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Chapter 70
Compared to the quiet way the Shen family removed Shen Ruojin from their family tree, the Guan family’s separation was quite public. The Duke wished he could beat drums and gongs to announce that he had cut ties with Guan Muyun and his wife.
Duke Ling did not act too harshly. He provided the young couple with a house and some servants, giving them the basic support they needed to live outside.
The house Duke Ling gave them was in a good location, but it was quite small.
Shen Ruojin remembered a past conversation with Shen Ci. Tao Sheng had never returned to the Marquis’s Mansion and had been living in the Ji family’s house, which was small and crowded. Its only advantage was its better location, being close to the imperial palace and the homes of influential people.
Now it seemed that their house not only had a worse location than the Ji family’s but also less space. Furthermore, it was an ordinary family home, lacking the honor that comes from being bestowed by the emperor.
Shen Ruojin felt a deep sadness. She had lived in fear and fought at home for many years. Now, she had lost her status as the daughter of a marquis, her title as a duke’s young lady, and even her living situation was below that of the Ji family, whom she had once looked down upon.
She had been doing well in the past, but she didn’t understand why fate had played such a cruel joke on her.
Since Guan Muyun agreed to leave Duke Ling’s Mansion, he noticed a significant change in how people treated him.
In the past, he had many friends and colleagues willing to help him with anything. However, during this big move, no one offered assistance, making him realize how fickle people can be.
Looking back, he felt a bit impulsive for risking everything to seek separation from the Duke’s Mansion. Now that it had come to this, he could only move forward without regrets.
On the night of the move, after Guan Muyun settled his concubine and illegitimate son, he went to talk to Shen Ruojin in the main courtyard.
“You seem weak and listless these days. Are you still unwell?” he asked.
“Maybe I’m just tired from moving,” Shen Ruojin replied. “It’s nothing serious; I just need a few days to rest. Don’t worry, husband.”
“I’m worried it’s more than just moving fatigue,” Guan Muyun said. He had noticed Shen Ruojin’s coldness over the past few days. “You seem lost in thought and worried. You don’t smile like you used to. I trust you, and if you have any issues, you can tell me. If it gets bad, we can consider divorce.”
Shen Ruojin could never have imagined that Guan Muyun, who was always protective of her, would say such a thing.
His changed attitude must be due to how others were acting towards him and his wife’s repeated crying. Now, in this situation, Guan Muyun was the only support she had. She quickly controlled her expression and fell against him, crying.
“I never hid the truth about not being your biological child from you. You insisted on marrying me. I wasn’t pretending to be sick; I’ve been in poor health since childhood. Doctor Pan, who got reported to the authorities, wasn’t qualified. He probably framed me to lessen his own blame.”
“When I heard my eldest sister-in-law was being kind to Xu Xiang, I knew something was wrong. My eldest sister-in-law has always been intolerant and must have other bad intentions. I wanted to keep Xu Xiang quiet to protect you. I didn’t mean what I said to my grandmother that day. I was angry she asked you to leave. You should know I’d rather divorce than let you go…”
Guan Muyun was deeply moved by Shen Ruojin’s sad confession. All these issues were a result of a series of coincidences. While Ruojin had made mistakes, they were not serious enough to deserve such a harsh outcome.
Considering how Ruojin always supported him in conflicts with the Shen brothers, he realized she always prioritized him.
After their talk, Guan Muyun’s doubts and dissatisfaction with Shen Ruojin faded. He helped her up and comforted her, saying, “It might not be a bad thing to leave Duke’s Mansion. With my abilities, even without my parents’ help, I can make my own name.”
If Guan Muyun had said this in the past, Shen Ruojin would have happily supported him. But now, seeing the small courtyard with only two entrances and her husband who had lost his noble status, she was unsure how to respond.
Guan Muyun explained, “Actually, my father didn’t want to separate us. But Prince Rui is my uncle and is currently in conflict with the Eastern Palace. Our Guan family can’t ignore this. My father hopes our separation allows us to help Prince Rui more, ensuring our family remains wealthy and powerful, no matter which side wins the throne in the future.”
Now Shen Ruojin understood Duke Ling’s true intentions.
Hearing this lit up Shen Ruojin’s eyes. She had also heard that the situation in Prince Rui’s household was complicated. Princess Rui had difficulties managing the children left by the previous princess and several unruly concubines. Shen Ruojin had skills in these areas and believed she could become Princess Rui’s right-hand support in the future.
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The emperor had clearly stated in the morning court session that the Marquisate had not repaid its debts. To protect the title and standing of the mansion, Shen Yu began working hard to gather money to repay what was owed.
Just when the Wenyuan Marquis’s Mansion was extremely short on funds, a maid in the mansion made some money from a small home business, and her brother came to redeem her.
Shen Yu happily took the money and released her. At the same time, he found a way to make a profit.
If all the servants wanted to redeem themselves and leave the house, I could raise the price and sell them, laying off half of the servants in the mansion. This would cover a significant deficit.
After all, Luo Xin no longer returns home, the old lady cannot move or speak after suffering a stroke, and there’s no need for so many people to serve her. Shen Ruojin has been expelled from the family, so the maids who used to look after her can also be dismissed.
The more Shen Yu thought about it, the more he believed this to be true. Besides, since Luo Xin wouldn’t return and the old lady couldn’t speak, he didn’t need to discuss it with anyone; his words would be enough.
Chunhong, the first maid redeemed from the Shen family, was noticed by the King of Chu as soon as she left the house. Chunhong was originally a second-class maidservant serving the old lady and knew a lot about the affairs of the inner house. The King of Chu summoned her to the palace and questioned her in detail, learning many of the actions the old lady of the Shen family had taken against Tao Sheng.
The King of Chu suggested that Chunhong tell the story of the inhumane things Old Madam Shen had done over the years so that the people of the capital would know about Tao Sheng’s struggles and her quality of perseverance.
Tao Sheng has always been a top figure in the capital, and Chunhong, being a former servant of Wenyuan Marquis Mansion, made her words compelling.
Chunhong’s storytelling show became very popular as soon as it opened. She could earn in one day what would be her monthly salary in the government office, quickly amassing her first pot of gold.
Following this, there was a mass resignation of servants from the Wenyuan Marquis’s mansion. After all, they could earn so much money by telling stories outside, so who would want to serve these useless masters in the mansion?
The King of Chu loves to make others miserable while enjoying himself, so he actively provided a platform for storytelling.
Now, after listening to the storytelling, the people in the capital were talking about it everywhere. The Shen family was really blind to not recognize someone great. They abandoned a talent like Lady Luo while valuing a foreign girl of bad character. Their judgment was indeed poor.
The King of Chu found happiness in this situation.
Naturally, these words spread back to the residences of Marquis Wenyuan and Duke Lingguo, causing quite a stir in both families.
Tao Sheng saw Shen Yu again one morning half a month later. She was on her way to the government office by car when she happened to see Shen Yu getting out of a car to enter the Ministry of Revenue. He was probably collecting money to pay off his debts.
Tao Sheng noticed that Shen Yu looked particularly worn out lately. She remembered that this Lord Wenyuan used to rely on Old Madam Shen for all his decisions.
Today, the old lady is said to have suffered a stroke and is paralyzed in bed, unable to move or speak. It is almost the same whether she is there or not.
As a result, Lord Shen lost his backbone, and his inner world began to collapse. No wonder he looked so dejected and miserable…
Tao Sheng understood but felt no sympathy.
***
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Vyl[Translator]
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