Chapter 470: Bound to the Child-Bearing System and Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 471: The Rise of a Bystander (39)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

The Yulin Guard's reputation hasn't been good lately, and it has even become a byword for running dogs.

After a busy day, Shen Zhanghe returned home; as soon as he entered the doorway, he saw his wife Cheng Shi pacing back and forth in the courtyard, extremely uneasy.

"Husband."

Cheng Shi ran over, grabbing Shen Zhanghe's sleeve, her eyes nervous as she said, "This morning, the Cheng Family sent word saying my mother has been ill for some time, and they don't know if I may return to the Cheng Family to see her?"

Shen Zhanghe made an "oh" sound upon hearing this. "Your mother is ill? I saw your father looking normal, and he didn't mention any of this."

The Yulin Guard and court officials still have opportunities to meet, let alone the fact that Shen Zhanghe is no low-ranking soldier.

General Cheng goes to court every day with a rosy complexion and a voice like a bell, showing no sign that anything has happened at home.

Shen Zhanghe glanced hesitantly at the evasive Cheng Shi, becoming increasingly convinced that something was amiss.

"Husband, perhaps Father doesn't want you and me to worry," Cheng Shi racked her brains for an excuse to gloss over it. "Before today, I didn't know my mother was ill either, but since the Cheng Family has already sent the news, I truly cannot set my mind at ease, so, so..."

Cheng Shi opened her mouth, but the words that followed were simply too difficult to say.

Shen Zhanghe immediately shook off the sleeve Cheng Shi was clutching. "Husband and wife shouldn't be so hesitant with each other."

"Cheng Shi, if you have something to say, just say it," he added. "Is there really some unspeakable difficulty here?"

Cheng Shi:...

To be honest, there really were some things hard to bring up. Cheng Shi finally sighed, pulling Shen Zhanghe toward a study on one side of the courtyard.

Shen Zhanghe:... Huh?

Cheng Shi pursed her lips, ordered the servants in the courtyard not to gossip, then pushed open the door and pulled Shen Zhanghe to sit on the bedchamber's couch.

"Cheng Shi, do you agree to this?" Shen Zhanghe felt somewhat displeased, especially that the other party had acted on her own without a word.

Cheng Shi said nothing, but ran to the door to check, and only after confirming no one else was eavesdropping did she pat her chest and walk over. "Husband, it was I who deceived you. But my mother's family is the Yuan Family, and the Yuan Family has a matter at hand. As juniors, we cannot ignore it."

Shen Zhanghe:...?!?!

Shen Zhanghe raised a hand to interrupt Cheng Shi, carefully sorting out the core of the matter, then exclaimed in shock, "The Yuan Family?"

So they weren't talking about the Cheng Family, but the Yuan Family? What on earth had the Yuan Family done?!

Cheng Shi shrank her neck, no longer as cautious as she had been outside the door. After all, being from a military family, her nature was more resilient than that of ordinary women. "The Yuan Family has used the Shen Family's name to do things that violate the laws of Yu Guo."

"After hearing this, Mother only wanted to save the Yuan Family. Father and Eldest Brother are not at the mansion, and Eldest Sister-in-law cannot make the decision, so Mother had me find an opportunity to send a letter to the Cheng Family."

Cheng Shi was naturally unwilling to drag her own natal family into trouble for her mother-in-law's maiden family, and she had been hesitating and dragging her feet. She only chose today because Lady Shen had urged her too much; otherwise, Cheng Shi would never have put on this act.

Shen Zhanghe:...!!!

Shen Zhanghe covered his head with one hand. "No need to go. The Yuan Family's business cannot be meddled with."

Trash! Trash trash trash!

Shen Zhanghe really wanted to send the Yuan Family away from Jingcheng. They were dog-things that only knew how to drag others down. Just how much soul-bewitching soup had the Yuan Family fed his mother?

"Father and Eldest Brother are not in Jingcheng, and Eldest Sister-in-law is pregnant, so she certainly won't participate."

