Chapter 44: I originally intended to direct my heart toward the bright moon

"Playing around is quite flashy!"

After Shen Shen learned that Li Yifu still kept a concubine, he truly felt deeply moved.

Their Shen family is so prosperous, yet he, the head of the Shen family, doesn't even keep a concubine!

"Father, should we tell grandmother about this?"

"We must say it!"

Since Shen Shen knows what his uncle is scheming, he certainly cannot let him have his way. Moreover, he does not want to fall out again with his birth mother, Lady Li, so he can only gradually give Li Yifu eye drops in Lady Li's presence.

"But we cannot say it directly!"

"This way, you let the servants talk privately, and let your grandmother accidentally hear it!"

For such a matter, if Shen Shen directly told Lady Li, she might instead think he dislikes his own uncle.

So, we need to be careful about the method.

Experience brings wisdom.

Nowadays, Shen Shen has truly made great progress.

If Lady Li were to know this, I don't know whether she should be happy or worried.

The son is becoming more and more capable, which is a cause for joy.

But once the son becomes capable, the old mother's authority at home is gone—how could she possibly be happy?

Shen Zhengqiao received Shen Shen's pointers and immediately understood how to carry this out.

Then, that afternoon, Lady Li received the news.

These words first reached Wang Mama's ears; Wang Mama then found an excuse to accompany the old lady to stroll in the small flower garden, and then she inadvertently overheard the maids' gossip.

"No, this is impossible!"

Returning to Wenxi Hall, Lady Li still could not believe that her brother, at his age, still kept a concubine.

Moreover, the Li family has already become like this!

"Wang Mama, go call him over; I want to question him!"

Lady Li intended to find Li Yifu to ask for clarification.

Wang Mama hurriedly stopped her, whispering, "Miss, you cannot!"

"The Eldest Young Master will certainly not admit it."

"Furthermore, for such a matter, who would admit it unless caught red-handed?"

Keeping a concubine is different from taking a concubine.

When taking a concubine, that woman is under the principal wife's nose, her contract held by the principal wife, who can deal with her however she wishes.

But an outside concubine is a registered commoner, a respectable person.

Unless caught red-handed, otherwise they can simply deny it outright—what can you do?

Moreover, Lady Li is merely Li Yifu's married elder sister; what authority does she have to interfere in his affairs?

"Miss, the old servant is going to say something you don't want to hear!"

"This Eldest Young Master hasn't changed at all from before; he's still the same."

"In front of you, he acts one way; behind your back, he acts another."

"This time he came, he must have planned it long ago!"

Starting from the idea of marrying a Li family daughter to the Eldest Young Master, it's been a series of pits; if it weren't for some estrangement between you, the Seventh Miss, and the Third Lady, you would have already fallen into the pit the Eldest Young Master dug for you!

Wang Mama is truly ruthless!

Strike at the vital point.

She previously said nothing, but now that she has seized the opportunity, she is determined to thoroughly ruin Li Yifu.

Although Lady Li is old, she is not muddle-headed.

Previously, due to the outbreak of sibling affection after many years, and with Li Yifu speaking on her behalf, Lady Li's impression of Li Yifu was better than ever before.

Under such circumstances, whoever says her brother is bad simply cannot bear to see them on good terms.

But now, Li Yifu's previously good image collapses in an instant, and Lady Li will naturally re-evaluate his actions.

And these matters truly cannot withstand scrutiny.

Lady Li remained silent for a long time, then suddenly looked at Wang Mama and said, "Wang Mama, did you long ago see through that scoundrel's ill intentions?"

Wang Mama naturally would not admit it.

"Miss, the old servant does not have such ability."

If it weren't for the Eldest Young Master's affair being exposed by his personal attendant, the old servant would never have imagined that the Eldest Young Master had been acting all along!

After hearing Wang Mama say that, Lady Li finally felt somewhat relieved.

She let out a long sigh, exhaled deeply, and said, "Indeed, who could have imagined?"

"I thought he really had changed from before!"

"I never expected this scoundrel to become ever better at pretending!"

"Ah, it's just that I've grown old, my heart has softened, and I can't bear to see sad things."

Lady Li realized she had almost been used as a knife by her own brother, Li Yifu, and her feelings of loss and sorrow are indescribable.

I intended to direct my heart toward the bright moon, but who knew the bright moon was just a ditch!

"Wang Mama, go give the order, just say my body caught a chill at night, I'm feeling somewhat unwell, I need to rest these few days!"

"Right, don't forget to summon a physician!"

Feeling deceived, Lady Li does not want to see that scheming brother of hers again, and she is too lazy to involve herself in his underhanded schemes.

As Wang Mama conveyed Lady Li's instructions, Shen Shen's face showed a lighthearted expression.

"Mother, please forgive your unfilial son!"

Having guessed that Li Shi must have suffered a blow and feeling uneasy inside, Shen Shen also felt somewhat sorry toward her; as a son, scheming against his own mother like this truly is unfilial.

But he is not only Li Shi's son; he is also the head of the Shen Family and the great-uncle of Shen Yunyao.

Both the palm and the back of the hand are people!

He must consider the long-term interests of the Shen Family.

If the Shen Family prospers, that is the greatest filial piety toward one's ancestors.

Before great filial duty, being dutiful to one's mother is minor filial duty and must take a back seat.

……

After Shen Yunyao heard from Cuiyu that Li Shi of Wenxi Hall had caught a chill and needed rest, she realized this was a move by her great-uncle.

Although she didn't know exactly how the other party did it, it was obvious that Li Shi did not take the lead this time.

"Cuiyu, guess what this uncle of the Shen Family will do upon hearing this news?"

"He will definitely go to visit her!"

Cuiyu didn't even think about it.

Li Shi is ill; although she needs rest, Li Yifu, being her younger brother, certainly ought to go see her—that is proper etiquette.

"I don't think so!"

Shen Yunyao smiled and said, "I guess this uncle will most likely go settle accounts with my great-uncle!"

"Why?"

Cuiyu said that made no sense.

The old lady caught a chill herself—what does that have to do with the great master?

"It's naturally because this uncle wants to pin the charge of unfiliality on my great-uncle."

Only by pinning that charge can they coerce Shen Shen into agreeing to his demands.

Of course, if Li Yifu still harbored some affection for his sibling bond with Li Shi, he might not go to Shen Shen but instead go to visit her.

"Miss, I still think this uncle will go to visit the old lady!"

"That is the most basic etiquette!"

"He wouldn't neglect even that, would he?"

"What you say follows common sense, but the problem is, this uncle of ours has no common sense in his mind."

How could someone who lacks ambition and only hopes to live off others possibly reason by common sense?

Shen Yunyao was almost certain that this uncle would only think about how to profit more for himself through this matter.

(End of chapter)