, staring at the peony flowers outside that were beginning to wither in a daze, with a look of sadness and melancholy on his face, as if "the flowers are helplessly falling."
The people sitting there exchanged glances with each other, quietly waiting for his next words.
"Chen Ling'an and Elder Chen are at loggerheads. Protecting him? Elder Chen is not an old fool. He wouldn't joke about his life and property."
"I understand." Yu Deshui showed an expression of sudden enlightenment. "This is a trap set by Elder Chen. He deliberately uses this incident to ease the relationship with Chen Ling'an so that he can be caught off guard and captured in one fell swoop!"
Liu Fang chuckled. "Brother Yu, you're wrong. Who is Chen Ling'an? How could he be moved by such small favors?" His voice suddenly deepened. "The culprit for his sister's misfortune is Elder Chen. Chen Ling'an knows it, and so does Elder Chen."
For a moment, the room was silent. No one spoke. Only the autumn wind blew past, and the eaves bells made an unsettling sound.
Yes, if it weren't for Chen Ge Lao reporting his brother for cheating in the imperial examination, the current Prime Minister would be Chen Ling'an's father, and Chen Xiaomei would be a noble lady from a wealthy family, a pampered jewel in the family, and Zhao Zhen would not even be worthy of carrying her shoes.
There is no way to eliminate the hatred for killing one's father and destroying one's family!
A young censor hesitated and said, "I am even more confused. Why did the young minister whip Lord Zhao's mother when he knew Chen Ling'an would not appreciate it? Lord Chen even suppressed the urgent report that Chen Ling'an had castrated Lord Zhao."
Liu Fang sighed, "After all, she's my niece, an innocent child. It's only natural to feel pity for her. Besides, what Lord Zhao did was really excessive. She's only fourteen years old, still a child. No one would be able to endure this."
The young censor's face was filled with disbelief. "Lord Zhao was his disciple, and he always respected him, never disobeying him in the slightest. But just for a niece—a niece he hadn't seen in nine years, a niece who was practically a stranger to him—he actually gave up on Lord Zhao!"
So if we accidentally offend the Chen family, will we suffer the same fate as Zhao Li?
They don't care about loyalty, achievements, friendship, interests, or right or wrong. If they are unhappy, they will turn their backs on people.
What’s the difference between this and Chen Ling’an?
The young censor snorted heavily, and the others also looked dissatisfied.
Liao Kai frowned, thinking of the lawsuit between Chen Lingyi and Liu Jinshu.
He secretly glanced at Yu Deshui who was sitting next to him: Hey, this old sly fellow was sitting upright with his eyelids drooping, like an old monk in meditation, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"Your Excellency," the young censor stood up and bowed deeply. "If you do not speak out about Lord Zhao's injustice and the outrage of our subjects, who else will dare to speak out? I earnestly implore you to uphold justice, eliminate the traitors, rectify the government, and protect the country!"
Several people nearby stood up and said, "Please, Lord, seek justice."
Liao Kai and Yu Deshui also stood up.
Liu Fang's brows were furrowed for a long time before he slowly relaxed them. He bowed and said, "Thank you all for your appreciation. For the sake of the country, even if it means offending Elder Chen, I cannot bear it."
He solemnly signed his name at the beginning of the impeachment document.
After seeing off several colleagues, it was almost noon. Liu Fang slowly walked to the small flower hall, and Mrs. Qin hurriedly ordered people to set the table for dinner.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, Mrs. Qin asked, "Did you really cut it off?"
Liu Fang almost choked on his tea and coughed twice, "I'm eating."
"How stupid! He only cares about his own pleasure and doesn't even think about how his sister will live in the future."
"What do you mean?"
Madam Qin sighed, "It's done. No matter how unwilling she is, she's already lost her virginity. What else can she do except continue to live with Zhao Xi? Either she can force Zhao Xi to divorce his wife and make his sister his wife, or she can become his concubine, regardless of age, and cover up this matter in a respectable manner. If she doesn't like Old Madam Zhao, she can be sent back to her hometown to live with her in her old age, which will make room for his sister."
"No matter how unsuccessful Zhao Xi is, he's still a Jinshi (imperial scholar) from the imperial examinations, and I heard he has a good reputation among officials. No matter how great the Chen family is, that's all in the past—their father is still a convicted official! If we're being savvy, Chen Xiaomei is the daughter of a convicted official, and Zhao Xi is more than a match for her."
Madam Qin kept shaking her head. "This is terrible! The whole city is in an uproar, and Chen Xiaomei's reputation is ruined. How can she face people in the future? Who would dare to marry her? It's really a lose-lose situation for both sides."
Liu Fang echoed his wife: "It's really stupid. Poor kid."
"Chen Ling'an is a very patient man, but this time he lost his temper." Madam Qin curled her lips. "That wild girl must have instigated this. I knew that nothing good would come of it if she got involved."
Liu Fang knew she was talking about Zhang Xiaoman, and couldn't help but laugh: "Can she be blamed for this?"
"Of course! Look, the Zhang family took her back, but Zhang Wen ended up with his wife and children separated and imprisoned. Old Mrs. Zhang hasn't even gotten out of bed yet. Jiang was so good to her, but she insisted on getting a divorce, ruining her own reputation. Now it's Chen Ling'an's turn. He's a tough guy, and he can't overcome it right now, so he's taking it out on his sister first."
Liu Fang jokingly said, "Fortunately, fortunately, your precious son didn't marry her, so he escaped a disaster."
Mrs. Qin thought of her increasingly emaciated son, and felt both distressed and angry. "This jinx, even the slightest contact with him will bring bad luck."
