Chapter 54 Verification of Innocence
"Miss Shen, will you undress yourself, or will we help you?"
Several old women looked at them coldly.
The kind of nannies who performed physical examinations always did dirty work and served important people who had messed things up.
The fact that they've all come this far suggests that they're doing it for the final proof.
Let these important people die knowing the truth, so they have no way to defend themselves.
So when he looked at Shen Shu, he regarded her as one of those shameless women who had lost their virginity.
Shen Shu unbuckled her belt, letting her clothes slip off one by one.
The old woman found it strange. Usually, these noble ladies would only undress unwillingly if they were tricked. Why was Shen Shu so cooperative?
Could it be that they've resigned themselves to their fate? Knowing they can't escape it, they've simply given up?
"Open up!"
"Raise it higher!"
Shen Shu's jaw was deeply clenched as she endured the humiliating gazes of the old women.
The old woman examining Shen Shu paused, then examined her again in disbelief: "She's still a virgin!"
Another old woman watching from the side was also stunned and quickly stepped in to confirm.
"She really is a virgin..."
This is the first time they've found out that the person is still a virgin!
So the look in his eyes towards Shen Shu became less contemptuous and more respectful.
The group carefully dressed Shen Shu and saw her off.
The news quickly reached the Imperial Study.
Shen Xiao was stunned, a wave of fear washing over her: "How is this possible!"
Zhao's mother said that she saw Shen Shu go in with her own eyes, and listened to the noise outside Cheng Wang's gate for a long time before leaving.
How could she possibly still be a virgin!
"There's no mistake, Miss Shen is definitely naive!"
The Emperor was bewildered by this reversal. If Shen Shu was still innocent, why did that fool Prince Cheng still admit it?
Wouldn't he have wronged Prince Cheng and beaten him up for nothing?
Shen Shu, her previous composure gone, her eyes reddened: "I beg Your Majesty to restore my innocence!"
Seeing Shen Shu like this, Shen Xiao and Wen Lanting were terrified.
They never imagined it would turn out this way.
If the person accompanying Prince Cheng wasn't Shen Shu, then who could it be?
Panic was palpable in Wen Lanting and Shen Xiao's eyes. Even though it was only late summer, a chill ran down their spines.
"I remember you, Miss Shen, were the one who swore that Shen Shu had entered Prince Cheng's room."
Now that Shen Shu's innocence has been proven, the Emperor will not forget to punish those who slandered her.
When her name was called, Shen Xiao trembled with fear, her previous smugness completely gone: "This subject...this subject..."
He couldn't even speak clearly anymore.
Seeing the dramatic change in the situation, Shen Qiushan rolled his eyes and tried to come up with a solution.
The next second, Shen Qiushan slapped Shen Xiao across the face: "You blind fool! You misjudged someone and dared to slander your sister before you even confirmed it! You've caused your mother and me to misunderstand!"
Shen Xiao was dumbfounded. Did her father mean to push all the responsibility onto her and abandon her?!
Wen Lanting wanted to speak up for Shen Xiao, but Shen Qiushan pressed her back: "No matter what, it's all Xiao'er's fault. Don't forget, Lian'er is still waiting for us at home!"
Upon hearing about Chen Lian, Wen Lanting immediately understood. After all, their son was their last bargaining chip. If the couple were to perish here now, then Lian'er would truly be hopeless.
Ke Xiao'er…
Wen Lanting's eyes were red, but she still didn't say anything.
The Emperor watched the standoff between the Shen family members below and felt that this farce had gone on long enough. As long as the matter between Shen Shu and Prince Cheng was not true, everything else was negotiable.
"Miss Shen, you have slandered your own sister. You shall be slapped eighty times. Mr. and Mrs. Shen Qiushan are unable to distinguish right from wrong, believing only one side of the story. They have failed to manage their household properly. From today onwards, they shall shut themselves in and rectify their household!"
"As for the rumors in the city, investigate them for me! Catch the people spreading these rumors and kill them immediately. No need to report back. Let's see who dares to make baseless accusations again!"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the members of the Shen family below the hall, except for Shen Shu, lost all color in their faces.
"Brother! Wait!"
The eunuch helped Xie Hanyu, who was limping, into the room.
