TSWRLM -Chapter 338 Madam Shen, I Was Wrong

Consumed by deep resentment, Feng Yinyin burst forth with astonishing strength. Su Yang failed to dodge and was completely overpowered. His face and neck were scratched with bloody marks. If Chun Xi hadn’t ordered someone to pull Feng Yinyin away in time, his ear might have been bitten off.

Blood flowed down his neck as Su Yang let out a pig-like scream. His clothes had been torn open, exposing part of his left chest—where a faint scar could be seen.

Perhaps afraid of pain, he hadn’t been too harsh on himself when removing it. Though not severe, the outline of two characters could still be vaguely made out.

Princess Hengyang raised her brows. “Tsk, so you really did tattoo the girl’s name to deceive her feelings.”

The commotion had drawn attention. Xiao Yechen arrived with a group of male guests—and with him came the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, clearly enjoying the spectacle, asked curiously: “What’s going on here? From the looks of it, Aunt seems ready to hold court and try a criminal.”

Princess Hengyang stood and gave up her seat, briefly explaining the situation: “Although His Majesty recently granted me a title, I still don’t have the authority to judge and sentence. I’ll have to trouble Your Highness to handle this.”

The Crown Prince looked around and then at Shen Qingyuan: “Among everyone here, I doubt anyone is better at judging a case than Lord Shen.”

“This matter involves my wife. I should avoid suspicion. Please, Your Highness, preside over justice.”

Since Shen Qingyuan declined, the Crown Prince no longer refused. He took the seat, while Madam Xiao had servants bring chairs and screens to separate the men and women.

Su Yang had come today intending to display his talents and make connections, but Feng Yinyin’s sudden appearance had caught him off guard. Now that the Crown Prince himself would try the case, cold sweat ran down his back.

He didn’t know when Chun Xi and Feng Yinyin had joined forces, nor how much they had uncovered about the Feng family. He had originally planned to appease Feng Yinyin and settle things privately—but now Princess Hengyang and the Crown Prince were handling it on the spot.

Everything had happened too suddenly. His mind was in chaos. Before he could think of a strategy, the Crown Prince spoke: “Who is the plaintiff? Step forward.”

Feng Yinyin knelt and once again recounted everything that had happened to the Feng family in detail. At the end, she added: “After returning to the Feng family, Su Yang constantly tried to win my favor. Two years ago, we even became engaged. Even if his childhood betrothal with Madam Shen still existed, he was the one who broke his promise first. Moreover, he returned to the capital early last year, when Madam Shen was still unmarried, yet he never sought her out. Now he brings up the childhood betrothal only because he envies Madam Shen’s current life and wants to exploit her for gain!”

Chun Xi had given Feng Yinyin the chance to seek justice—so Feng Yinyin returned the favor by defending Chun Xi’s reputation publicly.

No matter whether the childhood engagement still counted, Chun Xi was entirely blameless.

Furious at the accusation, Su Yang shouted: “Your Highness, I did no such thing! This wretched woman is lying—”

Before he could finish, a palace attendant stepped forward and slapped him twice.

“How dare you shout before His Highness without permission?”

Already scratched and battered, Su Yang’s face burned even more. He lowered his head, not daring to speak again.

The Crown Prince asked Feng Yinyin: “Do you have evidence for what you’ve said?”

“Yes. To win my favor, Su Yang tattooed my courtesy name on his left chest. The scar is still there. And Madam Shen has also found witnesses for me.”

Chun Xi had long prepared everything. After Feng Yinyin finished, she had the witnesses brought in.

The Feng family had deeply cherished Feng Yinyin and took her marriage seriously. Though Su Yang had appeared devoted, they had still invited a respected elder in Yuzhou to witness the engagement and draft a marriage contract.

It was both a blessing and a safeguard—against Su Yang changing his mind after success or being snatched as a son-in-law by another family.

Chun Xi had brought that elder, along with former staff from the Feng family’s medical hall, its resident physician, and even people who had once worked in Su Yang’s father’s escort agency.

These witnesses could prove Su Yang’s collusion with outsiders to harm the Feng family—and also prove that the childhood engagement between the Cao and Su families had long been annulled.

Su Yang was nothing but a complete scoundrel.

At first, he had been thinking of ways to defend himself. But as witness after witness stepped forward, the color drained from his face.

Only one thought remained:

It’s over.

Everything he had done in Yuzhou had been uncovered by Chun Xi.

He shouldn’t have spared Feng Yinyin back then.

Despite the cold weather, sweat poured down his body. No longer thinking of escaping guilt, he now wondered how to lessen his punishment.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out—it was his mother.

“It was all me! If you want to arrest someone, arrest me—don’t arrest my son! I bribed the workers at the Feng family’s clinic to mix in fake medicine. I also arranged for a dying rogue to frame them. I deserve death—but my son knows nothing. He is innocent!”

She took all the blame upon herself, clearing Su Yang completely.

Su Yang frowned. After a brief struggle, he made a decision: “Mother, grandfather and uncle treated us well. How could you be so cruel to them?”

His voice was loud and righteous—making it seem as though he had nothing to do with it.

Su’s mother froze, her pupils trembling slightly, but she quickly caught on and played along, eyes reddening: “Yang’er, what you saw was only on the surface! Your grandfather and uncle treated you well only because they valued your learning and hoped you would bring them honor in the future. They never truly cared for you! If I hadn’t planned for your future, you would have ended up as a live-in son-in-law in the Feng family, unable to hold your head high. All your years of study would have been wasted!”

After saying this, she attempted to dash her head against a pillar, but Xiao Yechen stopped her in time.

A flash of disappointment passed through Su Yang’s eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and said to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, though I knew nothing of my mother’s actions, she gave me life and raised me. She is old and cannot endure punishment. I beg Your Highness to spare her—I am willing to be punished in her place!”

With that, he kowtowed deeply, his display of filial piety seemingly moving enough to shake heaven and earth.

But the Crown Prince remained unmoved—in fact, he let out a cold laugh: “I’ve heard of cutting off one’s tail to survive, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone send his own mother to death to save himself. Do you think you’re the only clever person in the world—and everyone else is a fool?”

His tone was full of ridicule.

Su Yang tried to speak again, but the Crown Prince cut him off: “Guards—break his legs.”

At the command, men immediately stepped forward to restrain Su Yang.

Panic surged through him. Looking at Chun Xi, he shouted: “Madam Shen, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have been greedy and provoked you. Please spare me!”

Chun Xi’s expression remained cold, unmoved.

Su Yang wasn’t repentant—he simply knew he was about to die.

At a moment like this, such repentance was worth nothing.