Chapter 83 It's Not Your Fault
Shanlai knew in her heart that no matter how nice Liu Min's words were, they could offer her nothing more than emotional comfort.
Because Liu Shen was in charge of the Liu family.
The master is an extremely gentle and refined person, and he never speaks harshly to his subordinates, yet this time he actually resorted to violence.
To be so angry, the situation must be quite serious.
So, what's being said outside?
Shanlai asked Ziyu to inquire for her.
Only after figuring things out can we come up with a solution.
Ziyu is a truly trustworthy person; he returned to find her in less than half a day.
"...Nothing was said, just that the young master had visited the Qiu residence, and then Miss Qiu died, and the young master forced Miss Qiu to her death...that's all."
"Yeah?"
"Um."
She nodded and said "Mm," but her eyes darted away, avoiding eye contact.
My heart sank uncontrollably.
It seems they really are wicked.
When she spoke again, her voice was a little dry: "Sister, don't hide it from me. This isn't helping me... I don't know anything, how can I protect myself? If they come down with their sticks, they'll kill me in one go..."
As she said this, Ziyu suddenly burst into tears.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just…”
I really can't bear it!
But I also knew she was right, so I cried and told her everything I knew.
For a moment, Shan Lai felt as if she had lost her hearing. Something seemed to be churning in her head, making her dizzy and unable to hear anything.
So she asked Ziyu to repeat it again.
This time I heard it all from beginning to end, and I heard it very clearly.
It felt like two human hands were wrapped around her neck, gradually tightening and blocking the breath she was holding in her chest, preventing her from exhaling or swallowing...
She smiled slowly.
It's the kind of smile that's always seen on statues of deities—peaceful and solemn...
Ziyu therefore suspected that she had gone mad.
"Little sister, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"
He grabbed her hand, clenched it tightly with both of his, and looked at her with sorrow. As he looked, he burst into tears again.
"...Why didn't you tell us anything?"
She suffered such a great injustice, and she carried it all alone.
No wonder he's been so quiet lately and hasn't been going out...
"Sister, I'm alright. It's true she tried to harm me, but she failed. Someone saved me—it was the third young lady from the Duke of Jing's mansion. She was also in Xishan that day. Her guards intervened and saved me, which resulted in a death. It was the person who tried to bully me; his throat was slit open, and he died instantly..."
These are details not mentioned in the rumors.
"sky!"
Ziyu suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.
I never imagined there would be a murder case involved!
Ultimately, she's still just a little girl, and of course she'd be scared when she suddenly heard someone had died.
"It's just a death, sister, don't be afraid. If he hadn't died, I would have. Once you understand that, you'll realize that his death was justified and you won't be afraid anymore."
It really is true! I stopped panicking immediately, my legs stopped feeling weak, and I was able to catch my breath again.
Shanlai smiled and said, "Sister, go back and rest. Thank you for coming all this way. I have things to do, so I won't see you off." After saying that, she walked out.
Ziyu quickly asked, "What are you busy with?"
"I'll go find the master."
We need to explain this to the master as soon as possible.
She didn't want to be kicked out.
I don't want to be separated from Liu Min.
Just imagining that I can't be with him makes my heart ache terribly, causing me both pain and panic.
They are very concerned about their innocence and are afraid that others will use it to force them to separate.
She was in a hurry to find Liu Shen, and Liu Shen was also looking for her.
On the way, she met the maid who was about to go to Guangyitang to call her. She smiled and said to her, "Sister, I was just about to go and call you. The master is looking for you."
Despite not being afraid, my heart suddenly started pounding wildly.
The master is about to punish her.
What should be done with them?
Hesitant and unsteady at every step.
I don't want to go there immediately.
However, every road has an end, and no matter how unwilling you are, you've arrived at the end.
Fear is useless.
Thinking this way, I finally regained my usual composure.
Liu Shen looked as kind and gentle as ever. When he saw her come in, he nodded and said, "Come this way with me. I have something to ask you."
Shanlai followed along the way.
It wasn't a secluded place; it was just the innermost study on the east side of Yihetang.
There were maids standing in the main hall, but none in the outer rooms or the study, apparently because they didn't want anyone to hear.
Liu Shen sat down, while Shan Lai stood, waiting for Liu Shen to speak.
There was no movement for a while.
Fortunately, Shanlai is a patient person; otherwise, it would have been difficult for him not to panic.
Finally, Liu Shen spoke, "...Is he feeling better?"
The question was, of course, directed at Liu Min.
Shanlai harbors resentment.
How could a biological father be so cruel?
"Before I came, I only woke up once, said I was thirsty, drank a couple of sips of water, but I was too tired, so I went back to sleep."
After listening, Liu Shen remained silent for a long while before speaking again: "You all need to do your best and serve them well..."
"It is the duty of servants."
Liu Shen nodded, turned his head, and looked at Shan Lai's face.
"Actually, I called you here because I have something to ask you."
Shanlai's heart skipped a beat; he thought, "They're here."
"Miss Qiu... what happened? Is it true that she plotted against you?"
Shanlai dared not conceal anything, nor did he dare to embellish anything. He simply told the whole story honestly, and finally emphasized, "I think Miss San is willing to testify for me in private."
Liu Shen simply hummed in response, offering no further comment.
