After rebirth, I became a national teacher

But after only a moment, she regained her composure, slammed the teacup in her hand onto the mahogany table on the kang, and scolded:

"How dare you, a lowly servant, speak nonsense and slander the mistress!"

Chen Qingzhu would not be frightened by her. "Whether it is slander or not, don't you know it in your mind, Madam?"

Zhang's breathing was heavy, her sharp eyes fixed on Chen Qingzhu, her mind racing with thoughts.

Her original suspicion really came true. Chen Qingzhu had somehow learned of her plan, so he was no longer as respectful to her as before since yesterday.

This is what is meant by "even a rabbit bites when it is cornered."

But the rabbit is just a rabbit after all, a mere maid or concubine, whose life and death are in her hands. Even if she knows it, she still has to obey her arrangements.

She calmed down and changed her negotiation style:

"Ms. Chen, now the investigation has led to your personal maid Dongxue. You have no choice but to plead guilty and accept punishment! Your children will not benefit from your stubborn resistance and quibbling."

Even though there were only two people in the inner room, Zhang's words were flawless, but the threat in her words was overwhelming.

Chen Qingzhu was very calm:

"Madam, you are joking. I am about to die, so why should I care about my children? When you are in a life-or-death crisis, you will realize that nothing is more important than your own life."

Zhang was really surprised by her indifferent attitude towards her children. However, in matters of life and death, who can guarantee that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for others easily? This makes sense.

Since soft tactics don’t work, we have no choice but to use hard tactics.

"Hmph, even if you don't care about your children, you should know that your life is in my hands. If I beat you to death today, no one will say a word against me. Since you are going to die anyway, why not let yourself die more decently and meaningfully?"

"If you are willing to confess your guilt and commit suicide, I will be willing to pity Xuan Ge'er and Rong Jie'er and register them under my name. From now on, they will all be legitimate children."

Although Chen Qingzhu was forced to be a concubine, one of the reasons was that Zhang was infertile.

But over the years, the twins she gave birth to were never registered under Zhang's name.

In today's world, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is as great as heaven and earth. To change her child from being born out of wedlock to being born out of wedlock is really a great "blessing" for someone who was born as a maid.

"This way, after you die, they will all be grateful to you, and they will not lack incense in their graves."

She is truly worthy of being the wife of Marquis Jingnan, who runs the rear quarters of the Marquis's mansion like an iron barrel.

The combination of coercion and inducement left no place for him to escape. If it were Chen Qingzhu in his previous life, he would have had no choice but to compromise despite his resentment.

But now Chen Qingzhu has experienced the swordplay of the cultivation world and has been on the brink of life and death several times. How can he be controlled by a woman in the harem?

"Madam is really unscrupulous. Aren't you afraid that I will tell the Marquis?"

Zhang sneered and looked at Chen Qingzhu with contempt.

Her unrecognizable face, rough and yellow skin, the lingering dark circles under her eyes, and the bulky cotton robe she wore in winter made her look like a village woman selling vegetables in the market.

Chen Qingzhu back then really had a stunning appearance that made people fear him, with picturesque features and unparalleled intelligence.

If the favorite concubine of Marquis Jingnan had not threatened her right to be the housekeeper, she would never have chosen to drive away the wolf and devour the tiger.

But now, even the most stunning beauty needs to be well taken care of. After years of torture, Chen Qingzhu has long since become a withered branch and dead leaves, but she is still like a beautiful blooming flower.

Putting aside the difference between wives and concubines, just judging by appearance, the current Chen Qingzhu is not even worthy of carrying her shoes.

"My Lord and I have been husband and wife for many years. How could I believe the instigation of a lowly servant like you?" The corners of her lips raised high, full of pride and superiority.

One is a wife as beautiful as a flower, and the other is an old and ugly concubine. Is it any wonder which side the Marquis' heart will lean towards?

