SBCEJM -Chapter 65 Zhang Jin’s “Happy” Married Life

【His second daughter, Zhao Tianbi, married the richest merchant in Jiangnan—a notorious miserly salt trader.】

【Zhao Tianbi couldn’t stand her husband’s stinginess and ran back to her parents’ home crying and complaining.】

Feng Zexuan suddenly looked enlightened.

【I think I’ve figured out Zhao Defu’s weakness! He simply can’t stand his own children crying.】

The system replied: 【Correct! That old man has absolutely no defense against his children’s tears. Cry a little here and there, and he’ll start overthinking and go all-out to help.】

【And this time, Zhao Defu’s solution for his second daughter was called “Ghost Fortune Trick.”】

【He first had Zhao Tianbi spread rumors in the salt merchant’s household, saying their ancestors were river bandits and their wealth was ill-gotten—haunted by ghosts.】

【Then he gave her a packet of luminous pearl powder and several rolls of transparent silk thread.】

The system’s tone carried admiration. 【Host, can you guess how this scheme works?】

Feng Zexuan truly couldn’t follow Zhao Defu’s logic.

【Just tell me! I can’t guess!】

【At night, Zhao Tianbi sprinkles luminous pearl powder over the silver ingots in the vault, then uses silk thread to suspend a few gold ingots, tying the threads to hidden beams in the attic.】

【When that miserly husband goes to inspect the vault with a lantern at midnight, she hides and pulls the strings.】

【The entire room glows eerie green… and several gold ingots float in midair…】

【The salt merchant is terrified out of his wits, thinking vengeful ghosts have come to claim his life!】

The image formed in Feng Zexuan’s mind almost made her laugh out loud.

【Finally, Zhao Defu sends in a “Daoist master,” who claims the wealth is cursed with heavy resentment.】

【It must be managed by a Zhao daughter with a “water-compatible fate,” and she must spend lavishly every day to “dissipate the cursed fortune and bring peace.”】

【From then on, Zhao Tianbi gains full control of the household finances—buying whatever she wants, under the noble excuse of “dispelling misfortune for her husband.”】

【What a brilliant move! That old fox never uses his brain for anything proper!】

The Minister of Rites was fuming, muttering “a disgrace to civility.”

Meanwhile, a burly military general from the Ministry of War stroked his beard with shining eyes, clearly wondering if this trick could be used to scare enemy troops.

【I heard that salt merchant now spends three thousand taels a month just on his wife’s cosmetics.】

【Because Zhao Tianbi told him: “My beauty is a fortune-attracting omen. The more beautiful I am, the better I can suppress the ghosts.”】

【That stingy man now wants to buy the most expensive cosmetics in the world.】

【Terrified that his wife won’t be pretty enough to hold back the ghosts! Hahaha!】

The court officials exchanged stunned glances. This scheme was simply impossible to guard against.

The Vice Minister of Revenue silently wiped his sweat, thinking: if my wife learns this trick, my salary will be gone in no time.

【Come on, come on! Bring out the third gossip!!】

Feng Zexuan urged, eyes bright like a starving wolf seeing steamed buns.

【Host, Zhao Defu’s third son-in-law is right here in court today!】

The system sounded gleeful.

【Oh? Which unlucky guy? Let me enjoy this.】

【Host, look behind Zhao Defu—the one trembling like a sieve since earlier.】

“Whoosh—”

Dozens of eyes in the hall shifted past Zhao Defu and landed on the man behind him.

Zhang Jin had heard Feng Zexuan’s inner commentary from the beginning. As the third son-in-law of the Minister of Revenue, it was finally his turn.

His face was as pale as death, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

The thought of his embarrassing secrets being exposed in court made him wish he could smash his head into a pillar.

【What’s wrong with this guy? Is he having a seizure?】

Feng Zexuan observed him curiously.

The system sighed. 【He’s a pitiful man!】

【Pitiful? From his official robes, he seems to be from the Dali Temple, right? Getting promoted to deputy minister—how is that pitiful?】

【Look at his face and that shaking body.】

Feng Zexuan focused carefully. Zhang Jin’s complexion was pale green, dark circles under his eyes, and his steps unsteady.

