This time, the Elderly Lady did not speak. Having lived in the inner chambers for many years, she understood the intricacies better than anyone.
Her gaze fell upon Cen Liangxuan. She wanted to see what the Lord would say.
Cen Liangxuan snapped back to his senses and naturally stood by Shen Qingrui’s side.
It was Shen Qingrui he loved. Shen Yiren’s kidnapping and fall off the cliff were his doing, and hiding valuables to create the illusion of running away from the marriage was also his idea.
“Shen Yiren, Luo Xue is your maid,” he said. “You and your servant actually conspired to slander my wife.”
The Elderly Lady immediately understood that Lord Cen was not unrelated to this matter.
Luo Xue had been serving the Lord’s Consort for the past three days—how could she have had time to conspire with Shen Yiren? Lord Cen, who had passed the imperial examinations, could not possibly have no suspicions at all.
Behind Lord Cen stood the Duke Anguo’s estate. Shen Yiren could only swallow her grievances in silence.
“Enough, we are all family. Today is the day the Lord and his Consort return home—why must we stir up trouble?” The Elderly Lady played the peacemaker. “Let bygones be bygones.”
“I cannot let it go,” Shen Yiren said, removing the cloth gag from Luo Xue’s mouth and threatening with a smile. “If you don’t say who ordered you to dig behind the rockery, or what you were digging for, beware of the Heavenly Fire burning you.”
Recently, the maids and servants in the General’s estate had been avoiding her as much as possible, all because of that Heavenly Fire. Even mortals feared the punishment of the heavens.
However, Luo Xue and Luo Qing had not been in the General’s estate for the past three days. They had only heard about it but had not witnessed it firsthand, so they were not as afraid.
Compared to the seemingly deceptive “Heavenly Fire,” they believed that siding with the beloved Lord’s Consort held more promise.
Thus, Luo Xue remained silent.
Shen Qingrui sneered, “What Heavenly Fire? Just some petty tricks. Do you really think the heavens favor you?”
If the heavens favored anyone, it would be her. Otherwise, how could the mix-up at birth have happened, allowing her to enjoy the love of her parents and the wealth and glory of the General’s estate?
“Woof!” Damn white lotus, it’s up to me now!
Fei Yun barked at Shen Qingrui, then stepped closer to Luo Xue, baring its fangs.
“Ah, don’t come any closer!” Luo Xue was terrified, her face pale as she fell to the ground, watching helplessly as the fierce dog bit her ankle, its exposed fangs dripping with saliva.
This dog was going to eat her!
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Second Miss, Second Miss, please make it go away!” Luo Xue waved her hands frantically. “Go away!”
Fei Yun’s teeth pressed down harder.
“It was the Lord’s Consort who ordered me to dig behind the rockery! She said to dig up a bundle, dark blue in color. It was the Lord’s Consort who ordered me to go!” Luo Xue confessed.
Shen Yiren was stunned.
So, compared to the intangible heavens, mortals feared things with direct lethal force more.
Sigh, why didn’t you say so earlier?
“Fei Yun, bite both of them,” Shen Yiren said, pointing at Shen Qingrui and Cen Liangxuan. “Bite them until they tell the truth.”
Shen Qingrui instinctively hid behind Cen Liangxuan. Cen Liangxuan, though visibly afraid, stepped forward bravely. “How dare you!”
Lady Shen stood in front. “Try calling that dog to harm them!”
The Elderly Lady also grew anxious. Supported by Mammy Lü, she stood up and scolded, “Shen Yiren!”
“Try it, then,” Shen Yiren said without changing her expression. “Fei Yun, don’t hold back. If this succeeds, I’ll give you what you want.”
She could let Fei Yun drink her bathwater.
Fei Yun, upon hearing that it could consume the spiritual energy from the Ginseng Spirit, became excited. It released Luo Xue’s ankle and charged straight toward Shen Qingrui and Cen Liangxuan.
“Ah!” Lady Shen, seeing the fierce dog charging, instinctively held her son and stepped aside, then frantically called for servants to block the dog.
Mammy Lü quickly helped the Elderly Lady to the side.
