RWNEFE -Chapter 83 The Shen Family Witnesses the Punishment!

After listening to the maid’s explanation, a flash of heartache passed through Zhou Qiwu’s eyes, but it was quickly overwhelmed by hatred.

“It’s all because of Zhou Xinrou and her daughter! If not for Zhou Xinrou, I wouldn’t have been thrown into such a barbaric place. And if not for Shen Lanxi, you—my daughter—wouldn’t be without a title, nor would you have been forced to marry beneath you, to a mere peddler. Everything is because of them!”

The hatred in Zhou Qiwu’s eyes surged like a raging tide. She patted her daughter’s shoulder and gently comforted her.

“Yi’er, the Liu family is a prominent clan in Jinmen. We can’t fall out with them yet. Bear it for now. Find an opportunity to deal with that kept woman and the illegitimate child—do not let that slut ruin your relationship with Cheng’en!”

Wang Xiangyi was seething inside. Every time, her mother told her to endure. She was the daughter of a princess—who did Liu Cheng’en think he was? By doing this, he was humiliating the entire Princess’s residence!

“I understand, Mother.”

Zhou Qiwu continued coldly, “The Liu family controls the Jinmen naval forces. Each year, more than half of the taxes they submit to the court come from maritime trade. Do you understand why Mother is saying this?” Her chilling gaze pressed down on her daughter.

Wang Xiangyi quickly put on an obedient expression and nodded.

“Mother, I understand. I understand everything. It doesn’t matter how many women Liu Cheng’en keeps, openly or secretly—but he cannot cause children to be born. Once word gets out, our Princess’s residence will lose face!”

Watching her daughter, Zhou Qiwu sighed inwardly. This daughter was sharp-minded and decisive, just like herself—if only she were a son.

The estate physicians and the doctors summoned from outside had all examined Wang Xiangrong. Their diagnoses were identical.

“There’s no serious problem—then why hasn’t my son woken up yet?” Zhou Qiwu slammed the table hard, her face dark with rage.

“If anything happens to my son, all of you—and your families—will be buried with him!”

The doctors were so frightened they immediately knelt and begged for mercy. Even under such threats, they dared not reveal the full diagnosis. They knew that staying silent gave them a chance to live; once they spoke, they would face the Third Princess’s wrath head-on.

Thinking of the Third Princess’s brutal methods, every one of them shuddered in fear.

“Princess, if you wish the young master to awaken sooner, we can administer acupuncture immediately.”

“The young master is clearly depleted of vital essence—overexerted. The best remedy is more sleep, more rest, fewer worries, and abstinence.”

“Princess, we are willing to guarantee with our lives that the young master is in no mortal danger!”

Hearing them all swear with their lives, Zhou Qiwu’s anger gradually subsided.

“If he were to wake up now, what would happen?”

One of the doctors immediately replied in fear, “He would suffer weakness in the waist and knees, soreness in the limbs, and possibly persistent headaches. The young master should remain bedridden for a year or two. During this time, he must absolutely abstain from sexual activity!”

Zhou Qiwu clenched her teeth. Her son had been drained dry by those little sluts—each one dressed up every day like flowers, knowing only how to cling to men and act shamelessly.

“All the concubines and bed servants by the young master’s side—give them fifty lashes and sell them off. All the maids—send them to the estates for hard labor. Replace everyone serving in his quarters with male servants!”

“Yes!”

Fifty lashes were more than most grown men could endure—let alone women. The Third Princess clearly intended to take those women’s lives.

Zhou Qiwu turned to the doctors kneeling on the floor. “You will stay here and keep watch. You may leave only when the young master is completely out of danger!”

“Yes!”

Standing to the side, Wang Xiangyi quietly let out a breath of relief.

“Mother, should we inform Father about my brother’s condition?”

Zhou Qiwu’s eyes turned cold at the mention of Wang Mingru. The Wang family had been entrenched in Jinmen for a century. Back then, when she was already past her prime and saw no hope in an imperial-arranged marriage, unwilling to marry some useless drunkard, she had set her sights on the locally prestigious Wang family.

Who would have thought the Wang family would be so ungrateful? Fortunately, through careful scheming, the marriage was eventually secured.

Never did she expect that Wang Mingru, resentful that she had ruined his official career, would live separately even after marriage.

If this were the capital, would the Wang family dare to humiliate her like this?

It was all Zhou Xinrou’s fault—she stole the honor that should have been hers. Fortunately, now she had fallen into her hands.

The Dungeon

The palace guards were carrying out punishments on the dungeon prisoners, forcing the Shen family to watch.

If any member of the Shen family closed their eyes in fear, they would be whipped.

The whips were barbed. After Shen Yuantang took a lash, he passed out, was splashed awake with salt water, and—overwhelmed by pain and terror—dared not faint again. Gritting his teeth, he forced his eyes wide open.

Seeing Shen Yuantang’s fate, the rest of the Shen family, even if they couldn’t bear it, didn’t dare look away. They could only watch as the guards carried out the tortures.

Whipping, burning, branding—one after another. When one prisoner could no longer endure it, another was dragged up.

In just half a day, every member of the Shen family was deathly pale. When they were finally returned to their cell, they could no longer hold it in and vomited uncontrollably.

It was too horrifying. Those who carried out the punishments didn’t treat people as people at all. Even animals would be granted a swift death—but these guards’ cold eyes regarded human beings as lower than cattle, sheep, pigs, or dogs.

“Wuwuwu… they’re not human. Father, Mother, I don’t want to die…” Shen Yuantang’s face was ghostly pale, his eyes filled with terror as he babbled deliriously, drenched in cold sweat.

“Yuantang, endure a little longer. Big Brother will come save us!”

Shen Yuantang suddenly screamed hysterically, “No, he won’t—she won’t! If she really cared whether we lived or died, she wouldn’t… wuwuwu—”

Shen Yuanxin clamped a hand tightly over Shen Yuantang’s mouth.

Idiot—how could he say such things out loud?!

A sharp glint flashed in Shen Yuanjing’s eyes, and he immediately understood why Yuanxin reacted that way.

“Father, it must be the Third Princess who harmed our Shen family. The theft of the Wei Army’s provisions must be connected to her!”

Shen Congwen looked up at his son in surprise, then quickly pointed at the ventilation hole in the wall and then at his ear.

“Yes. I have always been an honest official and never made enemies at court. I couldn’t understand who wanted to harm our Shen family—now I finally see it. It’s all the Third Princess. She brought us to the Princess’s residence to silence us!”

A spark flashed in Shen Yuanjing’s eyes as he suddenly thought of an idea. He raised his voice deliberately.

“That’s why such a huge case of stolen military provisions only resulted in exile for us. It turns out His Majesty, the Emperor Uncle, wanted to use us as bait to draw out the mastermind!”

Shen Congwen’s hands began to tremble. He hurriedly followed his son’s lead.

“No wonder all the other convicts died along the way, while only our Shen family survived. So His Majesty has been secretly protecting us all along!”

“Father, once the news is sent back, His Majesty the Emperor Uncle will pardon our Shen family—and we’ll be able to return to the capital!”

Shen Congwen laughed and cried at the same time. “Wonderful! The injustice suffered by my Shen family will finally be cleared!”

Next Door

Zhou Qiwu ground her teeth and swept the tea tray onto the floor.

“Bitch! It was the Shen family who committed countless wrongs, yet they still dare to pin the crime of stealing provisions on my head. That slut is simply my natural bane!”

“Princess, if what they’re saying is true,” said Counselor Yuan Lang with a frown, “then wouldn’t every move they make be under the watchful eye of the one in the capital?”