Chapter 133: The Happy Life of Concubine Wang

After the recent string of controversies, the petitions for the impeachment of Shen Zhifeng had been unrelenting, leading to his suspension being upgraded to a permanent removal from office, leaving him with nothing but the empty title of Duke.

Consequently, the fake Shen Zhifeng had no need to venture out. He remained confined to the manor, making only brief, perfunctory appearances when paying his respects to the Old Madam. The Old Madam, long accustomed to such behavior, spent her days managing the household affairs and immersing herself in Buddhist prayers, never noticing that anything was amiss.

Furthermore, because Shen Qingyun had previously drugged the real Shen Zhifeng, he had been left frail and seldom left Concubine Wang’s courtyard. Now, the imposter only needed to move about the manor grounds to maintain the ruse.

The man posing as Shen Zhifeng had originally been a destitute bachelor. To now enjoy the daily comforts of a Duke—even if he couldn't flaunt it to the world—was enough to keep him supremely satisfied. To make matters better, he had a beautiful mistress like Wang Qingrui by his side.

At first, Wang Qingrui had been somewhat reserved, but after several days of close contact, her own desires began to stir. At night, as they lay together, the heat of their breathing and the proximity of their bodies made it impossible for them to restrain their mutual attraction. For the first time, Wang Qingrui discovered that the act could indeed be as her mother had described: lasting for nearly an hour, leaving her drenched in sweat, utterly exhausted, yet completely fulfilled.

As for the imposter, he had never had the opportunity to be so close to a beauty like Wang Qingrui—with her lovely features, smooth skin, and melodious voice—and he soon found himself hopelessly addicted. The two of them could spend days on end without leaving the courtyard, content to wallow in their intimate bubble.

Xiaoqiu, her maid, had been worried at first, but seeing no abnormalities after several days, she began to relax. While styling Wang Qingrui’s hair one morning, she couldn't help but remark, "Mistress, you seem to be growing more beautiful by the day."

Wang Qingrui giggled, "Really? I hadn't noticed."

She looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror. Though the image was somewhat hazy, her eyes were filled with a seductive, lingering charm, as if every glance dripped with passion. She looked like a flower bud in full bloom, radiating a vibrant, healthy glow. Wang Qingrui secretly marveled at how, despite the nightly exhaustion, she felt more radiant than ever. She cursed the useless, pathetic real Shen Zhifeng in her heart for almost ruining her life; fortunately, there had been a turn of events, and she prayed that the weakling would never return.

Xiaoqiu asked with a mix of anxiety and excitement, "Mistress, since you and the 'Duke' are so inseparable now, if you were to have a child, could he inherit the Dukedom?"

Wang Qingrui nodded, "That is only natural. It was all agreed upon with the Eldest Miss beforehand."

Xiaoqiu let out a sigh of relief but couldn't resist asking, "Then, where did the real Duke go?"

Wang Qingrui shot her a sharp look. "Xiaoqiu, don't ask what you shouldn't. Sometimes, knowing nothing is the safest path." Xiaoqiu nodded, finished pinning her hair, and said no more.

Wang Qingrui checked her reflection, satisfied, and set off to stroll through the gardens with "Shen Zhifeng." Occasionally, they would play the zither or paint in the study; they looked for all the world like a pair of star-crossed lovers.

Before long, the servants began to whisper among themselves: "Do you think the Duke has changed?"

"Indeed, his relationship with Concubine Wang is so affectionate and sweet. He was never like this when the Madam was around."

"True, it’s quite nice. Even the Master’s temper has become much gentler." They concluded that this must be the power of love.

Shen Qingyun remained indifferent to these developments, occasionally inquiring about the real Shen Zhifeng’s situation in the countryside. Pearl curled her lip, "I hear the Duke cannot handle the hardships of rural life. He refuses to eat and throws tantrums daily, only settling down after being forced to take medicine. Eventually, when they were starving, they had to make the Lady of Jiang Marquis cook. She had never done such a thing in her life and nearly burned the kitchen down. The local matrons couldn't bear to watch and ended up cooking for them."

Shen Qingyun sneered. That was nothing; they hadn't even been forced to work the fields, cut pig fodder on the mountains, or raise livestock. Real villagers certainly wouldn't have had matrons to help them. Yicui, knowing the real Shen Zhifeng had tried to poison the Madam, felt no sympathy for his plight. She smiled maliciously, "The Lady of Jiang Marquis can still move for now, but once her belly grows, won't the Duke have to wait on her hand and foot?"

Pearl laughed, "Tending to her for months only to realize the child isn't his—that will be quite the show!" Both maids looked forward to that day. Shen Zhifeng had lost everything, and his only hope was the child in the Lady of Jiang Marquis’s womb. If he discovered the truth, he would surely be driven to murder.

If they could see the real Shen Zhifeng now, they would surely be astonished. In just a few days, he had withered away, looking sallow and dressed in coarse hempen clothes, showing no trace of his former glory. He harbored a deep, poisonous hatred for Shen Qingyun, feeling not an ounce of remorse. He only regretted not strangling her as a child or forcing her to live a life of rural misery and torment.

Now, he could only pin his hopes on the Lady of Jiang Marquis giving birth to a son so he could find a chance to escape. He believed that once he made a comeback, he would make Shen Qingyun regret everything. However, he did not know that his hopes were destined to be dashed. Nor did he know that if he were to return to the manor, the person least likely to welcome him would not be Shen Qingyun, but Wang Qingrui.

Wang Qingrui was living her best life, her heart and body filled with happiness. She had completely accepted the "Shen Zhifeng" as the real Duke and treated him as her true husband. Their public displays of affection, however, eventually began to grate on the Old Madam.

To the Old Madam, Wang Qingrui was merely the daughter of a courtesan, someone taken in for her money. Seeing them now, it appeared that "Shen Zhifeng" had fallen deeply and irrevocably in love—the daughter of a vixen was indeed adept at seduction! This would not do; Wang Qingrui was unworthy of her son.

Thus, the Old Madam began to summon Concubine Wang daily to enforce strict rules, forcing her to serve her and finding various excuses to torment her. Yet, Wang Qingrui, despite her delicate appearance, was no pushover. When the Old Madam demanded tea, Wang Qingrui would "accidentally" spill it all over her. When ordered to wash the Old Madam's feet, she would fill the basin with boiling water, scalding the Old Madam so badly she couldn't walk for days. When the Old Madam ordered her to kneel as punishment, she would faint on the spot, ensuring "Shen Zhifeng" would rush in to carry her away.

The two were locked in a fierce battle, with Wang Qingrui usually emerging victorious. Pearl would spend her days eavesdropping and return to recount the tales vividly to Yicui and Shen Qingyun. However, as the Old Madam was, after all, Shen Zhifeng's mother, the increased contact began to reveal that something was inherently wrong.