SFS Chapter 165 Prince Yu: Shen Qingtan Has Found Her Family
Chapter 165 Prince Yu: Shen Qingtan Has Found Her Family
Marquis Chengen was taken aback, then his expression changed drastically after a moment's thought: "This news was deliberately leaked by Shen Qingtan..."
No, that's not right.
"If that's the case, what is her purpose?"
Marquis Chengen couldn't understand why Shen Qingtan had gone to such lengths to set up this scheme, only to sever ties with the Marquis's mansion.
He had been threatened by Lady Yongyi and was afraid that she would really hand over the evidence to Shen Qingtan, so he dared not make any rash moves in the days following the murder.
During this time, he sent people to keep an eye on the Yongyi Earl's residence. After the Yongyi Earl's wife died, no one came out of the residence, and no strangers came into contact with Shen Qingtan.
Shen Qingtan remained completely unmoved, as if nothing had happened.
He suspected that Lady Yongyi was killed before she could give Shen Qingtan the evidence.
Or perhaps the evidence wasn't enough to bring him down, so Shen Qingtan remained inactive.
Even so, he was still plotting how to make Shen Qingtan die quietly.
Before he could come up with a flawless plan, Prince Yu made his move against Shen Qingtan.
On the one hand, he feared that Prince Yu would be angry and was eager to show his loyalty.
With Shen Qingtan missing, Shen Shaohuai's plan was the most suitable at the time.
Looking back now, the most important reason why they fell into Shen Qingtan's trap was that they lost the initiative and were led by the nose by her.
“She knows about the crimes of the Marquis’s family and wants to sever ties with me so that any future revelations of the Marquis’s family’s crimes will have nothing to do with her,” Marquis Chengen guessed. “Even if I don’t take action against her, she will create a stir herself and force me to sever my father-daughter relationship with her.”
“You’re not so stupid as to be beyond redemption,” Prince Yu said, his eyes dark and his meaning ambiguous. “You’re only half right.”
Marquis Chengen subconsciously looked at Prince Yu, waiting for his next words.
A strange glint flashed in Prince Yu's eyes as he said coldly, "She already knows she's not your daughter, and she's found her family."
These words were like a bolt from the blue for Marquis Chengen.
Marquis Chengen said incredulously, "How is this possible?"
Those in the household who knew about this wouldn't have revealed it to Shen Qingtan, so how did she find out?
"Never be indecisive or soft-hearted in anything you do; you must eliminate the root of the problem and prevent future troubles."
Prince Yu's deep, dark eyes were unfathomable as he coldly and ruthlessly said, "Your stupidity lies in killing your elder brother and sister-in-law, yet leaving their child alive. Knowing that your mother favored the eldest son's family, you still coveted the wealth she possessed, keeping her around to weigh on you."
Marquis Chengen broke out in a cold sweat.
"You were ruined by your greed and lack of ruthlessness," Prince Yu mocked. "You don't believe in blood ties, and you don't even trust Shen Qingtan, who has no blood relation to you, which is why you chose to support your own daughter. In your eyes, you are Shen Mingzhu's support, and the family interests are tied together. But you abandoned Shen Qingtan and still want her to be used by you, leaving yourself with hidden dangers."
Marquis Cheng'en put himself in others' shoes, and that was indeed his thought.
For his own benefit, he even murdered his own brother and sister-in-law.
Besides, Shen Qingtan isn't his biological daughter?
Before Shen Mingzhu was found, they cultivated Shen Qingtan as a source of profit, never imagining that her true identity would be revealed one day.
It wasn't until Zhao Jue brought Shen Mingzhu back to the capital and personally delivered her to the Chengen Marquis's residence that they had no choice but to accept her.
How do we explain this extra child to the public?
His first thought was to clarify the two men's backgrounds, but at that time he needed to win over the Duke of Zhao's family for Prince Yu. He deliberately sounded out the Duke of Zhao, bringing up a similar story and asking for the Duke of Zhao's opinion on the marriage exchange.
Duke Zhao bluntly stated, "Either the engagement is dissolved, and the two children find their own good matches. Or the two children continue this marriage. There is absolutely no reason for one child from the household to replace the other child in marriage to a man."
He was unwilling to lose the opportunity to marry into the Duke's family, so he remembered that his wife had been pregnant with twins, and that almost all the wives of officials in the capital knew about it.
They then announced to the public that Shen Mingzhu and Shen Qingtan were twins.
Unexpectedly, at the Marquis's mansion, some officials' wives saw Shen Mingzhu.
He overheard someone discussing in private that Shen Qingtan and Shen Mingzhu didn't resemble each other, or more accurately, that Shen Qingtan didn't seem like someone from the Chengen Marquis's mansion.
He felt even more uneasy.
It's probably because they feel guilty and are afraid that one day the truth will come out.
That's why he abandoned Shen Qingtan without hesitation.
He feared that if Shen Qingtan married Zhao Jue and promoted him, Shen Qingtan would later learn the truth, repay kindness with enmity, and use Zhao Jue's power to turn against the Chengen Marquis's mansion.
Before the truth comes out, it is most appropriate for Shen Qingtan to marry Zhao Yi.
Firstly, given Shen Qingtan's gentle nature, if they coaxed her, she would forgive past grievances and help them support Zhao Jue, extracting the last bit of value from her.
Secondly, Zhao Yi won't live long. If Shen Qingtan learns the truth one day, he will have already passed away. Even if she wants to take revenge, she will be powerless to do so, given her status as a widow living in the inner quarters.
Despite all his calculations, he never anticipated that Shen Qingtan's personality would change drastically due to the arranged marriage, causing her to become completely hostile towards them.
Now, after hearing Prince Yu's words, Marquis Chengen finally understood.
Shen Qingtan only hated them after she learned about her true identity.
If that's the case, then everything makes sense.
"Your Highness, where are his biological parents?" Marquis Chengen's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
"If I remember correctly, you told me that she was given to you to raise by a family surnamed Gu in Nanling Prefecture."
When Prince Yu got to this point, he gave an ambiguous laugh, clearly indicating that he did not believe Marquis Chengen's explanation.
Given the Gu family's background, why would they give their child away?
He continued, "Coincidentally, there is a family surnamed Gu in the capital who came from Nanling Prefecture and has recently become very close to Shen Qingtan."