Chapter 73 - Breaking Away from the Shen Family (1)

This prescription concerned the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Jiangnan and half of Da’an’s territory! But Madam Zhao threw it into the water. How could he not be angry?

“Stupid woman!” Shen Dong wished he could tear Madam Zhao apart. Why on earth did she have to touch Shen Ninghua’s things? Did she think that the Shen family was not collapsing fast enough?

Baili Qingcang was furious. “Bring Zhao over to me. I want to see what she is capable of!”

Madam Zhao was brought in. She had a dazed expression on her face. When she walked to Shen Dong’s side, she knelt on the ground and said, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Zhao, do you know your fault?”

Madam Zhao turned around and looked at Shen Dong blankly. The messy hairpin on her head made her look even more miserable.

Shen Dong looked at her in disgust. “Zhao, you are my wife. I know that you hate Ninghua, but she is my flesh and blood. No matter how much you hate her, you should not throw her things away at will…”

Madam Zhao suddenly restored her senses like a cat whose tail was stepped on. “Master, you said it yourself that Shen Ninghua was a bastard. Now you say that she’s your flesh and blood? What a joke!”

Shen Dong’s face turned ashen with anger. “Nonsense. Are you crazy?”

“I’m crazy. I’m driven crazy by you.” Madam Zhao gasped for breath and roared angrily. She turned to stare at Shen Ninghua with her scarlet eyes. “Shen Ninghua, you really have a good plan. You’ve long wanted me dead, right?”

Shen Ninghua turned her head and her gaze indifferently landed on Madam Zhao. “I have no grudges against you. Why should I want you to die?”

Madam Zhao stared fixedly at her. “You painstakingly designed all of this, using the lives of countless people as a stake. You are so heartless. Aren’t you afraid of retribution and being struck by lightning?”

Shen Ninghua’s eyes moved slightly. She really didn’t expect to hear the word “retribution” from Madam Zhao. If there really was retribution, she wouldn’t have ended up with hatred in her previous life.

“Mother, you are really funny. When Shen Linghan broke her leg, I took out the medicine and gave it to her. After that, father and Shen Xuanye took all the medicine from my hands. At that time, the flood in Ping City hadn’t happened yet. You said that I risked the lives of the people. Did I ask the heavens to rain and flood the Ping City?”

Madam Zhao’s heart ached from stuffiness. She was very sure that Shen Ninghua had designed all of this, but there was no evidence to prove it. The hatred drove her crazy but she couldn’t do anything. “You bitch…”

“Shut up!” Shen Dong suddenly shouted at Madam Zhao and pushed her aside. This was Chengqian Palace. Did she think this was the Shen family’s backyard? To be so rude in front of the emperor was also a heinous crime that would implicate the whole family!

“Ah, my belly, it hurts so much.” Madam Zhao clutched her belly and fell to the ground. Layers of cold sweat fell from her forehead. “Baby, my baby, I can’t lose him…”

Shen Ninghua looked coldly at Madam Zhao lying on the ground and felt very disgusting. After a long pause, she looked at Baili Qingcang and said, “Your Majesty, I beg you to let doctor Chen treat my mother. She is still pregnant with the Shen family’s baby. No matter how guilty she is, the baby is innocent.”

Shen Dong looked up at Shen Ninghua in surprise. The guilt in his eyes overflowed. “Ninghua, I’m sorry.” At this time, Ninghua was still willing to help Madam Zhao. Why hadn’t he ruthlessly gotten rid of Madam Zhao in the first place?

Shen Ninghua looked at Shen Dong indifferently. He was clearly her biological father, but he looked so unfamiliar. It seemed that this face would always be a blank face in her heart. It just so happened that he was the one labeled as her “father”. In his eyes, there was only interest. Whoever was beneficial to him should enjoy respect and favor. Whoever was useless to him could be ruthlessly wiped out.

Baili Qingcang frowned and looked at Shen Ninghua. ‘”As the stepmother, Zhao is unkind to you. I’ve heard of her deeds long before. Not only had she embezzled your mother’s dowry, but she was also narrow-minded and harsh on the concubine’s son. She also made things difficult for you. She even allowed Shen Linghan to plot against you many times. If you weren’t lucky, she would have killed you the last time you fell from the pavilion on the artificial hill. Why do you still plead for her?”

Madam Zhao’s face was deathly pale. The emperor really knew everything…

Shen Ninghua slightly lowered her eyes. Her slender eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her pale cheeks. “Your Majesty, although my mother doesn’t like me, my birth mother sacrificed her life in order to give birth to me. My father raised me up, and although he didn’t care enough about me, I didn’t lack food or clothing. My mother and sister did persecute me many times, but I wasn’t hurt in the end. Therefore, I would like to bury the hatchet.”

As she spoke, she turned around and swept her gaze over the officials beside her. “I don’t want anything to happen to my mother right now. Otherwise, if all of you come and convict me of being disloyal and unfilial, I will have a hard time defending myself. For women, reputation is especially important.”

The officials under Shen Ninghua’s gaze could not help but blush. They joined forces to question a young girl. Not only did they fail to get the upper hand, they were even rendered speechless by her counter-questioning. In the end, they were even accused of ruining her reputation. Where on earth can they keep their faces?

Baili Qingcang snorted coldly, shocking many officials to the point that they trembled. “You’re right. It’s really rare for a girl to be so righteous. You would make some officials ashamed of themselves, who wasted a lot of my resources living a useless life for a long time and even wanted to accuse a girl under fifteen as the scapegoat. They really had a good plan!”

“Your Majesty, we pray you not to be angry.”

