With Zhuxing around, Juanlian didn't even get a chance to scream before she was dragged away.
As soon as Juanlian left, Yingxiu knelt down with a mournful face. "Madam, it's all this slave's fault. I didn't see her true intentions. You've suffered, Madam..."
Shen Qing helped Yingxiu up and patted her hand soothingly. "It's not your fault. It's better to deal with her early. Keeping her around would only lead to endless trouble."
Yingxiu said angrily, "Such a despicable wretch deserves to be beaten to death with sticks and thrown into the mass grave. Why did Madam have to fulfill her wish? What if..."
A cold glint flashed in Shen Qing's eyes. "She wants to soar to high places? Then let her taste the feeling of flying up and then being mercilessly knocked down. Letting her die like this would be too easy on her."
Moreover, in the previous life, Juanlian had killed Lu Mian's child. How could she kill such an exciting drama of dogs biting dogs in the bud?
Shen Qing patted Yingxiu's hand. "Prepare some water. I want to take a bath."
The water was brought quickly. When Yingxiu was helping Shen Qing bathe, she saw the marks on Shen Qing's body.
"Madam, you..."
Those blue and purple marks clearly showed what she had been through. And Madam hadn't come back last night at all. It couldn't have been the Marquis!
Yingxiu's tears welled up. "Let this slave go and kill that bastard!"
"Don't go," Shen Qing stopped her.
"But what will Madam do in the future!" Yingxiu covered her face and sobbed.
For a woman, losing her chastity was a matter of utmost importance. If the Marquis found out, how could Madam survive in this courtyard in the future!
Shen Qing lowered her voice. "This matter is a bit complicated. You'll know later. Just keep this a secret. Don't let anyone else know. Do you understand?"
Yingxiu nodded repeatedly. "This slave won't even breathe a word to Nongyun and Yuzhen!"
Then, she looked a bit worried. "What about... that person? Is his mouth tight? Will he talk?"
Shen Qing thought of Ji Junye's malicious expression. "He... should be tight-lipped."
If it weren't for the fact that it would harm herself as much as the enemy, she really wanted to hear how the arrogant king of a country would react when called an adulterer.
On this day, the servants in Zhuoying Courtyard all heard Juanlian's shrill cries from the room. Everyone tightened their skins, and those with ill intentions put them away.
Even if the Madam was out of favor, she was still the properly wedded wife. It would be easy for her to deal with them!
In the evening, while Xu Yanchi was in the study dealing with official documents, Zhuxing knocked Juanlian unconscious and threw her on Xu Yanchi's bed.
Xu Yanchi had a splitting headache after the day's events. He was just about to think about what to do when a maid suddenly rushed over from the bed and threw him to the ground with great force.
Then she straddled him.
Shen Qing knew nothing about what had happened before. She was lying in bed, thinking about what had happened last night.
Ji Junye seemed to be a bit interested in her last night. So in this life, could she try to curry favor with him?
Although he was a bit malicious, his status was really useful. As long as she could rely on his power a bit, no one in the Guangping Marquis Mansion would dare to touch her again.
How could she make Ji Junye willing to help her?
Shen Qing wracked her brains.
That's right!
In the previous life, Ji Junye had died in the rebellion of the King of Jin. She had only found out when her soul was wandering in the Guangping Marquis Mansion that Ji Junye's claim to the throne was unjust. The former emperor had originally intended the King of Jin, not Ji Junye, to be the crown prince.
The King of Jin had succeeded in seizing the throne because he had the imperial jade seal in his hand!
At this time, the whereabouts of the real jade seal were still unknown. The one in the palace was just a fake made by Ji Junye.
She vaguely heard that the Guangping Marquis Mansion had won the trust of the King of Jin because Xu Yanchi had provided some important clues.
Could this clue be related to the jade seal!
Shen Qing sat up abruptly. She had to find an opportunity to find out the news!
Just as she sat up, Zhuxing came in. "Madam, it's done."
Zhuxing told Shen Qing everything that had happened in detail.
"To prevent any changes, this slave also put some aphrodisiacs in the Marquis's tea."
That kind of medicine was specially used by the music academy to discipline disobedient women. After taking it, one would be weak all over and at the mercy of others.
Xu Yanchi didn't notice anything strange after drinking the spiked tea. Feeling a bit drowsy, he thought it was because he was upset that things had developed beyond his expectations. He really didn't expect that someone would sneak into his room and climb into his bed. Moreover, Juanlian had been under the influence of the medicine for several hours and pounced on the first person she saw. By the time Xu Yanchi realized what was happening, he had already been forced by a maid.
Shen Qing almost burst out laughing when she heard this.
"You did a good job."
Sure enough, someone from the imperial palace was meticulous in their thinking.
Xu Yanchi was quite conceited. This incident would surely leave him with a psychological shadow when it came to women for a long time.
The next day, when Shen Qing got up to pay respects to the old madam, Yingxiu came and said that the Marquis had promoted Juanlian to a concubine and let her live in Banyue Pavilion, where the concubines lived.
Shen Qing was a bit surprised. Even after having such a shadow, Xu Yanchi still promoted her to a concubine.
But then she thought that last night's incident had been quite a commotion. If he didn't promote her, wouldn't it just confirm the rumor?
However, Juanlian probably didn't know that she had already fallen out of favor just as she became a concubine.
Every time Xu Yanchi saw her, he would be reminded of this embarrassing experience.
This time, Shen Qing deliberately took her time and only went to pay respects when it was time. In the previous life, she had always waited outside the old madam's door before dawn, but the old madam had never given her a good look.
Now, she was done being a doormat!
Sure enough, when she went there today, the old madam's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Daughter-in-law of Yanchi has always been the earliest to come. Why are you so late today? Could it be that after going out, you've become lazy?"
Before the old madam could say anything, Second Aunt Ge was the first to attack.
"Oh, Second Sister, don't be too harsh. Such a thing happened in the courtyard. Daughter-in-law of Yanchi must be feeling bad. She probably didn't sleep well last night. It's just paying respects. A little later doesn't matter."
As they were talking back and forth, Shen Qing wasn't flustered. She found a seat and sat down, then picked up a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes.
"Third Aunt is right."
"Third Aunt, you don't know how heartbroken I was when I found out that that slutty maid dared to climb into the Marquis's bed. Although I wouldn't stop the Marquis from taking concubines, Juanlian was my maid after all. The Marquis was clearly slapping me in the face!"
"I couldn't sleep all night last night!"
Yeah right. She had slept like a log.
Shen Qing grabbed Xing and started pouring out her grievances. Xing's fake smile almost couldn't hold up.
It was the old madam who slapped the table. "As the mistress of the house, you should be magnanimous. If you can't serve the Marquis well yourself, can you still stop others from doing so?"
"Yes, Mother," Shen Qing lowered her head and pretended to be obedient.
The old madam liked to see her like this. Shen Qing's family background was higher than that of the Guangping Marquis Mansion. If it weren't for the engagement made by the former Marquis and the former Duke, there would probably be noble young masters lining up to marry Shen Qing at the Duke Protector's Mansion.
And seeing such a daughter-in-law being submissive by her side gave the old madam a secret sense of pleasure.
"Let's not mention this matter anymore. You've been married into the Marquis Mansion for three years and haven't had a child yet. It's time to take concubines for Yanchi. Today is a good day. Just offer the tea."
"Chan'er."