Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Shooting oneself in the foot

"ah!"

Concubine Fang fell to the ground after being slapped in the face. Her cheek felt burning with pain and her beautiful eyes were instantly filled with tears. She raised her eyelashes delicately and wanted to ask the master why he treated her like this.

A ball of red cloth hit her head on. Aunt Fang tore off her clothes and pretended to be confused.

A large group of people poured into Fangfei Courtyard, including the eldest princess, Zhao Qingyi, Feng, and... Mrs. Tan and Yuan Silang who were tied up with hemp ropes!

Aunt Fang's heart was filled with alarm.

Yuan Silang was the first to speak, yelling at her, "Yes! It's her, this concubine!"

"She came to me at the official residence and told me that Li Heng was having an affair with the county lady. She promised me fifty taels of silver and told me to expose the affair on the day of the Qiao family's wedding banquet!"

Aunt Fang almost couldn't breathe, but after years of living in the backyard of the mansion, she had already figured out Zhao Huailiang's thoughts and knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Who, who is he? Why does he want to slander me?" Aunt Fang's voice trembled, and tears rolled down her beautiful eyes.

She knelt hurriedly, crawled to Zhao Huailiang's feet, lowered her head and stroked his feet, crying sadly, "Master, please don't listen to outsiders' one-sided words. I have never seen him! I am innocent..."

Zhao Huailiang was indeed soft-hearted and didn't have the heart to kick her away.

The princess grew increasingly disdainful of Concubine Fang's affected demeanor. She sneered, "Concubine Fang committed adultery with Yuan Silang and even instigated him and Madam Tan to slander the county lady's reputation. And yet you dare to claim you don't know her?"

Aunt Fang shuddered. Adultery? What adultery?

Her reaction this time was not fake.

Zhao Huailiang also remembered this and immediately lost all his pity. Whenever he thought of how Aunt Fang had once used this pitiful appearance to have an affair with another man, anger rose in his heart.

"Bitch!"

Zhao Huailiang kicked Aunt Fang in the chest.

Aunt Fang screamed again. She had been with Zhao Huailiang for many years, but this was the first time she saw him so angry. She didn't dare to play dumb anymore and rolled to his feet.

"Master, Master! I am truly wronged! I have never left my home, so how could I know this Yuan Silang and Yuan Wulang? Adultery is sheer nonsense, Master!"

"Someone must be trying to slander me and drive me away from you, Master. You must not be deceived by these villains and fall into their trap!" Aunt Fang cried, glancing at Feng with a suggestive look.

Feng came along just to watch the show, but was inexplicably criticized by Concubine Fang. She was so angry that she jumped up and rushed over and slapped Concubine Fang in the face.

"You shameless thing, you have done something shameful and dirty, and yet you dare to slander me?" Feng was not satisfied after slapping her, so she grabbed Concubine Fang's clothes and pulled her up.

Aunt Fang screamed repeatedly. She was a concubine. In order to serve Zhao Huailiang conveniently in her own courtyard, she usually wore thin gauze clothes that were not presentable enough. She could not withstand Feng's pulling.

"Madam! Madam, what are you doing?" Aunt Fang covered her chest and cried incessantly, looking at Zhao Huailiang for help, as if to say, look, look at how violent and vulgar your first wife is.

Feng was a straightforward person and could not learn the ways of Concubine Fang. Over the years, she had been bullied by Concubine Fang, which caused the couple to become estranged.

Seeing Concubine Fang like this brought back many bad memories. Feng Shi's hands became even more fierce. "You dare to quibble when you are about to die! You dare to flirt with the master in front of him, what a shameless thing!"

Feng grabbed her clothes with one hand and beat her left and right with the other, making Concubine Fang scream in pain.

Zhao Huailiang felt relieved at first. After all, Aunt Fang had cheated on him and made him lose face in the Qiao Mansion. But when he saw Aunt Fang's charming little face swollen, he couldn't bear it.

Feng knew that Zhao Huailiang was a useless person and was always manipulated by Aunt Fang. She felt it necessary to remind her foolish husband.

Feng grabbed the fallen underwear and stuffed it into Aunt Fang's eyes, "Look carefully! This is the evidence of your adultery! Your underwear was even pressed under the pillow of a stranger, and you still dare to complain?"

Aunt Fang stared at the little girl in front of her. She recognized her. Wasn't she Zhao Qingyi's?

"This isn't mine! It's not mine!"

Concubine Fang used all her strength to break free from Feng and slapped the small clothes dangling in front of her. "This belongs to the county lady, how can it be mine?"

