That very night, the imperial decree granting the marriage arrived.
The second branch came to apologize several times, but Zhou Yunshen turned them away every time.
He tapped the desk in his study and raised an eyebrow. "Have you investigated everything?"
Zhou Shiye nodded. "Yes. I've dragged out Concubine Liu's lover and handed him over to Second Great-Uncle. I imagine he won't have time to come calling again for a while."
"Little Peach worked for Jiang Liuli. I took the liberty of disposing of her as well. Her corpse has already been thrown into the wolf enclosure."
Zhou Shiye nodded in satisfaction.
He had never liked the Minister of Rites, especially that woman named Jiang Liuli.
He could not even remember what she looked like. How could she possibly be his cherished moonlight? If she and the minister's household had not deliberately spread the story, how could everyone have heard about it?
A woman so full of schemes was truly repulsive.
Zhou Yunshen said, "Investigate everyone who came from the Jiang Family. If any harbor disloyal intentions, don't bother killing them. Just throw them into the wolf enclosure to feed the War Wolves."
"Understood. I won't disturb your rest any longer, Father."
Zhou Yunshen nodded his approval. When he returned to his room, he found Jiang Shuyue tangled in several balls of thread.
Zhou Yunshen said, "My lady, are you... fighting with the thread?"
Jiang Shuyue scratched her head awkwardly. "My mother said a girl should be skilled at needlework. I thought, since I had nothing else to do..."
Jiang Shuyue: Needlework is so hard! I've pricked my fingers, and I haven't even gotten the thread through the needle's eye! Ugh, making clothes for my little ones is so difficult. Why do people have to wear clothes? What a nuisance!
Zhou Yunshen pulled away the thread and tossed the tangled mess aside. "The servants can handle these things. You're the mistress of a marquis's household. There's no need to trouble yourself over them."
Zhou Yunshen leaned closer and reached out to draw her into his arms.
"From now on, you can do whatever you like in the Marquis's Residence. No one will dare criticize you."
Jiang Shuyue: System, is he really the Great Villain? Why do I think he's actually rather nice?
The system: Zhou Yunshen wet the bed at three and blamed his younger cousin. At five, he lost a fight over a toy and knocked out someone's front teeth. At seven, he set his father's concubine's courtyard on fire. At ten, he plucked out every hair of his master's beard...
Explosive laughter rang through Jiang Shuyue's mind in 4D surround sound.
Zhou Yunshen felt an urge to strangle the system.
He had beaten an adult to the ground at three, recited the Book of Songs and the Analects backward at five, caught a spy at seven, and won the title of martial champion at ten.
Why didn't it mention those glorious achievements?
Even the cap of Zhou Yunshen's big mushroom had been rubbed flat. He bundled her up, tossed her onto the bed, and pulled the quilt over her. "Sleep," he said coldly.
Jiang Shuyue: Fine, I'll sleep. Why are you being so fierce?
Was he being fierce?
Zhou Yunshen pressed his lips together, then gently gathered her into his arms. His lips brushed her earlobe as he said, "I'll let you off tonight. Be good and go to sleep."
He wanted to glean some information from Jiang Shuyue's thoughts, but unfortunately, her mind remained completely blank until he fell asleep.
Jiang Shuyue's back was pressed snugly against his chest.
Why was this man's chest so hot?
His heart was pounding away too, though not as fast as hers.
Jiang Shuyue: System, why does my heartbeat sound different from his?
The system: Sleep!
Fine, so every last one of them was picking on her because this was her first time being human?
She would sleep, then! What was there to be so fierce about?
Jiang Shuyue burrowed farther under the quilt. In her dreams, she felt as though several braziers surrounded her. It was a little hot, but rather comfortable too.
Concubine Liu had just returned from her nephew's wedding and smashed several teacups in a rage.
"That little bitch! She's nothing but a wild girl from the countryside, yet she's managed to make Zhou Yunshen defend her like that!"
"Now our Liu family has to put that whore on a pedestal. What rotten luck!"
When Zhou Boye entered with his men, Concubine Liu was still cursing. Seeing him, she immediately put on a tearful expression.
"My lord, you must stand up for me! Your nephew has no respect for you at all. That's why he dared treat me this way."
Zhou Boye did not spare her so much as a cold glance. He ordered two unfamiliar servants to bring the items forward.
Concubine Liu looked bewildered. "My lord, what is this?"
"Nothing much. Just evidence of your secret exchanges with those lovers of yours, along with their confessions."
Concubine Liu's scalp went numb. Before she could answer, Zhou Boye slapped her hard across the face.
On the day Concubine Liu had taken people to cause trouble, the Marquis's Residence had sent someone to notify him. He had intended to smooth things over and bring her home.
But just as he approached the gates of the Marquis's Residence, he heard a strange voice.
Zhou Boye's eyes were bloodshot. "The son isn't mine, and neither is the daughter! Liu Ying, you really are something!"
"All these years, you've played the pitiable woman in front of me while fighting over the household's money and fornicating with other men! You've stripped me of every shred of dignity!"
Concubine Liu covered her face in a daze. Only after a long while did she speak in terror. "My lord, what are you saying? Why can't I understand a single word?"
"You don't understand? Then let me explain it in detail."
"You slept with these servants and gave birth to two bastards to compete for my favor. Before entering my household, you also had a lover back home. He's now the farmer who delivers our vegetables, and you meet twice every month. Am I right?"
"Liu Ying, you've made a complete fool of me!"
Whenever Zhou Boye thought of how the son and daughter he had doted on were actually other men's children, he could not contain his hatred.
He could raise children, donate money to orphans every month, and even adopt someone else's children, but he would never tolerate being deceived!
Unable to swallow his rage, Zhou Boye stepped forward and slapped Liu Ying twice more.
"Bitch, you like other men, do you? I'll let you have your fill!"
"Guards, send her to the lowest brothel you can find. Tell the madam she isn't allowed to rest until she's taken ten customers every day. No one may buy her freedom, and no one may visit her."
Concubine Liu went deathly pale. She had never imagined the man who shared her bed could be so ruthless!
"My lord, I was wrong! I lost my head for a moment! For the sake of all the years I've served you, please spare me!"
Zhou Boye kicked her in disgust.
She still had the nerve to beg for mercy? The thought of having slept beside something so filthy for over a decade made Zhou Boye want to vomit.
"After you leave, I'll send your son into the palace to serve His Majesty in my stead. Your daughter's future has been arranged too. Doesn't that old lover of yours have a son? Since you two had the affinity but not the destiny to be together, I'll let your children become a pair of mandarin ducks."
"No! My daughter is meant to be the mistress of a household! She was born with a phoenix's destiny. How can she marry a vegetable farmer!"
Zhou Boye no longer wanted to hear her howling. He had the servants gag her, bundle her up, and send her away that very night.
Her son and daughter disappeared along with Concubine Liu.
When they appeared again, no one recognized them anymore.
The next day, Jiang Shuyue was eating refreshments when she heard the gossip and felt a little sorry for them.
Jiang Shuyue: Ah, Concubine Liu's children might have been annoying, but Second Uncle's methods were far too ruthless. With such a drastic change in their circumstances, wouldn't they wish they were dead?
The system: They weren't wronged. Her son forced respectable women into prostitution and killed several maids. Her daughter even threw boiling water at her own younger sister's face. Fortunately, she didn't succeed, or that three-year-old child would have been disfigured.
It was ruthless, but cause and effect come full circle, and retribution never misses its mark. People really should do more good deeds.
Jiang Shuyue nodded, picked up the clothes, and held them against Zhou Luming, nodding in satisfaction.
Jiang Shuyue: Look at my handiwork! It truly outshines the craftsmanship of heaven itself!
Zhou Luming: Wait, Mother, don't you have any idea how good-or bad-you actually are?
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