TSWRLM -Chapter 8 Hypocrite

“Corrupt official! Taking the court’s salary yet doing nothing for the people—why don’t you just die?”

“You collude with profiteering merchants to bully widows and orphans. You killed their daughter and even buried her overnight, not letting them see her one last time. It’s obviously suspicious—do you think everyone is a fool?”

“Exactly! I heard the girl was already three months pregnant when she died—that’s two lives lost!”

Countless rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables were hurled at the carriage, and a nauseating stench quickly spread.

Shen Qingyuan pressed Chun Xi’s head against his chest and gently patted her. “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”

His chest felt solid and reassuring. Chun Xi wasn’t afraid at all.

After listening to the shouting outside for a while, she couldn’t help asking, “Was the corpse in the carriage that night that girl?”

“Yes.”

“You were clearly already investigating—why not let her family know?”

“Official investigations require evidence and procedure. Without the family’s consent, the coffin cannot be opened.”

Once a woman was married, she belonged to her husband’s family. No matter how much her mother cried, without the husband’s family’s approval, an autopsy could not be conducted.

Though Shen Qingyuan had secretly taken the corpse at night out of good intentions, it violated the law and couldn’t be made public.

Chun Xi’s respect for him deepened.

In a world full of corrupt officials, there were few who would risk their own future, endure misunderstanding and curses, just to uncover the truth.

Lord Shen truly deserves to be honored in the ancestral temple!

The Imperial Guards soon arrived, and the crowd causing trouble scattered immediately.

“The Imperial Guards are here. My lord, are you alright?”

Qing Shu hurriedly lifted the carriage curtain, only to see his master holding the woman tightly in his arms—far more intimately than expected.

Since when did my lord become so tender toward women?

After confirming everything was fine, Shen Qingyuan released Chun Xi. As soon as she looked up, she saw the coachman staring at them in disbelief.

“Don’t misunderstand, we—”

“Ugh!”

The stench was overwhelming. Qing Shu had no time for gossip and rushed to the roadside to vomit.

The Imperial Guards borrowed a bamboo pole to lift the carriage curtain and helped the two of them down.

Seeing that Chun Xi showed no reaction, Shen Qingyuan asked curiously, “Why aren’t you throwing up?”

“To be honest, my lord, I’ve trained for it.”

Wei Lingze had too much pride to let others serve him at first. He often relieved himself in bed and developed bedsores. The person who served before Chun Xi had vomited and was immediately stabbed through by Wei Lingze.

To survive, Chun Xi had forced herself to get used to it, training herself to remain calm in front of him.

So even though her stomach was churning now, her face showed nothing.

“Don’t you think it smells?” she asked in return.

“It does,” Shen Qingyuan replied calmly, “but compared to the stench of corpses, it’s nothing.”

The Imperial Guards soon arranged a clean carriage.

Back inside, Chun Xi couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased.

She couldn’t keep going to the Jingzhao Prefecture to bother Lord Shen—but if she knew where he lived, she could occasionally send fresh fruits, vegetables, or local specialties. Back and forth like that, wouldn’t they build a connection?

Given Shen Qingyuan’s upright nature, Chun Xi had assumed he lived modestly. But when she got off the carriage, two majestic stone lions and a gilded plaque reading “Qingyuan Marquis Residence” nearly blinded her.

A noble household like this produced someone as upright as Lord Shen?

But then she thought—without strong backing, how could Shen Qingyuan confront Wei Lingze head-on?

Feeling reassured, Chun Xi became even more determined to firmly cling to him.

The grandeur of the Marquis residence rivaled that of the Wei family. After passing through the ornamental gate, a maid led Chun Xi to a guest room to bathe and change.

In the main courtyard, Madam Mo, the Marchioness, heard that Shen Qingyuan had been pelted with rotten eggs and vegetables in the street. She immediately smiled with delight, though her words sounded righteous:

“When did such unruly commoners appear in the capital? How dare they insult a court official in public—utterly outrageous!”

Nanny Jia, standing beside her, quickly added, “It’s not entirely their fault. The girl’s death was suspicious, and the widow and her child are pitiful. The eldest young master has always been cold—he must have chilled people’s hearts, which led to this public outrage.”

These words struck right at Madam Mo’s heart. Admiring her freshly painted nails, she smiled. “Yes, he’s so devoid of warmth. No wonder he’s achieved nothing in the Jingzhao Prefecture all these years. Once Yue’er excels in the spring examinations, he’ll surely surpass his elder brother.”

Nanny Jia immediately praised the second young master’s talent. After pleasing Madam Mo, she added, “The eldest young master also brought a young woman home.”

“What kind of girl?”

Madam Mo straightened, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

Shen Qingyuan was not her biological son, and she had long coveted the heir’s position. Seeing how mediocre he seemed in recent years, she absolutely couldn’t let him gain any support now.

“She’s simply dressed, with only modest beauty—not particularly outstanding. She doesn’t have a single piece of jewelry worth mentioning. Her background should be low.”

“Low status?”

Madam Mo relaxed and, in a good mood, instructed, “Since the eldest young master rarely brings a girl home, go to the storeroom and give her that white jade twisted-pattern bracelet as a gift from me.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Chun Xi had just finished bathing and changing when Nanny Jia brought the bracelet.

Having seen many fine items at the Wei household, Chun Xi could tell at a glance it was valuable. She quickly tried to refuse, but Nanny Jia insisted and slipped it onto her wrist.

“This is the first time the eldest young master has brought a girl home—Madam is very pleased. This bracelet is just a small token of her goodwill. You must accept it. If you need anything in the future, feel free to come here.”

“…”

Other noble households feared their sons getting entangled with women—why was this Marchioness so welcoming?

Shen Qingyuan soon returned, having cleaned up.

Once Nanny Jia left, Chun Xi immediately removed the bracelet and handed it to him. “This is too valuable—I can’t accept it.”

“It’s fine. Keep it,” Shen Qingyuan said casually. “You were frightened today—consider it compensation.”

“This wasn’t your fault. How could you compensate me?”

Chun Xi stuffed the bracelet into his hand. “You’ve saved me twice. I should be the one thanking you. I don’t have many skills, but my cooking is decent. Can you eat spicy food? I’ll make some dried meat for you someday.”

The bracelet still held a trace of her warmth. Shen Qingyuan tucked it into his sleeve and replied simply, “Alright.”

It was getting late. Shen Qingyuan didn’t need to return to the office, so he had Qing Shu escort Chun Xi home.

Madam Mo was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

Just as she was about to send someone to investigate Chun Xi’s background, a servant rushed in with urgent news:

“Madam, something terrible has happened! The second young master fell into the academy latrine!”

“What?!”

Madam Mo cried out in shock, then stormed toward Shen Qingyuan’s courtyard in fury.

“I must tear that hypocrite apart!”