Chapter 672: Imprisonment (5)
Under normal circumstances, Shen Wan would have certainly offered some words of comfort to Chang Zaiqing. However, when he thought of the news he had received from Liuzhou, that Chang Zaiqing was actually married and had a son, he felt sick. Seeing Chang Zaiqing reacting in this way, Shen Wan felt a sense of relief, not knowing why. Chang Zaiqing had been so obsessed with a rich and prosperous future that she had concealed her true appearance. But now that wealth and prosperity were gone, it was too late to regret.
He waved his hand and said impatiently, "I don't know."
But in his mind he was thinking of the letter his long-time attendant had given him.
The letter from the long-servant was written by a court official who had a close personal relationship with Shen Wan. The court official got a piece of news from somewhere that Shen Wan's mortal enemy had submitted a memorial. The content of the memorial was nothing but evidence of the correspondence between Shen Wan and Fu Xiuyi in recent years.
Although Shen Wan hadn't actually been working for Fu Xiuyi in recent years, he had wavered in his early years, unwilling to give up on Prince Ding, and his attitude remained somewhat ambiguous. To others, it looked as if he and Prince Ding had formed an alliance long before. When Emperor Wenhui saw this evidence, his fury was understandable, and it was likely that a peaceful resolution to this matter would be difficult.
As for how his mortal enemy suddenly had all that evidence, Shen Wan had a vague suspicion. Chen Ruoqiu had been his wife for so many years, and because Chen Ruoqiu herself didn't understand court affairs, Shen Wan hadn't deliberately guarded against her. Some things were very private, and if Chen Ruoqiu had stabbed him in the back, everything would make sense.
Thinking of how Chen Ruoqiu had treated him so gently and lovingly before, and how she had now gone mad and gone all out, Shen Wan's gaze fell on Chang Zaiqing, who was sitting next to him, and his expression gradually darkened. If it weren't for Chang Zaiqing, he and Chen Ruoqiu wouldn't have been separated, and wouldn't have been in this situation. Thinking of this, Shen Wan remained indifferent to the child in Chang Zaiqing's belly.
…
On the surface, Shen Wan's family was imprisoned because of a poor job. Those who knew the inside story knew that Emperor Wenhui was furious that Shen Wan was secretly close to Fu Xiuyi. This matter implicated the Shen family, and of course, Prince Ding Fu Xiuyi was also not immune.
Fu Xiuyi's spies in the palace were well-hidden and numerous, and they quickly learned the whole story. Fu Xiuyi never imagined that Shen Wan and Chen Ruoqiu's marital affairs could even implicate her. Now was a critical moment, and she absolutely could not let Emperor Wenhui become suspicious of her at this time.
At the same time, Fu Xiuyi was also very confused. This year, Emperor Wenhui's health was not as good as before, so he was much more sensitive to the relationship between the prince and the court officials than in previous years. At this sensitive time, the news that he and Shen Wan were close seemed too coincidental. Although it was Shen Wan who was tricked, in fact, the losses he suffered were no less than Shen Wan's. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. Fu Xiuyi said coldly: "Not enough to help, but more than enough to cause trouble!"
Pei Lang pondered, "Your Highness, it would be best for you to distance yourself from this matter as soon as possible. No matter what method you use, you must prove your innocence."
"Of course I know it is." Fu Xiuyi said, "What do you think, sir?"
"The evidence is irrefutable, and your strenuous denials are deliberate. Your Highness might as well admit it and put the blame on Shen Wan alone. Although Your Majesty is averse to the prince forming a clique privately, if Shen Wan takes the initiative to surrender, Your Highness will be extremely annoyed, and Your Majesty may feel more at ease."
Fu Xiuyi nodded. "Sir, your thoughts are exactly the same as mine. Shen Wan has no choice but to sacrifice this chess move. However, such a useless piece will only cause trouble if kept, so it's better to get rid of it as soon as possible." This meant that Shen Wan would be sacrificed. The things in the memorial were undeniable. There was evidence for every case, and anyone who was willing to investigate could find it. But if this was all Shen Wan's idea, Shen Wan's desperate attempt to get close to Fu Xiuyi, and Fu Xiuyi remained unmoved, then everything seemed understandable, and Fu Xiuyi would be the one being implicated.
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