Chapter 82 Showing off those long, jade-like fingers, even just applying medicine...
*
"Thump"
"Thump"
"Thump"
Early in the morning, the Dengwen Drum, located west of Angan Gate, suddenly sounded.
Since the founding of the dynasty in Daye, the ancestors of the Feng clan valued the opinions of the people and understood their sentiments and grievances. Therefore, they set up the Dengwen Drum south of Changming Palace, where people could beat the drum to offer their advice and appeal their grievances.
As soon as the drum of petitioning was sounded, the official in charge of this drum would step forward to inquire. If it was a public opinion or suggestion, it would be handed over to the Censorate; if it was a case of injustice, it would be handed over to the Ministry of Justice.
The person beating the drum was not young, yet dressed as an unmarried woman; it was Fang. Beside her lay her father's corpse, clearly indicating a murder case that should be handed over to the criminal authorities.
Soon the officials from the Ministry of Justice arrived. When asked why she had beaten the drum and what grievances she had suffered, she tearfully recounted how her father had been forced to his death and how the Shen family had gone too far in bullying her.
When the news reached the General's Mansion, Gu Ruxu was having breakfast with Shen Qinglu and Shen Changting.
Coincidentally, one of the dishes was the same as the one Mu Hanshi made yesterday, called Hibiscus Three Transformations, with chicken as the main ingredient, and it was incredibly fresh and smooth.
"This dish comes from a recipe passed down from the palace. It is extremely particular about knife skills and cooking time. Without enough attention to detail and patience, this dish cannot be made well."
Shen Qinglu wholeheartedly agreed. The image of the person chopping meat by the wooden window with fluid movements came to mind. Despite their appearance and temperament being completely out of place in the mundane world, they were elegant and full of life at that moment.
Perhaps due to preconceived notions, she felt that yesterday's tasted better.
She had a big appetite and ate quite a lot, while Shen Changting was a young boy who was also active and skilled in martial arts, so his appetite was enormous. Gu Ruxu felt extremely happy just watching them eat.
But this good mood was completely ruined by the news that came through.
Someone beat the drum to cry out for justice, and the person accusing was Shen Kunyao, the Right General of the Shenwu Camp. Naturally, this alarmed everyone, from the Changming Palace to the streets and alleys.
Shen Kunyao was inevitably invited to the Ministry of Justice, and then the Ministry of Justice sent someone to the General's Mansion to invite Gu Zhixu as well.
Before leaving, Gu Ruxu only said one sentence to Shen Qinglu, "Don't do anything."
"Sister, what should we do?" Shen Changting asked Shen Qinglu.
Shen Qinglu raised her head and looked in the direction of Changming Palace.
After she returned yesterday, she told Shen Kunyao and Gu Ruxu about the Fang family's affairs. The couple seemed to know all along, clearly aware of the Fang family's situation.
The fact that Fang was still able to strike the Dengwen Drum and cause such a commotion suggests only two possibilities: either they deliberately allowed it, or they failed to stop him.
If there is an intention to let things run rampant, then there must be prior preparation, and no further action is needed. If it cannot be stopped, then nothing can be done, and one can only leave it to fate, with everything depending on the emperor's divine will and autocratic rule.
She thought for a moment and said to Shen Changting, "Let's listen to our aunt and not do anything."
*
Outside the Ministry of Justice, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered.
Some people knew more, while others were confused. When someone asked a question, someone else answered. Everyone was talking at once, but no one dared to speak loudly; they all kept their voices down.
"I heard that Master Fang owed a mountain of gambling debts and was driven to suicide because he couldn't pay them back. How can you say that Miss Fang was forced to her death by the Shen family..."
"General Shen's sister and brother-in-law were separated by that Miss Fang. How could General Shen not be angry? A small merchant from out of town, if the Shen family wanted to deal with him, it would be as easy as crushing an ant. Poor Miss Fang, so devoted to him..."
“You’re wrong. General Shen is a fair and upright man. How could he be such a narrow-minded person? In my opinion, it’s Fang’s own gambling addiction that led to his downfall.”
The discussions were numerous and varied, and the commotion inside the yamen spread from front to back, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, until more and more people gathered to watch.
One by one, witnesses were summoned in: people from shops near the cloth shop, customers who had bought things from the cloth shop, people from the gambling den, and people who had recently been in contact with Fang's father.
Time passed slowly, and the sun moved from east to center, and then from center to west.
Outside the diverse crowd of onlookers, Shen Linlang and Yu Zhiheng, who had rushed over, unexpectedly met.
Yu Zhiheng was dressed in casual clothes, his face was slightly gloomy, and at first glance he looked like a scholar, but there was a sense of frustration and unfulfilled ambition.
