Spring in the East Palace

At this moment, Shen Zhenzhen and Liu Jieyu exchanged glances. They really didn't expect that Shen Muyin would admit it on his own initiative.

They were also thinking that Shen Muyin would deny it, so that they could take advantage of the situation to suppress Shen Muyin and not give her a chance to turn things around.

Now, suddenly, the two were at a loss.

Shen Rushuang remained calm and looked at Shen Muyin quietly: "Do you know what will happen if you don't come back for one night?"

"The punishment is according to the family rules. You have to kneel in the ancestral hall, face the wall for three days and three nights, and then be beaten with ten sticks." Shen Muyin knew the family rules of the Shen family clearly by heart.

Shen Muyin's frankness made the room suddenly quiet.

Liu Jieyu looked at Shen Rushuang's eyes and became anxious: "Mother, you can't just let this matter go. You must set an example for others, otherwise if others follow suit, it will be troublesome."

"Who can follow suit? Are you talking about Zhenzhen?" Shen Rushuang shouted angrily.

Shen Zhenzhen felt guilty when her name was suddenly mentioned, and even Concubine Liu didn't dare to say a word.

Instead, Shen Muyin looked at Shen Zhenzhen with a half-smile: "I think Zhenzhen would never do something like not coming home all night. If people knew about it, I'm afraid the whole capital would be shaken. What do you think, Zhenzhen?"

"Of course... " Shen Zhenzhen nodded awkwardly.

Shen Zhenzhen clenched her fists tightly, digging her nails into her palms, unwilling to give in, but unable to answer.

Shen Rushuang glanced at Shen Zhenzhen indifferently, then looked at Shen Muyin: "Tell me where you went last night and why you didn't come back all night. If you give a reasonable reason, you can be exempted from this punishment."

These words made Shen Zhenzhen and Liu Jieyu's eyes fall on Shen Rushuang. They didn't expect that Shen Rushuang planned to let Shen Muyin go.

"Mother——" Concubine Liu looked at Shen Rushuang disapprovingly.

Shen Zhenzhen gave Concubine Liu a soothing look, but looked at Shen Muyin anxiously: "Sister, please tell me quickly. You know, if those ten sticks go down, I'm afraid someone will really die."

Oh, are you afraid that she might kill someone, or are you just eager to know where she has gone?

Shen Muyin was very quiet: "Muyin dare not say anything, so Muyin is willing to accept the punishment."

"I told you to speak." Shen Rushuang's tone became stern.

Shen Muyin bit his lip and looked at Shen Rushuang, his eyes suddenly turned red, as if he had hidden thousands of words, feeling aggrieved and forbearing.

Then Shen Muyin knelt directly in front of Shen Rushuang: "Grandma, please don't force Muyin to speak. Muyin doesn't want to destroy the current peace."

These words seem to have a hidden meaning.

Shen Zhenzhen's eyelids twitched, with an extremely uneasy premonition. She felt that Shen Muyin was coming for her.

Concubine Liu was also confused by Shen Muyin.

Shen Rushuang looked down at Shen Muyin and said sternly: "I told you to say it, so just say it!"

Shen Muyin still bit her lip and refused to speak. Shen Rushuang said coldly: "Is there someone here that makes it inconvenient for you to speak?"

These words made Liu Jieyu and Shen Zhenzhen's faces change. There was no one else here except them.

Shen Muyin looked at Shen Zhenzhen, as if frightened: "Grandma, I..."

"Speak!" Shen Rushuang's voice became even more severe.

The house fell into deathly silence.

Shen Muyin sighed: "Zhenzhen, I'm sorry, my grandmother gave the order first, I have to obey."

Shen Zhenzhen's expression changed, and Shen Rushuang's eyes also looked at Shen Zhenzhen, and then Shen Muyin's voice came slowly.

"Zhenzhen came to me and said that there was a fireworks display in Kyoto last night and she wanted to take me out to see it. Grandma, you know, I didn't grow up in Kyoto and have never seen such excitement, so as soon as Zhenzhen opened her mouth, I was moved." Shen Muyin's voice was low, apologetic, but serious.

"So I followed Zhenzhen and went out quietly." Shen Muyin said, his mood suddenly rising.

She looked at Shen Zhenzhen with a hint of disbelief, and sighed deeply: "But I didn't expect..."

"What didn't you expect!" Shen Rushuang asked immediately.

"I didn't expect that after Zhenzhen took me out, we got lost in the center of the market. I couldn't find Zhenzhen, and by accident I was taken to Lixianglou. Later..." Shen Muyin's voice became a little lower.

"Sister, I have never gone out with you. Why do you want to slander and implicate me like this?" Shen Zhenzhen couldn't believe it and looked at Shen Muyin with disappointment.

When she looked up again, she was already kneeling in front of Shen Rushuang: "Grandmother, please be clear. I have never left Nanyuan. I can testify to that. How could I take my sister out to watch the fireworks display?"

"Shen Muyin, you have done something shameful and you want to implicate Zhenzhen. What are your intentions?" Concubine Liu and Shen Zhenzhen shared the same hatred and angrily scolded Shen Muyin.

Shen Rushuang and Li Rong exchanged glances. Based on their understanding of Shen Muyin, she would not lie.

At least without evidence, Shen Muyin would not speak so confidently.

What's more, Li Rong had seen Shen Zhenzhen go out at night before, but it didn't cause any commotion in the Shen Mansion, so Shen Rushuang finally chose peace and did not say anything.

So what Shen Muyin said today is somewhat credible.

Shen Rushuang looked at Shen Muyin fiercely: "Do you have any evidence? If you are slandering me, it will add to my crime."

"Yes." Shen Muyin was silent for a moment.

"If there is, tell me. If the evidence is conclusive, Zhenzhen will not be able to escape the family punishment." Shen Rushuang said solemnly.

These words made Shen Zhenzhen's heart beat faster. She was really afraid that Shen Muyin would produce evidence.

Her mind raced as she reviewed the situation in her mind, making sure she had not revealed any clues before she calmed herself down a little.

Besides, that person would not reveal his true identity.

"It rained in Kyoto last night." Shen Muyin said calmly.

Concubine Liu interrupted Shen Muyin directly and said, "Don't talk nonsense. If you have evidence, show it to us."

Shen Muyin looked at Concubine Liu with a smile: "Second Madam, I haven't finished talking yet, why are you so anxious?"

"You..." Concubine Liu was choked.

"You say." Shen Rushuang opened her mouth, and then looked at Concubine Liu with a warning look.

Liu Jieyu didn't dare to act rashly this time and just stood there quietly. Shen Zhenzhen's feeling of panic became more and more obvious.

Shen Muyin continued with a smile: "But because of the pavilions and towers in the mansion, the places where you can walk around are not wet by the rain and are clean, especially the section from Nanyuan to Wenxiang Pavilion, which happens to be connected by a corridor."

Shen Muyin continued to speak slowly and steadily, his eyes falling calmly on Shen Zhenzhen's shoes.

"But if he went out yesterday, then the soles of his shoes would be covered in mud like me. You can tell whether Zhenzhen went out by looking at the soles of his shoes." Shen Muyin finished his words.