Chapter Twelve: He Did It for the People

The two guards exchanged a glance, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped aside. "Young Miss, please be quick. If you stay too long, we’ll be in trouble." Shen Nanyuan nodded, entering the Qingfeng Pavilion with Qingrui at her side.

The last time she’d been here was because she’d heard the protagonist was present, but now, by contrast, the courtyard felt especially desolate. Shen Yi had sent all the servants of Qingfeng Pavilion to work in other courtyards, leaving only one to tend to Shen Jinyu’s daily needs—applying medicine and bringing him meals. Under the dim, solitary light in the room, low curses could be heard.

"How useless are you? Is your plan to scald me to death with this boiling tea? Do you think I’m easy to bully because I’m bedridden? If I weren’t incapacitated, you’d be dead by now!"

A terrified voice replied, "Young Master, please spare me! I wouldn’t dare neglect you, not even if I had a death wish!"

Shen Nanyuan frowned at the exchange. Some things never change.

Even in such a state, his nature was incorrigible.

Inside, there was the sound of footsteps. A moment later, the tightly closed door was quietly opened. The servant, seeing her, paused in surprise, then quickly bowed. "Young Miss."

A strong scent of medicine filled the room. Shen Nanyuan circled the screen and entered the inner chamber, where she saw Shen Jinyu lying face-down on the bed, his face deathly pale, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead from the pain.

When he saw Shen Nanyuan, delight lit up his face. "Sister!"

Qingrui set the food box on the table and opened it. Shen Nanyuan picked up a piece of pastry and sat at the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts," Shen Jinyu shifted slightly, pain forcing a sharp intake of breath. Anger flared in his voice. "Father doesn’t care about me at all. If Mother hadn’t risked herself to shield me, I’d be dead after those thirty strokes!"

All the servants had been removed, leaving only one to tend to him, as if they meant for him to suffer here. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, gritting his teeth. "Father never liked me. I’ve known since childhood he barely looked at me. Now he wants me dead. If I die, he’ll be happy. He’s never seen me as his son!"

His emotions ran high, breath coming in sharp gasps.

He took a bite of the pastry Shen Nanyuan offered, his expression calming a little as he continued, "I just didn’t expect you to be the first to visit me, Sister."

Shen Nanyuan said nothing, watching as he finished the last bite. She wiped her hands with a handkerchief before speaking slowly, "Do you know why Father punished you?"

"Wasn’t it because I hit the man who took my private room at Mingyue Restaurant? I didn’t kill him—just taught him a lesson. He was the one who took the room I’d reserved. If he hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have struck him."

Every word revealed he felt no remorse.

Shen Nanyuan did not become angry. She continued in a calm voice, "And what of the servant in Shaohua Court?"

"What did he do to you? Did he offend you? You beat him so severely that his injuries haven’t healed to this day."

Shen Jinyu faltered at the question, unable to reply.

There were some things he dared not say in front of Shen Nanyuan. Before, he’d thought nothing of speaking of servants as he pleased, but she had reprimanded him soundly for it, so now he dared not repeat such words.

"Sister, I know I was wrong about that," he said cautiously. "It won’t happen again."

"It won’t happen again?" Shen Nanyuan let out a cold laugh. "Then why did you cause trouble in Shaohua Court yesterday while I was away? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?"

Shen Jinyu’s expression tensed at once.

His head dropped, and his reply was so faint it was nearly inaudible. "…I didn’t go…"

Shen Nanyuan did not wish to waste more time on this matter for now. She rose and moved to sit at the table, lifting a teacup to moisten her throat, her tone impassive.

"Let me ask you: when Father fought on the frontier, risking his life time and again, do you know what he was fighting for?"

Shen Jinyu didn’t hesitate, answering as if it were obvious. "Wasn’t it for our family’s honor and prosperity? Because Father fought on the battlefield, he gained the Emperor’s favor and established his reputation at court."

"That’s part of it, but not the most important reason." Shen Nanyuan tapped her fingers twice on the table, the crisp sound snapping Shen Jinyu out of his distraction.

"He did it for the people."

The weight in her words made Shen Jinyu pause, his gaze shifting to her, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Did Aunt Meng never tell you what Father used to be?"

"No," Shen Jinyu replied, "Mother never told me."

His expression made it clear Meng Yiniang had never spoken of it.

In fact, Shen Nanyuan herself had only learned of Shen Yi’s past from the original novel. He had been a refugee, joining the army for a bite of food, saving his commanding officer several times and rising through the ranks by his own merit to his current position.

He knew the suffering of the displaced, so he resolved to defend the nation and protect the people. Even with an army under his command, he never once harbored ambition.

When she finished, her gaze sharpened as she looked at Shen Jinyu. "And as his son, what have you done?"

Shen Jinyu’s breath caught, his eyes flickering as he looked away.

A strange emotion welled in him, a feeling he’d never known. He pressed his lips together, his voice subdued. "So that’s why Father was so angry today."

Perhaps he had finally begun to understand his mistake.

Shen Nanyuan studied him for a moment, relief softening her heart.

Fortunately, he was not beyond hope—only fourteen, there was still time to change.

"And besides," she added, "just for someone taking your private room, you beat him within an inch of his life. Do you think you were right?"

She paused, her tone stern. "There are two young masters in the Duke of the Nation’s household. When the people speak of your elder brother, they call him promising and accomplished. When they mention you, all they say is that you’re a wastrel. Is that the life you want? To spend your days branded as a wastrel?"

This time, Shen Jinyu was silent for a long while.

She did not rush him, sipping her tea in the quiet room.

After an indeterminate time had passed, Shen Jinyu finally spoke, "I don’t want that."

Though his voice was faint, there was a rare firmness in it.

Only then did Shen Nanyuan truly relax. "Good."

A hint of a smile appeared on her face. "It’s not too late for you to change. Use these three months of confinement to recover and reflect. If you change, Father will see it."

She rose to her feet. "I’ll visit you often. The rest we can discuss when you’re well again."