After sharing a body with her husband

A dark room in the Xie family compound.

Xie Zhaoqing struggled to open her eyes. Although medicine had been applied to her body, her wounds still ached faintly. The worst part was her face. Why was it so painful?

Inside the room, only an oil lamp was lit, casting a dim candlelight.

"woke up?"

Ms. Qu sat expressionlessly on the edge of the bed. Although she had carefully combed her hair, it couldn't hide the haggard look on her face and the many white hairs that had grown in her hair.

Xie Zhaoqing gradually regained consciousness. "Mother?"

She then looked at Master Xie, who sat in a chair not far away with a perpetually cold expression.

"Father? Why are you all here?"

The dim candlelight illuminated Xie Sanye's face; his voice was deep, hoarse, and strained.

"To make a long story short, Qing'er, it's truly remarkable that you've managed to stay alive. Take care of yourself when you go to Xiao Jing's place."

"Father, what are you saying?"

Xie Zhaoqing was filled with doubt.

Qu's gaze fell on Xie Zhaoqing, a thousand words welling up on her lips, but only turned into a heavy sigh.

"The Xiao family is protecting Xiao Jing and has placed all the blame on you. The clan has invited Grand Master Meng Shu to determine that you have been possessed by an evil spirit."

Today, Xie Zhaoqing has committed suicide out of guilt. From now on, you will be Xiao Jing's mistress. Before dawn, the Xiao family will send someone to pick you up.

Xie Zhaoqing's eyes widened, feeling as if struck by lightning.

It was all her fault?

Xie Zhaoqing is dead?

So who is she now?

Outer room?

Did Xiao Jing only take her as a concubine?

Two streams of tears fell down Xie Zhaoqing's face as she broke down in tears, finally understanding the meaning of the word "regret."

How heart-wrenchingly painful!

But it's too late to regret it!

No, this can't be! She can't let her life be ruined like this!

"Mother, I was wrong! Father, I know I was wrong! Please help me one last time. I don't want to be a mistress. Even if Xie Zhaoqing dies, I can still be a distant cousin of the Xie family! I still need to take the imperial examinations. I don't want to be a woman, and I especially don't want to be a mistress..."

Hearing her tearful complaints, Third Master Xie could no longer contain himself and sternly rebuked her.

"You still have the nerve to cry! You're a woman, and you've been disguising yourself as a man to deceive your family for so many years. I haven't even settled accounts with you yet!"

As if deliberately trying to antagonize him, Madam Qu retorted:

"So what! Zhao Qing could compose poetry at the age of three; she has the talent of a poet saint. If it weren't for her bringing you honor, what face would you, with your mediocre appearance, possibly have?"

Master Xie's veins bulged, but he still dared not speak loudly, and said in a low voice:

"If you're going to pretend, then pretend for a lifetime! What is this mess now? You've made me the laughingstock of the whole family!"

The Qu family had already gone all out.

"Go ahead and divorce me if you dare! My elder brother just got promoted to Minister of Revenue! Do you dare divorce me?"

Master Xie was speechless, for his brother-in-law's official position was far superior to his own sinecure.

The Xie family could only try to minimize the severity of Qu's situation. At most, they would imprison her in the family's Buddhist hall under the pretext of excessive grief, and only allow her to come out during holidays and other important occasions.

Because if the punishment is too severe, the outside world will more or less have doubts. In addition to Xie Zhaoqing, Qu has three other daughters, two of whom have already married.

Xie Zhaoqing is already "dead". If the Qu family makes any further moves, it will have far-reaching consequences.

Listening to her parents arguing, Xie Zhaoqing felt her head buzzing, her mind filled with the words "mistress."

She must never be a parasitic plant that depends on a man for survival!

She can't be a woman again. What can women do in this era?

They're utterly useless!

Even without the Xie family's official lineage, he would still be qualified to take the imperial examinations as an ordinary person. With her forward-thinking talent, she would surely shine in the examinations!

Thinking of this, Xie Zhaoqing grabbed Qu's arm, tears streaming down her face, and said:

"Father, Mother, things have come to this. All I have left is my talent, so I absolutely cannot go back to being a woman. I beg you, give me the identity of a man, even if it's just as a commoner!"

