Ruan Chuqing was taken aback for a moment, then quickly regained her composure: "So what if it is? What woman hasn't dreamed when she was young?"
She paused for a moment, then continued, "When you were young, didn't you also think about Lin Qingzhu? But because the War King liked her, you always suppressed it and dared not show it. Do you dare to say that when you handed the painting to me, you didn't know what was painted on it, or what the War King's purpose was in sending you the painting?"
"Shut up." Duke Wen interrupted Ruan Chuqing sharply: "I'm not as shameless as you. The War King has already begun a thorough investigation into this matter. You should know his temper very well. It's best if you weren't behind the painting incident, otherwise, I can't protect you!"
"Don't worry, I didn't expect you to protect me anyway!" Ruan Chuqing said coldly, standing up and walking outside.
"Where are you going?" Duke Wen roared at Ruan Chuqing's retreating figure without saying a word, then turned and left. This woman completely disregarded him, the master of the house; she was truly lawless.
"It's late, of course you should rest. You should also go to your Aunt Bai's place and keep trying for a few more months so she can give you a son!" Ruan Chuqing's casual tone was laced with deep sarcasm. Giving birth to a son? Wishful thinking!
Back in her room, Ruan Chuqing didn't rest. She changed into night clothes, quietly walked to the corner of the wall, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then suddenly leaped over the wall, her slender figure quickly running in one direction.
Lin Qingzhu is dead, and the events of that year can no longer be verified. However, there is still one person who knows many of her secrets and has a close relationship with Lin Qingzhu. She must make that person keep silent and not reveal any secrets, otherwise, they will all die without a burial place.
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... Starting tomorrow, I'll begin to punish the scum... The events of fifteen years ago will slowly be revealed... Do you guys have any votes? Send me a few as a reward, lalala...
Chapter 123: Li Xue's Ingenious Plan – Ugly Duckling Wins Over a Scumbag
In the Prime Minister's residence, Shen Minghui lay quietly on a recliner in the courtyard, gazing at the starry night sky. The courtyard was brightly lit, yet utterly silent. His gaze was blank, and he let out a soft sigh.
In the past, he had many children, and his courtyard was bustling with activity. He enjoyed the happiness of family life every day. But now, his wife and children have either left or died, leaving him all alone...
"Master!" Accompanied by a sweet female voice, Aunt Jin entered the courtyard with the help of her maid. She was wearing a golden silk shirt, three golden hairpins in her hair, and a golden necklace around her neck. From a distance, she was a dazzling golden sight.
She deliberately sticks out her slightly protruding belly, lightly covers her chest with one hand, and furrows her brows slightly, like a sickly beauty, graceful and elegant as she walks up to Shen Minghui.
"What's the matter?" Shen Minghui looked at Aunt Jin's protruding belly and felt a sense of relief. Aunt Jin was pregnant, and he still had hope of having a child.
"I heard from the servants that Master is sitting in the courtyard enjoying the breeze, so I came to see him!" Aunt Jin covered her belly with her hand, looking like a pregnant woman eight or nine months along, very delicate, and sat carefully opposite Shen Minghui.
"I'm fine. You're pregnant, so please rest and don't wander around!" Shen Minghui solemnly instructed. The child in Aunt Jin's belly was his only hope, and he had to be careful.
"I understand!" Aunt Jin, well-maintained, had a rosy complexion and a radiant smile on her face.
The lady is dead. Shen Yelei and Shen Yingxue are bastards. Shen Caixuan committed suicide. Shen Lixue severed ties with the Prime Minister's Mansion. Caiyun and the child in her womb are the only heirs of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
If this child is a boy, I might even rise in status and become the wife of the Prime Minister. Haha, after so many years of hardship, I've finally made it. Heaven has truly been kind to me.
"It's getting windy, go back to your room and rest!" Shen Minghui closed his eyes slightly, looking tired and exhausted, as if he didn't want to say anything more.
"This concubine takes her leave. Master, you should also rest early!" The baby in Aunt Jin's womb was very precious and could not be harmed in the slightest. Seeing that the night wind was getting stronger, she had already checked on Shen Minghui and expressed her concern. She dared not be stubborn any longer and, supported by her maid, curtsied and took her leave.
As Aunt Jin turned to leave, her slender figure swayed with every step, displaying an elegant and graceful demeanor, as if imitating the graceful steps of noblewomen. However, having been born into a poor family, she had never learned the aristocratic way of walking, and her attempt was clumsy and awkward. Coupled with her somewhat protruding belly, her swaying gait was quite comical.
The maids lowered their eyelids and chuckled. A concubine is just a concubine, a poor girl with limited knowledge and no ability to be respectable.