"Oh?" Zhao Qingyi immediately replied, "Since entering Fangfei Courtyard, it seems no one has told Auntie what happened in the Qiao Mansion today. How can Auntie be sure that this little piece of clothing is mine?"

"Unless... what Yuan Silang said is true, and you are the one who planned all this behind the scenes and deliberately framed me!"

Aunt Fang realized that she had said the wrong thing in a hurry, and a trace of panic flashed across her face. "I, I vaguely... seemed to have seen it in your room, so..."

"You have excellent eyesight. You can tell it belongs to the county lady without even looking closely."

The sarcasm on Feng's lips became more and more obvious. She couldn't wait to see Aunt Fang's expression. "Fang Qiao'er, why don't you take a closer look to see who this small piece of clothing belongs to?"

Aunt Fang couldn't stop shivering. Under the oppressive gazes of the crowd, she picked up the small dress with trembling hands. The style and pattern were quite familiar, but this did not prove anything. Originally, the clothes in the mansion were all arranged by the mistress. Even if there were similarities, it could not prove that it was hers.

Feng saw what she was thinking and turned the shirt over in front of her, revealing the side with her name embroidered on it.

Aunt Fang screamed.

"ah--"

She hurriedly snatched Xiaoyi back, "No, impossible! How is this possible!"

When the maid stole the clothes that day, she had clearly checked them. Although the patterns and styles were similar, they were definitely not hers. However, she had never expected that her maiden name was embroidered in the hidden gap, and the embroidery was exactly the same as hers!

Even if Aunt Fang jumped into the Yellow River, she would never be able to clear herself of the blame. She had no idea what went wrong.

She was furious. "It's you! You took my things just to hurt me!"

Aunt Fang was like a madman, trying to strangle Feng, who was almost strangled to death. The maids stepped forward to stop her.

Her excitement and madness told Zhao Huailiang everything. He closed his eyes, filled with regret, "What a misfortune for our family... What a misfortune for our family!"

Zhao Huailiang rushed over angrily, grabbed the crazy Concubine Fang, and slapped her again with unprecedented force, which directly broke the corner of Concubine Fang's mouth and blood gushed out.

Aunt Fang has come to her senses. Now that things have come to this, going crazy again will only make things worse, and her innocence will become guilt.

She hugged Zhao Huailiang's thighs and cried, "Master, I swear to heaven, I did not commit adultery with Yuan Silang, I really did not!"

She was wronged, it was really wronged.

Even if she had an affair, it was impossible for her to find a good-for-nothing, down-and-out scholar with no family background and no money.

But Zhao Huailiang would not believe her just because she cried out for injustice and made excuses. She could only kneel down and confess, revealing a small part of the truth, "I, I just... I just heard it from others and thought that the county lady and Li Heng..."

"Master, you know that I love my unmarried niece Ru, and Ru'er is in love with Li Heng. You know that! That's why I came up with a stupid idea. I asked Madam Tan to find out the county lady's opinion indirectly..."

She only admitted this, but she would never admit anything she had not done.

Madam Tan quickly agreed, "Yes, that's right. I was just being kind and wanted to help Aunt Fang find out what the county lady was thinking. I didn't mean to stir up trouble!"

Zhao Qingyi raised an eyebrow, "So, Aunt Fang admits to framing this county lady?"

Aunt Fang nearly gnashed her teeth as she continued to hug Zhao Huailiang and cry, "Master, please punish me. I was confused and thought of Man'er..."

She is Zhao Manyi's mother. It is normal for her to feel hatred and resentment for what Zhao Manyi ended up like.

"I was blinded by hatred for a moment and said things I shouldn't have said, causing people to misunderstand the county lady. It's all my fault, and I admit it..."

Aunt Fang raised her sleeves and cried bitterly. The five finger marks on her cheeks not only did not make her look embarrassed, but also revealed a bit of pitiful weakness.

Zhao Huailiang was slightly moved. Although his expression was still stern, he was no longer as angry as at the beginning. "Then tell me, what's going on with Xiaoyi?"

"Master?" Feng was shocked. He believed it so easily?

Zhao Huailiang ignored her and stared at Aunt Fang.

Aunt Fang slowly stopped crying, glanced timidly at the crowd at the gate, and said shyly, "Master, you should know... I never embroider my maiden name on my underwear..."

She had only ever embroidered her name on a purse and given it to Zhao Huailiang as a token of her appreciation, or when she made clothes for him, she would leave her maiden name on the cuff. This was a unique interest between the two of them, and it was also the reason why Zhao Huailiang could recognize her embroidery skills at a glance.

