In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Xiong Kun had just driven the carriage down the mountain when he saw a carriage coming towards him through the wind and snow from the opposite side of the official road.

As soon as he saw the carriage, his eyelids started twitching, and he had a bad feeling.

There's only one temple, Huangjue Temple, on this mountain, and with such heavy snow, even if you're extremely sincere to the Bodhisattva, you wouldn't come here to offer incense at this time.

Lady Zhu and the young master are still in the carriage. Could it be that Lady Zhu's family has come looking for them?

After all, she is a married woman. It's one thing to hide it from others and sneak around, but if someone were to catch her in the act, who could bear such humiliation? It might even lead to someone's death!

As fate would have it, when they got closer, they saw that the coachman at the front of the carriage was none other than a servant from Lady Zhu's household.

Xiong Kun had been to Qingyi Lane several times and heard Madam Zhu call him Uncle Lü, so there was no way he could have mistaken him.

Despite the freezing weather, Xiong Kun broke out in a cold sweat. He drove straight ahead, not daring to glance at the other carriage, hoping that Uncle Lü's old eyes were failing him and that they would simply pass each other without recognizing each other, so that everyone could save face.

Of course, this is purely wishful thinking on Xiong Daren's part.

Given Xiong Kun's bear-like physique, Uncle Lü recognized him from a mile away, and was even more devastated than Xiong Kun himself.

Yesterday, Wang's mother told him that the eldest daughter-in-law had left in the carriage belonging to Minister Gu, and had not returned all night.

Given that Minister Gu had once entered the inner courtyard with the eldest daughter-in-law, it's hard not to speculate.

As servants, they couldn't gossip about the mistress without knowing anything, so they could only pretend they knew nothing and dared not tell the master.

Unfortunately, when the master woke up in the morning, he couldn't find the eldest mistress and wanted to come looking for her. No one knows what the third young lady said to the master, but the master specifically requested to come to Huangjue Temple.

Now, to make matters worse, we've run into the Gu family's carriage head-on. If Madam isn't in the carriage, that would be fine, but what if she is, or even someone else is in the carriage?

Uncle Lü was really worried. The master had just woken up and was still sick. With the two of them being old, weak, and disabled, they would definitely lose if they really fought the other side. He was afraid that they might anger the master to death.

While Uncle Lü and Xiong Kun were both extremely nervous and didn't even dare to greet each other, Zhang Shen spoke up from inside the carriage:

"Uncle Lü, stop the car."

Since the master had spoken, Uncle Lü had no choice but to stop the car and carefully help Zhang Shen down.

Zhang Shen was already in poor health, and this ordeal in prison had made him even thinner. In the wind and snow, he looked so frail he seemed about to be blown away. Coughing, he asked Xiong Kun:

"Lord Xiong, excuse me, I see you're coming from Huangjue Temple. Have you seen my wife?"

Xiong Kun dared not answer. In fact, because he had not consulted with the young master beforehand, he did not know how to answer. Should he say that he had seen him before, or should he say that he had not?

Ahhhhh, even this big guy Xiong Kun is about to collapse. He really can't think of anything. He can only hope that either the young master or Lady Zhu in the carriage can say something to set the tone.

Strangely, the carriage was completely silent; not a single person spoke.

Since Xiong Kun didn't answer, Zhang Shen didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he stood still, staring at the quiet carriage behind Xiong Kun.

The heavy snow kept falling, landing on Zhang Shen's collar and hair.

No one answered from inside the carriage, but it suddenly shook for no apparent reason.

Zhang Shen finally moved. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed. Under Xiong Kun's astonished gaze, he walked slowly but firmly towards the carriage, step by step, through the snow, calling out:

"Qingyu, are you there? I've come to take you home."

Inside the carriage, Zhu Qingyu had no chance to reply.

Upon hearing Zhang Shen's voice, Zhu Qingyu was about to walk out when Gu Zhao was faster. He grabbed her hand, pressed her against the carriage wall, and kissed her while pinching her chin.

The two men lurched to one side at the same time, causing the carriage to shake violently.

Zhu Qingyu turned her head, reached out and pressed her hand to his lips, whispering:

"Lord Gu, our agreement has expired. Are you going to break it?"

The thought that if she were released, she would return to another man who openly claimed the title of her husband filled Gu Zhao with insane jealousy.

He disagrees with anyone who says it's over, absolutely not!

Gu Zhao not only wouldn't let go, but pressed her even tighter, giving her no chance to get out of the car, and whispered in her ear:

"So what if I breached the contract? I've never been a gentleman who keeps his word. Zhu Qingyu, divorce him. You two weren't husband and wife at all; we were."

Zhu Qingyu refused decisively:

"No, there is nothing between us, and we will have nothing to do with each other in the future. Let me go."

Having been repeatedly rejected, and even receiving nothing at all, Gu Zhao, her eyes reddening with heartache, said cruelly:

"Then let him see for himself what we did. Do you think he'll still want to be your husband after seeing you in my arms being kissed by me? You choose, should you bring it up with him, or let him see it for himself?"

Outside the carriage, Zhang Shen could be heard calling her name; his voice sounded very close.

Although Zhang Shen will find out someday, it can't be today, and he can't be allowed to see it with his own eyes.

Like Uncle Lü, Zhu Qingyu was very worried about Zhang Shen's current physical condition, fearing that he might not be able to make it through the shock.

The sound of someone walking on the snow outside the carriage grew closer and closer. When they reached the carriage, Zhang Shen stopped.

This distance was already very close, close enough that he could simply raise his hand and lift the carriage curtain to see what was happening inside.

Zhang Shen spoke again:

"Qingyu?"

Zhu Qingyu was still being suppressed by Gu Zhao, and it was simply impossible to subdue him by force.

She couldn't let Zhang Shen be provoked, so she could only let someone else be provoked.

Zhu Qingyu said:

"Fine, I'll divorce him. I'll divorce him today, and I'll marry Shen Chongshu tomorrow. Lord Gu, do you think you're the only man in the world, and that I'll definitely choose you once we're divorced?"