"You're also foolish. Don't you even know to learn from Eldest Sister-in-law?" Usually she seemed quite clever, so why was her brain not working on this matter?

After hearing this, Cheng Shi lowered her head with a wronged expression, thinking to herself: Don't I want to? It's just that Lady Shen thinks she's easy to bully.

If she dared to offend Eldest Sister-in-law, she could immediately call a doctor to tend to the fetus on the pretext of a bellyache.

It was hateful that since giving birth to Qing'er, she had not been able to conceive again; otherwise, she could also pretend to feel unwell.

Seeing his wife so wronged, Shen Zhanghe unconsciously softened his voice to comfort her. "This matter is my fault. As for Mother's side, there's no need to worry about it."

Cheng Shi looked up, nervously twisting a handkerchief in her hands. "What if Mother asks about it?"

Shen Zhanghe was away from home, and as a daughter-in-law, Cheng Shi naturally had to go there daily to pay her respects. Her identity was naturally weaker, and sometimes, Cheng Shi had to swallow her anger.

Shen Zhanghe snorted softly upon hearing this. "She won't ask, because the Yuan Family cannot escape."

"The Emperor himself has ordered their arrest and return for trial, with severe punishment and no leniency. Who dares to practice favoritism and let them off lightly?"

To openly sing a different tune from the Emperor—no matter how big one's gall, it wouldn't be enough.

Shen Zhanghe patted his own sleeve. "I've been coming back late these past few days precisely because the Yulin Guard has been busy."

"Rather than worrying about how the Yuan Family will fare, you should think carefully about whether the Shen Family can remain unscathed in this turmoil."

"The Emperor has issued a death order; even asking the Empresses won't help," he added. "Let alone the Cheng Family."

Everyone knows what status military officials hold in Yu Guo. Even if the Shen Family has been rising steadily in recent years, it is because of the Empresses and the Little Prince in the palace.

"If it were someone else, do you think the Emperor would be willing to hand over military power? A special case does not represent the general rule. Otherwise, there wouldn't be court officials eyeing the Shen Family with jealousy, filing joint accusations, and leading to one incident after another being constantly expanded, yet never able to be concluded."

As Cheng Shi's heart was lifted by Shen Zhanghe's words, it also sank heavily.

No matter what, this batch of her mother-in-law could finally be glossed over. As for whether the Shen Family was safe, with the Empresses and the Little Prince in the palace, even if the Emperor didn't give face to the monk, he would give face to the Buddha. He would absolutely not let the Shen Family take the blame.

"And what about the Yuan Family? Are we really not caring? But the Host's birth mother's maiden family is the Yuan Family."

The system spoke strangely, causing Shen Yao to roll her eyes to the heavens.

"Sarcastic at me? The Shen Family would never go to Furong Palace to plead for the Yuan Family. This time, the Emperor will only handle it impartially, putting on a show for others to see."

As for the Yuan Family's fate, they could only wait for the result of the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices.

If their courage was small, their greed not great, and their involvement not deep, it would be nothing more than a reprimand and a demotion. But if their courage was huge and they had truly done things that angered both gods and men, then being reduced to commoners and exiled to the border, or even beheading and extermination of the clan, were all possible.

Who made it so that feudal society did not forbid the death penalty, and the laws of Yu Guo were even more severe to an excessive degree?

Over these years, Yu Guo had indeed seen various signs of chaos from top to bottom, but its foundation was thick and durable, at least not worrying about being ruined completely.

This matter could be considered running into the muzzle of a gun. The Emperor wanted to establish his might and intimidate, while Shen Yao wanted to sever the harm of the princes' external relatives in advance, building a persona for herself and Yu Cheng. Since both parties' ultimate goals were consistent, the current situation arose.

Lying on the couch and turning over, Shen Yao moved her wrist that had gone numb, telling the system to pay more attention to the situation in Qianqing Palace if it had nothing else to do.

The System was puzzled. "What's there to see in Qianqing Palace?"

