Matriarch Rules, Scumbag Begs - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Face of a Petty Person

Shen Qiuci seemed to be giving Pei Yuanzhou two options,

But in reality, she was forcing him onto a path, compelling him to agree to her demands.

Pei Yuanzhou, however, had his own calculations in his mind:

As long as they got to the yamen, he would find a way to make Shen Qiuci propose dropping the charges against Xue Yinshuang first,

And then he would just plead for mercy for Xue Yinshuang,

No matter what, Prefect Liu would give him face and exempt Xue Yinshuang from physical punishment.

As for the token and key…

After getting Xue Yinshuang out of the yamen, he would just refuse to give them back, and Shen Qiuci wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

After some internal deliberation, he agreed readily:

“Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

Shen Qiuci saw the cunning flash in his eyes, smiled, but didn’t say anything.

The capital was densely populated, and after several days of snow, it was finally a sunny day, and there were naturally more people on the streets.

On the way to the yamen, Pei Yuanzhou said to Shen Qiuci:

“This matter involves you, so when we get to the yamen, you need to mention to Prefect Liu first that you’re not going to pursue this matter further, and then I’ll plead for leniency and ask Prefect Liu to reduce the punishment for Xue Yinshuang.”Shen Qiuci looked at him sideways, her eyes full of distrust.

Pei Yuanzhou hastily explained:

“I’m doing this for your own good, when we get there, you’ll say it’s a misunderstanding, and that you’ve already forgiven Xue Yinshuang, so everyone can see your magnanimity as the mistress.

And then I’ll mention the matter of the caning to the prefect, and it will demonstrate my authority as the master of the household, with clear rewards and punishments.”

He took Shen Qiuci’s hand, pretending to be affectionate:

“This is also to tell everyone that you are my officially married wife, and the mistress of the Hou’s mansion. Even if I pamper Xue Yinshuang, everything will still prioritize you, and it will also save face for you among the noble ladies in the capital.”

Hearing this, Shen Qiuci’s eyes flickered,

After a moment of silence, her attitude softened:

“You’re saying this because you still care about me?”

“Of course.”
Pei Yuanzhou replied without hesitation, his answer firm and resolute:

“We are after all husband and wife, your face is my face.”

Shen Qiuci was slightly taken aback, and after a while, she lowered her eyelids, smiled shyly:

“Since the Heir says so, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I’ll say what you want me to say when we get there, and I hope the Heir won’t forget his promise to me.”

Pei Yuanzhou nodded repeatedly, assuring her:

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely keep my word.”
After entering the yamen, the yamen runners led the two to take their seats in the courtroom,

The Prefect Liu, who sat in the upper seat, ordered someone to bring Xue Yinshuang for interrogation.

As soon as Pei Yuanzhou saw him, he asked:

“Prefect Liu, didn’t you torture Xue Yinshuang yesterday?”

“What kind of words are you speaking, Heir?” Prefect Liu’s expression was stern without being angry, “The prisoner hasn’t been interrogated yet, how could I use torture at will?”

After saying that, he ignored him and focused his attention on Shen Qiuci,

His stern expression gradually softened:

“How is the Heir’s Madam health?”

Shen Qiuci replied in a gentle voice:

“Thanks to Prefect Liu’s concern, my health is much better now.”

“Good, good!” Prefect Liu nodded repeatedly, and his eyes turned red,

“General Shen left you behind, so you can pay respects to him during festivals and holidays. Your recovery is also giving your mother hope to keep going.”

Prefect Liu was a former student of General Shen, and Shen Qiuci often saw him at home when she was a child.

He was a kind and honest person, although not talented enough to lead troops into battle, he managed to obtain a degree through his own efforts and now had a successful official career.

Shen Qiuci said:

“I heard from my mother that your wife often visited our mansion when I was ill, and sent many precious medicinal materials. When I’m free, I’ll definitely visit your mansion personally to express my gratitude.”

Prefect Liu smiled and waved his hand:

“Your father was very kind to me in the past, these small matters are not worth mentioning.”

