The Double-Chapter 609 - 176: Found (New Announcement) - Part 4

The soldiers spoke in an extremely discourteous manner. In fact, Shen Yurong had a good reputation in Yanjing City and there were few officials who did not know of him. For such a gentle and amiable good man to be suddenly accused of such terrible crimes was shocking in itself. Added to this morning’s incident with Jiang Youyao, it made everyone feel a chill to the bone. The sting of a hornet comes from its tail, and a woman’s heart is the most venomous of all. Princess Yongning’s methods were cruel beyond belief. That Shen Yurong could have an affair with such a woman in private, and even kill his own wife and children for her, meant he was no better than vermin, and everyone despised him.

Princess Yongning said, "...you mentioned a private prison?" Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately realized that something was terribly wrong. The private prison in the Princess’s Mansion was unknown to Shen Yurong, and even Prince Cheng was unaware she possessed such a place. Over the years, those who had offended her had all paid the price. Initially, there were only a few, but the number of prisoners grew. The imperial court did not permit private prisons, and if discovered, it was a crime punishable by death. Moreover, there were many imperial court officials in that prison, and even if they were minor officials, having two or three of them would be enough to ensure her execution.

Seeing Princess Yongning’s face abruptly change color, Shen Yurong suddenly had a foreboding feeling and asked her, "What private prison?"

"No, nothing," replied Princess Yongning with a forced smile, settling her nerves, "Mr. Shen, there’s no need to worry. The charges Xue Huaiyuan is facing are utter nonsense. What Xue Fangfei, what Xue Zhao, I have no idea about any of this. They think they can smear us so easily? And what of Jiang Yuanbai? My elder brother and Imperial Consort Liu will surely find a way to come back and save us. Mr. Shen, you must believe me!"

She babbled on, and a trace of disgust flashed in Shen Yurong’s eyes, unwilling to talk to her any further. The soldiers shoved them towards the exit of the mansion, and as Mother Shen, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, sobbed, "What are you doing? Why are you taking my son away? This is a private residence; you can’t just barge in here, I can sue you all!"

The marching soldiers, suddenly confronted by a defiant woman blocking the way, became impatient and pushed Mother Shen aside, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. Losing all composure, she pointed at Princess Yongning and wailed, "It’s her! She’s the cause of all this! It’s this woman who seduced Yurong, it’s her who used her status as a princess to threaten my son, Yurong knows nothing, everything is caused by this woman. Your heart is so vicious, you have ruined our Shen family, you with such a black heart, you will surely go to hell after you die..."

Her scolding reached Princess Yongning’s ears without a word missed. Shocked, Princess Yongning perhaps did not expect that this formerly gentle, cheerful, loving woman, who always looked at her with ingratiating flattery, would one day heap such vulgar and venomous abuse upon her. Before she could even reply, the soldiers continued to push her forward, and the woman’s scolding gradually grew distant. Princess Yongning suddenly came to her senses; she was insulted like this, and Shen Yurong didn’t utter a word in her defense? There was no need to reprimand his mother for her, but why was he so stingy even in offering a word of comfort?

She turned to look at Shen Yurong.

But she saw Shen Yurong walking in a daze, his face numb, as if he had not seen her anger nor heard the scolding and crying of Mother Shen behind him, as if he had already detached himself from this world.

Shen Yurong had indeed detached himself.

All he wanted was wealth and glory, to climb higher in status. He lost his own son and watched his wife be imprisoned and suffer needlessly, struggling in pain until her last breath. He thought all of this was worth it, that one day, once he had everything, it would all be worth it.

But at this moment, Shen Yurong knew clearly that there was no turning back. No matter starting over or making a comeback, even if Princess Yongning was Prince Cheng’s sister and Empress Dowager Liu’s daughter, they couldn’t escape their fate. Emperor Hongxiao had finally gotten hold of this handle and would never let go easily.

All that he had done was for naught in the end.

Shen Yurong stumbled along, outside the mansion gate a crowd had already gathered, there for the spectacle. They pointed and stared with disgusted, scornful looks, but he seemed oblivious.

In his daze, he seemed to see Xue Fangfei standing among the crowd, stunningly beautiful, yet no longer in the familiar gentle and graceful demeanor. She looked at him coldly, as if staring at a stranger, as if mocking his plight.

He was, indeed, in a sorry state.

...

Inside the Ye Residence, Ye Shijie was speaking with Xue Huaiyuan.

Considering the case of the Xue Family, with Xue Huaiyuan’s daughter now residing in the Ye Residence, and while Ye Mingyu was loyal and righteous, he lacked understanding of the intricate interplay of benefits and relationships in officialdom, rendering him less helpful in the matter of the case. Ye Shijie, on the other hand, knew a bit more about these things.

Ye Shijie briefed Xue Huaiyuan on the key recent changes within the imperial court of Yanjing City. Through the conversation with Xue Huaiyuan, Ye Shijie also benefited a lot, finding his talks with Xue Huaiyuan very enjoyable. The deeper their friendship grew, the more Ye Shijie admired Xue Huaiyuan, hence he spared no effort in helping with the Xue Family’s case.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Xue," Ye Shijie said, "regarding the case of the Xue Family, it appears to be virtually certain at this point. The truth behind the deaths of siblings Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao will soon be clear as day, and those baseless charges will be washed away."

Xue Huaiyuan replied, "That is certainly good news, but she once was a princess, and even though she is no longer one, Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu won’t give up easily."

Ye Shijie fell silent, having heard that Empress Dowager Liu, upon receiving the news, had gone to the Golden Throne Hall early in the morning to see Emperor Hongxiao, with Prince Cheng there as well. The case had far-reaching implications, and both Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu were acutely aware of its significance. It was also for this reason that Jiang Yuanbai had even ordered some guards to the Ye Residence to provide full protection. Should Prince Cheng seek to silence them by murder, it was very likely he would attempt to infiltrate the Ye Residence and kill Xue Huaiyuan.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Xue," Ye Shijie said, "my cousin has said that with Miss Hai Tang as a witness, and considering the charges against Princess Yongning aren’t limited to this one, not even the Jiang Family would allow this matter to end easily."

"My concern is about Fangfei’s charges," Xue Huaiyuan said somberly, "Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning, they won’t admit guilt easily."

Ye Shijie gave a slight smile: "My cousin has already thought of that, which is why she arranged for another witness apart from Hai Tang."

"Who?"

"The Master of Zither from Mingyi Hall, Xiao Deyin."