Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

The imperial physician examined Yuanzhi's pulse and said that Yuanzhi was no longer in serious condition. He took the consultation fee and was seen out by a maid.

Qin Shi picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "As the mistress of the Xiao family and the eldest sister-in-law, you should also take care of the family affairs. Now that Shen'er and Rong'er are grown up and of marriageable age, you and I should help them make some choices."

Yuan Zhi smiled and replied, "Mother-in-law is right, but my connections are limited, so the choice of candidate... still needs to be decided by Mother."

“I think Lan Yin is a good child, but she is not yet of marriageable age. I am thinking of letting Shen’er establish his career first and then get married. By the time he takes the imperial examination, Lan Yin will be of marriageable age. You should befriend Lan Yin and invite her to your residence another day to arrange for the two of them to meet.”

Yuan Zhi sneered inwardly: Does that bastard Xiao Shen even deserve to marry Lan Yin?

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it seems Qin Shi viewed her youngest son with a similar twist. A scoundrel who indulged in drinking, gambling, and whoring had become a highly sought-after prize in Qin Shi's eyes.

ridiculous!

Rats deserve to live in filthy, stinking sewers!

"The Marquis of Changping's family cherishes Lan Yin like a precious jewel. She was poisoned yesterday, so the Chu family couple probably won't let her go out for a while."

Even if the Marquis of Changping's family agreed to marry Lan Yin into the family, they would not allow a concubine to give birth to the eldest son before the principal wife entered the household.

Qin wanted to protect her child, but she also coveted the power of the Marquis of Changping's mansion. Wanting to have both, she came up with a wicked plan.

"Establish a career first, then start a family" is just an excuse. Qin's real purpose is to make Lan Yin have physical intimacy with Xiao Shen, so that she will not marry anyone but her son!

In this way, they can both protect their grandson and become in-laws with the Marquis of Changping's family. Why not?

Qin Shi sensed the rejection in her words, "I know you think Shen'er is not good enough for Lan Yin, but the Xiao family needs someone to support them. With Yun's talent and status, he could marry a county princess or a noble princess, but he just happens to have his eye on you! Your father is a sixth-rank official, and you are an unfavored concubine's daughter. What benefit can you bring to the Xiao family?"

"If it weren't for my son's affection for you, do you think I would have tolerated you for so long? Shen'er, it would be best if you could handle this matter; if you can't, I'll arrange for Congyun to marry a concubine. You can decide for yourself!"

Yuan Zhi pinched the back of her hand. Qin Shi really went to great lengths to uphold the Xiao family's ancestral precepts, even coming up with the idea of ​​having a concubine!

She said sarcastically, "Why do something twice when it can be done in one go? Since the two brothers' household is empty, it's time for the young lady to find a husband. Let's just hold a banquet and invite all the daughters and sons of officials over."

"Then we can gather together happily, and whatever the wives and concubines, sons-in-law and mothers-in-law feel is missing, we can make up for it all at once. Wouldn't that save us a lot of trouble?"

Madam Qin glared angrily, slammed her hand on the table, and stood up for herself.

"Don't try to be sarcastic! You think you're all that, just because you opened a restaurant and made some connections with a few officials' families, you can look down on everyone and become even more arrogant. Let me tell you, without the Xiao family, you're nothing!"

Yuan Zhi understood that Qin was right; without the Xiao family as her backing, those ladies and young women wouldn't have associated with her.

She clasped her hands together, placed them on her lower abdomen, and smiled in a way that was neither sinister nor ambiguous.

“My daughter-in-law didn’t say she wouldn’t do it, so why is she in such a hurry, mother-in-law? As the eldest sister-in-law, I can’t bear to see my husband’s younger brother and sister-in-law grow old alone. Don’t worry, I will definitely help them get things done. As for the concubine, I don’t dare to make that decision for my husband. Let him see for himself if there is a girl he likes.”

Looking at her, Qin was puzzled. She agreed so readily, was she going to cause some trouble again?

"Do you really want to?"

