Chapter 93: Who is the person you like?
That vibrant face, those delicate features, that enigmatic smile—who else could it be but Shen Qinglu?
Shen Qinglu's appearance here at this moment is like seeing a ghost to her, or rather, a ghost that has come to claim her life.
The color drained from her face instantly, leaving it frighteningly pale. She instinctively turned her head and met Shen Linlang's heartbroken and disappointed gaze.
In a moment, she understood everything.
She was tricked!
"You...you plotted against me?"
"Cousin Tang'er, you must be mistaken. Aren't you the one who plotted against us?" Shen Qinglu approached, toying with a dagger in her hand. "It was you who had ulterior motives, drugging my mother to make her lose her mind and then tricking her into writing things she shouldn't have."
The truth had been revealed, and Yu Liuzhu was unable to defend herself.
Her heart was filled not with regret, but with hatred.
How did you know?
That thing is now almost unknown to most people; she wouldn't have known about it if she hadn't been given a second chance at life.
She clearly remembered that the substance didn't gradually appear in the capital until three years later, and was known as "Joyful Powder," which made people feel happy and ethereal. But few people knew that it also had another name: "Obedience Powder," which made people obedient to others.
"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place. You don't need to know how we found out."
"You...you are like me..." She looked at Shen Qinglu in surprise and doubt, and after asking, she denied it repeatedly, "No, it's impossible! You died a long time ago, how could you know what happened later?"
Shen Qinglu, of course, could not answer her; her eyes were icy cold.
Lost in her own doubts, she suddenly shouted, "It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, I would have lived a very good life. How come you're not dead? Why aren't you dead?"
"Smack!"
"You hit me? You hit me for her..." She covered her face, looking at Shen Linlang in disbelief.
Shen Linlang's hands were still trembling, not pretending, but because she was too emotional.
For sixteen years, they were mother and daughter. Not to mention hitting her, I, as her mother, never even raised my voice at her.
She was born weak and was always sick when she was young. Every time, she would stay by her side day and night, personally feeding her medicine and changing her clothes, never asking anyone else to do it for her.
Why would someone treat a child they've cherished and raised like this?
"Why?"
"You still ask me why?" The shock in Yu Liuzhu's eyes was replaced by hatred. "Why don't you ask yourself how you treated me!"
She practically screamed, her voice filled with overwhelming resentment.
Even though things had come to this point, even though her plan had been exposed, she felt no remorse whatsoever; on the contrary, she hated them even more, treating them as her enemies.
Shen Linlang's heart felt like it had been struck by hail, cold, painful, and filled with despair. "I've raised you for so many years, and I never knew you could be so vicious!"
"I'm vicious?" All the grievances and injustices from her past and present lives overflowed with hatred in her eyes. "You know you've raised me for years. Even cats and dogs have feelings, let alone humans. But what about you? You kicked me out and didn't care whether I lived or died. What am I supposed to do?"
Hearing her question, Shen Linlang felt as if her heart was dying again and again.
"You have your own mother, why should I care whether you live or die? I raised you for over ten years, do you think I'd let you turn around and harm me and my children?"
"It was you, you were so heartless!" She let go of my hand and brought the other half of her face closer. "Go ahead and hit me! You said you loved me, you said you would protect me, but in the end, just because I wasn't born from your womb, you helped her against me!"
She pointed at Shen Qinglu, "What kind of good person do you think she is? She's scheming and manipulative, always pretending and plotting, trying every possible way to break up our family. She just can't stand to see us doing well; she was born to bring us bad luck!"
"At a time like this, is it still necessary for you to sow discord?" Shen Qinglu was not afraid of her accusations. As for whether it was a curse or not, it depended on what the person involved thought. "Mother, do you believe what she said?"
Shen Linlang's face was full of pain. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, her gaze was sharp and cold.
"Tang'er, if you are a good person, Ali will not be able to tolerate you."
"Why should I need her to tolerate me!"
If Yu Liuzhu's biggest resentment in her past life was Shen Linlang's indifference towards her, then after learning the truth in this life, most of her hatred has been transferred to Shen Qinglu.
Now that things have come to this, they've reached the point where they want nothing more than to fight Shen Qinglu to the death. Their minds are filled with thoughts of who can tolerate whom between them; it should be a fight to the death.
If one dies, the other can live a better life!
Of course, only she can be alive, while those who should have died should not be alive.
“I’m telling you, you can’t do anything to me. If anything happens to me, you won’t be any better off.”
In the past life, the capital city appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, due to the emperor's poor health, undercurrents were surging both inside and outside the court. Apart from loyal ministers like the Shen and Mu families, more and more people were turning to Prince Xin's mansion.
She overheard Shen Kunyao and Mu Wei having a private conversation, saying that Prince Xin was ready and just waiting for the right time to enter Changming Palace without having to adopt a son.
Having gained the upper hand in this life, how could she not make good use of it?
Some people don't want her, some people drive her away, all because they're afraid she'll benefit from the Shen family's influence. She wants to see what kind of expressions these people will have when she knocks them down into the mud, strips them of their status, wealth, and nothingness.
Thinking this, a strange excitement appeared in his hateful eyes as he looked at Shen Linlang eerily, "You don't want me, you drove me away for her sake, I'd like to see what kind of end you'll have!"
"Smack!"
Shen Linlang made another move, having completely given up on her.
"Ali, it's my fault, I didn't teach her well..."
“She is evil at her core, and no matter how much her mother raises her, she can’t change that.”
