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

Shen Qingtan glanced at it casually and said with a smile, "Second Aunt, I trust you to handle things. There's no need to look at it more closely."

The second wife smiled and sat down again.

Duke Zhao learned the whole story from the old lady. No one with a brain would believe the second wife's clumsy excuse.

However, Shen Qingtan, for the sake of the overall situation, did not pursue the matter further and instead let it go.

Her way of handling things was quite like that of a matriarch.

The Duke of Zhao admonished, "Since ancient times, a single tree cannot make a forest. You are all of one mind and one branch. Only by working together can your family prosper."

Shen Qingtan and the elders stood up together: "We will follow the teachings of our father/grandfather."

The master and his wife looked relaxed and at ease.

Zhao Yi remained calm, occasionally suppressing a muffled cough.

The second master and his wife kept their faces tense, not daring to breathe loudly, knowing in their hearts that they were being warned.

Shen Mingzhu was afraid of Duke Zhao, so she kept her head down and didn't dare to say a word.

Zhao Jue stared unfocused ahead, his mind preoccupied with the matter of military provisions.

The Third Master and Third Madam were born out of wedlock and were somewhat timid. They would stay in their own courtyard unless absolutely necessary. Now, facing this somewhat oppressive atmosphere, they wished they could be invisible, for fear that the conflict between the First and Second Branches would spread to them.

Shen Qingtan discreetly observed everyone's expressions, her gaze settling on two people in the corner.

The Fourth Master resembled the Duke of Zhao in appearance, with sharp, sword-like eyebrows, piercing black eyes, and a tall, upright figure, yet he did not appear rugged. He sat in his chair with an imposing air, exuding an aura that could not be ignored.

The Fourth Madam was a stunning beauty, with eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn waves, lips like cherries, slender shoulders and a slim waist. Compared to the Fourth Master beside her, she appeared even more delicate and fragile.

The couple looked to the left and the right, and when their eyes met unintentionally, they both turned away indifferently.

The fourth madam seemed to notice her scrutiny and looked up at her.

Shen Qingtan met her gaze and was momentarily stunned.

The fourth wife frowned slightly and looked away without any emotion.

Shen Qingtan remembered that the Fourth Madam was the youngest daughter of the Minister of Personnel, and was originally destined to become a concubine in the palace. After her coming-of-age ceremony, she went to the mountains to worship Buddha, but was kidnapped by bandits and disappeared for three days and two nights. Later, she was rescued by the Fourth Master and hastily married into the Duke's mansion.

The fourth wife, a legitimate daughter, was clearly unhappy with the marriage to a son born out of wedlock.

The Fourth Master wasn't particularly satisfied either.

The couple were so disgusted with each other that they couldn't stand looking at each other anymore.

While she was lost in thought, the Duke of Zhao brought up the matter of military provisions: "I have raised 150,000 shi of grain, which needs to be transported to the northern border by men and horses."

Everyone turned to look at Duke Zhao, each having something to say.

The First Lady's heart was pounding. If the grain wasn't gathered by Zhao Jue, then it might not have been escorted by him.

She frequently glanced at the old man.

The eldest master cleared his throat and was about to speak when the second master spoke first: "Father, Jue'er took on the task of collecting military provisions and found 100,000 shi of grain in just three days. Who knew that the unscrupulous merchant wanted to curry favor with you and sold the grain to you, bypassing Jue'er."

Duke Zhao's face darkened.

The second master, oblivious to everything, patted his large belly and laughed, "You should entrust the task of transporting military provisions to Jue'er. He's already on duty in the military camp, so he's the most suitable person for it."

"If he can't even handle a small grain merchant, how can I entrust him with the task of transporting grain?" Duke Zhao retorted.

The smile on the second master's face froze.

Zhao Jue clenched his fists tightly, his expression gloomy.

The Duke of Zhao asked Zhao Yi, "What is your opinion?"

“Fourth Uncle will go.” Zhao Yi coughed a few times, and seeing that the Fourth Master’s eyebrows were furrowed, he smiled and said, “Fourth Uncle is a military general who once escorted grain supplies to the northern border. No one is more suitable than him.”

The Second Master and Zhao Jue subconsciously looked at Duke Zhao, and seeing Duke Zhao deep in thought, their faces instantly turned ashen.

Unable to bear it any longer, Zhao Jue suddenly stood up: "Grandfather, Fourth Uncle still has duties to perform and has only recently returned from the northern border. Why not let him stay in the capital for a few more days? I have volunteered to escort the grain to the northern border. If I cannot deliver it in time, I will resign."

"You made a pledge before, and half the time has passed. How much grain have you collected?" Duke Zhao's voice was old, but still full of vigor: "Hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the north are waiting for grain to save their lives. If you cannot deliver it in time, that means hundreds of thousands of lives. How can you take on this responsibility by resigning from your post?"

Zhao Jue gritted his teeth, determined to fight for himself again.

Duke Zhao has already spoken: "Fourth son, go and deliver it."

The Fourth Master's dark eyes sharply turned to the instigator, Zhao Yi, who was leaning sickly against the back of his chair with a slight upturn at the corners of his lips. The candlelight illuminated his pale face, giving him an air of unparalleled elegance and magnanimity.

If the Fourth Master's fist hardened, and Zhao Yi stood in front of him, he would kill him with one punch.

"I understand." The Fourth Master said with a sour face, "I won't eat. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

In an instant, some were happy, while others were sad.

The huge weight was lifted from the Madam's heart, and she felt much lighter.

The second master and his wife looked pale and sickly. Despite their elaborate schemes, the fourth family had actually benefited.

Zhao Jue suppressed the raging anger in his heart and turned to leave with a cold face.

"Zhao Jue," the Duke of Zhao called out to him, "You are young and impetuous, and you still need to be tempered. I have already petitioned the Emperor to appoint you as the Deputy Commander of the Five Cities Garrison, and you will take up your post tomorrow."

Zhao Jue stood rooted to the spot, looking at the Duke of Zhao in disbelief.

He was originally a fifth-rank Wude General, but was demoted to a seventh-rank Deputy Commander.

Zhao Jue belatedly realized that the second wife's petty actions had been covered up and were not investigated.

That's not the case. Demoting him from his post is a way of punishing them.

The second wife felt as if she had been struck by lightning, as if the sky had collapsed, and her face turned deathly pale.

She schemed and plotted to help Zhao Jue rise in rank, inherit his title, and become a high-ranking official.

To this end, she spared no expense, spending 120,000 taels of silver to redeem Shen Qingtan's dowry and appease the anger of Duke Zhao and the old lady.

But not only did the Duke of Zhao deprive Zhao Jue of the opportunity to claim credit for escorting military supplies, he also demoted him.

As a junior general, one can lead troops to reinforce the border in times of emergency, and if one performs well, one can be promoted and granted a title. A deputy commander, on the other hand, is in charge of the capital's security, and there's a full commander above him. What kind of future can he have?

Gone, all gone.

She snatched the dowry, and when the dowry was gone, she ended up losing over 100,000 taels of silver herself.

She wanted a noble title, but before she got it, she couldn't protect Zhao Jue's original official position either.

The second wife's vision went black, and her body went limp as she slid to the ground.