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

Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao exchanged a glance, but remained standing in the same spot without moving.

Shen Qingtan glanced at the two of them without making a sound, then raised her hand to stroke the jeweled gold hairpin in her hair, her slender eyebrows slightly raised.

“Before I left, my mother told me that since I was getting married, the maids who accompanied me would be part of my dowry, and their indentures would naturally belong to me. Tomorrow I will go to my second sister and exchange your indentures.”

Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao's expressions changed.

"What's your name again?" Shen Qingtan looked at Qiu Chan, her tone casual and gentle as if she were chatting with someone: "You look quite old. I'll discuss with Second Master another day whether it would be more suitable to assign you to a servant at the gate or a stable boy."

Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao felt a chill run down their spines. They had forgotten that even if Shen Qingtan had been abandoned, she was still their master.

Not only could they be sold off at will, but they could also be married off at will.

As maids accompanying their mistresses, they were quite attractive and might be taken in as concubines by their husbands when their mistresses became pregnant.

She married a servant boy and a stable boy, and her family was destined to be slaves for generations.

Qiu Chan pondered the matter, carefully considering the pros and cons. She became even more cautious and respectfully said, "Miss, the young master instructed me to remove your phoenix crown."

Shen Qingtan handed her hand to Qiu Chan, who helped her up and sit down in front of the dressing table.

Qiu Chan knew that Shen Qingtan wasn't as gentle as she appeared. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at the beauty reflected in the bronze mirror, and carefully removed the phoenix crown. She was afraid of hurting Shen Qingtan and being punished.

With the phoenix crown removed, Shen Qingtan's neck felt much more relaxed.

"I am a person who rewards and punishes fairly. You don't need to be so careful. Just do your own job well."

Shen Qingtan rubbed her sore neck and looked at the delicate Qiu Chan in the dim bronze mirror: "You are the maids carefully selected by your mother to accompany you in your dowry. You are as beautiful as flowers and will serve your masters in the future. It would be a real pity to pair you with a servant or a groom."

Qiu Chan's hand trembled slightly, and she didn't dare to breathe.

Chun Jiao went out for a while, and soon came back carrying a sandalwood box inlaid with various precious carvings. She then placed the food from the box on the table.

The meal included shredded chicken porridge, stir-fried pickled cauliflower with water bamboo shoots, dried green bamboo shoots with meat filling, ruyi rolls, and white honeycomb cake.

Although there are many varieties, the portions are small and the food is exquisite, making it look very appetizing.

A warm feeling welled up in Shen Qingtan's heart. She hadn't eaten anything all day and couldn't eat anything too greasy.

If you're only eating light porridge and it's not very filling, adding some shredded chicken would be just right.

Her tense nerves relaxed slightly after eating this bowl of hot porridge.

-

Zhao Yi went to the study in the front courtyard and sent a servant to invite the old lady, the masters of the first and second branches of the family, and Zhao Jue to come over.

Fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at the study one after another.

The old lady's expression was grave: "Yi'er, you called us here, has something happened?"

Zhao Yi did not invite the old Duke over, but invited her instead, presumably for matters concerning the inner quarters.

The old man frowned. He knew his son well; inviting them to a banquet meant something serious was about to happen.

The second master knew what Zhao Yi wanted, but the die was cast, and he wasn't afraid of causing any further trouble.

Zhao Jue was also fully aware of the situation, probably because Zhao Yi knew that the bride had been switched.

My grandfather is still alive. No one in my father's generation was invited to be named heir apparent. My grandfather was planning to invite him to be named heir apparent.

The eldest grandson is usually the legitimate eldest grandson. Zhao Yi had an elder brother from a concubine, who was the eldest grandson in the legitimate line.

Zhao Jue breathed a slight sigh of relief, recalling that she and Shen Mingzhu had already gone through the wedding ceremony and there were basically no changes.

He frowned and said, "Second Brother, today is a joyous day for us, and the guests are waiting for us to offer them toasts. What happened that requires us to deal with it at this time?"

His words seemed to be a condemnation of Zhao Yi for not knowing the gravity of the situation.

