Chapter 9: Wanting to be a whore and a saint at the same time. Hypocrisy!
Lin Qingyue dropped her chopsticks and turned away without giving Lin Xiao any face at all.
Lin Xiao was so angry that he was shaking all over. "You evil creature! If I had known you were so cruel and heartless, I shouldn't have brought you back to the Marquis' Mansion!"
How could he have known that the gentle and filial Lin Qingyue, who longed for her parents' love, had already been indirectly killed by them. What returned now was their sin and debt!
And everything has just begun!
After leaving the dining room, Lin Qingyue wandered around the mansion and eventually reached the east courtyard.
The east courtyard is the residence of Liu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the marquis's family. An unpleasant herbal smell can be smelled from afar.
When Lin Qingyue walked to the door of the room, she saw Liu holding a bowl of black medicine, frowning and looking full of resistance.
The nanny next to her advised, "Young Madam, this is a medicine made from a new recipe Madam has found. It's very effective. Many women have used it. It's said that if you take it continuously for a month, you can get pregnant."
Liu asked, "Why is there a circle of dust floating around the edge of this bowl?"
The nanny said, "These are the incense ashes that Madam got from the temple. That temple is very effective in praying for children."
Liu put down the medicine unhappily.
In order to make her give birth to a child, her mother-in-law really did everything she could!
The nanny was Zhou's person, and was sent specifically to watch over Liu while she took her medicine.
Seeing that she refused to drink, the nanny's face turned cold: "My wife has been worrying about the young lady's health for many years. If you don't drink, wouldn't it be a waste of her efforts?"
After saying that, she picked up the bowl of medicine and was about to put it back into Liu's hands.
But at this moment, his wrist felt a pain and shook, and the medicine bowl fell to the ground with a crisp sound, spilling all the soup.
The nanny panicked, "Young Madam, I'll go make you another bowl. Please don't tell her I spilled the medicine, or I'll have a hard time explaining it to Madam!"
After saying that, she hurried downstairs.
Only then did Lin Qingyue walk in leisurely.
When Liu saw Lin Qingyue, she hurried over and invited her to take a seat.
After three years of marriage, she found her mother-in-law to be mean and her sister-in-law to be kind but ruthless. Her husband, far from showing any compassion, even beat her from time to time.
In the past, only the simple and kind-hearted Lin Qingyue could talk to her.
Therefore, Liu was the only one who was happy when Lin Qingyue returned home today. However, because she said something too much at the gate, her husband slapped her and sent her back to the inner house.
She affectionately pulled Lin Qingyue to sit down and ordered the servants to bring tea and cakes.
"I was feeling a little unwell just now, so I couldn't go out to greet you. Don't blame me." She handed a piece of cake to Lin Qingyue, "Eat it. You don't need to worry about your manners here, just eat to your heart's content!"
Lin Qingyue saw the slap marks on her face and asked, "Did he hit you again?"
Liu just smiled and said nothing.
Lin Qingyue asked again: "Have you never thought about leaving?"
"Leave?" Liu smiled bitterly. "If I dare to ask for a divorce, not only will your brother beat me to death, but even my family won't agree. People have always been harsh towards women. Unless the man has committed a serious fault, a woman who asks for a divorce is considered unfaithful and will be despised by the world. Her family will also be criticized and disgraced."
"Isn't it a big mistake for him to hit you?" Lin Qingyue pulled her sleeves open without any hesitation, revealing bruises and scars of various sizes.
The bruises are caused by pinching, and the scars are caused by burning with candles.
Liu said numbly, "What's the big deal about hitting someone? If a woman hits her husband, that's called rebelling against the Heavenly Gang! But if a man hits his wife, outsiders will just say it's his wife's fault. Even if he beats her to death, he'll only be imprisoned for three years."
It's not like Liu had never rebelled before.
The first time she was beaten by Lin Rufeng, she went back to her parents' home in anger.
But after only two days, she was sent back to her husband's home by her family.
My father said, "A married daughter who always lives in her parents' home will bring shame to her sisters. Don't come back for a trivial matter and bring shame to your parents."
From then on, no matter how hard Lin Rufeng beat her, she never returned to her parents' home. She only hoped to give birth to a child soon, hoping that if she had one, he would stop beating her.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
Liu lowered her eyes and said, "It's also my fault that my pregnancy is not going well. I've been married for three years and there's no reaction at all."
Lin Qingyue asked, "Why do you blame yourself for the mistake?"
Liu looked puzzled: "What do you mean, sister?"
Lin Qingyue said, "You have the face of many children and grandchildren, but Lin Rufeng is the exact opposite. So, even if we need to see a doctor or use medicine, he should be the one."
Upon hearing this, Liu hurriedly glanced outside the door. Seeing that no one else heard, she lowered her voice and said:
"You must not say this outside! If your mother-in-law hears, she will be angry with you again. Although you are a princess now, you still need to maintain good relations with your family so that you can have someone to rely on in the future."
