Chapter 114 My feelings are only for you.
*
Shenfu.
When Shen Linlang heard the servant's report, she was stunned for a long time.
She stared blankly out the door, as if she could see the scene from many years ago when the mother and daughter were brought to the capital and they met for the first time.
That was their first meeting as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and sister-in-law. Even now, when she thinks back on it, she remembers how she felt at the time—a sense of relief mixed with a touch of joy.
She breathed a sigh of relief because she could tell from Xie's expression that the other party was polite and easy to get along with, and she was happy because of her sister-in-law's good looks.
She had no sisters and had practiced martial arts since childhood, so she had a good impression of her beautiful but timid sister-in-law.
After a long pause, she murmured, "How could he have died so suddenly?"
Granny Yu looked worried. "Madam, I feel there's something fishy about this..."
The person was gone last night; they said they only discovered it this morning.
Coincidentally, Yu Qingxue left the capital yesterday and hasn't returned yet.
“She is, after all, the aunt of several children. After such an incident, Qin’s mother panicked and had no one else to turn to but us.” Shen Linlang rubbed her throbbing temples, as if trying to suppress the unease in her heart.
The person is dead. Although the past is unforgivable, she doesn't mind preparing a coffin for the deceased. Just as she was about to send someone to help with the funeral arrangements, the old woman from the front yard came running in with a pale face, "Madam, something terrible has happened! The eldest young lady has been carried to our door!"
*
A large crowd had gathered outside the gate of the Shen Mansion.
Some were locals, but most were busybodies who had followed them all the way.
Yu Qingxue's body was placed below the steps, and whether it was intentional or not, her hands and half of her face were not covered, revealing the appearance of someone who died from poisoning.
Qin's mother knelt beside the corpse, weeping uncontrollably.
The onlookers pointed and whispered, asking all sorts of questions. Despite crying, she managed to give a rough account of what had happened, albeit haltingly.
According to her, Yu Qingxue felt a little unwell after returning from the wedding banquet yesterday, and went to bed early. She didn't wake up or drink any water all night, so she assumed she was just tired.
When dawn broke and the person still hadn't woken up, she didn't think much of it, assuming they were sound asleep. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky and the person still hadn't woken up that she realized something was wrong. She went to check and found the person was gone.
"This servant felt something was wrong, so I had a doctor examine her. He said my mistress died from poisoning..."
A perfectly healthy person was poisoned to death. It's obvious there must be a conspiracy involved, which has led to much speculation among busybodies. Some people even heard about the incident Yu Qingxue caused at the wedding banquet yesterday.
"I heard that this aunt of the Yu family wanted to show off in front of Princess Chen. She said that no one invited her to such an important event as her niece's marriage, which almost embarrassed Princess Chen."
"The Shen family and the Yu family have fallen out, and even the Princess Consort of Chen has changed her surname. How can she have the nerve to act like an elder..."
"That's not how it works. We're all family, even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. The one who switched the children was Old Madam Yu. She raised Princess Chen for over ten years. The Shen family should have invited her to handle something like Princess Chen's wedding."
"The Shen family was indeed quite rude. I heard they even had her dragged away. Do you think that angered her, so..."
Qin's mother cried even more bitterly. Although she didn't say a single bad word about the Shen family, nor did she speculate about who poisoned her, her straightforward words had already led people to suspect the Shen family.
Since the Su family's incident, Yu Qingxue has been living in the Shen residence and rarely goes out. Apart from the Shen family, she has had almost no contact with other people over the years.
She is now dead, and after attending the Shen family's wedding banquet, the Shen family is the prime suspect.
The gates of the Shen residence remained tightly shut, and no one came out.
Finally, someone came out of the side door, but it wasn't the mistress of the house, Shen Linlang, but Granny Yu.
Granny Yu said to Granny Qin, "Since the person died from poisoning, we should not handle it ourselves. My mistress has already sent someone to report to the authorities, and they will be here soon."
Qin's mother lowered her head and could only cry.
Suddenly someone shouted, "People from the Ministry of Justice are here!"
Upon hearing this, Granny Yu frowned and quickly instructed Yinping behind her, "Quickly, go and report to Madam."
The person leading the delegation from the Ministry of Justice was Guan Hu. Just by seeing him, Granny Yu knew that the visitors were up to no good.
The official she reported to was not the Ministry of Justice, but the Shenwu Camp.
Before the Shenwu Camp arrived, the Ministry of Justice came first. It was obvious that this was not a simple matter. She subconsciously looked at Qin Mama, who was still crying with her head down, and Yu Qingxue's corpse, and her brows furrowed even more.
When questioned by Guan Hu, Qin's mother gave the same answer as before.
If a person dies from poisoning, then it is a homicide case, and the Ministry of Justice certainly has the authority to handle it.
At Guan Hu's command, his men took away the bodies of Qin Mama and Yu Qingxue.
"Guan, wait!"
