Chapter 71 Hidden Truth
Shen Sui was so angry that his whole body was shaking.
He didn't expect Shen Xi to be so cruel and ruthless.
But Shen Sui had drugged herself and framed Shen Tang first, and the man had indeed sent people into the mansion to protect Shen Tang, so Shen Sui had no choice but to believe it.
Young Master Wang is so bad that even the old lady doesn't like him, let alone Shen Sui.
For the sake of Shen Xian, the Second Wife actually wanted to marry her most beloved daughter to her useless nephew from her mother's side. Shen Sui didn't dare to think that Shen Tang couldn't swim, and that she would really fall into their trap.
Thinking of what Chen Tang told him, Yan'er was plotted by the second house and disappeared, and Jiang gave birth to a pair of twins...
Chen Sui felt coldness coming out of every part of his body.
Shen Sui looked at Shen Tang, "Your second brother..."
Chen Tang's nose felt sore, her father finally believed what she said.
Chen Tang choked up and said, "My daughter has no evidence, but my second brother was most likely buried alive by them as soon as he was born."
This was what Shen Xi told her herself, so it shouldn't be false.
Shen Sui's face was pale, and his hands on the desk were shaking.
Chen Tang didn't want to tell her father such a cruel fact, but she had to let her father know that the second branch's cruelty was far beyond his imagination. "My eldest brother was missing, but my mother never blamed the Jiang family. She even wanted the Jiang family to raise me. How could she be so crazy that she would kill her own daughter?"
Shen Sui sat there, saying nothing, his fists clenched tightly.
Chen Tang didn't say anything more and left the study.
The seeds of doubt that had been planted had finally taken root and sprouted. As long as her father was on guard, she wouldn't have to live in fear all day long.
Chen Tang returned to Qingyi Garden exhausted both physically and mentally.
The second wife went to the Yongning Earl's house, but came back empty-handed. The Yongning Earl refused to lose face and asked for the painting back. The second wife did not dare to push him too hard and could only pay double compensation.
The compensation was not enough, so the old lady punished her by making her reflect in the Buddhist temple for a month, and she was also required to copy the household rules.
Chen Tang was barely satisfied with this punishment, but it was a pity that Chen Xi could not be punished together.
However, in Shen Tang's opinion, reflecting on one's mistakes and copying the household rules were already the lightest punishment possible. The punishment she wanted was to send Shen Xian back to the second house, so that everyone would know to what extent the second house was desperate for the title. She wanted Shen Xian to be disgraced and regretful for the rest of her life.
She believed that day would not be too far away.
When the Second Wife was punished before, Chen Xian came to Chen Tang to question her and asked Chen Tang to plead for the Second Wife. But she didn't dare to do that this time, and Chen Tang was happy to be left alone.
It was only quiet for half a day. The next day, after Chen Tang went to pay her respects to the old lady, she came back. As soon as she entered the house, Si'er came in and reported to her, "The eldest lady left the house in a hurry..."
Chen Tang smelled something unusual.
The second wife had just been punished. Chen Xian would not have the leisure to go out shopping so soon, let alone go shopping alone. No one invited Chen Xian. What was she going to do in such a hurry?
Chen Tang's intuition told her that something bad was going to happen, so she walked towards the window and asked Chen Shan to help her keep an eye on it.
After Chen Shan left, Chen Tang drank a cup of tea and had nothing to do, so he read a book to pass the time.
I don't know how long I watched, Yin Xing went out to take the tea, and soon came in and said, "Miss, Old Master Jiang is here at the Marquis' Mansion."
Chen Tang was stunned, unable to believe it, "Grandfather came to the Marquis' Mansion?"
Ginkgo nodded hurriedly.
She couldn't even remember when was the last time Old Master Jiang came back to the Marquis' Mansion.
Knowing that the old lady complained about the Jiang family not taking good care of the eldest young master, the Jiang family members dared not visit her easily, not even during the holidays, for fear of affecting the old lady's mood. They were even more afraid to come to the old lady's birthday, as that would cause trouble for the old lady.
