Farmer girl swaps husbands: buys a sickly villain and pampers him

Chapter 275 Trouble
Marquis Cheng'an was arrested and imprisoned.

He pounded on the prison door and shouted, and he didn't stop even when the officials handling the case came forward.

“I am the Marquis of Cheng’an, the current Consort Chen is my sister-in-law, and the Grand General Protector of the Nation is our relative by marriage. How dare you lock me up?”

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review said calmly, "My lord, many nobles and even members of the imperial family have come to our Court of Judicial Review, but this is the first time we have encountered someone as arrogant as you. My lord, you are not here as a guest, but to be investigated by us."

"What have I done wrong?" Marquis Cheng'an's eyes were sharp as knives.

"Does Your Excellency not know?" the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review said, pulling out a handkerchief with a letter written in blood on it. "Some people say that you framed a loyal minister, causing the wrongful death of the former Minister of War, Lord Zhou, and that the Zhou family also died tragically on their way to exile. Your Excellency's memory isn't very good; you don't remember who Lord Zhou is, do you? Lord Zhou was the relative of your first wife, Lady Zhou, who was also your father-in-law."

"Nonsense, this is slander." Marquis Cheng'an's expression changed drastically. "Where did this blood letter come from? If there were really a miscarriage of justice, it would be impossible for such a blood letter to appear after so many years."

"This letter written in blood was provided by your own son, Lord Zhou Wangshu," said the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. "The former Minister of War, Lord Zhou, had his former subordinates find Lord Zhou Wangshu and report the injustice done to him in detail. Young Lord Zhou personally brought the letter to the palace. The Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation into what happened back then, and the truth must be revealed. My lord, if you don't want to suffer, you'd better cooperate."

When Marquis Cheng'an heard that the evidence was provided by Zhou Wangshu, he was completely stunned. He squatted there blankly, staring at the scene in front of him.

"No, something's not right. This shouldn't be happening. Wang Shu has been used. He's lost his memory, and someone is using this to deliberately sow discord between us. I want to see my son. Go tell him to come see me," Marquis Cheng'an said loudly.

“We will pass on the message to Lord Zhou, but whether he will come to see you is unknown to me. Until then, let’s talk about Lord Zhou’s matter!” said the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. “The Emperor is also waiting for the result. My lord, you should not waste any more time and would be best to cooperate.”

Zhou Wangshu was in the yard with Su Yaoguang, picking flowers. He tucked the picked flowers into Su Yaoguang's hair and kissed her forehead.

"This flower looks even more beautiful because of my wife."

Su Yaoguang picked a flower and put it in Zhou Wangshu's hair.

Zhou Wangshu is wrong; it is because of him that the flowers in this garden have become dazzling.

Sometimes, liking good looks is a blessing. For example, she liked good looks, which is why she chose such a handsome man as Zhou Wangshu as her husband.

The couple was enjoying their sweet time together when someone inconsiderately interrupted their moment.

"Su Yaoguang, Zhou Wangshu, get out here..." Tang rushed in.

Zhou Wangshu said to Su Yaoguang, "Go back to your room first, I'll handle this."

Su Yaoguang nodded and led the two maids inside.

When Tang rushed in, she only saw Zhou Wangshu standing not far away. Zhou Wangshu stood there, his cold eyes staring at her coldly.

At that moment, Tang hesitated.

However, she remembered her favored concubine sister in the palace, mustered her courage again, and strode over.

"Zhou Wangshu, your father has been arrested and imprisoned in Dali Temple. As his son, instead of trying to get him out, you're here enjoying yourself under the moon and flowers. If anything happens to your father, the Cheng'an Marquis's title will be gone, and you'll get nothing!" Tang roared.

"Is the title of Marquis of Cheng'an so rare?" Zhou Wangshu said indifferently. "Do you think everyone covets this title?"

"Zhou Wangshu, what do you mean by this?" Tang glared at him coldly. "You returned to the Marquis of Cheng'an's mansion just to inherit the title, didn't you?"

“I am the eldest son of the Marquis of Cheng’an’s family, so it would be right for me to inherit the title. However, I really don’t care about this title. I’ve come back this time to settle accounts with you on behalf of the wronged souls, to settle the old scores one by one, and to see how many lives you two have on your hands.”

"What...what do you mean by this?" Tang looked at Zhou Wangshu in horror.

“Didn’t you guess it?” Zhou Wangshu looked at Tang Shi. “I…have not lost my memory.”