Upon hearing Mu Lin's voice, Granny Yu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. She thought to herself that she had only sent people there a short while ago, and the Divine Martial Guards had already arrived. Clearly, they must have heard about it beforehand.
Perhaps to avoid suspicion, Yu Jingliang was not included in the Shenwu Guard.
"Commander Mu, our Ministry of Justice will handle this kind of murder case. If your Divine Martial Guard cooperates, I will certainly not be polite."
“Chief Justice Guan, we came here after receiving a report. According to regulations, if your Ministry of Justice wants to take over the case, we must first find out the situation before transferring it.”
"What a coincidence." Guan Hu snorted coldly. "We also received a report, which is why we rushed over to handle it."
“If that’s the case, then we should try this case together.”
"These are minor cases; our Ministry of Justice can handle them ourselves. There's no need for your Divine Martial Guards to do so." Guan Hu made a gesture, and his men immediately went over to take the person and the body away.
Mu Lin had a sullen face, his hand on the sword at his waist, loosening and tightening repeatedly.
Guan Hu had a smug look on his face as he glanced at the plaque of the Shen Mansion.
When Shen Linlang rushed over, they were just about to leave.
"Madam, what should we do?" Granny Yu asked in a low voice, her face full of anxiety.
She said calmly, "We can't stop him, we can only wait for our eldest brother."
Just then, a magnificent carriage suddenly appeared at the alley entrance. Even though it was still some distance away, one could tell who it was just from the style of the carriage.
"Is it Princess Consort Chen who has arrived?" someone asked in a low voice.
Soon the carriage arrived, and Xia Chan got off first, followed by her helping Shen Qinglu down from the carriage.
Shen Qinglu arrived in a hurry and did not return to the palace to change her clothes. She was still wearing the same clothes she had worn when she entered the palace. Her crown was magnificent and her dress was elaborate and gorgeous, which made her already charming and beautiful face even more stunning.
For a moment, many people were stunned, their eyes fixed on her. A gasp of amazement came from the crowd, and then everyone bowed to her.
She looked around at everyone and asked, "What happened?"
Mu Lin suppressed his complicated feelings and stepped forward to report, saying, "Someone went to report the case, so we came here. If we don't investigate thoroughly, we can't close the case or transfer it properly. But for some reason, Guan Tixing is obstructing us in every way."
Although Guan Hu appeared respectful, there was a hint of unsettling malevolence in his eyes earlier. "Since it is a murder case, our Ministry of Justice should take full responsibility. If there is any need for the Shenwu Guard's cooperation, we will not remain silent."
This matter is clearly aimed at the Shen family, and all three parties are well aware of this.
Shen Qinglu glanced at the corpse on the ground without any emotion. Judging from the half of the face that was exposed, it was definitely Yu Qingxue.
She walked over slowly and got a clearer view.
“I told you long ago that that person doesn’t care about your life or death. Once he has something to scheme against, he will do anything to save you. It’s a pity you didn’t listen.”
Qin's mother listened attentively, and her body trembled involuntarily.
Shen Qinglu shifted her gaze and glanced at her, who was still crying.
"Respect for the dead is paramount. For a servant to dare expose his master's corpse is clearly an attempt to cause trouble."
"Your Highness, I didn't..." she cried as she tried to explain, but she was startled when she met Shen Qinglu's dark eyes and quickly lowered her head again. "I just wanted to find someone to help me..."
Shen Qinglu's eyes were icy cold, and her voice remained indifferent, "If you really need help, you can send a message first and then wait for someone to help you deal with it, instead of just moving the body over here and laying it across my Shen family's gate."
"I was afraid... afraid that you still resent my lady and might not be willing to help. I acted rashly in a moment of panic. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
After Qin's mother finished speaking, she prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
Ren Chun strode over and pulled her up, "What are you doing? Are you trying to cause trouble for my princess?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"If you didn't mean that, then why did you send someone to deliver the message, but instead of waiting for our reply and arrangements, you brought the body directly here?" Shen Linlang questioned.
She stammered, repeating the same excuse that her wife had a long-standing grudge against the Shen family and that she was afraid others wouldn't dare to intervene.
Shen Qinglu stopped looking at her and turned her dark and cold gaze to Guan Hu. "Guan, you saw it too. Someone came to my Shen residence to cause trouble. I don't know much about the law, but I do know that the Divine Guards are in charge of security and order in the capital. Such provocations should be handled by them."
"It involves a murder case..."
"Chief Judge Guan, this servant dares to cause trouble in front of my Shen residence! You have repeatedly obstructed the Divine Martial Guard's investigations. What are your true intentions?" Shen Qinglu adopted the air of a superior, her gaze towards Qin Mama sending chills down one's spine. "In my opinion, this servant clearly betrayed his master, mistreating him and poisoning him to death, then trying to frame my Shen family. His heart is utterly despicable!"
Qin's mother sensed a chilling killing intent in her eyes, and her mind went blank.
"This servant did not..."
