The woodshed fell into dead silence.
The Princess Consort's departing footsteps suddenly halted. She turned back, looking at Shen Wei with disbelief.
A younger brother?
Shen Wei had a younger brother?
Shen Wei's nose tingled with emotion as she tried to explain, "Back then, when I left the Prince's Mansion to visit my family, it was with Your Highness's permission. I come from a humble background and was worried about my brother, so I secretly left the mansion to visit him... Who would have thought it would lead to such a misunderstanding?"
The Princess Consort glanced at Granny Liu, who was equally stunned. About a month or two ago, Shen Wei had indeed requested permission to leave the mansion to visit her family.
The Princess Consort narrowed her eyes slightly. "Shen Wei, is this true?"
Shen Wei's eyes reddened. "I dare not lie to you."
Beside her, Shen Xiuming, bound tightly, kept making muffled noises. He desperately wanted to speak up and defend his sister, but his mouth was gagged, leaving him helpless as he watched her being bullied and falsely accused.
The Princess Consort's expression shifted uncertainly.
She scrutinized Shen Wei and Shen Xiuming's faces closely and, upon closer inspection, noticed a striking resemblance in their features!
The Princess Consort's mind buzzed as she vaguely realized she had made a grave mistake. The inner court of the Prince's Mansion had been too peaceful for too long. The wives and concubines had coexisted harmoniously, and the Princess Consort was no longer as sharp and perceptive as she once was.
At that moment, the sound of Fu Gui, the steward, panting heavily came from outside the woodshed. "Your Highness, I heard you've detained Lady Shen. I came to check, hoping there hasn't been some misunderstanding."
Fu Gui hurried back, sweat pouring down his face.
Fu Gui had been busy all day. Early that morning, he had gone to inspect the account books at the Prince's Mansion's shops, leaving him dizzy and exhausted. In principle, the task of regularly checking the account books should have fallen to the Princess Consort, the mistress of the household.
But the Princess Consort spent her days either burning incense and praying or focusing on her children's studies, neglecting her duties as the head of the household.
As the steward of the Prince's Mansion, Fu Gui was not only responsible for managing the servants and attending to Prince Yan's daily needs but also had to reluctantly take on the Princess Consort's responsibilities. His old back was nearly broken from the strain. Despite his tireless efforts to manage the mansion on her behalf, his monthly salary had not increased, leaving him deeply dissatisfied.
When he returned to the mansion after his busy day, he learned that Shen Wei had been locked in the woodshed by the Princess Consort.
Fu Gui rushed over immediately to assess the situation. Shen Wei was currently the apple of Prince Yan's eye, and no harm could come to her.
The Princess Consort was still shaken. "This..."
Fu Gui peeked into the woodshed and was startled by what he saw. Shen Wei and a young man were both tied up.
Fu Gui's sharp eyes recognized the young man as Shen Wei's younger brother, who lived near the Confucian Temple.
Fu Gui, ever clever, quickly deduced the reason for Shen Wei's predicament. He feigned surprise. "Isn't this Lady Shen's brother? What's he doing here? Your Highness, there must be some misunderstanding."
The Princess Consort's face stiffened, and Granny Liu quickly asked, "Steward Fu Gui, do you know Lady Shen's brother?"
Fu Gui smiled. "Of course, I've met him a couple of times."
At this, the Princess Consort's heart sank to the depths. She had nearly made a colossal mistake!
The Princess Consort forced herself to remain calm and personally walked over to Shen Wei, untying her bonds. "Zhang Yue deliberately framed you. I will see to it that justice is served. Someone, untie Lady Shen's brother."
The Princess Consort shifted all the blame onto Zhang Yue.
She took Shen Wei's hand and spoke kindly, "As the mistress of the Prince's Mansion, I was manipulated by a petty person and nearly harmed you."
Shen Wei trembled, unable to meet the Princess Consort's eyes.
The Princess Consort smiled. "You are deeply cherished by the Prince, and there are many days ahead of you. This was just a misunderstanding, and I trust you can understand my position. First, send your brother away from the mansion. As an outsider, it's inappropriate for him to stay here and could lead to gossip."