"Grandmother, something has happened in my courtyard." Zhao Yi first answered the old lady's question, then turned to Zhao Jue: "Third brother, has your wife said anything to you?"

"Second Brother, I came out to entertain the guests after escorting the bride to the bridal chamber. She hasn't even had her veil lifted yet. What could I possibly be saying?" Zhao Jue looked at Zhao Yi with a puzzled expression. "Qingtan is dignified and wouldn't gossip about someone so soon after entering the bridal chamber. Could something have happened to her?"

"Is that so? I thought that Miss Shen would remind my third brother if she realized she had married the wrong person." Zhao Yi coughed a few times, his handsome face paling slightly. "Just now, when I escorted the bride into the bridal chamber, she said that I had led the wrong person and performed the wedding ceremony at the wrong place. I disregarded etiquette and lifted the veil first, only to find that the person I was bowing to was Miss Shen."

The old lady exclaimed in shock, "This...how is this possible?"

The old man was equally astonished.

The second master feigned surprise and asked, "Then what should we do?"

Zhao Jue was stunned and looked at Zhao Yi in disbelief, as if he couldn't understand what he was saying.

"When Miss Shen alighted from the bridal sedan chair, she recognized me by my hand. After all, I am frail and my third brother is strong. Not only are we different in build, but we are also different in skin color. She did not point it out immediately, but only to save face for the Duke of the State."

In the past, no matter what the second wife did, Zhao Yi would turn a blind eye.

Now that they've targeted him, they certainly won't stand idly by.

“Third Brother hasn’t lifted his veil yet, and only a few of us know the inside story.” Zhao Yi deliberately suggested, “You and Miss Shen are childhood sweethearts and have a very deep relationship. We can switch back now.”

With a swift and skillful maneuver, Zhao Yi pinned Zhao Jue to the fire.

Zhao Jue's face turned ugly; he was caught in a dilemma.

If the truth were revealed before the wedding ceremony, he would have a hundred ways to quietly kill Shen Qingtan and free up his place as wife.

Now that the wedding ceremony is over, if they switch back, even if Shen Mingzhu threatens a divorce, there's no way she'll marry him again.

If he is unwilling to switch back, the old lady, with her wisdom and shrewdness, will surely guess that there is something fishy about this.

Zhao Yi did it on purpose; he wanted to expose him in front of the old lady.

The second master sighed, "They've already gone through the wedding ceremony and been sent to the bridal chamber. How can we bring them back? What's the difference between this and a second marriage? A woman of strong character like her probably wouldn't survive."

He said in a grand manner, "Anyway, they are twins and both have married into our household. Miss Shen is exceptionally talented and has been cultivated as a matriarch since childhood. Yi'er is the eldest grandson and will be the head of the Duke's mansion in the future, making her a better match for Miss Shen."

The old lady looked coldly at the second master, then at the silent Zhao Jue, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

Given the prestigious status and meticulous nature of the Chengen Marquis's family, how could they possibly have gotten the wrong wedding sedan chair?

Everyone in the capital knew that Zhao Yi was a sickly civil official, while Zhao Jue was a strong and brave military officer.

Anyone who isn't completely stupid can tell the difference between the two people.

Shen Qingtan entered the new house and immediately explained the situation to Zhao Yi.

Shen Mingzhu, however, did not notice anything amiss, indicating that she was pretending to be oblivious, hoping to marry Zhao Jue.

With the facts laid bare, what else could the old lady not understand?

Looking back now, the fact that the Marquis's family set the wedding date on the same day, and that the two sisters wore the same bright red brocade robes with round necks and long sleeves, makes it obvious that it was a deliberate preparation to switch brides.

Especially now, seeing the reaction of the second son and his father, the old lady guessed that they had colluded with the Marquis of Chengen's mansion.

For their own selfish reasons, they tore off the Duke's mansion's dignity and threw it on the ground.

The old lady's expression was serious as she asked in a deep voice, "Jue'er, what do you plan to do?"

Zhao Jue lowered his eyes: "Grandson will follow Tan'er's decision."