After sharing a body with her husband

Princess Shuyue did not cover up for the Earl's mansion; in fact, she seemed to imply that she was blaming them.

So a perfectly good tea-picking activity ended abruptly because of the venomous snakes lurking in the tea mountains. The young ladies and gentlemen were all quite frightened and went down the mountain one after another. Some of the more timid ones even said goodbye.

Meanwhile, Shang Lingjun's "renown" for encountering a poisonous snake and killing it with a single stab also spread.

Sir and Mrs. Wede repeatedly apologized to the guests, trying to calm them down and saying that it was just a "slippery fish," but to little avail.

If one fish escapes the net, there's a possibility that two might escape as well.

They don't have Shang Lingjun's ability to kill a poisonous snake with a single stab. If they were bitten, they would die instantly!

Therefore, everyone had long lost interest in sightseeing in the tea mountains, and a grand feast was ruined just like that.

I heard that the lord was furious and wanted to thoroughly investigate the people who were working in the tea plantation. How could a venomous snake have been missed?

As for the results of the investigation, Shang Lingjun had no idea. She pretended to faint and left. Granny Qiu had already taken her leave and returned home, without meeting with the Duke and his wife.

They did speak a lot with their eldest sister-in-law, Murong, mostly apologizing.

Once the matter of the venomous snake became public, Song Yunyi's little affair seemed insignificant and no one paid any attention to it.

Pei Zhiying and Xiao Jing had also heard about the snakes on the mountain.

When Xie Zhaoqing heard that Shang Lingjun had encountered a poisonous snake, he was secretly delighted for a long time. However, when he heard that not only was she unharmed, but she had also killed the snake, he was furious and cursed.

There was another person, Xie Ruoqiu, who couldn't sit still after hearing about it and rushed to Shang Lingjun to explain that she hadn't done it!

But the Xie family's carriage had already returned home, and she was anxious and restless, so she planned to visit her parents' home again after returning to the capital.

Inside the carriage, Shang Lingjun slowly opened her eyes. She kept wondering who had released the poisonous snake.

Song Yunyi's reaction just now didn't seem like something she would do, but maybe it was just her superb acting skills.

Although she kept saying that the Earl's mansion would not harm people on their own territory, there are often poisonous snakes in the mountains, and such accidents are unavoidable. If someone dies, then they are really dead.

[That's strange, why would Song Yunyi want to harm me?]

Shang Lingjun couldn't understand what she had done to offend Song Yunyi.

Just then, two men rode by on horseback, chatting idly.

"Brother Lu, don't be discouraged. Something happened in the tea mountain today, and we didn't get to see Miss Song. We'll find another opportunity another day."

The man addressed as Brother Lu scoffed lightly.

"It's like I can't live without her. She doesn't want to, but her father is willing to take me as his son-in-law. It's an arranged marriage! And this widow is putting on airs."

"If it weren't for the family business requiring me to come to Shengjing, I wouldn't have bothered coming! Once we're married, I'll see how I deal with her!"

"That's true, but didn't she not consummate her marriage with the previous one? She's still a virgin. If she could have a nobleman as her father-in-law, Brother Lu, your future would be limitless. Don't forget me when you become rich and powerful."

"Shh, keep your voice down!"

As if they had spotted the Xie family's carriage, they coughed twice and stopped chatting, instead speeding up and leaving the Xie family's carriage far behind in the blink of an eye.

Shang Lingjun lifted the carriage curtain, her pupils filled with disbelief. She took a soft breath, then let out a cold laugh.

So that's how it is!

【I see. 】

What?

Shang Lingjun raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember Qingzhi saying that the Earl of Weide's mansion is short of money and is now looking for a husband for Song Yunyi, specifically choosing men from merchant families?"

"I remember," Huo Chuan said.

Shang Lingjun then said:

[Qingzhi also said that Song Yunyi would rather die than agree. I remember someone saying at the Spring Festival banquet that Xie Yan'an had a fortune of millions, a real tycoon! The Earl's mansion and the Xie family should be a good match, a cripple marrying a widow, it's a fitting union.]

