Chapter 41: Jade Pendant

Up ahead, at the Shen family’s main residence

Shen Mingzhu lay on the bed, as Yao Shi helped her apply medicine. Her entire backside had swollen to a purplish-black.

She cried out in pain: “It hurts, it hurts. Mother, be gentler.”

Earlier, she had endured it all, hoping to catch the County Magistrate’s attention. He was clearly stunned when he first laid eyes on her, but why did he side with that bastard child?

This was the first time she realized her beauty was useless in front of a man.

“How could you be so foolish, taking the beating for your grandmother? You’re delicate and precious, how could you endure that! And that County Magistrate, how could he let you suffer in someone else’s place! You’re such a beautiful young lady, yet he could bring himself to do that!” Yao Shi looked at the backside that had swollen like a steamed bun, blooming with purplish-black flowers, her heart aching terribly.

Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu grew angry: “It’s all because of that bastard child, Shen Xingnong! If I didn’t step in, I would have been labeled as unfilial in front of the County Magistrate. But, Mother, he was clearly captivated when he saw me, I even vaguely heard him say I’m more beautiful than some woman in the capital, but why did he side with that bastard child?”

Yao Shi was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes lit up, as she recalled the County Magistrate’s youthful, handsome, and dashing appearance!

Wasn’t this a tactic often used by young masters when they encountered beautiful ladies? Deliberately making things difficult for the other party, with the ultimate goal of making them come begging.

“You don’t have to worry about your grandmother anymore!” Yao Shi’s mood brightened.

“Why?” Shen Mingzhu was puzzled. Although she wasn’t too worried either, she had come up with a plan on the way back. Li Shi was in jail, her reputation ruined, but there was a way to prevent it from affecting her own reputation. As long as her grandfather pretended to divorce Li Shi, their household registrations would be separated, and then when the officials investigated their family backgrounds, they wouldn’t find anything.

“Because the County Magistrate has taken a liking to you!”

Shen Mingzhu: “.I don’t think so. He only glanced at me and then barely looked my way.”

Yao Shi smiled: “Silly girl, you don’t understand men’s minds! Especially those young masters! Tomorrow, I’ll have your father send an invitation to the County Magistrate, and then you’ll understand!”

Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu became unsure.

At that moment, the maid Xiao Xi hurried in: “Madam, Miss, Old Master requests your presence. Master has also returned.”

“You rest well, I’ll go discuss how to rescue your grandmother with your father.” Yao Shi gave a word of advice and left.

~

In the main room

Shen Wanshan sat in the main seat, fuming with rage: “Reckless! You didn’t even clarify the truth of the matter, how could you rashly report it to the officials! Now look what happened! Your mother is locked up in jail, with a criminal record, how will Zhiyuan take the imperial examinations in the future? Even Mingzhu’s marriage prospects are affected! What wealthy family would marry her?”

The imperial examinations required a clean family background, with no criminal records or jail time for direct blood relatives within three generations.

The same applied to the imperial selection held every five years.

Only women from families with clean backgrounds and outstanding virtues could be chosen!

It was just reporting to the officials!

What kind of ability did Li Shi possess to land herself in jail and even lose so much silver and grain?

It was infuriating!

Lately, everything seemed to be going wrong. They couldn’t even get the house back.

He also wanted to find that jade pendant as soon as possible.

Back then, when his father rescued Shen Chongshan, he was clutching a jade pendant tightly, refusing to let go.

Later, even after he woke up with amnesia, he treasured that jade pendant immensely.

He tried every means but couldn’t get his hands on it. Then, the jade pendant disappeared, he never saw Shen Chongshan wear it again, and he didn’t know where it was hidden.

When Shen Chongshan went to serve in the army, he confirmed that he hadn’t taken the jade pendant with him.

He figured the jade pendant was most likely hidden in that dilapidated house.

That dilapidated house was built by Shen Chongshan himself.

That’s why he found a fortune teller and spread the rumor that the bastard child living in the ancestral home had ruined the Shen family’s and the village’s feng shui, trying to force them out.

