Chapter 53
The Lan Shan Temple was located in a remote area, and there were not many pilgrims visiting on ordinary days.
Concubine Liu's carriage stopped at the back gate of the Lan Shan Temple.
Xiao Chuchu, wrapped in swaddling clothes, stared wide-eyed - [they were behind the Buddha statue closest to the entrance of the pilgrims' courtyard!]
Concubine Liu's heart almost turned to stone when she heard this.
This shameless man had the audacity to hide behind the Buddha statue and engage in an illicit affair!
Concubine Liu gritted her teeth and said, "I came to the Lan Shan Temple with my mother once before, and the pilgrims usually stay in the courtyard behind the main entrance Buddha statue. Follow me."
Min Rou's face was deathly pale as she glanced at the little princess in the swaddling clothes, then at the retreating back of Concubine Liu.
She quickly suppressed the turbulent emotions welling up in her heart and hurried to follow.
They soon reached the entrance of the pilgrims' courtyard.
It wasn't long before voices were heard from behind the prayer Buddha statue at the artificial hill.
"Zhou Liang, what do we do now? Your grandfather has been imprisoned, and he has committed such a dishonorable act against your wife. My parents will never allow me to marry into your family."
The delicate voice of the young woman was anxious.
Then came the soothing, mellow voice of a man.
"Linr, I truly love you. I have been arguing with my wife daily, and we no longer have any feelings for each other. I'm planning to divorce her. Who would have thought this would happen?"
"But the pressing matter now is that I cannot let you marry into the Zhou family and bear the scrutiny of others, nor the Emperor's wrath."
These words from the man caused the deathly pale Min Rou standing next to Concubine Liu to seethe with rage.
It was the voice of Zhou Muxin!
The same voice that had been constantly doting on her!
Even if reduced to ashes, she would never mistake it.
But what was he saying? That he and his wife had been arguing daily and no longer had any feelings for each other?
Who was it that had been kneeling before her, tearfully begging her not to leave the Zhou family, not to leave him?
"Linr, you are the only one in my heart and mind. Ah, but you know that if I divorce her at this time, the Emperor will hate the Zhou family even more, and everyone will think I'm just a despicable person trying to get rid of a wife who has been violated."
Min Rou clenched her fists, her whole body trembling with anger.
"But, Zhou Liang, I'm already carrying your child..." came the sobbing voice of the young woman.
Concubine Liu, Consort Min, and even Min Rou were all stunned to hear this.
The daughter of the Minister of Justice had already been intimate with Zhou Muxin and was now pregnant with his child!?
[Damn, I knew it, she was already pregnant. No wonder in the novel, Aunt Min Rou didn't pass away for long, less than three months later, Zhou Muxin married the Minister of Justice's daughter!]
[It's obvious, they conceived before marriage, and her belly couldn't be hidden anymore, so they had to hurry and get married.]
Little Xiao Chuchu was engrossed in the juicy gossip.
"Linr, this child... cannot be kept."
"Ah? But Zhou Liang, you didn't say that before! You said that since the Min clan had entered the Zhou household, they hadn't produced a son for seven years, and your mother was unhappy with her, planning to divorce her using the seven conditions. You said you couldn't stand her temperament and how she didn't serve your mother, and that you would divorce her and marry me as the new mistress at the start of the new year."
The Minister of Justice's daughter broke down in tears.
Concubine Liu was astounded.
This despicable man not only betrayed the woman, but also pretended to be a good person and deceived her openly!
"This vile man!" Consort Min's temper couldn't be contained, and she was about to charge forward, but a woman in an autumn-colored brocade robe, who looked to be of an advanced age, was faster.
She nimbly leaped up from behind the Buddha statue and slapped the burly man.
"You vile creature, struck by lightning and devoured by demons! How dare you deceive my daughter!"
"You scoundrel, your whole family is nothing but scoundrels, you deserve to be thrown in jail and executed!"
Shrieking and clawing wildly at the man behind the statue, this was none other than Lady Fang, the wife of the Minister of Justice!
"Mother, Mother... why are you here?" the Minister's daughter exclaimed in shock.