"It's too late..."

Madam Qu handed over a bronze mirror, saying, "Take a look for yourself."

Xie Zhaoqing took the mirror with a puzzled look, and was shocked to see the unfamiliar face reflected in it.

"What happened? How did my face become like this?"

Her original face had some masculine features; she was handsome, but with a little concealment, she was clearly a man at first glance, which is why she was able to keep it a secret for so many years.

But this face is definitely a woman's face!

"To be absolutely sure, Rongfu Pavilion has hired some extraordinary person to perform bone-setting and disguise for you. In my opinion, you should just go with Xiao Jing and stop messing around. What's the point of a woman going to the imperial examination? If you get caught, it's a capital offense."

"I see that Xiao Jing treats you with some sincerity. From now on, you should just behave yourself, be a good wife and mother, and live a good life in the Xiao family."

They didn't know that it was Old Madam Wei who personally sculpted Xie Zhaoqing's bones, nor did Old Madam Wei have any obligation to tell them.

After saying this in a muffled voice, Master Xie felt extremely uncomfortable.

Over the years, he has doted on Xie Zhaoqing like a son, and Xie Zhaoqing has brought him honor. This only son is like his life.

When the truth was revealed, he was so angry that he almost fell seriously ill.

Master Xie stood up and cruelly left behind only one sentence.

"If things get tough in the future, just let me know. But if we meet outside, just pretend you don't know me!"

After saying that, Master Xie pushed open the door and left without looking back.

boom!

Xie Zhaoqing smashed the bronze mirror to the ground. She took a deep breath, then could no longer hold back and screamed wildly.

"what!"

The face in the mirror told her that she could no longer disguise herself as a man; her future was over!

"Why...why did they swap my face! Go to hell!"

She was filled with resentment and regret—resentment towards herself, the Xie family, and everyone else. Of course, she hated Shang Lingjun the most.

If it weren't for her, my future wouldn't have been ruined!

Qu turned her face away and sighed again. She felt only exhaustion at the fact that the matter had been settled, and she didn't even have the strength to blame Xie Zhaoqing.

This "son" is completely ruined, and she has also suffered a great deal as a result.

Many people in the family knew that their daughter was pretending to be a boy, especially the fourth wife. I wonder what they were laughing at her behind her back.

If the third wife has no children and she has no children, how difficult will their lives be?

Thinking of this, Qu felt extremely agitated.

"Truly, truly? What sincerity could a lecherous playboy possibly have! If he truly cared, why would he try to whitewash himself by shifting all the blame onto us!"

Qu started cursing too late; Master Xie had already left and didn't hear her curses from behind.

Xie Zhaoqing was exhausted from crying and shouting. She just sat there on the bed, her gaze fixed and devoid of any light.

She slowly closed her throbbing eyes and said in a muffled voice:

"Mother, don't say that about him. It's better this way than both of them suffering together. At least his reputation is preserved."

Upon hearing this, Madam Qu became even more furious.

"You idiot, tell me, who came up with that idea for our wedding night?"

Xie Zhaoqing acted as if he hadn't heard, and asked again:

"Mother, why can't the Xie family grant me the status of a distant cousin?"

Madam Qu didn't know how to answer. If she were to be given the identity of a distant cousin, she would have to bribe countless people in the process. How could Old Madam Wei possibly go through all that trouble for her?

They changed his face and bones, then threw him into the Xiao family, thus severing all ties with the Xie family.

How convenient!

Qu Shi already harbored resentment towards Xiao Jing, and now she said with even more hatred:

"What else could it be? Xiao Jing personally set the conditions; he wants you to be his mistress!"

After saying that, she had no choice but to leave. Originally, she was not supposed to come and see Xie Zhaoqing one last time because she was angry, but after this parting, she probably would never see him again.

Let this be my final farewell to this good-for-nothing daughter.

After Qu left, Xie Zhaoqing slowly opened her eyes, repeatedly chewing on two words:

"The mistress, the mistress..."

Was this really Jinglang's idea?

……