As Shen Qinglu spoke, she clapped her hands, and Ren Chun and Han Xiao pushed open the door and went straight to Yu Liuzhu.
Yu Liuzhu was shocked. "You... Shen Li, what do you want to do?"
Before she could finish speaking, she was already imprisoned by Renchun and Hanxiao.
With a smile, she pinched her chin and pried open her mouth. She struggled desperately in terror, but to no avail. Ren Chun took the opportunity to stuff two pills or something into her mouth, then pressed her mouth shut, forcing her to swallow them.
"What did you feed me? I...I..." She tried to gag herself up, but couldn't move. Overwhelmed by fear, she begged Shen Linlang for mercy, "Mother, I was wrong, please save me, I don't want to die..."
Shen Linlang turned her back to her, refusing to look at her.
“This poison flares up once a month, causing excruciating pain, and death after three attacks,” Shen Qinglu said, a porcelain bottle appearing in her hand. “I have the antidote. If you take it on time, it will save your life. Whether you want to live or die depends on what you do next.”
People cannot be killed or imprisoned, but it is absolutely impossible to release them easily.
Shen Qinglu put the medicine away and said to Renchun and Hanxiao, "Keep a close eye on her and don't let her vomit it up!"
*
As night deepens, the trees yearn for stillness, but the wind never ceases.
The wind blew the flames in the brazier, causing them to sway east and west.
Shen Linlang's eyes were red, and her tears were reflected in the firelight as she threw a swaddled baby into the brazier.
The swaddling clothes were embroidered with begonia flowers; the embroidery and stitching were subpar, but the material was of excellent quality. Next came the bibs, clothes, shoes, and socks, which she threw into the brazier one by one, where they were quickly consumed by the flames.
Shen Qinglu didn't need to ask to know who had worn these baby items.
The fact that these items have been preserved so well over the years speaks volumes about the care and attention given to them.
"Ali, don't stay here with me. I... I failed to protect you. I didn't even know you'd been switched. All the things I carefully prepared were taken by others without your help, and I was completely oblivious..."
As Shen Linlang spoke, she lowered her head guiltily, holding a patchwork garment in her hand.
“Your eldest and second eldest brothers each have one of these clothes made from the clothes of many families. When I was pregnant with you, I had no other wish than that you would be free from illness and disaster and have a smooth life.”
This patchwork garment was, of course, worn by Yu Liuzhu.
More than a decade later, she still remembers where every piece of fabric on her clothes came from—all from families with daughters, and all of whom were raised to be very healthy.
These things were all imbued with her maternal love, but in the end, they were given to the wrong person and turned to ashes.
"Ali, Mother is alright. I'll burn all these things to put an end to this." She forced a smile at Shen Qinglu, which looked worse than crying.
Shen Qinglu understood her feelings, so she didn't insist on staying with her, and left obediently without saying anything more.
Upon returning to her residence, she noticed a half-finished cup of tea on the table and instantly knew someone was inside. She gave Xia Chan a knowing look, and Xia Chan immediately understood and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
She sat down at the table, deliberately turning her back to the inner room, and poured herself a cup of tea.
The tea was slightly cool, but just right for my taste.
"How dare you send your servants away? Aren't you afraid they might be bad people?"
As the soft, snow-like sound faded, Mu Hanshi was already in front of her, sitting down gracefully and continuing to drink the half-finished cup of tea.
She thought to herself, "You're a bad guy, and the worst kind at that."
"I knew it was you right away; I wouldn't have guessed it was anyone else."
Yu Liuzhu had just been thrown out by her, and this person came looking for her right away. Could it be that he's here to interrogate her?
She put down the tea, her dark, jade-like eyes staring straight at the other person, her beautiful face filled with sincerity as she recounted everything Yu Liuzhu had done.
While others may judge right and wrong, she will still say what she should say, but she will not utter a word about what she shouldn't say, such as the matter of feeding Yu Liuzhu poison.
“She plotted to harm my mother. If my mother is truly controlled by her and writes a letter that is tantamount to a confession, then the entire Shen family will be doomed. I don’t think you would want to see such an outcome.”
"You think I care about the Shen family?"
Shen Qinglu's heart skipped a beat. Could this person really be here to stand up for Yu Liuzhu?
“I have already locked her up. If you can guarantee that she will not harm anyone again, I can hand her over to you.”
If this person can keep an eye on Yu Liuzhu in the future, it will save her trouble.
"Who said I was looking for her?" Mu Hanshi picked up the teapot and refilled her cup. "I came to ask you, what's your decision regarding that matter?"
The snow-white robes and the otherworldly appearance of the person made even the most ordinary and simple gestures exude an indescribable air of nobility and elegance.
Shen Qinglu had to admit that he was indeed very pleasing to the eye.
He said he didn't care about the Shen family, which must have been a lie, otherwise why would he insist on marrying her?
"You said you already have someone you like, may I ask who she is?"
It's not because I mind, but because if we were really together, knowing each other would be the best way to live in peace.
Upon hearing this, Mu Hanshi stopped stroking the blue-and-white lotus-patterned teacup. His slender, jade-like fingers curled up for some reason, and a monster seemed to be breaking through the surface of his deep, lake-like eyes, stirring up overwhelming waves and forming a huge whirlpool.
Shen Qinglu was startled, thinking that she had asked an inappropriate question and violated his taboo, causing him to go crazy for no reason.
"If you don't want to talk..."
“It’s you.”
"!"
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