She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

The sandalwood scent is soft and elegant, with a slightly spicy finish that exudes a crisp quality.

The dowry included several paintings and calligraphies by renowned artists, one of which was even a unique piece. Each painting and calligraphy scroll was made of old sandalwood, which not only repels dampness but also insects. The addition of gilding further enhanced their elegance and luxury.

Shen Qingtan took out a scroll painting. It didn't have the warm and delicate fragrance of old sandalwood. Instead, it had a bitter smell. The gilding used for decoration was shiny and bright, as if it had just been plated.

The calligraphy and paintings were passed down from my ancestors, and the gilding has a matte finish that comes with the passage of time, making it simple and natural.

There's no doubt the item has been switched.

Shen Qingtan unfurled the scroll and carefully examined it before realizing it was a fake.

The painting before me is so lifelike and skillfully executed that it is almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

If Shen Qingtan hadn't grown up surrounded by these famous paintings and calligraphies, she wouldn't have recognized them as fakes.

She put the painting back in the box, and then opened the other boxes one by one. The gold and silver jewelry, jade and gemstones were all fakes made to the exact same size.

Madam Liu sensed something was wrong: "Second Madam, is there a problem with these dowry items?"

Shen Qingtan glanced at Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao standing under the eaves. With so many people around, it was inconvenient for her to say anything more.

“These calligraphy and paintings are genuine works by famous scholars and are all priceless treasures. I noticed they were a bit damp just now, and I was worried they would be damaged.” She explained, then instructed Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao: “You two lead the people to put all the dowry into storage.”

Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao were scolded by Shen Mingzhu and were then sent to serve in Shen Qingtan's courtyard.

Shen Qingtan doesn't trust them. She handed over the management of the courtyard to Zhao Yi's wet nurse and assigned any tasks to Liu Mama. Clearly, she doesn't intend to give them important positions, and their lives in the Duke's mansion will become increasingly difficult in the future.

The two dared not harbor any ulterior motives for the time being, and hurriedly and diligently helped the servants move the dowry.

"Aunt Liu, come with me." Shen Qingtan entered the house and gestured for Aunt Liu to close the door: "When you went to ask for your dowry, did the second branch of the family give you any trouble?"

"The second mistress refused to return it, and only when this old servant threatened to report it to the authorities did she allow us to bring it back." Realizing there was something wrong with the dowry, Liu Mama dared not lie and relayed the events of the second wife's affair to Shen Qingtan. She asked anxiously, "Second mistress, is there something fishy about this dowry?"

There's something fishy going on.

Shen Qingtan's face was as cold as frost. Only the Shen family and the second branch of the family could have switched this dowry.

The Shen family values ​​their reputation, so they will only take the dowry back to Shen Mingzhu under various pretexts and will not send a fake one over.

The one who switched the babies would only be the second wife.

In her previous life, she was bedridden on her wedding night. Zhao Jue took on a job buying military rations and was short of tens of thousands of taels of silver, so he borrowed her dowry.

At the time, she believed that husband and wife were one, sharing both honor and disgrace.

Zhao Jue completed his task and made a contribution. If he were to be promoted, she would also gain more prestige, so she gave him her dowry.

If it were false, Zhao Jue would definitely tell her.

Perhaps fearing it would interfere with Zhao Jue's duties, the second wife gave Zhao Jue the real dowry.

In this life, she married Zhao Yi, and the second wife used this fake dowry to appease her.

Shen Qingtan's eyes were cold; the matter of switching the dowry was definitely orchestrated by the Second Madam.

The second wife was short-sighted and greedy. Since the dowry was her daughter-in-law's private property, she couldn't ask for it openly, so she secretly switched it.

As for how the second wife was able to obtain the dowry list, it must have been leaked by that fool Shen Mingzhu before the wedding.

Otherwise, how could the forgery have been completed in just one or two days?

Madam Shen had the idea of ​​a marriage exchange. This dowry was ostensibly for her, but in reality, it was intended for Shen Mingzhu. She would definitely give Shen Mingzhu a list of the dowry items.