"Naturally, I need to investigate the timing of the Empress investiture for myself," Shen Yao raised her hand, examining her nails dyed rouge-red against the light at her side. "He Meiren made a fuss for nearly a month, and His Majesty spoke up to promote her rank to soothe her. There's no difference between me and He Meiren; there's no reason I alone would be left aside and ignored."

System:...

The System spoke no more, obviously having already gone off to Qianqing Palace to wait for news.

Shen Yao's expression remained calm as she continued examining her nails in the light.

One must admit, this color appeared especially beautiful and delicate in the sunlight, perfectly matching her current mood.

Li Guiquan led the Three Judicial Offices officials in arresting people one by one into the prison based on the evidence they uncovered. The Yulin Guard went out early and returned late every day, throwing the entire Jingcheng into panic.

His Majesty spent most of his time in Qianqing Palace, a small portion in Furong Palace resting, and his companionship with Shen Yao grew increasingly gentle and kindly, very much like the feeling when Shen Yao first entered the palace.

However, Shen Yao knew these were all merely appearances; in reality, His Majesty had never managed to stop the killing.

The various Wang Fu relatives still counted as having some blood connection, so they kept their lives.

Other court officials weren't so lucky — evidence was ironclad yet they still wanted to deny it? They might as well go face Yu Guo's ancestral forefathers and repent.

Outside the palace, the two great vegetable markets beheaded people daily at noon, heads rolling, the bloody qi permeating the surroundings for several li, stimulating many commoners into moving away to avoid it.

The System simply took up the daily routine of running between Furong Palace and Qianqing Palace — today sighing at His Majesty's ruthless hand, tomorrow cursing those people's wickedness, the day after rejoicing that its own side didn't provoke trouble... simply busier than Shen Yao this Host.

But in the end, the System still heard His Majesty's compensation for the Host.

It really was the Empress investiture edict!

"The first day of next month."

The System returned excitedly with the accurate date, only to see the Host not showing the slightest bit of excited emotion.

Huh?

"The second day of next month is His Majesty's birthday," seemingly clashing with the festival season; every time something happened it was during this festival period, and this time was no exception.

The System belatedly replied "Oh right" — back then the Host gave birth at year-end, and now the Host miscarried also at year-end.

"The Border situation is settled overall; Father and Eldest Young Master should also depart for the capital as soon as possible."

His Majesty choosing this moment to issue the Empress investiture edict probably also carries the meaning of a reward.

"Host not happy?" the System asked.

Shen Yao propped her chin and looked out the window. "Happy. An expected result." The joy that could well up was only that much.

She called out Xiao Ji loudly, Shen Yao got up and asked if anything had happened in the Huang Hou today.

Xiao Ji shook her head. "Aside from a few Consorts implicated by their families, everyone else is very peaceful."

Huang Hou favor can influence the Front Court; Front Court incidents also implicate the Huang Hou.

These years His Majesty's Imperial Selection has never stopped; to put it unpleasantly, among them quite a few are hostages sent in by their clans — they can't scrape any benefit inside the palace, and when trouble happens outside they have to follow along and suffer bad luck together.

Shen Yao suddenly remembered the Consorts who had come running to Furong Palace crying their grievances a few days ago; His Majesty's arrangement was to send them to the Cold Palace, leaving them to fend for themselves.

"Have those Consorts left? Have people watch them, to prevent them from colluding with the outside, giving us extra trouble."

Don't blame Shen Yao for being ruthless; Shen Yao could never open her mouth to beg His Majesty to keep them.

Although everyone is a bitter gourd in the garden, the responsibilities on their shoulders differ in weight.

If Consorts with exterminated clans harbor thoughts of revenge, would Shen Yao have to keep guarding against them forever?

Not to mention the groundless increase in workload; just speaking of the clan grudges among Huang Hou Consorts — at that point you stab me with a knife, I punch you with a fist, wouldn't that be a mess?

"Master rest assured, those people have already gone to the Cold Palace; this servant already arranged the Cold Palace manpower long ago, absolutely won't let them have the slightest entanglement with the outside."