Chapter 1653: No One Had Ever Dared to Humiliate Her Like This

"One hundred thousand taels, why don't you go rob someone!"

Marchioness Zhang's anger surged, realizing the other party was playing with her. She darkened her face and asked angrily: "What exactly do you want to do? What relationship do you have with Zhu San that you would go to such lengths?"

Chen Guanlou smiled half-heartedly. "That is also what I want to ask you. Are you unable to find a scapegoat that you must find Zhu San? How did Zhu San offend you that you would go to such lengths to frame him?"

"Nonsense! I didn't frame him. The Ministry of Justice arrested him because he killed someone; he is guilty!"

"It's already come to this, and you are still being stubborn; this is meaningless. I came here representing only myself, not the Six Shanmen, and certainly not the Ministry of Justice. So, you don't have to worry about me betraying you."

Chen Guanlou had some sincerity, but not much.

He wanted to persuade Marchioness Zhang, but seeing her agitated state, he gave up.

Women like Marchioness Zhang were quite stubborn; they had their own logic for doing things. It couldn't be changed by external forces.

Rather than persuade, it was better to threaten.

"You are a jealous person, not allowing your husband to take concubines. To this day, Master Mei the Eldest has only one son and one daughter. There was once a son by a concubine who died of a fever before he was a year old. Since then, Master Mei the Eldest has rarely visited your room; I am not wrong, am I?"

"Shut up! I told you to shut up!" Marchioness Zhang was furious, her expression ferocious. "My family affairs have nothing to do with you. I married down into the Mei family, bringing the Mei family resources and connections they never dared to dream of; what right does he have to be dissatisfied?"

Chen Guanlou chuckled. "Loving and not obtaining, how pitiful!"

"Shut up! You don't understand anything; you only know how to spout nonsense." Marchioness Zhang screamed in a frenzy, losing control of her emotions, on the verge of going crazy.

Chen Guanlou ignored her and continued, "Your son has average talent for studying, yet the Mei family is a traditional family of scholars, and the sons of the family all take the imperial examination as the proper path. Because your son is not good at studying, he is not liked by Old Master Mei. On the contrary, the two boys from the Mei family's second branch have great talent for studying and have already successfully passed the imperial examination as scholars, and even the teachers at the academy are praising them. You must be very jealous, right? Even your husband likes the two nephews from the second branch more. You are jealous!"

"I am jealous!? What a joke! What does the second branch have that is worth my jealousy? Even if my son doesn't take the imperial examination, he can still become an official."

If she hadn't been gritting her teeth while saying this, it would have been more convincing.

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Even the girl from the second branch is prettier and more sensible than your own daughter. You must hate it to death, right? However, the Mei family's second branch also has its dissatisfactions, and that is that Third Miss Mei knows she is beautiful and is outgoing and strong-willed, with thoughts of climbing high. Because she was managed by her elders, she appeared to be well-behaved on the surface, but in reality, her heart was restless. Until you discovered Third Miss Mei's thoughts, and so you privately lured her, bewitched her..."

"A pack of lies!" Marchioness Zhang denied it flatly. "I hate the second branch? Besides having two boys who can study, what does the second branch have that is worth my jealousy? Chen Guanlou, don't use your vicious mind to speculate about me."

"Is it really speculation? You think we came to see you without any preparation? How could that be? Before coming, we had already investigated the Mei family. Marchioness Zhang, now that it has come to this, why not have a good chat? Don't worry, I won't expose you; after all, you are not the one who killed the person. You were just pushing the boat with the current."

Marchioness Zhang was silent.

Chen Guanlou scoffed; she refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!

"If you don't say it, I can only tell the truth to the Mei family's second branch. At that time, what will Master Mei the Eldest do? Will he choose to divorce you?"

"Shut up! Presumptuous! You cannot do that. The truth is that Zhu San was moved by lust and killed the Third Girl; it has nothing to do with me." Marchioness Zhang shouted with a ferocious face.

Chen Guanlou spread his hands, too lazy to argue. "Two choices: now I leave, and tonight the Mei family will know the truth; you take care of yourself. The second choice, you tell the truth, and I will cover for you. I will ensure the Mei family doesn't know."

Marchioness Zhang's expression shifted unpredictably.

Li Tou, standing to the side, watched this big drama and thought it was truly direct.

The Six Shanmen couldn't handle cases this way; they couldn't copy or learn from it.

The agents of the Six Shanmen didn't have high status or position and didn't dare to threaten nobles like Marchioness Zhang. A single word from them could cost them their jobs.

No wonder Chen Guanlou wanted to come along; he perfectly solved the communication problem.

Li Tou felt fortunate!

Up to now, the investigation of this case had gone quite smoothly, and half the credit belonged to Chen Guanlou.

"I... you..." Marchioness Zhang's face was ugly, anger surging in her eyes, along with three parts fear. "What can you say to the Mei family? It's all your speculation."

Chen Guanlou watched her struggle on the verge of death. "Then guess, will the Mei family believe me or you? If I am speculating, what is your sophistry worth? What kind of look will Master Mei the Eldest give you? Marchioness Zhang, how much longer can you maintain your dignity?"

"You cannot treat me like this! We are all people in the noble circle; we should be of one mind."

"But you married into an official family and chose to leave the noble circle yourself." Chen Guanlou had to remind the other party that since she had already married out, she shouldn't speak as a member of the noble circle.

It only invited ridicule.

Marchioness Zhang was instantly embarrassed, her expression resentful and humiliated.

She took a deep breath. "Why must you make things difficult for me? Zhu San, a mere nobody—what kind of love potion did he feed you?"

"I just can't bear to see an innocent person forced to the execution ground to die. I can't manage your disregard for human life, but since you've danced in front of me, I have to ask, where did you get the confidence that I would turn a blind eye? What's more, I have some friendship with Zhu San; after all, I've eaten several meals of wine with him."

Chen Guanlou laughed out loud when he said this.

"I owe him a few meals of wine, but I don't owe your Mei family anything, and I certainly don't owe the Marquis's Mansion anything. Which is light and which is heavy is clear at a glance to me."

"Just because of a few meals of wine?" Marchioness Zhang couldn't believe it; she had actually lost to a few meals of wine and had to suffer interrogation, coercion, and humiliation!

Bullying people too much!

No one had ever dared to humiliate her like this.

Chen Guanlou was the first!

She hated him to death!

"A few meals of wine are very expensive! Marchioness Zhang, what is your choice?"

"Hahaha... just because of a few meals of wine, you want to put me to death! Fine, you want to know the truth, I will tell you the truth. That the third girl has reached this point today is her own doing. Last year, when it was almost the New Year, right here at Baoguo Temple, the women and children of the Mei family were together burning incense and worshipping Buddha. That day, the Marquis's mansion also came. That dead girl, single-mindedly wanting to climb high, actually had the delusion of marrying into the Marquis's mansion, and even dared to frame my daughter. I really should have had her..."

Marchioness Zhang spoke of the day's events, her anger still not dissipated, wishing she could personally strangle Third Miss Mei.

Chen Guanlou reminded her, "Say less of that useless talk; just tell me what exactly happened?" ===== CHAPTER 1654 =====