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

Liu Yue was tidying up her trunks when she heard this and turned around to say, "You had just entered the manor when the Lady of Chengen Marquis summoned you. According to this servant, she deliberately timed her return to come to the Duke's manor to cause you trouble and to vent her anger on behalf of the second wife."

Tingxue looked annoyed: "Why don't you pretend to be sick and not come over?"

Upon hearing this, Liu's mother couldn't help but look up at Shen Qingtan. Perhaps it was the nurturing feng shui of Longhua Temple, but after a few days, Shen Qingtan's complexion was rosy, and her skin was so fair and tender that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it, making her even more beautiful and radiant.

Shen Qingtan gently stroked the cup with her fingertips and thought to herself, "My second sister has suffered a blow and is now bedridden. My mother has finally come to the Duke's mansion, so I should go and see her."

"Second Grandma..."

"She wants to see me, and no matter how I try to refuse, she insists on seeing me."

At that time, they were at a disadvantage, and the initiative was in Madam Shen's hands.

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it." Shen Qingtan put down her teacup, her expression indifferent: "Help me do my hair and make me change my clothes."

-

Second house, Qingyun Garden.

Shen Mingzhu leaned weakly against the bedpost, a red headband tied around her forehead, which made her face look even paler.

She told Madam Shen everything that Shen Qingtan had done, and then tearfully recounted her grievances.

“Zhao Jue has taken a grudge against me and has been staying in Qiu Chan’s courtyard these past few days.” Shen Mingzhu said anxiously and helplessly, “Zhongxia reminded me that Qiu Chan did not use the contraceptive soup, so I asked Gao Mama to send the contraceptive soup over. Zhao Jue told Gao Mama to tell me that the contraceptive soup is harmful to the body and that Qiu Chan should not drink it.”

Madam Shen's face darkened.

Shen Mingzhu was filled with hatred and helplessness: "Mother, he is taking revenge on me. He is determined to make Qiu Chan pregnant and make my life miserable."

Now that things have come to this, what can Madam Shen do? No matter how far she can reach, she can't extend her reach into her son-in-law's backyard.

Shen Mingzhu realized this. Although she resented Zhao Jue for being heartless and hated Qiu Chan for betraying her master, she hated Shen Qingtan, the instigator, even more.

She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief: "Mother, will she come to see you? Will she make an excuse of illness to avoid it?"

“I am her mother. She puts on airs and won’t come to see me, so I, as her elder, will humble myself and go to see her.” Madam Shen poked her forehead: “You always come up with bad ideas, like drugging Zhao Yi. If she dies from it and it comes back to you, I won’t be able to protect you.”

Shen Mingzhu was not convinced. If the methods were more sophisticated, how could they have traced it back to her?

She blamed Shen Qingtan: "If Shen Qingtan hadn't schemed against me, how could my husband have disliked me?"

Madam Shen comforted her, saying, "Your mother will seek justice for you."

At this moment, Madam Gao came in to deliver a message: "Madam, the eldest young lady has arrived."

Madam Shen's face turned cold: "Let her in."

Shen Mingzhu sat up straight, pinched herself secretly, and tears welled up in her eyes from the pain. She looked at the door with a wronged expression.

Madam Shen saw Shen Qingtan walk from the outer room into the inner room and was about to speak when Shen Qingtan interrupted her first.

"Second sister, you are sick. Why didn't you send someone to tell me? I would have asked Grandmother for a favor so I could come down the mountain to take care of you sooner."

Shen Qingtan's eyes reddened with sadness, and she said with heartache, "Second sister, you are really foolish to buy such a forbidden drug for Master."

When you first returned to your ancestral home, you were simple, honest, and kind-hearted. I never imagined you would do something so despicable.

I thought it was a cicada betraying its master, trying to climb the social ladder by sleeping with him.

If I had known earlier that you were the one who orchestrated this, I would have taken the blame for you when your brother-in-law searched you, so as to avoid affecting your relationship.

Anyway, Second Master's health is poor, and I don't know how long he can hold on. From now on, I'll be relying on you to support me. As long as you're innocent, I'll do anything.

I've been so worried about you these past few days that I can't eat or sleep properly. I blame myself for not keeping a good eye on you.

"As the eldest sister, I am like a mother to you. Your misguided path carries an inescapable responsibility."

Shen Mingzhu was stunned. This bitch was clearly turning the tables on her, and she was hoping for a terrible end for herself.

Madam Shen was shocked and looked at Shen Qingtan in disbelief, not because of her words, but because of Shen Qingtan's current appearance.

Shen Qingtan's face was sallow, her lips were slightly pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She wore a loose, ill-fitting white blouse, a peach-colored skirt, and a blue gauze vest, which made her look frail and weak.

Her haggard appearance suggested she was suffering even more than Shen Mingzhu.