"Miss Fang? Lady Fang?" Zhou Muxin backed away, looking as if he had seen a ghost, his face scratched by her nails.
But as he retreated, he turned and saw his wife Min Rou, her chest heaving with indignation.
"Min Rou, what are you doing here too?" Zhou Muxin's face changed drastically.
"Zhou Muxin, from this day on, I am no longer connected to you in any way!" Min Rou declared resolutely, raising her head.
"No, not severed."
"I will request a lawyer to inform you, along with the lady of the Zhou household, that you conspired with my grandfather to harm my two daughters! In the bitter cold of winter, you submerged them in ice water!"
"I will also accuse you of deliberately allowing your grandfather to commit his indecent acts against me in the dead of night!"
She closed her eyes, now fully understanding the situation.
Did Zhou Muxin really not know about his grandfather's actions?
As the Captain of the Royal Guards, patrolling the city, how could he not be aware of his own grandfather's movements?
Zhou Muxin must have thought that since Min Rou couldn't give him a son and her family background was not as prestigious, he could wait for his grandfather to harm her, forcing her to commit suicide and vacate the position of the main wife.
Min Rou's eyes were burning with fury.
"Wait, let me explain!" The uniformed Zhou Muxin was now flustered.
Without the protection of Zhou Wuxin, the Zhou family no longer had any officials above the fifth rank.
But Min Rou was favored by the Emperor and was the intimate confidante of the beloved Concubine Liu.
Zhou Muxin's plan had changed - he no longer intended to marry the Minister's daughter, and now thought Min Rou would be better.
"I am the child's father, how could I harm the child? What are you talking about? I only want you to stay, I don't want you to leave me."
"Listen to me, I have no relationship with the Miss Fang, she is the one who is being presumptuous and falsely accusing me."
Miss Fang fainted upon hearing this.
Lady Fang was so enraged that she stomped her feet, wanting to tear Zhou Muxin's mouth apart.
But Zhou Muxin took a step back to avoid her, then knelt in front of Min Rou.
"Mother said that a little ice water would only give the child a cold for a few days, and then it would be fine. This was Mother's idea, I couldn't persuade her not to do it, it has nothing to do with me--"
SLAP!
Before he could finish, Min Rou slapped him across the face.
The bystanders were all stunned.
Was this the admirable husband they had praised before?
He was truly despicable!
"Zhou Daren, stop your sophistry, just wait for your imprisonment." Concubine Liu sneered coldly.
Zhou Muxin was drenched in sweat, bewildered and at a loss.
How had he been exposed? How had Concubine Liu found out?
*
A small farmhouse in the suburbs of the capital.
The Emperor had asked the officials to rest, and the imperial censor Hong Xing secretly approached Lord Fang, the Minister of Justice.
But just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by a servant rushing in from the Fang household.
After whispering something to Lord Fang, the latter's expression turned grim.
"What's wrong? Is there trouble at home?" The imperial censor Hong Xing, who was trying to persuade Lord Fang to support the Empress's faction, asked with feigned concern.
Suddenly, a cup of hot tea was thrown in his face!
"Aah!" Hong Xing jumped up, scalded by the tea. "What are you doing?"
Lord Fang pointed at him angrily, his body trembling. "What am I doing?"
"I, Fang, swear that from this day on, I am your mortal enemy!"
He had only one daughter!
And she had been violated by the Zhou family faction!
Lord Fang angrily snatched the guard's sword, cut off his own sleeve, and threw it to the ground.
"From now on, I renounce our alliance!"
"This is to repay the kindness that Old Mr. Tong showed me all those years ago!"
Hong Xing stared in disbelief, wiping the tea water off his face. "You, you—"
Before he could question further, Emperor Xiao Yunzhou had already turned his gaze towards them.
Lord Fang, the Minister of Justice, immediately knelt before the Emperor.
Bowing his head to the ground!
"Your Majesty, I beg you to do justice for my young daughter!"
"The son of Zhou WuXin, a model student raised by the Empress's father, has deceived and humiliated my unmarried daughter!"