Third Madam Qin brought her personal wet nurse and entered the small courtyard. The Zhou Family guards who were originally guarding the place had been restrained by the Qin Family people outside.
In the small courtyard, withered yellow leaves were scattered all over the ground. All the way here, there was no sign of any servants or maids in the yard.
The whole yard was desolate and silent without any vitality.
When they reached the front of the main room, the heart-wrenching coughs continued to emanate from inside, tightly grabbing Third Madam Qin's heart.
Pushing open the door, the first thing they saw was a bed in front.
On the left side of the room was a small Buddhist shrine with a pillow on the floor below.
On the right side of the room was a small dining table, and next to the dining table was a simple dressing table with only a small copper mirror on it.
At first glance, apart from these pieces of furniture, there was no other decorative item, the empty room looked shabby.
The sound of the opening door startled the two people by the bed in front.
At this moment, Qin Chuqin's face was pale. She was half lying in bed with one hand holding a silk handkerchief, covering the corner of her mouth, and kept coughing.
She was wearing a thick cotton jacket, with a thick quilt covering her legs. Although it was just autumn, she was so afraid of cold, obviously her body was extremely weak.
Qin Chuqin’s steward mammy was standing by her young mistress’s side, half bent over.
With one hand gently patting the young mistress’s back and the other hand holding a bowl of water, feeding the young mistress a sip from time to time to relieve her coughing.
She was Third Madam Qin’s most capable maid who accompanied the young lady in marriage. Her name was Suyun. When the young lady got married, Third Madam Qin brought her and her whole family to the Zhou Family.
Now except for her waiting upon the young lady, the others were helping the young lady manage the estate she brought in her marriage.
Hearing the creaking sound of the door, the two looked over and saw it was the young lady’s mother (old madam).
The steward mammy was overjoyed to find support and pleaded, "Madam, please save the young lady!"
Mrs. Qin quickly came to her daughter's side. Seeing her daughter's pale complexion due to illness, Mrs. Qin felt heartbroken and resentful.
"Mother, why did you come?"
Seeing her daughter like this, she couldn’t bear to scold her. She gently explained, "I sent someone to the Zhou house to invite you out, but they were all dismissed. So I asked your sister-in-law to come and take a look. Your young aunt secretly told your sister-in-law about your current situation before I came here with the Qin guards.”
"Daughter has made mother worry."
"I know you made me worry, yet you still torment yourself like this."
After speaking, she turned to ask the mammy, "Suyun, how long has Ah Qin been like this?”
"Nearly half a month."
"So long? Is it that old witch Madam Zhou or that little bastard Zhou Wenxuan who did it?"
"It was the young master. He had an argument with the young lady, not only did he beat the young lady, but he also locked the young lady up without allowing anyone to be in contact with her. Even when she was ill, he didn't allow her to see a doctor."
"What happened that it turned out like this?"
"Mother, it's nothing. It was just a small conflict with him that day." Qin Chuqin quickly interrupted to explain.
Hearing the young lady say so, the mammy did not dare to say more.
"Even at this point you still don't tell the truth. Even if it was just a small conflict as you said, how dare Zhou Wenxuan treat you like this?"
"Tell me honestly what happened."
"Mother, really nothing. We just had an ordinary quarrel between husband and wife."
"I'm really going to be angered to death by you. Why did I rush over here with so many people, just for your one sentence of ordinary quarrel?"
"Look at you now, what have you become? Do you know that if I don't come again, you may die in the Zhou Family."
When she thought about it, Third Madam Qin was still scared afterwards. She tried her best to calm herself down and compromised, “Alright, you don’t need to say it either. But today, you must come back to the Qin house with me no matter what. You can't stay in this Zhou house anymore."
"Suyun, go and pack up for your young lady. She's coming back with me to the Qin house.”
“Yes, Madam.”
As the group arrived at the courtyard gate, the Zhou Family had sent many guards to surround the Qin guards heavily. The two forces were now confrontational, like drawn daggers.
When the Qin family people charged directly into the main gate of Zhou house from the front gate, they had already alerted the mistress of the Zhou house, Qin Chuqin’s mother-in-law, Minister Zhou’s legitimate wife, the old witch in Third Madam Qin’s words.