While chatting, the yamen runner had already brought Xue Yinshuang to the court.

She looked haggard, seemingly having cried all night, her eyes were swollen.

As soon as Pei Yuanzhou saw her, he hurriedly went up to her, holding her hand and telling her not to be afraid.

Seeing that her wrists and ankles were bruised from wearing shackles, he felt even more heartache:

“Xue Yinshuang, I’m so sorry you had to suffer.”

Xue Yinshuang’s eyes were filled with tears, she pursed her lips and shook her head:

“I knew the Heir would come to save me!”

He pulled Xue Yinshuang into his arms, gently stroking her back to comfort her:

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Then he said to Prefect Liu:

“Prefect Liu, this is all just a misunderstanding, I already cleared things up with Shen Qiuci yesterday.”

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Shen Qiuci, reminding her it was her turn to speak.

Shen Qiuci didn’t disappoint him, and continued in line with what he said:

“What the Heir said is true. On the day of the incident, Xue Yinshuang was with the Heir and didn’t go to the tower. When I fell, I vaguely saw someone who looked similar to her, and I mistakenly thought it was her.”
She turned to look at Xue Yinshuang, who had a wronged expression, and emphasized:

“It was me, who wrongly accused her.”

“Prefect Liu, you heard it all! I said from the beginning that I’m innocent! It’s all because of this vicious woman who framed me!”

Xue Yinshuang leaned weakly on Pei Yuanzhou’s chest, raised her hand to show him the injury:

“Heir, I’m in so much pain… please tell them to remove these shackles for me!”

Pei Yuanzhou hurriedly said:

“Prefect Liu, since it’s cleared up that it’s a misunderstanding, please…”

“Heir.”

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Qiuci stepped forward and stood in front of him, speaking in a very low voice:

“I’ve already done what you asked, and I’ve preserved Xue Yinshuang’s reputation. But my child…”

She glanced fiercely at Xue Yinshuang:

“Even if it was unintentional that day, my child still died because of her. You should keep your promise and tell Prefect Liu to punish her with fifty strokes of the cane.”

“Punish? Ha.” Pei Yuanzhou sneered, his expression was completely different from the determination he showed earlier, revealing his true nature:

“Shen Qiuyu, you’re still so naive! Your miscarriage is because you’re not capable enough, Xue Yinshuang is innocent, why should she be punished?”

He looked at Shen Qiuci, and the disgust in his eyes was no longer hidden.
“If you ask me, you are the one who deserves punishment! When we get Xue Yinshuang back to the mansion, I’ll teach you a good lesson, you disobedient and shrewish woman!”

Shen Qiuci was silent for a moment, her eyes cold and sharp as she gazed at him, her voice low:

“Are you sure you want to do this? No regrets?”

“Regrets? The thing I regret the most now is that I didn’t listen to my mother’s words back then. She was right, a married woman should be beaten and scolded often, only when she feels the pain will she be obedient and well-behaved, and won’t cause trouble.”

Pei Yuanzhou didn’t bother to waste more words on her, and pushed her away, then turned to Prefect Liu:

“Prefect Liu, please ask someone to remove the shackles from Xue Yinshuang as soon as possible. She’s frail and can’t withstand this.”

Prefect Liu knew in his heart that Shen Qiuci had suffered in the Marquis’s mansion over the years,

He wanted to help, but since Shen Qiuci had just explained that the whole thing was unrelated to Xue Yinshuang,

Even if he wanted to help, he couldn’t, so he had to give up reluctantly.

Just as he was about to conclude the case with the gavel, he suddenly heard Shen Qiuci say calmly:

“Prefect Liu, I’m not here today to accuse Xue Yinshuang of pushing me off the tower…”She slowly took out a book from her bosom, her gaze swept over Pei Yuanzhou and Xue Yinshuang with a cold intensity,

Then she raised it above her head, her voice loud and clear:

“But I’m here to accuse her of embezzlement, corruption, and shamelessness, she’s a thief and a scoundrel!”

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