Shen Qingrui knew a bit of martial arts, but with her superficial skills, she missed every strike and couldn’t harm Fei Yun in the slightest. As for Cen Liangxuan, a civil official, he was even less capable. Dragged around by Shen Qingrui, he fled in all directions.
“Someone! Quick, someone! Stop it!”
“Like rats,” Shen Yiren and Xiao Ba watched with great interest. Cang Ming thought to himself, indeed like rats scurrying across the street.
For that sustenance, Fei Yun would undoubtedly exert all its strength.
“Shen Yiren, what exactly are you trying to do?” The Elderly Lady pounded her cane on the ground, making a loud thumping sound. “Must you stir up trouble until this household is in utter chaos?”
“It was you who disturbed Shen Yiren first.” Shen Yiren suddenly felt that it was for the best that the original soul had departed. If she had truly returned alive, how heartbreaking it would have been to see this family demand her silence to protect the culprit.
“Quick, quick! Get ropes to catch that dog and beat it to death!” Lady Shen gathered all the servants in the mansion, each burly and strong. Some held wooden sticks, others carried ropes.
Outnumbered, Shen Yiren grew a bit worried for Fei Yun.
Cang Ming spoke up, “Lady Shen, are you certain you wish to harm it? Fei Yun’s master is Consort Xian and Prince Duan.”
Lady Shen had indeed heard from other madams that Consort Xian kept a fearsome, chilling dog by her side. Could it be this one?
Whether true or false, Lady Shen dared not take the risk and immediately ordered the servants to stand down.
Shen Qingrui and Cen Liangxuan were forced to climb onto the rockery. Below, the large dog bared its fangs, pacing back and forth, occasionally looking up and growling.
The two were panting heavily, their current state utterly disheveled.
Cen Liangxuan’s face darkened further.
Shen Qingrui’s complexion turned pale.
“Since you cannot deliver justice for me, I have no choice but to seek someone who can.” Shen Yiren’s voice came from not far away.
The Elderly Lady protested, “You cannot report this to the authorities.”
So it was possible to report it to the authorities! Shen Yiren exclaimed happily, “I’ll go right now!” Taking Luo Xue and the letter in her hand.
Lady Shen ordered the servants to surround them. “You won’t leave through this gate.”
“That is not for Lady Shen to decide.” Cang Ming drew his sword, its sharp blade gleaming coldly. “Anyone who obstructs Miss Shen will be cut down.”
“You cannot report this to the authorities.” Cen Liangxuan attempted to climb down from the rockery but, seeing the dog glaring fiercely below, withdrew his foot. He straightened his clothes, appearing calm as he said, “Reporting such a trivial matter to the authorities would only trouble the Dali Temple.”
“Shen Yiren, isn’t it just that you feel aggrieved? Speak, what compensation do you want? This prince will do his best to compensate you.” No matter what, this matter could not escalate further, or it would affect his career.
Cen Liangxuan declared, “This prince can take you as a concubine.”
After all, he would take concubines in the future. What was one more Shen Yiren?
“No!” Shen Qingrui objected. The prince already had her. How could he even think of taking a concubine, especially Shen Yiren, who had returned to steal her identity!
Cen Liangxuan fixed Shen Qingrui with a stern gaze and said in a low voice, “Luo Xue has confessed, and the letter is very likely in her hands. Do you really want her to stir up a storm? Wasn’t the scene she caused at the wedding hall enough to disgrace us?”
“Why did you have to bury it in the general’s mansion, of all places?”
“So now the young master is blaming me? If you hadn’t left loose ends, and if she hadn’t returned alive, would I have needed to hide valuables?”
In just three days of marriage, the couple had already fallen into conflict.
Cen Liangxuan hadn’t expected Shen Qingrui to turn the blame back on him. He flicked his sleeve in frustration and said, “All of this is because I married you!”
“Did I force the young master to marry me? It was you who said you loved me, and you who didn’t want to marry Shen Yiren either!” Over the years, Shen Qingrui had grown accustomed to being spoiled and had become increasingly arrogant.