Madam Zhou’s confidant saw Third Madam Qin come out from the yard, followed by the eldest young madam and her wet nurse. He quickly went up to Third Madam Qin, paid his respects and said, "Third Madam Qin, my lady has invited you. Please come this way."
"Quite a pretentious stand. That's good. I also want to settle scores with her. Lead the way."
So the group once again came to the main hall of Zhou house.
Madam Zhou was sitting at the top seat in the hall, having waited for a long time.
Third Madam Qin was not polite at all and sat directly opposite Madam Zhou. She said,
"Mother-in-law really puts on quite some airs. My legitimate granddaughter of the Minister's Mansion has been so trampled by you all. Has my Qin Family fallen yet!"
"Sister-in-law jests. How dare we provoke the granddaughter of Minister Qin? It was just a quarrel between the young couple. Where does trampling come from?”
"She's so ill that she almost died, yet you didn't even allow her to see a doctor. Huh, to say trampling is still too light. If anything happened, I would sue you all for deliberate harm and murder."
"Sister-in-law, words should not be spoken carelessly. It is just a minor cough. Why make it sound so serious?"
"You are still as shameless and sinister as before. Today I'll make it clear. My Ah Qin will divorce your family."
"Humph. Your Qin family’s daughter has been married to my Zhou family for five years but hasn’t given birth to any children. This has delayed my Zhou family from having a proper heir until now. Being able to tolerate her sitting in the position of the Eldest Young Madam of Zhou house for so long is just because she is lucky to be from the Minister's mansion."
"Still thinking of the position of the Eldest Young Madam of Zhou house? The place she lives doesn’t even have a servant. Who still wants it? Bring that little beast of yours here and sign the divorce papers with me today. From now on, they will have nothing to do with each other ever again.”
"Divorce is impossible. It can only be demotion to concubine.”
"What other families are willing to marry a barren woman except my Zhou house?"
"You..." Third Madam Qin was rendered speechless in anger.
"Today you brought many guards to break into my Zhou house and used violence. I can let bygones be bygones. Now you can leave. Whenever you want to come and get the demotion book, let me know in advance." Madam Zhou pointed at Qin Chuqin.
"Wishful thinking."
As the two women were arguing fiercely, a Zhou servant’s voice came from outside, "Madam, Young Master and Qin Family Second Young Master have arrived.”
Zhou Wenxuan and Qin Chuyuan walked in one after the other from outside to Madam Zhou and Third Madam Qin and paid their respects.
"Mother.”
"Madam Zhou."
Third Madam Qin saw her son arrive and said to her son, "Ah Yuan, you have to stand up for your sister.”
"Don't worry, Mother.”
He turned to look at Qin Chuqin again, his eyes deep and unpredictable. Qin Chuqin knew her younger brother was very angry now.
"Sister, get a divorce."
"No, I don't agree." Zhou Wenxuan said excitedly beside them.
"Yes, you can’t divorce, only demote to concubine.” Madam Zhou immediately supplemented.
"I don’t agree to demote her to concubine either." Zhou Wenxuan said.
“You! How did I give birth to a muddleheaded son like you? Look at her, ever since this woman married into our Zhou family, she has caused unrest. What is there worth keeping her for?!”
"Mother, I... Anyway, I won't divorce nor demote her."
Qin Chuyuan sat in his seat with his eyes downcast, quietly fiddling with the ring on his finger, and coldly added, "The annual military and political assessment is over, and quite a few positions are now vacant. I can still have some influence in front of His Majesty.”
Yet in such a short sentence, he successfully grabbed the ‘lifeline’ of the other party, leaving them unable to refute.
"Mother, sister, let's go. I guess they still need some time to consider it.” After saying that, he walked outwards.
"Humph. We’re leaving." Third Madam Qin said with satisfaction.
Watching the Qin people leave, Madam Zhou was furious but had nowhere to vent it.
Compared to the conflict between Qin and Zhou families, far away at the frontier was Gong Xiaohua, who was also in trouble, that is, what to do with the more than 5,000 prisoners of war from Wei Country before negotiating with Wei Country?
