Chapter 107: Who exactly is the male third party?! ...
Liang Ye collapsed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He raised an eyebrow at Liang Shao and said, "Shanshan and I..."
"You're not allowed to call me Shanshan!"
Liang Ye smiled and said, "Shanhe and I will be getting married soon."
The word "marriage" struck Liang Shao like a thunderbolt, catching him completely off guard. He clenched his fists, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
"She is my wife!" Liang Shao's hands trembled as he pulled a folded red paper from his pocket—the marriage certificate he had written himself on the day he remarried Shan He. Liang Shao said, "Shan Shan and I are truly in love; she is my wife! She was three years ago, and she is now! Brother, you're completely insane to utter such immoral words!"
Liang Ye struggled to his feet, sneering, "What does a marriage certificate written and drawn by oneself count for? She was deeply in love with you then, and she is now in love with me. What's wrong with that?" His gaze shifted to Shan He. "Is that so, Shan Shan?" He reached out his hand to Shan He.
Shanhe was stunned; she hadn't expected Liang Shao to return. She had experienced far too much tonight, her heart was in agony, and she couldn't bear any more torment.
Why come back?
Why put her in such an awkward position between the two of them?
If she had returned a year later, she could have quietly ended Liang Ye's life, pretending she knew nothing and continuing to maintain a facade of peace. Now that he's back, he sees her with his own eyes, behaving like a wanton woman, moving between two brothers. She's even pregnant with his child!
Thinking of this, Shanhe felt as if a thousand swords were piercing her heart, and she frowned, asking, "Why did you come back?"
Liang Shao choked. Why did he come back? He couldn't wait to see her again! He watched as a hint of emotion flickered in Shan He's indifferent eyes—anger, resentment—but none of the joy he used to feel when he saw her.
Liang Ye's cold gaze swept over them. Still unable to forget him, Shan Shan? Or did she lose her composure the moment she saw him, Shan Shan? Liang Ye narrowed his eyes, his voice growing colder: "Shan Shan." His outstretched hand remained suspended in mid-air, showing no intention of retracting. He was watching to see what Shan He would do next.
“Shanshan…” Liang Shao said anxiously, “What do you mean by that? Don’t you want me to come back?”
"I don't want to," Shanhe immediately followed up. She took a step forward and placed her hand in Liang Ye's palm.
How could she not want him back? At that time, she was desperate, Liang Ye was relentlessly pressuring her, Wu Tianqi had a miscarriage, Mi Xiaoxiao wanted a divorce, and Wen Jie'er and Xiang Ge'er cried for their parents every night before bed. How could she not want him to come back? She had no options, no power whatsoever, and was still a government slave. She could only endure the hardship, hoping he would appear, help her talk things out with Liang Ye, and end everything. Where was he?
She was pregnant with his child, single-handedly supporting that small courtyard. Where was he when she was being coerced and threatened by Liang Ye, and when she was suffering from the hardships of life?
He sent her a thin piece of paper from Beichuan! In the letter, he said to wait another year! He said if she didn't hear from him, she could find another husband!
A whole year! She had to face Liang Ye alone, and she had to give birth to the child alone. What if her plan failed, and Liang Ye didn't die? What if she was discovered and imprisoned? Would she still be able to have the child?
Shanhe felt a sharp pang of sadness in her heart.
The moment her hand landed in Liang Ye's palm, he immediately closed his fingers, enveloping her tightly, and then pulled back, causing Shanhe to fall into his arms. He held Shanhe's shoulders, feeling a profound sense of satisfaction. For him, this was the only good news of the night. Liang Ye smiled at Liang Shao: "See? Shanshan and I are deeply in love."
Liang Shao's gaze went straight past Liang Ye and landed on Shan He, who was hiding beside him with her head down. He shouted, "Shan Shan! Do you know what you're doing?!"
He brandished the marriage certificate: "You wrote this yourself, doesn't it count? Don't you remember the two months we spent together? Besides, why him! He's my brother! What am I supposed to do! What am I supposed to do about the Liang family?!"
Liang Ye shielded Shan He behind him and said calmly, "Ah Shao, it was me who fell in love first; it was me who proposed to her. So, it was me who disregarded your reputation and the reputation of the Liang family, and forced myself to be with Shan Shan. You don't need to blame her; none of this has anything to do with her, it was all my will. All the fault lies with me, so if you have any complaints, come at me directly, don't scare Shan Shan."
Liang Shao's chest heaved violently; he was furious to the point of madness. He clenched his teeth, his knuckles cracking, as he forcefully suppressed his anger.
"Shut up!" Liang Shao yelled at him. "Shanshan, Shanhe, I only have one question for you: have you changed your mind? If so, when did it start? And what am I to you? Also, you're pregnant! Did Liang Ye force you to get pregnant, and you only ended up with him because you had no choice? Did he seduce you?"
