Chapter 42 Cry If You Want To
Shen Yao frowned. "What is it?"
Shen Linhui looked up, still dazed, until he met Shen You's cold gaze and suddenly came to his senses.
He stammered, "Father..."
This time he was genuinely scared.
He had always thought that he was well disguised by wearing a bamboo hat, and that Shen You wouldn't recognize him in the Liuli Pavilion, nor could he see his own face clearly when he met Wang Meng in private.
That's why I dared to perform this play with Shen Yao and Chen Qiurong.
But unexpectedly...
Now that the jewelry theft has been settled, doesn't that mean... Shen You already knows the whole story behind Wang Meng's incident?
Shen Linhui's mind was buzzing, a complete mess, as he quickly racked his brains trying to figure out how to make Shen Yao believe him.
“Father,” Shen You said coldly to Shen Linhui, “why don’t you ask him if he knows Wang Meng, who trespassed into the Yong’an Marquis’s residence at the flower viewing banquet, and how they colluded together?”
What? !
Shen Yao was shocked, and Chen Qiurong was also stunned.
Both of them couldn't believe that the child they had raised would do such a thing.
Shen Linhui didn't say a word, but quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "Father, please believe me, your son didn't..."
"My son really doesn't..."
"No?" Shen You scoffed coldly. "Wang Meng has already identified the portrait, and his statement has been signed by the Criminal Investigation Department."
“Not only that, the Criminal Investigation Department also found out that Shen Linhui had already developed a gambling addiction in Yuzhou.” She raised her eyes and stared at Shen Yao. “The reason he wrote a letter home and then suddenly came back was not because he wanted to go home, but because he had debts that he couldn’t repay over there and could only come back to Lin’an City to avoid trouble.”
"you..."
"you..."
Enraged, Shen Yao grabbed a cup and threw it at Shen Linhui.
The sound of ceramic shattering echoed on the ground, and Shen Linhui's entire head was drenched in tea, which mixed with the blood from his forehead and trickled down his cheeks.
It looks extremely frightening.
Chen Qiurong was heartbroken and slapped Shen Linhui on the shoulder, "How could you do such a thing?!"
"That's impersonating a government official! That's a capital offense! How dare you!"
Seeing that Chen Qiurong was truly heartbroken, Shen Linhui was afraid that she would give up on him, so he quickly grabbed her sleeve and said, "Mother, please forgive your son."
"My son didn't do it on purpose. My son... he was just temporarily deceived by Wang Meng and bewitched by him, that's why he agreed..."
"My son will never do it again..."
Chen Qiurong had almost lost her former glamorous appearance as the lady of the Marquis's mansion, and her cries were mournful.
Chen Xiangning, who had been sitting quietly to the side, finally couldn't bear to watch any longer. She got up, helped her up, sat her in a round chair, and brought her tea.
The room suddenly fell silent.
The servants all kept their heads down, afraid of being blamed.
Shen Yao was quite angry, and Butler Liu quickly served him another cup of tea.
"Youyou, how do you plan to resolve this matter?"
How to solve this?
Shen You looked at him with a half-smile, the curve of his lips carrying a strong sense of sarcasm, "Father, that's a very strange question."
"Instructing someone to impersonate a court official should be judged according to the laws of the court, not according to my wishes."
"You...you're blatantly slandering me!" Shen Linhui's face was distorted by a mixture of blood, tea, and tears. "Father, I didn't instruct Wang Meng. Wang Meng forced me to do it!"
“Heh,” Shen You chuckled sarcastically, “Whether you instructed Wang Meng or not, the Criminal Investigation Department will not wrong you. Save those words for the people in the Criminal Investigation Department.”
"Guards," she shouted coldly, "take Shen Linhui to the Criminal Investigation Department."
"Stop!" Chen Qiurong hurriedly reached out to block Shen Linhui, then looked up at Shen You, "Young Miss, why don't you talk to the Duke properly? He'll definitely listen to you..."
“Hui’er can’t go to a place like the Criminal Investigation Department.”
In that place where people are devoured without spitting out the bones, how could Shen Linhui possibly survive?
But Shen You ignored her pleas and remained silent.
Chen Qiurong could only turn to Shen Yao and plead, "My lord, if Hui'er goes to the Criminal Investigation Department, his life will be ruined."
Her eyes were red from crying. "He's only fifteen, my lord... he's your only son..."
Shen Yao caught his breath, glared at Shen Linhui, and then looked at Shen You standing to the side.
“Youyou…”
“Father,” Shen You interrupted him forcefully, “if you hand Shen Linhui over to the Criminal Investigation Department, you might earn a good reputation in front of outsiders for upholding justice and being upright and incorruptible.”
His own good reputation, and the good reputation of the Marquis's mansion, were the things that Shen Yao cared about most in his life.
He would sacrifice anyone for these two things.
This also includes Shen Linhui.
Shen You knew these thoughts, which is why she said that.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yao's expression softened slightly.
"No...no..." Chen Qiurong pleaded desperately, "My lord, Hui'er is your only son."
"Do you really want to see the Marquis's family line die out?!"
Shen Yao's eyes widened suddenly.
These words were absolutely devastating, directly shaking his last line of defense.
“Madam, you are mistaken,” Shen You said coldly. “How could the Marquis’s mansion die out?”
"Even without Shen Linhui, there is still me and Ning'er."
