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Chapter 65: Lossless

  Shen Gui was still wearing his official uniform and hadn't changed out of it, striding quickly into the hall, probably having rushed over in a hurry after hearing the news about Shen Qing.

  Ren Yuanyun saw this and immediately cried even more miserably: "Master... Qing'er she..."

  The feelings between Ren Yuanyun and Shen Gui were not necessarily that deep, otherwise Shen Gui would not have brought concubines into the house one by one. Nevertheless, Shen Gui still treated Ren Yuanyun with respect, not for anything else, but because Ren Yuanyun could manage the Shen household in an orderly manner, and also get along well with the wives of Shen Gui's colleagues. As a virtuous wife, Shen Gui was quite satisfied with Ren Yuanyun, so he would definitely give her the face she deserved.

  "Shen Miao!" Shen Gui turned his head to glare at the young girl in the hall, and he knew why Ruan Yun had brought three daughters from the Shen family to Wudang Temple this time. He had intended to bring all three legitimate misses of the Shen family to prevent loose talk. Who would have thought that the one who caused trouble was his own daughter, Shen Qing? The little servant who came to deliver the message told him in secret that everything was Shen Miao's doing, although he found it unbelievable. Now, he had to shift the blame onto someone. Since he couldn't shift it onto the second wife, he would put all the blame on the first wife.

  "You bullied your sister, with such vicious means! Today big brother is not here, I will teach you a lesson on his behalf!" He said, then loudly shouted: " Summon the family law!"

  What family rules? Chen Ruoqiu and Shen Gui looked at each other, since Chen Ruoqiu married into the Shen family, she had never seen the family rules of this Shen mansion. Hearing Shen Gui say that those family rules were used on the concubines who made mistakes, the children of the Shen family had not been used yet.

  The Shen family was a gate-keeping family, and their family law was naturally extraordinary. The young servant quickly brought over a long wooden box, and when it was opened, the things inside were revealed to everyone, and even Shen Yue couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

  That was a long whip, the whip had been soaked in something for many years, looked black and shiny, and as thick as half of an adult man's wrist. At first glance, you could tell how solid and powerful it was. If one were to be hit by that whip, they would probably lose half their life. If the person wielding it were to use a bit more force, taking someone's life would be easy.

  "Not bad." Old Mrs. Shen straightened her back, seeing her son return, and sat up even straighter. She had some genuine feelings for Shen Qing after all, and when she saw her granddaughter get into trouble, she wasn't not annoyed. Since Shen Gui spoke up, she naturally also went along with the flow.

  "Wu Yaotou has made a mistake, and as her younger brother, you should take the place of your elder brother to teach her a lesson. The Shen family's rules have always been complete, if someone makes a mistake, they must be punished according to the family law. Wu Yaotou, you should be grateful that your second uncle is kind-hearted and sympathetic towards you, otherwise, it wouldn't be just a matter of punishment, but would involve calling an ancestral hall meeting to ask the elder members of the clan to judge, and you would also be expelled from the Shen family." As she spoke, her gaze suddenly moved, Ah, yes, if they were to expel Shen Miao from the Shen family, wouldn't that be perfect?

  Seeing the expression of Old Lady Shen, Chen Ruoqiu silently cursed her as an idiot in her heart. If Shen Miao were to be expelled from the Shen Manor, then with Shen Xin's temperament, he would definitely leave together with the main house as well. Although they couldn't bear to see the main house prosper, many things now had to rely on the main house's influence. This old woman thought so simply, truly being a songstress by origin, not worthy of being on stage.

  Ren Yuanyun was taken aback by the words, and roughly guessed what Old Lady Shen was thinking. She didn't want Shen Miao to be expelled from the Shen Mansion, not for any other reason, but because she couldn't let Shen Miao off so easily. Now she hated that Shen Miao would stay in the Shen Mansion, so that she could have more ways to retaliate against Shen Miao. But expelling someone from the family was not such a simple matter?

  But amidst everyone's thoughts, all that could be heard was Shen Miao's soft sigh, as she turned her head to look at Shen Gui.

  Shen Gui was taken aback by her inexplicable behavior, frowning and staring at him. He usually put on airs in official circles, with a considerable amount of official authority, and if an ordinary person were stared at like this, they would probably back down three points first.