In recent days, Shen Linlang had deliberately avoided inquiring about his affairs, but it wasn't that she was truly unaware of anything. Seeing him looking so dejected now, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
They had been married for many years, and their divorce was not due to fading affection; on the contrary, their affection remained. Under such circumstances, it would be difficult to treat each other as strangers.
“Linlang…”
"You shouldn't have come."
Yu Zhiheng lowered his head. "In the end, it has something to do with me. That Fang family probably still holds a grudge against me. I really should have made things clear to her a long time ago."
A few days ago, Fang went to see him, and her words implied that she wanted to be with him.
Of course, he rejected her.
He knew that although Fang was somewhat spoiled, she was a timid person. If she hadn't been hated and enraged to the extreme, she would never have dared to beat the drum and cry out for justice. The most important reason for this was, of course, the death of Fang's father, but the fact that he had refused her might also be one of the reasons.
"It's only right that your older brother cares about you and stands up for you. It's all my fault..."
"You think my older brother really did this?" Shen Linlang looked at him with a hint of disappointment.
He frowned, his expression growing increasingly gloomy. "Linlang, I know you and your brother have a deep bond. It's because your older brother dotes on you that he sometimes loses his composure."
Shen Linlang shook her head. "So many years have passed, and you've always thought my older brother was the kind of person who bullies others by relying on his power. Perhaps in your eyes, I am that kind of person too."
"No..." he said hastily, "I didn't think that way about you. It's just what other people said. Rumors can be deceiving..."
"It wasn't my older brother who did it, I can assure you."
"If it's not my eldest brother, then who could it be?"
Having served as an official for many years, he couldn't possibly be so foolish as to be unable to understand the political situation at court.
The Shen family has been plagued by misfortune time and again. If it's not just bad luck, then they're being targeted. He considered a possibility, and his heart raced, his face changing color.
Upon seeing this, Shen Linlang turned around and said, "You should leave. We are no longer husband and wife. From now on, you should not get involved in the affairs of my Shen family, so as not to implicate you."
"Linlang, I..."
He wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't, and instead said "Take care."
After he had walked away, Shen Linlang slowly turned around, looking in the direction he had left, her expression one of disappointment and slight resentment.
The human heart is complex; it is either love or hate.
Love can contain hate and resentment, and resentment can still harbor lingering affection—this is all common. Even after a divorce, those who haven't let go of their feelings may still hold onto illusions, hoping that their ex-partner will still be their support.
"mother."
Upon hearing this voice, Shen Linlang quickly wiped away her tears and turned around to see Shen Qinglu.
"Ah Li, what are you doing here?" She pulled Shen Qinglu over. "This is not a place you should be. Go back now."
Shen Qinglu had actually been there for a while, and had even overheard most of her conversation with Yu Zhiheng. Yu Zhiheng's actions were disheartening, not just to her, but even to an outsider.
But Shen Qinglu didn't care whether she felt cold or not, and her heart was completely unmoved.
“Mother, it’s a matter of life and death, and everyone has their own choices. It’s only natural that Father doesn’t want to be implicated.”
“I know.” Shen Linlang gave a bitter smile. “Although I’m divorced from him, he’s still your father. There’s a saying that couples are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately. I used to scoff at this saying, but I never imagined it was all true.”
The loving relationship she had imagined between husband and wife turned out to be nothing more than this. Even though she understood everything, she still felt extremely sad and forced herself to urge Shen Qinglu to go back.
"There are too many people and things are chaotic here, you should go back quickly."
"Mother, I'm worried about my uncle and aunt."
The disappointment on Shen Qinglu's face was gradually replaced by an innate pride. "You don't need to worry. Your uncle is upright and honest. Our Shen family has stood strong and loyal for many years. Your maternal grandfather is still guarding the border. His Majesty cannot possibly believe someone else's one-sided story and punish your uncle."
Shen Qinglu naturally understood this principle.
The art of rulership is not about black and white, but about weighing the pros and cons.
Prince Xin has coveted the throne for many years, and it is widely rumored that the future emperor will be Prince Xin's son. However, His Majesty has never agreed to the adoption, which shows that he is unwilling to accept the throne.
A monarch is like a lone tiger; how can he allow others to covet his throne? Not to mention that Your Majesty is still in your prime, unaware of your fate, and still clinging to the glory of youth. How could you willingly hand over your kingdom to someone else?
Like the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion, the Shen family were the left and right arms that hindered Prince Xin. His Majesty could not cut off his own arm and instead increase Prince Xin's power and prestige.
Fang's lawsuit is, at best, just disgusting.
As expected, after a thorough interrogation, all the evidence presented by the criminal authorities proved that the Shen family was not involved, and the court ultimately ruled that Fang had made a false accusation.
Falsely accusing an official of the imperial court is an even more serious crime, punishable by thirty strokes of the cane.
