Chapter 13: Broken Wings

Paper money filled the air and fluttered to the ground.

Emperor Chong’an felt that this was an eyesore. His gaze shifted from the commoners to Song Jingchen, who was at the front, and stopped at his legs for a moment. “Are you sure he’s crippled?”

Eunuch Li hurriedly nodded. “The imperial physician has personally confirmed it. Unless he has a divine pill, he can forget about standing up in this lifetime!”

“What a pity!” Although he said it was a pity, Eunuch Li could tell that Emperor Chong’an was very satisfied with this outcome. Even the anger he had felt because of the commoners had dissipated.

Wasn’t it a pity? He was once such a talented boy, a young man who always had a smile on his face while riding a horse.

Before he could become as majestic as an eagle, his pride was broken.

He remembered that even when the young man was no more than twelve years old, he had already been dealing with the provocations from other countries without the slightest hint of fear.

He galloped across the training grounds and slapped the envoy in the face!

This scene made many noble ladies in the capital secretly fall in love.

It was still fresh in his mind after all these years.

The scene was solemn but refreshing.

However, the young man in his memories would probably never exist again.

What a pity!

How pathetic!

What a shame!

Emperor Chong’an took one last look at the funeral procession and said, “Let’s go back!”

Eunuch Li responded respectfully. When he lowered the curtain, he looked at the two coffins that were being escorted by the masses, and a trace of grief flashed across his eyes.

It disappeared as though it was an illusion.

When Shen Yijia went outside, she only saw the tail end of the procession, but she did not follow.

She turned around. Following her memories, she retraced her footsteps to the Shen Residence. She was leaving tomorrow… However, she was a person who kept her word.

…

By the time she returned to the duke’s residence, it was already ten o’clock in the evening.

The original host had never gone out since she was young. The only time she left her home was when she was carried to the Duke’s Mansion in a bridal sedan.

Therefore, she knew where the Shen family’s gate was, but she did not know how to get there.

After so much trouble, she finally found the place, but the person she was looking for was not at home!

She waited patiently for the Shen family to return. Once she finished her job, she rushed back to the duke’s residence.

Instead of going to the room Song Jingchen had arranged for her yesterday, Shen Yijia went straight to Song Jingchen’s courtyard.

She had no choice. She realized that her presence was too insignificant. To prevent her husband from forgetting her at the drop of a hat, she felt that she should make her presence known more often.

As soon as she entered, she saw the remaining servants standing in the courtyard.

What was everyone doing in this courtyard?

Shen Yijia stopped in her tracks. Seeing that the maidservant who had been guarding the door while she was bathing yesterday was also there, she quietly walked over.

Lowering her voice, she asked, “What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered here?”

That maidservant was also the eldest maidservant who served Madam Li along with Bi Zhu. Her name was Bi Tao.

However, there wasn’t enough manpower in the residence these two days, so the maidservants basically went wherever they were needed.

Everyone helped out wherever they could.

Shocked by her, Bi Tao almost screamed. Fortunately, she restrained himself.

Seeing that it was Shen Yijia, she hurriedly bowed and said, “Not long after Eldest Young Master returned, he instructed me to wait here, but he fainted before he could say anything else. The doctor just went in. Madam Li, Young Master, and Young Miss are also inside. It’s just that the masters didn’t say anything else, so I didn’t dare to leave my post without permission.”

Hearing that it was Song Jingchen who had fainted, Shen Yijia was shocked and wanted to follow him in.

Suddenly, she thought of something and stopped in her tracks. She turned around and said to the servants waiting there, “Go and do what you need to do. If there’s anything we need here, you can come over again. Aren’t you tired of waiting here?”

Although the sun had already set, it was still quite hot outside.

Shen Yijia was speechless. These people were really stupid.