  Shen Miao remained still, her expression calm and serene, her gaze direct, to the point where Shen Gui felt a sense of absurdity. It was as if Shen Miao were the superior one, while he was just an inferior person.

  This illusion was interrupted by Shen Miao's words, she said: "Second Uncle is indeed kind-hearted, Eldest Sister is ill in bed, Second Uncle didn't rush to see her condition first, but instead busied himself with teaching me a lesson for Father. It seems that Second Uncle truly dotes on me, even more than Eldest Sister."

  As soon as these words came out, everyone in the house fell silent for a moment.

  Chen Ruoqiu's eyes flashed with a hint of sarcasm, and Shen Wan furrowed his brow. Old Lady Shen's expression changed, Shen Yue opened her mouth, while Ren Yuanyun lowered her head, secretly clenching her fists.

  If we talk about the three old masters in the mansion, although Shen Xin neglected Shen Miao, he still truly loved and cherished her. Shen Wan Zhen loved Chen Ruo Qiu, and also loved Chen Ruo Qiu's daughter Shen Yue like a precious gem, except for Shen Gui.

  Shen Gui was originally a greedy and lustful person, and he didn't have any sense of responsibility as a father. He treated his two sons slightly better, but when it came to Shen Qing, this daughter of his, he didn't care about her at all. In Shen Gui's eyes, the best thing that could happen to Shen Qing was for her to marry into a high-ranking family and bring him more power and influence. This time, when Shen Qing got into trouble, Shen Gui was furious, but perhaps it wasn't because he pitied his daughter's miserable situation, but rather because his plans had been ruined, and he feared that Yu Qianwang would find out and get angry, and also because Shen Miao had wasted a daughter who could have brought him benefits in the future.

  After all, it's all about profit.

  If he were a father who truly loved his daughter, after learning of this matter, he would certainly first go back to visit his daughter, how could he hurry back like this, just to "discipline" the one who started it all. It seems that I have some sympathy for Shen Qing instead.

  Shen Gui's face flashed with a hint of embarrassment, and Shen Miao's words hit the nail on the head. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Looking at Ren Yuanyun again, she had indeed turned her head away from him. Shen Gui was surprised in his heart, and when he looked at Shen Miao again, his eyes were filled with contemplation. One sentence had made the couple's hearts drift apart, this provocation was both accurate and ruthless. Shen Qing was Ren Yuanyun's lifeblood, but to Shen Gui, she was just a tool that could be used. By using this matter to make the originally harmonious couple feel displeased with each other, Shen Miao's method was clearly like that of an old official in the imperial court.

  The girl in front of her had a clear and elegant appearance, looking very gentle and obedient, yet for some reason, there seemed to be a subtle majesty flashing, which made people dare not stare at her.

  Suppressing the astonishment in his heart, Shen Gui angrily said: "Shen Miao, you still don't know how to reflect on yourself until now. If that's the case, if I don't teach you a good lesson today, I'll be unworthy as a person and also unworthy of your father." He stretched out his hand to take the whip.

  Shen Yue stared intently at Shen Gui's movements, feeling both a little schadenfreude and some tension. Would Shen Gui really dare to fight back? Shen Miao was so overbearing, yet in the face of such a scene, she could only lower her head and admit defeat.

  "Is Second Uncle going to teach me by using this whip to kill someone and silence them, or beat me half to death and send me back to the village?" Shen Miao suddenly spoke up.

  Shen Gui's movements paused for a moment.

  Shen Wan was stunned, and it seemed that no one had expected Shen Miao's anger to be so intense. Although she had changed in recent days, everyone thought it was just a pretentious show of strength. But now, right in front of the entire Shen Manor, without even pretending, she tore her face off for everyone to see.

  "You wicked girl, what are you talking about!" Old Lady Shen was the first to shout in anger: "Are you saying that your Second Uncle wants to murder you? This is utter nonsense!"

  "Yes, Wu Niang, how can you say that?" Chen Ruoqiu finally spoke up, still pouring oil on the fire: "You harmed Qing Er, how can you still turn things around and blame others? Where did you learn this rule?"

  Chen Ruoqiu thought that if Shen Miao and the second house were both defeated, then her Shen Yue would be the one who truly thrived in this Shen manor. After all, among the three houses, Shen Wan's power was not as great as the main house, and his offspring were not as many as the second house. If she didn't use some tactics, this vast Shen manor might only bring benefits to others.

