“No! No! How could this happen, how could this happen! Bian Yuncheng, may you die a terrible death, a terrible death!” Shen Nong vented hysterically, using the withered grass on the ground as her outlet, crushing insects that scurried past in her palm.
Zhong Li watched her in silence.
After a long while, Shen Nong slid down the fence and knelt on the ground, tears rolling down her jaw and splashing into the mud.
Zhong Li felt not a shred of sympathy. Shen Nong had brought all of this upon herself.
Shen Nong let out a long sigh towards the sky and said, “The Shen family is a family of military prowess, always fixated on having sons. Ever since I can remember, I’ve lived on a manor. I don’t know who my mother is, or whose child I am, I only know my surname is Shen, and my name is Shen Nong.
All my childhood memories are unpleasant. As far as I recall, besides working every day, I was beaten and verbally abused. Sometimes, I felt my life would be like this forever, until one day a lavish carriage arrived at the manor, saying it was here to take me away. They said I was the pampered young lady of a wealthy family.
At that time, I thought it was all like a dream. I thought my future days would be filled with wealth and glory.”
Zhong Li knew Shen Nong was about to recount her life story. Without Bian Yuncheng, she had completely lost hope in living.
“The struggles within the inner chambers were beyond my prediction. On the surface, I wore brocade and silk, and ate delicacies, but who knew that ever since I arrived at the Shen manor, the matriarch regarded me as a thorn in her side, a splinter in her flesh, wishing I would die immediately.
But I couldn’t die, because her daughter was gravely ill, and I was the best candidate to replace her daughter.”
Shen Nong revealed a faint, delighted smile as she said this.
Zhong Li looked at her intently. She recalled that when the Emperor fell ill, the Shen family was to send a legitimate daughter. Shen Nong’s sister had died from illness, and Shen Nong, a concubine’s daughter, became the legitimate daughter, enjoying the prosperity earned by the Shen family’s loyalty and bravery.
“At that time, I was always bullied. The old, the young, men, women, everyone bullied me.
Only one person always smiled at me. He was Bian Yuncheng, the musician hired by the Shen family.” As Shen Nong recalled Bian Yuncheng, her lips curved unconsciously, her eyes filled with love, yet also with much despair and pain.
“Actually, Bian Yuncheng had a principal wife.”
Zhong Li’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
Sensing Zhong Li’s less than favorable expression, Shen Nong said, “Yes, Lord Zhong, your prediction was not wrong. I used some despicable means to obtain Bian Yuncheng.
Initially, Bian Yuncheng was unwilling to accept me. After all, no matter what, I was a noble lady, and he was merely a person of low birth, a lapdog wagging its tail in other households. But I didn’t care, especially since I didn’t feel I was nobler than anyone else. So, to win him over, I slipped a medicinal powder called—Ye Ye Jiao—into his tea while he was playing music for me.”
“Is it also an aphrodisiac from the Hua family’s younger daughter?” Zhong Li asked.
Shen Nong nodded, as if it were obvious.
“Zhong Li, do you know? At first, I thought Bian Yuncheng was unwilling to be with me because he was a man of integrity. After we became intimate, I realized he had long had designs on me, but was afraid Shen Cong, that old bastard, would break his legs if he found out.”
Zhong Li was not surprised to hear Shen Nong speak of Bian Yuncheng this way. His ability to navigate between the Empress and Zi Pei showed he had no heart; everything he did was merely for wealth and glory.
“I am very curious, how did you deal with Bian Yuncheng’s principal wife?”
Shen Nong raised her eyebrows and said, “When I married the Emperor, I was already pregnant. Shen Cong didn’t know about this at the time, otherwise, why would he risk his life to be a traitor? He always felt that Hong’er was the Emperor’s flesh and blood, and that if the Emperor banished him to Changting Pavilion like this, he wouldn’t leave any survivors for the Shen family.
Bian Yuncheng’s principal wife found out about my existence and made a relentless fuss, even threatening to take me with her to the grave in private. Seeing that divorce was impossible, Bian Yuncheng simply killed her. But killing someone always requires a suitable reason, doesn’t it? Otherwise, how would her family be appeased if they came looking?
Coincidentally, at that time, I was in labor… and gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl…”
“The girl is Shen Ying, isn’t she?” Zhong Li asked.