"Liang Shao! Don't talk nonsense!" Liang Ye said angrily. He turned around, hugged the bewildered Shan He, and said gently, "Don't be afraid, I will explain things to Shao."
This tender and considerate demeanor made Liang Shao's vision blur. He strode forward, slashing Liang Ye's hand away with a single blow, then immediately stood in front of Shan He, blocking Liang Ye's path. His eyes were red: "Brother, who do you think you are? Even if Shan Shan and I didn't have an official marriage certificate, we still have one! It was written by her own hand! What title do you have? What right do you have? No matter what you say now, it has nothing to do with her! When I speak to my wife, she is still my ex-wife! Who do you think you are? She is my wife, Liang Shao's wife, recognized by the government and by my grandfather as the Second Madam Liang. Who do you think you are?"
Liang Ye was taken aback. He truly seemed to have nothing...
Liang Shao quickly turned around, grabbed Shanhe's shoulder, and said urgently, "Shanshan, say something! What happened? Why are you with your older brother? And what is this child?"
Shanhe raised her eyes, a single tear silently streaming down her face: "Liang Shao... me and A'ye..."
"Don't call him that!" Liang Shao said angrily.
Liang Ye, standing behind him, crossed his arms and looked at him: "Liang Shao, why are you forcing Shan Shan like this?"
Liang Shao ignored him, only softening his tone further: "Shanshan, I know it was my fault. We agreed on three months, and I delayed my return without permission. It was wrong of me. But, but I had my reasons for doing so!"
“Liang Shao, stop talking…” Shanhe finally spoke. She was afraid that if Liang Shao continued, her hard-won resolve would waver again. She couldn’t waver; she wouldn’t allow herself to give up the torment she had suffered under Liang Ye. So, Shanhe bit her lip and said firmly, “My brother and I are deeply in love. Shao, it’s me who has changed my mind.”
Liang Shao suddenly felt his whole body stiffen. He stared at Shan He in astonishment, then gradually loosened his grip, clenched his fist, and bit his teeth. Soon, a crescent-shaped tooth mark was left on the thin skin of his hand.
Shanhe didn't dare look at him: "My brother and I have been together for a long time." She deliberately made her tone light. "I am indeed angry that you delayed your return without reason, but being with my brother is something I have thought about carefully. There is no explanation for this, Liang Shao. Ask yourself, in terms of talent, status, appearance, and reputation, in what way is he inferior to you?"
Shanhe couldn't help but shed tears: "My elder brother was so good to me. Those two years, you wouldn't speak to me. The night before your wedding, you wrote me a letter of divorce. Every night when I returned to Shuyu Pavilion from Shouxi Residence, either you were out feasting and hadn't come back, or you were lying in bed reading, ignoring me like a stranger. Our relationship was strained, and the servants in the mansion thought I was weak-willed, saying that I was of the same status as them, just a servant, and that they would never listen to me. But Grandfather valued me and wanted me to be good. He wanted me to be in charge, and I had to bite the bullet and establish my authority. I endured a lot of scolding from them behind their backs, and you didn't stand up for me! It was Grandfather and my elder brother who helped me!" Shanhe had originally let go of these things, but now the truth was showing, and the more she spoke, the more heartbroken and distressed she became. As she spoke, she raised the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.
Liang Shao had lost all his temper. He lowered his head, his brows furrowed tightly. "I...I changed later, didn't I..." He reached out to wipe Shanhe's tears, but halfway up, Liang Ye grabbed his wrist tightly.
"What's wrong with me liking you back then?" Shanhe choked up. "I don't dare to say these things. I know I'm not worthy of someone like you, I know it goes against human ethics, and I know I've let you down, and I've let down my grandfather's high regard for me."
Upon hearing this, Liang Shao was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. Liang Ye was also stunned on the spot. After regaining his senses, he immediately stepped forward, shoved Liang Shao aside, grabbed Shan He's shoulder, and couldn't contain his joy: "Really? Shan Shan? You thought this way back in Mizhou? So, your reluctance back then was all because of these damned moral codes? All because you didn't want to let Shao and Grandfather down?"
Shanhe looked at the ground, tears welling in her eyes, and murmured an "Mmm".
“Shanshan, you really don’t need to care about these rules and regulations. Since you have feelings for each other, why can’t you be together? Grandfather asked you to choose between the two of us back then. Now that you’ve chosen me, you haven’t let him down.”
Liang Shao trembled all over. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of armor clashing suddenly rang out outside Zhongcui Palace. Before long, two rows of soldiers entered in single file, each carrying a long spear, and a silver-armored general walked in carrying a spear.
Liang Ye squinted: "Xu Wei?"
Xu Wei lifted his eyelids, glanced at Liang Ye, and ordered his men, "Execute the traitor and purge the court of corrupt officials!"
The two groups of soldiers immediately drew their swords and began to fight.
