Chapter 123: Jiang Lin’s Furious Stab at Shen Zhifeng

Seeing Jiang Lin’s ashen face, Shen Sisi gathered her courage and asked, "What did Mother say?"

Jiang Lin’s eyes were bloodshot, whether from fury or overwhelming sorrow: "Mother said she has no face left to remain in the Marquis’s Estate. If possible, she will spend the rest of her life in a temple, living among green lamps and ancient Buddhas to atone for her sins. As for the Marquis’s Estate, she leaves the management to you, Sisi."

Upon hearing this, Shen Sisi felt a mix of joy and anxiety. While she had achieved her wish of taking charge of the household, the current situation was incredibly awkward. The Marquis’s Estate had been disgraced following the exposure of the Marchioness’s scandalous affair, leaving it subject to gossip and even scorn—and the man she had been dallying with was none other than her own father, Shen Zhifeng.

She wished she had never married into this family, only to be forced to deal with such a mess. Moreover, how would Jiang Lin view her now?

Shen Sisi gathered her courage, intending to say something, but Jiang Lin suddenly drew his sword and charged out.

"Young Master! Young Master!" the servant chased after him, shouting, "Where are you going? Please, calm down!"

Jiang Lin’s face was filled with grief and indignation: "I am going to kill that lecher, Shen Zhifeng!"

Shen Sisi’s limbs went weak. Hongyu, standing beside her, said anxiously, "Madam, aren't you going to stop him? You must not let the Young Master commit such a grave mistake!"

This was a disaster. If Jiang Lin came to hate the Shen family, would she not be dragged down with them?

Jiang Lin vanished in the blink of an eye. He rode a horse out through the back gate and headed straight for the Duke’s Mansion.

Upon arriving at the Duke’s Mansion, he saw a few people gathered nearby, whispering, but the entrance was quiet—nothing like the chaotic mess at the Marquis’s Estate. Although it took two people to have an affair, the public cast all the blame on the Marchioness, claiming she had been unchaste and had seduced Shen Zhifeng. As for Shen Zhifeng, some even admired the Duke’s prowess, viewing the scandal as nothing more than a romantic escapade.

Jiang Lin’s rage intensified, and he felt a profound sense of humiliation. He pounded on the gates of the Duke’s Mansion and, the moment a servant opened them, he stormed inside, screaming for Shen Zhifeng to get out.

Pearl hurried to report the situation to Shen Qingyun: "Miss, shall we go to the front courtyard to watch the commotion?"

Seeing the gloating look on her face, Shen Qingyun could not help but smile: "If you want to go, then go, but be careful not to get hurt."

Pearl happily chirped, "I’ll tell you all about it when I get back!" Before the words were even out of her mouth, she had scurried away.

Yicui shook her head with a huff and asked, "Miss, should we not go and take a look?"

Shen Qingyun was busy pruning a potted plant. She looked at the excess branches and cut them off without hesitation, not even looking up: "I have already handed over the management of the household. Let them make their own chaos; it has nothing to do with me."

When dogs bite dogs, they end up with mouths full of fur; she only needed to give a subtle push at the critical moment.

Meanwhile, Pearl rushed to the front courtyard, terrified of missing any of the drama. She had only just arrived when she witnessed a shocking scene: Jiang Lin had lunged at Shen Zhifeng with his sword. Shen Zhifeng was unable to dodge in time, and his left arm was slashed, blood blooming instantly across his sleeve.

Concubine Wang, who had arrived with Shen Zhifeng, let out a sharp shriek and fainted on the spot, quickly dragged to the side by her maid.

Pearl gave Jiang Lin a mental thumbs-up. Impressive! He had finally acted like a man. Stab him! Keep stabbing!

But Jiang Lin stood frozen, staring at the blood dripping from Shen Zhifeng’s arm. He suddenly realized what he had done; in his fury, he had nearly killed Shen Zhifeng. His strength gave out, and with a clatter, the sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Pearl curled her lip. *Useless thing.*

The surrounding servants remained on high alert, glaring at Jiang Lin. Shen Zhifeng, surrounded by others, clutched his arm and said, "Lin’er, what is wrong? Did you hear some rumors outside? Calm down and listen to my explanation!"

Jiang Lin cried out in despair: "Explanation? You still have the face to explain? Where is my mother?"

Shen Zhifeng quickly said, "Lin’er, calm down. Family scandals should not be aired in public. Come with me to the study, and I will tell you everything."

Seeing Shen Zhifeng’s sincere expression and his injured arm, Jiang Lin finally compromised. The two went to the study, where the estate physician bandaged Shen Zhifeng’s arm. Shen Zhifeng then ordered everyone to leave, leaving only the two of them.

"Lin’er, I have heard the rumors outside, but they are all falsehoods. Yesterday, I had too much to drink, and your mother sent me to the guest room to rest. We were accidentally stumbled upon by a group of drunks, which led to the misunderstanding. Before we could explain, they ran off and started fabricating these lies on purpose."

Shen Zhifeng thought it over and decided to deny everything to the end. After all, what credibility could a group of drunks have?

But Jiang Lin clearly did not believe this explanation: "If it was a lie, then why did Mother leave? Where did she go?"

"I have heard about the troubles at your Marquis’s Estate. You see, if your mother were still here, the spittle of the public would drown her. Think about your mother’s personality; how could she possibly stay? Naturally, she had to leave to avoid the storm."

Recalling those who had thrown rotten vegetables and splashed filth today, Jiang Lin’s face turned pale. His mother was indeed a woman who prioritized face and status above all else. Put that way, it seemed to make some sense.

"Then, did Mother really go to a temple?"

Shen Zhifeng looked troubled: "Actually, I am not entirely sure. I advised her to return to our hometown first and wait for the rumors in the capital to die down before coming back."

Having said this, fearing that Jiang Lin remained uneasy, he added: "She said she would write to you to let you know she is safe once she reaches a certain place. I will also help her clarify the rumors, as this concerns my own reputation as well."

Seeing Shen Zhifeng speak so logically, Jiang Lin hesitated. He was never a man of strong conviction, and at this moment, he had no idea what else to do.

Shen Zhifeng reassured him again: "Don't worry. The misunderstanding was caused by me, after all. I will have those who caused trouble at the Marquis’s Estate caught and turned over to the authorities!"

And just like that, Jiang Lin was dismissed by Shen Zhifeng’s clever maneuvering. Though his mind remained a tangled mess, he had no other options.

Shen Zhifeng truly did manage to find those who had thrown items at the Marquis’s Estate—they were just some local thugs. After being sent to the authorities, they claimed on the spot that the rumors were false and that they had just been looking for an excuse to cause trouble.

Such scandalous matters of "wind and moon" were always based on hearsay, half-true and half-false. Now, no one knew whether to believe the rumors or not.

Seeing this, Jiang Lin’s heart finally calmed down, and he even began to worry about the Marchioness out in the world.

When Shen Qingyun learned of what had happened, she merely gave a cold laugh. This was only the beginning. If he thought he could muddle through the water to get away with it, he would have to see if she allowed it.