She made no attempt to hide her intention to downplay the incident and find a scapegoat, speaking again, "A mere servant, committing such a deed, deserves to be killed on the spot! Guards..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin's mother suddenly got up, shouting "Injustice!" and slammed her head against the wall of the Shen family's house.
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
She remained completely unaffected; her radiant face held an icy indifference to everything, and her gaze toward Guan Hu was equally cold.
“The murder case is naturally handled by your Ministry of Justice.” She pointed to Yu Qingxue’s body. “Take the deceased away and examine the body first.”
He then pointed to Qin Mama, who was either truly unconscious or feigning it, and said, "Guan Tixing, as you can see, this servant is trying to kill himself in front of my Shen Mansion. He clearly has ulterior motives and should be handed over to the Divine Martial Guard for processing."
Turning to Mu Lin, he said, "Commander Mu, I'll trouble you to investigate this matter thoroughly and restore justice to the Shen family."
Mu Lin readily agreed and personally went to escort Qin Mama away.
Guan Hu was clearly unwilling to let the matter drop. "This servant is connected to the murder case and should be brought back by us..."
Shen Qinglu suddenly changed her demeanor, her beautiful face seemingly tinged with a thin layer of anger. "Guan, so many eyes have seen it. This servant is clearly causing trouble. You have obstructed the Divine Martial Guard from carrying out their duties in every way, and you even wanted to take him away. Are you harboring any intention of protecting him?"
"This humble official wouldn't dare," Guan Hu said, his words softening his tone, but his attitude remained firm.
"I think Judge Guan is quite audacious; it really makes one wonder if you and this lackey are in cahoots?"
Guan Hu's expression changed, and the ferocity in his eyes intensified.
Shen Qinglu wasn't afraid of his strange appearance and stared back at him.
Ultimately, power determines rank, and he was forced to lower his tone. He pondered for a moment in a somber mood, then said in a somewhat gloomy voice, "This servant is indeed related to a murder case, but he has also committed acts of provocation. I will go with Commander Mu to the Divine Martial Camp, and after we have dealt with him, we will transfer him to the Ministry of Justice."
The implication was that although he had taken a step back, he could not back down too much and had to keep a close eye on the Divine Martial Guard.
Shen Qinglu remained noncommittal, but nodded slightly to Mu Lin.
Both the person and the body were taken away, and the onlookers followed.
Shen Linlang was finally able to come over. Her loving gaze, mixed with a hint of ambiguity, took a good look at her daughter, and a look of relief gradually appeared in her eyes.
"This outfit must be extremely heavy. Hurry home and change into something lighter."
The "home" she was referring to was naturally the Shen Mansion behind her.
Shen Qinglu shook her head. "It's alright, I'll change when I get back to the Prince's residence."
"That's fine." She didn't say anything more. After all, according to the rules, today was not the three-day return visit day. If the newlywed daughter did not return home according to the rules, and if someone with ulterior motives found out, there would inevitably be some gossip.
After saying that, he thought about what had just happened and sighed softly.
"Tang'er..."
“She was clever this time, leaving the capital directly and extricating herself completely.” Shen Qinglu lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with coldness. “What goes around comes around. She will pay the price for everything she has done sooner or later.”
"I am also at fault for her becoming like this."
"Mother, don't overthink it." Shen Qinglu patted her hand and comforted her.
She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, feeling sorry for her daughter wearing such a cumbersome crown and urging her to go back and rest quickly.
Shen Qinglu also felt a bit tired, thinking to herself that it was fortunate that she did not have to live in the palace or go to the palace often, otherwise she would really not be able to stand wearing such clothes every day.
In fact, there was no need to wait until she returned to the palace. After getting into the carriage, she had someone remove her crown. The person who removed her crown was not Xia Chanrenchun or the others, but Mu Hanshi, who had been in the carriage the whole time.
To avoid pulling her hair, Mu Hanshi moved very gently; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was extremely careful.
"Could you do me a favor?" She fiddled with the gold bracelet that held a hidden secret. Although it sounded polite, it seemed somewhat distant between husband and wife.
Mu Hanshi's eyes darkened. "I've said it before, I can do anything for you. There's no question of me helping you."
Even though she felt these words were somewhat unbelievable and knew they were not credible, she still feigned being moved and explained her request. Finally, she said, "Yu Tang and I will eventually have a life-or-death struggle. I hope that when that day truly comes, you will not interfere."
The feud between them was irreversible and irreconcilable, and she did not want to be bothered by it any longer, so she had to make a decision.
Mu Hanshi had already removed her crown, placing it aside with one hand, while his other hand lingered on the stray hairs on her forehead with deep affection, his deep eyes surging with the emotions accumulated over two lifetimes.
"Whether you believe it or not, I only care about you. Your presence by my side, living well, is the most important thing to me."
She sighed inwardly.
you do not say.
A marriage based on mutual benefit will break down if the person involved is no longer there, which would be a loss for some.
When she raised her eyebrows and gave a fake smile, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the surging emotions.
How is that possible?
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