Chapter 123 of Volume 1: Smashing People

  It was his mother who drove her away, why did he come back and blame her for being late!

  "The leader's mouth is big, everything he says makes sense!" In her heart, Zhen Shiniang forced herself to control her tone, "I'm going to visit Old Lady Xiao now." Seeing Shen Zhongge change his face, she explained, "The late Eldest Madam of the Zhongtang Mansion was my close friend." Her voice was calm and detached, with a sense of estrangement like that of a stranger.

  She disappeared without a word, he was worried sick, but she seemed completely indifferent.

  She didn't return to General's Mansion that night, instead she went to Zhong Tang Fu.

  She had been staying at the Zhong Tang Fu for four days!

  What is this single man and widow up to!

  Xiao Yu's wife had died just a year ago, and he recalled the agate hand warmer with the crane pattern that Autumn Chrysanthemum had said was a gift from Master Xiao. He also remembered her refusal that night and Zhen Shi Niang's distant tone, which suddenly ignited a fierce anger in his chest. The veins on Shen Zhong's forehead bulged one by one as he grasped Zhen Shi Niang's chin and glared at her, "A woman like you, who doesn't even return home at night and instead stays in someone else's house... what kind of virtue do you still possess?"

  "Miss!" Qiu Ju rushed over and pulled Zhen Shining over, using her small body to block her, her big eyes fearlessly staring at Shen Zhongge, but her trembling body revealed that she was actually very afraid.

  His hand was empty, and Shen Zhongge's mind cleared up a bit. He raised his foot to grab Zhen Shiniang again, but when he saw her purple and pale face, his foot unconsciously fell back to the ground. His tightly clenched fists made a cracking sound, and Shen Zhongge used all his strength to control the destructive impulse in his heart.

  He suddenly turned around and walked towards the war horse.

  If he doesn't leave now, he's afraid that in his rage, he won't be able to control himself and will do something that he'll regret for the rest of his life.

  It's clear that she was blocked outside the gate and not allowed to enter the mansion, isn't it? Now, she's actually being accused of lacking virtue as a woman for staying overnight at someone else's house. Is this still reasonable?!

  It seems she's really too kind-hearted and has gotten used to being bullied by this guy!

  She had been wronged from the start and was now publicly rebuked for lacking virtue as a woman. Zhen Shi, who had always been gentle, could no longer hold back her anger.

  The only remaining rationality made her clearly aware that she was not yet capable of going head-to-head with Shen Zhongjie.

  Taking a deep breath, Zhen Shiniang forced herself to calm down, and suddenly her heart moved, thinking to herself, "…He just accused me of not returning home at night, obviously he doesn't know that I was blocked outside the door."

  Could it be that the people of General Manor deceived him, saying she was unwilling to return to General Manor and, regardless of her reputation, fled to Zhong Tang Fu in the middle of the night? The thought flashed through her mind, and Zhen Shi Niang suddenly understood why Shen Zhong Ke would be furious. She couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

  This is what people call "house fighting".

  In her past life, she had read countless novels about palace struggles. Zhen Shiniang never thought that she would also experience it personally one day, but just like that, after going through it once, she was thoroughly defeated. The defeat was complete.

  The intelligence of this ancient woman is really not ordinary, saying white as black without blinking an eye.

  The general's mansion has hundreds of people up and down, and they can all be silenced!

  Unfortunately, Zhen Shiniang was never a fool who could be framed and slandered by anyone.

  Even if Shen Zhongxi didn't believe her, she had to make it clear today.

  Inhale, exhale, inhale...

  After taking a few deep breaths, Zhen Shining finally calmed herself down. She tidied up her thoughts and quickly figured out a few key points that would make Shen Zhongge believe in the shortest time possible. She raised her head to see Shen Zhongge already mounted on his horse.

  She was convicted based on one-sided words and wasn't even given a chance to defend herself.

