kingnovel Chapter 272 Unkind and unjust
Chapter 272 Unkind and unjust
When Mrs. He learned that her youngest daughter had been sentenced to three years in prison by the prefect of Jingzhao, she felt dizzy, staggered, and fell into a chair with tears in her eyes.
She burst into tears and choked out, "Oh, my Huan'er! This dungeon is dark and damp. She has been raised in luxury, how could she endure such suffering?"
"Master, you have served in the court for many years. Please think of a way to save Huan'er! How can she live in the Zhou family and the capital after being imprisoned?"
"That's just too much. The Second and Third Princes are watching this matter closely, and they'd love for me to make a mistake. If I save her now, I'll be handing her over to them, like a fish on a chopping block, ready to be slaughtered."
"Do you think it's worth it to throw away the entire He family and the eldest prince's future just to save a married daughter?"
Censor He was both distressed and angry, but he was clear-headed and knew that he could not save people, otherwise the entire He family would face a life-or-death situation.
"Master, are you really going to watch your daughter suffer like this? She is your own daughter!"
"She brought this upon herself. She attacked someone without understanding the situation. This is a lesson for her. I hope she learns from it."
"When you attack, you must leave the opponent with no chance to fight back. She just made a small move and ended up getting herself jailed. This is just stupid behavior."
After hearing this, Mrs. He slumped in her chair, her eyes dull. After a long while, she slowly said, "Are you really going to ignore her?"
Censor He sighed and whispered, "I've sent some medicine and warm things in to ensure she's healthy. I've also told the jailers to take good care of her so she doesn't suffer in the dungeon."
"Huan'er is in jail. What is the Zhou family's attitude?"
"Do Zhou Jian and his son dare to have any attitude?"
"I'm worried that Zhou Xiao will take in a concubine soon. By the time Huan'er comes out, Zhou Xiao will already have children. How will she survive in the Zhou family?"
"We can't interfere in this matter. Even if Huan'er hadn't been in jail, we couldn't have intervened if the Zhou family wanted to give Zhou Xiao a concubine. After all, Huan'er and Zhou Xiao have been married for three years without having children. It's understandable that he wants to take a concubine. It's normal for a man to have three or four wives."
"As long as our He family survives, there will always be a place for Huan'er in the Zhou family."
"I'm going to the prison to see Huan'er tomorrow."
"Bring her some extra underwear and food."
Mrs. He sat there with tears in her eyes, crying uncontrollably.
When Concubine He learned that her sister was in prison, her eyes were filled with malice and she said angrily: "Shangguan Rui, Shen Xue, you will see what happens. If my sister is in prison, your life will not be easy either."
"Mammy, send someone to teach Shen Xue a lesson. I want to see how Shangguan Rui protects her."
The nanny quickly dissuaded her, "Your Majesty, don't worry about this. If something happens to Shen Xue now, the Third Prince will first suspect you or the master. That will be detrimental to both the He family and you."
"A gentleman's revenge is never too late, so why rush it now? When the eldest prince gains power, you will have the final say on how to deal with the third prince and Shen Xue."
"Thinking of Huan'er suffering in prison, I'm furious."
"Your Majesty, the Third Prince has just returned to the capital after being injured. The Emperor loves him dearly. This is not the time to intervene. There will always be a chance to deal with them later."
"Look, today the Third Prince angered the Emperor for some reason and was punished by the Emperor to kneel for two hours. He pretended to be unconscious, and the Emperor ordered his men to carry the Third Prince to a side hall to rest. This shows how much the Emperor dotes on the Third Prince."
"Go and find out why the emperor punished Shangguan Rui to kneel outside the palace."
"Old slave, I obey."
The nanny took the order and left. She soon gathered information and returned with a report: "Your Majesty, the Emperor wants to marry the Third Prince to a concubine. The Third Prince refuses to marry any other woman and requests permission to marry Shen Xue. The Emperor, in a rage, has made him kneel outside the palace."
"Which lady did the emperor choose for Shangguan Rui?"
"The principal wife is Zhuang Shiwan, the niece of Concubine Qi. The two concubines are Song Lan, the legitimate daughter of Song Yu, the Minister of the Supreme Court, and Lin Xiya, the younger sister of Concubine Lin."
"The concubines chosen by the Emperor for Shangguan Rui include the Minister of War, the Supreme Court, and the Vice Minister of Revenue. In the harem, he has the help of those two bitches, Concubine Qi and Concubine Lin. With their support at court, there's no need to worry about him losing his foothold."
"The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are all his own people when he goes to war, so he won't have to worry about material problems in the military camp. The emperor has good intentions, but it's a pity that he doesn't appreciate it."
"I absolutely cannot let Shangguan Rui marry them, otherwise he will be no match for Jue'er in the court. Shangguan Rui is also deeply favored by the emperor, so how can my Jue'er have a chance to succeed? He married the powerless Shen Xue, but it saved me a lot of trouble."
