Chapter 40: Taking a Concubine
Zhao Jue's face was abnormally red. He imprisoned Qiu Chan and did something intimate that only husband and wife would do.
Qiu Chan's face was filled with tears as he begged sadly.
"Third Master... please let this servant go..."
Shen Mingzhu looked at the scene in disbelief, as if she had been struck by lightning.
Not Zhao Yi and Qiu Chan.
But it was Zhao Jue and Qiu Chan.
"Oh my God, the person who destroyed the Buddhist holy land was actually Mr. Zhao San."
"Mr. Zhao San looks very decent on the surface, but he turns out to be a filthy person."
"Oh, I'm so embarrassed. It's really shameful to watch. What's the difference between a noble young man and a stray dog out there in heat?"
"Let's go, let's go. I have to go to the Buddha to apologize and recite the Heart Purification Mantra a few more times."
Every word pierced Shen Mingzhu's heart. She had found these people to make fun of Shen Qingtan, and never thought that she would make such a big joke of herself.
"You idiots, why don't you close the door and let your master be laughed at!"
Shen Mingzhu vented her anger on the servant and scolded him.
Zhao Jue regained some consciousness amid the shouting and cursing, and realized what he was doing. His face instantly turned pale, and he dropped the shivering Qiu Chan.
He saw the group of people standing at the door, and anger flashed between his brows: "Get out!"
The servant quickly closed the wooden door.
Shen Mingzhu clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms.
It is almost conceivable that as soon as the sun rises, Zhao Jue’s scandalous deeds will spread throughout the capital.
Zhao Jue is shameless, so she follows suit.
"Second sister, don't pay attention to those gossips." Everything here was within Shen Qingtan's expectations. After all, it was all planned by her. She comforted him, "Don't be too sad. What man doesn't have three wives and four concubines?"
He repeated Shen Mingzhu's words word for word.
This is how murderous and heartbreaking it is.
Shen Mingzhu suffered the consequences of her own actions and could not express her pain.
Her people saw with their own eyes that Qiu Chan went to find Zhao Yi, and the two of them left one after the other.
How did he become Zhao Jue?
Shen Mingzhu didn't know where the mistake was.
"Every man would take a concubine, but...but I've only been married for a few days."
Shen Mingzhu couldn't accept that Zhao Jue had another woman.
She planned for Zhao Yi to take a concubine in order to prevent herself from having any regrets.
Secondly, Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi were not actually husband and wife, but Zhao Yi slept with Shen Qingtan's dowry, and Shen Qingtan would become the talk of the town.
Only when Shen Qingtan is not doing well can she feel balanced in her heart.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Shen Mingzhu pointed her finger at Shen Qingtan and asked with a ferocious expression, "It was you who teamed up with Qiu Chan to plot against the Third Master, wasn't it?"
"Shen Mingzhu, are you so jealous of me?" Shen Qingtan's face turned cold. "You're jealous of my life of luxury in the Marquis' Mansion for over a decade, while you've been living in poverty and suffering outside. So every time something goes wrong, you put the blame on me, hoping to ruin my reputation?"
Shen Mingzhu's face changed.
"It was like this with Madam Wei, and it was also like this with Qiu Chan. If there are other things in the future, will you also put the blame on me without saying a word?"
Shen Qingtan sneered, "You are living outside because of the negligence of the Marquisate, and I am so innocent that I have to bear what I should not have to bear...your hatred."
Shen Mingzhu was horrified and almost thought that Shen Qingtan knew her life story.
Shen Qingtan said coldly, "Qiu Chan is your maid, and her indenture is in your hands. How can I have the right to order her to climb into Zhao Jue's bed?"
Shen Mingzhu was sure that Shen Qingtan did it, but she had no evidence.
At this time, the door of the wooden house opened again.
Shen Qingtan followed the sound and looked over.
Zhao Jue tidied his clothes and walked out with a gloomy expression.
Qiu Chan's legs were trembling as she stumbled behind him. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, making her little face look even paler and more pitiful.
Shen Mingzhu rushed forward quickly, grabbed Qiu Chan's collar, and raised her hand to hit her in the face.
A large hand grabbed her wrist, blocking the slap, and then pushed Shen Mingzhu away.
Shen Mingzhu staggered a few steps and looked at Zhao Jue in surprise, as if she didn't expect him to protect Qiu Chan.
Qiu Chan was so frightened that he trembled and huddled behind Zhao Jue.