He looked like a man one gust of wind could blow over.

【Damn… is he overexhausted? He looks completely drained!】

【Half correct. Zhang Jin is drained—but not voluntarily.】

【There’s more to it! Tell me everything!】

Her gossip instincts ignited instantly.

The system cleared its throat, becoming serious.

【Zhang Jin married Zhao Defu’s third daughter, Zhao Tianying. She grew up practicing martial arts and was nicknamed “Little Tyrant.”】

【Before marriage, Zhao Defu instilled in her a “theory”: the more vigorous and frequent the husband is in bed, the higher the wife’s status in the household.】

【So Zhao Tianying drugged Zhang Jin every night—not poison, but aphrodisiacs.】

【Then she forced him into relations… seven to eight times a night, without fail.】

【Zhang Jin tried to resist? Zhao Tianying could knock down three grown men with one punch. He didn’t even dare make a sound.】

【Even worse, she scheduled his “routine”: one session at Zi hour, another at Chou hour, another at Yin hour…】

【Strictly enforced like a military timetable—more punctual than court attendance.】

Many officials in the hall turned green-faced.

This wasn’t married life—it was a death sentence!

The Minister of Justice couldn’t help but lean back, thinking this was more terrifying than execution.

The Chief of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices swallowed hard, silently grateful his wife was gentle.

【Zhang Jin cried and begged for mercy, saying his body couldn’t take it.】

【Zhao Tianying said: “If your body is weak, then you must train more! Practice makes perfect!”】

【Good heavens—was this training or torture?!】

Even Feng Zexuan felt her scalp go numb.

【Even more outrageous, Zhao Tianying set monthly “performance evaluations.”】

【If he failed, he had to kneel in the ancestral hall. Now Zhang Jin cries whenever he sees a bed, and wants to cry whenever he sees his wife!】

Zhang Jin, hearing his life being laid bare, suddenly collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

Several young officials instinctively clenched their legs, eyes full of sympathy.

This was too tragic—utter human suffering!

“Zhang Aiqing?” Emperor Xiao Juechen raised a brow.

“This minister… is fine!” Zhang Jin trembled. “Just… my legs are weak…”

He struggled to stand but found all strength gone.

【Just weak legs? I feel like his whole body is weak. He probably needs to hold onto walls to walk. Yet he still manages to come to court every day—so dedicated!】

Feng Zexuan couldn’t stop her inner commentary.

【Host, it gets even better!】

The system rubbed its hands in excitement.

【Zhang Jin secretly went to a clinic. The doctor took his pulse and froze on the spot.】

【“Young man, how did you end up this weak? Your pulse is worse than an eighty-year-old’s!”】

【Zhang Jin confessed everything. The doctor listened in silence and prescribed a “tonic soup.”】

【He advised: “Your life comes first. Everything else… figure it out yourself.”】

【But when Zhang Jin returned home and drank two bowls, Zhao Tianying found out.】

【Without a word, she poured it all out.】

【“My husband is young and strong—why drink tonic soup? Wasteful!”】

【And then?】

Feng Zexuan asked urgently.

【Zhang Jin gave up completely.】

【Now he struggles through court every day—and struggles even harder at home.】

Emperor Xiao Juechen looked at the collapsed Zhang Jin, his eyes carrying a hint of pity.

Zhao Defu—what kind of absurd methods was he teaching his daughters?

Even his son-in-law wasn’t spared.

“Help Deputy Minister Zhang up,” he said calmly.

Two eunuchs struggled to lift Zhang Jin, who was limp like a noodle.

Even after being helped up, Zhang Jin trembled slightly, his face pale and almost translucent, as if he could collapse at any moment.

【System, I suddenly feel sorry for him.】

Feng Zexuan’s tone carried rare sincerity.

【Marrying into this kind of situation… is truly something else.】

【Host, save your sympathy—because… there’s a fourth son-in-law!】

The system’s voice was full of excitement.

Feng Zexuan’s heart skipped a beat.

【Fourth one? Don’t tell me it’s even worse…】

She already didn’t dare imagine what new “masterpieces” Zhao Defu had trained next.