Chapter 558: Chapter 547: Or Is It That You and She Also Have an Ambiguous Relationship?
Mr. Xue was brimming with indignation but did not forget to respectfully kowtow to County Magistrate Liu.
"Since your honor is here, I would like you to make a ruling."
Those old, dated issues were thoroughly aired out, only then seeing the light of day.
Shen Zhi furrowed his brows, yet listened as the grievances were aired with significant resentment.
"Initially, Shen Wei was engaged to my distant cousin, but he turned around and married your mother instead, while the Xue Family’s child was unreasonably broken off from the engagement, becoming a laughingstock."
"I’ve met Mou Yan, the child, a few times. She’s wonderful in every way; whoever marries her would count themselves lucky. Is it necessary for her to fall into the Shen Family’s trap?"
"When I first learned of this, I truly pitied her and was consequently inclined to arrange her marriage to the nephew of my wife."
Such a suitable match!
At that time, Xue Mouyan’s parents were very grateful when they learned of this.
"She was willing, too!"
"But then Shen He Wen came by once, met with Mou Yan, and she changed her mind, adamantly refusing to consent to the marriage."
Instead, she went off with Shen He Wen!
At this point, his chest heaved with agitation.
"Am I not aware that she was coerced into submission, and that’s why she dared not resist?"
In his view, Shen He Wen was simply doing Shen Wei’s bidding.
Xue Mouyan’s demeanor, at a glance, was that of a gentle person, soft-spoken. How could she possibly be with Shen Wei just for money?
"Her parents were fools; they took the money and stopped caring about their daughter. But my surname is also Xue, how could I stand by and watch this happen!"
"Shen Wei broke the engagement and yet still wouldn’t leave her alone!"
He went through much difficulty to finally contact Xue Mouyan.
Promising to help her escape the peril and find a good family to marry into. That would certainly be better than becoming someone’s... someone’s concubine!
What a disgrace!
But Xue Mouyan only replied with a letter.
The lines merely stated that everyone has their own fate and that her uncle did not need to go through the trouble for her.
Shen Zhi had not found out about these elders’ matters. With limited time and capacity, he couldn’t uncover everything, especially since Shen Wei had deliberately spent money to have it all covered up.
At this moment, Shen Wei’s face showed a flicker of shock.
But was it these grievances and grudges that he cared about?
No.
Shen Zhi, no longer the image of his usual gentle composure, had a face that had sunk to the utmost solemnity.
"You have a grudge with Shen Wei, yet you don’t seek justice from him or dare to publicize it for the world to help you. It’s your incompetence, but you turn around and vent your anger and calculation on a little girl."
"Just for that alone, you do not deserve to stand here!"
Having said that, he sneered disdainfully.
"What standing does the Xue Family have? My little sister is in poor health, and if anything happens to her, I will never let you off!"
Besides, what wrong has Shen Hua done, from the beginning to the end?
Why should she suffer for Shen Wei’s misdeeds?
Shen Zhi, a reader of saintly books, was fuming with rage and for the first time, spoke harshly.
"The ’good niece’ you speak of, Xue Mou Yan, has been willingly debased as a lowly concubine for years. What sort of quality goods can she be?"
This affair, which clearly victimized Mama, turns laughable when coming from Xue Dan’s mouth, as if Xue Mou Yan was the one aggrieved.
Mr. Xue’s hands trembled with anger.
"Mou Yan was forced by your Shen Family!"
"All these years, and she couldn’t even secure the status of a concubine!"
Shen Zhi’s attitude was cold and firm: "It’s utterly ridiculous, even her parents did not express a tinge of sorrow; you, a distant cousin several generations removed, why all this unnecessary fuss?"
Saying so, he glanced at Xue Dan.
"Or are you implying there’s more between you and her than meets the eye?"
"How dare you!" Xue Dan rebuked.
Cui Yun set down his teacup forcefully, startling himself so that the tea inside trembled violently.
County Magistrate, just a moment ago stunned by the sordid Shen Family affairs, was suddenly brought back to reality. The young man used a handkerchief to wipe the splashes on the embroidered edge.
"That outburst,"
he said languidly, "truly gave me a fright."