“All the valuable items in the dowry have been exchanged. The silver notes kept at the bottom of the chest probably can’t be exchanged for silver at the bank either. Now only the land and shops are left, which are in the open, and they dare not touch them.”

Shen Qingtan's eyes flashed with coldness: "The second branch deliberately argued with you only to lower our guard and prevent us from suspecting that the item is a fake."

"Are you sure it's the second wife?" Liu's mother asked.

Shen Qingtan said, "The Shen family's grand wedding procession is a magnificent affair. If they use fake dowries to make up for it, people will gossip about it and it will also create enmity with the Duke's Mansion."

Liu Mama said angrily, "This old servant will go find the Second Madam right now..."

Shen Qingtan interrupted her: "Even if you go to them, the second branch of the family won't admit it. Instead, they'll blame me for framing them."

Mrs. Liu felt indignant: "Second Grandmother, are we really going to suffer this injustice in silence?"

"I'm the kind of person who'll take anything, but I can't stand being taken advantage of." Shen Qingtan already had a plan in mind, and said coldly, "I'll make them return all their dowry."

And it's a return of the principal plus interest!

Anyone who dares to take her things should be prepared to pay the price!

Liu's mother stared blankly at Shen Qingtan, whose eyes were cold and sharp, and felt a chill run down her spine.

I used to think Shen Qingtan was a very kind person, but now it seems she is a shrewd and calculating one.

How could an ordinary person remain so calm and composed when their dowry was switched?

She's even thought of a countermeasure?

“Mother Liu, just pretend you don’t know anything about this,” Shen Qingtan instructed. “When you take the people out for drinks later, don’t worry about the cost of the drinks for me.”

Liu's mother was a shrewd woman. She guessed that Shen Qingtan was going to pretend that she didn't know about the change of dowry, and then unexpectedly set a trap for the second wife.

She quickly replied, "This old servant will take them out for a grand feast, so that everyone in the manor will know."

Shen Qingtan offered a suggestion: "Second Master is in poor health and is busy serving the imperial family. There's no need to make a fuss about these trivial matters in the backyard."

"Old slave, I took note of it."

Liu's mother went to the inner room to get the silver.

As Shen Qingtan watched Liu Mama's retreating figure, she recalled her past life.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had four major granaries, which should have provided ample grain reserves. However, last year the climate was extremely abnormal, with a series of natural disasters.

During the plum rain season, floods occurred in the Jiangnan region, followed by an extremely hot summer and a drought, which was then followed by a locust plague. The people suffered a complete crop failure, and the grain in the granaries was diverted to disaster relief.

It's only April now, and the new grain hasn't been harvested yet. The provincial administration and military garrisons haven't received grain to fill their granaries, but the major aristocratic families already provided grain relief last year.

This time, the military is facing a food shortage, and it's an urgent need for supplies. Trying to extract food from the powerful clans again would be like drawing water from a fire.

Collecting grain from the people is too slow, especially since the people have recently experienced natural disasters and may not have any surplus grain at home.

The old Duke then worried about food supplies and entrusted Zhao Jue with the task of procuring them.

In his previous life, Zhao Jue contacted Boss Qin to buy military rations and completed the task assigned by the Duke. Soon after, he was invited to be named the heir apparent.

It was through her introduction that Zhao Jue had met Boss Qin.

A dark glint flashed in Shen Qingtan's eyes. In this life, she would see if Zhao Jue could still step on her and become the heir of the Duke's mansion.

"Second Madam," Liu Mama said, taking three taels of silver from the inner room. Having messed up the task, she wanted to make amends. "Do you have any other instructions?"

"I happen to have something I need you to do."

Shen Qingtan remembered that before her marriage, Qin Yao came to add to her dowry and mentioned that Boss Qin had gone to Jiangnan and would not be able to return to the capital for half a month. Calculating the days, it would be the time for her to return to her parents' home.

She said, "My mother likes to eat the Jade Bean Cake from Baixiangzhai. You can go there in my name and ask their owner to make it by hand. I will go to pick it up on the morning of the day I return to my parents' home."

Boss Qin is the owner behind Bai Xiang Zhai; this is the secret code between them when they need to meet.