After exercising enough, Shen Minghui lay down on the bed to rest. As his mind gradually cleared, he looked at Lei Shi, the guards, and the others outside the curtain, and his anger flared up instantly: "Who let you in?" For the dignified Prime Minister Qingyan to be surrounded by people while he was showing his affection for his concubine was a great disgrace. These guards were becoming more and more lawless, daring to even break into his room!
"My lord, thieves have broken into the Prime Minister's residence and are hiding in the Golden Garden. I was afraid that something might happen to you and Sister Jin, so I brought people here to search!"
Through the semi-transparent curtain, Lei Shi saw exquisite wines and snacks laid out on the small table in the inner room. Men's and women's clothes were scattered haphazardly on the floor. The semi-transparent clothes were as thin as cicada wings, and a strong sense of extravagance wafted over. Lei Shi could imagine how Aunt Jin, dressed in such revealing clothes, swayed her slender waist, held a glass of fragrant wine, and seduced Shen Minghui with her charming allure.
With a cold glint in her eyes, Lei frowned deeply. Yingxue had suffered severe internal injuries, and Shen Minghui, instead of finding a doctor to help her recover, had the leisure to flirt with Aunt Jin...
"Have you found the thief?" Shen Minghui looked coldly at Lei Shi. He knew that today's events were inextricably linked to her.
"No!" Lei replied casually, her gaze narrowing slightly as she looked at the pitiful Jin Yiniang on the large bed. If the wife saw her husband doting on his concubine and made a scene without any regard for her image, she would not only embarrass her husband but also be labeled a shrew. Others would sympathize with her husband and criticize her for being narrow-minded and petty.
Men are all concerned about their image. They will hate anyone who makes them lose face. Therefore, Lei Shi wisely refrained from making a scene and instead looked at Shen Minghui and Aunt Jin with a calm tone and gaze. She also led everyone to watch. Shen Minghui had lost face and couldn't find a suitable reason to get angry.
"If you haven't found it, hurry up and go find it! What are you all standing here for?" Shen Minghui roared, glaring at Lei Shi and the guards at the door: "Get out, all of you get out!" Catching the thief was just a pretense; their real intention was to laugh at him. They were getting bolder and bolder.
The guards slunk away, but Madam Lei didn't leave. Instead, she sat down at a small table in the outer room, sipping her tea. Aunt Zhao and Aunt Li stood behind her tremblingly, glancing up every now and then to secretly observe her expression.
"Master!" Aunt Jin hugged the quilt, looking at Shen Minghui with her innocent, doe-like eyes, her clear eyes glistening with tears. Madam already knew that she had seduced Master, and she would never let her keep this child. What should she do?
"Don't be afraid, they're all gone!" Shen Minghui casually comforted him, then threw back the covers and got out of bed.
On the smooth floor, a pink robe lay scattered. Shen Minghui abruptly stopped in his tracks as he picked it up. A memory flashed through his mind: not long ago, when he was troubled by documents in his study, Aunt Jin had come to him wearing this very robe. The robe accentuated her气质 (qi zhi, a kind of refined elegance or aura) so much like that stunningly beautiful woman—the one most deeply etched in his memory, and also the taboo he least wanted to touch…
"Master." Aunt Jin's soft body clung tightly to Shen Minghui like a boneless snake, embracing him with utmost tenderness. Her beautiful face was flushed with the afterglow of passion. She thought to herself that as long as the master doted on her enough, Lei Shi would definitely not dare to do anything to her.
"Alright!" Shen Minghui had a general recollection of what had happened while she was drunk. She only resembled her a little, but she wasn't her. Frustrated and irritable, he rudely pushed Aunt Jin aside: "I have other matters to attend to, don't bother me..."
After quickly getting dressed, Shen Minghui strode out of the inner room without looking back, leaving Aunt Jin alone. She sat on the soft bed, stunned and unable to come to her senses. The Prime Minister, who had been so gentle and affectionate just moments before, hadn't even glanced at her afterward, leaving her behind without a second thought.
In the outer room, Madam Lei sat at the table leisurely drinking tea. Aunt Li and Aunt Zhao stood on either side of her behind her. At first glance, the three of them looked like officials and clerks interrogating a case. Shen Minghui frowned, his eyes flashing with intense anger and coldness. He gave Madam Lei a cold look, then walked out of the room with his head held high without stopping.
