With the cannon fodder script in hand, it is easy for the king to change his fate

Within half a day, word had spread that the mother of the third-ranked scholar had gone to the girl's house to act like a domineering mother-in-law. The problem was that the girl hadn't agreed to anything, and she was eventually beaten and kicked out.

Those who heard it thought it was outrageous and felt that Ji's mother truly deserved it.

As Azhen had predicted, the noble ladies who had once coveted Ji Qing were thankful that Ji Qing hadn't agreed; otherwise, they would have been the ones facing such a wicked mother-in-law. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; if Ji's mother was so awful, how could Ji Qing be any better? Even if he disagreed on this matter, if he restrained Ji's mother and warned her beforehand, she wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

At first, Ji Qing was unaware of this. Although he knew quite a few people, they didn't usually show it, but because of his aloof personality, many harbored resentment towards him. At least until now, Ji Qing hadn't made a single friend he could truly confide in.

Besides, it's not appropriate for people to ask directly about such things.

When the court assembly arrived, someone impeached Ji Qing, and only then did Ji Qing realize that something serious had happened. His face turned pale. Although the Crown Prince had only asked him to restrain his mother and not cause inconvenience to others, he knew that he would not have a chance to rise in the ranks for a long time.

They might never have the chance in their entire lives.

A distraught Ji Qing returned home, recalling his mother's earlier visit and her complaints about Qin Zhen, including that Qin Zhen had kicked her out. He had been preoccupied with other matters and hadn't inquired further. He wasn't in a rush to get married; Qin Zhen was currently the only woman he found acceptable.

But he never expected things to turn out this way.

It turns out that his mother went to other people's houses and acted like a mother-in-law, but she was beaten up by them.

Qin Zhen has always been a very individualistic woman, and she probably really doesn't think much of him. Now that this has happened, he has even less of a chance.

That's not important. He only had feelings for Qin Zhen before, but he didn't necessarily want her.

It was his mother's actions that ruined his career.

Qin Zhen is close to the Crown Prince; could she be a simple person? My mother's previous outburst completely offended him.

The more Ji Qing thought about it, the more he realized that he had no hope of a career in politics.

"Qin Zhen is nothing special, son. Didn't so many noble ladies like you recently? Then give up on Qin Zhen and just pick one of those noble ladies. They're much better than Qin Zhen. Didn't the Prime Minister's youngest daughter also take a liking to you before? I think she's quite good." Madam Ji was completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter. Last time, when A-Zhen drove her out, she only felt a little embarrassed.

I never imagined that the butler would say those two sentences when he was chasing people away.

Ji's mother kept rambling on and on, but Ji Qing didn't respond. When she looked up, she found Ji Qing sitting dejectedly in a chair.

She hesitated for a moment: "Do you like Qin Zhen that much? Then I'll go again and not ask for anything else?"

"No need," Ji Qing said weakly. "Mother, do you know that someone impeached me today? They accused you of acting arrogantly at Qin Zhen's house, saying that I have too much power. Although the Crown Prince only told me to keep you in check, I'm pretty much finished. As for those noble ladies, Mother, don't even think about them. After this incident, they won't consider me anymore."

Let alone noble ladies, even those from humble families would no longer consider him.

Qin Zhen was not only valued by the Crown Prince, but also possessed extraordinary medical skills. Anyone who wasn't stupid would not offend such a person.

He prided himself on his exceptional intelligence and was always confident in his abilities during the imperial examinations, believing that he could certainly realize his ambitions. Little did he expect that the one who would hold him back was his mother, who had once taken care of everything for him.

He wanted to blame her, but he couldn't. If it weren't for his mother, he wouldn't be where he is today.

Ji Qing was plunged into despair.

Ji's mother was dumbfounded. How could this be?
She wanted to ask more, but Ji Qing was too weak and said he wanted to be alone.

Madam Ji was furious. She didn't quite understand what had happened, but she quickly realized that it must have been the two sentences the housekeeper had shouted that day that had harmed her son. She immediately rushed out to cause trouble for Azhen.

"Mother, if you want what's best for me, just stay home and don't go anywhere."

“If you keep causing trouble, I might become the first official to be demoted after only two months in office.” Ji Qing quickly stopped his mother, feeling utterly helpless.

It was only then that he realized his family lacked someone with a broad vision, a sense of priorities, an understanding of interests, and the ability to secure his home front. Otherwise, even without this incident, similar situations would have arisen in the future.

Ji Qing then fell silent. Even when he later encountered Azhen again, there was no longer any enthusiasm in her eyes, and she didn't even dare to come forward again. It was likely that she had experienced Azhen's methods and dared not offend her.

Azhen really didn't intend to do anything to Ji Qing, but Ji's mother insisted on coming forward herself, which gave her an excuse to mess with Ji Qing.

There was another person who was very fortunate, and that was Liu Hehua.

Upon learning of Ji Qing's ordeal, Liu Hehua was filled with lingering fear. See? She knew she couldn't afford to offend Qin Zhen. If she had actually agreed to Ji Qing's mother's request last time, she would have been doomed.

The Qin family has already split up; Qin Shanlin was separated from the family, and he left decisively with Yun Feng'er.

If Qin Shanlin were truly capable, he wouldn't have been exploited for so long; he wasn't a particularly intelligent person to begin with.

Although Liu Hehua was biased and favored boys over girls, she still had some discernment.

"Yun Feng'er has run away." Cui Ying shared the latest news about the Qin family with Azhen. "She only came for the Qin family's former wealth. Before the family split up, Liu Hehua quite liked that little grandson, and life was manageable. After the split, Qin Shanlin wasn't very capable, and Yun Feng'er had to manage the household. She couldn't hold on anymore. When she went to deliver food to Qin Shanlin, she fell for a merchant who ran a business, abandoned her child, and ran away with him."

Cui Ying felt a little sad, but she didn't think Yun Feng'er would have a good ending for doing such a thing.

It's quite sad to think about. If it weren't for her capable daughter, she wouldn't have the good life she has now. In this world, there really aren't many options for women. For many, marriage can truly change their fate, but if you marry the wrong person, it's all over.

Life was tough following Qin Shanlin, but at least there was no risk of being sold off. Following that merchant, however, was a different story. What kind of good person would he be if he seduced a married woman?

"Qin Shanjie was taken to gamble by someone, dreaming of getting rich. He was even blocked at home by debt collectors, which made Liu Hehua so angry that she almost fainted." Cui Ying didn't like her former mother-in-law, but it was undeniable that the Qin family was doing well thanks to her keeping things in order.

"Qin Yunshu has befriended a group of playboys and spends his days indulging in sensual pleasures." Cui Ying shook her head slightly, "while deceiving his family into believing he's making friends with people he can use."

"It was only after Qin Shanjie's affair was exposed that Liu Hehua sensed something was wrong and followed Qin Yunshu to learn the truth. Now the Qin family is in complete chaos." (End of Chapter)