Chapter 43: A Pretentious Performance

She wept softly, her tears falling from her cheeks onto the straw mat.

"It's just that Grandmother loved Ah Yuan so dearly. Now that she has passed away, Ah Yuan is incapable of repaying her kindness, and can only prove her filial devotion with her death, letting our ancestors bear witness!"

As the final syllable faded, Shen Yuan stood up from the mat, her eyes reddened, and bowed deeply toward the spirit tablets lined up in the hall.

The next second, she rose slowly and hurled herself fiercely toward a nearby pillar!

"Ah Yuan, no!"

Fortunately, Shen Lang appeared in time and intercepted her, averting a tragedy!

Liu Yan also scrambled forward, tightly embracing Shen Yuan in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, "Young Miss, why are you so foolish? Even if the Madam condones the young master bullying you, you must never treat your life as a trifling matter! If you were gone, how could this servant go on living?"

Her cries echoed clearly through the ancestral hall, and she furtively wiped the corners of her eyes, arousing the pity of everyone present.

"I have been away from the estate for barely half a day. What on earth has happened?"

On the steps outside the ancestral hall, Shen Yong walked in slowly, visibly displeased at the noisy commotion within.

Shen Lang was the first to help Shen Yuan to her feet, gritting his teeth as he whispered, "What little scheme are you playing at? I refuse to believe you were actually trying to seek death!"

"I merely wanted to seek a measure of justice for myself," she replied softly.

Whether it was Ah Yu or Lvluo, they both deserved to be taught a lesson.

Shen Lang's lips moved as if he wanted to say more, but he checked himself, constrained by the presence of onlookers.

Because of Grandmother's passing, he seemed to harbor a shred of belief in Shen Yuan, and subconsciously refrained from doing anything that would pit him against her.

Shen Yong swept a cold gaze across the ancestral hall before fixing his eyes on Shen Yuan, asking once more, "Explain yourself. What happened that drove you to such desperate lengths?"

Breaking free from Shen Lang's embrace, Shen Yuan dropped to her knees before Shen Yong, tears streaming down her face as she choked out, "Father, you do not know. When your daughter returned from outside the estate, Lvluo splashed a full wooden basin of cold water straight into my face! In such bitter weather, this was nothing less than an attempt on your daughter's life! When I questioned her, Lvluo insisted repeatedly that she acted under Ah Yu's instructions... Ah Yu is young and easily manipulated, and as his elder sister, I should not blame him, but I simply cannot bear to watch him take pleasure in bullying others. What if he strays onto the wrong path and brings disaster upon the Shen family in the future?"

Kneeling on the ground, Shen Yuan's shoulders trembled with sobs, lending her a fragile air as she continued through shimmering tears, "Therefore, your daughter took it upon herself to punish Ah Yu with a ruler. Yet at that moment, Mother rushed over and declared that I am an outsider, with no qualification to punish Ah Yu! And with Wanning protecting Lvluo, your daughter could not punish her in the least either! But I do not understand—if I am indeed an outsider, why has Father not rescinded my surname? At least then the Shen estate would be rid of a scourge like me..."

She breathed heavily and hoarsely, her eyes red-rimmed. Unable to bear it any longer, Shen Lang offered her a gentle stabilizing hand.

Shen Wanning's eyes flickered. She had never imagined that the tears she wielded so skillfully could also become a soft, yet devastating weapon in Shen Yuan's hands.

She heard Madam Chen hastily explain, "Ah Yuan, how can you utter such nonsense? When did I ever say you were an outsider? Stop twisting words and stirring up trouble before your father!"

Shen Yuan asked, her voice choked, "Then as Ah Yu's elder sister, why did Mother say I had no right to discipline him? Why did she say I was not qualified?"

"I—"

"It would be one thing if Ah Yu were merely my younger brother, but even a maidservant like Lvluo dares to humiliate me to this extent. How am I supposed to hold my head high in the Shen estate from now on?" Shen Yuan wiped the tears from her cheeks, her heart as dead as ash.

