Chapter 74: Getting ahold of the Marquis' Mansion
Qiu Chan knelt in the courtyard with a pale face, blood staining her plain skirt red and still seeping out.
She staggered to the ground, looking extremely pale and fragile.
Zhao Jue quickly walked across the yard to Qiu Chan's side, only to see two bloody pieces of broken porcelain lying where she was kneeling.
There were two holes in her skirt at the knees, stained with thick red blood, which looked very shocking.
Zhao Jue had a tense face and didn't care about anything else. He lifted Qiu Chan's skirt in public and rolled up the trousers that covered her calves.
There was a hole on her white knee, the skin and flesh were turned to the sides, and blood could not stop flowing out.
Shen Mingzhu in the room was attracted by Zhongxia's scream. When she saw Qiu Chan's miserable condition, she turned pale with fright.
Shen Mingzhu subconsciously glanced at Zhao Jue, only to see his face dark and furious. She hurriedly explained, "Third Master, she's clumsy and can't serve people well. She's not as efficient as before. It's because she's the master now, and I'm telling her to set the rules. She's so upset that she wants to scald me with hot tea. That's why I made her kneel down as punishment."
At this point, her anger surged in her heart, and she gritted her teeth and said, "What concubine wouldn't want to serve the wife in the main house? Just because the master ignored me, does that mean she can ignore me?"
Shen Mingzhu wept in grievance, and said with a look of grievance, "I didn't ask her to kneel on the porcelain shards. She wanted to kneel on her own."
She really didn't expect that this slave girl was so cunning. She actually secretly picked up two pieces of broken porcelain to plot against her when she was kneeling down to beg for mercy!
"Third Master, it's not my sister's fault. I'm just a timid person. You've spoiled me so much that I couldn't tell if the tea was warm or hot, so I just gave it to my sister."
Qiu Chan gently tugged at Zhao Jue's sleeve, tears welling in her eyes as she said, "I, a humble concubine, know I've done something wrong, so I kneel on the porcelain slabs and endure a little pain so I can learn my lesson."
After saying this, she looked at Shen Mingzhu timidly, fearing that she might say something wrong and anger Shen Mingzhu and get punished again.
Shen Mingzhu was so angry at her look that she felt like she was about to be born and two Buddhas ascended to heaven.
"Third Master, this really has nothing to do with my sister. This injury is nothing. I'm used to it. It will heal in two days."
Qiu Chan trembled, her eyes pleading, "Harmony is the most important thing in a family. Please don't get angry with my sister, or it will affect the relationship between you two. If this hinders my future, it will be my fault."
This sentence touched Zhao Jue's sore spot, especially since Marquis Cheng'en called him out today and accused him of favoring his concubine over his wife.
Even if Shen Mingzhu did something wrong, he should not hold a grudge against a woman. He should be generous and give his wife the respect she deserves, so that his official career will be bright.
To Zhao Jue, these words sounded like a threat. If he didn't treat Shen Mingzhu well, the Marquis' Mansion would no longer support him.
Qiu Chan's words were like adding fuel to the fire, triggering his rebellious psychology.
Zhao Jue's face darkened. Does his future have to depend on Shen Mingzhu?
Shen Mingzhu immediately became furious. What did she mean by this injury was nothing? What did she mean by she had gotten used to it?
Isn't this slut obviously trying to deceive her and hint to Zhao Jue that he is often punished by her?
"Third Master..."
"Shut up!" Zhao Jue glared at Shen Mingzhu and said coldly, "She grew up in the Marquis' Mansion. How could she not understand that a wife has a thousand ways to control a concubine? How dare she not serve you wholeheartedly? Is the tea in the room really so scalding hot that it could hurt you? She took the initiative to kneel on the porcelain shards, blatantly framing you. What awaits her? Is it you who doesn't understand, or is it she who doesn't understand the consequences? Would she dare?"
Shen Mingzhu's face turned pale. Before she could explain, she heard Zhao Jue say, "You just saw me making her my concubine and wanted to slap you in the face. I doted on her and ignored you, so you made excuses to embarrass her."
"No...it's not like that..."
Zhao Jue said in disgust, "I must be crazy to marry a wicked woman like you who grew up in the countryside. You are so stupid and vicious."