  Ran Wanyun wept and kowtowed to Old Lady Shen: "See, Fifth Sister is so resentful of us. She harmed Qing'er without any remorse, and even wants to tarnish Master's reputation. This is outrageous! It's clear she's relying on Eldest Brother's power to bully us. Could it be that she learned this from Eldest Brother? A young girl like Fifth Sister wouldn't know so much, there must be someone behind her teaching her to do this. We've always supported each other with Eldest Brother, how can his family treat us like this..."

  Ren Yuanyun's crying was also extremely moving, putting herself in a weak position. The harder she usually is, the weaker she appears now, making people believe what she says is true.

  Unfortunately, she got entangled with Shen Xin.

  The dragon has an inverted scale, and Shen Xin is now Shen Miao's inverted scale.

  Her eyes scanned the crowd in Rong Jing Tang, they were staring at her with a hungry gaze, they were a family, they could turn black into white and death into life. Surrounded by them, she was like a piece of fat meat, fallen into the mouth of starving wolves.

  But what can these silver-tongued women do? In the harem, there were so many women who could talk and persuade, but in the end, how many were left behind? How many became fertilizer for the flourishing flowers under the eaves of the imperial garden?

  "Second Aunt keeps saying that I harmed Big Sister. Well, let's ask Second Aunt a few questions and see if she can enlighten me."

  Ren Yuanyun was taken aback, facing Shen Miao's clear and transparent eyes, for some reason she felt a little guilty. But when she looked around at the people, she put her mind at ease again, as everyone here was on her side, what could Shen Miao do to turn things upside down?

  "Go ahead and ask." She wiped away her tears.

  "Good." Shen Miao's lips curled up: "I'll ask, that day Erniang was living next to Dajie, extremely close by. If something had happened, how could Erniang not have heard?"

  Ren Yuanyun was stunned.

  "If it was the elder sister who resisted, she would have made a sound. That day, the elder sister's body was covered in wounds, and she must have struggled and cried out for help. Auntie was so close by, why didn't she hear anything? Could it be that she did hear something, but because she was too tired, she didn't come out to take a look?"

  "You..." Yan Yun opened her mouth to refute, but her palms suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

  "Of course, maybe Second Aunt didn't hear the cry for help. Why? It's because Big Sister didn't cry out for help either. Why didn't Big Sister cry out for help? Was she acquainted with that scoundrel?"

  "Preposterous!" At this, Ren Yuanyun could no longer hold back, sharply interrupting Shen Miao's words.

  Shen Gui and Shen Wan were men, after all, and their thoughts were not as meticulous as those of women. They didn't think much about these things in the inner courtyard. But Chen Ruoqiu and Ren Yuanyun almost immediately understood. The gaze they turned to Shen Miao was filled with shock and fear, naturally the former was shocked and the latter was afraid.

  Shen Miao's words were terrifying. Indeed, on that day, Ren Yuanyun and Shen Qing lived in houses that were so close to each other. If Shen Qing had cried out for help, how could it be possible that no one heard? And if someone did hear, why didn't they go take a look? Was it because Ren Yuanyun intentionally...? Of course, Ren Yuanyun wouldn't intentionally harm her own daughter, but at the time, the one who should have been living there was originally Shen Miao. Ren Yuanyun had no reason to harm her own biological daughter, but it wasn't impossible that she would harm her niece. Shen Miao directly spoke out like this, and Ren Yuanyun's secretly hidden plans were revealed without disguise in front of everyone.

  And another possibility she thought of, Shen Qing didn't cry out for help at all, why was that? To suffer such humiliation without crying out for help, could it be intentional? Why would it be intentional, this kind of thing, if you say it lightly, it's being humiliated by a wicked person, if you say it heavily, perhaps it will even spread the rumor that Shen Qing intentionally committed adultery!

  This world is especially difficult for women. It's not that I'm afraid of ten thousand things, but rather that one in ten thousand might happen. Once rumors start circulating, it's hard to extinguish them.

  Shen Miao smiled slightly: "Second Aunt, I thought this matter had many doubts. Since Second Uncle is also fair and just, why not send me to the yamen for a thorough investigation? I will tell the official everything I know, and let them decide. Who knows, we might even find out who the culprit is."