Outside, Shen Lixue stood by the window, watching Shen Minghui stride away. A slight smile played on her lips. He knew perfectly well that Lei was there to cause trouble for Aunt Jin, yet he ignored it all. What a heartless and cruel man.
After dressing, Aunt Jin, with her hair still disheveled and trembling, walked up to Madam Lei and knelt down, saying, "I was unaware of Madam's arrival and have failed to greet you properly. I beg Madam's punishment!"
Aunt Jin was petite with a pointed face, making her appear younger than Madam Lei and Aunt Li. Having just been deflowered, her face was fair and rosy, and her complexion was exceptionally beautiful. Her light-colored clothes accentuated her shapely figure, making her look like a radiant young girl. This sight filled Aunt Li and Aunt Zhao with jealousy, their beautiful eyes almost spitting fire with anger. She really knew how to seduce men.
Lei ignored Jin's charming appearance and respectful manner, slowly put down her teacup, and looked directly at Li: "Go and ask the guards if they have found the thief?"
"Aunt Zhao, please tell the servants to go to the storeroom and fetch some tea. The tea here with Sister Jin is of poor quality..."
Lei completely ignored and slighted Aunt Jin, which pleased Aunt Li and Aunt Zhao greatly. They quickly agreed and slowly went to carry out their orders. Before leaving, they gave Aunt Jin a gloating look, thinking, "You vixen, I'll see you seduce the master again."
"Madam... Madam..." Aunt Jin was timid to begin with, and Lei treated her like she was invisible, intimidating her both openly and secretly. She immediately became weak-kneed, her face turned pale, and she could not speak coherently.
"Why are you kneeling on the ground, Jin sister? Get up!" Lei Shi exclaimed in surprise as if she had just seen Jin aunt. She explained softly, "Thieves came to Jin Garden. I was worried about your safety, so I ordered the guards to search everywhere. I neglected you. Please don't be angry!"
"You're too kind, Madam!" Aunt Jin smiled awkwardly, her whole body weak. She tried to stand up several times but couldn't. She was secretly puzzled. She had seduced the master, but the madam hadn't scolded her. How strange.
"Master is busy with many things and his health isn't very good. He often can't sleep well at night. My sister, you've served him so well; you've worked so hard. This bowl of ginseng soup is made with dozens of precious medicinal herbs and is extremely nourishing. Please give it to Sister Jin!" Madam Lei smiled lightly, her words laced with sarcasm. A cold glint flashed in Madam Jin's sharp eyes. A clown, daring to play tricks in front of her, overestimating herself. To have a son and seize the family property? Dream on!
A maidservant carried a porcelain bowl and slowly approached Aunt Jin. A faint fragrance wafted from the bowl in the breeze. Aunt Jin's expression changed instantly, and her body trembled slightly.
Shen Lixue stood outside the door, slightly raising her eyebrows and a strange smile playing on her lips. Shen Minghui was in poor health, and Aunt Jin was still trying to seduce him into doing such a thing, which was extremely disrespectful. Lei Shi half-praised and half-threatened, pointing out the key points and making Aunt Jin lose her composure. She was truly clever.
If Madam Lei loudly reprimanded Concubine Jin for breaking the rules, others would think she was jealous, and Concubine Jin could find many reasons to refuse the ginseng soup. However, Madam Lei was gentle and kind to Concubine Jin, claiming that she was thinking of Concubine Jin's best interests. If Concubine Jin refused the "nourishing" ginseng soup again, she would be ungrateful, and Madam Lei could rightfully teach her a lesson.
"Madam...Madam..." The ginseng soup drew closer, and Aunt Jin stared blankly at the steam rising from it, trembling even more violently. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes. Was all her painstaking planning going to fail at the last hurdle? She was unwilling, unwilling!
A concubine is a wife of her husband and is entitled to bear children for him. Without a legitimate reason, the wife cannot arbitrarily prevent a concubine from having children. However, since Concubine Jin seduced Shen Minghui and made a mistake first, if she does not drink the ginseng soup that was given as a reward, Madam Lei can use this as a pretext to severely punish Concubine Jin.
