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

Zhao Yuan, a trusted confidant of the Duke of Zhao, took a leather whip from the ancestral hall and stepped steadily into the study.

"Third Master, please forgive me."

Zhao Yuan clasped his hands in a fist salute, and then lashed Zhao Jue's back with a whip.

With a "snap," Zhao Jue's clothes were torn open, and his skin was instantly torn open.

Zhao Jue straightened his back, his cheeks clenched, and he didn't cry out in pain.

But that whip shattered his dignity.

Since he could remember, no one in his household had ever been summoned for family discipline.

At this moment, the humiliation and pain paled in comparison to the fear in his heart. He feared that this lash would not only break his pride, but also strip him of his position in the household and the resources poured into him.

After a few lashes, Zhao Jue couldn't help but groan, the veins on the back of his hand bulging as he endured the pain.

He hated Shen Mingzhu to the core. If it weren't for that idiot, he wouldn't have made such a fool of himself, and he wouldn't be being punished here.

After the dowry incident, the second wife's position in the Duke of Zhao's heart had already declined sharply.

He knew very well that whether his sons and grandsons could inherit the title, regardless of their powerful backers, depended on the attitude of the Duke of Zhao.

Therefore, the second branch of the family feared the Duke of Zhao's disdain.

If it weren't for the power and status of the Shen family, he would definitely have divorced Shen Mingzhu!

Zhao Yuan was a skilled martial artist with real expertise. He showed no mercy, and every lash drew blood.

Blood stained Zhao Jue's clothes, and his back was a bloody mess.

Zhao Jue's face was pale, and he was covered in cold sweat. He endured twenty lashes and took a deep breath.

He loosened his clenched fist, revealing that his palm was also scratched.

"grandfather……"

When Zhao Jue opened his mouth, his voice was extremely hoarse.

"My grandson has accepted the punishment and will never do it again."

Duke Zhao saw that he stubbornly straightened his back without bending it in the slightest, as if only in this way could he maintain his proud spirit.

He said in a deep voice, "You are injured, so you should stay home and recuperate for the next two months."

Zhao Jue's worst fears came true, and his expression changed drastically: "Grandfather, these minor injuries on my body are nothing compared to the wounds I sustained on the battlefield. I was able to go to the battlefield with injuries back then, let alone when I'm on official business. I don't need to recuperate at home, so as not to delay my official duties."

“Your elder brother’s term is over and he will be returning to the capital soon,” Duke Zhao said without room for argument. “Your duties will be handed over to him.”

Zhao Jue was stunned. Not only was he being stripped of his power, but his half-brother was also being forced to take over his job.

Anyone could take over his position, except for his eldest half-brother.

Zhao Jue felt insulted and overwhelmed with embarrassment.

His throat was so dry it hurt, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Grandfather, I..."

"Alright, go back and treat your wounds." Duke Zhao waved his hand, not wanting to say more.

Zhao Jue tightened his jaw, got up and left without saying a word.

If he cannot regain his position in the eyes of the Duke of Zhao, his official rank may be further reduced, and he may not even be able to keep his seventh rank, and may be abandoned by his family.

The Duke of Zhao's attention to his half-brother could be a warning to him, or it could be an intentional grooming of his half-brother, who might inherit the title of Marquis in the future.

His face was gloomy as he strode towards the new house.

-

At this moment, the second wife.

Shen Mingzhu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) looking haggard, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Qiu Chan kneeling at her feet.

"You bitch, how dare you stab me in the back and drive a wedge between me and Third Master!" Shen Mingzhu grabbed a teacup from the kang table and smashed it hard on Qiu Chan's head, gritting her teeth as she said, "Don't think that just because you clung to Shen Qingtan's thigh and climbed into Third Master's bed, you can become a master and enjoy a life of luxury!"

Qiu Chan screamed in pain as tea splattered all over her face and head. Her mouth trembled as she cried out, "Third Grandmother, you forced me to do this! I... I didn't want to be sold..."

Shen Mingzhu looked at her trembling like a delicate little white flower, feeling as wronged and pitiful as could be.

But it was precisely this lowly servant girl who slept with her man.

“If you don’t want to be sold, you shouldn’t have betrayed me.” Shen Mingzhu said viciously, “Do you think that just because Third Master gives you a title, you can really become one of his concubines? I’ve already offended Third Master, so one more thing won’t make a difference. Anyway, he won’t divorce me for you.”