  "No way!" said Ren Yuanyun and Shen Gui in unison.

  Ren Yuanyun said no, naturally afraid of causing trouble. If Shen Miao had just spoken those words, anyone with discerning eyes would be able to see the cat's paw behind it. In the capital city, there are many wealthy families who can keep these things hidden and covered up for now, but once they spread out, wouldn't someone be able to see through her plot to harm her niece? Moreover, if this matter were really spoken of, Shen Qing's reputation would be ruined. Those rumors and gossip would start circulating, and Shen Qing might even end up hanging herself with a white silk cord.

  Shen Gui said no, but he and Ren Yuanyun thought differently. He was only afraid that this matter would involve Yu Qinwang. Now Yu Qinwang had just managed to get Shen Miao to support him because of his possible promotion. Originally, the situation was already messed up, with Shen Miao and Shen Qing's identities swapped. If Yu Qinwang found out the truth, he would definitely be furious, and if he got involved in another case, causing trouble for Yu Qinwang, Shen Gui feared that his own career path would become even more difficult.

  The couple who were just arguing with each other in unison stopped Shen Miao's proposal.

  "What else can Second Uncle do?" Shen Miao's gaze swept over the long whip in Shen Gui's hand and asked casually, "Do you still want to ask for family law?"

  The people in the room fell silent for a moment, Shen Yue stared at Shen Miao incredulously.

  Even Shen Yue saw it, she's threatening!

  It seemed as if to echo the surprise in everyone's heart, Shen Miao lightly laughed and said: "If Second Uncle wants to use family law, there's nothing I can do about it. But I've always been a stubborn person, that scoundrel wants me to take on a crime name that doesn't belong to me, when Father comes back, I will definitely think of a way to report to the yamen."

  What she implied was: Shen Gui beat her today, and when Shen Xin returns in the future, she will definitely report it to him. She might even instigate Shen Xin to go to the government office to file a complaint, saying that someone is bullying her, but who knows who she will end up accusing?

  "Second Uncle, are you going to invite me or not? If you are, then please hurry up." Shen Miao's clear eyes sparkled with amusement, her words laced with subtle mockery: "After all, with so many people here, I won't be able to escape either."

  They almost made Rong Jing Tang's people look like bandits, as if the next moment they would press Shen Miao down and beat her up.

  Shen Gui never thought that in the imperial court, where he was used to speaking to people in their own language and getting along swimmingly with everyone, he would be threatened by his own niece. It wasn't that he couldn't think of a way to respond, it's just that Shen Miao didn't give him any opportunity to react from start to finish. She did all the talking, and as time went on, her words became sharper and more pressing, leaving him with no room to dodge.

  Shen Wan's eyes also flashed with a hint of surprise. His second brother was an old hand in the imperial court, and even his political enemies had never forced him into such a predicament before. And yet, it was only a fourteen-year-old little girl who had driven him to this state. The eldest branch... was indeed unshakeable? Shen Wan's gaze turned gloomy.

  "Ah..." Shen Gui's face turned slightly red. Today, he was originally acting out of anger, and in his heart, Shen Miao was still the obedient and easily deceived niece. Even if she had been beaten and really been taught a lesson at home, later on, with coaxing and intimidation, she wouldn't dare to speak about today's events. Who knew that Shen Miao would suddenly change, becoming such a sharp-tongued person, not only not submitting to him, but instead turning the tables on him, making it impossible for him to save face.

  If it weren't for Shen Xin's presence, Shen Gui would have killed Shen Miao long ago.

  The old lady Shen, who had been sitting silently in the hall, saw her son being forced to this point, looked at Shen Miao with a flash of anger in her eyes, and then pressed down, saying: "Enough!"

  The hall fell silent again, Shen Guishan let out a sigh of relief, and everyone looked at Old Lady Shen.

  Although Mrs. Shen is ignorant of the affairs inside and outside the court, she was a good hand in the struggle for power in the harem back then. Shen Miao's sharp response to Shen Gui couple just now made her secretly glance sideways. However, the more cleverly Shen Miao performed, the more resentful she became in her heart. It's just that Shen Miao now holds Shen Qing's reputation in her hands and can even threaten Shen Gui, which makes Mrs. Shen dare not act rashly for the time being.