When she said this, she thought of the conversation between Lin Xiao and Lin Ruzhen just now, and felt that something was wrong.
She then sighed: "We, my sister-in-law, are all pitiful people."
Seeing that she didn't believe it, Lin Qingyue didn't say much.
After all, in this era, the status of men and women is very different. The blame for not being able to have children has always been borne by women.
Even if it is a man's problem, they will not hesitate to put the blame on the woman.
Lin Rufeng was the eldest son of the Lin family and Zhou's only son and hope. She would never believe that her son had any health problems and would only intensify her torture of her daughter-in-law.
Liu was sad, but she consoled herself: "Although your brother is not very considerate and always likes to hit people, he always refuses my mother-in-law's suggestion of taking a concubine. I think he still cares about me in his heart, right?"
"He only cares about himself!" Lin Qingyue said bluntly, "He doesn't take a concubine simply because he prefers men and doesn't like women."
Liu was stunned when these words came out. "Is this true? How did you know?"
"If you don't believe me, you can send someone to Shuangyan Lane to ask. He's a frequent visitor there."
"Shuangyan Lane" is the gathering place of male brothels in the capital, and it is the favorite place for young men with sexual tendencies.
One time when Lin Qingyue passed by the entrance of the alley, she happened to see Lin Rufeng coming out.
His satisfied and erratic look was completely different from his previous fierce appearance.
He turned around and saw Lin Qingyue. His expression suddenly changed and he rushed over to warn her fiercely:
"Don't tell anyone that I've been here, or I won't let you go!"
At that time, Lin Qingyue had just returned to the Marquis' Mansion and had no idea where that place was.
Since Lin Rufeng didn't let her speak, she didn't say anything more.
But after a few days, Lin Xiao discovered Lin Rufeng's special hobby and beat him severely.
Zhou and Lin Ruzhen both knew about this, but they didn't tell Liu the truth. Liu thought her husband was punished because he contradicted his father.
Lin Rufeng was certain that Lin Qingyue had revealed the secret. The first thing he did after his injury healed was to grab Lin Qingyue by the collar and slap her a dozen times.
Lin Qingyue's mouth was bleeding from the beating before Zhou arrived.
Lin Ruzhen was still beside him, teasing, "Brother has always been friendly with his siblings. How did your sister make him angry? Hurry up and apologize to your brother. As a family, please don't hold grudges."
After scolding her son for a few words, Zhou turned around and warned Lin Qingyue: "Your elder brother is your father. Even if his methods are a little harsh at times, it is for your own good. You must not spread nonsense outside and ruin your brother's reputation. Remember this?"
The innocent Lin Qingyue didn't even know how she had offended Lin Rufeng. She was clearly a victim, but she had to please the abuser. It was ridiculous!
However, Lin Qingyue today has experienced all kinds of dirty things, and she can understand what Shuangyan Lane was like after a quick thought.
The reason why Lin Rufeng is infertile is probably because he played too much and damaged his body.
After hearing what she said, Liu was surprised and unbelievable at first, but she soon figured it out.
"No wonder he rarely touched me in the three years since we got married. The few times we slept together, it was always hasty. Afterwards, he even bathed several times in disgust. He had no maids by his side, but he had several handsome servants. I always thought he was a chaste man."
"You said he was infertile. I didn't believe it at first. But now, I have to believe it."
"How ridiculous!" She said it was ridiculous, but tears fell uncontrollably.
"It's all clearly his fault, but for the past three years, everyone has blamed me for being infertile and treated me like a sinner! Even my parents think I owe the Lin family something, and they're trying to please them in every way, fearing they'll divorce me."
"And I, in order to get pregnant, drank bitter medicine for two and a half years. I even damaged my stomach... and in the end, this is what happened!"
She wiped away her tears, held Lin Qingyue's hand, and said gratefully, "Sister Yue'er, thank you so much for telling me this. Otherwise, I don't know how long I would have been abused! You are the only good person in the Lin family."
Good person? It had been a long time since anyone had called her, Immortal Lord Qingyue, that kind of person.
Unfortunately, she is not a good person.
The reason why I told Liu all this is because she is a key person.
Lin Rufeng has done many evil things and should have received retribution, but unfortunately the existence of the Liu family delayed the retribution.
"So, what are you going to do after you know the truth?" Lin Qingyue asked.
If Liu still refuses to repent, even if she is a lucky person, she will be implicated and die.
Liu lowered her head, as if thinking.
A moment later, when she raised her head again, her usual cowardice was gone.
"I absolutely cannot stay in the Lin family any longer. I'm going back to my parents' home and telling them everything. We'll get a divorce once we gather evidence!"
Although the State of Qi did not explicitly prohibit homosexuality, it was not in line with the mainstream secular concept.
