Spring of the Blade - Chapter 100

Chapter 100

This was a woman who had lived long enough to become a master of malice, practiced in the art of putting on a show. To your face, she would rip her heart out to play the saint, but behind your back, she wielded a sharp knife to sever your tendons and bones, hacking your flesh to pieces.

By this point, Qingyuan had done everything she possibly could; as for whether to forgive or not, that was entirely Fangchun’s choice. It is never easy to bring oneself to deal harshly with an elder who had shown one kindness in childhood. But how did people become so wretched? It was truly true that while one is superior, one can be tolerant, but once a dog-like creature appears more capable than oneself, the psychological balance is lost.

Fangchun looked down at Madam Wang, who was kneeling at her feet, without bidding her to rise. She leaned over and said, "Auntie, you knew Haoxue’s intentions all along. Instead of dissuading her, you suggested to me that I let Chengbing take a peer wife. You must have dearly hoped your own daughter could replace me, right? You clearly doted on me when I was a child, so why can you bear to treat me like this now? You kept pushing me to divorce him. If I had truly divorced him, have you ever thought about how I would live my future days? And my child..." She choked on her sobs, "Five months along; that was a life. How could you be so vicious as to kill him? And now you come to beg for my mercy. My child... who ever gave him a chance?"

She had always been easygoing, as if even the greatest calamity could be laughed away, leading Madam Wang to mistakenly believe that a few kind words and a mention of old times would soften her heart enough to blow this scandal over. But this time seemed different; her eyes were blood-red, her face was leaden, and under the fluttering banners of the torches, she looked so fierce that Madam Wang was terrified into silence.

Yet, what could she do if she didn't plead? Haoxue had been caught red-handed, and with the East Mansion involved and the Palace Guards alerted, if Fangchun didn't speak up, Haoxue would likely face a disaster. At this moment, she couldn't care about the dignity of an elder. She struggled to grab Fangchun’s legs and cried, "My dear niece, we are the closest of kin! How can you trust the words of a maid and treat me and your sister like deadly enemies? I know you hate Haoxue, and it is her fault for doing such a disgraceful thing today, but I swear on my life that your miscarriage was not her doing. I guarantee it. Don't you know your sister’s temperament? She has the mind of a child and only wants to be your companion. She might have been jealous, but she would never have the audacity to commit such an act..."

Qingyuan felt nauseated hearing this and gave a cold, mocking laugh. "Madam truly has a silver tongue. She dares to strip off her own clothes while the master is drunk, and you call that the mind of a child? You say she just wants to be our Second Madam’s companion? The so-called 'family' in this world are not all good people. I thought the ones I encountered before were bad enough, but it seems you are not a whit behind. You bear hatred for what others have that you do not, and you commit such soul-destroying acts without a flicker of hesitation. When the crime is exposed, you think you can muddle through by denying it to the death? It seems you underestimate our household's business; you think we are all just sitting around eating for free."

The Shen family’s business was nothing other than investigating officials, fabricating charges, and running massive prisons. Since they could drag down high-ranking officials, they naturally had ways to make a mere young girl tell the truth.

Seeing Haoxue disheveled and trembling like a dead leaf on a branch, Madam Wang felt both heartache and hatred for her daughter's stupidity. Someone had set a trap for her to fall into, and she had truly blundered right into it. Fangchun could never have thought of such a "luring the guest into the jar" tactic; it seemed this was the East Mansion’s doing again.

What a terrifying girl she was—not very old, but with a heart as deep as the sea. No wonder Xie Shu’s mansion had been turned upside down by her. Madam Wang braced herself and said, "Madam Chen, I have long heard of your reputation. I know you are a woman who recognizes no kin, but your hand has reached far too long. Although you all enter and exit through the same gate, the East Mansion is the East Mansion, and the West Mansion is the West Mansion. The West Mansion has its own mistress; there is no logic in a sister-in-law interfering in a younger brother’s private quarters."

