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

Liu Yue shook her head: "Zhiyi, the maidservant beside the Fourth Madam, has arrived."

Shen Qingtan was even more surprised: "Please let her in."

Liuyue went out and invited Zhiyi in.

Zhiyi came in from outside carrying a small bamboo basket, curtsied and said, "Second Master, Second Madam, Fourth Madam received a basket of cherries today and instructed me to share some with you so you can have a taste."

Shen Qingtan personally accepted the bamboo basket: "Fourth Aunt, you're so kind."

She instructed Liuyue, "Go and fetch the plum blossom preserves we bought."

Liu Yue took a small porcelain jar from the cabinet and handed it to Zhi Yi.

"Plum blossom preserves are made from thinly sliced ​​chestnuts and olives, and have a plum blossom flavor."

Shen Qingtan said gently, "Fourth Aunt likes plum blossoms, so you can take some back for her to try. If she likes them, I'll have someone send her some more."

Zhiyi looked at Shen Qingtan in surprise, seemingly quite surprised that she knew the Fourth Madam's preferences.

"On behalf of Fourth Madam, this servant thanks Second Madam." Zhiyi said, holding the small porcelain jar and smiling, "Our Madam will surely like it."

After Zhiyi left, Shen Qingtan looked at the bright red cherries in the bamboo basket, which looked even more mouthwatering against the backdrop of a few emerald green leaves.

"Liuyue, go wash a dish." Shen Qingtan handed the bamboo basket to Liuyue, then said to Zhao Yi, "Cherries are very precious. Fourth Aunt gave me this basket to repay you for letting Fourth Uncle have the chance to show off?"

"My fourth aunt is probably thanking me for sending my fourth uncle to the capital." Zhao Yi's expression was rather helpless.

Shen Qingtan knew from a young age that she was going to marry into the Duke's mansion and had learned about the internal relationships within the mansion.

Fourth Master Zhao Qiyuan was the youngest son of the Duke of Zhao, and was only twenty-eight years old, just six years older than Zhao Yi.

Zhao Qiyuan's aunt died early, and he was raised by the old lady. He grew up with Zhao Yi, and the two had a close relationship.

The fourth wife is even younger, a year younger than Zhao Yi, and is only twenty-one years old now.

"I still have some official business to attend to. You should rest first and don't wait for me," Zhao Yi said before heading to his study.

Liuyue brought over a plate of cherries and placed it on the kang table.

Shen Qingtan sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), the bright red cherries in a porcelain dish with gold trim, making her even more tempting.

She picked one up and put it in her mouth; it had a thin skin, a sweet taste, and was very juicy—it was especially delicious.

Liu Yue gestured for Ting Xue to stand guard outside the door. "Second Madam, news has come from Dechang, asking how you plan to handle that sum of money."

"I'll leave it to Uncle Qin to handle." Shen Qingtan ate four or five pieces in a row, then pushed the plate towards Liu Yue: "The taste is good, you should try it."

Liu Yue took only one, expressed her gratitude, and then remembered the matter of the Fourth Madam: "I heard that the Fourth Madam has been married for five years and still has no children. As a legitimate daughter, she married the Fourth Master, who is an illegitimate son, which is considered a marriage of rank. Before she entered the family, she made it clear that she was not allowed to take concubines, and the Fourth Master agreed."

Shen Qingtan frowned slightly. Zhao Qiyuan was like a fierce wild horse, unruly and bad-tempered, a tough nut to crack.

The fourth wife was favored in the mansion. She was a pampered and arrogant young lady, and naturally she would not submit to Zhao Qiyuan.

How can two people have a harmonious relationship when they clash head-on?

Even though his relationship with his wife was strained, Zhao Qiyuan still kept his promise and didn't have any other women around him, proving himself to be a true man.

Many men not only carry one house after another into their homes, but also keep several others outside.

Liu Yue also thought of this and couldn't help but sigh, "Fortunately, there are no other women in the Second Master's backyard."

"Silence." Shen Qingtan's fingernails pinched through the delicate skin of the cherry, and the bright red juice stained her fingers: "You are not allowed to say such things again."

Liu Yue's expression changed drastically, and she tightly shut her mouth, feeling extremely annoyed. If anyone heard these words, her master would be branded as jealous.

-

Second room, Jingde Hall.

The second wife looked haggard and lay on the bed with a pale face, tears streaming down her face. She had not yet recovered from the shock.

"The old man doesn't really intend to demote Jue'er; he's just giving us a lesson to teach us a lesson. If Jue'er achieves something, how could he not be promoted?"

The second master said magnanimously, "It's such a small matter, why are you making such a fuss?"

"What's the big deal? Why would I react like this?"

These words struck a nerve with the second wife. She sat up and said hysterically, "That little slut's dowry was only pawned for 30,000 taels of silver. I had to pay an extra 90,000 taels to redeem it. In the end, I got nothing. Instead, my son's official rank was demoted. Isn't this tearing my heart out?"

The second master's eyes widened, and he said in a trembling voice, "You... how much silver do you want?"

"I borrowed 90,000 taels from my family." The second wife couldn't reveal her private savings, since the money was ill-gotten.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she made a special trip back to her parents' home to save face.

She pulled out a handkerchief and covered her face, sobbing, "They might as well just stab me to death with a knife."

The second master's entire body of fat trembled, and his hands and feet went weak: "Which heartless pawnshop is this? Go and report it to the authorities and get your money back!"

The second wife glared at Shen Mingzhu in the corner, gritting her teeth and sneering, "Which pawnshop is it? Your dear in-laws own it!"

Second Master: "In-laws? The Shen family?"

"No, no!" Shen Mingzhu's face turned pale as she waved her hands. "My mother gave the pawnshop to my eldest sister."

This was a bolt from the blue for the second wife: "What did you say? That shop is clearly registered under your mother's name, how could it be Shen Qingtan's?"

“It’s absolutely true.” Shen Mingzhu’s eyes were red, and she stared at the Second Madam’s murderous gaze, suppressing her panic as she said, “My mother gave it to her when we returned home for the wedding.”

The second wife picked up a porcelain pillow and threw it at Shen Mingzhu, her eyes bloodshot, and said, "You kept such a big thing from me."

With a loud thud, the porcelain pillow struck Shen Mingzhu's instep, causing her to bend over in pain and tears to fall.

The second wife was almost going crazy, clutching the second master's sleeve tightly: "Go and investigate now, find out whose name that shop is under."

Zhao Jue entered from outside, his eyes filled with malice, and said, "I've arranged for someone to investigate."

The room was deathly silent.

The second master paced back and forth in the room.

The second wife's heart was frying in oil, and she muttered to herself.

Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere that was driving him crazy, Zhao Jue left the inner room with a gloomy expression.

The second room seemed shrouded in dark clouds, with a restless atmosphere hanging in the air, as if a single spark could ignite it.

The watchman's drum sounded outside, signaling the arrival of the investigators.

The second wife redid her makeup and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), asking urgently, "Who owns Dechang Pawnshop?"

The attendant replied, "It's registered under the name of the owner of the Qin Family Trading Company."

"Qin's Trading Company..." The second madam trembled uncontrollably, a last glimmer of hope in her eyes, as she pleaded with Zhao Jue for confirmation, "They have nothing to do with Shen Qingtan, right?"

Zhao Jue closed his eyes tightly: "Shen Qingtan has done a favor for Boss Qin."

At that moment, he suddenly realized that Shen Qingtan had conspired with Boss Qin to set a trap for him from the moment he took on the task of buying military rations.