Shang Lingjun scoffed.

[I knew it! Song Yunyi was so warm to me, but look at her today, she clearly had ulterior motives and even instigated Princess Shuyue to gang up on me.]

I reckon that the venomous snake was most likely the work of the Earl's mansion. Even if it wasn't Song Yunyi, it was someone else. If I die, she'll take over, and all of Xie Yan'an's private wealth will go to her. What a clever scheme!

Finally, she figured everything out, and the clouds parted to reveal the sun. The doubts that had been lingering in her heart for so long were finally explained.

There are so many people who want to harm her, including Xie Zhaoqing and Song Yunyi.

Fortunately, Xie Zhaoqing is currently in a hurry to elevate his own status, so he has neither the time nor the ability to harm her. At most, he can only instigate Qu Shi and Xie Ruoqiu.

Xie Zhaoqing is currently incapable, but Song Yunyi is!

One after another, it never ends!

【…】

Huo Chuan remained silent, his anger burning like oil-soaked cotton wool.

He blamed himself for his incompetence, for he had put Ati in danger because of him, yet he could do nothing about it.

"I'm sorry, Ati, it's my fault..." he murmured.

He's now eagerly anticipating the next full moon night, hoping that his wishes will come true.

Shang Lingjun was in a bad mood when Huo Chuan suddenly said that, so she replied:

This is none of your business, and besides, I can handle it myself.

Shang Lingjun rubbed her temples in annoyance.

[This is really strange. What is it about Xie Yan'an that makes him so attractive? Even though he's paralyzed in bed, people still care about him. He's just a young man. How much money could he possibly have?]

How could a noble earl's mansion be so interested in them? If they were interested, why didn't they act sooner? They only thought of me after I was married! They're all out of their minds!

Shang Lingjun cursed inwardly, then looked up at Granny Qiu and Mother Liang, her eyes darting around before she said:

"Mothers, are you aware of Song Yunyi's situation?"

Mother Liang remained silent, only glancing at Granny Qiu. Granny Qiu paused, then asked:

"Is Madam referring to the marriage of Miss Song, the Sixth Young Lady?"

Shang Lingjun hummed in agreement.

"It seems the Earl's mansion is really short of money, willing to do anything to secure a dowry for the groom's family through their daughter's marriage. The eldest son of a merchant family must be extremely wealthy, right?"

Although Granny Qiu didn't know why Shang Lingjun suddenly asked this, a slight, disdainful smile appeared on her lips.

"Although it's called a son-in-law selection, it's still rather unpleasant to hear about the legitimate daughter of a noble family marrying a man from a merchant family."

But others would only say that Miss Song was unlucky, because she was a widow. The old matriarch said, "We won't discuss other people's affairs."

Shang Lingjun understood. Therefore, even if Song Yunyi were to find a husband, the outside world would only say that it was because she was a widow.

As for the evaluation of Count and Countess Wede, with just a little manipulation, people would say that the couple had good intentions, that they were looking for a son-in-law to protect their daughter from hardship, and that finding someone from a humble background would be a good support for her.

Wonderful.

Shang Lingjun's eyes darkened, and she hinted meaningfully:

"But Song Yunyi was unwilling. In fact, there are plenty of wealthy young men from prominent families in the capital. Why insist on finding a merchant? It would be so unpleasant to hear about it."

Perhaps Song Yunyi's refusal to marry, even at the cost of her life, stemmed from a love that already belonged to someone else. Finding a wealthy and suitable husband would allow her to save face while gaining money—wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?

Granny Qiu looked up in surprise, a vague doubt rising in her heart. She looked at Mother Liang and saw that Mother Liang was also deep in thought, so she knew that the two of them had the same idea.

Granny Qiu and Mother Liang exchanged glances, both pondering the same thing.

Seeing this, Shang Lingjun lowered her eyes and said nothing more.

That's enough.

Regardless, she was indeed nearly attacked by a venomous snake at the tea banquet hosted by the Earl's mansion, and it was clear that someone had framed her. She was now very curious about what the Earl's mansion would do next.

What will Old Madam Wei's reaction be when she finds out?