Qingyuan heard this and cast a cold, sideways glance. "Madam Yao, I fear you haven't realized your current situation, yet you worry about dividing us up. Since we enter and exit by the same gate, we are brothers of the same blood, written with the same pen. You bullied the Second Madam for being kind-hearted and cast me aside so you could continue to manipulate her. Do you think no one sees it?"

Madam Wang forced a smile, her lips twitching in a way that could not be called a smile. She only said, "Madam, you misunderstand. I have absolutely no such meaning. I am only giving you a piece of kind advice: spare people where you can, and you will have blessings in the future. Madam, you lost your mother in your youth; why not accumulate some blessings for your own children and grandchildren? The Xie family made you a laughingstock in Youzhou; now that you have entered the Shen family, do not teach the Second Madam to be like you. It is said that you specialize in instigating people to fight against their own families—it does not bode well for your reputation."

Before she could finish, a tall, lithe figure drifted in through the door. With his hands behind his back, he sighed, "On the verge of death and still engaging in glib talk—it seems I have been too lenient with you." He raised his voice and called out, "Bind these two pigs for me!"

At his command, in the blink of an eye, the palace guards entered with hemp ropes. Regardless of their struggles and screams, they tied one end to their thumbs and knotted the other, trussing the mother and daughter from the Yao family like rice dumplings in a few swift motions.

"It is best not to struggle. The Palace Guard’s methods of binding are superb; the more you struggle, the tighter the knots become. If you pull your fingers off, you can blame no one but yourselves." As he spoke, a cold, icy smile appeared on his face. "Shen Run is a crude man; I won't talk logic with you in a flowery way. With a witness present and the evidence ironclad, do you understand? If you dare to say one more word, don't blame me for pushing you outside to parade you through the streets. Yao Haoxue infiltrated the study to assassinate the Commander while he was unprepared—it would be easy to handle your entire family. Why waste your breath? You harmed my Shen family’s flesh and blood; yet you still have the leisure to worry about my wife’s reputation? It would be better to worry about yourselves and see how much pain your flesh will have to endure and how many more days your heads can remain on your necks."

His tone was not stern, but every word carried the weight of ten thousand pounds. In their line of work, fabricated charges were as easy to come by as lifting a hand, because some people wouldn't shed tears until they saw the coffin, especially vicious women like them.

The Yao mother and daughter finally dared not make another sound. Since Shen Run had taken charge, it was a settled matter. Qingyuan turned to look at Fangchun. She did not have such eloquence, and being brokenhearted to the extreme, she only stared fixedly at Haoxue and asked, "When you harmed the child in my belly, you didn't care about my life at all, did you? Was it exactly what you wanted if I lost my life, so you could borrow the chance to comfort Shen Che and sit in my position with an open face?"

Haoxue had no desire to reason with her anymore. She cast her a glance, her tone full of contempt. "Sister, what virtue and what talent do you have... what virtue and what talent!"

Fangchun’s temper flared. She rushed up and pinched her neck with all her might, gritting her teeth and muttering: "I want you to pay with your life! I want you to pay with your life!"

Haoxue was being strangled until she couldn't catch her breath, her face turning purple. Madam Wang saw the situation and shouted: "Stop! You are going to strangle her to death... Fangchun! Fangchun!"

In the end, it was Shen Che who pulled her away, holding her in his arms and trying his best to comfort her: "Alright, alright... don't let that lowly life dirty your hands. Just let her live; I will deal with her."

The guards escorted the people out. Because the government office was some distance away and the end of the year was near, travel was inconvenient, so they were first locked in the Lulong Army prison, to be dealt with after the New Year.

The grand show concluded. Only then did Qingyuan let out a long breath. Remembering the guests in the front yard, she gave an "ah" and said to Shen Run, "Why did you come in too? Who is taking care of things in the front?"

Shen Run laughed: "I entered only after I saw the guests off. With Grandmother helping out, there was no breach of etiquette, don't worry."

"And those return gifts I prepared? Have they all been sent out?"

A look of pride appeared on Shen Run’s face. "I delivered them to those Madams one by one, and greeted them individually, lying that my wife was slightly indisposed and apologizing on your behalf."