Her words carried an implicit threat.
Shen Wei, shaking with fear, nodded timidly.
"I... I understand," Shen Wei stammered.
Shen Xiuming had already been untied. Shen Wei kept her head down, clutching her brother's sleeve as they left the woodshed.
She escorted Shen Xiuming to the back gate of the mansion.
Shen Xiuming's face was bruised and swollen from the beating. He angrily said, "Third Sister, they went too far!"
The inner court of the Prince's Mansion was a den of wolves, and every woman there was terrifying. Shen Xiuming looked at his frail and thin sister, his heart aching.
How much suffering had Third Sister endured in the mansion...
Shen Wei forced a smile, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at Shen Xiuming. "Take care of yourself. From now on, I won't be able to send you shoes or clothes. Hurry and leave. The Princess Consort's people are still watching."
Not far away, Granny Liu was indeed lurking under the moon gate, keeping a close eye on them.
Shen Xiuming clenched his fists. "Third Sister, I'll return to the Confucian Temple and study hard! Next spring, during the imperial examinations, I'll become your pillar of support!"
Seeing that her encouragement had worked, Shen Wei smiled gently. "I believe in you."
Shen Xiuming and Shen Wei parted ways, his steps firm as he left.
He would study. He would study even harder! He would rescue his sister from this sea of suffering!
After sending Shen Xiuming off, Shen Wei put on a melancholic expression and returned to the Glazed Pavilion with a heavy heart.
After being locked in the woodshed for half a day, the Prince's Mansion remained as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened. In the Glazed Pavilion, Cai Ping brought ointment to treat the rope marks on Shen Wei's wrists.
Cai Ping was puzzled. "My lady, why did you reveal your brother's identity so readily?"
In Cai Ping's mind, Shen Wei wouldn't have disclosed Shen Xiuming's identity so quickly. The Princess Consort would have kept Shen Wei and Shen Xiuming locked in the woodshed until Prince Yan returned to pass judgment.
At that point, Shen Wei would have revealed Shen Xiuming's identity to Prince Yan. The Prince would have been furious, punishing Zhang Yue and the Princess Consort severely and showing even more affection toward Shen Wei.
But Cai Ping hadn't expected Shen Wei to reveal Shen Xiuming's identity so proactively.
Shen Wei rubbed her sore wrists, a faint smile playing on her lips. "The Princess Consort gagged my brother but not me. If I had deliberately concealed the truth, she would have realized I was scheming against her."
She could have spoken the truth immediately but chose not to, only revealing it after Prince Yan returned.
Wouldn't that have made it obvious she was plotting against the Princess Consort?
Shen Wei couldn't take that risk.
Currently, in the Princess Consort's eyes, Shen Wei was nothing more than a beautiful but foolish woman, posing no threat to her position.
But if the Princess Consort discovered Shen Wei's cunning, she would undoubtedly become wary.
Shen Wei was still a lowly concubine, her influence not yet fully developed. She was no match for the Princess Consort, who had both a son and a daughter. Even if the Princess Consort killed Shen Wei today, Prince Yan wouldn't divorce her for Shen Wei's sake. At most, he would punish her by making her copy a few volumes of Buddhist scriptures.
Cai Ping was indignant. "But my lady, didn't you suffer for nothing today? When the Prince returns, you must tell him what happened!"
Shen Wei rested her chin on her hand and said leisurely, "I won't take the initiative to complain."
Cai Ping was baffled.
If she didn't complain, wouldn't today's performance and suffering have been in vain?
Shen Wei, seeing through everything, said meaningfully, "Actively complaining would seem too deliberate. It's better to let the Prince discover it on his own."
Complaining was something only petty people did. Shen Wei was gentle, understanding, and considerate. How could she stoop to complaining?
She would only reveal a few subtle clues, allowing Prince Yan to piece together the truth and realize the immense injustice she had suffered.
As for Zhang Yue, who had maliciously framed her, Shen Wei didn't need to lift a finger. The Princess Consort would deal with that troublemaker.
Everything was in place. All that was left was to wait for Prince Yan's return.
