"Shut up!" Shen Junming scowled and looked disapprovingly at Shen Zhang. "He's the eldest son of the Prince of Pingnan and the future heir to the princedom!"
As he spoke, Shen Junming cast a glance in Shen Li's direction and said pointedly, "Don't listen to other people's nonsense. It'll corrupt you!"
"What are you all standing there for? Untie Lord Ji quickly!" Shen Junming glared at the few servants still standing in the hall.
As soon as Lord Ji was untied, Shen Junming bent slightly and smiled obsequiously. "Lord Ji, we've really offended you! The young ones in the family are so ignorant. I'm really sorry, so sorry!"
Lord Ji patted his robe twice, shaking off the ropes still hanging on him, and snorted in Shen Li's direction.
"Come, come! Lord Ji, please take the seat of honor here!" Shen Junming bowed respectfully and led Lord Ji to the seat he had just occupied. Then he personally served a cup of tea and said, "Lord Ji, it's all my niece. She's blind and has offended you this time! But she's one thing, and our second branch of the Shen family is another. Please, for the sake of this humble official, don't blame our branch!"
Lord Ji didn't take the tea Shen Junming was holding. With a mocking smile on his face, he looked at Shen Li and said, "I'm a vengeful person. Whoever hurts me, I'll surely get even with! You seem to be a sensible one, so I won't argue with you."
"As for the others, I won't be so kind!" As Lord Ji spoke, he reached out and rubbed his chest, where there were still two footprints left by Shen Li's kick.
Hearing this, Shen Junming naturally thanked him a thousand times and flattered him on the side.
Throughout this, Shen Li sat on the side, sipping tea carefully, ignoring Lord Ji's malicious words.
And Shen Zhang stood guard beside Concubine Su and Shen Zhen. His hands were tightly clenched into fists as he glared at Shen Junming resentfully.
After Shen Junming and Lord Ji finished their conversation, he turned around and said to the people sitting in the hall, "Well! Today's incident was just a misunderstanding. Now that Lord Ji doesn't care about you anymore, let's just let it go!"
"Father! How can we just let it go like this! My sister... She's suffered so much injustice. If we just let it go like this, what will people think of our Shen family when it gets out? They'll think our Shen family is easy to bully!" Shen Zhang stood upright in the middle of the hall, looking at Shen Junming standing in front of him with a firm expression.
"Injustice? What injustice has she suffered? She's just suffered a minor injury. Is she made of gold and jade that she has to act like this!"
"Father, it was clearly him... who wanted to..." Shen Zhang's fists were clenched so tightly that he couldn't get the words out for a long time.
Shen Junming's face remained unchanged. He still looked just and honorable as he said to Shen Zhang, "Lord Ji is already engaged to Zhen'er! Your mother and I have both agreed to this, and the wedding date has been discussed long ago! This matter cannot be changed by anyone!"
"As for today's incident, I've already said it was just a misunderstanding. Fortunately, no serious consequences have occurred, so it's a happy ending for all!"
With each word Shen Junming said, Shen Zhang's clenched hands trembled. By the time Shen Junming finished speaking, the veins on Shen Zhang's face and hands were bulging.
Shen Li watched Shen Zhang silently and secretly shook her head for Shen Junming. Shen Zhang was a man with thoughts and ambitions. He would never tolerate his sister being bullied like this, especially when she was used by Shen Junming as a tool to curry favor. So, even without guessing, Shen Li could tell how resentful and indignant Shen Zhang was at this moment.
And what Shen Li wanted to use was precisely Shen Zhang's dissatisfaction with Shen Junming and the Shen family!
The show had been watched long enough. Shen Li put down the teacup in her hand and said to Shen Junming, "Uncle, you're wrong!"
As soon as Shen Li said this, Shen Junming had a bad feeling. He had seen Shen Li sitting on the side drinking tea without saying a word and thought she wouldn't interfere in this matter. But he didn't expect her to jump out and cause trouble now.
"Shen Li, this is our family matter. It's not your place to interfere casually! This matter has nothing to do with you. I warn you, it's better not to meddle in other people's business!"
"Uncle, you're wrong again! Since you've said it's a family matter, as a member of the Shen family, why can't I speak? Moreover, this is no longer just about the third younger sister. It concerns the reputation and honor of our Shen family for hundreds of years. How can I allow others to insult it!"
"Using it to curry favor and build relationships! Some people don't care, but our first branch cares a great deal about this. Uncle, do you still think I'm not qualified to speak now?"
After Shen Li finished speaking, she raised the corner of her mouth at Shen Junming, with a hint of provocation.
Shen Junming's face immediately turned from red to green, looking quite strange.
"Moreover, Uncle said something wrong just now! The third younger sister, after all, is a member of our Shen family. When has our family ever had the principle of swallowing our grievances with blood and tears! Our Shen family has never been bullied like this."
"Lord Ji, right?" Shen Li took a few steps forward and stood in the hall, looking at Lord Ji from a distance of four or five steps.
Lord Ji sat on his seat with a cold face. He flicked the sleeves of his arms back, leaned on the back of the chair, slightly raised his chin, and looked at Shen Li. "Miss Shen! I've really heard a lot about you!"
"Lord Ji, you must be joking. I'm just a young girl in the boudoir. How could I catch the attention of you, the eldest son of the great Prince of Pingnan? You don't need to flatter me! But it doesn't matter if Lord Ji hasn't heard of me!"
"But I've heard a great deal about Lord Ji! I've heard people talk about you more than once!"
Lord Ji suddenly became interested. With a glint of curiosity in his eyes, he asked, "Oh? I wonder what Miss Shen has heard?"
"Well, there's so much! I need to think for a while!" Shen Li touched her chin as if lost in thought. Then she suddenly clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Oh, I remember! The most I've heard is that Lord Ji has lost three wives! Not only that, I've also heard that there's a beautiful maid who's beaten to death and carried out of your mansion every two days!"