  She coldly said: "Wu Yaotou, your Second Uncle is right. This family law will be relaxed for you because of your young age, but this matter was also caused by you. Since Da Yaotou has taken the punishment for you, you should go to the ancestral hall and kneel to atone for your sister's sin. From today on, you are under house arrest. Every day, you will kneel in the ancestral hall and copy Buddhist scriptures. When Da Yaotou recovers, that is when you can come out again."

  It seems that you want to keep Shen Miao locked up all the time.

  Shen Yue felt a little disappointed when she heard this. She had thought that Shen Miao would be beaten by the family law and unable to get out of bed, or even expelled from the family. Who knew it was just a mild punishment, and after a few months, when Shen Xin returned, Shen Miao's confinement order would naturally be lifted, and everything would return to normal as before.

  Ren Yuanyun was also somewhat dissatisfied, but Shen Miao's words had shaken her so much that she didn't dare to act rashly now. At this moment, her mind was in a mess and she couldn't think of a better solution. Although she had some complaints about Mrs. Shen's words, she knew it was an expedient measure, so she held back and said nothing.

  "Oh," Shen Miao's voice trailed off, the tone was extremely gentle, but for some reason, it gave people a feeling of being turned around in circles. She said: "I know, I will make amends for my sister in front of Buddha."

  Now every word Shen Miao said seemed to have another meaning, and Ren Yuanyun couldn't help but get goosebumps. She didn't know what to say, so she could only cover her face and sob again.

  "Alright, alright," said Old Lady Shen, also somewhat impatient. Today, she didn't grasp Shen Miao well, and it felt like there was a stone stuck in her heart. Looking at Ren Yuanyun's crying face again, she became even more annoyed. She said: "Second son, take your wife out! What's with all the crying in Rong Jing Tang? All of you get out! Fifth daughter, go to the ancestral hall and kneel right now, and don't eat dinner today!"

  Everyone took their leave one after another. Shen Miao didn't dwell on this matter too much either, and after leaving Rong Jing Tang, she headed towards the West Wing.

  But she didn't know that behind her back, everyone's eyes were on her.

  Shen Wan said with a sigh: "Wu Niang has really grown up."

  "Yes." Chen Ruoqiu hooked up the corner of his mouth: "This time, Wu Niang really opened our eyes wide."

  "Daughter..." Shen Yue spoke softly: "Fifth sister, it's a bit scary." In the Wodragon Temple, her calm and composed expression secretly made Shen Qing take a hit and still manage to retreat unscathed. Even Shen Yue felt a thread of fear. She didn't know when that foolish and easy-going cousin had developed such skills?

  "What is Yue'er afraid of?" Shen Wan stroked Shen Yue's head with a seemingly affectionate expression, but his words were gloomy: "She's just a little girl who doesn't know the height of the sky or the thickness of the earth. She'll pay the price sooner or later."

  Shen Miao indeed entered the Shen family's ancestral hall just as Old Lady Shen had arranged.

  The Shen family was a military general's family, and the ancestral hall worshipped ancestors of all generations. These ancestors had established such a prosperous family business on horseback for the Shen family. Unfortunately, by this generation, the Shen family was also in disarray and not far from decline.

  The Shen family, originally had a thriving population. Unfortunately, in one war, several brothers of the Shen family died in battle, leaving only General Shen alive to escape. General Shen had three sons, but only one followed in his military footsteps. Nowadays, the Shen family still maintains its original glory on the surface, but except for General Shen Xin, who is a true military general, it has become a family of civil officials, which is also ironic.

  "Is the girl okay?" Gu Yu asked.

  Jing Zhen and Gu Yu also entered the ancestral hall. Shen Miao was worried that Ren Wan Yun would secretly take action, although previously at Wolong Temple she deliberately kept Jing Zhen and Gu Yu away to let them escape their fate of being silenced. But in the vast Shen Mansion, everyone had their own ulterior motives, it's better to keep her by her side, Ren Wan Yun's reach was too long, and she didn't dare to take action openly in front of her.

  "It's not just the dampness, this place is also very humid." Jing Zhen complained and glanced at the small window: "Now it's raining outside, the ground is wet, if you kneel down like this, you'll catch a cold. Besides, they're being unreasonable, what does Miss have to do with these things? The villains are making false accusations, wait until Master comes back, see if they dare..."