After years of management, she is now the most beloved and trusted woman in the Marquis' heart!

"The eldest young master's future is ruined, and the only one who can inherit the title is your son Xuan. You did this to pave the way for your own son. You have a much more motivated motive than this lady. What's more..."

Zhang said meaningfully: "The one who bribed the young master's people to poison him was Dongxue beside you!"

In order to weaken the hereditary nobility, the court stipulated that legitimate sons with disabilities could not inherit the title, and if a bastard's son inherited the title, he would be demoted. But even if he was demoted, he would still be the Earl of Jingnan, which was absolutely tempting to a bastard's son and a maidservant.

Judging from the motive, Chen Qingzhu is indeed the most suspicious.

But she remained calm:

"Really? What if the Marquis knew that you have regained your fertility?"

In her previous life, more than a year after her death, Zhang found out that she was pregnant. When she poisoned Pei Jin, Zhang had already recovered her fertility after years of recuperation.

These words really hit Zhang's sore spot.

She was horrified and it took her a while to come back to her senses.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Chen Qingzhu chuckled: "Nonsense or not, if I report this to the Marquis, and ask a gynecologist to check Madam's pulse, wouldn't it be clear?"

Zhang's breathing was rapid, and murderous intent was evident in his eyes:

"Do you think you can walk out of Yaoguangyuan alive after knowing all this?"

As she said this, she signaled with her eyes to Matron Liu who had walked in from the outer room.

It seems that only if Chen Qingzhu dies immediately will her secret no longer be at risk of being exposed.

In this case, the matter of taking the blame can only be explained in a different way:

She exposed Chen Qingzhu's crimes, and Chen Qingzhu showed his true colors and wanted to kill her. The people around him accidentally killed Chen Qingzhu in order to save her.

There is no evidence since he is dead, but I still need to think of a way to explain this to Pei Jin's maternal family.

Chen Qingzhu has not yet broken through the first level of Qi Refining, and is no different from an ordinary person. Naturally, he has to be careful of any unexpected events. When he came here, he had brought a gold-plated copper hairpin with a sharp tip for self-defense.

Having been a monk for decades, she was very sensitive to danger. At this moment, she reached into her sleeve and grabbed the copper hairpin, ready to dodge any attack and hold Zhang hostage, but her face was calm:

"Madam, you don't think that I know so much and come to Yaoguangyuan without any preparation, right?"

Zhang's face darkened.

Chen Qingzhu looked at her confidently:

"I'm not afraid to tell you that I have already made a backup plan. If anything happens to me, someone will naturally tell the Marquis that you poisoned the young master and that you have regained your fertility."

This is of course made up.

She had always been honest and well-behaved and never dared to do anything disloyal, so how could she have such connections?

But a suspicious and smart person like Zhang would judge others by himself and would definitely believe it.

She didn't think that Chen Qingzhu had dared to resist her and had failed to buy off people in the mansion over the years. She also didn't believe that the concubines in the harem who had children would not want to dethrone her as the second wife after learning the news.

Before Zhang could speak, Aunt Liu behind her spoke:

"Mrs. Chen, you are just a lowly slave bought for ten taels of silver. It is your honor to die for the Madam... I advise you not to refuse a toast and drink a forfeit!"

Her voice was very low, but her tone was sinister and full of terrible threats.

If it were Chen Qingzhu who had no one to rely on in his previous life, he would probably be desperate and scared.

But at this time she just laughed sarcastically:

"Would you like this honor? Let me think about it... If the lady's secret is exposed by me, it would barely make sense for you, a loyal old lady, to take the initiative to poison the young master! But whether the Marquis will believe it or not is unknown!"

Nanny Liu was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat. She said "you...you..." twice but couldn't utter a word.

Meanwhile, Zhang's shrewd eyes were moving rapidly.

After a while, he gritted his teeth and said:

"What do you want?"

Chen Qingzhu said:

"Madam, there is no need to be so aggressive. If you want me to take the blame for you, that's fine, but I have a few requests."

Zhang's sister, who was born to the same mother, is now a favorite concubine in the palace. Even if she is exposed for poisoning the legitimate son, there is no absolute chance of overthrowing her. In this case, it is better to seek more practical benefits first.

Zhang tried to soften her expression:

"Just tell me."

Chen Qingzhu: "First, you must ensure that I am not killed or injured, and let the Marquis send me to Jingci Temple to practice and atone for my sins."

On the way to Yaoguangyuan, she had already roughly planned her future path.

Of course she had to avenge herself from her past life, but until she had a certain ability to protect herself, she could not stay in the Jingnan Marquis Mansion which was controlled by the Zhang family.

There are many guards here, and even if she has the cultivation level of the initial stage of Qi Refining, she is no match for them.

According to what she knew in her previous life, Jingci Temple was far away from the Marquis's Mansion and was filled with nuns and pilgrims. Not only was it less threatening, it was also easier to control. It was a good place for her to temporarily hide and accumulate strength.

"That's impossible. You have committed such a heinous crime. Even if you can escape the death penalty, you can't escape the punishment of living."

Chen Qingzhu was not panicked at all, and just said:

"Oh? Then Madam, don't blame me for being barefoot and not afraid of those wearing shoes."

Zhang immediately shut up, thought for a moment, and gritted her teeth and said:

"Okay, I promise you!"

As long as the Marquis doesn't suspect her, it won't be difficult to keep Chen safe for the time being.

"Second, I want the jade Buddha that my wife has kept in the bottom of her box. Since I have entered the Buddhist temple to practice, I have to bribe the abbot. Ordinary gold and silver items are too vulgar. For a monk, a Buddha statue and jade are more suitable."

This is the main purpose of her trip.

She needed a piece of jade that was big enough and good enough to break through the first level of Qi Refining.

You can't afford to buy it.

Not to mention that stealing and robbing are against the will of Taoism, just the discovery of the secret of her cultivation would be enough to bring her disaster.

Zhang's place is the only place where she can get top-quality jade in a legitimate way.

She had seen the Buddha statue that Zhang brought as a dowry in the past. The jade was very transparent, slightly wider than a palm, and more than a foot high. Although it was not particularly large, the spiritual energy in it was enough for her to practice to the first level of Qi Refining with some left over.

After entering the first level of Qi Refining, she is no longer a weak woman who cannot even lift a chicken. She can use her spiritual energy to heal people and can deal with any situation.

"The third thing is, of course, to take good care of my two children. As long as I can survive, I still hope that they can live well."

Among the many concubines in Marquis Jingnan's backyard, Chen Qingzhu was the one that Zhang cared least about.

The contract of selling her body was in her hands. Without the favor of the Marquis, she could sell her body or kill her at her will. Chen Qingzhu had been honest and dutiful in the past, so she was willing to give her a meal in the backyard.

Who would have thought that the most obedient dog in the past would be the one that bites the most viciously.

No, this is not a dog, but a cunning fox. His previous obedience and honesty were all fake! Now, at the critical moment, he has lost all his loyalty!

Zhang's heart was filled with anger at being fooled and coerced. She wished she could beat the slave girl to death with a stick, but she couldn't.

The jade Buddha was worth seven hundred taels, equivalent to one-tenth of her dowry.

Although the jade Buddha is valuable, it is nothing compared to the millions of wealth of the Marquis of Jingnan’s Mansion.

If the secret is exposed and the Marquis dislikes her, the honor of the Marquis's wife and the wealth of the Marquis's mansion will have nothing to do with her.

You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. She had to keep her steady first.

"Okay, I promise you everything!"

Once she finds out who the people Chen Qingzhu bribed are and eliminates them, she will make sure they are tortured to death!

At that time, the nunnery far away from the southern capital city would be just the right place for her to take action.