After Shen Kunyao pleaded for leniency, the punishment was reduced to ten strokes of the cane.
Fang was pampered since childhood, and even though she was nearly forty, she still had the mind of a young girl. She had never suffered hardship or been beaten. If she were to be given thirty strokes of the cane, she would probably lose her life.
After ten strokes of the cane, she fainted.
The Fang family had no relatives in the capital and no one to help them.
The old woman stayed by her side, along with Fang's father's corpse, weeping uncontrollably.
As the crowd dispersed, Shen Kunyao, Gu Ruxu, and Shen Linlang met but did not rush to leave.
"He was a loyal man," Gu Ruxu sighed, then ordered someone to bring a cart to help carry Fang's father's body and Fang's wife up there.
The old woman thanked him profusely, kowtowing until her head was bleeding.
She pushed the cart, struggling and staggering, slowly moving away.
The prosperity of Donglin City will not disappear because of her misfortune. One day a tall building rises and the next it collapses, which is most common in this square city under the emperor's feet.
Stumbling and staggering, Fang, who had fainted, was jolted awake.
She stopped abruptly, tears streaming down her face, and asked, "Girl, are you in a lot of pain?"
Fang felt like she was in excruciating pain; she was lying on her stomach and couldn't move, only able to groan in agony.
Suddenly, a splash of red appeared in her vision. She struggled to lift her head and saw a vibrant face and a pair of eyes as black as ink.
"you……"
Shen Qinglu placed the item in her hand, saying, "This is the bracelet you gave me before; now it's being returned to its rightful owner."
The old woman burst into tears, "Miss Chen, your kindness and virtue are beyond measure..."
With the Fang family now in such dire straits, these two bracelets are now their lifeline.
“We listened to you and planned to leave at dawn, but who would have thought we couldn’t… You’re right, the capital is a place of great turmoil; even the dead cannot rest in peace. My poor girl…”
"Let's go quickly."
"Child..." Fang said with difficulty, "Could you please pass on a message to your father for me? I'm waiting for him in Pingyang..."
Shen Qinglu was speechless.
At a time like this, she's still thinking about men!
If it weren't for Fang's lingering affection for Yu Zhiheng, why would Fang's father have gone to such lengths to climb the social ladder to the Xingyi Earl's Mansion, move the whole family to the capital, and ultimately end up with the destruction of his family and the death of his people?
With her loved ones' bodies barely cold and herself barely clinging to life, is it really worth it for a man?
“Miss Fang, let me give you some advice: don’t wait for someone who isn’t worth it. Your father is gone, and no one can protect you anymore. If you can’t protect yourself, then quickly find someone who can, and don’t come back.”
“I…” Fang burst into tears, “What am I going to do? What am I going to do…”
The hope in her heart was the only belief that sustained her; if even that hope disappeared, all that remained was panic.
"Child, please help me, please help me."
"I can't help you; you have to help yourself."
Life is your own; if you want to survive, you have to rely on yourself and do everything you can.
Shen Qinglu didn't say anything more, gave the old woman a few instructions, and then left.
The old woman knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to her back.
The crowd came and dispersed, dispersed and gathered again.
One moment people are helping each other up, the next they're trampling on each other.
She walked among the crowd, radiant yet utterly alone, as if she were the only one among thousands.
Suddenly someone rushed out and knelt down in front of her.
“Girl, please have mercy! My flowers are destined to be with you. Please keep us by your side. We will do anything for you, even serve you like cattle or horses.”
As the woman spoke, she pressed down on her daughter's head and began to kowtow repeatedly.
"Please, for the sake of my daughter, who looks like the person you're looking for, give our family of three a bite to eat. We're truly desperate."
Shen Qinglu looked at them and found it all laughable.
What's wrong with these people? One by one, they're begging her for help. She's just someone who can barely take care of herself, not some savior.
For a moment, she felt a deep weariness and missed her family from her previous life.
Xia Chan quickly tried to pull the people away, saying, "What are you doing? Didn't I give you money, enough for you to eat and live on for a while? How could you do this?"
The woman seized the opportunity to grab her hand tightly. "Girl, what will we do if we run out of money? Look at my Hua'er, doesn't she look just like your sister? Think about it, if she were your own sister, could you bear to see her wandering around? What if she encounters someone with a bad heart..."
It has to be said that these words really hit home, especially for her.
She looked at the flowers, clearly feeling a pang of pity.
She quickly hardened her heart, shook off the woman's hand, and said, "You are all perfectly capable, you can do whatever you want. Your daughter looks a lot like my sister, but she is not my sister after all, and I have no reason to hesitate."
"Girl!" The woman slapped her thigh. "You're bullying us! You were the ones looking for someone, and now that you've found them, you're denying it. You're clearly playing us for fools. We were so kind, raising your little sister with such care, and you're trying to renege on your promise!"
