Concubine Liu was held down on her knees at the entrance to the Marquis's Residence, sobbing out her grievances. "I'm an elder of the Marquisate of Southern Pacification! How can a new bride be so vicious? What sin have I committed to deserve this?"
Liu Xi cursed along with her. "I'm a seventh-rank official of the court! How dare you lay hands on an imperial official? I'll report you to His Majesty!"
More and more commoners gathered to watch, and many began pointing and whispering.
The Marquisate of Southern Pacification had long borne the name Killing God, and its reputation was hardly good.
When Jiang Shuyue came outside, her eyes brimmed with tears. With a thud, she dropped to her knees before Concubine Liu.
Concubine Liu thought, What act is this? Why is she kneeling too?
Liu Xi thought, Who knows? Does she want to apologize?
Jiang Shuyue began her performance. "I know I'm nobody, and my words carry little weight. With the general away, you have no regard for a mother and her fatherless children, but surely you can't force my daughter to marry someone like him?"
"Neighbors, please judge this fairly! It's not that I look down on his low rank, but who comes empty-handed to propose a marriage? Isn't that a slap in the face of our Marquis's Residence?"
Concubine Liu and Liu Xi had dared to come empty-handed because Zhou Yunshen was away-and even if he had been there, a big, rough man like him knew nothing of these niceties.
They had never expected someone to seize on it and use it against them.
Concubine Liu hurriedly said, "We came in a rush, that's all. We'll make up for it later."
"Concubine Liu, although you're only Second Uncle's concubine, you're more than ten years older than me, so I've always treated you as something of an elder. Let me ask you this: when Second Uncle took you as his concubine, did he have you carried into his household with nothing but his two empty hands?"
Concubine Liu always put on the airs of a proper wife in public. Over time, no one had dared mention that she was a concubine.
Humiliated in front of everyone, Concubine Liu rose, ready to curse.
Zhou Shiye said, "My mother, the rightful lady of the Marquis's Residence, is still kneeling. Have you really started believing you're an elder?"
Concubines were servants, especially those belonging to the second branch. Before the Marquis's Residence, she was beneath mention.
Jiang Shuyue took Zhou Shiye's hand and said softly, looking frail, "Shi Ye, I know you're upset because Concubine Liu hit Luming, but this is a matter for the adults. Children shouldn't get involved."
Concubine Liu shrieked, "What nonsense are you spouting? When did I hit Zhou Luming? That little beast hit me!"
Zhou Luming stood by the doorway, half her body hidden inside, exposing half of her reddened face. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's.
She lowered her head, a slender willow bending in the breeze. Without saying a word, she seemed to speak of a thousand grievances.
Jiang Shuyue marveled inwardly. [That's my eldest girl for you! Beautiful and quick on the uptake. I only gave her a few pointers, and she got the gist right away!]
Zhou Luming had no idea what "got" meant, but it was probably praise.
She put even more effort into her act, giving a barely audible sniff. A young man in white charged forward and punched Concubine Liu in the face.
Jiang Shuyue saw something fly out of her mouth. On closer inspection, it was a front tooth.
Jiang Shuyue thought, [What a strike, young man! Fierce!]
The system said, [Here comes some juicy gossip! This is Shen Rufeng, the young master who's in love with Zhou Luming. Originally, Concubine Liu's troublemaking ruined Zhou Luming's reputation. The scholarly Shen Family wouldn't allow someone like her into their household, so they drugged Shen Rufeng and made him marry another girl.]
Jiang Shuyue thought, [Tsk, tsk. And they call themselves a scholarly family? How are those methods any different from a villain's?]
Shen Rufeng looked at Jiang Shuyue in astonishment.
That voice had sounded like hers, but she hadn't opened her mouth. How could...
Jiang Shuyue thought, [System, this gossip is pretty mediocre.]
The system said, [What's the rush? I haven't finished! Later, Shen Rufeng kept watching over Zhou Luming in silence. When he learned that she wanted revenge, he even castrated himself and became a eunuch to help her.]