"I'm willing! To be honest, Mother-in-law, there's a ton of work to do at the restaurant, and I'm so busy all the time that I really don't have the energy to take care of my husband or my younger siblings. I'm overjoyed that someone can share the burden with me!"

Qin's tense expression relaxed, and she said earnestly, "You are so sensible, it's no wonder that Congyun loved you so much."

Yuan Zhi was dignified, and the curve of her lips was just right, leaving no room for doubt.

"Yesterday, Prince Kang and others were poisoned in my restaurant. As the owner, I cannot shirk my responsibility and should prepare gifts to express my condolences. If Mother-in-law has no other instructions, please allow your daughter-in-law to take her leave."

"Go."

Yuan Zhi's face turned cold as soon as she came out of the front hall. After the meal, she had her maid select some gifts and medicinal herbs and went to the Kang Prince's residence first.

The gatekeeper stopped her at the door, saying that there was no mistress in the house and it was inappropriate for her to enter; she could leave her gifts behind.

Yuan Zhi handed the items to him, then went to pay a visit to Lord Liang's residence, and finally went to the Changping Marquis's residence.

The Chu family branch was not separate from the main family. The house was extremely large, and the living quarters of each house were close together, making it appear to be a large and lively place.

The servants said the old master was taking a nap and it was inconvenient to disturb him. Since neither the second master nor his wife were present, they led her directly to pay her respects to the third master and his wife.

Chu Fengchen's parents were very easy to talk to. Yuan Zhi apologized, and the couple quickly asked their son to take her to find Lan Yin.

The fourth couple were known for doting on their daughter. Yuan Zhi kept apologizing, and even with Chu Fengchen trying to explain, they couldn't get them to relent. In the end, it was Chu Lan who ran out and pulled her into her room.

"Sister-in-law, please don't mind, my parents are just too concerned about me."

"I don't mind. Your parents did the right thing. If my precious daughter were injured, I'd probably be even more worried and upset than they were. How are you? Are you feeling better?"

Chu Lanyin turned around and said, "I'm fine now. I owe my life to that doctor yesterday. The doctors from the Southern Frontier are even more amazing. With just a few moves, they were able to expel the remaining toxins from our bodies. They are truly miraculous!"

Yuan Zhi also felt that the doctor was not simple. What exactly did the *** want to do by having such a person in their hands?

"Sister-in-law, why do you look so pale? What are you thinking about?"

Yuan Zhi smiled and told her about Qin's wishful thinking.

Chu Lanyin immediately flew into a rage: "Who wants to marry that bastard Xiao Shen! Has your mother-in-law gone mad? She even dares to scheme against me?"

"Don't be angry. You call me 'sister-in-law,' how could I just stand by and watch you jump into a fire pit? I've already planned this. I'll host a banquet on the tenth of the month and let you see a good show."

Chu Lan asked excitedly, "Good sister-in-law, can you tell me a little bit?"

"Xiao Shen has only paid off part of his gambling debts, and he still owes less than 20,000 taels. The gambling den owner is offering a large reward for one of Xiao Shen's legs as payment, and I heard that a swordsman has already accepted the offer."

Chu Lanyin covered her mouth, her misty eyes filled with shock.

"Didn't my older cousin pay off Xiao Shen's debt?"

Yuan Zhi picked up a hazelnut. "He intended to teach Xiao Shen a lesson, thinking that his younger brother would be frightened and reform, so he didn't pay off the debt."

On my way to the Marquis's residence, I saw Xiao Shen and several men, arms around each other's shoulders, enter an underground gambling den. It seems old habits die hard; it's a pity for Xiao Zong's good intentions.”

Chu Lanyin said indignantly, "Such a heartless person doesn't deserve sympathy. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner my cousin-in-law can have some peace and quiet."

"That's right!"

Yuan Zhi put the hazelnut into his mouth, looking calm and confident.

She had just hinted to Granny Li that she was urging her to collude with Xiao Shen's brothers to set a trap and see if Xiao Shen was truly repentant.

As expected, Xiao Shen, with the encouragement of his cronies, emboldened himself to sneak out of the mansion and continue gambling.

She doesn't need to show mercy to those who don't repent!