NFBE Chapter 264 Old things
Chapter 264 Old things
Shen Fuhan recounted an old story.
“Fufei died at the age of sixteen. The official reason given was that he died of illness, but in fact he was found in the woods outside Beijing.”
“My grandmother said that he died by hanging himself, which was not honorable, so she concealed the real cause of his death.”
"But I didn't believe that Ferguson would commit suicide so easily, so I kept secretly investigating the truth."
Shen Fuhan spoke calmly, but Wen Jiayue's heart couldn't help but flutter with unease because of his words.
Could Shen Fufei's death be related to Li Zhilan?
Shen Fuhan continued, "Fufei was in poor health and rarely went out. I found out that the last time he went out on the street, he happened to run into the Princess. He disappeared for three days after that until he was found hanged in the outskirts of the capital."
"For the past three days, the princess's residence has remained closed, and no one has entered or left."
"I suspect that Fof was killed by the eldest princess, but I have no evidence."
Wen Jiayue listened in a daze, then subconsciously asked, "Does the Eldest Princess have a grudge against your second brother or your family?"
She wanted to take it back as soon as she finished speaking, because knowing Li Zhilan as she did, it wasn't surprising that he would do such a thing.
Disregarding human life and acting recklessly—that's Li Zhilan.
After not hearing Shen Fuhan speak for a long time, Wen Jiayue looked at him in confusion.
Shen Fuhan asked with a displeased expression, "What do you mean by 'your second brother' and 'your family'?"
Wen Jiayue: "...It just slipped out of my mouth."
She silently grumbled to herself, "They're really good at nitpicking."
“There’s no grudge,” Shen Fuhan said calmly. “I suspect the princess is attracted to Fufei’s appearance.”
Wen Jiayue looked at him in surprise. Although she had never met Shen Fufei, she figured he couldn't be more handsome than Shen Fuhan. She should be the one to snatch him away.
However, it's practically a robbery now.
However, Shen Fuhan is now powerful and influential, and Li Zhilan can't do anything about him for the time being.
Shen Fuhan continued, "I also found out that the eldest princess and the consort were extremely at odds during that period. It's not surprising that she did this to spite him."
Wen Jiayue frowned and asked, "So, my second brother was just a scapegoat? Didn't the Eldest Princess investigate my second brother's background before she did what she did?"
Shen Fuhan closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
“Fufei has always been low-key. He never wears fine silks or satins when he leaves the mansion, and he is always accompanied by only one attendant.”
It's likely that Li Zhilan didn't know Fu Fei's true identity until his death, which made it easier for him to get close.
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“That time, I was originally going to go out with him, but I was delayed by two quarters of an hour, and Fufei had already left the mansion.”
At that time, he had no idea that they would be separated forever, and he would not even be able to see his younger brother one last time.
He never said these words to anyone else.
Five years have passed, and he thought he had moved on, but he still choked up a little when he spoke.
Of his younger siblings, his favorite was Foff.
Fu Fei was well-behaved and sensible. While his third sister and fourth brother were playing around, he could patiently sit down and study with them.
If it weren't for his weak health and inability to withstand the strain, he could have also passed the imperial examination with flying colors.
Shen Fuhan still remembers that his most frequent saying was, "Big brother will definitely become the top scholar in the imperial examination."
But the year he became the top scorer in the imperial examination was also the year that Fauci passed away.
When he paraded through the streets in his scholar's robe, he wasn't thinking of "riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, seeing all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day," but rather of "Fu Fei."
He was the top scorer, but he would never hear Fu Fei say "Congratulations, brother."
He often thought that if he had accompanied Fufei out of the mansion that day, perhaps the outcome would have been different.
It gradually became a nightmare.
He would originally go to the Buddhist temple to chant sutras on the last day of each month to pray for his grandfather and parents, and then he added the name Fufei.
He also used chanting scriptures to calm his mind for his own sake.
He's gone; he must move on.
Suddenly, someone grabbed Shen Fuhan's right hand, bringing him back to his senses.
“My lord, my second brother won’t blame you,” Wen Jiayue said softly. “He knows you’ve done a lot for him.”
There are far too many twists and turns in the world. If we could foresee the future, no one would die in vain.
Shen Fuhan grasped her hand in return.
The two were speechless for a moment.
It was a rare moment of such heaviness, and Wen Jiayue didn't know what to say, let alone how to begin with the things she was hiding.
Unexpectedly, Shen Fuhan said, "Go to sleep."
Wen Jiayue stared at him in a daze. He just brushed it off so easily?
Fearing that Shen Fuhan might change his mind, she immediately closed her eyes.
"But you have to tell me by tomorrow night," Shen Fuhan gave a final deadline.
Wen Jiayue didn't want to answer, but he forced her to speak, using his free left hand to wrap around her waist and pull her into his arms.
Wen Jiayue glared at him: "You're still threatening me like this?"
“No,” Shen Fuhan said calmly, “I just suddenly wanted to hold you.”
Wen Jiayue didn't believe his nonsense at all; it was clearly a threat.
She pursed her lips and said, "But I have nothing to hide from you."
She wanted to test whether Shen Fuhan knew something, which was why she opened up to her tonight.
The moment she finished speaking, the hand around her waist tightened.
Shen Fuhan said in a deep voice, "I don't believe it."
Such a confident tone made Wen Jiayue's heart sink.
She decided to throw caution to the wind: "My lord, just tell me straight. I don't want to keep guessing."
It'll be good for her to die knowing why, otherwise she won't be able to sleep well tonight.
She suddenly switched from offense to defense, leaving Shen Fuhan at a loss for words.
If Pei Huaijin's matter were to come out of his own mouth first, the nature of the matter would be completely different.
He had intended to keep it a secret, but in a moment of desperation tonight, he came up with this idea to get Wen Jiayue to speak up.
Unexpectedly, she didn't take the bait and instead set a trap for him.
Shen Fuhan remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "Since you have nothing to say, then tell me about your childhood."
Wen Jiayue's heart skipped a beat. Childhood? Brother Dragonfly?
She feigned surprise and asked, "Why does Your Excellency suddenly want to hear this?"
"Seeing your paintings in the study today, I couldn't help but think of your childhood, and I became curious."
Wen Jiayue breathed a sigh of relief; so that's why.
“When I was a child… it was pretty boring. I learned needlework and painting, and that was about it.”
She didn't want to say more, and besides, there wasn't much to say anyway.
Shen Fuhan asked, "Who taught you needlework?"
Wen Jiayue looked at him in surprise. Was there even a question?
"It was the embroiderer hired by my stepmother."
"What about painting?"
Wen Jiayue answered honestly, "It was also a female tutor hired by my stepmother."
Shen Fuhan nodded and said, "I see. The inscription on the painting was also written by the female artist?"
Wen Jiayue: "..."
Most of the inscriptions on the paintings I made before I was seven years old were written by my brother, Dragonfly.
After she turned seven, she was herself.
As for the painting she gave to Shen Fuhan, she remembered that it was written by Brother Dragonfly.
Wen Jiayue couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and casually said, "I think so, but it's been too long, I can't remember clearly."
She planned to get away with it, but Shen Fuhan didn't give her the chance.
He spoke slowly, "But I think the handwriting looks like it was written by a man."
Wen Jiayue decided to delay.
"Is that so? Please bring the painting over another day, Lord Marquis, so I can take a closer look."