“Alternatively, one could choose a child of good character from a collateral branch, adopt him/her into the father's family, and raise him/her properly.”
While there were instances of women being granted titles in the Great Qi Dynasty, they were extremely rare.
Moreover, in Shen Yao's heart, he always believed that only his son could inherit the title.
Shen You's words were also in line with his thoughts.
Shen Yao's hesitant and conflicted expression was very obvious, and his gaze fell on his good-for-nothing son.
But Chen Qiurong's crying grew louder in my ears.
She cried, "How can an adopted child be the same as a biological child?"
"My lord, Hui'er is your own flesh and blood."
But the next moment, Chen Qiurong was helped up by Chen Xiangning again.
She looked at Shen Yao and said calmly, "Father, my elder sister is right."
“Even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners, so Shen Linhui should take responsibility for his mistakes.”
"You child," Chen Qiurong shoved her away, "what nonsense are you spouting!"
"This is your own brother!"
However, Chen Xiangning stood with Shen You, her eyes unusually cold and resolute.
"Ah!" Shen Linhui, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly roared in anger, "You all want me dead, you all want me dead!"
"Hui'er, Hui'er..." Chen Qiurong tried to hug him, "It's not like that."
"Guards," Shen You ordered sternly, "tie up Shen Linhui and take him to the Criminal Investigation Department."
"Can't!"
"My lord, please say something! If Hui'er is convicted, your reputation and that of the Marquis's mansion will be tarnished."
The servants, holding ropes, hesitated, unsure of whose advice to follow.
The room instantly descended into chaos.
"Enough!"
With a "bang".
Shen Yao slammed his fist on the table in anger, "Everyone, get out!"
The servants lowered their heads and quickly stepped aside.
"Shen Linhui must be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department!" Shen You only glanced at him before guessing what he was going to do.
It's simply a matter of picking it up high and putting it down gently.
She stood up and had Granny Zhao bring people in, intending to tie up Shen Linhui and take him away.
"Get out of my way!"
With a "snap".
No one saw clearly how Shen Yao's slap landed.
But everyone could clearly hear the sound of the slap.
Shen You's head was knocked to one side by the slap, and a handprint instantly appeared on her fair cheek.
"Father!"
Chen Xiangning reached out to block Shen You, but Chen Qiurong pulled her away.
Everyone present knew that Shen Yao was furious.
His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at her angrily. "You've got some big ideas now, huh!"
"I'm your father! I'm still here!"
"So," Shen You slowly raised her head, her eyes already red, but the detachment and coldness in her eyes were unmistakable, "are you planning to protect him?"
"He's your own brother!" Shen Yao said angrily. "We share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or ruin."
"Have you considered the reputation and honor of the Marquis's mansion?!"
“Heh,” Shen You’s gaze swept over Chen Qiurong and Shen Linhui before finally settling on Shen Yao.
Shouldn't she have realized this sooner?
Hoping that Shen Yao will deal with Shen Linhui is wishful thinking.
Shen You looked at him indifferently, forcing back the tears in her eyes.
She parted her lips slightly, and the two words that came out were extremely dry.
"what ever."
After saying that, she turned around immediately.
That slender, frail figure left without looking back.
Shen Yao's hand, which had been used to strike, hung limply at his side, trembling slightly.
He opened his mouth, wanting to ask his daughter to come back, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
He could only watch as she took step after step, tearing the bond between father and daughter ever thinner until it finally broke.
"Elder sister!" Shen Xiangning turned around and followed Shen You's footsteps.
The room fell into a deathly silence once again.
Shen Yao slumped into a round-backed chair, pointed at Shen Linhui, and said wearily, "Lock him in the ancestral hall and make him kneel for three days and three nights. He is not allowed to be released until he has done so."
Three days and three nights...
If you really kneel, your knees won't be able to take it.
Chen Qiurong hesitated, wanting to ask Shen Yao for more leniency.
However, they also knew that this punishment was already a lenient one compared to the mistakes Shen Linhui had made.
Butler Liu bowed his head and responded, then ordered someone to take Shen Linhui away.
No one noticed that the moment he stepped across the threshold, a triumphant smile appeared on Shen Linhui's lips.
See?
Even after things had escalated to this point, his father couldn't bring himself to punish him severely.
——
Night had fallen, and the sound of osmanthus filled the courtyard.
A gentle night breeze rustled the branches of the osmanthus tree in the courtyard.
The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the courtyard, seemingly able to dispel all the unease and resentment in people's hearts.
Shen You sat at the table, letting Granny Zhao apply the medicine to her.
The girl was thin and fair-skinned, with a bright red handprint on one cheek, which looked particularly frightening.
She pursed her lips and remained silent, her beautiful eyes staring blankly at a spot on the ground, her gaze restrained and trembling, making one's heart ache.
Granny Zhao's hand trembled, and she spoke with difficulty, "Miss, if you want to cry, then cry."
Shen You turned to look at her, the light in his eyes gradually focusing, dispelling the disappointment in his eyes.
“I don’t want to cry,” she shook her head. “There’s nothing to cry about.”
It's not worth it.
As Zhao Mama put down the medicine bottle, Shen You nestled into her arms.
Just like when I was a child.
People who are good to you are the ones you should care about.
Shen Yao spoils and indulges Shen Linhui for the sake of his reputation and face. She wants to see how long he can protect him and to what extent.
She was waiting to see the day Shen Linhui would cause a major disaster.
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