Chapter 23: Confrontation

  Although there was more than one person with the surname Jian in Wutong Town, and she had covered her face every time she went out to practice medicine, Zhen Shiniang's heart still couldn't help but thump wildly when Shen Zhongke discovered that she was living in Wutong Town under the name of Jian so quickly.

  Her face showed a sudden realization, "Oh, General is referring to this." She casually responded with an "oh" and changed the subject, "In recent years, General's military achievements have been remarkable, his reputation growing day by day. I'm afraid that if people were to know that General's first wife is so unrefined, it would tarnish General's prestige, so..." She looked at Shen Zhongge with a calm expression, "I told outsiders that I was renting here and my surname is Jian."

  It was inevitable for them to part ways, and what she did just helped him achieve it.

  For some reason, although he knew she was right and was considering his reputation for him, Shen Zhongjie felt suffocated in his heart. Suddenly, he lifted her chin with one hand, "You already have a husband and are a married woman, but you let the servant call you 'Miss' and outsiders call you 'young lady'..." A hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes, "How about it, do you want to remarry?"

  For some reason, this idea suddenly emerged, and he inexplicably felt a sense of annoyance in his heart, and his hand unconsciously added force.

  "It's not that I don't have a marriage certificate, I got married long ago!"

  In her heart, Zhen Shi Nang was muttering to herself, but she didn't dare to argue with Shen Zhong Ge. She endured the pain and calmly met his gaze, "General, you misunderstood. It's just that I'm not worthy of being your wife due to my humble status, so I had Xi Juan and Qiu Ju change their words." Her tone paused for a moment, "As for how others address me, it's none of my concern."

  Don't deserve it?

  Doesn't this tone match perfectly?!

  After hearing this, especially seeing the calm face of Shang Yun's tenth daughter, Shen Zhongge's face turned even darker, and he spoke recklessly, "You're laughing and chatting with a man early in the morning, do you still have any shame? Didn't your mother teach you that men and women should not be intimate?"

  His woman, how can she be so casual with another man!

  If he had never touched her, it would have been fine. After the divorce, he could let her go and marry a good family to harm others. Since they had skin contact, she was born as Shen Zhong's person, and died as Shen Zhong's ghost.

  Even if they are divorced, she cannot mess around with other men or remarry!

  Zhen Shining didn't know his tyrannical thoughts, she only felt that her chin was about to be pinched to pieces, and a surge of anger rose in her heart. "Please, General, take your hand off me, or I won't be able to speak!"

  She felt like she was having trouble articulating her words, Shen Zhong's hand slowly loosened, and he saw that her chin had been pinched into a purplish bruise by him, and he inadvertently took a cold breath.

  A complex expression flickered in her cold gaze, didn't she feel any pain? Why didn't she cry out or beg for mercy?

  She suppressed the urge to touch his chin, which was about to fall off, and took a step back, increasing the distance between them. "Brother Zhang just came to deliver the venison, I treated him warmly out of courtesy, nothing more. As a general from a scholarly background, you should know that Confucius said, 'Courtesy demands reciprocity.' If one initiates without being reciprocated, it's not courtesy; if one receives without initiating, it's also not courtesy." Realizing her voice was getting agitated, she paused and made an effort to calm down. "You're right, General. As a woman, I should stay indoors, dress properly, maintain my dignity, and be chaste and serene in my actions. I do want to be noble and independent, unbothered by worldly affairs... but I'm just a mortal. If I don't eat, I'll starve; if I don't drink, I'll thirst; if I don't wear clothes, I'll freeze; if I'm bullied, I'll hurt..." Her eyes locked onto Shen Zhongshu, questioning him, "Do you think that if I don't interact with people, rice, firewood, oil, and salt will fall from the sky?"

  The most eloquent words left Shen Zhongjie speechless.

  What she said is right, for five years he has been ignoring her, in this family there are only three women, how can they not interact with men?

  Can't let her go begging for everything, might as well have her drink the northwest wind.

  Also knows that it is a bit harsh to blame oneself, but Shen Zhongge felt wronged in her heart. When she left the champion's mansion earlier, she took away so many silver coins. Who knew that she would end up living such a desolate life afterwards?

  Otherwise, how can a general's wife rely on other men for support!

  He is still such a sloppy man.

  "I never knew you were still so sharp-tongued!" Shen Zhongke's tone softened slightly, but his voice remained icy and firm. "In any case, since you've married me, you're a member of the Shen family in life and death." His words were harsh and severe. "From now on, don't ever speak to men like that again!" He smiled slyly, with an innocent look on his face, but inside he was seething with anger.

  This is so domineering!

  Zhen Shining hummed coldly in her heart, but a faint smile appeared on her face. "Then, what if General Yu rested with me?"

  The words were ambiguous, but she believed he understood.

  After all, this is ancient times, if he didn't have the idea of abandoning her, planning to raise her for a lifetime, this blame is not excessive at all.

  But he had already made up his mind to divorce her!

  She's about to step down, and when the time comes, he should just turn a blind eye. She will also be tactful and won't give him a green hat while he's still in office. He already has five concubines, and she hasn't even cast her net yet. To say the least, she's been taken advantage of.

  Are you on vacation?

  "I didn't expect Zhen Shining to ask this, Shen Zhongge was also stunned for a moment, and then said without thinking, 'You clearly know that we were married by the previous emperor, I won't divorce you!' The tone turned, 'Even if I were to be divorced, I wouldn't allow you to look at another man with one eye!' The tone was firm and left no room for doubt."

  This is unbearable!

  Only knowing that her husband was venomous, Zhen Shining never thought he would be so overbearing, not allowing himself or others to touch her, and suddenly hearing this, she couldn't help but pause for a moment.

  Shen Zhong's footsteps echoed as he walked out with big strides.

  It was a long time before Zhen Shining came back to her senses. She rushed to the gate of the courtyard in a few steps, but there was no sign of Shen Zhongjie.

  "Down with the old evil society!"

  Zhen Shining kicked the door panel hard and didn't let out a breath for a long time.

  Calm down, thinking of Shen Zhongjie's invincible power, Zhen Shiniang's heart was suddenly shrouded in gloom. He said this, believing that if she remarried, she would definitely die a terrible death.

  Unless her future husband's family has more power than his.

  A divorced woman with two children in tow, how could she possibly find another husband more powerful than her ex?

  Even if she can find him, how can she guarantee that he is a good person, better than him, and will treat her well, will be kind to Jian Wu Jianwen, and there are no other women behind him?

  Her requirements for choosing a husband are not high, in her previous life she was a woman who lowered her eyebrows and eyes to the dust, if her colleagues knew that her standard for choosing a husband was so low, they would definitely laugh at her, thinking she's crazy about men and planning to sell herself cheaply.

  But in ancient times, this condition would be a fatal cruelty.

  Besides, it's always been the same in every era, all the good men have been snatched up early.

  Thinking of this, a despair that had never been felt since crossing over rose to her mind, she helplessly shook her head and turned into the courtyard.