Chapter 97 What you eat, you vomit back out.
Pei Yuan looked at Shen Chu with a half-smile.
"Today is the day that the Lady of Changning Marquis is holding a disaster relief banquet. How can the Flying Eagle Guards search the Marquis's residence at this time?"
Since the report concerns Lord Shen accepting bribes, why don't we invite Lord Shen to come with us to the Flying Eagle Guard?
Shen Chu nodded, "Since someone has reported this, I will cooperate with the Flying Eagle Guard in the investigation."
"The disaster relief banquet has just begun, and I also wish to do my part for the people in the disaster area. How about we wait until after the banquet before accompanying Your Highness to the Flying Eagle Guard?"
Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of suspicion flashing in them.
Didn't Shen Chu want to use the Flying Eagle Guards to find out the stolen goods from the Marquis's mansion?
Shen Chu dragged over a chair and brought it over with a smile, "Since Your Highness is here, why not do your part for the people in the disaster area?"
Pei Yuan gave her a deep look, a slight smile playing on his lips, and sat down with an air of authority.
He wanted to see what Chen Chu was really up to.
The scene was quiet, and all eyes were on Shen Chu, some curious and others apprehensive.
Madam Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the Flying Eagle Guards had not searched the mansion.
The gifts from those officials' wives are still in the storeroom and haven't been dealt with yet. If they are found, she won't be able to explain herself.
She felt a little panicked and cursed the person who reported Shen Chu in her heart.
Princess Qinghe asked about the process of the disaster relief banquet. Chen came to her senses and quickly said, "I heard that the floods in Hanyang have caused great damage, and all the crops in the fields have been submerged."
His Highness the Crown Prince's trip to provide disaster relief focused on solving the immediate problem of food for the victims, but the subsequent resettlement of the victims will require much more.
I think we should all do our best, whether it's donating money or clothes, anything that the disaster victims can use can be sent here.
As you all know, I donated a house to store disaster relief supplies. All the donated supplies will be stored in that house and then escorted to Hanyang by the Imperial Guards.
Many officials' wives flattered Madam Chen, saying, "Madam Chen's arrangements are truly thoughtful."
"Not only was she thoughtful, but Madam Chen also donated 500 shi of grain. Even the Empress Dowager praised her for her kindness and generosity."
"Yes, both of the Marquis's sons are promising. The eldest son is favored by His Majesty, and the young master is now accompanying the Crown Prince to provide disaster relief. He will surely have a bright future upon his return."
"Madam Chen is a very fortunate person. Whoever becomes your daughter-in-law in the future will be truly blessed."
Chen was flattered by everyone's words and immediately forgot the panic that had just arisen.
She sighed dramatically, "I just try to put in more effort in everything, hoping to accumulate good karma for my children and grandchildren. You all know the fate of my eldest son."
To be honest, our Marquis's mansion has been relatively peaceful over the years, but in the past two months, it has been plagued by constant turmoil.
First, a death occurred at Jingguo Temple, then the Marquis had an accident at the family banquet, and then at the dragon boat race, I was accused of framing the eldest son... Sigh, all of these things, I dare not even think about them deeply; just thinking about them sends chills down my spine. I can only hope to do good deeds to avert disaster.”
The group exchanged glances, recalling what they had heard about Shen Chu's cursed fate, and their gazes toward Shen Chu suddenly took on a strange quality.
Some people couldn't help but whisper among themselves: "Young Master Shen is so promising, it's just a bit of a pity about his fate."
"He's a jinx, this is no joke. We need to make sure the men in the family stay away from him from now on."
"Exactly, who knows if he'll bring bad luck to the people around him, in addition to his parents and other relatives?"
As Chen listened to these discussions, a smug look flashed across her eyes.
No matter how successful Shen Chu was in his official career, he was destined to be a lone star, and no court official would be willing to be close to him.
Even His Majesty might be wary of this and never give Shen Chu a second chance, so that when Yan'er enters officialdom, he can completely suppress Shen Chu.
Although the whispers were low, they still reached Pei Yuan's ears.
He turned and glanced at Shen Chu, who was standing not far away. He saw that Shen Chu had his eyes downcast and was looking at the paper in his hand with a calm expression, as if he had not heard the surrounding discussions at all.