After hearing this, Zhao Huailiang believed it a little more. At the same time, he also recalled many past events. Thinking of the good things about Aunt Fang, his heart completely leaned towards Aunt Fang, and he also felt that Aunt Fang was wronged.

After all, his love for her over the past ten or twenty years has been genuine, and it is impossible for Aunt Fang to betray him.

Thinking of this, Zhao Huailiang turned his anger towards Feng.

Feng was baffled by his gloomy gaze. "What do you mean? Master, do you think I framed her?"

Feng Shi laughed as she said this, her eyes nearly rolling up to the sky. "She's just a concubine, what can I possibly do to her? She's not worthy!"

Zhao Huailiang took a deep breath. Feng's temper was the same as always.

He then turned to the princess, bowed deeply, and said humbly, "Please forgive me, Princess. As this is a family matter, please allow me to handle it on my own."

"Is this more than just a family matter?"

Feng Shi refused to give in. If they just let it go today, wouldn't that let Concubine Fang escape her fate? Then why were they making such a fuss? Was it to make Zhao Huailiang feel even more sorry for Concubine Fang?

"Master, please don't be so foolish as to avoid the important issues. Just based on Fang Qiao'er's few words, you believe that she and the man outside are innocent? The evidence is as strong as a mountain..."

"Feng Rulan!"

Zhao Huailiang scolded her in a low voice, warning her to shut up.

Feng's temper immediately flared up, "Your Highness, this whore has not only brought disgrace upon our family, but she has also falsely accused the County Master, nearly ruining her reputation. She must be held accountable!"

The princess saw Zhao Huailiang's stance and complained, "Sir Zhao, this matter concerns the county lady and Madam Tan, and even involves the newly-minted scholar. How can it be dismissed with a simple family matter?"

"This..." Zhao Huailiang wiped the sweat from his forehead.

In full view of the public, he was roasted on the fire.

Madam Zhao shouted in a stern voice, "Fang Qiao'er is stirring up trouble. Her crime is unforgivable. If I don't punish her severely, Zhao Huailiang, you can no longer recognize me as your mother!"

Zhao Huailiang fell to his knees and looked at his mother anxiously.

Old Madam Zhao, supported by Meng, slowly approached on crutches and glanced at Concubine Fang. "I've heard everything. Whether Concubine Fang committed adultery with a man outside the family is irrelevant. The evidence is here. Believe it or not. But if she dares to collude with outsiders to harm my Zhao family's legitimate daughter, I will never tolerate her!"

After he finished speaking, he knocked the ground hard with his cane, questioning Mrs. Tan and Yuan Silang about the truth.

Yuan Silang was now regretting his actions to the point of venom, and he kept shouting that his confession was absolutely true. If he had let Aunt Fang get away with it, she would have been safe, but he, the troublemaker, would have been charged with deceiving the emperor.

Since the truth has been revealed, he might as well confess and save his life.

How come Mrs. Tan also had the imperial decree of a third-rank lady? After being flustered, she quickly calmed down and said that it was Aunt Fang who told her. The lobbying process was similar to the words Aunt Fang used to persuade Feng. The difference was that Feng did not believe it, but she did.

"I have no intention of harming the county lady. At most...at most I just spoke too much..."

After hearing this, Old Lady Zhao snorted coldly at Zhao Huailiang, "Did you hear that? They've all confessed. How long do you plan to protect the Fang family?"

"Mother." Zhao Huailiang said helplessly, "I'm not protecting you, it's just..."

Madam Zhao simply used her trump card, "Are you thinking of splitting up the family business?"

Zhao Huailiang: “…”

Finally, he bowed his head in submission and said, "It's up to mother to decide."

The faint smile on Aunt Fang's lips faded away in an instant, and her face turned pale, "Master...Master!"

She tugged at the corner of Zhao Huailiang's clothes and begged him constantly, but he kept his head down and didn't even look at her.

Aunt Fang seemed to have lost all her strength and collapsed. Old Madam Zhao twirled her Buddhist beads and said, "Ms. Fang has committed the seven grounds for divorce. I will make the decision and divorce her from the palace..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhao Jiangyan, ignoring the servants' attempts to stop him, stumbled in, "Father! Grandmother! You can't divorce my concubine! You can't divorce my concubine!"

He opened his thin arms to block Aunt Fang, preventing anyone from touching her.

Zhao Jiangyan is the only son of the second wife and the grandson of Old Lady Zhao. The two of them cannot completely ignore him, so the old lady directly asked the servants to take him away.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiangyan broke free first and held on to a tree in the yard, refusing to let go. "If you divorce my concubine, I will crash into a car and die here!" He said this eagerly, and indeed scared a lot of people.

