Chapter 481: Marriage of the Dead, a Woman Who Remained Unmarried After the Death of Her Betrothed (IV)

Everyone wanted to live. Shangguan Wan was no exception.

However, having endured months of misery, she would rather die than go back.

“Are we going to the north to look for Brother Lanting?”

Ever since they had agreed to head north together, it was as if Shangguan Wan had been relieved of a heavy burden. She became lively.

“Yes.” Jiang Nongqin nodded and added, “The journey will be quite dangerous. You must be mentally prepared.”

Shangguan Wan had heard tell of the situation in the north. She was aware that there was a tangled warfare between the Tsing Yi Army and the Red Lotus Group there, but could it be more terrifying than the Zhang residence?

Her eyes dimmed. With a firm expression on her face, she said, “Don’t worry. I’m not afraid.”

They should depart sooner rather than later. The troops were scheduled to leave in another two days, which was three days earlier than what they had originally planned.

Shangguan Wan had hidden in the soldiers’ camp for half a year. At first, she was a bit daunted. Her mood was unstable and her body was very weak as well. After that, Jiang Nongqin took her to learn some martial arts to strengthen her body. Furthermore, Shangguan Wan had a certain degree of foundation, so she was a fast learner.

In addition to killing and capturing, she now had the ability to protect herself, at least.

Zhang Zhaoshi felt wronged at the Liu residence, so she complained tearfully to her husband when she returned home and embellished her story.

She initially thought that her husband would help her for the sake of their dead son, but he slapped Zhang Zhaoshi in the face instead.

That was all right. He even rebuked her for being shallow. He wanted to drag her to the Liu residence right away to offer them their apologies.

Zhang Zhaoshi was baffled. Fuming with rage, she cried, “Why should I apologize to an unchaste woman? Gu Zhen isn’t a decent person and she changes her loyalty frequently. Could it be that you’re seduced by her too? She’s hiding that brat, Shangguan Wan, in her residence. Do you want to let our son turn in his grave?!”

Zhang Zhaoshi’s husband was bewildered. He did not know when his wife had become so unreasonable.

He smirked and spoke slowly, “You’re asking me why? She was born to a distinguished and notable family and her husband is the county magistrate of Chongzhou. That’s why. In today’s world, you won’t be able to stay alive if people want you dead. Do you get it? On the other hand, what do you have? Let’s not argue about whether she’s been hiding our daughter-in-law. The key thing is, do you have any evidence? Where are the witnesses and material evidence? You don’t have anything, but you dare to knock on their door and ask for our daughter-in-law? What a cunning act!”

Zhang Zhaoshi wanted to refute, but her husband added, “Avoid having contact with the second wife of the Shangguan family in the future. Look at how disgusting you are now. I turn a blind eye whenever you torture our daughter-in-law at home, hoping that you won’t go overboard. Although the Shangguan family doesn’t pet her anymore, she’s still a part of that family. How dare you torture her to death?”

Zhang Zhaoshi opened her mouth and only spoke with deep embarrassment after a while. “I’m her mother-in-law.”

Her husband sneered. “She has already written a divorce letter which has been approved by the officials. How are you her mother-in-law? You’ve neither given birth to her nor raised her. What rights do you have to decide her life and death? Just because you’re carrying those few books around every day crazily? If you have the time, read some philosophical books and read less of these crooked trash books.”

It was not that Zhang Zhaoshi’s husband thought that the Four Self-accomplishment Classics for Women was bad. It was just because his mother was also a woman who had remarried. If he approved of the Four Self-accomplishment Classics for Women, was he not criticizing his senile mother?

Observing the absentminded look on Zhang Zhaoshi’s face, he pouted, flourished his sleeves, and left.

It was as if Zhang Zhaoshi had suddenly broken down. She looked like she was about to cry.

Her husband insisted that she apologize to Gu Zhen. If she disagreed, she would have a hard time in the residence in the future.

The son she gave birth to was ill and a naturally impotent man. However, the sons that her husband’s mistresses gave birth to were all smart and healthy. Because of this, her husband felt that it was all Zhang Zhaoshi’s fault that his son was deformed. He rarely visited her in her room ever since his son was born.

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She did not get pregnant, but her husband’s mistresses kept giving birth to children instead.

Early morning the next day, the troops were already fully equipped for the journey and ready to leave. Before they left, Madam Gu Zhen invited Shangguan Wan to witness something interesting.

Shangguan Wan looked incredulously at the ordinary and unfamiliar woman in the mirror. She deeply felt the magic of Madam Gu Zhen’s hands.

“My sister taught me. It’s a good craft indeed,” the Second lady said in a dull tone.

“I wonder what is it that you want me to see?” Shangguan Wan asked.

The Second lady replied, “You’ll know about it later. Wait behind the screen and just watch the show.”

Not long after, the concierge came to inform that Zhang Zhaoshi had arrived.

Shangguan Wan subconsciously tensed up and clenched her fists tightly.

“Mrs. Zhang, what a rare guest. What brings you here?” The Second lady’s voice penetrated through the screen and rang in Shangguan Wan’s ears. She continued mystifyingly, “Your Young Lady isn’t here. Are you going to get people to comb my residence by force again today?”

After a while, Shangguan Wan heard the familiar voice of her ex-mother-in-law.

Her usual tartness and meanness were replaced with flattery. She acted meekly and subserviently. One could not imagine how arrogant she was in the Zhang residence at all… Now… Shangguan Wan secretly bit her lower lip. All she heard was Zhang Zhaoshi’s flattery and apology towards the Second lady and how she intimately addressed the Second lady as ‘Mrs. Liu’. She felt strangely exhilarated.

The Second lady reacted aloofly. She only impatiently responded with a sentence when Mrs. Zhang had spoken many words.

Although the Second lady slighted her, Mrs. Zhang still flattered her cautiously.

After listening to a bunch of laudatory words, the Second lady finally spared and dismissed Mrs. Zhang, who felt like she had been granted amnesty.

Shangguan Wan only stepped out from behind the screen quietly when the people from the Zhang residence had left completely.

The Second lady said, “Have you heard what she just said clearly?”

Shangguan Wan nodded. “Yes, I have.”

The Second lady took a sip of tea. The bright red rouge on her lips was still gorgeous. She parted her lips slightly.

“In terms of prestige and status in Hejian, the Liu family is not that much superior to the Zhang family. However, you’ve seen how she acted just now. Why did the old woman act meekly and subserviently and flatter me so much? Take a guess.”

Shangguan Wan pondered. “Is it because of Uncle Liu?”

“It’s not because of my brother-in-law, but because of the military force that’s under my brother-in-law’s control.” The Second lady continued with a smile, “Wan’er, it feels like I’ve known you for a long time. I take pity on what you’ve gone through, so I’ll say a few more words. If you have command over the military power one day, those people will flatter you brazenly. You won’t be bullied only if you’re strong. All external forces are unreliable. You can only rely on yourself now.”

Shangguan Wan was the daughter born of the legal wife of the Shangguan family. She used to be the most prestigious aristocratic lady whom no one dared to provoke in Hejian because she was favored by the Shangguan family, so everyone was afraid of the forces behind her.

However, when Shangguan Wan’s family was no longer fond of her, she was trampled on and harshly treated to the point that she almost committed suicide.

The Second lady had made her point clear. Shangguan Wan was bright, so she understood what she meant.

However… she was just a woman. Could she really do that?