Madam Shen originally wanted to use Shen Qingtan's failure to take good care of Shen Mingzhu as a pretext, but given Shen Qingtan's current state, if she were to criticize her further, it would likely be seen as Shen Qingtan being the victim, and she would be branded as a mean-spirited person.

In particular, Shen Qingtan said "the eldest sister is like a mother," and she failed to properly educate Shen Mingzhu, so she was at fault.

And what about herself, the mother?

With such a greater responsibility, how dare they criticize Shen Qingtan?

Shen Qingtan's words effectively shut down Madam Shen.

Madam Shen's face darkened, and she revealed another purpose of her trip: "Qiu Chan, who serves by your side, has become a member of the second wife's household. I brought two maids with me today. You can choose one to take back, and if you like both of them, you can take them both back with you."

When Shen Mingzhu heard that her mother was going to send someone to Shen Qingtan's room, the resentment that had been weighing on her heart dissipated, and she couldn't help but feel a little schadenfreude.

The people trained by her mother are no pushovers; if they enter Shen Qingtan's room, they'll definitely cause chaos.

“Mother, the people you choose are all outstanding, and I don’t dislike any of them.” Shen Qingtan flattered Madam Shen, then changed the subject: “However, my second sister is currently ill and needs capable people by her side more.”

Madam Shen frowned, about to speak in displeasure.

Shen Qingtan offered her advice first: "My second sister and her husband have a bad relationship. Qiu Chan has fallen out with my second sister, so naturally she won't stick with her for the sake of the emperor. Instead, she will compete with Qiu Chan for the emperor's favor."

Why doesn't Mother have the two maids she brought shave their faces and send them to her brother-in-law's room to secure her younger sister's favor?

My brother-in-law is currently recovering from his injury, and my second sister has sent someone to take care of him. My brother-in-law knows that my second sister is very generous, and perhaps this will ease the tension in our marriage.

Shen Mingzhu was watching the show when, unexpectedly, a fire broke out on her head.

Hearing Shen Qingtan's sharp tongue, her eyelids twitched, and her face darkened.

Shen Qingtan's every word was carefully considered for her sake, yet every word hit her right in the gut, and she couldn't find a single fault with it.

I'm so angry!

Looking at Shen Qingtan's heartfelt expression, Madam Shen felt a sharp pain in her chest from anger.

Shen Mingzhu clutched her head in pain and collapsed onto the pillow. "My head hurts. You should all go back. I want to sleep for a while."

She was afraid that if Shen Qingtan continued talking, Madam Shen would really send someone to Zhao Jue's room.

Shen Qingtan looked worried: "Mother, my second sister..."

"Alright." Madam Shen interrupted Shen Qingtan hastily, afraid that she would say something that would hurt Shen Mingzhu's feelings again. She said in a sullen voice, "You must be tired from your long journey. Go back and rest early."

Shen Qingtan hesitated, pursed her lips, and left with a dejected expression.

As soon as she left, Shen Mingzhu immediately sat up: "Mother, we are no match for Shen Qingtan at all, unless we break off all ties."

"How can you afford to completely break ties? In the eyes of the world, you've gotten a huge advantage by marrying the physically strong Zhao Jue. If you were to break ties with Shen Qingtan now, what would others think?"

"Otherwise, we'll expose Shen Qingtan's true identity..."

"Fool!" Madam Shen interrupted her, saying sternly, "Confirming that Shen Qingtan is not a daughter of the Shen family, isn't that telling the world that your marriage to Zhao Jue was shady?"

Shen Mingzhu clenched her fists and turned her head away, refusing to look at Madam Shen.

Madam Shen, clutching her throbbing head, said wearily, "You should rest and recover. I'll handle Shen Qingtan."

Shen Mingzhu didn't even look up, still sulking with her.

Madam Shen pressed her lips down, not in the mood to coax her, and led her people away.

Just as I left Qingyun Garden and passed the waterside pavilion, I heard maids talking.

"Did the Lady of Cheng'en just reprimand the Second Mistress? That's really strange, the one who made the mistake was clearly the Third Mistress..."

"I think it's because the Lady of Cheng'en is biased. When the Third Mistress was sick, she brought a whole bunch of expensive tonics. When the Second Mistress was sick, she only got a scolding. It's really pitiful."

"Second Madam is quite pitiful. Even on such a big occasion as changing the groom, she didn't cry or make a fuss. Just now, she came out of the second room with red eyes, and I saw her secretly wiping away tears. It seems that she has suffered a great injustice."

"I don't think Lady Chengen is as kind as people say. She might be a hypocrite."

Madam Shen's face turned green with anger. How could she not understand that Shen Qingtan was deliberately ruining her reputation!

That little slut is playing tricks on her.

Madam Shen glanced towards the backyard of the Duke of Zhao's mansion, a dark and ambiguous light flashing in her eyes, before leaving with a tense expression.

-

Shen Qingtan returned to Lanxue Garden, took some bath powder to wash her face, and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) feeling refreshed.

Liu Yue said excitedly, "Second Madam, what you said is so satisfying! I saw that mother and daughter were so angry that their mouths were crooked."