Unexpectedly, they suffered such a huge loss, it was like losing both the wife and the troops!

Yao Shi said: “Don’t worry, Father, I already have a way to rescue Mother, and we can get that silver back too. Tomorrow, I’ll go find that person, he won’t allow those bastards to have such a large sum of silver.”

✿✿✿

Old Master Shen nodded: “No matter what, rescue your mother as soon as possible, there must be no record left at the yamen, the children’s futures are important. Our family is familiar with Assistant Magistrate, right? You should go and use your connections.”

Shen Shihua shook his head: “Father, a new County Magistrate has taken office. This case was his first court session since taking office, he personally sentenced Mother to jail. This time, even if we seek help from Assistant Magistrate, I’m afraid it will be difficult.”

“Difficult matters can be resolved with silver!” Shen Wanshan said nonchalantly.

Shen Shihua shook his head: “I’m afraid this County Magistrate doesn’t lack silver.”

Shen Wanshan was surprised: “What do you mean?”

“Assistant Magistrate told me that this County Magistrate came from the capital, his background is quite significant!”

Yao Shi couldn’t help but ask: “Did Assistant Magistrate mention how significant?”

“Assistant Magistrate doesn’t know for sure, but he heard that at the very least, he’s a young master from a century-old clan in the capital.”

Heavens! Yao Shi covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

A century-old clan in the capital? Those were families with immense power and influence!

Yao Shi felt a surge of excitement.

Although she wanted her daughter to marry into the palace and become a consort, after all, the empress had been deposed, and the position was vacant, offering unlimited possibilities.

The emperor was only nearing forty, not even forty yet, still in his prime! He couldn’t possibly remain without an empress forever.

Moreover, several of the adult princes were still unmarried, participating in the imperial selection, there were truly countless opportunities.

If she couldn’t become the emperor’s consort, becoming a prince’s consort, even a secondary consort, would be acceptable.

But before the imperial selection, if she could gain the favor of a young master from a prestigious family in the capital, wouldn’t it make things much smoother for their family?

In case, just in case, they were unsuccessful in the imperial selection, marrying into a prestigious family in the capital would be the best alternative.

Yao Shi also knew that with their family background, it would be difficult for them to be chosen to stay in the palace as a consort. Her biggest reliance was on Shen Mingzhu’s beauty. She had a slender and graceful figure, and especially after carefully applying makeup and dressing up, she could be considered devastatingly beautiful!

No hero could resist the allure of a beautiful woman, no man could remain unmoved by a beautiful woman! Didn’t the County Magistrate fall for her at first glance?

Yao Shi quickly formed a plan in her mind, “Husband, tomorrow you send an invitation to the County Magistrate. I’ll go find that person and get our silver back.”

The family then discussed how to rescue Li Shi.

~

The belongings and grain that had been thrown all over the ground took more than an hour for so many people to gather and clean up.

Gu Shi led her children to express their gratitude to Chu Tiankuo and the others.

Xingnong took out one hundred copper coins and handed them to Ren Zilin: “Your Excellency, could you please issue an official land deed for our house? This is the deed tax.”

The house was worth about one tael of silver, and according to Chu State law, the deed tax for a house was ten percent, so Xingnong gave one hundred copper coins.

Gu Shi hadn’t expected Xingnong to think of this, she worried that Ren Zilin wouldn’t agree, and quickly explained the situation of the house, “Your Excellency, our house is like this. . The situation is roughly like this, I did indeed spend one tael of silver to buy this house back then. Even if it didn’t cost one tael, the children all have the surname Shen, and Xinghui is a male heir, how can it be considered a family without a male heir? So, can the official deed be issued?”

This County Magistrate was new, he probably didn’t know anything, otherwise, how could he have dared to help their family just now? This was an opportunity, they should quickly get the official deed issued while they could! Gu Shi silently apologized to Ren Zilin in her heart.

County Magistrate, I’m sorry!

Although what she was doing was reasonable and legal, it was a bit unethical. She would definitely go around and praise him as a good official~~

The best official in the world~