I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 190 Repayment
Master Meng was in the wrong. "Madam Shen, please don't get agitated..."

"Pah!" Madam Shen spat. "My son is lying in bed, his life hanging in the balance. How can I not be agitated? Master Meng, you're just talking without any sense of the situation!"

A woman can throw a tantrum, but it is considered rude for a man to pester her. Old Madam Meng came to her son's rescue, saying, "Madam Shen, today's events happened too suddenly. Liang'er and your son have never met before. Why would he do such a thing? Why not bring that unfilial son here and ask him for a clear answer?"

"If that unfilial son truly injured someone without cause, my Meng family will not let him off lightly!"

"Ha!" Madam Shen sneered. "According to Old Madam Meng, if there's a reason, then my son deserved to be hurt, is that it?"

Grandma Meng remained silent.

Master Shen stepped forward to support Madam Shen, who was trembling with anger. "Master Meng, let me make this clear: even if my son has a grudge against your son, it is not a reason for your son to hurt someone in public. Moreover, today's matter is not about whether your Meng family will let it go, but whether my Shen family is willing to let your son off the hook!"

Old Madam Meng was displeased and was about to retort on behalf of her son, but after listening for a while, Prince Xuan lost his patience and shouted, "Guards, bring Meng Liang here!"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Soon, the guards of the Prince's Palace brought in Meng Liang, whose hair and clothes were disheveled and who looked utterly miserable.

"Meng Liang, I ask you, why did you stab Young Master Shen?"

Meng Liang knelt on the ground, raised his bloodshot eyes, and sneered, "Why? Because he deserved it!"

"You!" Madam Shen opened her husband's arms, furious, and slapped him hard across the face.

"Madam Shen!" Old Madam Meng slammed her cane heavily on the ground. "Even in the courtroom, one cannot use torture at will. How dare you beat my grandson like that?"

"Pull her away!" Princess Xuan ordered.

Two old women stepped forward and, ignoring Madam Shen's struggles, forced her back into her chair.

"Why do you deserve it?" King Xuan asked impatiently. "What grudge do you two have against each other?"

Meng Liang said bitterly, "A festival? The hatred of having one's wife stolen cannot be described by the word 'festival'!"

A revenge for stealing a wife? Everyone present was filled with doubt and surprise.

"Nonsense!" Master Shen slammed his hand on the table. "My son has always been virtuous and has no concubines at home or mistresses outside. When has he ever had a grudge against you for stealing his wife?"

"You not only took my son's life but also tarnished his reputation. Do you really think the Shen family is afraid of the Meng family?"

"Liang'er, tell me quickly, who did Young Master Shen steal from?"

Grandma Meng was both shocked and delighted. She was shocked that her grandson was having an affair with another woman, but delighted that the reason of stealing his wife was enough for the Meng family to escape unscathed!

“Miss Sun and I have been engaged for a long time. She promised to agree to my marriage proposal after I took office,” Meng Liang said, glaring at Madam Shen. “I only went to the capital to receive the official documents from the Ministry of Personnel. When I came back, I heard that the Sun family and the Shen family were engaged!”

“I waited outside the Sun family for five days, only to have Miss Sun return the token,” Meng Liang said, his voice choked with emotion. “I bribed Miss Sun’s personal maid and learned that it was your Shen family that insisted on a marriage alliance with the Sun family, and the Sun family had no choice but to agree because of the Shen family’s power!”

"Nonsense!" Madam Shen trembled with rage. "It's clear that the Sun family has repeatedly hinted at their intention to arrange a marriage with my son at banquets! They've implied that Miss Sun has long admired my son!"

"Ha! Madam Shen believed what Madam Sun said?" Meng Liang smiled sarcastically. "Madam Sun has always doted on her son, and she was willing to sacrifice her own daughter's marriage to secure a bright future for him. Madam Shen can find out how the Sun family's concubine daughters are doing with just a few inquiries."

Madam Shen choked up. She actually looked down on the Sun family, but Miss Sun had a renowned reputation in the Northwest, and she genuinely liked the boy. Besides, a woman becomes part of her husband's family after marriage; no matter how bad her own family was, it wouldn't affect her after marriage. Therefore, Madam Shen agreed to the marriage. Who would have thought that Miss Sun, known for her virtue and gentleness, would secretly pledge her life to another man, and even harm her son because of it!
Unable to bear the shock, Madam Shen fainted completely.

"Someone! Quickly, fetch a doctor!" Princess Xuan's head was throbbing with pain. What kind of mess was this?!
Gu Xuan took care of Shen Jiawen tirelessly for three days, firstly because Shen Jiawen was her first patient, and secondly because she felt sorry for her.

At such a young age, she already has such a huge green hat on her head. Gu Xuan sighed. Tang Zhao was right. If you want to get by in life, you have to have a little bit of green on your head.

Wait, Gu Xuan gasped. Could her fifth brother also be being cuckolded?

Shen Jiawen was awakened by Gu Xuan's startled reaction. He opened his eyes and asked in confusion, "Miss Gu Qi?"

"You're awake?" Gu Xuan ran to the bedside, lifted his eyelids to take a look, and said, "It's good that you're awake."

"It seems Miss Gu is hiding something from me?"

"Uh, no, no," Gu Xuan waved her hands repeatedly.

Shen Jiawen chuckled. Miss Gu Qi had an expression that said, "You have something important to say," making it impossible to pretend not to see her.

“Please speak frankly, Miss Gu,” Shen Jiawen said softly, “otherwise I will not be able to calm down and recuperate.”

"You said it," Gu Xuan cleared her throat, her tone direct and frank, "You've been cuckolded."

Shen Jiawen: ? ? ? ?
Gu Xuan explained, "It means your fiancée has feelings for another man."

Shen Jiawen asked curiously, "Who is it?"

"My older cousin."

"Young Master Meng?" Shen Jiawen asked thoughtfully. "I've never heard of him before. Can you confirm this?"

Gu Xuan nodded, "My father and mother invited the Sun family, and Miss Sun personally admitted that she had feelings for my eldest cousin."

Gu Xuan comforted her, "But don't worry, since the engagement, the two of them haven't had any contact. Miss Sun even returned all the things her cousin gave her."

Shen Jiawen, being quick-witted, naturally knew that Gu Xuan's words were meant to comfort him, as the two had already broken up completely, but it sounded like she was exaggerating.

"Well, don't be too sad. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Even if you lose Miss Sun, there are still Miss Zhou, Miss Wu, Miss Zheng, and Miss Wang," Gu Xuan tried her best to comfort her. "You're so famous, there must be a lot of people who like you."

Shen Jiawen chuckled and nodded.

Feeling pretty good, Gu Xuan blinked and tentatively said, "Anyway, Miss Sun doesn't have you in her heart. You won't be happy if you force yourself to marry her. Why not let go and let Miss Sun and my cousin be together?"
Shen Jiawen laughed in anger, but the wound on her waist and abdomen started to hurt again. It turned out that after saying all that, she wanted him to give in to her older cousin.

Remembering the care her older cousin had given her at the Meng family's house, Gu Xuan shamelessly asked, "You know how to repay this life-saving grace?"

Shen Jiawen narrowed her eyes, "Please enlighten me, Miss Seven."

Gu Xuan looked around and said, "You promised to break off Miss Sun's engagement, so that's your way of repaying me."

Shen Jiawen repeated these words to herself, then lowered her eyes and smiled, "Okay."

(End of this chapter)