TRBDM -Chapter 216 Xie Sheng Is Arrested

At the Mingde Marquisate, Wei Zhaorong received a secret letter from the General of Nanyang.

The letter said that someone had disguised themselves as a servant and infiltrated the Nanyang General’s residence, and Lin Juehui asked how to deal with this person.

A sudden spark of inspiration struck Wei Zhaorong.

The Nanyang General had been pretending to be ill for some time; if he was going to fake it, he might as well do it thoroughly.

Make the intruder believe that the Nanyang General’s residence was poorly guarded, that the General was weak and powerless.

Give him a chance to attempt an assassination.

Assassinating a court minister is a grave crime. They needed to capture the perpetrator alive on the spot, to obtain evidence against the Third Prince.

Lin Juehui was smart and naturally understood Wei Zhaorong’s plan, quickly putting it into motion.

As noon approached, the heavily guarded gates of the Marquisate were rattled loudly.

“Open the door! Quickly, open the door!”

The Marquisate was under strict lockdown—no one inside could leave, and no one outside could enter. The steward came to the door and listened carefully.

Outside was a woman, her voice hoarse, and the steward strained to recognize her at first.

“Open the door! I’m Second Madam Shen Zhizhi. I have urgent business with Mother.”

When Shen Zhizhi announced herself, the steward recognized her from the trembling tone of her voice.

But he dared not act on his own: “Second Madam, please wait. I will notify her.”

The steward hurried to Anhe Courtyard: “Old Madam, Second Madam requests an audience.”

“Shen Zhizhi? Why is she here again?”

The steward replied, “Second Madam says it’s urgent and wants to see you.”

Wei Zhaorong thought for a moment, furrowed her brow, and said, “Let her come in alone.”

The steward understood Wei Zhaorong’s meaning. In the current situation, not even a fly could enter the Marquisate, let alone a person.

“Second Madam, please enter.”

The steward opened a narrow gap in the gate and looked behind her, noticing a maid following: “Second Madam, please enter alone.”

Shen Zhizhi must have truly been desperate. She ignored the deeper meaning of the steward’s words, pushed the gate open, and ran toward Anhe Courtyard.

The maid tried to follow but was stopped by the steward: “Wait outside.”

Slap! The gate of the Marquisate closed again.

Shen Zhizhi was about to give birth, her body heavy and cumbersome. She should have walked slowly, but her urgency made her steps quicken.

Upon entering Anhe Courtyard, Shen Zhizhi saw Wei Zhaorong’s face and immediately fell to her knees with a thud.

A daughter-in-law nine months pregnant kneeling before her mother-in-law—if word got out, anyone would call her a cruel mother-in-law.

Without needing Wei Zhaorong’s instruction, Nanny Qi immediately stepped forward to help: “Second Madam, what are you doing? Speak properly. No one is asking you to kneel.”

Yet, Nanny Qi could not lift Shen Zhizhi on her first attempt. She knelt stiffly, unwilling to rise.

“Mother, I beg you—please save my husband.”

Her complexion was pale, even thinner than the last time she visited.

The last time she came, she still carried some pride, but now, there was not a trace left.

She resembled a lifeless shell, drained of all energy. Were it not for her protruding belly, it would be hard to tell she was a woman about to give birth.

“Madam Shen, stand and speak.”

Nanny Qi tried a second time, using more strength, and finally lifted Shen Zhizhi.

“Sit down. Speak slowly.”

Wei Zhaorong had originally said she would no longer involve herself in matters of the second branch, but seeing Shen Zhizhi in such a state, her heart softened.

Shen Zhizhi wiped her tears, her voice hoarse and weak: “Mother, I did not want to disturb you, but I have no choice. I’ve tried every possible solution, but nothing worked.”

“What exactly happened?”

“My husband has been taken by the authorities.”

Xie Sheng was arrested?

Though the political situation was unstable and many officials had been implicated, Xie Sheng was a seventh-rank censor—a minor official with no influence in the factions’ disputes. How could he have been arrested?

“What crime did Xie Sheng commit to be taken?”

Though family scandals were usually kept private, at this point Shen Zhizhi had nothing to hide.

“My husband went to Huaxiang to drink. A courtesan coaxed him into drinking for a long time. In his drunken state, he made a few casual remarks to colleagues about the Third Prince and the Crown Prince. Someone with malicious intent overheard, and he was arrested on the charge of ‘talking recklessly about state affairs.’”

So that was it.

Frequenting places like Huaxiang could indeed lead to trouble.

“It seems he was not wrongfully accused. The authorities have reason to arrest him.”

Shen Zhizhi widened her eyes: “Mother, my husband spoke carelessly in his cups. He did not intend to commit a crime. Please, I beg you to intercede and have him released.”

The crime of speaking against state affairs could be treated lightly or severely.

With connections, one could be detained for just a few days and then released.

Shen Zhizhi had spent the past few days running around, spending plenty of silver, but the people she approached were either greedy and unwilling to act or had no influence—none were of any use.

Finally, with no other options, she thought of Wei Zhaorong.

If Xie Sheng were imprisoned, stripped of his office, the Xie family would never recover.

Though the couple had drifted apart emotionally, Shen Zhizhi understood the gravity of the situation more clearly than anyone.

“Mother, my husband is your own son. Can you really bear to watch him suffer in prison?”

Shen Zhizhi held her belly, a single tear falling, pitiable beyond words.