Having listened to the entire account, Shen Yong's eyelids twitched violently. Taking a deep breath, he ordered Shen Lang to summon Ah Yu to the ancestral hall immediately.

How many years had he spent in the imperial court? How could he fail to see through Shen Yuan's little tricks?

It was nothing more than a bid for him to step in and champion her cause!

What about removing her name from the genealogy? What about seeking death? It was all pretense!

Shen Yong had no desire to play along with Shen Yuan, but with the marriage alliance with the Pei family looming ahead, what would become of the Shen family if Shen Yuan kept deliberately stirring up trouble?

Before long, Ah Yu was brought into the ancestral hall.

Upon stepping inside, he sensed that the atmosphere was severely amiss.

Sure enough, a stern reprimand from Shen Yong frightened him into dropping immediately to his knees: "I hear Ah Yu instructed a maidservant to bully her? Is this true?"

Daring not to raise his head, Ah Yu explained with trembling fear, "Father, it was only because I couldn't bear to see Fourth Sister feeling sad..."

"You need only answer yes or no!" Shen Yong struck the incense table, making the offerings in the hall tremble thrice.

"…… Yes." Ah Yu shivered.

Madam Chen stepped forward hurriedly to shield him behind her, pleading softly, "Master! Ah Yu is young and doesn't know any better; why are you losing your temper over him? If you make yourself ill with anger, what will become of our entire household?"

In truth, what she wanted to say was: For the sake of a mere Shen Yuan, why punish Ah Yu?

Yet with everyone's emotions running high, speaking thus would only make the deadlock worse.

With a dark expression, Shen Yong said in a severe tone, "Ah Yu is not wrong. Though young, Ah Yu has already learned to direct servants in malicious acts. When he grows older, will he not be easily manipulated and ruin the reputation of the Shen family? Since he showed disrespect to Ah Yuan first, according to the rules, he deserves to be punished!"

"Master!" Madam Chen's eyes instantly reddened. Ah Yu had been sensible since childhood and had never suffered any grievances. It was not enough that he had already endured so many strikes from Shen Yuan's ruler today—what further punishment could there be?

"Father! Ah Yu felt that Elder Sister stole my marriage proposal, so he was standing up for me! Since this matter originated because of me, let me take the punishment in Ah Yu's stead!" Shen Wanning's voice rang out with crystal clarity in the ancestral hall. The moment her words fell, a look of hesitation immediately surfaced on Shen Yong's face.

When all was said and done, he had no genuine intention of fighting Shen Yuan's battles. Ah Yu was a boy, so enduring some physical chastisement was of little consequence, but he had not expected Wanning to become embroiled in this?

She was the precious daughter he had managed to recover after losing; how could he allow that?

Sensing Shen Yong's hesitation, Shen Yuan pulled away from Shen Lang's embrace, approached Shen Wanning, and affectionately grasped both her hands. With reddened eye corners, she spoke with utmost sincerity, "Good younger sister, you have done nothing wrong. How could I bear to let you step forward and take the blame? I merely loathe that you raised such a pig-brained Lvluo who dared to commit insubordination! She incited Ah Yu into bullying me, and cast aspersions on your reputation for poor supervision as well. Were it not for her, how could a wedge have been driven between us sisters?"

"Fourth Young Miss, this servant did not..."

Lvluo, who had just survived a brush with death, had not yet recovered from her panic when Shen Yuan singled her out by name—clearly intending to make an example of her!

Faced with this sudden, uninvited display of intimacy, Shen Wanning felt profoundly uncomfortable.

Yet before her father, she dared not show too much revulsion, lest it contradict the persona she usually maintained!

"Since this maidservant caused the calamity, why doesn't Father simply punish her directly?" Shen Lang finally could not help speaking up.

Lvluo was too terrified to raise her head.

Fretting over a way to bring this farce to an end, Shen Yong immediately declared, "Men! Give Lvluo thirty blows with the heavy staff and throw her out of the estate!"