Qingyuan was somewhat surprised. The Commander who once looked down on everyone had now learned to handle social situations with finesse; it was truly rare.

The old Chen couple waited until the front yard was tidied up before entering through the courtyard gate. Having missed the most exciting part, they did not know the state of affairs. Seeing Fangchun weeping bitterly, they quietly used their eyes to ask Qingyuan.

Qingyuan said, "The Yao mother and daughter have been escorted to prison; they will be dealt with after the New Year."

Old Madam Chen nodded. "This matter can be considered resolved, and we can spend the New Year without this heart sickness."

At this moment, Fangchun came over and said with red eyes, "Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, I was so muddled during this time, making you worry for me. Now that I think about it, I am truly ashamed. Listening to others' instigation, I stirred up such a chaotic mess at home..."

Shen Run said "hm." "It is good that you know you were wrong. A person must know how to cherish their blessings. You two were not involved in a blind marriage arranged by others; since you chose each other, how could you give up so easily!"

He took the opportunity to lecture her. Fangchun took the scolding and hung her head in shame, saying yes.

Qingyuan tugged on Shen Run’s sleeve and smiled at Fangchun: "If you don't witness it once, how can you know the wickedness of the human heart? Alright, it is all over now. Some things should be let go, so let them go."

Old Madam Chen smiled and agreed. "That is very true. From now on, just live your lives well. I have said before that countless people in all of Youzhou envy you; you just didn't take it to heart. Now that you have seen the truth with your own eyes, you should believe my words."

Indeed, across this capital, countless eyes were watching them. Their husbands were high-ranking officials at such a young age, with no parents-in-law to serve above and no concubines or illegitimate children to cause trouble below—what more could they ask for? Fangchun turned and walked up to Shen Che, lowering her head and muttering: "Chengbing, I am sorry. Not only did I fail to keep our child, but I also had to let you sell your looks to lure the enemy into the trap."

Shen Che’s smile stiffened slightly. He raised his hand and rapped her on the head. "As long as it can make you wake up, this little sacrifice is nothing. Not to mention selling my looks, even if it were selling my body, I would do it."

As a result, Fangchun shouted: "You have a high opinion of yourself!"

Such a storm had quietly played out in the backyard and quietly came to an end. Dealing with the Yao mother and daughter didn't take much effort; the trouble lay in the aftermath.

When Junior Magistrate Yao learned the news, he arrived at the Shen mansion without much delay. Knocking open the door, he stammered, "I request to see the Shen Commander and the Commandant. I beg you to pass on the word."

The gatekeeper looked him up and down. "Who are you? At this hour, our two masters have gone to sleep. If you have matters, please come again tomorrow."

Junior Magistrate Yao wouldn't hear of it. "I am Yao Shao, the Junior Magistrate of Xuanzhou. Because of my wife and daughter’s affairs, I have come specifically to seek an audience with the Palace Commander and the Commandant. Please, I beg you to pass on the word."

The gatekeeper naturally knew who he was, and the evasion was just to make things difficult for him. Of course, he still had to be polite, so he bowed low: "Oh, Junior Magistrate Yao, it is not that I do not want to pass the word for you, but it is truly too late in the night..."

Before the gatekeeper could finish, Yao Shao pushed him aside and barged in. But because the Commander's mansion was too large, he didn't know where to find anyone, so he had to shout as he walked: "Commander, Commander... Xuanzhou Junior Magistrate Yao Shao requests an audience. Please, Commander, grant me a glimpse of your golden face. Commander..."

The lights of the entire mansion lit up, quickly converging toward the front yard. His loud clamor finally brought out Shen Run.

Shen Run had known he would come and had not gone to sleep; on the contrary, he had been waiting for him. Breaking into the Commander's mansion without permission was another excuse. When he strolled slowly out of the hanging flower gate, this Junior Magistrate had indeed been surrounded by the patrolling palace guards.

Shen Run held up a lamp with one hand and stood before the steps. His fox-fur cloak covered most of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes that burned brightly, sharp as if they could see through a person’s heart. After clearly seeing the visitor’s face, he said, "Oh, I wondered who had the guts to break into my Commander's mansion at night. So it is Junior Magistrate Yao."

