The survival rule of a concubine's daughter 75: Some people get rich, some watch the joke, and some take concubines.

  The old lady was so angry that her chest heaved up and down, "Fine, noble Princess Consort, you've climbed high now, your family doesn't even dare to touch you. Alright, someone come, go invite the people from Yu Prefecture Prince's residence to take Princess Consort back. Our Fang family can't afford a daughter-in-law like this."

  As soon as the words were heard, she secretly lowered her head and burst out laughing. Indeed, ginger is still spicy when it's old, just like how Shan was ruthless to her own sister in her mother's house. If this gets out to the Yu Prefecture Wang Fu, it'll be a great show.

  Linglong got up and relied on her bravery. "Old lady, I may be young, but my legs are fast. I'll go inform the Yu County Prince's mansion."

  Everyone looked at her disheveled appearance, her hair messy, with several bloody scratches on her face, and her clothes torn to shreds. The old lady's face turned iron-gray, nodding heavily, "Alright, you go..."

  "Don't go." Zhen cried out. She rushed to Lao Tai Jun and said, "Lao Tai Jun, you must think carefully about this. If things get blown up, it won't be good for anyone." Of course, she would suffer even more. Originally, the Princess of Yu Prefecture didn't like her, now there was a perfect excuse.

  Chen Xiang glared at him with anger in his eyes, having never seen anyone so shameless, daring to manipulate his own maternal family like this.

  The old lady, however, was expressionless and didn't get angry. She just coldly said, "You're right. Making a big deal out of this won't do anyone any good. So let's just settle it privately, shall we? Princess, do you agree?"

  Her face changed several times, her mind was spinning, and she thought to herself: "Whatever, it's not like they can do anything about it. She's a married daughter, after all."

  Then, the group went to Songhe Hall, and Ling was left behind to apply medicine. Ling, with a face full of injuries, kept scratching her ears and cheeks, as if she knew what was on her mind. "Go," she said, "you have to know what's going on with Second Sister this time." Coming over for no reason and scolding her, especially with such great resentment, must also have its reasons.

  Her bright eyes sparkled, and she immediately exclaimed with excitement: "Those who gave birth to me are my parents, those who understand me are the young lady. Don't worry, young lady, I absolutely won't let Second Aunt secretly speak ill of you." With that, she rushed straight to Songhe Hall like a whirlwind. Even when Xiangxiang called out to her, she didn't listen, and couldn't help but stamp her foot in frustration: "This stupid girl, with such injuries all over her body, still dares to run out and make a scene?"

  She smiled faintly, "Let her go, let her gather some information, it's not a bad thing." She never underestimated Ruxin's glib tongue and ability to turn things upside down. When necessary, even if the evidence was conclusive, June's flying snow could still fall on her, she had to be prepared. Knowing each other's moves, after all.

  ……

  Inside Songhe Hall, all the doors and windows were tightly sealed by the trusted maid. Some low-ranking servants were driven out of Songhe Courtyard. Fang Jinglan, who had heard the news, had a gloomy face and first went to see Ruqing and Linglong's injuries. Ruqing was crying so hard that she couldn't catch her breath, wailing: "What did I do wrong to make my second sister so angry? She keeps saying she wants me to pay with my life."

  Before, Fang Jinglan had already become cold towards his second daughter due to her previous actions that brought shame to the family. Now, seeing his youngest daughter injured like this, he was furious. After comforting Ruoxi for a while, he rushed to Songhe Hall and shouted at Ruxin: "You wicked child! You rely on your title as the Crown Prince's wife to bully your own sister in her mother's home. Do you still consider me your father?"

  "Like a good scolding, 'You only know how to blame me and scold me, but who knows the grievances in my heart?' Father, your good daughter, she actually seduced her own brother-in-law behind my back." Like a clever person, Ru Shuang was just thinking of teaching Ru Qing a lesson, making her behave herself and not have ideas about her sister's husband. But the words didn't match, and both sides started fighting. Ru Qing was also a vicious and shameless person, actually doing one thing while saying another. She couldn't provide enough evidence to prove her case, and instead was controlled by others everywhere. It would be better for her to pretend to be a bad person first and accuse others. That way she could explain why she hit someone and turn defeat into victory.

