Chapter 521: A Couple's Scheme
"I've investigated—this man seized innocent women and has several lives on his hands," Xiao Huayong said, skirting the gravest details.
Those sordid matters were too difficult to voice, and he didn't want to sully Shen Xihe's ears.
"Oh." Shen Xihe responded flatly.
It wasn't that she found these deeds insufficiently enraging, but rather she had long heard such rumors and thus remained unruffled. Even before Geng Zhongji's death, Shen Xihe had caught wind of them, but each time Geng Liangcheng and his wife managed to smooth things over.
With no victims stepping forward, she loathed Geng Zhongji's behavior yet had no grounds to intervene and punish him. From then on, she simply distanced herself from the Geng couple and began spending most of her time at her maternal uncle's home.
Geng Zhongji had gone missing as a child, leaving his parents consumed by guilt. His mother, in particular, grew frequently absentminded, to the extent that they never had another child. After over a decade of futile searching for their only heir, they had given up hope—until he was miraculously found.
But the returned son was morally bankrupt. Geng Liangcheng painstakingly tried to reform him, yet Madame Geng was too soft-hearted, always intervening. A single tearful plea from Geng Zhongji about his childhood hardships would melt her resolve, making her reluctant to let him suffer any discipline.
Had that been the full extent, Shen Yueshan would certainly have confided in Shen Xihe. Clearly, Geng Zhongji had committed other unforgivable, heinous crimes—ones neither Shen Yueshan nor Xiao Huayong wished her to know.
Fortunately, she wasn't overly curious. If they preferred silence, so be it.
Both were astute: Shen Xihe knew Xiao Huayong was withholding details, and he understood she knew. Yet neither pressed the matter, letting it drop quietly.
Shen Yueshan had gone out again. As Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe shared their morning meal, he remarked, "I looked into Geng Liangcheng yesterday—he's a cautious man. If not for your father's prolonged absence this time, coupled with his usual lack of opportunity, he wouldn't have dared act. This rare chance tempted him to test the waters, alerting your father. Otherwise, he might have remained dormant."
A venomous snake lurking by Shen Yueshan's side, trusted deeply, could easily have ended both father and son's lives.
Shen Xihe felt a wave of relief. "Fortunately, last year's campaign against the Turks took an unexpected turn."
Otherwise, her own scheming might have ensnared her father and brother.
Xiao Huayong chuckled at her words. "Your father and brother must have made quite a stir then. Geng Liangcheng likely reported everything to His Majesty without concealment. But when Xiao Changtai interfered, allowing Munuha to escape, your plan collapsed mid-execution. The intended strike against the Turks was abandoned, leaving both His Majesty and Geng Liangcheng baffled by your father and brother's actions."
Shen Xihe couldn't help a soft laugh. Truly, they had given His Majesty a needless scare.
"Geng Liangcheng is too prudent to act rashly. I still favor yesterday's feigned death plan," Xiao Huayong continued. "But to convince him, your father should 'succumb to illness' right before his eyes."
"Die in front of him?" Shen Xihe arched a brow."If we find a corpse to pass off as the real one, he might not believe it." The corpse would inevitably require tampering; if not done thoroughly enough, it wouldn't conceal the truth, but if overdone, it would arouse suspicion. Shen Xihe also disliked this approach. After assessing Geng Liangcheng's character, Xiao Huayong slightly adjusted the plan.
"I have already sent word to Linghu Zheng, asking him to come and see how we can make Father-in-law appear severely injured and beyond cure to convince others."
Shen Xihe understood Xiao Huayong's intention—this was to have Shen Yueshan feign serious injury. If he were truly critically wounded and beyond treatment, the prolonged absence of his whereabouts would seem plausible.
"To fully convince him, we must make him clearly aware of who inflicted such severe injuries on Father." A faint smile touched Shen Xihe's eyes.
Reading her thoughts, Xiao Huayong immediately grasped her meaning: "We'll have to make use of Uncle for this."
Xiao Juesong was the perfect choice—after all, he was the Jiachen Crown Prince who had even outmaneuvered His Majesty, stormed the temporary palace, and captured the Crown Prince. Wouldn't it be fitting for him to have dealt Shen Yueshan such a devastating blow?
As for why he targeted Shen Yueshan—naturally, it was because he initially sought cooperation with Shen Yueshan, but Shen Yueshan remained unyielding even under pressure, leading to his brutal torment. The reason for keeping Shen Yueshan alive instead of killing him was to prevent Youning Emperor from benefiting.
"We also need to find a location to serve as Father's prison and arrange for suspicious individuals to frequent Liangzhou." Shen Xihe reminded him of the details.
Xiao Huayong stroked his chin. Liangzhou was the Fifth Prince's territory; causing such a major incident here would likely not escape his notice. They needed to devise a way to keep the Fifth Prince from getting involved.
"Your Highness, why are you distracted?" Shen Xihe noticed Xiao Huayong lost in thought.
Snapping back to reality, Xiao Huayong didn't mention Xiao Changqing's matter but instead asked, "Does the Northwest King's residence have a regularly employed doctor? One with exceptional medical skills."
"Yes, the Northwest Army's military physician is quite remarkable. I owe my survival to him." Shen Xihe nodded.
"We need to secure him in advance." Xiao Huayong stated.
After a moment's consideration, Shen Xihe understood Xiao Huayong's meaning: "If Geng Liangcheng learns that Father is critically wounded beyond cure, even if we arrange everything logically, he will still fear any unforeseen circumstances. What would truly set his mind at ease would be personally ending Father's life. This way, he would also avenge Geng Zhongji and feel more secure."
The Northwest King's residence was tightly guarded like an iron bucket. The only opportunity for Geng Liangcheng to strike would be through the military physician. The physician was known for his integrity and admired Father's character. To make him collaborate, the only way would be to threaten the lives of his entire family.
"Uncle Sang is utterly loyal to Father. Even if Geng Liangcheng threatened Uncle Sang's wife and children, he would not compromise." Shen Xihe was certain of this.
"No, Geng Liangcheng is already a villain himself. A villain would never believe that true righteousness exists in this world." Xiao Huayong slightly shook his head. "Moreover, the military physician must diagnose Father-in-law as critically wounded beyond cure. Since Father-in-law is already beyond saving, why would the physician disregard the lives of his own family for a dying man? It would be more logical for the military physician to be coerced into harming Father-in-law."
Shen Xihe pondered for a moment: "What you say makes sense. I will inform Father when he returns."
"It would be better to keep this from your elder brother as well." Xiao Huayong suggested again.
It wasn't that he distrusted Shen Yungan's acting skills, but rather that Shen Yungan's genuine, uncalculated reactions would appear more natural and flawless.Shen Xihe frowned. The three of them—father and sons—had never kept secrets from one another. Concealing this from Brother now would surely hurt him when the truth came to light. After a moment's thought, Shen Xihe said, "Let Father decide when he returns."
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel