18: Chapter 18 Madam, Please Have Some Self-Respect

Inside the pavilion, the scent of books filled the air.

Madam Li turned around after locking the door behind her.

In those eyes that were originally dignified, a ball of fire seemed to be hidden now, staring intensely at Chen Shanzhi.

"Does Mister like these rare editions?"

She moved with graceful steps to Chen Shanzhi's side, and a thick scent of rouge and powder instantly enveloped him.

Chen Shanzhi held a copy of "Strange Tales of Great Zhou" in his hands; without even lifting his eyelids, he solemnly blathered:

"This book records many unknown secrets of the previous dynasty, especially this passage regarding the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady. The prose is exquisite; it's truly a rare masterpiece."

In fact, this book was about folk tales of gods and monsters, having absolutely nothing to do with the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady.

But Madam Li clearly didn't care about that.

She leaned in close to Chen Shanzhi, her body tilting forward slightly; the snowy whiteness of her chest was faintly visible, nearly pressing against Chen Shanzhi's arm.

"Is that so? This humble one is shallow in learning and has never been able to understand this passage. Could Mister explain it to me?"

As she spoke, she leaned her head over quite naturally, almost resting it on Chen Shanzhi's shoulder, her warm breath puffing against his neck.

Chen Shanzhi's body stiffened; he calmly took a step to the side, avoiding the soft touch, his eyes still fixed straight ahead:

"Madam is too modest. This passage actually talks about..."

Seeing him dodge, a flash of annoyance crossed Madam Li's eyes, but it immediately transformed into a deeper desire.

This man, it seems he really is a man of integrity.

However, the more he is like this, the stronger the pleasure will be after dragging him down.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side, Tang Xiaowu felt more and more that something was wrong with Madam Li the more she thought about it.

But she glanced at the several guards and maids around her; unless she revealed her full strength, she had no way to get rid of them.

Hopefully, I'm just overthinking it, she thought to herself.

In the Ministry of Rites, Minister of Rites Lord Li sat in the hall, handling piles of official documents.

Suddenly, a commotion came from outside.

"My Lord! My Lord, this is bad! I have urgent news to report!"

Minister Li frowned, put down his brush, and said displeasedly, "What is all the noise about?"

A guard rushed in leading a burly man drenched in sweat.

The burly man was none other than Coachman Zhao Da, the guard by Chen Shanzhi's side.

As soon as Coachman Zhao Da saw Minister Li, he knelt with a thud, his face full of anxiety and panic:

"Lord Minister! Please, save my heir!"

"Who are you?" Minister Li was a bit confused.

"This lowly one is Coachman Zhao Da, a personal guard of the Marquis of Zhenguo's heir!" Coachman Zhao Da panted:

"Just now, I was accompanying the heir for a stroll on the street when somehow we encountered your wife. Then... then Madam actually sent people to kidnap my heir and take him to the Minister's Mansion!"

"What did you say?"

Minister Li stood up abruptly, his beard twitching with rage:

"Nonsense! My wife comes from a prestigious family and is dignified and virtuous. How could she kidnap someone in the street?

It must be your lustful heir who got ideas upon seeing her beauty and harassed my wife, which is why he was taken away!"

"My Lord, it's really not like that!"

Coachman Zhao Da hurriedly said:

"At that time, the talented woman from Four Seas Academy, Tang Xiaowu—Miss Tang—was also present!

The heir was accompanying Miss Tang on a stroll. In front of the person he is pursuing, how could he possibly harass your wife?

I don't know why Madam would do such a thing, but the heir is in the Minister's Mansion right now, and he's been inside for quite a while."

"If something really happens to the heir in your mansion, then... then Lord Minister, it won't be easy for you to answer to my Marquis!"

Minister Li's heart skipped a beat.

Although he didn't believe his wife would do such a thing, Coachman Zhao Da spoke with great conviction, and the heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo was indeed a troublemaker.

If something really went wrong in his own mansion, that protective old Marquis would surely tear down his Minister's Mansion!

Thinking of this, Minister Li could no longer sit still and directly tossed aside his documents.

Grabbing Coachman Zhao Da, his figure flashed and he turned into an afterimage, rushing out of the Ministry of Rites' gate.

Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere grew increasingly ambiguous and tense.

Seeing that Chen Shanzhi was unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, like an unyielding block of wood, the itch in Madam Li's heart was stirred to the extreme.

"Mister~"

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Chen Shanzhi's hand, then her whole body pressed against him as if she had no bones, her voice charming to the core:

"Mister, stop reading. This humble one seems to be feeling a bit unwell; why don't you take a look for me?"

Having said that, she tore an opening in the clothes over her chest, revealing a large patch of snowy white skin.

As if he had been burned, Chen Shanzhi abruptly pulled his hand back, took two steps back, and with a tight frown, said righteously:

"Madam! Men and women should not touch each other, let alone the fact that Madam is a married woman! Please, conduct yourself with dignity!"

"Dignity?"

Madam Li sneered, seeing that Chen Shanzhi still didn't know what was good for him.

The dignity in her eyes vanished completely, revealing the naked desire behind it.

Even with such temptation, he could still refuse. But the more he resisted, the greater her body's reaction became, and the more she wanted to have him.

She approached Chen Shanzhi step by step, cornering him against the bookshelf until he had no way to retreat.

"What dignity? Doesn't Mister feel that this is more exciting?"

She extended a finger and lightly traced it across Chen Shanzhi's chest, her eyes hazy:

"The legal wife of a first-rank court official, in this empty pavilion, lying in Mister's arms for the taking... As a man, doesn't Mister feel even a little bit tempted?"

A look of struggle appeared on Chen Shanzhi's face, as if he were engaged in a fierce internal conflict:

"No... I can't! I already have someone I like! I can't betray her!"

"Someone you like?"

A flash of jealousy crossed Madam Li's eyes, then turned into even greater madness.

She grabbed Chen Shanzhi's hand and pressed it directly onto her full, rounded curves.

"What is Mister afraid of? I am a married woman; you don't need to take responsibility, and I won't interfere with your life.

As long as you serve me well and make me comfortable, once you step out of this door, you'll still be that man of integrity."

"Furthermore..."

She leaned into Chen Shanzhi's ear, whispering like a demon:

"Pinning the legal wife of a first-rank court official beneath you, that sense of conquest... Doesn't Mister want to experience it?"

The startling sensation from his palm made Chen Shanzhi's hand tremble violently.

As if struck by lightning, he tried desperately to withdraw his hand, but Madam Li held it firmly in place.

"Gulp."

Chen Shanzhi swallowed hard, his face flushed, and his voice trembled:

"Madam... Madam is of noble status, why... why do such a vile act? I... I cannot... cannot obey!"

"Vile?"

Seeing him still resisting, the fire in Madam Li's eyes grew even brighter.

The more he resisted, the more she wanted to make the person before her a servant under her skirt, and then watch him sink into desire!

"Since Mister refuses the easy way and insists on the hard way..."

Madam Li sneered and took a step back.

Then, under Chen Shanzhi's shocked gaze, she suddenly reached out and actually tore off her outer garment!

The sound of tearing silk rang out.

Madam Li's outer garment fell to the floor, revealing the inner garment beneath, which had already been torn to shreds.

A large expanse of snowy skin was exposed to the air, as if she had just undergone a violent ordeal.

"You..."

Chen Shanzhi's pupils constricted; he quickly raised his sleeve to block his eyes and shouted:

"See no evil! See no evil! Madam, why go to such lengths!"

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

Madam Li let out a burst of charming laughter. She stepped forward, reached out to pull down Chen Shanzhi's shielding arm, and used her crimson-painted nails to lightly hook his chin:

"Mister, tell me... if I were to shout 'indecent assault' right now and run out with my clothes in disarray.

Do you think the guards of this mansion and the people of the capital will believe me, a victimized weak woman, or you?"

Chen Shanzhi snapped his eyes open, looking at the woman before him who smiled like a venomous snake, his eyes filled with disbelief and anger:

"You are shameless!"

"As the Minister's wife, to actually lower yourself so much and engage in such slutty behavior!

Lord Minister has a lifelong reputation for integrity. Who would have thought his family would be so unfortunate as to have him marry a shameless woman like you! I truly feel contempt for Lord Minister's sake!"

This angry scolding seemed to have stepped on Madam Li's sore spot.

The smile on her face vanished instantly, becoming incredibly hideous as she roared hysterically:

"Shut up!"

"That old man only knows how to spout academic jargon all day! He only cares about living his life with his books! When has he ever cared about my feelings?"

"I stay deep in the inner chambers every day, living like a widow for so many years. Since he doesn't have the ability to satisfy me, what's wrong with me finding someone young and strong to satisfy me?"

Chen Shanzhi snorted coldly and mocked her mercilessly:

"This is nothing more than an excuse you've found for your own lewdness!

Since you have borne children for Lord Minister, you should strictly adhere to a woman's duty, assist your husband, and educate your children!

To do such a vulgar thing is simply against all moral standards!"

"Bear children? Educate children?"

Madam Li seemed to have heard some huge joke; she suddenly threw her head back and laughed loudly, laughing until tears came out:

"Hahaha! As expected! In the eyes of you stinking men, we women are just reproductive tools!"

She abruptly stopped laughing, a hint of madness in her eyes, as she said word by word:

"But... the most ridiculous thing is."

"That old man probably doesn't even know in his dreams that his most beloved son, the one he holds the highest hopes for..."

"Is not his seed at all! Hahaha!"

...

Meanwhile, outside the Minister's Mansion.

Minister Li sped over. The guard saw a figure before him, his entire body emitting a red light like a ball of fire; wherever the light shone, the figure arrived instantly.

The guard's face was full of shock. Arriving instantly at the location of the Life Fire—this was an ability only a Life Fire Realm expert possessed.

Beneath the immortal stele of the capital, auras above the Xuanguan are not allowed to appear at will. Who dared to cause trouble at the gate of the Minister's Mansion?

"Who dares to act presumptuously at the Minister's Mansion?" the guard shouted subconsciously.

"Get out!"

With a thunderous roar, before the guard could see who it was, he was blown away by a wave of air.

Minister Li, with a somber face, strode into the mansion.

"Where is Madam?!" He grabbed a servant at random and demanded sharply.

The servant trembled with fear: "Ma... Madam is... in the mansion receiving several talented scholars..."

Talented scholars?

Minister Zhou's heart sank.

What kind of talented scholar was the heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo?

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, he instantly sensed a strange aura in a side hall within the mansion.

His figure flashed, and he instantly appeared inside the garden.

He saw Tang Xiaowu surrounded by several guards and maids, admiring the flowers.

Madam Li's personal maid saw Minister Li's sudden appearance and turned pale with fright, stammering:

"Ma... Master? Why... why are you back?"

Seeing this scene, Coachman Zhao Da immediately turned into a drama king and shouted in grief and indignation:

"Miss Tang! It's good that you're okay! Where is our heir? Why isn't he here?"

Although Tang Xiaowu didn't know exactly what had happened, she cooperatively said:

"The heir... he was taken to the study by Madam Li, saying she wanted him to help explain the contents of some rare editions inside."

"The study? Explaining rare editions?"

Minister Li's face showed doubt. If he remembered correctly, the heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo didn't have a shred of talent to speak of.

However, if they went to the study, nothing should happen.

Thinking of this, Minister Li's expression softened slightly, and he prepared to head to the study to take a look.

Seeing this, the personal maid tried to cover it up and hurriedly said:

"Master! Don't listen to their nonsense! That heir isn't in the mansion at all!

The one in the study with Madam is a great talented scholar she met yesterday!

Madam is asking him for advice on the rare editions! Master, please wait a moment; this servant will go call Madam right away..."

As she spoke, she was about to run toward the backyard, clearly intending to tip her off.

"Stop!"

Coachman Zhao Da gave a loud shout:

"My Lord, she's lying! Our heir was definitely captured and brought in.

Furthermore, everyone knows our heir has no literary talent; how could he be a talented scholar?

I see this maid is clearly feeling guilty and wants to go tip her off."

Minister Li looked at the panicked maid and then at the determined Coachman Zhao Da, also feeling that the maid seemed to be hiding something.

He swept a cold glance at the maid:

"All of you wait here for me; don't go anywhere. I want to see for myself who exactly is in the study."

"Master, how can we trouble you to go there personally? This servant will go..." The maid still tried to block him.

"Slap!"

Minister Li backhanded her, sending the maid flying.

"You're just a servant, yet you dare to stop me? Who gave you the audacity?"

Having said that, his figure swayed and turned into an afterimage, heading straight for the independent small pavilion in the backyard.

As soon as he approached the pavilion, Minister Li's powerful hearing clearly caught the voices coming from inside.

This voice was both familiar and strange.

What was familiar was that it was the voice of his bedmate, whom he knew better than anyone.

What was strange was that the tone actually carried a sense of both coquettishness and arrogance that he had never heard before.

"...That old man probably doesn't even know in his dreams that his most beloved son, the one he holds the highest hopes for..."

"Is not his seed at all! Hahaha!"

Boom!

In this instant, Minister Li felt as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue, and his whole body froze on the spot.

His mind went blank, leaving only that vicious sentence echoing continuously.

Not... my seed?

My son, whom I painstakingly raised for over a decade and placed all my hopes in, is actually a bastard?!

"Bitch!!!"

A world-shaking roar shattered all the windows of the pavilion.

Bang!

The door was directly blasted into fragments by a violent wave of air.

Minister Li's hair and beard flared out as he resembled a furious lion, charging into the pavilion enveloped in a monstrous murderous intent!