851 Showdown (4)
“Father-in-law, you’re thinking too much.” Xie Jingxing smiled indifferently. “She knows my identity and understands the situation she’s facing better than you. Perhaps you should think about the relationship between the Shen family and Ming Qi.”
Feeling that Xie Jingxing was hinting at something, Shen Xin frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”
Xie Jingxing snapped his fingers and his gaze landed on the chessboard that had just been played. Most of Shen Xin’s white pieces had been eaten, but Xie Jingxing’s black pieces were still all over the chessboard. Shen Xin had lost badly, and this chessboard did not look too complicated. Xie Jingxing said, “I played this chess with Father-in-law as a member of the Ming Qi royal family. Father-in-law, didn’t you notice anything?”
Shen Xin suddenly looked up and said angrily, “Nonsense!”
“We both know very well if I’m spouting nonsense or not.” The smile on Xie Jingxing’s face suddenly disappeared, and his lazy expression was immediately replaced by seriousness. “I don’t believe you can’t tell Ming Qi’s attitude towards the Shen family. In fact, if not for Shen Miao secretly interfering, the Shen family would probably be down and out now. I’m not a kind-hearted person. I just don’t want to see Shen Miao risking her life for the Shen family alone, but you don’t know anything. She’s just a little girl. I can’t bear to see her being the villain.”
Shen Xin was so angry that the beard on his lips straightened, but he still caught the crux of Xie Jingxing’s words and asked, “What’s with Jiaojiao? What did you mean just now? Explain it!”
“Father-in-law and Mother-in-law are stationed in the northwest all year round, so you are naturally too busy to take care of Jiaojiao. However, I’m lucky enough to know what the second and third branches did to her back then. They schemed against her and wanted to send her to Prince Yu’s bed. How did Shen Yuan die? How did Ren Wanyun go crazy? How did Shen Gui and Shen Wan get into trouble? Jing Chuchu, Jing Guansheng… Not only did the Shen family scheme against her, but even the royal family of Ming Qi used her to their advantage behind your back.”
“Back then when you retreated to Spring City, who do you think was paving the way? Do you think it’s really a coincidence that Su Yu suddenly appeared and asked the emperor to forgive you to arouse his suspicion? Is the Shen family so blessed that you can escape unscathed every time?”
He looked at Shen Xin’s stiff expression and mocked, “Two years ago, when you returned to the imperial court, it happened to be Old Madam Shen’s birthday. The ancestral hall of the Shen family was set on fire. Don’t you think it’s Shen Miao who personally set it on fire just to let you see the ambition of the Shen family? She used her life to warn and remind you. General Shen, do you dare to say that you can still protect her?”
Shen Xin felt like he had been struck by lightning.
Ever since he and Luo Xueyan returned to the capital, he had suspected that something was wrong, but every time he investigated, he could not find anything. Later, there were many things to do in the Ministry of War, so he did not have much time to dwell on it and gradually put it to the back of his mind.
Now that Shen Xin heard the whole story from Xie Jingxing, he was lost for words.
“Shen Miao is the one who pushed the second and third branches of the Shen family to their demise. General Shen, don’t blame her for being ruthless. If not for her, I’m afraid you’ll long be six feet under.” Xie Jingxing said sarcastically, but his gaze was sharp and oppressive. He said, “You might be a good general to the world, but I think you are not a good father to Shen Miao. I don’t know why she shoulders all the burden, as if she owes the Shen family. However, in my opinion, General Shen, you are not a good father, but you are very lucky to have raised a daughter like Shen Miao.”