  Everyone heard this and couldn't help but shake their heads.

  She couldn't help but sneer coldly: "I know you don't believe me. Even I myself didn't want to believe it, but Ruoxi really did seduce my husband. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told me that he wanted to take Ruoxi as his concubine." As she spoke, she covered her face and wept sorrowfully. The person she had always relied on was now slapping her in the face; how could she bear it?

  The old lady and Fang Jinglan, Li Shi, were all shocked. Li Shi's face was full of surprise, "Is this really true?" If it is, then that would be great, let the two sisters fight each other, wouldn't that be even better?

  The old lady and Madame He were deep in thought, while Fang Jinglan waved her sleeve and said: "A bunch of nonsense, a mess. Just married his wife and wants to take his sister-in-law as his concubine, it's simply absurd. I've lived for so many years and have never heard of such a thing." Even if the great-grandfather emperor had been infatuated with his younger sister-in-law back then, he only dared to bring it up after the empress passed away.

  Lin also sneered and said to Ruoshan, "This is the husband you have been wholeheartedly wanting to marry, but it turns out he has such a low character."

  Her face turned bright red with anger, and she couldn't help but say: "You're not being seduced by someone, are you? Think about it carefully, isn't this all because of your own intentional flirting?" Only now did she vaguely realize that when Li Xian returned to the door three days ago, he had specially rushed to make her beautiful clothes and prepare expensive hair accessories, and also protected her in front of her mother's family, showing off their love. She felt happy as if honey had been added to her heart, but unexpectedly, all of this was fake, all for show in front of Ruo Xing. What's even more ridiculous is that she had boasted about it among her sisters, and in the end, it turned out to be a joke...

  The old lady said quietly, "So to speak, the affair between your father and Zhang's wife back then was also due to Zhang's seduction? At that time, Mrs. Li could have used this reason to dismiss Zhang, rather than promoting her as a concubine."

  After a good while of being stunned, she finally found her voice again, "Madam Li is broad-minded and wise."

  "Oh, your husband wants to take in your sister as a concubine, but you're making a big fuss and doing all sorts of vicious things. What's this? Being jealous, narrow-minded, and intolerant?"

  "...Like a good dam, not a word can be said, staring at the old lady with all one's might, suddenly thinking, no wonder Ruxin is also so despicable and shameless, it turns out that she was influenced by this old woman."

  "...How can I say, as a younger sister, how can I still flirt with my sister's fiancé when they already have an engagement? Isn't that slapping myself in the face?" Ruoshan really couldn't think of any excuse and finally had to resort to crying.

  Everyone present looked at her with disgust and didn't even bother to speak.

  Fang Jinglan was also extremely disappointed, sitting in his chair, he slowly said: "If it weren't for your aunt's reckless and arrogant behavior, our family wouldn't have suffered this disaster. The Xiang family wouldn't have used this as an excuse to humiliate us by canceling the engagement with your sister. Your sister's marriage also wouldn't have ended in such a fiasco. Breaking off the engagement was the decision of the elderly lady and my father, and all three of your siblings agreed with it. Since this incident occurred, your sister has never left the house or even stepped out of her room. I ask you, Princess, how could your sister possibly seduce her brother-in-law in such a situation, locked away in her own chamber? Could it be that your lover is capable of evading the numerous guards at the Wang estate and flying into our Fang estate to secretly meet with my wife?"

  She bit her lip, secretly resentful in her heart. She knew that Ruo Xin had done nothing, but precisely because she didn't need to do anything and yet gained the favor of her husband, this was the reason for the fire burning in her heart. But why did no one understand her? Why were they all standing on Ruo Xin's side?

  "What's so good about Ruo Qing? Is it because of her family background, her looks, or her talent? In what way is she better than me?" Ruo Xin couldn't hold back anymore and burst out crying. She really didn't accept this. In their past life, Ruo Qing was a rich young lady who received all the love and pampering, while Ruo Xin was just a small employee in her company. After the earthquake, they both ended up at Fang Fu with their bellies raised. Just as Judge Pian had said, she had always been doted on by her father and would have a wealthy marriage in the future.

  When she was young, she indeed had a life of wind and rain, even if Li sometimes had to look at her mother's face. But from when on, her own mother gradually lost favor, and she followed suit, not being taken seriously. On the other hand, Ruo Qing received more attention, doing nothing but making her brother like her. She didn't have to do anything, whereas no matter what expensive gifts she sent out or how hard she tried to please them, her two brothers just didn't like her, not even giving her a second glance. Especially Ruo Qing, who had the nerve to go to Datong and stay with Zhi Yi for two whole years. Originally, judging from Zhi Yi's temper, she should have become pale and thin, with a haggard expression. But unexpectedly, she became more beautiful than before. This shouldn't be the case, right? Didn't Judge say that no matter in her past life or this one, Ruo Qing wasn't as good as her? So how did it turn out like this now?

  Everyone's eyes looked at Ruzi with disgust and pity, turning their heads away in unison.

  Fang Jinglan was also surrounded by so many eyes, his face full of shame. He sighed deeply and waved his hand weakly, saying: "Today's affairs were originally your fault from the start. You ran to your mother's house and shouted at your sister for a crime that didn't exist. How did I teach you when you were young? Did you read all the classics in vain? Alright, alright, looking at your resentful face, even more words would be useless. Go back to your Wang Fu, let the Yu Jun Wang Fu come and discipline you."

  With a resentful gaze, she said in a low voice: "Father, won't you even stand up for me and uphold justice?"

  "I can uphold what justice? Thanks to your aunt's kindness, I'm now a retired official at home and no longer the third-rank salt transport commissioner. Your days in the Wang household were good or bad... I warned you back then that the Wang family is high-ranking, even if I became a first or second-rank official, I might not be able to help you, everything depends on yourself. Moreover, I'm now just an ordinary citizen." The last sentence was said with sarcasm and indignation.

  "As her father said, she was convinced. She clenched her fists tightly, knowing that marrying into the Wang family would be a thorny path. She had to muster all her spirit and determination. She wouldn't give up, for she was Fang Ruyi. She would never be defeated by fate. Even if her husband liked her sister, with her own abilities, she could definitely make him change his mind."

  Fang Jinglan also said, "You are already a married woman, so don't come back to your parents' home often. I won't pursue the matter today. But if there's a next time, the Fang family will consider you as not having this daughter."

  Mr. Li was extremely dissatisfied and couldn't help but say: "Sir, Qing has been injured so badly..."

  Fang Jinglan gave her a faint glance, and Li Shi immediately shut up, then sat up straight, anyway it wasn't as if she was his own flesh and blood, what he did had nothing to do with her.

  After Shan went away, the old lady asked Fang Jinglan, "Shan'er left like this without any harm, what about Qing'er? How can Master account for it?"

  Fang Jinglan took a deep breath and said, "It's true that Ruxin has been wronged. But can this matter be made public? Moreover, Ruxin is already married, if she returns to the Wang estate with injuries, it won't be good either." Fang Jinglan's concerns were not unreasonable, as sisters fighting and quarreling should be punished for being unreasonable, but Ruxin was a married daughter, so she could only be scolded, not beaten. Otherwise, if the news spreads to her husband's family, even if the Fang family is in the right, it will become wrong.

  ……

  When Linglong told Ruoqing the news, Ruoqing was not surprised, but only covered her face with a towel that had been dampened with well water. On the contrary, Chenxiang was so angry that her face turned red all over, and she couldn't help complaining: "The old master is too biased. The second lady treated you like that, and there wasn't even any sign of apology." Anyway, she had to give a few slaps to vent her anger.

  Chen Xiang also looked dissatisfied, "Old Master, you're being a bit too biased."

  "Can't blame Father for this. Second sister is, after all, a married daughter; if she returns to her in-laws' home with scars all over her body, what will the Yu Junwangfu think? What will they think of us?" No matter how despicable and hateful Ruyi was, the things that had been done at Fang Manor still couldn't be made public. If word got out that the girls from Fang Manor were uneducated, lacking in upbringing, and didn't get along with each other, it would be a significant blow to Fang Manor as well.