  Shen Zhongbo, you son of a bitch!

  The anger that had been suppressed rose up again. Unable to hold it back, Zhen Shiniang flung the hand warmer in her hand at Shen Zhongjie, hitting him squarely on the horse's buttocks.

  She didn't have much strength to begin with, and hitting the horse wouldn't hurt it, but the hot charcoal inside actually burned the horse a bit. The horse let out a loud whinny, raised its front hooves and jumped forward violently. Shen Zhongjie had just gotten on the horse's back and hadn't sat down properly, almost getting thrown off. Fortunately, his martial arts skills were strong, and he managed to hold onto the horse's neck with all his might, barely avoiding a fall, but looking quite disheveled.

  He grasped... and wrapped his arms around the reins, Shen Zhongge turned his head back with a furious gaze.

  She was so furious that Zhen Shiniang didn't expect to cause such a big disaster, and for a moment she was also shocked and couldn't speak, her head was blank.

  He won't jump down and beat her up, will he?

  I don't know if he has a habit of hitting women.

  "Miss didn't mean it!" Qiu Ju was also shocked, seeing Shen Zhongge's gaze staring over, instinctively blocking in front of Zhen Shiniang.

  Although she had changed her mouth, she was used to calling her "Miss" since childhood, and Qiu Ju would call her "Miss" when she was in a hurry.

  This foolish child, Zhen Shiniang lamented in her heart. Didn't he just accuse her of wanting to elope? And yet he's calling out "Miss" so loudly, isn't this adding fuel to the fire?

  "Little... madam just lost her grip..." Ji Kuai came back to his senses, and with a sudden burst of energy, he jumped forward to Zhen Shi Niang's side.

  Zhen Shi Niang was startled, "Are you trying to get yourself killed!" She pushed her into the courtyard with all her might, "Quickly go back, be careful not to get kicked in the stomach by a horse's hoof!" She called out to Dong Juan who was standing on the side, "Hurry and help her inside!"

  Rong Sheng shouted and took a step forward, "General, hurry up, the Emperor is still waiting for you."

  Frowning at the chaotic scene before him, Shen Zhong's temples throbbed with rage. "Why do they all look like they're staring death in the face? Is he that fierce?" He, Shen Zhong, was a grown man after all, and didn't have the habit of hitting women!

  It was a long time before Shen Zhongjie turned his head back, and with a fierce whip of the reins, "Go!" The warhorse galloped away in a cloud of dust.

  As soon as Shen Zhong's horse disappeared from view, Xi Que let out a breath of air, "My goodness, the lady just scared me to death!" Feeling her legs go weak, she plopped down onto the snowy ground, startling Autumn and Winter who rushed forward to support her.

  Xian thought of Shen Zhongjie's wretched appearance and couldn't help but burst out laughing, her anger dissipating in an instant.

  It feels so good to smash people originally.

  No wonder so many people like to vent their emotions by smashing things.

  A group of people left Wutong Town and ran into Ji Huifeng, who was riding a horse at full speed. Seeing Shen Zhongge, he quickly grasped the reins and said, "General!"

  The sound of "driving" stopped, and Shen Zhongjie also came to a halt.

  "Understood, it's all clear." Ji Huai Feng dismounted his horse and bowed, "On the night of the Lantern Festival, Madam was knocking on the door of General's mansion for almost an hour..." He recounted in detail how Zhen Shi Niang was refused entry at the gate, "...Madam fainted as soon as she entered the Xiao Mansion. Old Lady Xiao invited Dr. Wen to treat her, and it wasn't until two days ago that she woke up. Afraid that her body couldn't take it, Old Lady Xiao kept her for another day yesterday, and she returned to Wutong Town early this morning."

  So that's how it is.

  Shen Zhong's bell was ringing, no wonder she would get so angry.

  Although he was as gentle as a cat, he was actually so angry that he picked up a hand warmer and hit him with it.

  Looking back at the charred patch of hair on his beloved horse's buttocks, he recalled her adorable angry expression. Shaking his head, Shen Zhong couldn't help but laugh dryly.

  Suddenly, he found that he liked this kind of Zhen Shiniang better.

  It's too gentle, that feeling is so illusory. It's as if she doesn't exist in his world, always making him feel like he's never been valued before, and he can't even evoke any joy or anger from her.

  "The general has come from his ancestral home. Has he seen Madam on his way back?" Seeing Shen Zhongjie smile, Ji Huaifeng let out a sigh of relief.

  "He's already gone back." Shen Zhong Xi's smile faded, "After you go back, you must protect your wife with your life, absolutely cannot make another mistake..." His voice suddenly stopped, Shen Zhong Xi suddenly remembered the harsh words of the old lady a few days ago.

  Although she was blocked outside the mansion, her mother said she didn't come home at night!

  The general's mansion was so secretive that he was completely deceived!

  "...The slave girl begged for half a day, but the lady insisted on leaving and even ordered the slave girl to dismiss the general's guards." The words of Hong Lian's oath appeared in front of him again. Shen Zhongge's face suddenly turned dark, and the veins on his forehead bulged instantly.

  Zhen Shining is not a person who doesn't know what's important, how could she not know that the city gate has been locked since midnight? And yet she insists on going back to Wutong Town? It's all because he was blinded by his impulsive emotions. Calm down and think carefully, Hong Lian's words are full of loopholes. Not worth considering at all!

  Thinking that Zhen Shining had fainted in the Zhong Tang Fu for two days, Shen Zhongge's heart inexplicably throbbed with a sudden pang, and he suddenly turned his horse around and galloped away.

  Ji Huai Feng was shocked.

  He just left, he was smiling just now, what's wrong with him, how can his attitude change so quickly?

  Wansui rewarded Zhen Shiniang with a few more guards and also had to think of a way to get her into the ancestral mansion, but he hadn't finished speaking yet.

  Shaking his head again and again, Ji Huai Feng inexplicably jumped onto the horseback. No wonder people say that the bigger the official, the more unpredictable their actions become.

  ……

  Li Qi's work efficiency is very high.

  Zhen Shining only handed over the various conditions required to open a pharmaceutical factory. In just a few days, Li Qi had selected seven or eight locations for the factory and sent over a detailed list of each location's price, area, position, advantages, and disadvantages.

  After washing up, Zhen Shining didn't care about the dust on her way and immediately took out the list to select, signed the contract, the sooner the pharmaceutical factory opened, the better, the sooner it went into production, the more financially independent she would be, and the sooner she could leave that moody and arrogant disaster star.

  Xī yuè and Qiū jú carefully examined a set of priceless jewelry brought back by Zhēn Shí Niáng.

  All women love jewelry, and Ji Kuang Qiu Ju is no exception. However, when faced with the crimson gold inlaid blue gemstone peacock spreading its tail feathers, she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm. She raised her head to glance at Zhen Shi Niang, seeing that she was intently studying the site selection list, and then lowered her head again.

  After a while, he lifted his head again.

  "What are you looking at?" Zhen Shi Niang put down the list and raised her head, "I'm not angry, I'm in a good mood."

  "Madam... aren't you really heartbroken?" Ji Kuai looked at Zhen Shi Niang's eyes with caution, wanting to find some clue from her gaze.

  "I'm not that bored."

  Are you angry and heartbroken with him?

  She was truly heartbroken, only to fall into Chu Xinyi's trap. Thinking of Shen Zhongge's embarrassing image when he almost fell off his horse, Zhen Shiniang couldn't help but burst out laughing again.

  Jian Zhen's daughter was really not heartbroken, and Ji Kuai's mood lightened slightly. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "What is there for the mistress to laugh about? The old madam doesn't recognize you, and now you've offended the general too - who knows how we'll get by in the future?"

  How heartless!