"Ah!" The little maid slipped and staggered a few steps, almost dropping the ginseng soup in her hand.
"Careful!" Shen Lixue reached out and gently helped the maid to stand up straight. Her small fingernails quickly slid across the ginseng soup, and the tiny specks of powder hidden under her fingernails fell into the soup and disappeared without a trace.
"Thank you, Miss!" The maid secretly breathed a sigh of relief that the ginseng soup was safe and sound. This was a special ginseng soup with added ingredients that the madam had instructed her to give to Aunt Jin. She couldn't bear the responsibility if anything went wrong.
"Why is Li Xue here?" Upon seeing Shen Li Xue, Lei frowned imperceptibly. Shen Li Xue was known for opposing her, and her arrival at Jin Garden at this time made her wary.
"I couldn't sleep in the bamboo garden, and when I heard someone shouting 'Catch the thief,' I came over. Did you catch the thief?" Shen Lixue smiled gently, her eyes sincere.
"Not yet!" Lei replied calmly, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Shen Lixue. If she dared to ruin his plans, he would not let her off easily!
"The ginseng soup is neither too hot nor too cold, just right. Please, Madam!" The maidservant brought the ginseng soup to Madam Jin. As the steam rose, Madam Jin's eyes reddened slightly, and she hesitated, not daring to accept the soup.
"What's wrong with Aunt Jin? Does she think the ginseng soup I prepared isn't good enough?" Madam Lei's face was gloomy as she sat on a high chair, looking down at Aunt Jin. Her cold eyes were full of arrogance. This vile woman harbored malicious intentions. Giving her a bowl of contraceptive soup was already an extraordinary act of kindness.
"No...no..." Aunt Jin's hands trembled as she accepted the ginseng soup. Bitter tears dripped into the soup, but she hesitated to drink it. Her small hands trembled, trembled, and trembled again. She really wanted a son, someone to rely on.
"Aunt Jin, the ginseng soup prepared by Madam must be excellent. Aunt, please don't hesitate any longer and drink it quickly!" Seeing that Aunt Jin was trying to take advantage of the situation by smashing the ginseng soup bowl, Shen Lixue narrowed her eyes and hurriedly advised her, smiling and winking at her. Silly Aunt Jin, if you smash the ginseng soup, Madam Lei will give you even more 'precious' soup.
Aunt Jin was stunned, staring hatefully at Shen Lixue. It was her, it must have been her who told the Madam, that caused her to be caught on the spot! Bitch, bitch, bitch!
Aunt Jin's eyes were blazing with anger, and she was about to get up and fight Shen Lixue when two rough maids walked up to her. One of them tied her hands behind her back, while the other pried open her mouth and forced the contraceptive soup down her throat. A few drops of soup spilled from the corners of her mouth and dripped down her chin onto her white clothes, staining them with small, yellowish-brown spots. She looked extremely disheveled.
Aunt Jin struggled desperately, shaking her head violently, but she was no match for the strong old woman, who poured every last drop of the ginseng soup into her mouth...
After the ginseng soup was finished, the maids let go of her, and Aunt Jin's petite body collapsed to the ground, her hair disheveled, her eyes glazed over, unable to come back to her senses.
Lei looked at the empty soup bowl, smiled coldly, and then her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Shen Lixue smiling. Shen Lixue had always been against her, but she had just helped her persuade Aunt Jin to drink the contraceptive soup. Something was not right.
"Madam, the thief has sneaked into the Prime Minister's residence. We must search carefully and not let him harm anyone in the residence!" Shen Lixue's tone was sincere, and her clear, cold eyes gleamed.
"Of course!" Lei's eyes sharpened. Shen Lixue was urging Aunt Jin to drink the soup because she wanted Lei to send guards to catch the thief, so that she wouldn't get hurt. Perhaps Lei was overthinking it!
Lei Shi regained her composure, stood up, and, supported by her maid, gracefully walked out: "Since the thief isn't in Jin Garden, he must be somewhere else. Immediately order a search, dig three feet into the ground to find him!"
The commotion at the Prime Minister's residence was so great that even thieves were scared away. Lei's order was merely a perfunctory response to Shen Lixue's words.