Therefore, even if you have this hobby, you should do it secretly and never bring it to the table.
If beating his wife was just a family matter, then his homosexuality would ruin Lin Rufeng's reputation and his future.
Lin Rufeng married a wife just to cover up his special orientation.
That day, Liu packed up her things and went back to her parents' home.
When I was leaving the house, the nanny just brought me some new medicine.
Liu said bitterly, "Tell my mother-in-law that I will never drink this medicine again!"
Lin Qingyue looked at Liu's departing figure and smiled, "The belated retribution has come tonight."
The situation was almost settled, and she was about to leave the mansion when she learned that Dongfang Yan had arrived.
Dongfang Yan was in a low mood because of Princess Qing'an's matter. After explaining the whole cause and effect to the emperor, he returned to the palace.
Thinking that Lin Qingyue had helped Princess Qing'an the night before, Dongfang Yan felt that he should thank her.
At the same time, he also wanted to ask how Lin Qingyue knew those mysterious techniques.
But he learned that the princess had returned to the marquis's mansion.
Dongfang Yan then remembered about Sanchao's return visit.
In the State of Qi, returning to one's parents' home after three visits was a very important matter.
Not only does the husband have to go together, but he also has to prepare generous gifts to formally establish the relationship between the two families.
Dongfang Yan's absence would not only embarrass the woman, but also give the man an excuse to appear ignorant of etiquette.
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yan ordered his men to go to the warehouse to pick out gifts and personally carry them to the Marquis' Mansion.
When the Lin family heard that Dongfang Yan had arrived, they immediately helped the elderly and children and warmly welcomed the distinguished prince to the main seat in the living room.
After Dongfang Yan exchanged a few pleasantries with Lin Xiao, he looked around but didn't see any sign of Lin Ruzhen. He couldn't help but ask, "Why hasn't the Second Young Lady come out?"
Mrs. Zhou explained, "Zhen'er is feeling unwell and is resting in the backyard."
"But did you catch a cold after falling into the water that night?" Dongfang Yan looked worried, and almost forgot why he was here.
After I finished speaking, I realized that I had been a little presumptuous.
Lin Rufeng couldn't help but glare at Lin Qingyue: "My sister was fine at first. During lunch, she was even trying hard to mend her sisterly relationship with Princess Jin. But Princess Jin kept speaking harshly to her. Zhen'er is weak, so she must have collapsed from the anger, right?"
Dongfang Yan glanced at Lin Qingyue coldly after hearing this: "Really?"
Lin Qingyue took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Since you care so much, why don't you go and see for yourself?"
Dongfang Yan stood up immediately. After all, he still had some sense of shame and knew that it was wrong to meet with his sister-in-law in private.
So he said to Lin Qingyue, "Since you have some free time, why don't you take me to visit the garden?"
The intention to visit the garden was fake, but the real intention was to take the opportunity to have a look.
Oh, you want to be a whore and a saint at the same time. How hypocritical!
Zhou secretly winked, and the nanny beside her retreated quietly.
Lin Qingyue saw it and responded with a smile: "Okay."
On the way, Dongfang Yan walked hurriedly with a worried look on his face.
Lin Qingyue couldn't help but wonder: On their wedding night, he was just as eager to visit Lin Ruzhen, but he abandoned his newlywed wife.
If he hadn't been absent, how would the fake princess have had the opportunity to commit the crime?
As soon as I walked to the back garden, I heard the melodious sound of the piano.
Dongfang Yan took a few quick steps, turned around a rockery, and saw a pavilion overlooking the lake, where a beautiful woman was sitting alone playing the piano.
Lin Ruzhen's silk skirt swayed, her pearl hairpin hung sideways, and her bare hands gently plucked the strings of the zither.
The sound of the piano is like a complaint and a cry, as if telling the story of a young girl's feelings.
She was so focused on playing the piano that she didn't even seem to notice the approaching footsteps.
Until Dongfang Yan called out carefully, "Zhen'er..."
"Dong——" The strings were broken at just the right moment.
She came back to her senses, looked up and saw Dongfang Yan, and murmured, "Your Highness... Did I miss you too much? I actually had hallucinations."
As she spoke, her mouth started to hurt again, but she tried hard to hold it back so as not to ruin the atmosphere.
Dongfang Yan hurried forward and said, "How could this be an illusion? This is the king who has come to see you. Zhen'er, I heard you're not feeling well. Where is it that's bothering you? This king has asked the imperial physician to come and see you."
"Your Highness, is it really you?" Surprise flashed in her eyes. "I thought Your Highness was newly married and had forgotten about Zhen'er a long time ago."
"No. You saved my life, and I promised you that I will never let you down."
"Your Highness, Zhen'er didn't save you that day to demand a favor in return—Ah!"
The sting that came with the lie was more intense than the previous pain.
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