The next morning after the court session, the Marquis Yongqing tried to explain to Shen Ji, but Shen Ji ignored him.
No sooner had Shen Ji returned home than the Marquis Yongqing, accompanied by his son, went to apologize profusely. The Marquis’s wife also came.
The Marquis Yongqing kicked the young master, who fell to his knees with a thud, veins bulging on his forehead from the pain.
When the maidservant informed the Old Madam of the incident, Shen Wan had just finished paying her respects and was preparing to return to Mingyue Garden.
The Old Madam, assuming Shen Wan was going to the front courtyard, said displeasedly, “Rumors are spreading outside that your elder sister’s mishandling of the horse-scarring incident has made us look like the daughters of the Duke of Dingguo’s mansion are jealous and ungrateful. You should calm down.”
It sounded as if she were being restless and deliberately causing trouble.
In short, she feared that Shen Yu’s divorce would negatively impact the marriage prospects of Shen Wu and Shen Yao, and even resisted the idea of Shen Yu remarrying, wanting instead to keep her confined within the Marquis of Yongqing’s residence. It wasn’t that Shen Wan was being deliberately malicious; her own marriage to her elder brother had clearly been orchestrated, so she couldn’t help but suspect that her elder sister had also been set up. It seemed these people simply could not tolerate the eldest branch of the family thriving.
“Father and Mother are in the front courtyard, and Second Uncle and Second Aunt will be there too. Grandmother, aren’t you worried?”
The cold gaze made the old lady feel extremely uncomfortable.
Even though Shen Wan had been behaving obediently these past few days, she still had a feeling that Shen Wan was inherently rebellious.
Shen Ji and Madam Yun were both in the front courtyard, and the Second Master and Second Madam would definitely be there. With so many people around, Shen Wan had no right to speak, and the old lady couldn’t very well stop her anymore. After all, Shen Wan had saved Shen Yu’s life, and everything Shen Wan did was for her elder sister’s good.
Shen Wu said, “Grandmother, don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Second Sister.”
Shen Wan found it ridiculous. Keep an eye on her to prevent her from ruining the Marquis of Yongqing’s affairs?
Could her be any more blatantly biased?
At the main gate, the heir of the Marquis of Yongqing knelt on the ground, carrying a bundle of thorns on his back. The Marchioness of Yongqing said, “Duke and Duchess of Dingguo, please forgive us. Yesterday’s events were all a misunderstanding. Bowen’s cousin accidentally sprained her ankle, and he helped her up. Who would have thought that Yu’er would see it, leading to a misunderstanding? And just as coincidentally, the carriage was startled. Fortunately, the Prince of Jingbei’s heir came to the rescue, preventing a major disaster. Otherwise, our Marquis Yongqing’s mansion would be in deep trouble.”
She was truly a silver-tongued woman, able to make the dead seem alive.
Rumors were already circulating that her elder sister was causing trouble by demanding a divorce because of the Marquis Zhaoping’s heir. Now, the Marchioness of Yongqing had portrayed the affair as merely helping someone with a sprained ankle, truly managing to downplay the seriousness of the matter.
The Marquis of Yongqing’s heir had been beaten and then came to apologize with thorns on his back. If his parents weren’t appeased, it would seem that his elder sister was truly ungrateful, and the Marquis of Yongqing’s heir would be unable to be a good person. He had saved his elder sister from drowning, how could he not help his own cousin who had sprained her ankle?
Shen Ji was so angry that the veins on the back of his hand bulged. He had endured it all, but Madam Yun had never been treated like this before, and for a moment, she was speechless with rage.
The Marchioness of Yongqing said, “Because of a misunderstanding, Yu’er almost lost her life. The Duke and Duchess of Dingguo should have vented their anger by beating Bowen, and then let us take Yu’er back. This matter has become such a big fuss, making us a laughingstock throughout the capital, which is detrimental to the reputations of both families.”
The Second Master and Second Madam also helped to persuade Shen Ji and Madam Yun, “I think it’s just a misunderstanding…”
Shen Wan was about to go over when Shen Wu grabbed her arm, but Shen Wan shook her off.
Shen Wu reminded her, “Grandmother doesn’t want you involved in this.”
Shen Wan ignored her. She stepped out and instructed Steward Li, “Have someone bring pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.”
A clear voice rang out.
Shen Ji and Madam Yun both turned to look at Shen Wan.
Shen Wan walked up to the heir of the Marquis of Yongqing and looked at the Marchioness of Yongqing, saying, “Just helping Miss Xu shouldn’t be enough to save the child, right?”
The Marchioness of Yongqing’s expression changed. “What nonsense are you spouting, Second Miss Shen? These matters are none of your concern, for an unmarried young lady.”
She became agitated at the mention of the child. Shen Wan said, “My elder sister was almost killed by you all. What’s wrong with me standing up for her?”
The Marquis of Yongqing’s face was filled with anger. He glared at Shen Ji and said, “Does the Duke of Dingguo really allow his daughter to smear my Marquis Yongqing’s mansion like this?!”
Shen Ji frowned slightly but didn’t reprimand Shen Wan, because what she said was also what he suspected.
A servant brought over writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Shen Wan gestured for them to be placed before the kneeling Marquis Yongqing’s heir.
Shen Wan turned to Shen Ji and Madam Yun, “Since the Marquis of Yongqing’s mansion denies plotting against my elder sister and even accuses me of slander, I will take yesterday’s events to the Ministry of Justice. The Marquis of Yongqing’s heir and his cousin are having an affair, the girl is pregnant, and they conspired to murder my elder sister. Whether this is true or false, the Ministry of Justice only needs to summon Miss Xu for questioning and take her pulse to find out.”
Madam Yongqing’s face turned deathly pale.
The Marquis of Yongqing’s heir knelt on the ground, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, fear gripping his entire body.
How did they find out that Zhiyi was pregnant?!
Marchioness Yongqing pointed at Shen Wan, her hand trembling, and said, “You, you’ve ruined a young lady’s reputation like this! What are your intentions?!”
Shen Wan chuckled, “How is filing a complaint with the Ministry of Justice ruining Miss Xu’s reputation? If she’s not pregnant, all my accusations are slander, wouldn’t that clear her and the young master’s names?”
“I’m just spouting nonsense, trying to ruin someone’s reputation. Everyone’s spittle could drown me, and the Ministry of Justice could charge me with slander. I’m not afraid of that, so why should Marchioness of Yongqing be afraid?”
Shen Wan hadn’t told anyone about Xu Zhiyi’s pregnancy. Now that she’d revealed it in public, Marchioness of Yongqing panicked, while Shen Ji and Madam Yun were trembling with anger.
The Second Master and Second Madam exchanged bewildered glances.
The second madam, quick-witted and shrewd, immediately said, “If what Wan’er says is true, then the Marquis of Yongqing’s mansion has gone too far!”
Shen Ji looked at the Marquis of Yongqing’s heir kneeling on the ground, “Will you confess directly, or go to the Ministry of Justice to confess?!”
The Marquis of Yongqing’s heir trembled like a leaf.
Yesterday, Shen Li had been too harsh, and Shen Ji’s gaze towards him was filled with a desire to skin him alive.
The Marquis of Yongqing’s heir remained silent, Shen Ji made the choice for him.
“Take him to the Ministry of Justice!”