After saying that, he rushed over and hugged Shen Qinglu tightly.
“I know that my flower is the one you’re looking for. You refuse to acknowledge it because you want us to take care of it for you. Let me tell you, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
Ma Er and Xia Chan wanted to step forward to help, but Shen Qinglu stopped them with a look.
Shen Qinglu looked around and said calmly, "Report it to the authorities."
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately released her.
She grabbed the man's arm and said to him as he approached, "Commander Mu, you've come at the right time. This woman not only tried to extort money, but she also stole things."
"I didn't..." the woman said, when suddenly a purse fell out of her arms.
Mu Lin picked up the purse and asked Shen Qinglu, "Is this yours?"
Shen Qinglu nodded and told him how much silver was in her purse.
In front of the onlookers, Mu Lin poured out the silver from his purse and counted it, which was exactly the amount Shen Qinglu had mentioned.
Seeing that things were going badly, the woman shoved Shen Qinglu and ran away. Her husband and daughter, however, had already slipped away earlier.
Mu Lin was about to give chase when Shen Qinglu stopped him.
Those people have powerful backers; they're clearly after her or the Shen family. She doesn't want to drag others into this.
"Forget it, don't chase after them."
“These people are truly shameless.” Mu Lin frowned slightly. “There’s been some turmoil in the capital lately, so you should stay home as much as possible.”
My father said that in times of trouble, one should be patient and tolerant.
Once the overall situation is settled in the future, things will certainly be different.
"In a few years, everything should be different."
The deeper meaning behind his words was that, in accordance with the wishes of both families, they had unanimously chosen to raise them for a few more years and would not rush to arrange marriages for them.
If, after several years of getting to know each other, he is no longer regarded as an elder brother, and given that the situation is already settled and there are no other concerns or hidden dangers, things may naturally fall into place.
Shen Qinglu was unaware of the hidden meaning in his words, thinking he was merely lamenting the situation in the capital. Her gaze was filled with his face, which resembled that of an old friend, and she quietly soothed her inner weariness.
"Yes, it will be better in a few years."
In the warm spring season, pedestrians gradually lighten their clothes, shedding their heavy winter coats, and their colors become more vibrant. At a glance, there are reds, pinks, greens, and yellows, like a hundred flowers blooming together.
Amidst the constant flow of people coming and going, his eyes seemed to only be able to see the vibrant color nearby.
The fiery red dress accentuated her exquisite features, making her stand out even among a sea of flowers. If she were to grow a few more years into her bloom, who knows what kind of allure she would possess? She would surely be even more alluring and captivating, outshining all the other spring blossoms.
A young person's emotions are hard to hide; even if they try hard to suppress them, they will still overflow from their eyes.
Shen Qinglu sensed something was off, and all she felt was that it was strange.
If that's how her brother sees her...
She shook off the thought that suddenly popped into her head and cursed herself for overthinking.
After she got into the carriage and it drove away, Mu Lin continued walking forward.
Perhaps too absorbed in his own daydreams, Mu Lin did not notice that a carriage had appeared behind him at some point. The carriage followed him, slowly approaching him and stopping beside him.
“Ah Lin”.
He heard someone call his name and looked at the person in the carriage in surprise, "Uncle Nine?"
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Mu Hanshi's excessively aloof and handsome face. His voice, as soft as falling snow, rose again, "Get in the carriage, I'll give you a ride."
Unlike its ordinary exterior, the interior of the carriage is like a hidden world, where the ingenuity of the mechanics can be seen everywhere.
He took the tea from Mu Hanshi and immediately noticed the scar on the back of the other man's hand that had not yet faded.
He had pondered the scar, but he couldn't fathom what kind of grudge his reclusive Uncle Jiu had against that person, someone who would bite him.
Mu Hanshi seemed to notice his gaze, glanced at the scar, and said, "It is indeed a bit of an eyesore, so we still need to use medicine."
Then he had a bottle of medicine in his hand, which he looked at again and again as if showing off, before applying it to his own hand.
Those slender, jade-like fingers are an indescribable pleasure to behold, even when they're just applying medicine.
“I was feeling unwell that day, and luckily Miss Shen saw me off. When she saw the scar on my hand, she said she had some medicine and sent it to me when she got home.”
"She is very polite and respectful to her elders..." Mu Lin recognized the medicine, of course. It should be the bottle that Yu Jingliang had sent. As he said this, he felt a little uncomfortable.
To hide his disappointment, he lowered his head and drank his tea, naturally unaware of the change in Mu Hanshi's eyes.
So obsessive, so cold, like a night owl's predation, it does not allow anyone to lay a finger on its prey.
After a long pause, he said calmly, "Perhaps."
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