Chapter 519: The Crown Prince's Piercing Insight
"Why?" Shen Xihe asked.
Geng Liangcheng was Shen Yungan's martial arts enlightenment teacher. Shen Xihe vaguely remembered that in her childhood, when the Turks tried to take advantage of the court's eunuch turmoil to seize the northwest, Shen Yueshan would always leave her and her brother at the Geng residence whenever he went to battle.
Geng Liangcheng and his wife cared for them both attentively. Aside from an extra touch of respect, their treatment was no different from that of their own parents.
"Because of Geng Zhongji," Shen Yueshan said.
Geng Zhongji? For a moment, Shen Xihe found the name unfamiliar, but she quickly recalled that this was Geng Liangcheng and his wife's only child.
Geng Zhongji was actually several years older than Shen Yungan, but he had been lost during the chaos of war and was found five years ago. By then, he had become a rogue and idler. Previously, he had engaged in petty theft and deception, but after being found by Geng Liangcheng, he only grew worse.
He bullied merchants, extorted bribes on the streets, and indulged in drinking, whoring, and gambling without restraint. Geng Liangcheng had harshly beaten and scolded him, even throwing him into the military camp to toughen him up, but Geng Zhongji never changed. He clearly knew that his parents would not beat him to death, and his thick skin made the punishments feel like mere scratches. After each beating, he would revert to his old ways.
Later, she went to her maternal uncle's home, and by the time she returned, Geng Zhongji had been executed by Father.
Back then, she had asked about it, but everyone was tight-lipped and unwilling to discuss it with her. Since she had no favorable impression of Geng Zhongji, she did not press further.
"What exactly did he die for?" Shen Xihe asked again.
To the extent that Geng Liangcheng would betray them because of him.
"He committed a grave crime. The victim brought the case to me, and during the interrogation, he confessed without hesitation, even acting recklessly and unafraid..." Shen Yueshan spoke very briefly.
Shen Xihe did not inquire further. It was clear that Shen Yueshan did not want to divulge the details.
"When I returned that year and heard about Geng Zhongji, I went to visit Uncle Geng and Auntie. They treated me just as they always had." Geng Liangcheng was the second son in his family, so Shen Xihe referred to his wife as Auntie.
Shen Yueshan was an only son. The Shen family actually had few descendants. Shen Xihe's grandfather had three brothers, but all of them died in the war without leaving any children. Grandfather had four children, but only Father survived. In those years, the former emperor's debauchery and incompetence kept the northwest in a state of constant turmoil. How many military families of the northwest had withered away in the war?
"All these years, we never brought up the matter. The couple never treated you and your brother any differently..." A flicker of bitterness passed through Shen Yueshan's eyes. "Now that I think about it, how could they not hold a grudge? It’s only natural to resent it. If they showed no resentment, it meant they were hiding it deeply."
"How much does Uncle Geng know, and how much has he told Your Majesty?" Shen Xihe was more concerned about this.
Geng Liangcheng had gained Shen Yueshan's utmost trust. Over the years, nothing in the northwest had been kept from him. Shen Yueshan had been completely open with him.
"Fortunately, I have no ambition." Shen Yueshan glanced at Xiao Huayong, who had begun serving the soup. "What he knows is nothing to fear even if Your Majesty learns of it. At most, he would only reveal the northwest's prosperity over the years and our Shen family's wealth."
As for the military strength of the northwest and the power of the Shen army, it would be better if Your Majesty knew. That way, he would not dare to act rashly.Regarding further matters of the northwestern defense, Geng Liangcheng was no fool. Even if he harbored hatred for himself, he would not sacrifice so many innocent civilians in the northwest. He understood clearly that if he revealed everything to His Majesty, he would lose his value as a pawn.
"Is he after Father-in-law's life, or is he after Father-in-law's authority?" Xiao Huayong handed the first bowl of soup to Shen Yueshan.
Shen Yueshan accepted it, giving Xiao Huayong a deep look. "What difference does it make?"
"If it's the former, he might still consider the people of the northwest; if it's the latter..." Xiao Huayong then passed the second bowl to Shen Xihe.
Hatred may blind a person, but it doesn't necessarily extinguish their humanity. However, the lust for power can easily distort someone beyond recognition, turning them into a slave driven by ambition, devoid of any familial bonds.
Shen Yueshan took a sip of the soup. The warmth slid down his throat and into his stomach. Though his hands and feet weren't cold, he could feel a comforting heat enveloping his limbs. He let out a long sigh. "At this moment, I cannot determine whether his betrayal stems from hatred, or if hatred is merely the pretext for his betrayal."
Once brothers who shared everything, they had now reached this point—unfathomable, unclear, and difficult to judge.
"If Father-in-law trusts me, I assert it must be the latter," Xiao Huayong said, taking a bowl of soup and sitting down.
Shen Xihe and Shen Yueshan both turned to look at him. Shen Yueshan asked, "How can you be so sure?"
"Because he exposed himself before you," Xiao Huayong replied with a faint smile. "I may not know this general, but I know His Majesty. Your sudden disappearance, with no trace found despite extensive searches—given your capabilities, it shouldn't have happened. His Majesty must suspect that your disappearance is a scheme you orchestrated.
Why would you set such a trap? And how would you justify it? You bear heavy responsibilities, and disappearing without reporting to the court would give His Majesty ample reason to punish you.
His Majesty would ponder: what motive could compel you to act this way, and with such confidence that you fear no repercussions?
What could be more justified than uncovering a traitor in the northwest?"
No one would believe that Shen Yueshan's disappearance was merely a ploy, primarily intended to allow Shen Xihe to legitimately witness her only brother's wedding. Even if the truth were revealed, those schemers would never accept it.
In their eyes, there was no such thing as pure familial affection. Every move made by those in high positions was scrutinized with extreme complexity.
Xiao Huayong's reasoning earned unanimous agreement from Shen Xihe and her father.
"Since His Majesty has considered this, he would naturally order his agents not to act rashly," Xiao Huayong concluded. "Yet, despite His Majesty's command, he still made a move, arousing your suspicion. This means... he was too tempted by the opportunity presented by your disappearance, so much so that he disregarded His Majesty's instructions."
If his motive were purely hatred for Shen Yueshan, he should not have made any moves at this time. If he did, it would be under the guise of searching for Shen Yueshan to carry out an assassination. Why would he be leaping about provocatively within the northwestern army?
Shen Yueshan's hand tightened around the coarse ceramic bowl, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He lowered his head and drained the soup in one gulp, then hurled the empty bowl fiercely to the ground.
The shattered pieces of the teacup mirrored Shen Yueshan's state of mind.
Before this, Shen Yueshan's feelings toward Geng Liangcheng's betrayal had been painful, melancholic, and complex.Thus, he had gotten thoroughly drunk. Only when Xiao Huayong laid this ugly truth before him did he feel both heart-wrenching pain and uncontrollable fury.
Had Shen Yueshan never considered that Geng Liangcheng might want to become the next Northwest King?
Of course he had thought of it—he simply refused to believe it. This was a brother who had fought alongside him through life and death, bathed in blood on the battlefield, and together they had guarded this land!
How could he have been so blinded by the lust for power?
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel