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

Jiang Chao's jaw dropped in shock. This... this would mean fighting at home every day if he married a shrew.

He felt conflicted again; this settlement allowance was a little too much to handle.

Shen Qingtan was also a little confused. She knew that Madam Qin's family owned a security escort agency and that she was a bit outgoing, but she really didn't expect her to actually resort to violence.

"Master, Madam, please stop fighting..." The maid who delivered the message finally caught up, panting, and said, "We have distinguished guests in the manor. Be careful not to make a fool of yourselves in front of them."

Boss Qin: "..."

Madam Qin: "..."

The three of them, master and servants: "..."

The maid caught her breath and realized that her master and mistress had chased each other to the front hall. They were running too fast for her to catch up with.

Now things are much better. The master used to lose face in front of the servants in the mansion.

From this day forward, the master has lost all face.

Mr. Qin looked embarrassed, lowered his voice, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Why don't you let go? You have to consider my feelings."

"I'm giving you face, but who's giving me face?" Madam Qin glared at him fiercely. "If you dare to increase the monthly allowance for that little slut in the backyard without my permission again, see how I deal with you." After a pause, she threatened, "Go ahead and divorce me if you dare!"

Master Qin felt wronged. How could she have raised such a fierce and shrewish person? Which member of her family was easy to mess with?

He dared not take a break.

Madam Qin snorted coldly, released her hand, and turned to look at Shen Qingtan with a warm smile on her face. She straightened her clothes as if nothing had happened: "Oh dear, Tan'er, why didn't you send someone to let me know you were coming today? I could have told the cook to make your favorite almond milk."

"Auntie, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea." Shen Qingtan glanced at Boss Qin, who was standing to the side with a stern face, trying his best to maintain his dignity as the head of the family.

However, the two red scratches on his face made him look somewhat comical.

Shen Qingtan turned her head away from looking, afraid that she would burst out laughing.

She said seriously, "I want to ask Uncle Qin to find Zhongyuan for me."

"Zhongyuan?" Madam Qin felt that the name sounded familiar, but for a moment she couldn't remember where she had heard it before, as if there was a vague layer between them.

Shen Qingtan said, "He was originally the Great Zhou Medical Sage."

“The Sage of Medicine… Zhongyuan…” Madam Qin repeated, then her eyes lit up: “I remember now, my nephew was on a delivery mission when he was attacked by bandits and injured his arm. His bone would ache whenever it was rainy, and we searched for famous doctors everywhere to no avail. A year ago, he received a job escorting a doctor to the Northern Qi Kingdom. The reward was very generous, so my nephew accepted the mission. On the way to the Northern Qi Kingdom, the doctor healed his arm. At that time, he wrote a letter to share the good news and mentioned the name of the Sage of Medicine.”

Shen Qingtan was overjoyed: "Could you inquire for me which city in Northern Qi we were escorting Zhongyuan to?"

"I'll write to my nephew right away," Madam Qin said worriedly. "That happened a year ago. I don't know if he's found another place to go since then. Don't have too high hopes."

Shen Qingtan breathed a sigh of relief: "At least I know that the Sage of Medicine is still alive, which is good news for me."

Before leaving to write the letter, Madam Qin instructed, "Tan'er, you've come all this way, please stay and have lunch before you leave."

Shen Qingtan was thinking about Zhao Yi and figured that he was unwell and probably couldn't return to the manor for the time being, so she didn't want to go against Madam Qin's wishes and stayed for lunch to discuss the matter of finding his parents with Boss Qin.

Before leaving, Madam Qin filled Shen Qingtan's carriage with bags and packages, muttering to herself, "Tan'er, most of these are mountain products. Some are for cooking, and they taste very authentic. Some are for making soup to nourish the body."

Hearing Madam Qin's words of advice, Shen Qingtan felt very warm. The two of them truly treated her like family.

She bid farewell to Boss Qin and Madam Qin, and took a carriage back to the Duke's Mansion.

-

Prince Yu visited the Duke of Zhao's residence, and the Duke of Zhao received him in his study in the front courtyard.

"I have come to the Duke's mansion today to visit you on behalf of my mother." Prince Yu looked at the Duke of Zhao, whose hair and beard were white, and who was still vigorous despite being nearly seventy years old. He said solemnly, "My mother said that she has been dreaming of the Empress Dowager these past few days. In another month, it will be the anniversary of the Empress Dowager's death. She would like to invite the Duchess to the palace for a meeting to discuss the memorial ceremony."

Upon hearing Prince Yu mention his deceased daughter, Duke Zhao's expression grew even more solemn: "The memorial rites for the late Empress have always been handled by the Imperial Concubine. My wife and I have no objections, so let's do it the same this year."

"My mother said that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Empress Dowager's passing, and it cannot be handled in the same way as in previous years," Prince Yu said in a low voice. "My father attaches great importance to the ancestral rites, and my mother is very uneasy, fearing that something might go wrong. That's why she wanted to ask the Duchess for instructions."

Duke Zhao frowned deeply. The late Empress's memorial service was always arranged by the Ministry of Rites on the Emperor's orders, but Consort Ling used this as an excuse to insist on inviting the Duchess to the palace. It was likely that she wanted a title.

After considering it carefully, he agreed: "This old minister will inform my wife."

Seeing that the message had been delivered, Prince Yu couldn't help but add, "When I came out of the palace today, I heard that Lord Zhao's condition had worsened."

Duke Zhao immediately frowned.

Prince Yu said earnestly, "Duke Zhao, although you are in good health, you are getting on in years. You should have decided on the successor to your title long ago and settled the minds of your children and grandchildren so that your family can have peace."

The Duke of Zhao's serious expression finally changed slightly, and he smiled gently, saying, "This old minister has someone in mind."

Prince Yu's eyes flashed, and he laughed, "It seems I was overthinking it."

-

After Zhao Jue left the mansion injured, Shen Mingzhu sent Cao Mama to call Qiu Chan over and make her observe proper etiquette in front of her.

Since Shen Mingzhu was the legal wife, Qiu Chan dared not disobey her. She deliberately dressed plainly and went to Shen Mingzhu's room.

Shen Mingzhu looked Qiu Chan up and down. She was petite and pretty, with a certain charm. In the few days since she last saw her, her complexion was rosy and her figure was a bit fuller, indicating that she was living a comfortable life.

She harbored resentment and slightly raised her chin: "Bring me a cup of tea."

Qiu Chan's heart skipped a beat, knowing that it was Shen Mingzhu making things difficult for her, but she had no choice but to do as she was told, bringing a cup of tea and offering it to Shen Mingzhu.

"Sister, please have some tea."

Shen Mingzhu reached for the teacup, but as soon as she touched it, she slammed it over: "You lowly servant, are you trying to scald me to death? You have no one above you to keep you in check, so you can live a carefree life?"

Qiu Chan turned pale with fright and knelt down with a thud: "This lowly concubine dares not."

Shen Mingzhu pointed to the door: "Go outside and kneel down."

Qiu Chan's eyes were red, and she dared not disobey. She got up, went outside, and knelt down.

Shen Mingzhu finally seized the opportunity to punish Qiu Chan, and her anger was half vented. She relaxed and said, "Go and tell the kitchen that I want to eat bamboo shoot chicken breast and frozen ginger vinegar fish tonight."

Seeing that Shen Mingzhu's mood had visibly improved, Zhongxia walked out of the house with light steps. The moment she stepped out the door, her pupils contracted, and she screamed in fright.