"No...it's impossible...you didn't have amnesia? How could you not have amnesia? If you didn't have amnesia, why haven't you come back all these years?" Tang screamed.

"Why I didn't come back is unknown to others, but do you think you don't know? If I had come back earlier, I would probably have died a violent death long ago. I barely escaped death and survived, and before I am strong enough, of course I can't alert the enemy. Although I haven't returned to the capital all these years, I haven't forgotten you two heinous people, so I have been looking for evidence to verify what happened back then."

"Zhen'er has become like this because you deliberately plotted against her?" Tang finally realized.

“Yes, it was intentional,” Zhou Wangshu said. “Your good-for-nothing son is easy to deal with; it’s easy to ruin him. You’ve gone to so much trouble just to get rich and powerful, haven’t you? The more you want something, the more I’ll destroy it. You and your son won’t get the title. Now the Marquis of Cheng’an has been taken away by the Dali Temple for investigation. Once his slander of loyal officials is proven, he’ll be beheaded at best, and exiled at worst. But don’t worry, the Emperor will definitely not confiscate your property because of my father-in-law.”

"Over the years, I have collected a lot of evidence of your crimes. You should thank me, after all, I care about you so much, even though I am thousands of miles away, my hands have reached into the capital. And your good sister, your big backer Consort Chen, should be banished to the cold palace by now! After all, she has caused the deaths of many princes over the years."

“I heard you were choosing a successor from among your relatives. Now you don’t need to worry about it anymore, because you’re no longer needed. I won’t kill you and your son, because if you just die like this, my mother and grandfather will die with their eyes open in disgrace. I will lock you and your son together, and give you only one portion of food each day. Only one of you will have something to eat, while the other will go hungry. I want to see how deep your love is between you two.”

"No, no... I won't lose, I can't lose. You bastard, I should have killed you back then!" Tang cried out, being dragged away unwillingly.

Zhou Wangshu took a deep breath, composed himself, and strode toward the opposite room.

Su Yaoguang came out and hugged his waist.

"Do you want to go to the General's Mansion tonight?" Su Yaoguang asked. "I don't want to stay at the Marquis of Cheng'an's Mansion today."

Zhou Wangshu never spoke of his past life in the Cheng'an Marquis's mansion, nor did he mention that his mother and maternal grandfather's family had been murdered by his own father. He silently endured so much, never letting her worry about these things, which made her both angry and heartbroken.

However, she couldn't bear to be angry with him, so she still felt sorry for him!

“Okay, I miss Mom and Dad too.” Zhou Wangshu hugged Su Yaoguang tightly. “This place is too disgusting. We’re not coming back tonight.”

"Your father... Marquis Cheng'an is really imprisoned? Based on your experience, do you think there's any possibility of him being released without charge?"

"No. I've been collecting evidence for years, gathering a lot of evidence against him, and it's not just about slandering my maternal grandfather's family. They've done a lot of bad things over the years, relying on Consort Chen's favored position in the palace, and they haven't shown any restraint. And Xia Zhen, he's ruined a lot of women. Before, no one dared to offend him. Now I'm going to investigate the crimes of the Marquis of Cheng'an's family and contact those victims. They're all willing to come forward and testify. Since I'm going to tear off the mask, I've made thorough preparations."

"You've shouldered so much all by yourself, and you never tell me. Do you never treat me like your wife at all?"

"I didn't want you to know these upsetting things." Zhou Wangshu held her tightly. "You are my only wife, and I can never get rid of you in this lifetime."

Zhou Wangshu and Su Yaoguang returned to the Protector General's Mansion. As soon as they entered, a servant went in to announce their arrival, and soon Madam Zhang came out to greet them.

“You two little ingrates, you finally remembered to come back and see us,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “I’ll have the kitchen prepare a few more dishes right away.”

"Where is Dad?" Su Yaoguang asked.

“He was discussing matters with his subordinates in his study,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “I overheard it, and it seemed that the enemy country was harassing our people on the border again.”

"Then let's not bother him," Su Yaoguang said.

"I'll go take a look," Zhou Wangshu said.

"it is good."

After Zhou Wangshu left, Zhang Zhaodi pulled Su Yaoguang aside and said, "I heard that Marquis Cheng'an has been arrested. Even if you don't come, I was planning to send someone to find you."

