Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 173 - 171: Bloodied and Battered

Chapter 173: Chapter 171: Bloodied and Battered

Mr. Shen couldn’t help but close his eyes: it’s all over, everything is over!

After hearing Mrs. Liu’s words, the whispers among the commoners became even more intense.

"I’ve never seen such a malicious mother, don’t they say even a tigress won’t eat her own cubs?"

"Marquis Shengping must have been adopted! How could they bear to frame and torment their own child like this!"

"How could such a filial family be accused of being unfilial? Considering what these parents have done, they are the ones who are unfilial! Heaven, I feel their filial piety is so great that it is beyond natural law!"

"Yes, how can such a filial son be called unfilial? Heaven will not let them get away with it!"

"Ten taels of silver a month, and they send over little bits of rice, meat, and oil every few days, yet they claim to eat husks and vegetables! Now I understand that my son struggling every day to provide my family with one solid meal a day and one watery one is essentially eating mud!"

"And what about clothes, fabric, and jewelry? You haven’t mentioned those yet!"

"No matter how filial you are to such parents, they would still call you unfilial. No, this is not something a parent would do! They’re worse than pigs and dogs!"

"Exactly, ten taels of silver a month. This is enough for my whole family for half a year! If you don’t want such a good son, give him to me!"

"It turns out they were afraid of being involved, forcing their children to sever ties! Tsk tsk... such disgusting parents and siblings!"

...

The onlookers were all discussing, with various opinions.

...

"This is slander, Lord Qingtian, this wicked woman who sells her grandchildren for silver, leading future generations into injustice, deserves to be beaten with a board. Beat her with hundreds of strokes, see if she dares to do it again!"

When one man mentioned beating with a board, over a hundred onlookers echoed: "Beat with a board! Beat with a board..."

Hearing these words, Mrs. Shen involuntarily shrunk her buttocks, then loudly cursed the people at the door to reduce her uneasiness: "Achoo, it’s my son I gave birth to, if I say he’s unfilial, he’s unfilial! What’s it to you!"

"Listen... is this human talk? No repentance! Beat with a board!"

"Beat with a board!"

...

"Beat, beat hard with a board!"

"Silence!" Shuntian Mansion Fu Yin saw the scene was a bit chaotic and banged the table again.

Everyone dared not make a sound and quickly quieted down.

The second son of the Admiral Mansion also came, and after the necessary etiquettes were over.

Fu Yin of Shuntian Mansion asked: "Second son Li, who is the one betrothed to your first son from the Shen family? What are the reasons for the engagement?"

Fu Yin of Shuntian Mansion no longer mentioned the Marquis Shengping Mansion, as they were already two separate families.

"In response to your Honour, it’s not really an engagement, just took her to be a secondary wife for my elder brother! The girl from the Shen family, Shen Yuzhu, because she stole the holy medicine I picked for my elder brother’s treatment. Despite repeated warnings, she not only didn’t return it, but crushed it maliciously, making my brother’s leg treatment hopeless..." The second son of the Admiral Mansion simply explained the events of that day.

During the trial, the commoners didn’t dare to make a sound, but everyone was thinking: who would want such a girl!

Being a secondary wife is already a grace, even a maid who spills night incense is better! These two are simply stinkier than the other!

Fu Yin of Shuntian Mansion banged the table forcefully: "Mrs. Shen!"

Mrs. Shen was so frightened that she trembled a few times.

"The common woman, the common woman is here."

"Now that the personal testimonies and material evidences are present, you slandered Marquis Shengping, intending to harm your own son and grandchildren unjustly, without maternal love, interfering with official duties, wasting imperial court manpower! The official judges you to be beaten with twenty large boards as a warning! Your two families have already severed ties, that means there is no relationship anymore. Marquis Shengping being filial to you is out of human kindness, being unfilial to you is justified. Don’t sue again in the future, if you do, you’re the one to be beaten!"