"My lady, what do you want to do?"
After hearing this, Concubine He sneered, "Humph, Shangguan Rui is indeed infatuated, but his actions will only put Shen Xue in danger."
"Your Majesty, why don't we arrange for the Third Prince to marry the County Lady? That would not only displease the Emperor, but also offend the three major families in the court. He would have a hard time moving forward in the court and would be restricted in every way. How could he be compared with the First Prince?
"Shen Xue has somehow become the public enemy of several girls. Even if they get married, they may not have a good life in the future."
Concubine He snorted coldly, "Although it helps them finally get married, it also marks the beginning of their suffering."
"Your Majesty is wise."
The next day, Mrs. He took her maid to the prison to visit He Qinghuan. Seeing her daughter's haggard appearance, the mother and daughter couldn't help but hug each other and cry bitterly.
"Mom, please save my daughter! I can't stay here for even a moment. It's too scary here. I haven't slept all night."
"Huan'er, just be patient. Your father said he'll find a way to rescue you after the storm is over."
"Mom, I'm scared. It's too scary here. I don't want to stay here any longer. I want to go home."
Madam He gently stroked He Qinghuan's back and said softly, "Don't worry, my daughter. I've brought you a lot of things, and your father has arranged for the jailer to not let you suffer."
"Mom, don't you care about your daughter anymore? I am your biological daughter!"
"It's not that mother doesn't care about you, it's just that the Second and Third Princes are involved. Your father can't rescue you for the time being. You can get out if you endure it a little longer."
He Qinghuan nodded while sobbing, "Mom, please go back and ask Dad to get me out as soon as possible."
"Don't worry! Your father will rescue you soon. You have to take care of yourself."
"Mom, why didn't Zhou Xiao come to see me? Is he happily thinking of taking a concubine?"
"Don't think too much. With your father in the Zhou family, he wouldn't dare to openly take a concubine."
"He's been fed up with me for a long time, and it just so happens that something happened to me that he's most excited."
"No, I'll tell someone to tell Zhou Xiao when I get back. If he dares to do anything to let you down, I'll never let the Zhou family off."
"mother……"
He Qinghuan threw herself into Madam He's arms and burst into tears. "Mother, I was sentenced to three years in prison, while Shen Xue lived peacefully. I don't accept this."
"Don't worry! Even if she doesn't go to jail, her life won't be easy."
Zhou Xiao, whom the mother and daughter were thinking about, was in his parents' main courtyard. "Father and mother, it's impossible for my son to stay alone in an empty house while He Qinghuan is in prison. Besides, she hasn't had any children in three years since we got married. I have reason to take a concubine. Even the He family can't stop their son-in-law from taking a concubine."
Although Zhou Jian and his wife were worried that Censor He would interfere with their son's decision to take a concubine, after all, He Qinghuan had just been imprisoned, and it would be too cruel to let their son know about it. They also wanted to have a grandson as soon as possible.
Zhou Jian paused for a long time and said, "Xiao'er, you should quietly take a concubine and don't tell anyone that she is a concubine. This way, the He family won't be able to interfere in the affairs of the Zhou family's women."
"I see."
"When you have time, go visit your wife in prison. After all, a husband and wife are bound by a hundred days of grace. After three years of imprisonment, it will be easy to get along with her when she comes back."
Zhou Xiao nodded softly.
Zhou Xiao went to the dungeon to see He Qinghuan. She angrily said, "Why did you come to see me now? Are you planning to take a concubine?"
"Nothing, I just have other things to deal with."
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You've been eager to take a concubine for a long time, but you didn't dare to bring it up because of my father's face. Now it suits your wishes."
"I don't mind if you insist on speaking so harshly."
"I knew you were a heartless man. We've been married for three years and I've already seen through what kind of man you are."
Zhou Xiao put the things he brought on the ground and said coldly: "Whatever you say. Just stay here! I'm leaving."
He Qinghuan grabbed his clothes and said angrily: "Tell me clearly before you leave, are you going to take a concubine?"
"We've been married for three years and you haven't had any children. Even if you weren't in jail, no one would interfere if I wanted to take a concubine."
"Now I'm finally telling the truth. If you dare to take a concubine, just wait and see how my father will deal with your Zhou family."
Zhou Xiao pushed away the unreasonable He Qinghuan and said angrily, "Who do you think your father is? He can deal with anyone he wants. Why didn't he rescue you from prison if he was so capable? He let you face the consequences of imprisonment."
After Zhou Xiao finished speaking, he left without looking back, leaving behind the angry and humiliated He Qinghuan whose curses echoed throughout the dungeon. After the curses, he began to cry heartbreakingly.
The prisoners in the dungeon watched He Qinghuan treat her husband like this and talked about it, thinking that she was so arrogant and domineering because she had been a young lady for too long.
Her husband did not divorce her when she was in prison. She should be grateful, but she still bullies others by taking advantage of her power. Which man can tolerate her bad temper and arrogant personality?