County Magistrate Liu hurriedly said, "Your esteemed daughter must not be subjected to such fright."
Shen Zhi: ...
So why is County Magistrate Liu so obsequious to his Brother Cui?
Cui Yun strode over, pulled Shen Zhi to his feet, and then from Shen Zhi’s former place, he looked down upon Mr. Xue.
"Let me ask you, what about the background of your brother-in-law’s nephew?"
Mr. Xue, intimidated by Cui Yun, candidly replied, "Although his family is poor, he is a boy with prospects."
"Previously, Mou Yan also went to see him willingly! If not for what happened afterward—"
Shen Zhi laughed when he heard this.
"Once she saw him, she was no longer willing."
"Hasn’t come to her senses yet?"
"You regard her as a junior, yet she treats you like a fool and doesn’t realize it, perhaps even bearing grudges against you, for choosing a man from a family with nothing to his name."
Cui Yun snorted with laughter, "She’s greedy for wealth and luxury while you stand here indignant, self-righteous, and thinking you’re fighting injustice, yet she dreams of being a rich lady."
"Impossible!"
Mr. Xue’s eyes turned red with anxiety.
Cui Yun said, "Though it’s not appropriate for me to lose my sense of propriety and interfere too much with matters of the Shen Family, as Shen Zhi is a close friend, I must see to this matter."
Shen Zhi felt deeply touched.
Cui Yun spoke indifferently, "Quarrels among girls are their own affairs. You can counsel, but you should not meddle excessively."
"Why should the child suffer innocently? Regardless, she is obedient before the old man, and you say that Shen Hua is disrespectful to you, but have you ever treated her well? Why should she respect you, merely because you’re not as good at painting as she is?"
Cui Yun chuckled softly, "These days, it seems anyone can become a teacher."
"It seems I must speak with the Grand Commandant when I return to Shengjing. If supervision here is inadequate, it would be better to close the academy sooner rather than to continue leading students astray."
"That must not be done, it really must not be done."
County Magistrate Liu panicked.
It’s not worth mentioning that Mr. Xue left the academy dejectedly, but the closing of the academy would be a significant matter.
Seeing Mr. Cui slumped on the ground, deeply shocked, Cui Yun’s brows twitched slightly, and he glanced at Shen Zhi.
Shen Zhi’s heart trembled fiercely.
Indeed, it was time for all this to end.
Taking this incident as the opening move, it was better to expose the evil deeds of Shen Wei one by one than to rashly beat the government office’s drum for justice.
The public is ignorant; filial piety is regarded as more important than anything else.
Shen Zhi was prepared to personally expose Shen Wei’s ugly nature, yet such actions would undoubtedly lead people to criticize him for being heartless and callous. For not showing mercy and insisting on driving Shen Wei to his doom.
Even if he was justified, even if Shen Wei had wronged Yangyang, it was still wrong.
Carrying the burden of being reviled, it would be minor to no longer have a career in civil service, but implicating his mother and Yangyang would be a major concern.
This was indeed an excellent opportunity presented to him.
He heard himself asking,
"If you don’t believe it, why not settle it in court?"
"To be honest, since Xue Mouyan has angered Shen Wei, I fear for her life. As her uncle, you should be more concerned."
Who would not cover up for their father and instead make a big fuss about it?
Yet Mr. Xue hesitated.
With an air of nonchalance and good temper, Cui Yun said, "I will take his place."
"Let’s set it for tomorrow, so Mr. Xue has time to think about what he should and shouldn’t say in front of others."
"Having passed the examination, you should be astute, County Magistrate, don’t you think?"
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Liu suppressed the turmoil within him and cooperated, "Yes."
After finally sending Cui Yun off, County Magistrate Liu closed the door with a shudder, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and paid close attention, fearing that Mr. Xue would cause trouble.
"Sir, what do you think they are planning to do?"
How would County Magistrate Liu know!
"That’s not for you to ask."
"You have no choice! Whatever they say, keep it to yourself and just follow it!"
"Tomorrow, you will go to the government office and beat the drum, make some noise, and file a complaint against Shen Wei! Do you understand?"