That was truly unexpected.
"You've been wronged in this matter, and I should have sought justice for you, but she's already dead, so it's not appropriate to pursue it any further..."
That's alright. Shanlai has already sought justice for himself, so it's hard to say whether Qiu Qingfang's death was due to her shamelessness...
But that doesn't matter. The important thing is that Liu Shen didn't intend to treat him kindly at all, and didn't make things difficult for him in the slightest.
He even said, "I can compensate you in other ways. Feel free to ask for anything."
Yes, Liu Shen did not intend to punish Shan Lai, because he also felt that Shan Lai had not done anything wrong. He knew this girl well; she was always honest, well-behaved, and had a noble character that was more like a young lady than his own daughter. Even if Liu Min refused the marriage proposal with the Qiu family for her sake, which caused this incident, it was Liu Min's fault, Miss Qiu's fault, not her fault.
Her excellence is not her fault.
Liu Shen's words shocked Shan Lai.
"Isn't the master angry with me?"
Ultimately, it was because of me that such a huge scandal occurred.
"It's not your fault, why should I blame you?"
Although it has indeed become a problem—his son is infatuated with her and even unwilling to marry—it really isn't her fault. She didn't choose to become this trouble; it was his mother who made her a problem. Moreover, he had agreed to it in the first place. Although he didn't expect her to become such a big problem, he had to take some responsibility since he had given his consent. So even if it was his fault, it can't be said that she was at fault.
After all, she was someone his mother left behind, and he felt affection for her.
“I already know everything. You should go back and keep a close eye on him. Make sure he recovers from his injuries as soon as possible… Once he’s healed, you can go out again, but take a few more people with you. Just be more careful. Don’t listen to or care about what others say. It’s a great blessing for you to be Abbot Hongche’s student. Don’t squander your good fortune over some trivial matters. Otherwise, even Heaven will not stand for it and may bring disaster upon you.”
He is a good person.
Shanlai was truly moved and choked up as he said yes.
"It's getting late, the road is difficult to travel on, go back quickly."
On the way back, Shanlai thought that the old lady and the master were both good people who had been kind to her. They were only kind to her because of Liu Min, and they wanted her to be kind to Liu Min. Therefore, she had to be kind to Liu Min... He had always been her responsibility.
Besides, she still loves him.
She treated him well, genuinely well, willingly and without hesitation. She served him, wiping his face, feeding him water, applying medicine, talking to him, setting up a couch next to him to sleep. He was the last person she saw before falling asleep, the first person she saw when she woke up, and even when she was asleep and unaware of anything else, he was there beside her… She could even cast aside her shyness and help him to the bathroom. He, however, refused, blushing and telling her to move away. When she didn't move, he glared at her, but not fiercely, only with a hint of grievance. Looking at him, she really wanted to touch his face, even want to kiss his lips… Of course, she knew she couldn't, so she forcibly restrained herself, until a panicked tremor ran through her entire body.
Shanlai no longer wanted to think about Qiu Qingfang. Even though this person was dead, and even though this person's death was definitely related to her, her life was too wonderful. So wonderful that she could justifiably think that this person was the one who ruined her life first, so she deserved to die.
She deserved to die; she died just as she should, and she has no reason to feel guilty about it.
Later, Ziyu ran over and cheerfully told her that the third young lady of the Duke of Jingguo's mansion had come forward to prove her innocence, and that not many people outside were saying those dirty words anymore.
Very good.
That's great.
Beautiful days.
While the filthy words outside wouldn't kill her, they were still unpleasant. Being able to keep them quiet was a bonus, something to be happy about.
Such days should only exist in heaven. When people experience them, they inevitably feel their hearts flutter, their bones melt, and their spirits soar. They are so happy that they want to shed tears.
She was too happy too soon.
Moreover, she wasn't as selfish and heartless as she thought.
Old Master Qiu is dead; he died from drunkenness.
When Ziyu told her about this, her tone was very cheerful, because she felt it was retribution.
Who told her to harm others? Not only did she die, but she also implicated her brother. Because of her, her brother was so heartbroken that he drank too much and died drunk. Her sins were compounded.
Not only did her sins become heavier, but Shan Lai also felt that her sins had become heavier because of this human life.
Qiu Qingfang is dead, and she can at least console herself that she deserved it. But what about this patriarch of the Qiu family? I heard that Lord Qiu's first wife only gave birth to a son and a daughter...
She wrote a confession and took it to Huguo Temple.
"We repent that, from past lives to this very life, we have violated the Dharma due to desire, greed, anger, and jealousy, thus abandoning the study of Prajna and defiling the Buddha's body with our blood..."
I recited the prayers before the Buddha several times, but dared not post it, so I burned it in the fire.
She also did not go to see her master, Hongche.
I understand the道理 (principles/reasons), but I can't get over it in my heart. Even if I've repented, the gloom in my heart still won't dissipate.
Her beautiful days were thus shrouded in a shadow.
Happy times are always too short.
This isn't even the worst of it.
That day, while she was sitting under a tree in a daze, someone from Yihetang suddenly came and asked her to come over.
I'll definitely go, and I'll definitely ask what it's for on the way.
But he didn't say it.
This must be something big, otherwise they wouldn't have kept it from her.
I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com