The servants were too afraid to move forward. Even Zhao Huailiang turned pale with fear and said coaxingly, "Jiang Yan, don't be impulsive. I won't divorce you, I won't divorce your aunt!"

Zhao Jiangyan was skeptical, but he still held on to the tree tightly, ready to crash into it at any time.

Old Madam Zhao was so angry that her chest heaved. "You bastard! Who taught you this trick of crying, making a scene, and then threatening to hang yourself?"

Aunt Fang not only did not feel ashamed, but also looked at her son with tears in her eyes and relief.

Feng gritted her teeth. Damn Fang Qiaoer, she just relied on her luck to give birth to a son, and the only child from the second wife. Not only did the master treasure him, but the old lady also loved the child.

It seems that all her efforts today were in vain.

Zhao Qingyi, who had been silent for a long time, spoke softly, "Grandma, don't be angry. In my opinion, this child still has to follow his biological mother."

She was not as optimistic as Feng. She had never thought of using this matter to bring down Concubine Fang. She was favored by her second uncle, had a son, and had been established in the mansion for a long time. Feng had been against her for more than ten years, but had not been able to reduce Concubine Fang's status in her second uncle's heart.

Besides, even if they divorced, given Second Uncle's fondness for Concubine Fang, he would most likely keep her outside the house, which would make it even more difficult to deal with her.

Since Aunt Fang refuses to leave, then let her stay forever.

"Second aunt has served the Zhao family for many years. Even if she has no merits, she has worked hard. It would be better for the only son in the family to be adopted by Second aunt. In the future, when Second aunt is old, she will still have a son to take care of her." Zhao Qingyi was very experienced in snatching sons away, and she persuaded the old lady with a smile.

Feng was furious when she heard this, "I won't support that bitch..."

Zhao Wenyi nudged her with her elbow again. Feng's eyes turned and she thought of Jun Ge'er, who was raised by Zhao Qingyi on the farm.

He was also a bastard born out of wedlock and a son of a concubine. In the end, he was controlled by his stepmother, Zhao Qingyi. Whether he would have a good or bad future, and what his prospects would be, all depended on the will of his stepmother.

Thinking of this crucial point, Feng smiled and changed her words, "That's great. I was just worried about not having a son to support me. If the mother-in-law is willing, the daughter-in-law will naturally be willing too."

Humph, wait until she snatches that little bastard Zhao Jiangyan away, and then we’ll see how Aunt Fang can still act.

The confident look on Aunt Fang's face disappeared instantly. She wanted to run over and take her son back, but Feng's personal nanny got there first and pulled the stunned Zhao Jiangyan down from the tree.

Feng smiled and patted his head, "Good son."

"Don't touch me!" Zhao Jiangyan was rebellious and was about to shake off Feng's hand.

Madam Zhao took a deep breath and glared at Zhao Huailiang, "This is the son raised by a concubine! He has no manners at all!"

Zhao Huailiang quickly agreed and ordered Zhao Jiangyan to kneel down and admit his mistake to Feng.

Aunt Fang felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife. This was her precious son whom she held in the palm of her hand, and now he was being snatched away by someone else and was being tortured like this.

Zhao Jiangyan refused to kneel, and the princess and the others looked on coldly. This was undoubtedly an insult to Zhao Huailiang's father. "Rebellious son! Are you trying to rebel against heaven?!"

Zhao Huailiang shouted angrily and raised his hand to hit Zhao Jiangyan.

Aunt Fang cried and screamed, "No! Don't hit him! Jiang Yan is still a child!"

"A loving mother often spoils her son. Look at the good son you have raised!" Zhao Huailiang's anger was more genuine this time.

In the past, he favored his concubines and even thought their sons were perfect in every way. But today, in front of so many people, he realized how wrong he was.

Look at Zhao Jiangyan, he is almost ten years old, but he still has no stable character. He bullies the weak and fears the strong outside, and uses unmanly means at home. How can he cry and make a fuss?

If you keep raising the child in Fangfeiyuan, he will definitely be ruined.

No matter how reluctant Zhao Jiangyan was, he was still dragged by the servants to Feng's courtyard. Feng was laughing so hard that she kept saying that the master was wise and her mother-in-law was wise.

However, Zhao Huailiang was concerned about his only son, so he used Zhao Jiangyan as a shield and refused to divorce Concubine Fang, saying that he would wait until the child was older before dealing with Concubine Fang.