  So Fang Jinglan handled it this way, although it was convenient for Ruoshan, but also had no choice.

  Although I understand the good intentions of my old man, I still feel a bit uneasy in my heart. But when facing Mr. Fang's condolences for the "wounded", I have to show a broad and tolerant side.

  "Father doesn't have to blame Second Sister too much, she was just acting on impulse."

  Fang Jinglan saw the palm print on his little daughter's face and the white cloth strip on her arm, feeling very guilty. "Good child, let you suffer injustice. If Shanshan did such a despicable thing, as a father I really wanted to slap her a few times. But as a father, he just scolded her lightly and let her return to her husband's home."

  Qing Qiao said, "Father's arrangement is the best. No matter how wrong Second Sister is, she will eventually become someone else's wife. Once married into another family, every word and deed will affect the reputation of the Fang family. If she returns to her natal home with a body full of scars, wouldn't that implicate the Fang family as well?"

  Fang Jinglan was deeply moved. This little girl, indeed, understood people's intentions and even thought of others. So, he praised and comforted her again, seeing that the room had suddenly emptied out a lot, and said: "The broken utensils in your house will be replaced by your father with new ones from the servants. If you want anything, just let the accountant know."

  Ru Qing said in a low voice: "Anyway, they are all external things, just add some simple and durable ones. Fang Fu can't be compared to the past now, but it can't be too wasteful either."

  Fang Jinglan was even more moved, saying: "My son, don't worry. Although the Fang family is not as good as before, there is still money to buy equipment." Then he took out a stack of silver bills from his pocket and handed them to Ruxin, "Take it, don't tell anyone."

  "Father has already given so much money last time, can't give any more. Father should keep it for himself instead. When the new year begins tomorrow, father will have to go to Xiangyang to take office, and there will be many places to spend money then. Father should save his expenses."

  Fang Jinglan burst out laughing and stuffed the silver ticket into her hand, "Silly girl, your two sisters tried every means to extort money from me, but you're different, I give it to you and you don't want it. You don't want it, but I insist on giving it to you. Take it, use it as dowry in the future."

  Her face was moved, this time it was really moving. Although there is also a component of loving money. She half-pushed and half-received, she knew that her father had made a lot of money as the salt transport official in previous years, and the red envelope silver given by the Hai Ning clan every month had all gone into his private pocket. Over the years, it has accumulated to an astonishing amount. But Li Shi unexpectedly never discovered it, and thought that her husband was a poor guy who only knew how to pinch money and calculate.

  When Ling'er, covered in wounds and with visible bloodstains on her face, appeared before Fang Jinglan, he praised her profusely, commending her for risking her life to protect him, as well as her cleverness and resourcefulness. As an exception, he rewarded her with twenty taels of silver, purely as a gift.

  After Tai Fang Jinglan left, Linglong's face was full of regret. "If I had known that the old master would have replaced the utensils, I should have smashed this beautiful wine vessel too. Look, it's cracked here and can't be appreciated anymore."

  As if she was about to fall over on the bed, she was furious in her heart, "Good heavens, where did this girl come from?" Such a thunderbolt.

  ……

  At night, after all the maids had gone to bed, Xiangxiang locked the doors and windows of her bedroom tightly. When no more sounds could be heard from outside, Linglong finally said with a huff: "Miss, can you guess why Second Young Mistress would go so crazy?"

  "Oh, you heard?"

  Linglong nodded, clenched her fist and gritted her teeth: "Second Aunt said that it was because Second Uncle wanted to take you as his concubine. Then, Second Aunt... shamelessly blamed this matter on your head, which is why she went mad."

  Her mind went blank for a moment, and she couldn't describe the taste. How did Ru Xing have such bad luck this year? Why was she calculated by others one after another, and even blamed innocently?

  Chen Xiang also lived in seclusion. After a while, he suddenly said with hatred: "There is not a single good person in the Yu Prefecture Wangfu."