Liang Shao used his toes to lift the red-tasseled spear, removed the Green Frost Sword from his back, and tossed it to Liang Ye: "Our score isn't over yet!" With that, he raised his spear and blocked Xu Wei's path, the tip pointing directly at Xu Wei's face: "Where did this old scoundrel come from!"
Xu Wei glared angrily: "You brat! You dare to block my southeastern army with your traitorous strength?"
Liang Shao sneered, "I'll show you my skills in a little while!" He charged forward with his gun and engaged Xu Wei in a fierce battle.
The Emperor and Li Zhun both stepped out of the inner palace and stood on the steps overlooking the chaotic battle below. Li Zhun's face was still red with bruises, and he sighed, "Your subject has never intended to rebel; all I seek is the position of Crown Prince. Why must you drag the Xu family into this?"
The emperor said coldly, "You have allied with the Pei family and the Beichuan army. If I hadn't secretly ordered Liang Ye to summon Xu Wei to come to the aid of the emperor, would we have had any chance of survival tonight?"
"I just didn't expect that you would even go after Consort Xian!"
"So you knew all along..." Lee Joon gradually composed himself, his earlier pain gone. "But if it weren't for your tacit approval, would Consort Xian have died?"
The emperor's eyes widened.
"Besides, even if Father Emperor invited Xu Wei, could he defeat Liang Shao?"
Beneath the imperial steps, after thirty or forty rounds, Xu Wei gradually began to lose ground.
Li Zhun's tone grew even colder: "The Southeast Army is stationed in Jinling, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and other places, all of which are bustling and prosperous. Xu Wei has been indulging in the gentle pleasures of Jinling for so many years, how can he compare to Liang Shao, who has just returned from fighting in Beichuan?"
Though standing behind the emperor, he seemed more like the one in charge of the overall situation: "Father, I'll tell you again, I only rebelled against my second brother, nothing more. After tonight, you will still be the emperor, the ruler of Great Yan." He looked at Liang Shao, "When I learned that you had sent Liang Ye to Jinling, a thought crossed my mind. The Pei and Xu families are founding heroes who inherited the throne from Emperor Gaozu. Great Yan has been passed down for so many years, and these two families have been so illustrious for so many years. Emperor Gaozu's great achievements have been talked about for so many years. Every emperor of Great Yan who ascends the throne must pay homage to Emperor Gaozu. No matter what the subsequent rulers are like, it seems they can hardly bypass Emperor Gaozu. Has Father never thought of standing shoulder to shoulder with Emperor Gaozu?"
The emperor was taken aback.
“But in this era without war, how can we establish a lasting foundation?” Li Zhun continued, “I think that among the Xu family, there are only a few who know how to fight, and it is hard to say how well they use military strategy. Why not take advantage of this book banning case to make the Xu family completely withdraw and then transfer the Pei family to Jinling.”
The emperor pondered, "What about Beichuan?"
Li Zhun smiled: "Isn't there also the Liang family, personally supported by Father?" He glanced sinisterly at Liang Ye, who was protecting Shan He in the corner, "Since last year, Father has been investigating Wuji Field, cracking down on aristocratic families, and supporting Liang Ye—"
"Ha. You have quite a few informants."
"Your Majesty, I am only trying to share your burdens," Li Zhun paused. "The powerful families in the capital are mostly civil officials. I always felt something was amiss when they fought each other. After seeing the Xu and Pei families this time, I realized where I went wrong. Every regime needs an army. No matter how powerful a civil official's pen is, it can't beat Liang Shao's spear. The real powerful families to fight are these military families."
The emperor rarely glanced at him, saying, "If the army moves, the entire Great Yan will be thrown into chaos."
"The Xu family's crimes have been settled, and their empty shells will be burned to ashes this year. The Liang and Shao brothers are still young, so there's no need to rush the change of power between the Pei and Liang families. We can proceed slowly."
The emperor's lips curled into a smile. This son he had always loved, this son he had also loathed, was so much like him. He turned his face away, his voice deep and serious: "You want me to set this precedent, so that one day you will become emperor—"
Li Zhun hurriedly knelt down: "Your subject dares not."
The emperor sneered: "When you become emperor one day, you'll truly help the Liang family rise to power. Is that it?"
Before he finished speaking, Liang Shao below had already captured Xu Wei.
The emperor turned his face, his expressionless: "During the reign of Emperor Gaozu, there were generals and kings. In these years of peace and prosperity, at most they could only attain the rank of Grand General. Liang Shao has a feat of single-handedly holding off more than a hundred enemies, and now he has captured Xu Wei, a Grand General, alive. Li Zhun, you are about to produce a general and king under your command."
“It is Father Emperor’s appreciation of Liang Shao.” Li Zhun lowered his eyes. “If Liang Ye can also be promoted, the two brothers will complement each other in both civil and military affairs. Father Emperor, this is a monumental achievement comparable to the twenty-four meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion.”
He hesitated and said, "But..."
"What?"
"The two brothers seem to be fighting over a woman, even going so far as to have a legal battle over a rouge."
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