Shen Qingtan deliberately annoyed them, so they wouldn't bother her for a while.

She instructed, "Liuyue, go to the trunk and get one of the Second Master's undergarments. I'll take his measurements."

"Alright." Liu Yue quickly went to the inner room and soon brought out an undergarment: "Would you like me to make clothes for Second Master?"

“I should have made clothes and shoes for my husband, but I haven’t even embroidered a small purse for him.” Shen Qingtan unfolded her inner garment and took out a cloth ruler to measure: “Summer is coming soon, I will make him an inner garment.”

Liu Yue's smile faded. Her mistress's concern for the Second Master indicated a harmonious relationship between the couple, which she should be happy about.

But Second Master's health...

She secretly hoped that her master wouldn't care much about the second master and that they could just maintain a superficial marriage, so that even if they lost each other one day, she wouldn't be too sad.

Tingxue also thought of this, and her little face fell.

Unaware of what the two maids were thinking, Shen Qingtan took the measurements and then went to ask the Madam for the matching tags before heading out to Qin's Cloth Shop to select fabrics.

Liu Yue and Ting Xue exchanged a glance, their minds heavy with worry, and followed Shen Qingtan to the cloth shop.

The carriage stopped in front of Qin's Cloth Shop. The coachman set up the wooden ladder, and Liu Yue got off the carriage first, standing beside it to help Shen Qingtan down.

Tingxue stood protectively behind her.

Shen Qingtan entered the cloth shop wearing a veiled hat. The shopkeeper, seeing her entourage, knew she must be rich and noble, and eagerly stepped forward.

"Madam, our shop has just received a bolt of fine brocade. Would you like to take a look?"

Shen Qingtan took out a crescent-shaped jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to the shopkeeper: "I want the finest white satin. Take it to the second floor and let me choose."

The shopkeeper saw the jade pendant, paused for a moment, then smiled even more warmly: "So it's the second boss, please come upstairs quickly."

While entertaining Shen Qingtan, he instructed the servants to fetch materials from the storeroom.

Shen Qingtan sat down at the table and took off her veil.

The shopkeeper quickly poured tea for Shen Qingtan.

The servants brought the cloth over.

The shopkeeper introduced, "Second Master, this material is no worse than the tribute satin sent to the palace. It feels smooth, cool, soft and delicate, and is very suitable for summer wear."

He unfolded an inch of fabric and showed it off, saying, "You can see the drape is excellent, and the luster is also quite good."

Shen Qingtan touched the fabric and confirmed that it was indeed as the shopkeeper had said. She agreed, "The quality is good. How are the sales?"

"A couple of days ago, a textile company brought some fabric to our door and offered to cooperate with us. I thought it looked good, so I sent a message to the head of the company, who also agreed and decided to store it here for sale."

Only ten horses arrived in total. The head of the household took one back, intending to make a garment from it for him to try on. If there were no quality issues, he would then put it on the market for sale.

The shopkeeper explained the origin of the fabric and then asked, "Would you like to take one back with you?"

Shen Qingtan nodded slightly: "Alright, please trouble the shopkeeper to fetch two bolts for me to take back to my residence."

"Alright, all done!" The shopkeeper quickly prepared the cloth and handed it to Liuyue, who was standing to the side.

Shen Qingtan then selected several pieces of brightly colored brocade and instructed the servants to deliver them to the carriage.

As the master and servants emerged from the cloth shop, they saw a graceful figure rushing towards them, throwing herself into Shen Qingtan's arms and embracing her tightly.

"Sister Shen, it's been so long since I've seen you. I didn't expect to run into you at the fabric shop today." Qin Yao released Shen Qingtan, then took her arm instead, and said with a bright smile, "Shall we go to a restaurant for a while?"

Qin Yaosheng has a round face, and beneath her arched eyebrows are a pair of bright, dark eyes. When she smiles, deep dimples appear on her cheeks, making her lively and adorable.

In my previous life, I heard that Qin Yao had met the wrong person and was divorced and sent back to the Qin family. She was then implicated and her family was raided and she was executed.

Shen Qingtan felt a pang of sadness. She poked the dimple on the woman's cheek with her index finger and said with a smile, "Let's not go to the restaurant today. Will you come back to the manor with me? Let's get acquainted first. If you want to see me in the future, just send me an invitation."

Qin Yao wasn't reserved by nature. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Shen Qingtan and smiled sweetly, "I was just thinking of visiting the Duke's mansion to see how well my brother-in-law treats you."

Shen Qingtan's heart softened, and she led her into the carriage, instructing the driver to return to the Duke of Zhao's mansion.

The carriage had only been traveling for a short while when it suddenly stopped.

The coachman outside said, "Second Madam, a woman has stopped the carriage."

Shen Qingtan frowned. She had just lifted a corner of the curtain when she saw the woman pleading pitifully, "Second Madam, please take me to see Second Master."