Aunt Jin was so engrossed in her upcoming role as the Prime Minister's wife that she didn't notice their unusual behavior. She continued to move gracefully forward, swaying her body with light, delicate steps.
Her golden figure turned the corner and disappeared. A slender black figure then vaulted over the high wall, floated gently into the courtyard, and silently appeared before Shen Minghui.
A dense aura of malevolence swept over him, startling Shen Minghui. He turned around abruptly and saw the man in black standing right in front of him, his imposing presence and the deep recesses of his sharp eyes gleaming with a sinister light.
"It's you!" Shen Minghui stared at the familiar eyes of the newcomer, paused for a moment, then let out a long sigh of relief. His heart, which had been pounding in his chest, calmed down. His brows furrowed slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "What are you doing here?"
"The War King has begun a thorough investigation into what happened sixteen years ago!" the black-clad figure said indifferently.
"Really?" Shen Minghui was startled, his heart leaping into his throat again. "This is an old story from over ten years ago, long forgotten. Why did he suddenly decide to investigate it?"
The man in black glared at Shen Minghui: "Isn't it all because of your good daughter? She made something out of nothing, found some clues, and the War King dotes on her, so naturally he followed her wishes and started investigating those old things!"
It's Shen Lixue again!
Shen Minghui's slightly open hand suddenly clenched, his brows furrowing tightly. This daughter was his biological daughter, but she was also his jinx. Wherever she was, he was bound to have bad luck!
"You'd better keep that matter a secret. If the War King finds out, we'll all be in trouble." The man in black looked towards the distant sky, his tone grave.
"I know!" Shen Minghui frowned deeply. Was he someone who couldn't distinguish between what was important and what wasn't? That matter was of utmost importance; how could he speak carelessly? "Simply hiding isn't the solution. With the War King's abilities, he will uncover the truth sooner or later. If we want to live, there is only one way!"
The woman in black raised an eyebrow slightly: "What road?"
Shen Minghui narrowed his eyes slightly: "Find a way to stop the War King from investigating what happened sixteen years ago!"
The man in black sneered: "The War King is the Azure Flame War God. He is stubborn and once he makes a decision, no one can change it. It won't be easy to stop him from investigating."
"That's why we need to think of a way. As long as we have the right method, we can definitely stop the War King!" Shen Minghui glared at the man in black. Women are short-sighted and lack their own opinions when faced with problems. They only know how to back down. The matter sixteen years ago was also fraught with difficulties, but in the end, they still succeeded. To stop the War King from investigating, we just need a clever method.
"Have you come up with a solution?" The man in black raised a slight smirk, still as arrogant as ever.
"Not yet!" Shen Minghui shook his head, then added, "Everyone has weaknesses, and the War King is no exception. As long as we grasp his weaknesses and plan meticulously, we can succeed in one strike!"
"Then I'll leave this matter to Prime Minister Shen. I'll return to my residence first and await your good news!" The man in black glanced at Shen Minghui, his smiling eyes filled with mockery. With a light step, his slender figure leaped over the high wall and quickly flew away.
Shen Minghui watched her disappearing figure, his brows furrowed, a cold glint flashing in his sharp eyes. Foolish woman, it must have been she who leaked the secret, which aroused the War King's suspicion. Dealing with the War King would not be easy. He had to think of a thorough plan to ensure that nothing went wrong!
The man in black moved swiftly through the various courtyards of the Prime Minister's residence, preparing to leave, when a sharp female voice suddenly rang out: "Aunt Zhao, is this bird's nest? It's so broken!"
The man in black paused, looking down to see Aunt Jin, dressed in a golden silk robe, wearing a golden hairpin, and a golden necklace, standing with her pregnant belly, hands on her hips, confronting a young woman aggressively. She was radiating gold, as if afraid others wouldn't know she possessed gold.
“Sister Jin, the shop has been doing poorly lately, and the Prime Minister’s income has decreased significantly. Everyone in the household is being frugal, and the bird’s nest you’re eating is already the best you can get…”
Aunt Zhao glanced at Aunt Jin with disdain. Both were concubines of low status, but Aunt Zhao held great power in managing the Prime Minister's mansion, while Aunt Jin had nothing, yet she dared to be so presumptuous and overestimating herself.
"Don't try to fool me. The day before yesterday, the Prime Minister's residence clearly received a batch of precious bird's nest. You secretly hid it and made me eat scraps of bird's nest. I'm carrying the Prime Minister's only son. If I'm wronged, he's wronged. If the Master finds out, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"
Aunt Jin is simple-minded and acts without thinking. After Lei Shi passed away and all the legitimate children left the mansion, she felt that everything in the Prime Minister's mansion would belong to her unborn child, and thus to her. She became arrogant and smug, no longer taking anyone in the Prime Minister's mansion except Shen Minghui seriously.