Chapter 40 She did it on purpose!

"ah!"

It's unclear who exclaimed in surprise.

"lady!"

Wanqing rushed over anxiously.

What are you doing?

Old Madam Hou suddenly stood up, her face full of astonishment.

The room immediately descended into chaos.

Only Shen Qingci stared intently into Liu Ruolan's eyes, her body remaining motionless. But just as Liu Ruolan's foot touched her, she stepped back slightly, then pretended to fall to the ground, feigning weakness and pain from the kick.

With teary eyes, she looked at Liu Ruolan and asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

"I... I was just telling you that I dreamt about Yun Zhan last night, why are you suddenly making trouble for me?"

“You did the same thing yesterday. I was just feeding the fish, and you suddenly came over and asked me to share some of your fish food with you. I did.”

"But then you suddenly pushed me into the lake, and then jumped in yourself. And then, out of nowhere, you said to me, 'Let me see who the Marquis will save first?'"

Shen Qingci's eyes were red, and she looked like she had suffered a great injustice: "The Marquis is your husband, so naturally he will save you first."

"He saved you, but I almost drowned in the lake. The imperial physician said that because I swallowed water, cold pathogens invaded my lungs, and I have had a recurring high fever since last night."

"But you spread rumors in the mansion, saying that I pushed you."

Shen Qingci sobbed, "I..."

She choked up and turned her eyes away: "My family was wiped out, and I have no family to rely on. My husband is also dead, and there is not a single person in the mansion who will speak up for me."

"I thought, you are the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, the daughter of the Prime Minister's family. If I can't afford to offend you, can't I at least avoid you?"

"So I came to say goodbye to my mother, wanting to get back my dowry, leave the Marquis's mansion, and go to a nunnery to become a nun."

“You came here, and I pretended that nothing happened yesterday. I told you I was leaving the manor and chatted with you about everyday things, but you suddenly started acting up again…”

Shen Qingci raised her eyes to look at the old lady of the Marquis, who also thought Liu Ruolan was simply unreasonable and was furious: "Mother, you saw it too. My sister-in-law doesn't tolerate me. I didn't do anything at all, but she looks like she wants to kill me. I really can't stay in this Marquis's mansion anymore!"

As Shen Qingci spoke, she began to sob again, raising her hand to cover her face with her sleeve, concealing the dark light in her eyes.

She indeed had no one to rely on, so naturally she couldn't directly confront Liu Ruolan head-on.

but……

She can use underhanded methods.

She can feign weakness, use tricks, and play the innocent victim.

Everyone thought that Liu Ruolan was arrogant, domineering, and jealous, and would not allow any threat to the Marquis of Yongning, not even his sister-in-law who had just become a widow.

If Liu Ruolan's reputation is ruined, it's fine as long as the Prime Minister's Mansion can still control everything.

If even the slightest problem were to arise in the Prime Minister's residence, it would become the last straw that broke Liu Ruolan's back.

Anyway, she's already died once. What does face matter when it comes to saving her life and getting revenge?

Moreover, the Shen Qingci who was in front of Huo Yunzhan before was the eldest daughter of a century-old family, gentle, intellectual, aloof and proud.

He had no doubt that Shen Qingci would lie, deliberately provoke Liu Ruolan, and use such despicable means to frame her.

Old Madam Hou glared sharply at Liu Ruolan: "Eldest daughter-in-law! Haven't you gone a bit too far? I'm still here!"

Liu Ruolan had already been pulled away by the maids and old women. She glared fiercely at Shen Qingci, cursing her in her heart, "That bitch!"

She calmed down a bit, and seeing Shen Qingci's appearance and hearing what she said, she realized that she had been tricked.

Liu Ruolan gritted her teeth: "Are you all blind? This bitch, she's just faking it!"

"I didn't touch her at all!"

"Moreover, she was deliberately provoking me and trying to provoke me!"

Old Madam Hou's face grew increasingly grim, and she slammed her hand on the table: "Who are you calling blind? Are you talking about me?"

"So many of us here heard and saw it!"

"The second son's wife didn't say anything at all, she was very calm the whole time, it was you who suddenly rushed over and kicked her like a madwoman!"

"I saw you kick her with my own eyes!"

"Am I blind? Are we all blind?"

Liu Ruolan then realized that her words had been a bit too harsh.

She gritted her teeth and saw Shen Qingci's eyes peeking out from above her sleeve, eyes full of schadenfreude.

Liu Ruolan's anger flared up instantly.

That bitch! She did it on purpose!

“She said…”

Liu Ruolan gritted her teeth, wanting to defend herself, but upon careful consideration, she realized that what Shen Qingci had said earlier was indeed not wrong.

It was because she knew that her current husband, who was using the identity of Huo Yunting, was actually Shen Qingci's husband, Huo Yunzhan.

It was because she saw the slap on Huo Yunzhan's face and the kick wound on his leg this morning!

But unfortunately, she couldn't say it.

Shen Qingci only said that she dreamed of Huo Yunzhan last night, and that she slapped Huo Yunzhan twice and kicked him.

How is she supposed to explain this...?

How could she suspect that Shen Qingci was responsible for the injuries that happened to appear on the Marquis of Yongning's body?

She has no evidence!

If she said that, others would definitely think she was making unfounded accusations, like a jealous woman, or a madwoman!

"What did she say?" Old Madam Hou's face grew even more grim. "Everyone heard what she said just now."

What was wrong with what she said?

What suddenly drove you crazy?

Madam Hou took a deep breath: "I initially believed your story about you falling into the water yesterday! But after what just happened, I've suddenly started to have doubts."

"You dare to do this to my face, how much worse must it be behind my back!"

"Do you really think that just because you're now the mistress of this manor, you can do whatever you want here?"

The old lady was so angry that her face turned red!

"I'm still alive!"

Madam Hou gritted her teeth, her gaze sweeping over Shen Qingci, whose face was streaked with tears, before settling on Liu Ruolan.

Although Huo Yunzhan is officially dead, Shen Qingci is just a widow.

However, Huo Yunzhan died in battle and rendered meritorious service to the country.

Shen Qingci is Huo Yunzhan's wife. If she were to be bullied like this for no reason in their Yongning Marquis's mansion, it would not be good for the reputation of the Huo family if word got out.

If she doesn't deal with this, she'll never be able to hold her head up in the entire circle of aristocratic families in the capital!

Thinking of this, the old lady Hou's eyes gradually hardened: "Guards, detain the lady Hou and take her to the ancestral hall! Make her kneel down and admit her mistakes in front of our ancestors, and copy the Huo family rules thirty times!"

Liu Ruolan's eyes widened: "What?"

She was furious. What did she do wrong?

She did nothing wrong; it was clearly that bitch Shen Qingci who schemed against her!

"On what grounds?"

Why should she go to the ancestral hall? Why should she copy the family rules? Why should she kneel?