  "Shut up." Gu Yu rebuked, "If we're discovered, it's the young lady who'll suffer."

  Shen Miao smiled slightly, not taking it seriously.

  Jing Zhen thought for a moment, then asked: "However, today was also unexpected. They had so many people going to Rong Jing Tang, and the young lady didn't even have one person by her side. When she came out, she wasn't hurt at all. Although kneeling in the temple is also terrible, it's much better than what I thought of."

  Before Jingting Hall's prosperity and the master's inquiry into guilt, Shen Miao did not bring her maidservants inside. Thus, Shen Miao's maidservants were all unaware of what had happened inside.

  "The young lady must have convinced the whole household," Gu Yu said with admiration: "Facing so many people and not being afraid, the young lady is now more and more like Master."

  So many people? Shen Miao couldn't help but sneer in her heart. It was just a small Shen manor, and they were just some insignificant clowns who couldn't even get on stage. When Fu Xiuyi wanted to change the crown prince back then, all the officials stood on the side of Empress Dowager Yang and Fu Sheng. Her own son, Fu Ming, was almost put under house arrest at that time. She wore the imperial attire of an empress, facing the crowd of officials in the Golden Dragon Hall, arguing with them word by word, her words dripping with blood.

  How weak is the power of one person? Just like she was clearly the most noble woman in the world, married to the most noble man in the world, yet couldn't even protect what her son deserved. Not a single person stood by her side, and she couldn't retreat because there were people she had to protect.

  It was because she didn't keep that precious person safe the first time, so this time she would use even more extreme measures. Ruthless? Heartless? Hypocritical? Cunning? None of that mattered, as long as the knife's edge was aimed at her enemy and it was her opponent who fell, no matter how cruel the process was, she alone bore the guilt, what did it matter?

  She closed her eyes, the ancestral tablet was right in front of her, Shen Miao whispered: Ancestors on horseback, if your spirits are still here, please grant me the most advantageous arrow and the fastest horse, bless me to cut down my enemies.

  Fang Nian opened her eyes to find a surprised and blinking gaze staring back at her. The maid pulled out a package of pastries from her bosom, smiling: "Miss has been hungry for so long, it won't do if you don't eat something. I have some pastries here, Miss can fill your belly with them."

  Shen Miao wouldn't actually stop eating just because Old Lady Shen gave the order. She took over the paper package, opened it and looked inside, and couldn't help but pause for a moment: "This is..."

  "This was found in the maid's room at Wolong Temple." Jing Zhen scratched his head, looking embarrassed: "The young lady gave me these pastries at the time, and after I tasted one, I had never eaten such delicious pastries before, so I couldn't bear to finish them. After returning to the mansion, I went with the young lady to the ancestral hall, but didn't have a chance to bring out food from outside, so only these were left."

  Shen Miao gazed at the delicate and exquisite pastry, which was left behind by Xie Jingxuan when they had a midnight conversation. As she thought about it, she seemed to see again the handsome young face in the rain, as well as his mysterious and unpredictable identity.

  Xie Jingxing... Shen Miao sank into thought, what kind of person was he after all.

  Caiyun Garden

  The doctor had just left, and Shen Qing, who had taken a sedative, was already asleep.

  Even after reading it several times, every time she saw the scars on Shen Qing's body, Ren Yuanyun couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart. The doctor was one of their own people and wouldn't say anything, but he had clearly told Ren Yuanyun that Shen Qing's injuries were too severe and his mind was already unclear, fearing that he would need to rest for some time. As for why he wasn't clear-headed, it was naturally because he had been frightened into such a state.

  That night, Shen Qing suffered what kind of torture, Ren Yuanyun did not dare to think. That night she lived next door to Shen Qing, and even heard Shen Qing's cry for help halfway, but she thought it was Shen Miao and stopped in her tracks, resulting in her own daughter being ruined. As soon as she thinks about these things, Ren Yuanyun regrets that her heart is moving.

  Shen Gui took a glance at Shen Qing on the bed and seemed to feel a severe headache, turning around to leave immediately.

  "Halt!" Ren Yuanyun called out to him: "Qing'er has now become like this, do you still want to go to those fox spirit temples?"