Today I came to your door...
Chen Tang was delighted. He put down the book, put on his shoes and was about to go out. However, just as he reached the bead curtain, there was a knock on the window and Chen Tang stopped abruptly.
She was anxious to see her grandfather, but she was also eager to know what Chen Ying was doing in such a hurry to leave the house. As soon as Chen Tang turned around, Ginkgo quickly walked over and pushed open the window.
Chen Tang walked over and asked, "What did Chen Xi do when she left the house?"
Chen Shan replied, "Miss Shen went to the Jiang family and asked them to plead for the second wife."
The moment the words entered his ears, the joy that Old Master Jiang had felt about coming to the Marquis' Mansion disappeared without a trace, and Shen Tang was completely overwhelmed by anger.
Chen Xian hadn't been to the Jiang family for more than ten years. The first time she went there was to ask the Jiang family to plead for the second wife. The mother and daughter killed her mother, and the Jiang family had felt guilty for more than ten years. As soon as she arrived, her grandfather came in person. Really, Chen Tang was so angry that her mouth tasted blood.
Chen Tang clenched his fists, "How did she help the Jiang family?!"
Chen Shan said, "Ms. Shen told the Jiang family that she felt guilty towards the eldest daughter of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion and that she should pay compensation. The second wife moved the dowry to protect her. The old lady and the marquis fined her too severely, so she had no choice but to ask the Jiang family for help..."
Chen Xian did not elaborate, and the Jiang family did not dare to ask more. After waiting for more than ten years, they finally waited for Chen Xian to come to their house for the first time. They were so happy that they could not contain themselves. Jiang's dowry was also found. How could the Jiang family refuse their granddaughter's request for help? Knowing that Chen Xian was anxious, Old Master Jiang threw away the half-written memorial in his hand and came to the Marquis' Mansion to find Chen Sui.
It's like being sold and still having to count the money. Fortunately, my father now believes that Shen Xian is not his biological daughter. If Shen Xian goes to the Jiang family to plead for the second wife, my father will probably be very angry.
In the study.
Shen Sui was reading a military book. When he learned that Old Master Jiang was coming, he was also surprised. He quickly put down the military book in his hand and stood up to greet him.
Chen Xian did not come back with Old Master Jiang, but was left behind by Old Madam Jiang. Chen Sui did not know that Old Master Jiang was invited by Chen Xian, so he asked, "Did my father-in-law come to see me for something?"
Old Master Jiang said, "Xi'er went to the Jiang family today and explained to me why the second wife of the mansion moved the dowry. Second Madam Shen really loves her, and the dowry was not lost, so don't punish her too severely."
Shen Sui's face sank, and he invited Old Master Jiang into the study.
After he had the person leave, he asked, "Can you pretend you don't know about this?"
Old Master Jiang said, "Xiao'er has come to the Jiang family for this matter, how can I just ignore it?"
Chen Sui said, "Tang'er's mother refused to change her words until her death, insisting that she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. None of us believed her. Maybe we were all wrong..."
Old Master Jiang's face condensed, "What do you mean by this?"
Shen Sui could only say it more bluntly, "Tang'er is my daughter, but Xian'er may not be."
"Even when Yan'er was lost..."
"I'm afraid it's not just an accident."
Family disgrace should not be made public. It was shameful enough for Shen Sui to fail to protect the dowry left by his deceased wife. Shen Ying also informed the Jiang family about this, causing Old Master Jiang to come to Pingyuan Marquis' Mansion for the Second Wife at such an old age. How could Shen Sui not be angry? He was even more afraid that if this precedent was set, Shen Ying would often bother the Jiang family in the future.
Even though Chen Xian is his daughter, Shen Sui would not allow it, let alone the fact that Shen Xian might not be hers.
