SFS Chapter 157 Shen Qingtan Makes a Meritorious Deed
Chapter 157 Shen Qingtan Makes a Meritorious Deed
Marquis Chengen looked bewildered, not understanding for a moment the meaning behind Emperor Jing'an's words.
Since the end of the corruption case in Guanzhou, he was appointed as the commander-in-chief, and his head has been tied to his waist, as he could be dealt with by Emperor Jing'an at any time.
But little did he know that he was merely dealing with family matters, yet Emperor Jing'an insisted on being a witness for him, which made him extremely anxious.
The emperor's mind is unfathomable; he could never fathom his intentions.
Marquis Chengen even suspected that Shen Qingtan had eloped, which severely embarrassed Zhao Yi and angered Emperor Jing'an.
He broke off his relationship with Shen Qingtan, and thus gained the Emperor's favor?
Thinking of this, Marquis Chengen breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Qingtan has no chance of turning things around.
-
For half a month since the incident, the Duke's mansion has been closed to visitors, and the atmosphere inside is extremely somber.
Only the second wife's family had smiles on their faces.
Despite her discomfort, Shen Mingzhu stood beside the Second Madam, serving her her meal.
The second wife did not follow the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping.
"Our second branch of the family is finally about to see the light at the end of the tunnel." She thought to herself with pride, and then launched into a long speech: "Zhao Yi only dares to go against my father-in-law because he is favored by the Emperor. Now that the Emperor has grown tired of him, he has no one to rely on. If he doesn't divorce Shen Qingtan, my father-in-law will definitely have to find another heir."
The second master agreed wholeheartedly and said to Zhao Jue, "At this critical juncture, our second branch cannot afford to cause any more trouble and anger your grandfather."
At this point, he advised, "After Zhao Yi left the capital, your grandfather fell ill and has been bedridden for the past ten days or so, taking leave to recuperate at home. Take this opportunity to spend more time with him and win his favor."
Zhao Jue slammed down his chopsticks and left without a word, heading straight out of the mansion.
Over time, he had come to realize that simply trying to please the Duke was completely useless.
If the Duke looks down on the second branch of the family, how could he possibly hand over the Duke's mansion to them?
Zhao Jue rode his horse aimlessly through the long street. When he passed a teahouse, he heard a storyteller reciting a story based on Shen Qingtan with great intonation and spittle flying everywhere.
Even though he knew that Shen Qingtan was framed by the Marquis of Chengen's mansion, he still found it grating to hear that she had eloped with another man.
He had to acknowledge that she married Zhao Yi, since he was the one who facilitated it.
Moreover, Zhao Yi is impotent and therefore unable to have relations with Shen Qingtan.
Suddenly, Zhao Jue's gaze stopped, and he stared intently at a woman wearing a veil.
Even though he couldn't see her face, he recognized her at a glance just by her familiar back view.
Zhao Jue quickly dismounted, hurried after her, stopped her, and reached out to lift her veil.
A round fan struck his hand hard, leaving a red mark with a "smack".
He wasn't annoyed and withdrew his hand.
"Tan'er, I know it's you." Zhao Jue's heart raced as he stared at her intently, his eyes gradually hardening with desire. "Your reputation is ruined. Your grandfather made your second brother divorce you, and even the Marquis of Chengen has severed his father-daughter relationship with you. If you show your face, you will only face death."
Zhao Yi couldn't find her when he left the capital, but he ran into her first, which shows that their fate was not over.
Ever since he heard about the Marquis of Chengen's plan, an idea has been irresistibly forming in his mind.
The Marquis of Chengen's mansion didn't want her, and Zhao Yi divorced her, leaving her all alone and helpless.
He could take her in, keep her in the villa, and use her for his own purposes.
With her intelligence and resourcefulness, she will surely be able to help him reclaim the Duke's title.
Shen Qingtan frowned. It was really bad luck to run into Zhao Jue as soon as she returned to the capital.
“I have a villa in the suburbs of Beijing where you can stay temporarily.” Zhao Jue tried his best to show goodwill and gain her trust: “Tan’er, we grew up together, I will not harm you, I sincerely want to help you.”
Shen Qingtan sneered inwardly, knowing that once she went to the other courtyard, she would never be able to come out again.
The way his gaze fell on her made her very uncomfortable, as if a cold, venomous snake was coiling around her, giving her goosebumps and making her feel nauseous.
"Don't worry about it."
Shen Qingtan couldn't stay a moment longer and didn't plan to buy any more medicine. As she turned around, she saw a tall figure walking out of the shop.
Her lips unconsciously curled up, and she jogged over.
Zhao Jue's gaze followed her, and he saw her running towards Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi?
How did those two end up together?
Could it be that Zhao Yi found Shen Qingtan first and brought her back to the capital together?
Or perhaps Shen Qingtan didn't disappear, and Zhao Yi always knew where she was.
Did they just use the assassination attempt as an excuse to fake their disappearance?
So what is their purpose in doing this?
Suddenly, Zhao Jue remembered something: the emperor had promoted the Marquis of Chengen, intending to take action against him.
Is Shen Qingtan afraid of being implicated, willing to risk her reputation to sever ties with the Marquis of Chengen's mansion?
No, without a clean reputation, Shen Qingtan will be driven to the brink of despair.
Zhao Jue felt that something was strange about the matter, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Zhao Yi supported Shen Qingtan's arm, looked up at him, and his eyes were filled with a chilling coldness.
Zhao Jue watched the two figures walk away hand in hand, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his eyes filled with a sinister glint.
Regardless of their motives, the current situation is unfavorable to Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan. Having learned of their whereabouts, he has gained the upper hand.
Shen Qingtan, I gave you a chance, but you didn't seize it.
-
In the royal palace, in the royal study.
Emperor Jing'an summoned his key ministers to the Imperial Study to discuss matters.
The Guanzhou corruption case resulted in the execution of many officials.
Before this, the people of Guanzhou lived in dire straits, fleeing famine and becoming homeless.
Now that Guanzhou has stabilized, the people have returned to their hometowns.
Farmland is abandoned and there are no houses to live in.
The relief supplies sent to Guanzhou were far from enough to help the people of Guanzhou.
The strategies proposed by the ministers to address the resettlement of disaster victims are unlikely to be effective in the short term.
At this moment, the censor handed over a memorial and a secret letter.
"Your Majesty, this is a letter from Guanzhou. Please take a look."
Emperor Jing'an was deeply troubled upon hearing the memorial and letter from Guanzhou. He took the memorial and the secret letter, read the memorial first, and then his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.
He quickly opened the letter and saw its contents: the prefect was praising Shen Qingtan.