Although the guards didn't kill him, they still struck him several times with sticks.
When Xie Hanyu saw the Shen family being summoned to the palace, he disregarded his pain and listened outside the imperial study for a long time.
After listening to the whole thing, he realized that he was the one who had been taken advantage of!
He got beaten up for nothing!
Xie Hanyu now absolutely hates Wen Lanting! If Wen Lanting hadn't lied to him that the person he spent the night with was Shen Shu, he wouldn't have admitted it, and he wouldn't have been beaten by his elder brother.
How could he bear to see Wen Lanting return unharmed?
At the same time, he wondered, if it wasn't the Shen sisters last night, then who was it?
But now is not the time to think about these things. Who cares who she is? She's just offering herself up for free, so why not take it?
But he absolutely cannot let the person who caused him to be beaten get away with it!
"If we're talking about false accusations, it's not just Miss Shen who's involved. Your Majesty, I just said that the Lady of the Grand Uncle sent Miss Shen to my room. You didn't believe me, but now you do! If the Lady of the Grand Uncle hadn't been lying, how could I have mistakenly thought that the person last night was Miss Shen?"
Wen Lanting shuddered in fright, her mind now filled with thoughts of self-preservation: "Your Highness Prince Cheng, please don't talk nonsense. When did I ever say such a thing?"
She was gambling that Cheng Wang had no evidence.
Xie Hanyu was furious when Wen Lanting denied it, thinking to himself that she was a cunning and wicked woman!
He turned his head and thought for a moment, a wicked plan forming in his mind: "Since the madam denies saying that, you must have said that you would make Miss Shen my queen!"
If they can't cure Wen Lanting, they can't cure her daughter either.
It is only natural for daughters to pay their mothers' debts!
Besides, Wen Lanting just admitted this in front of His Majesty, so Xie Hanyu didn't believe she could deny it.
When Wen Lanting saw that King Cheng had turned the conversation to Shen Xiao, he was so surprised that he couldn't speak.
Does Prince Cheng mean he wants to marry Xiao'er?
Seeing that he had finally subdued Wen Lanting, Xie Hanyu smiled triumphantly: "I beg Your Majesty to grant me a marriage; I wish to marry Miss Shen!"
Let's see how he torments Shen Xiao after she marries him.
He was determined to use every trick in the book he knew on Shen Xiao to avenge the beating he suffered today.
The Emperor frowned, not looking at Prince Cheng, but instead looking at Shen Qiushan: "Are you sure you want to marry your daughter to Prince Cheng?"
Over the years, he has known his younger brother's character very well.
Otherwise, how could he be over thirty and still have no one willing to marry their daughter to him?
The Emperor was also worried that the lineage of Prince Cheng might die out, which is why he indulged him so much.
But now, in order to clear himself of any involvement and justify his actions, Shen Qiushan no longer cared about saving face: "If His Highness Prince Cheng is willing, I will certainly agree!"
He didn't care about being ridiculed by the court officials; saving his life was the most important thing.
The Emperor was utterly disgusted by Shen Qiushan's despicable act of betraying his daughter: "Since you are willing, then I will issue a decree that Miss Shen marry Prince Cheng."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Half a month from now is an auspicious day, so there's no need to calculate the wedding date; that day will be perfect."
Since Shen Qiushan was selling his daughter for personal gain, the Emperor would definitely not give him a chance to back out.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" A vengeful glint flashed in Xie Hanyu's eyes.
Shen Xiao couldn't bear the blow and wanted to rush up and beg the emperor to rescind his order, but Wen Lanting covered her mouth tightly.
Wen Lanting's heart was bleeding, but in order to save the entire Bo Gong family, she had no choice but to abandon Xiao'er!
The Emperor rubbed his temples, feeling that the Shen family was utterly unruly. If it weren't for the fact that Shen Shu was going to marry Awei in the future, and he had to save some face for them, he would have really wanted to deal with them all.
So he frowned and told them all to leave.
When Prince Cheng saw that his elder brother had stopped there and was no longer punishing him, his earlier smugness vanished.
Because he felt that the Emperor's punishment of the Shen family was too lenient!
Punishing only Shen Xiao is not enough!
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