-
At this time, the "jinx" was sitting cross-legged on the Arhat bed, eating melon seeds and talking nonsense, telling all the embarrassing stories from his childhood to adulthood, which made Chen Yanning cover his mouth and laugh.
Even after laughing, there was still a hint of sadness between his brows.
Xiaoman racked her brains to think of a new topic.
Chen Yanning hesitated and wanted to say something, but he bit his lips and never opened his mouth.
Xiaoman couldn't help but say, "Just say whatever you want to say. It makes me so anxious."
Chen Yanning: "You...I envy your temperament."
"What's there for you to envy about my carefree and heartless nature?" Xiaoman laughed, but she immediately sensed another meaning in Chen Yanning's bitter smile.
She thought for a moment and continued, "When I first came to live with my adoptive parents, I was introverted, crybaby, and quiet. Let me put it this way, if a leaf fell on my head, I would jump three feet high in fright."
Chen Yanning opened his eyes wide in surprise, then gently stroked her hand, "You must have suffered a lot back then."
That should be the case, Xiaoman lowered her eyes.
She was too young at that time and could not remember many things. What impressed her most was someone prying her mouth open to look at her teeth, the little girl's crying, the man's laughter, and her feet kicking in the air.
As we walked, some people disappeared, and then some strange young ladies and young men appeared.
The little kid who was still talking to her yesterday had his tongue cut out, his legs broken, and was taken away by a dirty man today.
It's too young to sell at a high price. If I raise it a few years older and it looks like this, people will definitely fight over it.
The young lady used her last bit of strength to say to her: Run, run, keep running, don't stop.
I ran until my chest felt like it was exploding, until my eyes went black and I was about to suffocate...
Someone was hugging her in warm, soft, fragrant arms. Is this the feeling that the little sister and brother described as being hugged by their mother?
She tried her best and squeezed out the last breath: "Mother——"
Before she passed out, she saw the loving and compassionate face of her adoptive mother.
But now, I can no longer see it...
He sighed softly and laughed, "No, I was just teasing you! I've been incredibly daring since I was little, and I'm naturally rebellious. If I wasn't punished for three days, I'd tear off the roof of the house. That gave my foster mother a headache the whole time, and she'd chase me around the village with a broom. I'd have to pretend to be scared and cry and beg her for mercy."
Chen Yanning was stunned for a long while, "Which of your words is true and which is false?"
Xiaoman raised an eyebrow: "Guess."
Chen Yanning was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.
The sadness between his brows also dissipated.
There was a gentle knock on the door, and Chen Ling'an pushed it open and walked in, holding a bowl of black medicine in his hand.
"The abortion pill," he said. "Take it."
Chen Yanning's smile froze, and fear and resistance slowly appeared in his eyes.
Chen Ling'an: "You can't delay any longer. It's already been three months. If you delay any further, it will cause greater harm to your body."
Chen Yanning desperately shrank back, "No, don't do this. Let me give birth to the child, and I will never have anything to do with the Zhao family."
Chen Ling'an said coldly, "Why would you be so attached to the offspring of a scumbag? If you want a child, you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."
Chen Yanning shed tears and remained silent.
Xiaoman sighed and pushed Chen Ling'an out. "Be gentle. You don't know how to talk to girls. Get out."
She slammed the door shut, sighed again, slowly turned around, looked at Chen Yanning and said seriously, "You heard what we said to Old Madam Zhao that day, right?"
Chen Yanning nodded: "Yes."
"Old Mrs. Zhao is not a good person, and Zhao Li is not a gentleman either. He is more greedy for you. The Zhao family is not a good place to stay. You understand that, right?"
This time, Chen Yanning paused for a moment before nodding.
"If you give birth to this child, you'll be inseparable from the Zhao family forever. You can abandon a man, but can you abandon a child? You're so soft-hearted, you'll definitely go back if the Zhao family asks you to. Then your brother will become a joke, and you'll be trapped in the Zhao family for life."
Xiaoman exhaled heavily, "Drink the medicine. You are only fourteen. You have a long life ahead of you. You can't let the Zhao family be ruined."
Chen Yanning gently stroked her lower abdomen and murmured dreamily, "He's the Zhao family's child, but he's also my child. Do you know how wonderful it is to have two heartbeats in one body? I want this child, not because he's Zhao Zhen's child, but because he's my child."
It's her child!
Xiaoman never expected this to be the reason. She was stunned for a moment and felt a sour, hot and spicy warm current stirring and rushing straight to her heart, making her want to cry.
But she couldn't compromise.
Chen Yanning is slender and petite, and her hands and feet don't seem to have much strength, so she should be easy to suppress.
Xiaoman took a deep breath, looked around, and her eyes fell on the long silk ribbon hanging in front of the bed curtain.
"If you want to hate someone, hate me." She untied the silk ribbon and walked towards Chen Yanning with a calm expression.
Chen Ling'an risked his own life to establish the Zhao family, but his sister gave birth to the only son of the Zhao family. Where did this put him?
When the child grows up and finds out that his biological father was killed by Chen Ling'an, will he bear a grudge? What if someone uses him to kill him?
Chen Ling'an is cruel to outsiders and even crueler to himself, but he is completely soft to his closest relatives.
He kept saying he wanted to abort the baby and had even boiled so many bowls of medicine, but when you cried, he hesitated again.
I knew he couldn't do it.
If we keep this child, there will be too many variables, and we might end up in trouble one day because of this child.
I'm sorry, in my heart, Chen Ling'an is always more important.
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