Chapter 102: Taking the Matter to Court

Hearing the old matriarch’s words, Shen Sisi stood by her side, tears streaming down her face. Her small face was deathly pale, and her slender frame trembled as if a gust of wind might topple her, making her appear truly pitiable.

Many onlookers gathered around, and several men could not help but feel a surge of sympathy for Shen Sisi.

The butler of the General’s Mansion poked his head out from the doorway. Upon seeing the grandmother and granddaughter, he sneered, "My mistress has only one daughter, and that is Young Miss Qingyun. As for this one, what kind of creature is she?"

The crowd erupted in an uproar. What on earth did that mean?

The old matriarch met the butler’s gaze. His mocking expression caused her aged face to flush with embarrassment. She cursed inwardly, frustrated that he lacked the sense to keep domestic scandals behind closed doors. Flustered, she quickly changed the subject, "I demand to see Lady Han! Is this how the General’s Mansion treats people? Do you bar guests at the door the moment they arrive?"

The butler curled his lip and stepped out impatiently. "Guests? We received no formal notice of any visit today. I have no idea what sort of 'guest' you are supposed to be."

"I am, at the very least, Lady Han’s mother-in-law! What kind of attitude is this, you insolent servant!"

"My dear old lady, my mistress has already divorced the Duke. Where would she get a mother-in-law from? You have clearly come to the wrong place. I suggest you take your leave."

"Fine, very well! You are turning your backs on us, are you? But what about Sisi? Sisi is Lady Han’s daughter. Even if they are divorced, you cannot simply abandon her!"

The butler sneered, "I have already said it: Shen Sisi is not our mistress’s daughter. You know that perfectly well yourselves. To have the audacity to show up here—you have truly lost all sense of shame."

With that, he didn't even bother looking at them again, retreating into the mansion and slamming the heavy doors shut.

The old matriarch’s face turned a mixture of blue and red, her eyes burning with hatred. She turned to face the onlookers, her expression one of profound grief. "Lady Han was married into the Duke’s Mansion for over a decade without bearing a son. She constantly used her fragile health as an excuse to deny my son his marital rights. Yet, my son was deeply devoted to her, swearing that he would have no other wife but Han Rou. For more than ten years—everyone, just think about it—my son truly did everything a husband could possibly do!"

The crowd let out a collective sigh. People began whispering to one another. The men, in particular, sympathized with Shen Zhifeng; a noble Duke with no son to inherit his estate, forced to sleep in a cold bed alone—how miserable that was! Even some women began to criticize Lady Han, calling her too arrogant, unskilled in serving her husband, and unappreciative of her lot.

"Sigh, it’s only because she’s the daughter of a General. If she were any other woman, she would have been cast aside long ago."

"I heard this Lady Han is a great beauty, a true femme fatale. She must have completely bewitched the Duke. Otherwise, how could he have remained content with only her for so many years?"

"Ha! That makes sense. If I were the Duke, I’d have beautiful concubines and wives in every corner."

"That’s why you aren't a Duke! If I could marry a man who was devoted to me alone and took no concubines, I would have no regrets in this life. We would live in perfect harmony."

The old matriarch continued, "Before this, Lady Han insisted on a divorce. My son refused, wanting to keep her, but she struck him with a whip! He was forced into a corner and had no choice but to agree. And to think, when she left, she stripped the household of every valuable item! Now, with our granddaughter’s wedding only months away, we don't even have a decent dowry to provide. We came here to discuss it, and they wouldn't even let us in the door! This is the 'decorum' of the General’s Mansion!"

"Everyone, judge for yourselves. Even if they are divorced, can she simply abandon her own daughter? To avoid paying a dowry, she goes so far as to deny her daughter’s very identity!"

The old matriarch wept, painting Lady Han as cold-hearted, ruthless, arrogant, and devoid of family loyalty. Shen Sisi, too, played the part of the grieving girl, tugging pitifully at her grandmother’s sleeve. "Grandmother, we are weak and alone. I do not wish for you to suffer such humiliation on my behalf. Let us just leave."

The public had long been curious about the divorce between Lady Han and Shen Zhifeng but had never known the reason. Now, seeing the helpless pair and hearing the old matriarch’s earnest, heart-wrenching words, the crowd naturally sided with the perceived victims and began to jeer and curse.

"Good heavens, the General’s Mansion is bullying them too much! How can they act so tyrannically?"

"A woman like that belongs in a pig-drowning cage!"

"Indeed, I have never seen such a black-hearted person. Denying her own daughter? And she calls herself a lady of the General’s Mansion?"

"Sigh, what a waste of the Duke’s sincere heart."

The younger, more hot-headed members of the crowd began to shout alongside the old matriarch, demanding that Han Rou stop hiding in the mansion and come out to face them.

Seeing this, the old matriarch finally let out a long breath of relief. *Damn you, Han Rou. I will let the spittle of the masses drown you. Let’s see how you hold your head high now. I will make you come crawling to me, begging for mercy.*

When the news reached the Duke’s Mansion, Pearl grew anxious. "My Lady, what shall we do? The old matriarch is truly skilled at twisting the truth! To think she would say such things just to get money."

Yicui’s expression was equally grim. "We must clarify the truth. We cannot let the Mistress be slandered like this."

Shen Qingyun was practicing calligraphy. Her hand paused, finishing a stroke. She picked up the rice paper and blew on the wet ink, her eyes dark with hidden currents, her thoughts unreadable.

Pearl paced back and forth, unsettled. "My Lady, please, you must think of a way!"

Shen Qingyun calmly set down the paper, her voice cool and detached. "Blessings and misfortunes are intertwined. The old matriarch dares to act this way only because she believes Mother is soft-hearted and unable to argue, hoping to seize the upper hand with her smears. But right and wrong are not determined by a single wagging tongue. Public opinion is a fearsome thing, but I wonder if the Duke’s Mansion will be able to withstand it when it turns back on them."

"My Lady..." Pearl stared at Shen Qingyun, stunned. Though she was not well-read and didn't fully grasp the implications, she understood that her mistress already had a plan.

Indeed, that very afternoon, the General’s Mansion filed a formal petition with the Jingzhao Prefecture.

The suit accused the Duke, Shen Zhifeng, of conspiring with a mistress to swap the true daughter of the Duke’s Mansion and of embezzling Lady Han’s dowry over the years, accompanied by the meticulously prepared accounts of the last decade.

Given the old matriarch’s vigorous propaganda, Lady Han’s infamy had already spread through every street and alley, sparking heated discussions. Now that the situation had taken such a drastic turn, the public became obsessively interested in the case.

The Jingzhao Prefecture was under immense pressure; they never expected that a bit of gossip would land such a massive headache on their doorstep.

By the time the trial began, the entrance to the Jingzhao Prefecture was packed with layers of onlookers, all chattering away, eager to voice their opinions.

"Silence! Silence!" The Prefect slammed his gavel, and the crowd slowly quieted down.

Han Rou and Shen Zhifeng were both summoned. Shen Zhifeng looked at Han Rou with feigned tenderness, attempting to put on a display of deep affection to mislead the court, while in his heart, he wished he could tear her apart and drink her blood.

"Rou’er, stop this madness. If you are willing, come home with me. I have only ever wanted you as my wife in this life."