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

The fourth wife asked worriedly, "Tan'er, are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk." Shen Qingtan blinked, her eyes clear. "I'm just a little dizzy."

The fourth lady thought that the Fragrant Snow Wine had a bit of an aftereffect, and that the dizziness was probably caused by the alcohol's effects.

Shen Qingtan said she couldn't hold her liquor and would pass out after just two cups.

Who knew that one cup would cause him to collapse?

She somewhat regretted coaxing him into drinking.

The fourth wife was not entirely at ease, so she ordered the carriage to go to the clinic.

The carriage stopped in front of the clinic, and Liuyue went to the clinic to find a doctor to prescribe a hangover remedy.

Because of the alcohol, Shen Qingtan felt a bit hot and stuffy, so she opened the car curtains to let in some fresh air.

Then, Boss Qin and Liu Yue came out of the clinic and slowly walked towards the carriage.

"Miss Shen, what a coincidence to meet you here today." Boss Qin did not change his way of addressing her and still used the same form of address.

A kind smile appeared on his face: "The shopkeeper said you took two bolts of satin. How are you using them?"

"The material feels quite nice. I plan to make two sets of undergarments." Shen Qingtan smiled. "The undergarments aren't finished yet, so I don't know how they'll look when I wear them."

"The cloth shop owner, Mr. Gu, is from Jiangnan. He can only stay in the capital for a month this time, and he wants to finalize the cooperation within this month."

I took a bolt of fabric and had it made into bedding. It was exactly as Mr. Gu described—soft, smooth, and very durable.

Boss Qin explained his purpose: "The shopkeeper said you also took this material, so he asked for your opinion. If you have no objections, I will sign a contract with him today."

"Is this Mr. Gu's cloth shop in Jiangnan?" Shen Qingtan frowned slightly. "Have you inspected the cloth shop?"

"The Gu family is a century-old family. Their ancestors were once imperial merchants and their business was very large, not just a cloth shop."

Knowing Shen Qingtan's concerns, Boss Qin explained the background of the Gu family: "More than ten years ago, many merchants recognized the Gu family and took the initiative to seek cooperation with them."

Shen Qingtan caught the key point: "More than ten years ago? It has declined since then?"

"It's not that they've declined. The Gu family moved to Qingzhou more than a decade ago because of their business, focusing on developing there. They withdrew most of their business from Jiangnan, so their reputation is not what it used to be."

Mr. Qin sighed, "The Gu family is now planning to expand their business to the capital, so they have taken the initiative to seek our cooperation."

Shen Qingtan nodded, indicating that she understood.

The name "Gujia" itself signifies a good reputation.

"Although the Gu family's reputation is not what it used to be, their financial resources are still very strong." Seeing that Shen Qingtan was not very interested, Boss Qin thought she was not very willing to cooperate, so he couldn't help but say a few more words: "I have dealt with Boss Gu before. He is a resolute and upright person, not the kind of person who would betray his principles for personal gain. You can cooperate with him with peace of mind."

"Uncle Qin, you can make the decision." Shen Qingtan pressed her throbbing temples and said listlessly, "I trust your abilities, you don't need to ask me about everything."

"Alright." Seeing that Shen Qingtan was not feeling well, Boss Qin quickly said, "Then you should go back to your residence and rest first. I'll go and discuss cooperation with Boss Gu."

"it is good."

Shen Qingtan said goodbye to Boss Qin and lowered the carriage curtain. She saw that the Fourth Madam was looking at the prescription for hangover medicine and showed no curiosity about her relationship with Boss Qin.

Seeing Shen Qingtan frowning in discomfort, Liu Yue said with heartache, "Second Madam, shall I massage your head?"

Shen Qingtan rested her head on Liu Yue's lap.

Liu Yue gently massaged her head.

The carriage stopped in front of the Duke of Zhao's mansion. Shen Qingtan felt much better, and her head was no longer as throbbing as before.

The Fourth Madam was still not entirely at ease, so she personally escorted her to Lanxue Garden, instructed Liuyue to go to the small kitchen to prepare the medicine, and watched with her own eyes as Shen Qingtan drank the hangover medicine before leaving the room with her maid.

As soon as she stepped out of the Lanxue Garden courtyard, the Fourth Madam saw Zhao Yi returning from outside.

“Second nephew, I’m feeling a bit sad that your fourth uncle isn’t in the capital. I asked my nephew’s wife to have a drink with me. She couldn’t refuse my request as an elder, so she drank a cup of wine.”

The fourth madam deliberately restrained her temper, and her expression turned somewhat cold: "She's feeling a little dizzy right now, so take good care of her."

Zhao Yi didn't believe a word of it. On the day Zhao Qiyuan left the capital, the Fourth Madam specially sent cherries to thank them. How could she be sad because Zhao Qiyuan left the capital?

What's more, he personally witnessed her taking Shen Qingtan to the Dream Pavilion for pleasure today.

Zhao Yi did not expose him, and nodded expressionlessly.

Seeing that he showed no dissatisfaction, the fourth wife left with peace of mind.

Zhao Yixin stepped into the house, but Shen Qingtan was nowhere to be seen. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

He unexpectedly recalled the play he had seen at the Dream Pavilion earlier that day, and his heart was not as calm as usual; he felt somewhat restless.

Although the Fourth Madam's temperament is somewhat unconventional, she is fortunate to act with discretion and respect Shen Qingtan's opinions.

They left before the play was over, probably at Shen Qingtan's suggestion.

During the time since their marriage, Zhao Yi has noticed that Shen Qingtan is preoccupied and doesn't have many close friends.

Currently, Qin Yao is his only close female friend.

If she gets along well with the Fourth Madam, she will have someone in the household with whom she can speak.

Zhao Yi entered the inner room, sat on the short couch, took out the ancient book written by Meng An, and found a bookmark with a hollowed-out gold leaf inside.

The bookmark is exquisite, a thin little leaf with clearly carved veins, braided with a small red string, the end of which is decorated with two hollowed-out gilded balls, each containing a red bean, which makes a crisp sound when shaken.

He stared at the red bean for a moment before putting the bookmark back and placing the ancient book back in its original position.

Just then, footsteps came from the bathroom.

He looked up and saw her come out wearing a red undergarment. She raised her hand and pulled out the hairpin that held her hair up, and her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, highlighting her slender waist.

Zhao Yi subtly shifted his gaze to the window. The sky had darkened, and the incessant chirping of cicadas only added to the restlessness in his heart.

"You're back? Have you had dinner? If not, have Liuyue bring some." Shen Qingtan handed the hairpin to Liuyue, slipped on her embroidered shoes, and came to the bedside. She said softly, "I'm a little tired today and want to sleep first, so I don't need dinner."

Zhao Yi responded softly, then got up and left the inner room, instructing Jiang Mu to bring the meal to the study.

By 9 PM, Zhao Yi estimated that Shen Qingtan was already fast asleep, so he deliberately washed up in the study before returning to the bridal chamber.

There were no lights inside the house, only two lanterns lit under the eaves outside, casting a hazy glow.

For reasons unknown, Zhao Yi did not light a lamp, but quietly walked to the bedside and lay down beside her.

He then heard the person next to him seem to be breathing erratically.