Fear filled Qiu Chan's eyes, and her whole body trembled even more violently.

“Wan Dong, take her indenture and sell her to a matchmaker.” Shen Mingzhu sneered, deliberately emphasizing, “She likes to climb into bed, so sell her to a brothel and let her serve men to her heart’s content.”

Wan Dong harbored resentment towards Qiu Chan. If Qiu Chan hadn't betrayed her master, she wouldn't have been implicated and had to be punished.

"Yes, this servant will arrange it immediately."

"I'd like to see who dares to betray her." Zhao Jue stepped into the room, his anger blazing, and immediately saw that Qiu Chan's fair face was scalded red.

He looked at Shen Mingzhu with a cold gaze and said angrily, "The Marquis's mansion has truly raised a fine daughter. Even if I divorce you, you jealous woman, today, the Marquis's mansion will not dare to criticize me."

Shen Mingzhu's expression changed: "Third Master..."

Zhao Jue said coldly, "Give me Qiu Chan's indenture."

Shen Mingzhu clenched her cuffs tightly, unwilling to give up the indenture; she even loathed seeing Qiu Chan.

Zhao Jue's patience ran out: "I'll give you two choices. You can do whatever you want with Qiu Chan, or you can take the divorce papers and go back to the Marquis's mansion. Or you can keep Qiu Chan and continue being your third mistress."

Shen Mingzhu was stunned and looked at Zhao Jue in disbelief: "You actually want to divorce me for this slut?"

"I was just going along with your wishes, isn't this the result you wanted?" Zhao Jue said in a sinister tone, "What? You want me to choose for you?"

Shen Mingzhu stubbornly swallowed her anger and asked Wan Dong to bring over Qiu Chan's indenture.

Wan Dong retrieved the indenture and nervously handed it to Zhao Jue.

Zhao Jue took the indenture and confirmed it was correct, then glanced at Qiu Chan: "Serve tea to Third Madam."

Qiu Chan, her almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, glanced timidly at Shen Mingzhu, got up to pour a cup of tea, then knelt at Shen Mingzhu's feet and respectfully offered the tea.

"Third...Sister, please have some tea."

Shen Mingzhu's chest heaved rapidly, her hands trembling at her sides, and she wished she could slap Qiu Chan across the face.

Her eyes were red with anger, but she had to suppress her rage, accept the tea with a tense face, touch the cup to her lips, and then place it on the kang table.

Zhao Jue reached out to Qiu Chan: "Come with me."

A blush crept onto Qiu Chan's pale face as she shyly placed her hand in Zhao Jue's palm. She then noticed the wound and her expression changed: "Third Master, your hand..."

"It's just a minor injury." Zhao Jue grasped Qiu Chan's hand and, as he walked out, instructed his attendants, "Drag Wan Dong out and give her thirty lashes."

When Shen Mingzhu saw Zhao Jue's bloodied and mangled back, she turned pale with fright and hurried over to ask him a few words of concern.

Upon hearing that Zhao Jue wanted to punish Wan Dong with a cane, his face grew even paler: "Third Master, thirty strokes of the cane can kill a person. How about ten strokes?"

Zhao Jue left without looking back.

Two attendants entered the house, dragged Wan Dong to the courtyard, and tied him to a bench.

Wan Dong cried out in terror, "Third Madam, save me! Please, save me... Ah..."

The sticks struck Wan Dong's body with loud thuds, mingling with Wan Dong's pitiful cries.

Each sound pierced Shen Mingzhu's heart. She stared blankly at Wan Dong's clothes, stained red with blood. It seemed that she had cried all her tears last night and could no longer shed a single tear.

-

Shen Qingtan stayed at Longhua Temple for three days, personally lit a lotus lamp for Zhao Yi, and then offered the copied scriptures in the temple before going down the mountain with the old lady back to the mansion.

Back at Lanxue Garden, Tingxue vividly recounted everything that had happened in the second house to Shen Qingtan: "I heard that the Third Master has been staying in Qiuchan Courtyard these past few days and hasn't stepped into the Third Mistress's courtyard at all."

A smile flashed across Shen Qingtan's eyes. She took a few sips of tea and then saw Liu Mama rush in and say, "Second Madam, Third Madam is ill. The Lady of Cheng'en Marquis has come to visit her and specially invites you to the Second House."