Shen Mingzhu was so angry that she fell backwards, wishing she could order someone to catch this little bitch and put her in a pig cage.
Zhao Jue just wanted to find out the whole story. If he let Shen Mingzhu beat someone up, the matter would never end.
He locked his eyes with Shen Qingtan: "You asked me to meet here just to set me up with your maid?"
When Shen Mingzhu heard this, her eyes were blazing with fire. She knew it was Shen Qingtan who did it, and she opened her mouth to accuse him.
Zhao Jue glanced at her sideways with a cold look.
Shen Mingzhu felt a chill in her heart and shut her mouth in frustration, not daring to make a fuss anymore.
Shen Qingtan, as if hearing a joke, asked in reply, "Third brother, why would I set you up with a maid? What do you have to lose? And what do I have to gain?"
"Then why did you ask me to wait for you here?"
"I am your sister-in-law. You treated me without any sense of propriety today. I will have someone beat you up so that you can learn a lesson and be more restrained when you see me in the future." Shen Qingtan clapped his hands.
The eight big men who had been hiding in the forest came out in an instant. They were all tall and strong thugs.
Shen Qingtan explained their origins: "The old lady and I are both weak women. We secretly hired thugs from the escort agency to secretly protect our safety in Hualing Temple."
Zhao Jue saw that she looked regretful, as if she was sorry that she couldn't get someone to beat him up.
His face darkened, and he suppressed his anger and asked, "Qiu Chan brought a bowl of tofu soup, saying that you asked her to send it, and I ate it and fell into the trap."
"Have you ever seen anyone do bad things under their own name? The person who stole my dowry even knew to cover it up as a fake." Shen Qingtan sneered: "I really doubt that you are claiming other people's military merits. You can't see through this trick of framing others."
The veins on Zhao Jue's forehead throbbed as he growled, "Shen Qingtan!"
Shen Qingtan said sternly, "Qiu Chan is not my maid, I can't control her." She curled her lips and said, "With your ability, you can find out the truth by investigating."
Zhao Jue's face was tense, he didn't think this was a nice thing to say.
Qiu Chan panicked and knelt on the ground, begging Zhao Jue for mercy: "Third Master, Third Madam saw you meeting Second Madam in the Zen room during the day. She resented Second Madam's admiration from you, so she gave me a packet of medicine powder to put in your food, and gave it to you in the name of Second Madam.
I was unwilling to do it, so Third Madam threatened me with the indenture contract. I had no choice but to put medicine in the tofu soup.
Third Grandma said it was just a medicine that would give you a headache for a few days and was meant to alienate the relationship between you and Second Grandma. I never expected it would be an aphrodisiac.
I know my crime, and I beg you, Third Master, to have mercy on me, not to sell me out, but to give me a chance to live."
"You're slandering me!" Shen Mingzhu didn't expect Qiu Chan to bite back at her. She was furious: "When did I ever instruct you to drug the Third Master? Am I crazy, setting you up to be my husband's woman?"
Qiu Chan lowered her head and sobbed, seemingly not knowing how to defend herself.
Shen Qingtan said, "Second sister, Qiuchan is an old woman by your side. Mother kept her for you to keep her in your good graces. If you suspected that my uncle and I had an affair, you sacrificed Qiuchan to make him hate me. Qiuchan's innocence was ruined because of you. You should give her a legitimate status."
If Qiu Chan harbors selfish motives and deliberately plots against her brother-in-law in order to climb higher, then you can sell off this scheming and treacherous servant girl."
Shen Qingtan's words were very fair and impartial.
Shen Mingzhu was panicking, afraid that Zhao Jue would find out something. But then she thought, she didn't need to worry if he found out, because she was targeting Zhao Yi.
She calmed herself down and said to Zhao Jue, "Third Master, go find out the truth and clear my name."
Zhao Jue did not miss the flash of panic in Shen Mingzhu's eyes, while Shen Qingtan looked frank, calm and composed, as if he was not afraid of any slander.
He couldn't help but think about Qiu Chan's words, and also about Shen Qingtan's last instructions to Shen Mingzhu. The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.
At this time, Zhao Jue's followers rushed over: "Third Master."
Zhao Jue ordered, "Go search the quarters where Third Madam lives." After a pause, he added, "Have two more maids search Third Madam and her maidservants."
Shen Mingzhu's pupils shrank and the color on her face faded.
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