Upon hearing this, the Lady of Yongning Marquis instantly turned ashen with rage, sharply turning her head to glare at Su Yunyan.
"Su Yunyan, so it was you who pushed my son into the water."
Su Yunyan's face turned deathly pale, her body swaying slightly as her lips trembled, making a final desperate struggle.
"No, that's not what happened, young Shizi. You must have remembered wrong. How could I possibly push you? It was Jiang Jinshu who pushed you—it was her."
As she spoke, she raised a hand to point accusingly at Jiang Jinshu.
But the young Shizi firmly pointed back at Su Yunyan, his voice weak yet clear.
"Mother, it was her. I couldn't have mistaken it. I accidentally bumped into her, and she said something about me trying to harm her. Then she pushed me into the water and ran away."
The Lady of Yongning Marquis's husband had died in battle years ago. Since then, she had single-handedly upheld the entire Yongning Marquis household, naturally developing a fierce temperament.
Earlier, her heart and mind had been wholly focused on her son. Now that her son was safe, she could finally turn her attention to dealing with the person who had nearly cost her child his life.
She rose directly and strode swiftly over to Su Yunyan.
Raising her hand, she slapped Su Yunyan across the face.
"Su Yunyan, my son is just a child. How could he possibly harm you? If he bumped into you, our Yongning Marquis household could have apologized to you. Why resort to such cruelty as to endanger a child's life?"
Having been slapped repeatedly, Su Yunyan was now genuinely aggrieved, tears streaming down her face.
A mere bump might have been inconsequential, but she had been pregnant at the time, and the child had collided directly with her abdomen.
In her panic, she had pushed back. Who could have known the young Shizi of Yongning Marquis was so clumsy that he couldn't even keep his balance?
"Madam, please let me explain. I didn't mean to…"
The Lady of Yongning Marquis had no intention of listening to her excuses and spoke coldly.
"Explain? What more is there to explain? Would my son falsely accuse you?"
Seeing Su Yunyan's fragile state, Shen Nanxing's heart ached, and he hurriedly spoke up.
"Lady of Yongning Marquis, this matter…"
Only then did the Lady of Yongning Marquis turn a cold eye toward Shen Nanxing. She clearly remembered that Shen Nanxing had insisted it was Jiang Jinshu who pushed the young Shizi into the water, trying to make his wife take the blame for his sister. No wonder Jiang Jinshu had been so furious earlier that she struck someone.
"General Shen, Su Yunyan was adopted by your Shen Family. Our Yongning Marquis household will absolutely not let this matter rest. Your Shen Family had better think about how you will give our Yongning Marquis household a proper account."
Seeing that the young Shizi had awakened, the Madam of the Prime Minister also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lady of Yongning Marquis, it is fortunate that Madam Shen's medical skills are exceptional and she managed to save the young Shizi. Now that the culprit is clear, how would you like this handled? Although this incident occurred at my Prime Minister's residence, ultimately the young Shizi is the victim. How to deal with this matter should be left to your discretion, Lady of Yongning Marquis."
Upon hearing this, the Lady of Yongning Marquis glanced at Su Yunyan, who was still weeping.
"Then let it be reported to the authorities. Over the years, our Yongning Marquis household has always kept a low profile, but it seems some blind, filthy creatures have grown bold enough to dare lay hands on the young Shizi of Yongning Marquis."
"Qingsui, go to Dali Si immediately and report this."
The Lady of Yongning Marquis's personal maid immediately bowed upon hearing the order.
"Yes, this servant will go at once."
The term "filthy creature" was clearly directed at her, making Su Yunyan even more aggrieved as tears continued to fall. Seeing that the Lady of Yongning Marquis had truly ordered someone to report the matter to the authorities, she hastily knelt down.
"Lady of Yongning Marquis, I beg you not to report this to the authorities. The young Shizi suddenly rushed over, and in my panic, I accidentally pushed him. I never imagined he would fall into the water."