What Shen Mingzhu cared about most was her background. Zhao Jue's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing into her heart.
Especially his look of disgust and hatred hurt her deeply.
Zhao Jue didn't bother to look at her again and ordered the two maids who were serving Qiu Chan: "Help your aunt back to the courtyard and ask the palace doctor to clean the wound."
"Yes." Two maids helped Qiu Chan away.
Zhao Jue was furious and felt a dull pain in the wound on his back. He turned around and planned to go to the study in the front yard.
"You are not allowed to leave!" Shen Mingzhu thought he was going to Qiuchan Courtyard. She grabbed his sleeve tightly and played her trump card to keep him: "My eldest brother sent a message. They will make you the heir of the Duke's Mansion as soon as possible."
Zhao Jue paused, the anger on his face faded, and his expression relaxed slightly.
He knew that the Marquis' Mansion would not easily give up on him or the benefits that the Duke's Mansion could bring.
The Marquis' Mansion had reminded him before, and now Shen Mingzhu gave him a confirmation, and he felt a vague sense of anticipation in his heart.
"You have to remember that we are in the same boat. Only when I am well can you be well." Zhao Jue said this and left in big strides. After passing through the moon arch, he met Shen Qingtan who had returned from outside.
Her delicate and bright face looks even more charming against the backdrop of the crabapple tree.
Whenever I see her, she is calm, composed and wise.
I have never seen her so hysterical or with such a hideous look on her face.
Zhao Jue couldn't help but think that if he had married Shen Qingtan from the beginning, even without the support of the Marquis' Mansion, he would have been able to obtain the title smoothly thanks to her versatility, scheming, and the wealth behind her.
Originally, this idea was just a small seed buried in Zhao Jue's heart.
After experiencing the beating from Marquis Cheng'en today and witnessing Shen Mingzhu's vicious methods, it began to take root.
Zhao Jue uncontrollably approached Shen Qingtan, his eyes sweeping over the expensive supplements held by Jiang Chao and Liu Yue: "Tan'er, have you gone to buy nourishing herbs for my second brother?"
"Third brother, I'm your second sister-in-law." Shen Qingtan took a few steps back, keeping a distance from him, and said with a cold look, "This kind of rules are understood by a three-year-old child. How could the third son of the Duke's Mansion not understand it?"
Zhao Jue was reluctant to call her second sister-in-law, as if if he did, some things would never be undone.
"Today, Shen Mingzhu called Qiu Chan to set the rules and deliberately punished Qiu Chan."
Zhao Jue subconsciously mentioned his troubles. When he was with Shen Qingtan, he always felt inexplicably calm.
In the past, when the two of them were together, he would tell her everything.
She would occasionally respond, and her responses would often be sharp and insightful to his confusion, giving him a wake-up call.
Zhao Jue felt nostalgic and couldn't help thinking that if his wife was Shen Qingtan, with her virtue and generosity, she would definitely keep the backyard in order and would never do something as disgraceful as fighting with concubines.
Shen Qingtan was surprised and said, "My third sister-in-law isn't such a jealous person. Could there be some other misunderstanding?"
Zhao Jue's face turned ugly: "What kind of misunderstanding could there be?"
"Third brother, you've been staying in the concubine's room all day. Your sister-in-law is just too concerned about you, so she resorted to such a desperate measure." Shen Qingtan advised, "I know you're angry, but you also have to consider the overall situation."
She sighed, "Your career was already struggling, and now that you've bullied my third brother's wife, anyone would want to vent their anger on me, not to mention the Marquis's Mansion. If the Marquis's Mansion gets involved, your career will be even more thwarted."
Then, Shen Qingtan gave another hint: "Whose house do you want to stay in? That's your decision, provided you have the ability to control the other person."
That was all she said, and she left with her people.
Zhao Jue frowned and pondered Shen Qingtan's words in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that what she said made a lot of sense.
Although he relied on the Marquis' Mansion for help, he felt really aggrieved because he was controlled by the Marquis' Mansion.
If you want to control the other party, in addition to suppressing their status, you have to promise them huge benefits, otherwise... you have to find their weakness and strangle their lifeline.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