“Yes!” Shen Nong replied crisply. But as soon as Shen Ying was mentioned, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she sobbed, “I’ve wronged Ying’er. She could have lived a life of wealth and glory, but she’s been living in obscurity… sob sob…”
Zhong Li remained silent, waiting for Shen Nong to continue.
“I bribed the midwife. Ying’er was taken away by Bian Yuncheng at the time, and went to his principal wife’s home. It was said… that the principal wife died in difficult labor, and when Ying’er was born, her mother’s family at the time had no suspicions. They begged Bian Yuncheng to keep Ying’er as a memento, and Bian Yuncheng had no choice but to comply.
However, he was also afraid I wouldn’t agree, so he found…”
“Found Tian Lianxue, correct?” Zhong Li asked.
“Yes!” Shen Nong nodded. “As expected of the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple, you understand everything at once.”
“Then why was Tian Lianxue later abandoned?” Zhong Li asked.
Shen Nong sighed, it was unclear for whom she lamented. “Bian Yuncheng’s principal wife’s family died in a famine, and Ying’er returned to his hands. Tian Lianxue was naturally no longer useful.
Bian Yuncheng came to me to discuss it and told me the truth. At first, I was very angry, after all, the child was mine. But later, I thought about it. Both Yuncheng and I killed someone’s daughter. Letting our own daughter spend some time with them could be considered a form of atonement.
However, Ying’er couldn’t stay with us. Moreover, Hong’er’s identity needed protection, so Yuncheng and I came up with an idea.”
Zhong Li sneered and said, “Bian Yuncheng served in the palace attending to the Crown Prince, Shen Ying was raised by you outside the palace, and as for Tian Lianxue, you had her rely on the Crown Prince, utilizing her identity in the brothel to gather any intelligence you wished to know, correct?”
“Hoo!” Shen Nong closed her eyes and nodded, as if the burdens in her heart were no longer oppressive, and she let out a long breath.
“Shen Nong,” Zhong Li looked at her and asked her lingering question, “You are an intelligent person, and you see things more clearly than others.
I find it hard to understand. Bian Yuncheng could kill his principal wife; aren’t you afraid he would betray you one day?”
“Heh heh!” Shen Nong laughed, tears welling up in her eyes again. She shook her head and said, “Zhong Li, you haven’t experienced what I have, so you surely don’t understand me.
Some people live in the mire, accustomed to darkness. When a ray of light shines in, even if they know the abyss lies beyond that light, they will still cling to it without letting go.”
“Why did you kill Ge Meng?” Zhong Li finally asked her last question.
“Ge Meng? Who are you to him?” Shen Nong was wary.
Zhong Li said, “His adopted daughter.”
“Adopted daughter? Isn’t she dead?” Shen Nong murmured to herself. Then, she realized, “Lu Wuxie kept your identity so well hidden, haha…”
Shen Nong laughed until tears streamed down her face. After a moment, she said, “Ge Meng knew about my affairs from the beginning, which was also why he left the court. But even so, how could I let someone who knew such a big secret hold it over me? You know, only the dead don’t talk nonsense.”
Zhong Li’s eyes fluttered. Her heart ached as if it were being gouged. She asked no more questions.
Casually, she took something from her embrace and placed it on the ground.
“This is the Crown Prince’s hairpin. Hua Family’s vanguard troops escorted him to Jincheng yesterday. Tomorrow, he will be publicly executed. Keep it as a remembrance.”
With that, she turned and walked out.
Shen Nong picked up the hairpin, gazing at the auspicious cloud carvings, and sobbed.
To Zhong Li, killing with a purpose was not about killing Shen Nong, but about plunging Shen Nong into utter despair.
Zeng Fan saw Zhong Li emerge and quickly handed her an outer cloak.
“My lord, are you still going to see the Crown Prince?” he asked.
Zhong Li didn’t answer immediately, instead, she asked, “Has the Sixth Prince come to visit?”
Zeng Fan shook his head.
Zhong Li said, “No, I won’t go. Let some secrets remain hidden. This is the Emperor’s will.”
It was also her intention, to let Lu Yuanhong leave with hatred and unresolved grievances, to let him go to hell, where the King of Hell would know the truth, and then to unleash endless turmoil upon Shen Nong and Bian Yuncheng!