After speaking, she cast a pleading look at Shen Nanxing.
"Brother, what should I do? Yunyan doesn’t want to go to prison…"
Shen Nanxing glared fiercely at Jiang Jinshu. If she had just taken the blame earlier, none of this would have happened.
"Jiang Jinshu, this mess is all your fault. Why don’t you come over and apologize to the Marquess's Wife?"
Hah! Jiang Jinshu couldn’t help but laugh in anger.
"Shen Nanxing, truly, even the walls of the imperial city aren’t as thick as your face. Su Yunyan committed a grave mistake, and you want me to take the blame for her."
"I barely managed to save the young Shizi to prove my innocence, and you’re still saying it’s my fault. Even if you can’t be a good husband, at least try to be a decent person?"
Jiang Jinshu glanced at Su Yunyan, who was kneeling but protectively cradling her stomach, then immediately bowed to the Lady of Yongning Marquis.
"Madam, our family has taken in such a malicious sister, and Jinshu truly has no choice. Fortunately, the Shizi is blessed with great fortune and divine protection, escaping danger. This matter is indeed the Shen Family’s fault toward the Yongning Marquis’s household."
"But sending Su Yunyan to the authorities would escalate the situation, which would harm the reputations of both the Yongning Marquis’s household and the Shen Family, as well as the Prime Minister’s residence."
"In Jinshu’s opinion, it would be better to publicly punish Su Yunyan with fifty strokes of the rod. Tomorrow, I will accompany my mother-in-law with generous gifts to personally apologize to you and the young Shizi."
Fifty strokes were practically a death sentence. Su Yunyan cried out in rage.
"Jiang Jinshu, how vicious you are! You’re trying to kill me!"
Fifty strokes were unbearable even for a man, let alone a woman.
The Madam of the Prime Minister, however, was pleased with this punishment.
"Marquess's Wife, everyone at today’s flower-viewing banquet is still waiting in the main hall for news of the young Shizi. Perhaps we should move the proceedings there, allowing the young Shizi to rest here."
But Shen Nanxing was filled with fury.
"Jiang Jinshu, you know how delicate Yunyan’s health is. How could you propose such a cruel punishment? How could I have married such a venomous woman into the Shen Family? Today, I will divorce you!"
Suddenly, a voice interjected.
"Is she someone you can divorce so easily?"
Princess Yuanzhao, supported by her maid, arrived with a sharp and authoritative gaze.
Beside her was a man dressed in white robes, who appeared frail but whose eyes flickered with a hidden sharpness.
Everyone hurriedly bowed.
"Greetings to Princess Chang, greetings to Shizi."
Seeing Princess Chang again, Jiang Jinshu couldn’t help but tear up. In her past life, when she was imprisoned, it was Princess Chang who had arranged for people to look after and protect her, ensuring her safety in prison.
Even with her noble status, Princess Chang had visited her, trying to find a way to help. Unfortunately, Jiang Jinshu had been too stubborn, insisting on taking the blame for Su Yunyan, angering Princess Chang so much that she left and never returned.
Princess Yuanzhao’s gaze swept across the room—this was merely a guest chamber, and the space was rather cramped.
The Madam of the Prime Minister quickly stepped forward.
"Princess Chang…"
She swiftly recounted the cause and sequence of events.
Listening to the Madam of the Prime Minister’s account, Princess Yuanzhao’s eyes settled on Jiang Jinshu.
"You child, I never expected you to possess such medical skills. You truly have inherited your mother's virtues. Come over here by my side."
Jiang Jinshu obediently walked toward Princess Chang.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Only then did she notice that Princess Chang was followed by her personal maid, Caiping. Just as in her previous life, it was Caiping who had feared she would be bullied and had gone to fetch Princess Chang.
Madam of the Prime Minister spoke up at the opportune moment.
"Princess Chang, perhaps we should move to the main hall."