Chapter 1520: Full-level Boss Dressed As a Peasant Girl
Chapter 1520: Second Master Shu Went Mad
Shu Yu and the others knew that the Fang family was exiled to Heichang County because Fang Xiyue's father, who was a hunter, dug up ginseng and was falsely accused by a local wealthy man colluding with the officials, which ultimately led to the whole family's exile.
The Fang family was innocent, and Ma Lu wanted to climb the social ladder not only for the sake of his and his brothers' future but also to seek justice for the Fang family.
Of course, such matters couldn't be openly written in a letter, but Shu Yu understood the underlying meaning.
She sighed softly. Fang Xiyue's hometown was in the north, too far away for her to help much. She was unfamiliar with the area and could do little to assist them.
Shaking her head, she continued reading the letter.
The rest of the letter mentioned the Shu family. At present, the old lady, who ordered Shu Yu's drowning, had died, and the main culprit, Aunt Xue, had also died. Other members of the Shu family who had conflicts with her and bullied the young Shu Yu in the past were now in exile and living difficult lives, getting their just deserts.
For Shu Yu, the Shu family was already a thing of the past. She had dealt with them, and now she didn't care about their fate.
She had never mentioned the Shu family in her letters to Heichang County, as if they no longer existed. She had no idea how the Shu family was doing now.
Unexpectedly, in Fang Xiyue's letter this time, the Shu family was mentioned.
The letter said that Second Master Shu had gone mad!
Shu Yu was surprised. Second Master Shu should be living a comfortable life now. Among the entire Shu family, he was the one in the most relaxed position.
Last year, Hou Shi followed Minister Wan back to the capital and became his concubine. To get Second Master Shu to 'give' Hou Shi to him, Minister Wan arranged for him to work at the estate.
At least he didn't have to work in the fields like other Shu family members; he only needed to live a peaceful life. Who knows, perhaps he would have a good life in the future.
Unexpectedly, he became the first Shu family member to collapse.
Fang Xiyue said that Second Master Shu had always been waiting for a general amnesty.
Throughout history, there were many opportunities for a general amnesty. When an emperor ascended the throne, changed the reign title, crowned an empress, established a crown prince, experienced a major mourning event, built a temple, went on inspection tours, had a year of good harvest, encountered anomalies, or faced disturbances, there were almost twenty reasons for a general amnesty.
So many people, as long as they were not deemed heinous criminals or instantly sentenced to death, had a chance to wait for a general amnesty.
Many people who knew a bit about court affairs were waiting for such an opportunity.
Second Master Shu was naturally one of them. The Shu family's sentencing was due to their patriarch embezzlement and corruption, and he himself was beheaded. The other members of the Shu family had less severe charges, so if there was a general amnesty, they would most likely be on the list.
So, they just needed to hold on, and there would be a chance to revive the family.
However, after the previous emperor's passing, there was no general amnesty.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, there was no general amnesty either.
After that, the empress was crowned, the emperor offered sacrifices, went on inspection tours, and held other major events, but there was not a single mention of a general amnesty for the realm.
Second Master Shu waited and waited, disappointed every time.
He was never a resolute person, and just the thought of spending the rest of his life living in Zhen Dao Village under the identity of a criminal, with no hope in sight, was unbearable for him.
At this time, his wives and concubines and children were also uneasy because of the lack of a general amnesty. Second Master Shu was their patriarch, and everyone naturally sought him.
A single source of negative energy would have been fine, but the whole family was overwhelmed with negativity, and each one kept telling him that they couldn't go on and that there was no hope for the future. This was more than Second Master Shu's depressed mind could handle.
No comments: