Sang Ningyue's eyelashes trembled so much that she wanted to hide it. After all, she had no evidence, only her own intuition and speculation.
And Zhou Baolu is not an insignificant person in the Wu'an Hou family. She is Shen Tinglan's first wife and Shen Tingjun's younger sister.
When she had conflicts with Zhou Baolu, or even had an interest in him, she didn't know who Shen Tingjun would turn to. Maybe he would protect her, or he would handle the matter fairly, but she didn't know how things would develop in the future, so she wanted to be conservative and pretend that she didn't know.
However, this is Shen Tingjun, a well-known official of the third rank in the court, and the minister of Dali Temple in charge of Xing Prison in the world.
She could despise his inability to control women, but she should not underestimate his pride or his justice and dignity in the law.
After all, Sang Nianyue honestly expressed her suspicions, "If anyone in the Hou Mansion harmed me, it would be my cousin. Although I don't know when I had a grudge with her, I don't think highly of me. Was it my cousin who attacked me?"
Shen Tingjun said "hmm" and said, "It's her." Zhijin bought the medicine and she took the opportunity.
Sanlang was drunk until noon when he woke up. When he woke up, he personally delivered the brocade to Cheng Yi. Cheng Yi interrogated everything clearly, and even recorded Zhijin's confession. It turned out that Sang Nianyue's guess was correct, and the mastermind behind the scenes was indeed Zhou Baolu.
Sang Nianyue had always guessed that it was Zhou Baolu who was plotting against her, but when there was conclusive evidence that it was her, she became confused again.
why?
Although the relationship between the two of them was average since childhood, it did not reach the point of becoming enemies. It wasn't until Zhou Baolu pushed her marriage to her that the relationship between the two took a turn for the worse. She knew that her cousin was evil-minded, but she didn't hinder her interests at all. Why did she try to harm her so many times?
If she had previously felt that her marriage to the Wang family was constraining her, and she wanted to climb high, so she was framed, she would still understand. But what if her innocence and reputation were ruined this time? She is a widow, so there is nothing innocent about her.
Sang Nianyue asked Shen Tingjun doubtfully, "But why? What benefits can she get from drugging me?"
Shen Tingjun looked at her confusion, her brows furrowed in sorrow, and her eyelids drooped down. He suddenly felt pity for her and felt that she was really pitiful. But it was precisely because she was so pitiful, like a soft persimmon, that everyone wanted to pinch her.
Shen Tingjun said, "Of course she had a purpose in drugging you."
"What are you planning?"
"She wants to send you to Prince Su's Mansion as a concubine in exchange for Father Zhou becoming an official in Beijing."
Sang Nuanyue looked at him in disbelief and clenched the placket of his chest with both hands. She repeated: "What did you say? Send me as a concubine? Let uncle...Father Zhou go to Beijing as an official?"
"right."
"That's all I can do...?"
"That's all it does."
Sang Nianyue suddenly became excited and almost collapsed, "But how dare she? I am the daughter of a good family, and my father and grandfather are both famous. It is against the law to buy and sell women from good families. Isn't she afraid? She How dare you do this?”
But why didn’t Zhou Baolu dare?
It is indeed illegal to buy and sell women from good families, and it is even more forbidden by law to make women from good families as concubines.
But there are exceptions everywhere in the world.
For example, Xu Zhijun of the Xinchanghou Mansion was unable to give birth to an heir for five years because of the difficulty of having an heir in the Xinchanghou Mansion. The old lady in the mansion was anxious, but she didn't want those shady women to give birth to the golden grandson of the mansion, so she found a way to buy a good concubine from outside.
She is said to be a good concubine, but she is actually the daughter of a good family. Just because of family difficulties or other reasons, she is willing to sell herself and become a concubine in the house.
This is actually a loophole in the law - it is illegal for outsiders to buy and sell women from good families, but if you do it voluntarily, isn't it a good thing to put two good things aside?
In Zhou Baolu's view, what's the use of Sang Nianyue clinging to one origin and being aloof? Aren't you going to be bullied and have no one to support you?
Under such circumstances, it would be better to become a concubine in Prince Su's palace.
Although Prince Su is old enough to be her father, Prince Su is a serious royal relative. If you enter the palace and give birth to a son and a half daughter, then you will have a firm foothold in the palace, and won't you be able to support all your relatives in the future?
If it is true as she said, the one who benefits the most is not Zhou's father, but Qing'er.
Come again, the palace is so rich and noble, and being able to live in the palace is a thousand times better than being a widow living under someone else's roof. Besides, the deal is already done. Even if you don't want to, Sang Nianyue, she can still have the final say on this matter.
And when she entered Prince Su's mansion, Zhou Baolu's plan succeeded. Of course she is not afraid of Sang Nianyue's revenge afterwards. After all, as long as Sang Nianyue is not naive or stupid, she must also know in her heart what is the most beneficial thing to do when the matter is a foregone conclusion.
Just as she had thought before, there were so many beauties in the palace, and Sang Nianyue had to bow her head to win her over if she wanted to stand out. After all, she was also the wife of the palace after all. Therefore, as long as Sang Nianyue is aware of current affairs, she will tell the story and hide it from the past.
She just calculated it, so what could she do? Didn't she demand her in the end, coax her, and make her use her?
Zhou Baolu's plan was very good and beautiful. Unfortunately, she didn't expect a peach picker to appear in the middle and shatter all her plans.
Not to mention these far-reaching things, just that at this time Sang Nianyue also had a clear idea of Zhou Baolu's thoughts. She was immediately out of breath and almost lost her breath.
Tears rolled out of her eyes, her head drooped and her shoulders hunched as she sobbed, "I have never offended her, why is she so cruel? She framed me before and let me marry into the Wang family, and I didn't even want to take revenge. She. She is sorry for me. How can she have the nerve to continue harming me? Did I dig up her family's ancestral graves in my previous life? Do I owe her? "
Shen Tingjun suddenly frowned. He twisted Sang Ningyue's face, wiped the tears from her eyes, and asked her with a frown, "You said it was Zhou Baolu who caused you to marry into the Wang family. What's going on?"
"Does what happened have anything to do with you?" Sang Nianyue cried bitterly, "Zhou Baolu is your wife of the Marquis of Wu'an. She has done many evil things. You have evidence. Will she be sent to court, let alone put her on trial? .Go away, you are not allowed to come to my place again."
Shen Tingjun restrained her, and Sang Nianyue was angry, so she slapped and beat him. At this moment, how could she remember that the man in front of her was a powerful official in the court?
She only thought that Shen Tingjun was Zhou Baolu's eldest brother, and they were a family. Even for the sake of the good reputation of the Hou Mansion, Shen Tingjun was determined to protect Zhou Baolu.
It was all her fault that she was so stupid. She actually believed that in his heart, all personal affairs and relationships could not be above the law. But this is an era that emphasizes both prosperity and loss. It also emphasizes that family scandals should not be made public, and it is difficult for an upright official to deal with household affairs.
Shen Tingjun is an eldest brother, can he deal with his younger siblings? What should I do if Shen Tinglan pleads for mercy? Will the old lady agree? The most important thing is that the centuries-old reputation of the Hou Mansion will be destroyed in this day and night?
I don't even think it's possible.
Her grievances had nowhere to be redressed, and she could only endure this humiliating loss.
It's a pity that she doesn't have a long memory and has suffered from it again and again. Now she still allows this man to openly enter and leave her boudoir. Is she out of her mind? How could she go soft on him?
To be soft on him would be to be cruel to herself.
Sang Nuanyue burst into tears, Shen Tingjun was at a loss for words and couldn't be coaxed.
Finally, Su Jin, who was outside the door, couldn't bear it any longer, opened the door and barged in.
Sang Nuanyue threw herself into Su Jin's arms, crying so hard she hiccupped, "Su Jin, it was Zhou Baolu who hurt me. She hurt me the first time, and she wants to hurt me the second time. She ruined the first half of my life. She You want to ruin the rest of my life. What on earth did I do to have such a cousin, Su Jin? I really regret going to the Zhou family."
After Su Jin heard this, she was trembling with anger. She was angry that Zhou Baolu was not a good person, and felt sorry for her girl who was cheated by Zhou Baolu again and again.
The girl suffered a lot during her first marriage. Not only did she not have a good life after marrying into her husband's family, but she was almost buried alive by the Wang Xu family. After finally crawling out of the pit, Zhou Baolu thought about pushing the girl into the fire pit in Prince Su's Mansion. Although this plan failed in the end and the girl did not fall into the fire pit of Prince Su's palace, the girl fell into the hands of Marquis Shen. What's going on with this unclear relationship now? If this matter spreads out, can the girl be reduced to a little bit?
The more Su Jin thought about it, the angrier she became, and the angrier she became, the more she trembled.
She patted Sang Nuanyue and coaxed her, "Girl, please stop crying. What if you continue to cry and alarm the young master? Miss, you have to go to Master Song's private school in person tomorrow. How can you go out tomorrow if your eyes are swollen from crying?"
Su Jin persuaded Zhou Baolu with nice words, but in her heart she scolded Zhou Baolu bloody.
Did Zhou Baolu have a grudge against them for killing his father and mother, or something? Why did she just pick on their girl and bully her? Is it just because the girl has a good temper? But the clay figurine still has a good temper. If he really presses the girl, girl...
Su Jin hugged Sang Nian Yue, and the master and servant wept together.
After a long time, maybe she was too tired, maybe she couldn't cry anymore, Sang Nianyue lay motionless in Su Jin's arms, and after a while she slowly fell asleep.
Su Jin hugged Sang Nuanyue and wanted to move her to the bed. At this time, Shen Tingjun, who had been standing nearby with a frown for a long time, suddenly said, "Give it to me."
Before he could speak, he picked her up, put her on the bed, and covered her with a quilt.
Su Jin general Shen Tingjun sat there and stared at the girl. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "When will the Marquis return?"
"Why did Zhou Baolu force her to marry into the Wang family?"
Shen Tingjun looked over, his brows furrowed, his phoenix eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp and cold. Is there still the tenderness he felt when facing Sang Nianyue?
Su Jin's heart trembled, thinking, this is the Marquis Wu An that she is familiar with. He was cold and inhumane, and his gaze showed no warmth at all, which made people shiver.
Su Jin remembered the question Shen Tingjun asked her again. There was nothing she couldn't say. On the contrary, this was the evil done by Zhou Baolu. She wished that everyone in the world would know about it and let everyone know how Zhou Baolu was not a good person.
Su Jin confided everything to Barabala.
First, it was said that the Wang family came to hire Zhou Baolu, and then that the girl received an invitation from Zhou Baolu to go to the garden. Then it was mentioned that Zhou Baolu specially asked Sang Nianyue to wear the skirt that both of them had. Then it was emphasized that Sang Nianyue took it. The garden was pushed into the river, and no one showed up when he called for help. However, Wang Wenju went down to save people, and a large number of servants suddenly appeared.
Sujin became filled with indignation as she spoke. "Master Hou, this is such a simple situation. The frame-up is done so carelessly. Don't they think our girl has no father and mother and is easy to bully? The poor girl still wants to defend herself and convince them that she has no They were inseparable from their future brother-in-law, but who would listen? Father Zhou and Mother Zhou wished they could pretend to be deaf and blind. This matter was probably planned by them. How could they allow the girl to break the situation? The girl was forced to do nothing, but in the end Gu...Second Young Master Wang said he wanted to marry a girl, so the girl got married."
"But what good will be left behind after marrying? Just because the girl is not the daughter-in-law that Wang Xu wants, the girl has always been unpopular. After the death of the second young master Wang, Wang Xu tried every possible means to tease the girl. If it hadn't been for Young Master Qing'er, We were young and couldn't live without anyone. I'm afraid the girl didn't want to live for a long time. But she finally mustered up her determination to live and tried every means to make Zhou Baolu relent and take us out of the palace. After Wang Xu learned about it, she sent someone to break in that night. He entered the girl's yard and wanted to take her away and bury her alive."
"Master Marquis, it's not easy for our girl. Since the death of the master's wife, the girl has never had a good life. Zhou Baolu harmed the girl for the first half of her life, and she took the girl out of the Wang family. Our girl has a big belly, so let's just say this It’s even. But why is she so cruel and insists on knocking the girl into the mud pit so that she can’t get over? Why won’t she let go until she is trampled to death?”
"Her heart is too cruel and evil. Is she still a human being?"
Su Jin's words kept echoing in Shen Tingjun's ears, and Shen Tingjun's brows couldn't help but frown more and more tightly.
He has investigated many cases, among which there are not many ruthless female criminals. However, it cannot be said that there are absolutely no people at Zhou Baolu's age who have such scheming and vicious methods to match, but they can be regarded as only a handful.
And he would never have thought that there was such a person in their house.
He knew that Zhou Baolu was not a good person and that she had deep thoughts, but he was the eldest brother and there was no need to care too much about the temperament of his younger siblings. As long as she abides by the most basic court laws and can live peacefully with Saburo, he has no intention of exploring her character.
But now, this matter has reached the point where he can no longer care about it.
Shen Tingjun leaned against the head of the bed, taking Sang Nuanyue's weak and boneless hand in his and playing with it.
He stared at her face, watching her choke from time to time while sleeping. Shuer had a crystal tear running out of the corner of her eye. She frowned, with a sad face, and curled up into a small ball, looking extremely painful.
And she is indeed in pain. She has suffered so many sins and tolerated so many mistakes, just to find a place to live and just want to bring her brother safely to adulthood.
What she wanted was as small as gravel, but the bad things she encountered were as big as an insurmountable mountain.
Whether it was because the lights in the room were too bright, or because something was on her mind that she couldn't sleep well, Sang Nianyue woke up after a short sleep.
When she opened her eyes, her eyes stung, and the people looking at the curtain above her were in a trance.
But soon, she noticed someone squeezing her hand, and she saw Shen Tingjun leaning against her side, looking at her with burning eyes.
Sang Nuanyue didn't speak or look at her. She pulled her hand out of his palm and turned her back to him.
But Shen Tingjun had a lot of strength, and with just a few flicks from him, she was turned over again.
Sang Nuanyue struggled several times but was easily suppressed by him. She was so angry that she wanted to cry, but she didn't want to look too embarrassed, so she sniffed and tried to hold back the tears in her eyes, trying not to look at him. Just treat him as a decoration.
Then remembering that this was her own room, Sang Nuanyue suddenly stretched out her foot and stamped on him, "Master Hou, please go back. I am in a restless mood tonight and have no intention of letting Master Hou stay here overnight. Master Hou, please go back to the Marquis Mansion."
Shen Tingjun was neither angry nor angry and tolerated all her little tempers. He just whispered, "Keep me away this time. If I come back in the future, I won't even be able to get in."
Sang Nuyue said nothing, but his meaning was very clear. Just as he said, the door of Sang's house would not be open to him in the future. Not only the door, but also the windows. From now on, he will be on the Sang family's blacklist, and the Sang family refuses Shen Tingjun entry.
When Shen Tingjun saw this, he laughed angrily, "You are angry with Zhou Baolu for plotting against you, but why am I to blame? If I hadn't been in time..."
Sang Nuanyue was furious, angry and ashamed, "You saved me, but you also took advantage of me when I was in danger. Otherwise, why would you be in my bed now?"
Shen Tingjun's eyes became dangerous, "It turns out that in my cousin's heart, I am such a shameless person. I really learned a lesson. But since I have gained a bad reputation, I always do evil things, so I don't feel wronged in my heart. Please ask my cousin Allow me..."
What to tolerate him? Will he be allowed to do evil again?
Sang Nuanyue was so angry that she almost cried.
They are all bad people. They point at her good temper and point at her for swearing. They can only say "bastard" and bully her with all their strength.
Why are they so bad?