  Shen Gui was a lecher, with several concubines in his house, each one beautiful and gentle. But Ren Yuanyun was strict and had them all under control. Moreover, although Shen Gui was a lecher, he knew that only Ren Yuanyun could help him advance smoothly in his official career and avoid any trouble, so usually she didn't bother to interfere with him. Men are all the same, concubines are just playthings, why bother to argue with them?

  But today, she was somewhat unusual.

  "Don't be so unreasonable, okay?" Shen Gui had some annoyance, today he was blocked by his own niece and couldn't speak. As for the situation with Prince Yu's side, he didn't know what would happen in the future, whether he would be blamed or not. Thinking about these things made Shen Gui feel anxious to death. At this time, seeing Shen Qing again only added fuel to the fire. His tone was also somewhat impatient: "I'm useless staying here, I might as well calm down and think about what to do next."

  "Think, think, think!" Ren Yuanyun suddenly changed her usual cautious nature and shouted loudly: "You just know how to think! What is Qing'er in your eyes? She has become like this now, but you, as a father, are ignoring it and not taking care of anything! In your heart, I'm afraid there is no such daughter as Qing'er. How can the world have a father as cruel as you!"

  As soon as the words were spoken, even Xianglan and Caiju, Ren Yuanyun's two personal maids, were stunned. Normally, Ren Yuanyun was always calm and composed, even when Shen Qing had an accident at Wodang Temple, she could still hold on to her composure for the sake of the overall situation. As for Shen Gui, they had never exchanged harsh words before, so it was unbelievable that someone as rational and tactful as Ren Yuanyun would quarrel with Shen Gui like a shrew today.

  Ren Yuanyun didn't know why she was like this either. Seeing Shen Gui's appearance, the words Shen Miao had said earlier in Rong Jing Tang echoed in her ears again.

  When Shen Gui learned that Shen Qing was in trouble, the first thing he thought of was not to check on Shen Qing's injuries, but to discipline Shen Miao. This is not what a real father would do. Shen Gui simply didn't care about this daughter's life or death. Perhaps for Shen Gui, Shen Qing was just a valuable object, and because she had value, he was willing to raise her before. Now that she had no value, he wouldn't even spare her a glance.

  Shen Miao's provocation had a low effect on Rong Jing Tang at first, but it eventually accumulated and burst out suddenly.

  "You hussy!" Shen Gui was also often flattered in the official circles, where had he ever been scolded like this? Although he was furious in his heart, he knew he couldn't completely fall out with Ren Yuanyun, so he sneered: "You say I'm not a good father, have you been a good mother? Qing'er was taken to Wolong Temple by you, and it's your responsibility to take care of her. You were right next to her, yet you let something happen under your nose. Didn't you sleep in the room next to hers that night? If you truly loved her, how could you not have discovered that it was Qing'er who had gotten into trouble?"

  As soon as these words came out, Ren Yuanyun was immediately stunned.

  What she regretted most and hated the most was that night in Beigong, when she clearly heard the cry for help and had the opportunity to save her daughter, but due to a series of unfortunate events, Shen Qing got into trouble. Now Shen Gui was like a knife stabbing her heart and salt sprinkled on her wound, making her stand frozen in place.

  Shen Gui saw that she was no longer speaking, let out a cold snort, turned around and swept his sleeves away, disappearing to one of the concubine's courtyards.

  Ren Yuanyun stood there stupidly for a moment, then her legs suddenly went soft and she collapsed to the ground, covering her face and sobbing quietly.

  Xianglan and Caiju were both frightened and shocked in their hearts, having never seen Master's appearance like this before. The current Ren Yuanyun was like a night that had collapsed all her previous supports, with a defeated and disheveled appearance, where was there even half of the former spring breeze's pride?

  The two maidservants had to go forward to comfort her. She didn't know how long she cried, Ren Yuanyun wiped her eyes and stood up again. She said: "Bring paper and pen, I want to write a letter to Yuan'er."

  Shen Yuan is the eldest son of the second house, Ruan Yun's big son. He is currently serving in Liu Zhou and will return to Beijing to serve as an official in Dingjing once his term is up.

  If it's said that among the three houses, Shen Yue is the most worthy of pride, then in the second house, Shen Yuanbo is young and Shen Qing has poor talent, but this Shen Yuang is exceptionally gifted. At a young age, he passed the imperial examination and did things well, even Shen Gui would be gentle when facing this son.

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