Old Master Jiang's face paled. Although he didn't believe that his daughter would go crazy because of gains and losses, he also didn't believe that someone would replace his newborn son right under the nose of his son-in-law. He always thought that Jiang was so exhausted from giving birth that she made a mistake and mistook her daughter for her son.
Old Master Jiang said, "It may not be...it could be my granddaughter. Today is her first time to visit the Jiang family in fifteen years..."
If he hadn't been so ecstatic, he wouldn't have put down the memorial he was writing halfway. When he arrived at Pingyuan Marquis' Mansion, he was told that Shen Xi might not be his biological granddaughter. Old Master Jiang was already old, and he didn't know if he could wait until Shen Sui found out the truth of that year.
What if that’s the case? It’s the first time his granddaughter comes to him for help, and he, as her grandfather, cannot hurt her feelings.
Furthermore, going to the Buddhist temple to copy the family rules and reflect on oneself, in the eyes of Old Master Jiang, is a way to cultivate one's character and is not a punishment. A few more or fewer days does not matter.
Chen Sui said, "Since you have come to ask for mercy, how dare I not give you face? I will waive half of the punishment. Do you think it is feasible?"
Just as Old Master Jiang was about to nod, the servant's voice spread outside, "My Lord, the second young lady is here."
Old Master Jiang said to Shen Sui, "Tang'er is young, don't let her know about these troubles."
Shen Sui, "..."
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Tang'er knew more than his father, so there was no need for him to tell her.
Chen Tang stepped into the study, pretending not to know why Old Master Jiang came to Pingyuan Marquis Mansion, and happily greeted Old Master Jiang, holding Old Master Jiang's arm and acting coquettishly, "I didn't disturb my grandfather and father talking, did I?"
Old Master Jiang laughed, "Grandfather didn't have anything important to talk to your father about. He just passed by the Pingyuan Marquis Mansion and wanted to talk to your father."
"Your father is busy, so don't bother him. Send your grandfather out."
Chen Tang said reluctantly, "Are you leaving so soon? If I come later, I won't even be able to see my grandfather."
Old Master Jiang didn't let Shen Sui see him off, but Old Master Jiang hadn't visited for a long time, so how could Shen Sui not see him off? She and Shen Tang saw Old Master Jiang off the house together and watched him leave in a sedan chair.
After Old Master Jiang left, Shen Sui thought Shen Tang would ask him why Old Master Jiang came, but Shen Tang didn't ask a single question, which showed that he knew.
As for how I knew...
It's most likely related to the masked man.
Chen Sui was both curious and afraid to know who his future son-in-law was. As the future father-in-law, he didn't even know who his son-in-law was. The future son-in-law knew more about the family scandals of Pingyuan Marquis' Mansion than he did.
Chen Sui thought Shen Tang would ask her, and Yin Xing thought Shen Tang would ask Chen Sui not to listen to Old Master Jiang's advice. In the end, Shen Tang neither asked nor said anything. After seeing Old Master Jiang off, he bowed and returned to the inner courtyard.
When no one was around, Ginkgo couldn't help but say, "Old Master Jiang is begging for mercy, and the Marquis will definitely listen. Why don't you persuade the Marquis not to exempt the Second Wife from punishment?"
Chen Tang looked at the floating clouds in the sky, "You know that father will not disobey, so why should I make father feel embarrassed?"
She had said everything she needed to say, and she also wanted to take this opportunity to see how much her father believed it.
She didn't believe that her father would allow Chen Xi to involve the Jiang family in the Marquis's affairs.
It was getting late, so Chen Tang went back to his room, drank a cup of tea, and read a few pages of a book before it was time for lunch.
Calculating that Chen Xi was about to return from Jiang's house, Chen Tang took Ginkgo to Songhe Hall.
Passing by the garden, I saw from afar Chen Xi's personal maid walking forward with a little maid. The two maids were holding a lot of things in their hands.
