It Was A Fake Marriage, But Jiu Qian Sui Took It Seriously - Chapter 10

Shen Qing Li slightly bows and steps down.

“A few days ago, I accidentally saw Jiang Zhi Li and his cousin Lu Ci in an intimate act in an alley near Yumanlou. From their conversation, it was clear they had been involved with each other for a long time. I immediately told my grandmother that I wanted to break off the engagement, but she didn’t agree and said she needed to investigate.”

“I knew breaking off an engagement wasn’t a trivial matter and wouldn’t happen quickly, so I decided to wait. That day, I overheard my Aunt Lu scolding Jiang Zhi Li, telling him to apologize to me. She said he needed to marry me to get the property my grandfather and my father left me, and once he had it, he could do whatever he wanted.”

Everyone knew Shen Qing Li was wealthy. Her grandfather, Shen Wanchang, was rich enough to support an army, and some even suspected that her father, Shen Zhong, bought his military rank with money until he proved himself with numerous achievements. Shen Qing Li, being his only daughter, had an unimaginable dowry.

The Marquis of Yongwang’s mansion, despite its disagreement, was still a noble family with a title passed down for three generations. They wouldn’t openly covet a woman’s dowry.

The crowd exchanged glances, looking at the old lady Lu and Lu Shi with disdain.

The Marquis of Yongwang hid in the room, cursing the old lady Lu for making things worse. If they had handled it privately, they could have saved their face.

Shen Qing Li continued, “I was grateful to the Marquis’s mansion for taking me in and my mother, so I didn’t want to cause trouble. I just wanted to break off the engagement. But my aunt kept refusing, and my mother was seriously ill. I didn’t want to worry her.”

“Yesterday, my mother’s condition suddenly worsened. I stayed up all night with her. This morning, my aunt called me to my grandmother’s place, where she told me to marry Jiang Zhi Li immediately. She was worried that if my mother passed away, I would have to mourn for three years, delaying the marriage.”

Hearing this, Jun Mo Ran’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the old lady Lu with a look that could freeze her to death.

How dare this old woman bully her like this?

The Marquis of Yongwang, clearly aware of the situation, kneeled behind the door, sweating profusely.

“Your Highness, I, Shin Qing Li, may be just a woman, but I know the meaning of shame. Jiang Zhi Li only wants my dowry, and the Marquis’s mansion disregards my mother’s health to force me to marry. I will never marry into such a family.”

Shen Qing Li bowed; her words are clear and firm.

The courtyard fell silent.

After a while, Minister Xu spoke angrily.

“Madam Lu, you said Lady Shin offended the Duke out of selfishness and asked me to testify. What selfishness?”

“Yingwan, Qing Li’s mother may be an illegitimate daughter, but everyone has seen the money she has contributed to the Marquis’s mansion over the years. Now, her life is uncertain, and you force her daughter like this… it’s disgraceful.”

Lu Shi remained silent, her face turning pale. She didn’t know when Shen Qing Li had overheard her words, leading to this situation. She had never been so criticized.

The old lady Lu, having lived longer, quickly adapted and choked up, “It’s hard to be a stepmother. When Shen Wan brought her daughter to seek refuge, I took them in without hesitation. This marriage was also suggested by Wan. Zhi li is the future heir, and I agreed out of pity for Wan.”

“Now, according to Qing Li, it seems I covet her dowry. Being so slandered, I feel like dying,” the old lady Lu said.

The engagement could be broken, but she couldn’t admit to coveting her granddaughter-in-law’s dowry, or they would never be able to hold their heads up in Shengjing again.

At this moment, Madam Lu deeply regretted inviting Minister Xu. If it had been just their own family, it would have been easier to handle.

“As for what you said about Zhi Li and Ci’er, I’ve never heard him mention it. Maybe you saw it wrong. We can’t just take your word for it and convict my grandson.”

Lu Shi immediately added, “Yes, yes, you must have been jealous seeing them close in the mansion. Ci’er has always had a good relationship with Zhi Li, but it’s always been proper. How could you make up such malicious lies to harm him?”

“If the Duke doesn’t believe it, call Zhi Li and ask him.”

In such matters without evidence, it depended on whom people believed. Most of the people present were from the Marquis’s family, so Shen Qing Li is at a disadvantage.

At this point, if the Marquis of Yongwang didn’t speak up, he would lose all credibility in the capital.

He knelt and crawled out from behind the door. “Jiu Qian Sui, we can’t just listen to one side. If we’re breaking off the engagement, both parties need to be present.”

Jun Mo Ran looked at the crowd with a faint smile. “That’s right.”

“Is everyone from the Marquis’s mansion here? Where is Jiang Zhi Li? Step forward and speak.”

Only then did people realize Jiang Zhi Li was not among them.

“Zhi Li might still be studying in his room. He has a habit of studying every morning.” Lu Shi made an excuse for Jiang Zhi Li, but her heart was pounding with a bad premonition.

Jun Mo Ran signaled to Yun Sheng, who then left.

“Actually, I came here today with a question,” Jun Mo Ran said.

The Marquis of Yongwang was delighted. He knew that the Jian Qian Sui couldn’t have come just for Shen Qing Li. There must be something he needed from the Marquis’s mansion, using Shen Qing Li’s matter as a pretext.

He straightened his back and spoke more confidently, “Jian Qian Sui, please give your orders. The Marquis’s mansion will do anything for you.”

Before he could finish, he saw Yun Sheng bringing in two people.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Was that… Zhi Li?

Jiang Zhi Li was reeked with alcohol, looked terrified, and was disheveled, as if he had been dragged out of bed. The woman beside him was Lu Ci, equally disheveled.

Seeing their state, it was easy to guess what they had been doing.

The women in the courtyard blushed and looked away.

The Marquis of Yongwang turned pale, sensing something bad.

Jun Mo Ran said, “This morning, while I was having breakfast at the inn, I heard loud noises from the next room, disturbing my mood. I ordered my men to capture them and feed them to my dogs. The man claimed to be the grandson of the Marquis of Yongwang.”

He paused and looked at the Marquis with a smile. “I came to the mansion to ask. If he’s your grandson, find a way to redeem him; if not, I’ll feed him to my dogs.”

“Marquis, do you… recognize him?”

Before the Marquis could speak, Lu Shi cried and rushed to Jiang Zhi Li, “Yes, yes, he’s my son Zhi Li. Please, Jiu Qian Sui, spare him.”

Lu Shi and Jiang Zhi Li cried together, while the elders in the courtyard couldn’t hold back.

“Disgraceful behavior in broad daylight, truly shameful for a scholar.”

“With his future mother-in-law’s life uncertain, Jiang Zhi Li still dared to indulge. How can he live with his conscience?”

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed Jiang Zhi Li could become such a person.”