Yao Shao bowed repeatedly. "Commander, I have heard the whole process from the servants who accompanied them... Commander, it is my poor management of my household that allowed them to commit such a grave error. I beg the Commander to consider... consider that they are related to the Dong family, and spare them this once!"

"Related to the Dong family?" Shen Run frowned. "Originally, using the Dong family to plead for mercy would be the most effective, but unfortunately, it is the Dong family people they harmed. Does the Junior Magistrate not know?"

Yao Shao was speechless for a moment, but at this time, he could no longer care about saving face and bowed long and low repeatedly: "Commander... as long as the Commander opens a side path, I am willing to offer fifty thousand taels of silver as an apology. My daughter is young and ignorant, and my wife is too doting; that is how this heaven-shaking disaster was caused, leaving us at a dead end. Commander... Commander, you are now a man with a home and a family too; you know how hard it is to maintain a household. Women live in the inner quarters and have shallow knowledge, and I am too busy with official business to often question them... all in all, it is my sin. I beg the Commander to accommodate us."

However, the face under the fox fur was as cold as frost, and that cold sneer had no more warmth than a steel knife wiping away snow. "It seems that in the Junior Magistrate’s eyes, Shen Run is a man who sees only money, and even the lives of his closest kin can be traded for cash. But the Junior Magistrate said one thing correctly: Shen has a family now, and my temper has improved. If it were in the past, there would be no room for the Junior Magistrate to plead; I would have had people throw you out long ago." He looked at the sky; the night was as thick as ink, and his breath wove into a vast whiteness before his eyes. He said with a hint of disinterest, "It is getting late; the Junior Magistrate should go back. This matter cannot be settled just because someone comes to plead. After the New Year, when the trial takes place, according to the law, if they should be released, they will be released; if they should be jailed, they will be jailed. Shen will never wrong anyone for no reason."

"But... but..." Yao Shao stammered, "How are we supposed to pass this New Year!"

That was not his concern. He turned away listlessly and commanded as he walked: "Shousong, see the guest out!"

Shousong replied "yes," stepped forward and gestured: "Junior Magistrate, please."

Yao Shao was in a daze when he saw him walk a few steps and pause again. He tilted his head slightly, his high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes reflected under the lamp light. He lowered his eyes and said: "They are in the Lulong Army prison. Send someone to bring them some clothing; ladies from deep boudoirs probably aren't used to life in prison. On the other hand, in all this capital, only Junior Magistrate Yao’s family members are in jail for harming the wife of a high-ranking court official. You truly have started a precedent for the family members of officials of our dynasty to commit crimes—I am impressed, truly impressed!"

With this sarcastic mockery, he let out a cold laugh and headed to the inner courtyard, leaving Yao Shao to beat his chest and stomp his feet, crying to the heavens.

Qingyuan had already covered herself in bed, sitting among the quilts waiting for him to return. A handsome figure rose upon the lattice window and moved into the bedroom in an instant. She poked her neck out and asked: "Have you sent him away?"

Shen Run took off his outer garment and nimbly climbed into the quilt, muttering: "Sent him away... so busy today, and I still had to squeeze out time to deal with this bunch of fools. As if they are worth it!" As he said this, he glanced at her. "Why are you sitting up? Be careful of catching a cold; why haven't you laid down yet?"

Qingyuan hurriedly snuggled in. He reached out his arm, pulled her into his embrace, and murmured with his eyes closed: "Marrying a smart wife is a contribution to the present and a benefit for a thousand years. I won't have to worry about my inner quarters being unsettled in the future, and my children will definitely be kept in perfect order by you."

Qingyuan smiled with narrowed eyes: "What about you?"

He kissed her on the forehead and said with resignation: "I have also been kept in perfect order by you... listening to my wife will never be wrong."

Qingyuan was very satisfied. She wrapped her arms around him and patted his back gently: "I am relieved now. We can finally pass the New Year in peace.”