Chapter 186 Everything is Retribution
Zhao Jue returned to the Duke's Mansion in a depressed mood and happened to meet Shen Qingtan at the corner gate.
"Tan'er, wait a minute." Zhao Jue blocked Shen Qingtan's way: "I have something to say to you."
Shen Qingtan turned a deaf ear and gestured to Jiang Mu to make way.
Jiang Mu, Liu Yue and Ting Xue stood between the two people, creating a small path.
Shen Qingtan walked over.
Zhao Jue's face was gloomy. He suspected that Shen Qingtan had a backer and was putting on airs in front of him.
On second thought, Shen Qingtan is not the kind of person who would be arrogant and conceited because of his status.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have such close contact with Boss Qin.
Suddenly, he thought of the previous times when Shen Qingtan reminded him to pay attention to the rules.
He tightened his cheeks and squeezed out two words from between his teeth: "Second sister-in-law."
Shen Qingtan stopped and looked at him straight in the eye.
Zhao Jue almost crushed his back teeth. She actually wanted to be his second sister-in-law!
He felt very depressed, thinking about how Shen Qingtan had treated him wholeheartedly and there was no room for any other man in her eyes.
She admired people with outstanding talents and learning. When Zhao Yi became the top scorer in the imperial examination, he had tried to sound out the issue.
Shen Qingtan smiled and said, "You are both a man of letters and a warrior, and your talent is no less than that of Master Zhao. If you had not joined the army and had taken the imperial examination, you might have also won the top spot."
Now there is only Zhao Yi in her eyes, no longer him.
He regretted that he was so short-sighted. When he learned from Marquis Cheng'en that Shen Qingtan was not their biological daughter, he abandoned her without hesitation.
If he insisted on marrying her, he would be the Prince of Zhenbei's son-in-law.
"Whether you believe it or not, I have to tell you that it was Marquis Cheng'en who forced me to marry Shen Mingzhu. If you don't agree to the marriage exchange, they will plot against you and ruin your reputation."
Zhao Jue's eyes showed pain: "I have no say in the mansion, so I can't help you at all. In order to protect you, I have to compromise."
Shen Qingtan sneered in her heart. Was it because Zhao Jue saw that the Cheng'en Marquisate was about to lose power and learned of her true identity that he acted out such a sentimental drama?
She raised her eyebrows: "Are you done?"
"Tan'er, abandoning you is not my intention. No matter what the reason, it has already happened. I was wrong and I don't have the face to ask for your forgiveness." Zhao Jue's eyes were fierce. "I will make everyone who bullied you pay the price they deserve."
"Really?" Shen Qingtan looked calm and asked, "Including Shen Mingzhu?"
Zhao Jue clenched his fists and said nothing.
Shen Qingtan got an answer from his resolute eyes.
She asked, "Do you still remember the Historical Records you borrowed from me that year?"
Zhao Jue was stunned. He had borrowed many books but had never read any of them.
So many years have passed, and I have completely forgotten it.
"A military commander of great ability and resourcefulness married a woman from an enemy kingdom. When the two nations were at war, he personally killed his wife, who had shared his joys and sorrows, to prove his loyalty to the monarch, hoping to become a general. The monarch appointed him a general, and he commanded the troops with divine skill, defeating the enemy and achieving remarkable military success, yet the monarch did not place him in a high position."
Shen Qingtan asked, "Why don't you think the monarch would make use of this talented general?"
Zhao Jue said without hesitation, "The monarch lacks the magnanimity to tolerate others and is wary of him, so he doesn't use him."
When Shen Qingtan heard Zhao Jue's answer, which was completely different from what he said before, she couldn't help but look up at him.
"The monarch is indeed wary of him." Shen Qingtan brought up his previous response: "He killed his own wife for power. How could the monarch dare to use such a selfish and heartless person?"
Zhao Jue would also kill his wife for power.
She is a good example.
Shen Qingtan observed Zhao Jue's reaction to see if he remembered the mood he was in when he said this.
But Zhao Jue seemed lost in thought, pondering the meaning of her words.
I completely forgot my answer back then.
It can be seen that his original answer was probably to please her, rather than his true thoughts, which is why he had no impression of it.
From this we can see that Zhao Jue has been a rotten person since he was young.
She no longer paid attention to Zhao Jue, and took her people out of the Duke's Mansion to meet Old Madam Shen and Shen Shaoheng.
Zhao Jue looked at Shen Qingtan's back as he left and understood the meaning of this sentence.
In order to get close to the King of Zhenbei, he killed Shen Mingzhu.
How could she dare to trust such a heartless person like him?
Zhao Jue's face turned pale and blue, and he felt extremely embarrassed.
But now he has no way out, he must do something to surrender to King Zhenbei and dispel King Zhenbei's hatred for him.
As for Shen Qingtan... he will regain her trust.
Zhao Jue went to the study to take out the evidence of Marquis Cheng'en's crimes and left the Duke's Mansion.
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Madam Shen took a carriage to visit Marquis Cheng'en in prison again.
After the King of Zhenbei was exonerated of his crime, Shen Shaohuai released her from the study.
She couldn't wait to come to Marquis Cheng'en to ask for Princess Yizhen's relics. Only when she held something that could save her life would Shen Shaohuai listen to her as before.
When Marquis Cheng'en saw Madam Shen coming, he hurried to the prison door and asked, "How is it? What did the prince say?"
"My Lord, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Madam Shen burst into tears. "The prince said he wanted to protect you, so he gave him the evidence you had on him. I believed him and found the evidence and gave it to him. Who knew... who knew he destroyed it and refused to rescue you."
Madam Shen's words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, crushing Marquis Cheng'en's last ray of hope.
"It's over... it's all over..."
Marquis Cheng'en was greatly shocked. He staggered a few steps with despair in his eyes.
Madam Shen said with a guilty look on her face: "My Lord, I am useless and failed to save you...ah..."
Marquis Cheng'en rushed over, his eyes filled with hatred as he said, "You did it on purpose! You gave the evidence to Prince Yu on purpose! We've been married for half our lives, why would you betray me?"
Mrs. Shen argued: "I...I didn't..."
"Don't you see the eagle doesn't cast its net? If there is no other benefit, would you give him the evidence?" Cheng Enhou's eyes were red, and he grabbed her clothes tightly. "I didn't expect... that the person who betrayed me in the end would be you!"
"My Lord, I... I had no choice. The prince couldn't even protect himself, how could I rescue you?" Madam Shen's face was covered with tears: "I did this for Huai'er, to leave a bloodline for the Marquis's Mansion. The prince said that as long as I hand over the evidence, he will save Huai'er's life."
Marquis Cheng'en stared at Madam Shen intently, as if he had never expected that the person he had been scheming against for half his life would now be betrayed by the person next to him.
retribution.
Everything is retribution.
"My Lord, isn't all this work we've been working on for the sake of our children? Your fate is already set in stone. Do you really want your children to die for the mistakes you've made?"
Seeing that Marquis Cheng'en seemed a little shaken, Madam Shen continued to persuade him, "You put so much effort into Huai'er, only to have him die with you? Your children are still alive, so you can make a comeback and continue your bloodline. If our entire family is confiscated, then everything will be over."
"My Lord, we've been married for a long time. How could I possibly betray you? As long as our children are alive, I have nothing else to ask for." She held Marquis Cheng'en's hand and said with all her heart, "Wherever you go, I will be with you."
Marquis Cheng'en looked intently into Madam Shen's eyes, as if trying to find any signs of her lying.
After a long time, he seemed to believe what Mrs. Shen said, and said, “What you want is under the painting vat in the study.”
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