Rebirth of Poisoned Empress, by 颜若优雅

Chapter 108

"Let me ask you, did you truly bribe the chief examiner Wen Yuan?" Shen Ruiting ignored Shen Xiao's aggrieved expression as he demanded angrily. 

"I..."

"I want to hear the truth. If there's even half a lie in your words, then don't even dream about stepping a foot outside this place for the rest of your life. Even if the Ministry of Punishment can't confine you, the Ministry of Finance can!"

Shen Xiao raised his head with tears in his eyes. Before he could even say anything, Shen Ruiting took another step forward and stated harshly.

"I... I only had a few drinks with Young Master Wen..." Twenty years as this man's son, Shen Xiao could still decipher when Shen Ruiting was truly angry and when he wasn't. However, he truly didn't dare to confess the truth as he subconsciously decided to avoid the crucial crime and admit to a lighter one. He didn't even consider whether Shen Ruiting knew the entire truth or not.

"Then what about the silver? What about the 5000 taels of silver every month?" Similarly, as his father, Shen Ruiting was also clear on Shen Xiao's character and temperament. In actuality, there was no need for him to even question Shen Xiao. From his son's evasive attitude, he knew that the bribery must have truly occurred.

"The silver, silver... that..." It was evident that he didn't expect Shen Ruiting to know everything, down to the exact amount he gave Wen Yuan every month. He lowered his head and didn't dare to look at him anymore.

"You b*stard. Exactly how did I derive such a worthless son like you?" When Shen Ruiting saw that this was the case, he delivered another fierce slap across Shen Xiao's cheeks. 

Shen Xiao felt dizzy from the impact and after stabilizing himself, he raised his head and roared angrily: "Yes, I'm worthless. In your eyes, when have I been anything but? Since young, no matter what I did, you only had Shen Da in your eyes. Shen Qiang and I could never compare to a Shen Da who ran away from home. He sure is promising, becoming a third-rank General at the young age of twenty. What about me? Under his limelight, I'm not different from a clown. I also want to stand out and impress you but have you ever given me the opportunity? Since you're unwilling to plan and scheme for me, you won't even allow me to think about my own future either?"

The series of slaps collapsed Shen Xiao's mentality completely. He wasn't someone without talent and those books he had read since young weren't read in vain. But just as he was confidently preparing to display his strengths in the civil service exams, Shen Da's reputation gradually sounded and soared. Every victory on the battlefield broke Shen Xiao's confidence down bit by bit. That was why he went to find his mother for the money to bribe Wen Yuan through his son. He was able to know the civil exams' subject beforehand, but Shen Xiao wasn't someone without backbone either. He didn't find someone else to do his exam and write his paper for him. Rather, it was through his own deliberation and skills that he wrote down every word he turned in. It was true that he bribed Wen Yuan, but his score was derived from his own true capabilities.

"Think about your own future? And the plan you derived was the bribe the chief examiner? When you spent your time envious and jealous over Shen Da, have you ever thought on how he left home at the age of fifteen and obtained everything he has now through his own efforts? If it weren't for the victories after victories and his name being sounded from the battlefield all the way to the Imperial Family, I would've never even known that he enrolled himself as a soldier and went to the battlefield. If you have the capabilities, then do the same as he did. Go fight on the battlefield and make a name for yourself as well."

Shen Ruiting was both angry and disappointed with Shen Xiao's persistent quibbling. He didn't deny that among his four children, he was the most biased with Shen Da and loved him the most. It was true that at the beginning, he never liked Shen Xiao much, but as Shen Xiao grew up, Shen Ruiting could say with confidence that he never treated them badly. During those years that Shen Da was gone, he had personally supervised Shen Xiao's studies. In fact, he truly had placed his remaining energy into Shen Xiao and Shen Qiang. As long as the two children's demands weren't too excessive, when had he ever rejected them? If they had to insist on him neglecting his children, the only child he had ever neglected was Shen Liang, his youngest son who killed his beloved the moment he was born.