Early the next morning, Ruan Jiu paced back and forth in the courtyard of the Shen Mansion.
Unease gnawed at her heart.
Seeing Shen Yu running in from outside the door, Ruan Jiu immediately stepped forward.
"How'd it go?"
"At the court session this morning, all the ministers accused the Shen family of colluding with powerful officials. Not a single person stood up to speak in our family's defense.
The Emperor flew into a rage on the spot and demanded to know which court official the Shen family had colluded with.
He also ordered the Supreme Court to re - examine the case. It seems that Father will be back soon."
Shen Yu said excitedly.
A flicker of joy flashed across Ruan Jiu's eyes.
However, this matter was probably not that simple.
Ruan Jiu pursed her lips and said with lowered eyes, "As long as Shen Ruoxi is alive, she'll always be a scourge."
Hearing this, Shen Yu nodded. "I'll send someone to quietly get rid of her."
As he said this, he made a throat - slitting gesture.
Mother had kindly spared her life, but she'd turned around and framed the Shen family.
Ruan Jiu couldn't help but laugh and cry. "You're so naive. Maybe Prime Minister Gu is just waiting for us to make a move."
"Oh, right!" Shen Yu suddenly realized.
"Even if we want to act, we shouldn't do it ourselves."
"So what should we do now?"
"We have to plan this carefully."
Ruan Jiu thought for a moment and then continued, "You go and ask Mother to announce a public mourning. Say that Shen Ruoxi, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, suddenly contracted a serious illness and died."
She added, "Make it a grand funeral so that the whole capital knows that the Shen family attaches great importance to the late Miss Shen.
No matter what you do, you and Mother must cry until your eyes are swollen, so that everyone knows how close you were to Shen Ruoxi."
Although Shen Yu didn't understand Ruan Jiu's intentions.
But he seemed to have gotten used to it. As long as Ruan Jiu said something, he'd just follow her instructions.
Ruan Jiu narrowed her eyes.
Shen Ruoxi, don't let me down.
Overnight.
White cloth was hung all over the Shen Mansion, and the air was filled with mourning cries.
Suddenly, the news of Shen Ruoxi's death spread throughout the capital.
However, because Shen Wenshan was in prison, only a few people came to pay their respects.
But this actually saved them some trouble.
"My dear Xier! Why did you leave us!"
Before Shen Wenshan even entered the Shen Mansion, his cries of grief could be heard.
Ruan Jiu looked up and saw Shen Wenshan standing in the crowd, crying his heart out.
He fainted from crying and was then carried in by the servants.
The onlookers couldn't help but sigh at Shen Wenshan's deep affection for his adopted daughter.
"Father, I didn't expect you to be such a good actor." Shen Yu couldn't help but give Shen Wenshan a thumbs - up.
Shen Wenshan straightened his hairpin and proudly raised his head. "Of course."
Then he saw Ruan Jiu standing nearby and excitedly walked up to her.
He reached out his hand, wanting to hold Ruan Jiu's hand, but then carefully withdrew it.
"A Jiu, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to get out of prison so easily this time."
Although Shen Wenshan was in prison, Shen Yu had already sent someone to tell him.
It was all thanks to Ruan Jiu's idea that the Emperor's suspicion had been dispelled.
It was also Ruan Jiu who had suggested that the Shen family announce a public mourning, which had finally convinced the Emperor to let Shen Wenshan out of prison.
Ruan Jiu gave a faint smile. "You're my family."
Hearing this, Shen Wenshan was extremely excited.
Qin Shuang covered her mouth and stepped forward, tears welling in her eyes. "Husband, A Jiu has forgiven us."
Shen Wenshan wrapped his arms around the mother and daughter.
All his words turned into hot tears.
Shen Yu, standing beside them, was also extremely excited.
He immediately opened his arms, wanting to hug them.
But Shen Wenshan pushed him away with a look of disgust.
Shen Yu crossed his arms and turned his head away.
He complained discontentedly, "Yes, yes, yes. You guys are the real family. Fine."
Shen Yu's look of being unloved by his parents instantly made everyone laugh.
For a moment, the wailing outside the mourning hall continued without end.
Inside the mourning hall, there were laughter and joy.
-
On the other side.
In the Prime Minister's Mansion, after Shen Ruoxi learned that the Shen family was holding a grand funeral for her, she was so angry that she smashed all the teacups on the table to the ground.
Si Kong limped over to close Shen Ruoxi's door, then squatted down to pick up the broken teacups one by one.
This was the Prime Minister's Mansion. Now that Shen Ruoxi was in favor, her every move was probably being watched by many eyes.
Not to mention the Prime Minister's wife, even the other five concubines in the mansion were always ready to catch Shen Ruoxi's mistakes.
"They actually announced to the public that I'm dead!" The more Shen Ruoxi thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Maybe they already know that you've defected to the Prime Minister's Mansion." Si Kong frowned and said.
"So what! They forced me to do this!" Shen Ruoxi said with hatred on her face.
Shen Ruoxi grabbed Si Kong's hand and said, "Brother, if it weren't for them, your leg wouldn't be disabled!"
After hearing this, Si Kong touched his knee and stared blankly at his legs.
After a moment, Si Kong let out a long sigh and slowly said, "Xier, let's forget about it. Let's leave the Prime Minister's Mansion, okay?"
"No!" Shen Ruoxi threw Si Kong's hand away. "In order to take revenge, I've endured the nausea every day to please Prime Minister Gu. How can I just give up?"
If it weren't for dealing with the Shen family, how could she have compromised herself to Prime Minister Gu!
Acting like a woman from a brothel, pleasing Prime Minister Gu in bed!
"But Prime Minister Gu is just using you!"
Si Kong had lived in the Shen family for so many years. Naturally, he knew what kind of person Prime Minister Gu was.
Shen Ruoxi was playing with fire!
"I don't care! As long as I can make the Shen family pay the price, I'll do anything!"
Now, hatred had blinded Shen Ruoxi's eyes.
She wished she could return all the pain she'd suffered to the Shen family.
Especially Shen Yu!
Since she couldn't have him, she'd destroy him!
"Xier! Wake up!" Si Kong kept shaking Shen Ruoxi's arm.
He didn't want to see Shen Ruoxi fall into an abyss of no return.
If he hadn't been in a coma back then, he'd rather die than let Shen Ruoxi become Prime Minister Gu's concubine!
"Brother! I'm doing all this for you! Shen Yu crippled your leg. Don't you hate him?"
Si Kong narrowed his eyes.
He used to be quite good at martial arts, which was his pride.
It had allowed him to stay in the Shen family and protect his sister.
But now, one of his legs was disabled, and he could only limp when walking.
Although all this was the Shen family's fault, he was the one who had made the mistake. What right did he have to hate?
"Xier, brother doesn't want you to take revenge for me. Brother just wants you to live a good life!"
Shen Ruoxi laughed a few times. "Now I'm a concubine in the Prime Minister's Mansion, deeply loved by the Prime Minister. I have all the gold, silver, and silk I could want. Isn't this a good life?"
Although a smile appeared on Shen Ruoxi's face, it didn't reach her eyes.
"If you stay with a man like him, you'll lose your life sooner or later!"
"Enough!" Shen Ruoxi put away her smile and coldly shouted, "Get out!"
No one could change her mind.
Not even Si Kong.
Si Kong sighed helplessly.
He got up and limped out.
The farther he walked, the farther their hearts drifted apart.
His back was desolate.
Shen Ruoxi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
After a long time.
She opened her eyes and showed a strange smile.
"Xiaocui, prepare a bath for me. When the Prime Minister returns to the mansion, invite him here immediately."