“It was my husband who did it.” Su Yaoguang told Zhang Zhaodi about the grievances Zhou Wangshu had suffered over the years. “Although he has been with us all these years, he has never forgotten those hatreds. He has been building his own network of connections and secretly investigating the crimes of Marquis Cheng’an over the years, just waiting to bring them all down after returning to the capital.”

“I never imagined he was such a tragic figure,” Zhang Zhaodi said. “His father may not love him, but he still has us. We should love him more.”

"Of course."

“Although what Marquis Cheng’an did has nothing to do with him, to outsiders they appear to be in cahoots. Marquis Cheng’an’s troubles directly affect the reputation of the Marquis Cheng’an’s mansion. The Marquis Cheng’an’s mansion is likely to decline completely in the future,” Zhang Zhaodi said.

“My husband is capable and doesn’t need to rely on the support of the Marquis of Cheng’an. Oh, it shouldn’t even be called a support; it’s just a pile of mud.”

Zhang Zhaodi and Su Yaoguang went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Now they don't need to cook for themselves; they just need to tell the cook what dishes to make.

Nowadays, Zhang Zhaodi is dressed in fine silks and satins, adorned with gold and silver jewelry, exuding an air of nobility. Her hands, nurtured over the years, have become much smoother and more delicate. Her skin, and her style of dress, make her look nothing like a forty-year-old middle-aged woman. She and Su Rende, separated for so long, are practically living the life of newlyweds.

It was lunchtime, the guests in the study had left, and the father-in-law and son-in-law came out.

During the meal, Zhang Zhaodi suddenly started gagging.

"Madam, are you alright?" Su Rende asked worriedly. "Someone, please fetch a doctor."

"I just have a bit of an upset stomach, probably from catching a cold. Do I really need to call a doctor?" Zhang Zhaodi glared at Su Rende. "It's rare for my daughter and son-in-law to come back, don't spoil their fun."

Especially after hearing about Zhou Wangshu's situation, Zhang Zhaodi felt sorry for him and wanted to comfort him with Su Rende, but she didn't want to ruin the family dinner they had worked so hard to plan.

"Mother, please have a doctor take a look!" Su Yaoguang said. "Our household should have a physician, right?"

With so many servants in the general's mansion, all of them would need to be seen by a doctor. Moreover, the general's mansion had many retainers who were bound to get injured in the fighting, so they must have had a physician.

“That’s right, please have the physician come and take a look,” Su Rende said again.

Before long, the imperial physician arrived upon hearing the news.

When the physician heard that the person who needed to see the doctor was the general's wife, he rushed over without even having time to tidy his clothes.

He took Zhang Zhaodi's pulse, and then...

His eyes widened.

He switched to his other hand and took her pulse again.

"Congratulations, General, your wife is pregnant."

Everyone: "..."

There was silence.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, the physician looked at the group and said, "Madam is... pregnant. What are your thoughts, General?"

"How long has it been?" Zhang Zhaodi was the first to react.

"It's been three months," the physician said. "Has the lady been a bit irritable lately, and she's also been prone to drowsiness. Most importantly, her taste in food has changed."

“That’s right.” Su Rende grasped Zhang Zhaodi’s hand. “But, at Madam’s age, is she still able to have another child?”

He knew that it was still possible for fifty-year-old women to give birth in the countryside, but that was very dangerous, and he didn't want his wife to suffer that.

Ten years ago, he would have been overjoyed, because thirty-year-old Zhang Zhaodi was in her prime childbearing years. Now she's forty, old enough to be a grandmother. If she gave birth at this age, it would be like an old oyster producing a pearl. Neither of them cares about what others think; what others say doesn't matter, safety is paramount.

"Madam's health is not bad, and she can give birth, but it will definitely be more difficult than for a young woman," the physician said.

“Madam, look at this child…” Su Rende began tentatively.

Zhang Zhaodi looked at Su Yaoguang: "Yaoguang, would you like a younger brother or sister?"

Su Yaoguang hesitated, "Mother, if it were a few years ago, I would definitely be very happy. But you are at this age now, and I'm worried about you!"

"You just need to answer my question: if your mother gives birth to a younger brother or sister, will you mind?" Zhang Zhaodi looked at Su Yaoguang. "What your mother cares about most is your opinion. If you mind, your mother will definitely not hesitate and will not give birth. But if you don't mind, your mother wants to give birth to him/her."

“Mother…” Su Yaoguang hugged Zhang Zhaodi. “Emotionally, I’m definitely happy. Rationally, I’m worried about you.”