Old Madam Zhao could tell that this was just a delaying tactic, so she ordered that Concubine Fang be confined to her room and not allowed to step out of Fangfei Courtyard. Even the allowances in the courtyard were to be reduced.

Meng stood beside the old lady, covering her lips with a silk handkerchief and whispering, "Mother-in-law, I think it's better to separate the East and West Mansions."

In the past, there were two large courtyards in the east and west, but now Meng is talking about two mansions.

The second wife has been making trouble again and again, and the first wife is also resentful. Especially this time, the evidence is conclusive, but Zhao Huailiang refuses to drive away Aunt Fang. Then don't blame the first wife for not caring about the brotherhood.

He will spend the rest of his life holding his beloved concubine.

"The specific matters of dividing the family will be discussed after my husband returns home. Now my daughter-in-law wants to build a wall between the two houses, open a door in each, and then the two families will live separately from now on." Meng's voice was soft, but with a firmness that could not be refused.

Madam Zhao was quite disappointed with her second son today. In the past, she was the one who was most reluctant to split the family, but now she had no choice but to give in. "Well, I'll do as you say."

Zhao Huailiang's expression froze, and Feng's smile fell. She grabbed Concubine Fang's hair and vented her anger, "It's all because of this bitch. She's caused so many troubles. If it weren't for you, how could our Zhao family be separated? I think you're a disaster! If you have any dignity, you should go back and hang yourself!"

Aunt Fang's scalp was pulled so hard that it hurt, and she covered her hair and screamed.

Zhao Huailiang, who always cared about her the most, chose to remain silent this time and let Feng drag her away.

Afterwards, the princess personally ordered the punishment of the other two people. Mrs. Tan's third-rank imperial title was revoked, and her husband was demoted one level as a punishment. As for Yuan Silang, he was naturally stripped of his official title and demoted to a commoner. He was no longer allowed to take the imperial examinations and would never be employed by the court again.

As the eldest princess, she still has the power to execute first and report later.

After everything was settled, Li Heng bowed to Zhao Qingyi in shame and apologized, "I still... caused trouble for the county lady."

Zhao Qingyi nodded lightly, turned around and left. His attitude was obviously colder than before, and he didn't even have the courtesy to be polite.

It’s not that she hates him. Zhao Qingyi just thinks there’s no need to do so. From now on, they can just be strangers. Since they are strangers, there’s no need to say more.

She had no feelings for Li Heng in the first place, and behind Aunt Fang's calculations, no matter how Li Heng had struggled, the fact was that his feelings did cause her a lot of trouble.

She is still unable to be tolerant and generous and pretend that nothing happened.

After leaving the Zhao family, the eldest princess did not return to the Qiao Mansion, but went into the palace instead. She had to tell her royal brother about what happened today, as there were too many people coveting her future sister-in-law.

Arriving at the Purple Palace, the eldest princess immediately asked, "Brother, how long do you plan to keep this a secret? If you don't hurry up, one day the county lady will become someone else's wife. Brother, please don't cry."

Chu Yuanhe raised his head from the pile of memorials, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

The eldest princess then told him everything that had happened today, and at the end she urged him, "I think this future sister-in-law is a person who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. You have deceived her for so long..."

The eldest princess thought about it and felt worried for her royal brother.

This is exactly what Chu Yuanhe was helpless about. He approached Zhao Qingyi as the Prince of Pingxi just for convenience. Later, he did achieve his goal. At least he had a place in Zhao Qingyi's heart.

But lies are always lies, and truth will come out sooner or later. Sooner or later, he will have to confess his identity to Zhao Qingyi. But when that time comes, Chu Yuanhe is not sure whether Zhao Qingyi will still be willing to accept him.

"...Let's wait a little longer." Chu Yuanhe lowered his eyes, suppressed his surging restlessness, and casually flipped over a memorial.

The eldest princess sat at the bottom and thought of someone, "Oh, right, is the criminal Li Che going to be exiled?"

exile?

Chu Yuanhe was startled, and the memorial in his hand was already spread out. It happened to be a joint memorial submitted by the three departments about Li Che.

On that day, he ordered Li Che to be hanged in the Dali Temple, but because Li Che refused to write the divorce letter, he was first imprisoned in the imperial prison of the Northern Pacification Division and tortured. It was not until the Empress Dowager's imperial edict denied the marriage that it became unimportant whether the divorce letter was written or not.

Chu Yuanhe was busy with complicated state affairs and no longer cared about Li Che's life or death. Now the three courts jointly submitted a memorial to overturn Li Che's verdict!