Jiang Shuyue thought, [Holy shit! He castrated himself!]
Jiang Shuyue's gaze shifted downward, landing three inches below Shen Rufeng's abdomen. [You've got guts, young man!]
Shen Rufeng instinctively pressed his legs together and turned slightly sideways.
Searching his heart, he knew that, for Zhou Luming, he really could go that far.
The system said, [Later, Zhou Luming was executed. Shen Rufeng exhausted his family fortune just to recover her body, but heaven refused to grant his wish. The Fourth Prince took the money without doing anything and even had him put to death by a thousand cuts.]
[After Shen Rufeng died, his wife took their son and remarried, running off with what remained of his money. She even smothered his mother to death.]
Shen Rufeng was certain Jiang Shuyue was the one speaking, but before he could even feel shocked, wave after wave of information bombarded him until his head hurt.
He would actually marry such a venomous woman?
Zhou Luming stole a glance at Shen Rufeng.
A man like jade upon the path, a young master unrivaled beneath heaven-that was how the world described Shen Rufeng.
The Shen Family was a scholarly household that had produced grand preceptors through three reigns, and Shen Rufeng himself was aloof and pure as an orchid. Could someone like him truly be so deeply in love with her?
If not for Jiang Shuyue, Zhou Luming might never have known in her entire life.
"My tooth! You little beast, do you know who I am? How dare you hit me? I'll skin you alive today!"
Shen Rufeng stared coldly at Concubine Liu.
According to Jiang Shuyue, none of what followed would have happened if this woman hadn't ruined Zhou Luming's reputation.
This venomous woman!
Unable to contain his anger, Shen Rufeng slapped her again. "A sixth-rank official's servant dares come to the Marquis's Residence and bully its people? Is there no justice left? The rightful lady of the Marquis's Residence is kneeling before you-do you think you deserve that?"
"And you!"
Shen Rufeng looked Liu Xi over coldly. "What rank do you hold? Are your parents still alive? What do you do for a living, and how many people are in your household? Do you have a matchmaker? Have you prepared generous gifts?"
Liu Xi stared blankly at him. Shen Rufeng flicked his sleeve and snapped, "You have nothing, yet you dare come to the Marquis's Residence to propose marriage? Do you think its people are so kind that you can bully them at will?"
Shen Rufeng enjoyed an excellent reputation at court. Once he took a stance, the crowd's opinion shifted.
Seeing this, Liu Xi hurriedly grabbed Concubine Liu. "She said the marquis didn't concern himself with household affairs, and the new mistress would be easy to manipulate! I only came because she said she'd seize this chance to settle my marriage. She arranged everything! It has nothing to do with me!"
The system said, [Bullshit! He was the one who begged her to come! He even promised Rui'er from the brothel that once Zhou Luming married him, he'd immediately imprison her in his residence and make her carry Rui'er's foot-washing water!]
Rage blazed through Shen Rufeng. He didn't even dare touch her hand, yet this filthy wretch wanted to make her carry foot-washing water-and for a prostitute, no less!
Shen Rufeng kicked Liu Xi several times, hard. "You haunt brothels, consort with prostitutes, and have even gotten one pregnant! Sharing the court with someone so ignorant of propriety, honor, and shame is a disgrace to us all!"
Jiang Shuyue thought, [Huh? How does he know about Liu Xi?]
Shen Rufeng thought, I'm done for. I let it slip! What do I do?
The system said, [If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place. Rui'er is already four months pregnant. It's only natural for word to get out.]
Shen Rufeng said, "You've been carrying on secretly with a brothel woman and conceived a child out of wedlock. She's already four months pregnant, yet you still come empty-handed to the Marquis's Residence to propose marriage. Just what are you scheming?"
"If I were the marquis and learned someone had humiliated my children like this, I would strip off your skin and tear apart your bones!"
"An excellent suggestion, Young Master Shen."
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