"Honorable Officer, I am wronged! I won’t sue, I won’t sue. I...I won’t sue now, so don’t hit me! If you hit me with twenty large boards, do I have a chance at life? I’m doomed!"

"The trial is over, you say you won’t sue and then you won’t? Are you mocking the official? Do you think the government office is your home? Come whenever you want and leave when you want?" the Fu Yin of Shuntian Mansion said angrily.

Marquis Shengping having such a mother is indeed rotten luck!

"Son, you’re young, you come and take this beating for your mother!" When Mrs. Shen saw that pleading was useless, she quickly turned to Shen Chengzong, because last night when Xuemei was persuading her to sue Shen Chengyao, it was Shen Chengzong who was adding fuel to the fire!

She wouldn’t have dared to lodge a complaint if it wasn’t for their constant encouragement.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chengzong quickly lowered his head, pretending not to have heard it.

"Guards, remove her!"

Shortly, two officers, each carrying a plank, stepped forward to seize Mrs. Shen. Seeing them, Mrs. Shen froze in fright, not knowing what to do.

Mrs. Shen happened to walk past Xuemei, who subtly extended her foot, causing Mrs. Shen to stagger somewhat.

Seizing this chance to assist Mrs. Shen, Xuemei quietly moved closer to her ear and whispered, "The lady advised me to persuade you to lodge the complaint." Then, raising her voice, she said, "Be careful, ma’am. Are you alright?"

Upon hearing these words, Mrs. Shen lost any remaining doubt. She had been tricked -- thoroughly conned! She was absolutely furious!

They wanted to punish her? Not before she could get her hands on that wench!

With a sudden burst of force, she jerked free from the men holding her, grabbing one of their planks. She charged at Xiao’er, lifting the plank to strike her.

Xiao’er wanted to dodge, but behind her stood Mrs. Liu, holding Xi’er. She decided to reach out her hand to block the blow.

Just then, Shangguan Xuanyi seized the opportunity to shield Xiao’er.

"Thump"

The plank that had been raised so high came crashing down on Shangguan Xuanyi’s head, grandiosely.

Blood immediately flowed from the wound.

"Brother Shangguan!"

"Master!"

"Sixth Prince!"

"There’s an assassin! Capture the assassin!"

"Imperial doctor! Quickly, we need an imperial doctor!"

Scared, Mrs. Shen quickly threw the plank away, "It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me who hit him..."

An officer quickly moved to apprehend Mrs. Shen.

The prefect of Shuntian Mansion was also scared stiff. The Sixth Prince was injured on his territory, right under his watch, and in front of so many officers! Could he retain his position after such an incident?

"Lock them up! Lock them all up!"

Master Shen and the people from the second branch quickly knelt down, "It’s been a misunderstanding, Your Highness, a misunderstanding, sir!...."

"I wanted to hit the maid, it was him who rushed forward, it’s not my fault! Go, arrest her... It’s all her fault! It has nothing to do with me!" Mrs. Shen, shaking her head, pointed at Xiao’er.

Everyone knew Mrs. Shen was speaking the truth, but what of it?!

You struck a blow that injured the Sixth Prince! It’s the prince’s blood that flows!

No matter your intent or your eloquence, the fact remains that you hurt him. Your guilt is irrefutable!

Even if death sentence can be avoided, punishment cannot!

Shen Chengyao was also shocked and terrified. If the blow had landed on Xiao’er, could she have survived?

But then again, hitting the Sixth Prince won’t do her any good either!

"Brother Shangguan, how are you feeling? Is your head aching? Do you feel faint?"

Xiao’er was also terrified. A head injury can vary from mild to severe, what if there was a concussion, or blindness, or amnesia, or brain death...

"Where is the imperial doctor?!"

"The blood is flowing too fast, he needs to be bandaged first." Di Shaowei was also silly with terror.

Hearing this, Xiao’er remembered she had medicine in her storage. She had been confused with fear earlier on.

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