It was Chen Xian's first time to go to the Jiang family, and the Jiang family would not let her return home empty-handed. Those things were obviously jewelry boxes. God knows how many good things Chen Xian had stolen from the Jiang family on this trip.
Asking the maid to send it back to Qinglan Garden clearly showed that he had no intention of letting the old lady know.
Chen Tang walked forward and entered Songhe Hall. When he walked around the screen and entered the room, he saw Chen Xi sitting next to the old lady, chatting and laughing with her.
Chen Tang walked forward and caught a glimpse of the jade bracelet on Chen Xi's wrist. Almost instantly, Chen Tang's eyes turned cold.
On Chen Xi's wrist was a jade bracelet, crystal clear and translucent, which Old Madam Jiang often wore and almost never took off.
My grandmother actually gave her favorite jade bracelet to Chen Xi.
Seeing Chen Tang's eyes fall on her wrist, Chen Xian remembered that she had not taken off the jade bracelet. It was too late to cover it up. She asked, "What are you looking at, second sister?"
Chen Tang said, "Eldest sister, this jade bracelet is exactly the same as the one my grandmother usually wears. If it weren't for the fact that my eldest sister never goes to the Jiang family, I would have suspected that it was given to her by my grandmother..."
Before she could finish her words, footsteps were heard outside, and a maid walked in quickly, saying, "Old Madam, it's bad. The Marquis has ordered the Second Master to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days..."
The old lady's heart was lifted, "What mistake did the second brother make?"
The maid shook her head.
She didn't know that.
The old lady looked at Mother Wang and said, "Go and ask."
Mother Wang hurried out.
Mother Wang was in a hurry to go out and come back in a hurry. She walked in quickly and the old lady asked anxiously, "Why did the Marquis punish the second son?"
Mother Wang glanced at Shen Xi before replying, “The Second Madam instigated the eldest girl to go to the Jiang family and ask Old Master Jiang to intercede for her, and the Marquis had no choice but to give Old Master Jiang face and exempted the Second Madam from punishment.
The Second Madam committed such a big mistake, but she was only punished to go to the Buddhist temple to reflect on her mistakes, but she was still not satisfied and made trouble. The Second Master just promised the Marquis yesterday that he would take good care of the Second Madam, but today she made trouble again. If she is not punished, she will not learn her lesson, so I will punish her..."
Shen Xi said anxiously, "I went to Jiang's house on my own, it wasn't my Second Aunt who instigated me to go!"
It would be strange if it wasn’t the second wife’s instigation.
Even she doesn't believe it, let alone the Marquis.
A few days ago, the second daughter went to the Jiang family. The second wife said that the eldest daughter was thin. She was afraid that the Jiang family would feel sorry for her, so she stopped the eldest daughter from going...
Mother Wang looked at Chen Xi and said, "The family scandal of the Marquis' Mansion has alarmed Old Master Jiang. The Marquis is very angry and has punished you, the eldest young lady, to go to Jingci Temple to reflect on your mistakes for half a month. The maid is already packing your things."
"The Marquis also said that if anyone dares to tell the Jiang family about this, you will stay in Jingci Temple for the rest of your life and never have to return home."
Chen Xi's face turned pale. She knelt down and begged the old lady, "Grandma, I know I was wrong. Please don't let my father send me to Jingci Temple..."
The old lady's face turned pale.
She was also wondering why Old Master Jiang suddenly came to Pingyuan Marquis' Mansion. She didn't expect that he came to plead for the Second Wife.
Neither she nor Shen Sui took good care of the dowry left by Jiang, and it was stolen by the Second Wife and given to the Yongning Marquis's Mansion. She didn't have time to hide it from the Jiang family, but Shen Xi took the initiative to tell the Jiang family and even asked Old Master Jiang to come in person to plead for the Second Wife. The old lady was so angry that her lips were shaking.
"Let the Second Madam go with her to Jingci Temple to reflect on herself for me!"
"I'm the one punishing her this time!"
"It's no use for anyone to plead for mercy!"
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