Is he destined to be a lone star, bringing misfortune to his father, mother, and relatives?
Is this why Shen Chu was sent to a Taoist temple to be raised from a young age?
Princess Qinghe frowned slightly as she thought of her son's constant mention of Brother Shen, interrupting the crowd's discussion. "I will donate two thousand pieces of clothing and two thousand pairs of shoes. Madam Chen, please make a note of this. I will send someone to deliver the items in the next few days."
Among the women present today, Princess Qinghe holds the highest rank.
She spoke first, and since Madam Chen wanted to hear everyone's discussion about Shen Chu, she couldn't say anything more. She quickly smiled and said, "The princess is kind and benevolent."
The other ladies also stood up and began donating money and goods.
Shen Chu stepped forward and said with a smile, "You are the wife of Lord Wang, the head of the Ministry of Rites, right? The report says that I accepted a jade ruyi from your family and two thousand taels of silver. Did Madam Wang ever give you these things? And to whom did you give them?"
Madam Wang's expression changed slightly, and she subconsciously looked at Madam Chen.
Madam Chen's face darkened. "All the ladies have come here to do good deeds. What are you doing? Don't you know whether they've given you anything or not?"
Shen Chu spread his hands and said, "It's precisely because I don't know that I'm asking you directly. It's better not to say anything than to reveal the truth."
Chen snorted coldly, "Nonsense, get down here right now."
Shen Chu ignored him, but instead glanced at the person opposite him and continued, "At 1:15 a.m. on May 11th, the wife of Lord Li, the Director of the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works, delivered three thousand taels of silver, twelve pairs of glass bottles, and two famous paintings."
"At 3:45 AM on May 11th, the wife of Lord Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, delivered 5,000 taels of silver, 30 bolts of Shu brocade, and a box of gold and silver jewelry."
At noon, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies…
Her voice was clear and resonant, neither hurried nor slow, yet it inexplicably made people feel uneasy.
The faces of the women, especially those whose names were called by Shen Chu, had already begun to turn pale.
They were all instructed by their husbands to come to the Marquis's residence to deliver gifts, hoping that Shen Chu would be lenient towards their husbands during his inspection.
They thought things were settled, but unexpectedly, Shen Chu brought everything to the table.
Her husband hadn't even started being investigated yet, and he already had a bribery charge, especially since the Sixth Prince was accompanied by the Flying Eagle Guard.
This is terrible. They don't even need to investigate them; the Flying Eagle Guards can arrest their own men on charges of bribery.
Shen Chu glanced at everyone and continued, "I understand that the ladies are kind-hearted and want to donate money and supplies due to the recent floods in Hanyang, but they are a bit too hasty. The manor is only holding a disaster relief banquet today."
The ladies, who were feeling anxious and their backs were cold, suddenly brightened up when they heard this, as if they had grasped a lifeline.
Madam Wang hurriedly replied, "Young Master Shen is right. My husband was very restless after hearing about the flood in Hanyang. As soon as he found out that the Marquis's residence was going to hold a disaster relief banquet, he quickly asked me to donate some money and goods to Madam Chen."
Madam Li agreed, "That's right, my master thinks so too."
Madam Zhou: "We have delivered all the items to Madam Chen. Madam Chen, these are all donations we made for the people of Hanyang. Please record them today and hand them over to the Imperial Guards to be sent to Hanyang."
Chen gripped the chair armrests tightly, using a great deal of force to keep herself from jumping.
Damn it, those gifts were clearly meant for her, and these people suddenly turned against her.
Shen Chu looked at Chen's face, which was flushed red, and a smile flashed in his eyes.
The Chen family will have to give back the gifts they've taken in, just as they've taken them in.
Of course, spitting it out was just the beginning; today she was going to completely destroy the Chen family!
Pei Yuan stroked the jade-bone fan, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.
I originally thought Shen Chu wanted to use the Flying Eagle Guards to find the stolen goods, but now it seems that this was not his plan.
Shen Chu probably doesn't know that whenever he schemes against someone, his eyes can't help but curve into a smile, just like a little fox.
Hmph, just another little fox who knows how to use someone else's power to intimidate others!
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