Shen Tingjun burst into tears when he saw her. Now her eyelids were red and swollen, but tears were falling like rain. She looked weak and pitiful. His original intention of teasing her stopped immediately, and he couldn't help but hold her in his arms, coaxing and comforting her, "I'm just teasing you, why do you take it seriously?"
Sang Nuanyue sniffed, "How do I know which of your words are true and which are false? You people have so many thoughts, and I don't have a delicate heart. How can I guess what you people are thinking? do what."
"What do we mean by these people? Who am I in the same category? Oh, are you putting me and Zhou Baolu in the same category..." Shen Tingjun looked over with a serious look. He looked particularly dangerous when he narrowed his eyes slightly. The most oppressive thing. Although Sang Nianyue has a close relationship with him, she shouldn't be so afraid of him, but she knows so little about him, and their identities are so different that she is not afraid of him. too difficult.
Sang Nianyue pretended to be dead and said nothing. Shen Tingjun saw her shrinking into a small ball and burying her whole face in the quilt. She still sobbed. After all, she couldn't bear to get the upper hand. Shen Tingjun stopped pursuing it. There was no such thing, so he started asking about serious matters.
"This is because Zhou Baolu is sorry for you. What compensation do you want?"
Sang Nuanyue just shook her head. She was silent for a moment and said, "I don't want compensation. I want her to plead guilty and apologize to me. Is this okay?"
Shen Tingjun looked at her seriously, "Have you really thought it through?"
Sang Nuanyue didn't think it through clearly, and all she said were words of emotion.
In fact, she knew very well that it was easy to get Zhou Baolu to apologize to her, but how difficult was it to get Zhou Baolu to go to jail?
If Zhou Baolu is to be sentenced, she must be tried by the Yamen. Not to mention that Zhou Baolu's plan "failed" in the end. Even if she is sentenced, the punishment will be very light, probably just a fine.
And if this matter really went to court, she would have to appear in court. But is she willing to let her reputation be implicated in these unexplainable and unexplained affairs? Even if she can not care about Youyou Zhongkou, can she not care about Qing'er?
Children of Qing'er's age are in a stage where they are both sensible and ignorant. They want to act like adults and always say dirty words. They despise women, but they are also curious about things between men and women.
Just like Wang Wentao's two sons, they always look at people with color. Although they are young, they often reveal women's body parts in their mouths. If such filthy words reached Qing'er's ears, and she was the one being talked about, he didn't think Qing'er could be angry and not take action.
It took a lot of effort for their lives to settle down and get back on track, and she didn't want to ruin her hard-earned peace.
Next, it was Zhou Baolu and Prince Su's palace who conspired to murder her. Zhou Baolu is the "seller" and Prince Su's palace is the "buyer." But whoever catches Prince Su's pigtails? Even if he catches it, Prince Su can change his confession in court.
After all, he hasn't really done anything evil. Even if the law wants to punish him, he can still get away with it.
Let's go back to the Wu'anhou Mansion. When her grievances are compared with the century-old reputation of the Wu'an Hou Mansion, even if the old lady is just like the old lady, no matter how much the old lady feels sorry for her experience, I am afraid she will not stand on her side and will not treat her. Zhou Baolu left the house.
She wanted to seek justice for herself and wanted the perpetrators to be punished. This was obviously a normal thing, but because of the huge disparity in status between the perpetrators and the victims, one was a powerful person and the other was a commoner, she was even It's even harder to seek justice yourself.
And he, Shen Tingjun, the Marquis of Wu'an, the Minister of Dali Temple, he has a pen in his hand that can influence the law. He only needs to tilt it slightly, and the matter will end without any problem.
Sang Nianyue told herself not to think about it anymore. It was obvious that she secretly believed in Shen Tingjun and firmly believed in his fairness and selflessness in the law. But maybe it was because she had never been favored, so even though he had done enough ideological work for himself, he still thought of Shen Tingjun as a partial person, a shameless person who confuses yin and yang and confuses right and wrong.
There are no typos corrected in this chapter, please read it first. I'm exhausted every Sunday. It’s really hard to have a baby and code at the same time. I’ll correct the typo on Monday and wish the babies a happy weekend.
