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

Before Shen Qingtan was imprisoned in the villa in her previous life, she heard that Zhao Yi had returned to the ancestral home in Wu County due to his serious illness. Everyone knew that he was terminally ill and would never return.

Zhao Yi was a gentleman of upright character, with a bright and clear mind, and possessed extraordinary talent.

He passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen and became the top scholar at the age of seventeen. If he hadn't been frail and sickly, he probably would have become a high-ranking official and a nobleman in the future.

Everyone in the capital praised him, saying, "His handsome appearance is unparalleled, and there is no one like him in the world."

In his previous life, after Zhao Yi's marriage to Shen Mingzhu was called off, he never heard any news of remarrying until he fell seriously ill and left the capital.

Shen Qingtan made her decision; it was her blessing to marry such a handsome and extraordinary man.

She will treat him well during his limited lifespan.

Shen Qingtan no longer hesitated and gently placed her hand on Zhao Yi's palm.

Zhao Jue was willing to kill her for the sake of the Duke's title, and she would never let him get what he wanted!

With Zhao Yi's help, Shen Qingtan got off the bridal sedan chair, stepped over the brazier, had a red silk handkerchief stuffed into her hand, and followed Zhao Yi into the mansion.

He took each step steadily and firmly.

Amidst the chants and announcements of the master of ceremonies, Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi completed their wedding ceremony and were led to their bridal chamber.

Unlike her shyness and nervousness in her previous life, this time she felt completely calm and had no expectations for marriage.

Shen Qingtan sat on the wedding bed and heard the footsteps of the people leaving the room.

A pair of black leather boots came into view as footsteps slowly approached her.

Her heart suddenly raced, and she couldn't help but wonder how Zhao Yi would react if he discovered that the bride had been switched.

Before she could think further, a jade ruyi scepter was inserted into her veil. She instinctively raised her hand to press down the jade ruyi scepter: "We haven't even started the wedding night festivities yet. It's against etiquette to lift the veil now."

Zhao Yi paused, looked down at her slender, fair hand, and said gently, "The phoenix crown is very heavy. Your neck will be very tired after wearing it all day."

Shen Qingtan was taken aback.

"The ceremony is complete." Zhao Yi coughed a few times. "You haven't eaten all day, so it's inconvenient for you to wear the phoenix crown. If you care about etiquette, you can wear the phoenix crown during the wedding night festivities."

Shen Qingtan had never met Zhao Yi before, only seeing his dashing figure riding a horse through the streets when he became the top scholar in the imperial examination. She never expected him to be so thoughtful and considerate.

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; once he reminded her, she felt a soreness in her neck and back.

It's good to remove the veil now, so that Zhao Yi can be mentally prepared.

Shen Qingtan withdrew her hand.

As the veil was lifted little by little, she saw that the man was wearing a bright red round-necked auspicious robe, with an official rank badge on his chest, which made him look elegant and handsome.

Zhao Yi looked at Shen Qingtan in surprise. She was extremely beautiful, with exquisite makeup that made her face even more gorgeous.

He had never met Shen Mingzhu, but he had met Shen Qingtan at the Duke's mansion.

At this moment, she sat upright on the wedding bed, her back straight. When she realized that he was not Zhao Jue, she was not surprised at all, and remained very calm.

Zhao Yi frowned, his expression grave.

Shen Qingtan noticed his surprise that she wasn't his bride, and because she saw that he didn't show any surprise, she became suspicious.

She explained softly, "Second Master, you are a civil official, and Zhao Jue is a military official. The two of you are different in both physique and demeanor. From the moment you reached out to help me down from the bridal sedan chair, I realized that you were not him."

Zhao Yi noticed the extraordinary calmness in her misty eyes. Despite having a different groom, she was still able to explain things clearly, which made him look at her in a different light.

He asked, "Since you recognized me, why do you want to marry me?"

"If I accidentally select the wrong bride to ride in the bridal sedan chair outside the mansion, it will make the Duke's mansion a laughing stock, and it will also affect the reputation of me and my second sister."

