Helpless and trembling with rage, she cried out, "Shen Qingtang! You are utterly unfilial! My mother has been beaten like this!"
Lu Jin was being held captive, veins bulging on his neck, staring intently at her.
Shen Qingtang seemed stunned by his shout.
Her eyes reddened, and tears fell with a "plop."
She looked even more innocent and pitiful than Lin Peirou, who was sobbing beside her: "Husband... I didn't... I was just afraid that the old lady would offend you, so I said one more thing... I never expected..."
Her voice choked with sobs, her shoulders trembled slightly, and she looked so frail and helpless.
She was completely different from the strong and stubborn person she usually was in front of him.
Lu Jin was stunned for a moment, and a strange feeling inexplicably passed through his heart.
He had never seen Shen Qingtang look like this before, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
The angry curses that were on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat.
"Pah! You pretentious slut!" Mother Lu lay on the ground.
He was in so much pain that he grimaced.
Seeing that her son was actually intimidated by Shen Qingtang's appearance,
Enraged, she shouted, "You did it on purpose! You're trying to kill my whole family!"
At this moment, Lu Yu'e was being held by two imperial guards when she saw that Shen Qingtang dared to "play the victim".
He also cursed loudly: "Shen Qingtang, you unlucky thing! If you hadn't married into the Marquis's family, how could our family have fallen to such a state! If it weren't for the reputation of your Duke of Dingguo's mansion, who would have wanted you..."
"Me, unlucky?" Shen Qingtang suddenly looked up, her tears instantly stopping.
The tenderness in her eyes vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold sneer, "Lu Yu'e, you dare to speak to me like that?"
She stepped forward, her voice clear enough for everyone around to hear: "You have long hair but short brains. You married a sycophantic, pedantic scholar, and you only have one son. Yet you come to the Marquis's mansion every day to cry poverty and swindle so much gold and silver jewelry from me. Which of your husband's poor relatives didn't survive thanks to the charity of my Shen family?"
"Put your hand on your heart and tell me, how much benefit have you taken from our Duke of Dingguo's mansion and from me over the years? Now that something has happened, you're blaming me? I think you're the most unlucky one—you took advantage of my family and then cursed my family to ruin. How can anyone in the world be so shameless!"
Shen Qingtang spoke very quickly, each sentence hitting Lu Yu'e's sore spot. Especially the sentence "gave birth to a son".
It pierced her heart even more deeply—she had been married into the Zhou family for many years.
Having only given birth to one son, Zhou Yaozu, she had long been unable to hold her head high in her husband's family, which had always been her Achilles' heel.
"You! You're talking nonsense!" Lu Yu'e was so angry that she trembled all over.
His face flushed red, and he tried to pounce on Shen Qingtang, but the imperial guards held him down firmly. He could only scream in vain, "I'll tear your mouth apart! Shen Qingtang, you poisonous woman!"
Shen Qingtang coldly watched her hysterical state, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Lu Yu'e, in my past life you took advantage of Lu Jin's power. When I was down on my luck, you stole my last piece of cotton clothing to keep warm and even called me a "homeless dog." These words I'm saying today are just paying you back a little interest.
She ignored Lu Yu'e's curses, turned to the general leading the group, and said in a calm tone, "Sir, the people from the Marquis's mansion seem to be causing trouble. Please keep a close watch on them."
The general was already annoyed by the noise of these women from the inner quarters. Hearing this, he nodded and said sternly, "Take them all away! If they dare to make a sound again, gag them!"
The Imperial Guards dared not delay and dragged Lu Jin and his entourage, who were still struggling and cursing, out.
Lu Yu'e was enraged by Shen Qingtang's retort, cursing filthy words as she struggled to break free from the Imperial Guards' restraints.
Seeing this, Shen Qingtang quietly walked to the general's side, her voice extremely low, carrying just the right amount of grievance: "Sir, you see... this young lady doesn't seem to be cooperating. This noise might delay your business..."
The general was already annoyed. Upon hearing this, he glanced at the unruly Lu Yu'e, his face darkened, and he lashed out with his whip: "Behave yourself!"
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