As soon as Baili Qingcang finished his words, the officials of the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Rites were sweating endlessly, wishing they could faint on the spot. Those officials who remained silent from the very beginning felt extremely lucky in their hearts. They had noticed that the emperor’s attitude seemed to be somewhat different towards Prime Minister Shen’s daughter since the last time. They had been observing the situation without the intention to stand out. They did not expect that they were really betting correctly.

“Not to be angry? I chose you out of thousands of scholars and gave you high positions and power. I provided for you to eat, drink, and enjoy, so that you could be of some use in times of crisis, instead of trying to persuade me not to be angry! Someone, prepare brushes and ink for them. Write whatever you have in your mind. I don’t believe that all the civil and military officials in such a large court can’t even come up with a good idea.”

“Yes, as you ordered.”

Baili Qingcang suppressed his emotions and said, “By the way, the princes, the Shen family, and the Zhao family come to the Imperial Southern Study. Send a few nurses to bring Madam Zhao over as well. Doctor Chen, take a look at her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In the Imperial Southern Study.

Chen Yun felt the pulse of Madam Zhao and said, “Your Majesty, Madam Zhao got too excited and hurt the fetus. It is a little dangerous.”

Baili Qingcang said coldly, “Write down the prescription and ask palace maids to make the medicine. Make sure this baby is safe and sound.”

Hearing this, Shen Dong’s heart trembled instead of being happy. According to common sense, the emperor would not care about the baby’s life. Once the emperor cared, this baby would definitely be of some use. Now that the Shen family was in danger, what was the use of an unborn baby?

“Shen Ninghua, get up. If I ask you to write another copy of the prescription, how much can you remember?”

Shen Ninghua stood up and said, “Your Majesty, seventy to eighty percent.”

“Alright, then stay in the Palace and write down the prescription. Don’t worry about the other issues. I will do justice for you.”

Shen Ninghua raised her head to look at Baili Qingcang in surprise. But he turned to look at the Second Prince, Baili Jinchuan.

“Jinchuan, hand over the things you’ve investigated to Chen Yun and Shen Ninghua. By the way, gather all the doctors in the Imperial Health Institute to cooperate with them. We must develop a cure for the plague.”

Baili Jinchuan nodded. “Father, I will fully cooperate. However, that Shen Xuanye…”

Baili Qingcang’s eyes moved with thought. “I’ll leave him at your disposal. It’s up to you. I only want the results.”

“Yes.” Baili Jinchuan nodded, and a cold killing intent flashed through his eyes. Shen Xuanye had set up Ninghua many times. Since the emperor had given him full authority, he must vent anger for Ninghua.

“Shen Dong, I don’t want to make additional remarks on you. Although you have done many good deeds for the Imperial Court, your control over your own backyard is too disappointing. If this matter was settled, I would let you live. Otherwise, you should redeem with your death!”

Shen Dong’s eyes widened, as if he had aged more than ten years in a blink of an eye. “Your Majesty…”

Zhao Kun raised his head and said anxiously, ‘”Your Majesty, Prime Minister Shen had good intentions when he studied the prescription. Somehow the prescription went wrong. Please think twice.” If the Shen family collapsed, the next target of anger would be the Zhao family.

Baili Qingcang sneered. “Zhao Kun, do you think you’re innocent? Before I start dealing with you, you should pray for your own fortune! Don’t think that being the Crown Prince’s uncle can save you this time!”

Zhao Kun hurriedly kowtowed. “Your Majesty, I pray you not to be angry. I know I deserve to die.”

Crown Prince Baili Jinyi knelt down and said, “Father, now that the country is in danger, we should first focus on dealing with the plague in Jiangnan. Although the Zhao family is my maternal grandfather’s clan, if they are really guilty, I will not plead for mercy for them.”

Baili Qingcang looked at him with unclear emotion in his eyes and acquiesced to his words.

“Ninghua, you can go down and write the prescription first. You can stay in Anning’s palace. Also, arrange for Madam Zhao to stay in Anning’s side hall. If anything happens, report to me immediately.”

Shen Ninghua nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

After leaving the Southern Imperial Study, Shen Ninghua walked forward without turning her head.

Madam Zhao, who was also helped out, said ghastly, “Shen Ninghua, are you satisfied now?”

Shen Ninghua turned her head and the two maids who were supporting Madam Zhao had sensibly retreated. “So what if I am? What if I’m not?”

Madam Zhao’s expression was ferocious. “Aren’t you satisfied that you’ve finally destroyed the Shen family? You are really that bitch Xia Jingyan’s child. You are both heartless!”

Shen Ninghua said coldly, “No matter how heartless I am, I’m not comparable to you. Where did the poison in my body come from? Don’t say that you don’t know! How did the carriage I took fall off the cliff? Don’t tell me you hadn’t designed it! Ever since I returned to the Shen family, I haven’t felt at ease for a day. Don’t say it has nothing to do with you! Embezzling my mother’s dowry, ruining my reputation, and plotting against my life, which one of these things doesn’t have anything to do with you? Who is the heartless one?”

Madam Zhao’s eyes widened and her entire body trembled. “So you’re going to destroy the Shen family?”

“You killed my mother and made me born without a mother. Why can’t I destroy the Shen family?”

“You…you knew everything?”

“What do you think?” Shen Ninghua asked back. She slowly had her heart in her mouth and carefully looked at Madam Zhao’s expression. She could not find the truth about the past, so she could only make Madam Zhao speak it out.

Madam Zhao’s expression was nervous. “How did you know? The people who knew about this had already died. Where did you get the information?”