Shen Qingtan had been observing Zhao Yi. Aside from his initial surprise, Zhao Yi's expression returned to calm, and his eyes showed only understanding. He wasn't particularly surprised, as if he had already guessed what was going on.

Her eyes flickered, and a little scheme took shape: "When Liuyue and Tingxue, who serve me, had an accident, I had to temporarily replace them with new maids. The new maid hadn't known me for long and didn't recognize me, so she followed the wrong bridal sedan chair, which led to the mix-up of the brides."

In fact, while she was at the Marquis's residence, the family deliberately created chaos and intentionally sent her to the wrong bridal sedan chair during the confusion.

Zhao Yi was exceptionally intelligent and possessed extraordinary talent.

She is now deliberately bringing up the matter of changing the maid to remind him that he should understand that the bride getting into the wrong sedan chair was not an accident.

She had trusted the people in the Marquis's mansion before, and when her maids were in trouble, she never doubted them.

Now that I think about it carefully, it's likely that from the moment Shen Mingzhu returned to the Marquis's residence, the people there began planning a marriage exchange.

Shen Qingtan asked softly, "Second Master, we have already completed the wedding ceremony... What are your plans?"

In fact, the moment the veil was lifted, Zhao Yi had a guess in her mind.

If it weren't for the prior agreement between Marquis Chengen and Zhao Jue, the incident of the bride getting into the wrong sedan chair would almost never have happened.

With the cooperation of the Marquis of Chengen's mansion, the substitution was carried out so smoothly and logically.

Shen Qingtan said that her maid was temporarily replaced, so Zhao Yi was certain that he deliberately switched the bride.

There aren't that many coincidences in the world; they're all carefully planned.

Seeing Shen Qingtan's calm expression, Zhao Yi assumed that she had seen through the Marquis's scheme, so she did not suggest changing it back.

He was frail and sickly, and his lifespan was not long. In everyone's eyes, the title of Duke of the State would fall to Zhao Jue.

Even so, as long as he lives, he remains a potential threat to Zhao Jue.

Shen Qingtan was greatly favored in the Marquis's mansion, far outshining Shen Mingzhu, who had just been recognized as a member of the family. Any smart person would know who to marry.

Zhao Jue was willing to give up his childhood sweetheart Shen Qingtan and go to great lengths to plan a bride swap in order to marry Shen Mingzhu.

This clearly shows that the benefits Shen Mingzhu brought him far exceeded what Shen Qingtan could offer.

The important thing is that the Marquis's mansion is willing to cooperate. Shen Qingtan has obviously become a pawn, and the Marquis's mansion will no longer be her support.

By marrying her to him, he lost his father-in-law's support, which greatly increased Zhao Jue's chances of inheriting the title.

Zhao Yi found Zhao Jue's wariness of him somewhat laughable.

He wanted a title, and he didn't need to rely on a woman's power, so it didn't matter who he married.

Considering the friendship between Shen Qingtan and Zhao Jue that had lasted for more than ten years, Zhao Yi did not make a decision first: "I will discuss it with my third brother later."

His gaze swept over Shen Qingtan's slightly tired face, and he said considerately, "I've asked the kitchen to prepare some food for you. Please eat first, and leave the rest to me."

Shen Qingtan replied obediently, "Thank you for your trouble, Second Master."

After giving his instructions, Zhao Yi left the new house.

Shen Qingtan stared at the tightly closed door and heard Zhao Yi instruct the maidservant guarding the door to come in and serve her.

The door opened, and the two maids who had accompanied the bride entered.

When they saw Shen Qingtan, they suddenly stopped in their tracks, their faces showing surprise. It was as if they didn't know that the bride sitting in the main room would be Shen Qingtan. They all stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do.

After all, they were Shen Mingzhu's dowry maids.

Shen Qingtan looked at their pale faces and sneered inwardly. Whether they really didn't know that someone had been replaced or were just pretending not to know, it didn't matter.

She will collect the debts owed to her, one by one.

She gathered her thoughts and said, "Don't just stand there, come and help me with my washing and grooming."