  Her mind felt extremely heavy, as if she had swallowed a fly and it was hard to bear. Li Ao, that scoundrel, wouldn't leave her alone, thinking she was easy to bully or that since the engagement with the Fang family had been called off, she would never be able to marry again and would have to settle for him? This disgusting, shameless scoundrel!

  Here is the translation:

  Next is like good... Like Qing couldn't help but grit her teeth, just for this matter, and got so angry. Has she gone crazy or has her brain rusted? However, like Qing would never blame her "Why do women make it difficult for other women", most of the time, even for thousands of years, women have always only made it difficult for other women, otherwise, in ancient times there wouldn't be so many wives and concubines fighting, and in modern times there wouldn't be so many cases of wives beating up mistresses, and mistresses provoking them.

  However, if she's so angry just because of Li Yue's one sentence, and even ran to her place to cause trouble, then this woman is either mentally ill or really has no other choice. Didn't she used to be very loving with Li Yue before?

  Linglong was still scolding Ruxiang fiercely, saying he was arrogant and lawless, had no regard for others, and must have been bitten by a mad dog to be biting people like that. Just as she was getting into the swing of it, Ru Xiang stopped her, "Alright, stop scolding, look at you, your whole body is injured, let Chen Xiang treat your wounds quickly."

  Chen Xiang held onto Linglong's face, pulling her to one side and sitting down. Yu Qin helped apply medicine at the same time. Seeing the finger marks on Linglong's face, she was shocked in her heart, "This Second Young Mistress is really ruthless!" Many of the wounds had broken through the skin, oozing out thick blood stains.

  Linglong curled up her mouth, revealing her white teeth, and said: "But she's also very miserable." Because she specifically pinched Ruxian's chest. Thinking about the good show that was to come next, Linglong couldn't help but curl up her mouth and smile, "Tonight, if Second Aunt and Second Uncle sleep in the same bed, it will be fun."

  As if: "......"

  Yuqin: “......”

  Only Chen Xiang scolded her, angrily saying: "Such a vicious and despicable move, you, a young lady from a good family, dare to use it? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed?"

  Linglong gazed at Ruqing and said seriously: "This method was taught by you, miss."

  Chén Xiāng: *silence*

  Trying to ignore the burning sensation on her face, she put on a serious expression and said, "As long as we can deal with the enemy, it doesn't matter what method is used."

  Linglong stood up and echoed, "Right, right, right, so this is also the main reason why we can defeat Tartar while Xiangxiang sister and Yuqin sister can only kneel down and beg for mercy."

  The fragrance is dumb and speechless, while Yuqin on the side also deeply lowers her head.

  As if she knew, this girl is getting more and more like a salesgirl who praises her own goods.

  Finally, as Linglong was indeed caught in a sorry state, she decided to give her ten taels of silver as consolation money. But unexpectedly, Linglong shook her head repeatedly and took out a transparent green jade hairpin, a gold foot ornament made of red gold, a jade comb with emeralds, and a silver and gold bangle. "Although I was beaten by Second Madam, I also gained a lot. These were all taken from Second Madam's body, and selling them would be enough for me to live comfortably for the rest of my life. Miss, you really don't need to reward me anymore." Seeing Ruqing's petrified face, she added, "In fact, if it weren't for Miss leaving this task to me, I wouldn't have made such a big fortune. Miss, let's just say you can have one bangle." She handed the silver and gold bangle to Ruqing.

  "...I remember that Ruxue wore two bracelets, why didn't you take them off too?" Fortunately, I was used to this maid's astonishing words and actions, and like a conditioned reflex, I also learned to think three steps ahead.

  Linglong replied, "That bangle has a phoenix pattern engraved on it. Even if I got it, I wouldn't dare wear it." Wearing something that belongs to someone else is a serious offense. She didn't want to lose everything over something small.

  This time, I'm finally convinced. Playing with these pieces of jewelry, it's indeed true that heavenly things are different, exuding luxury from head to toe, and the workmanship is exquisite. Although slightly too rigid, it doesn't affect its value.

  Chen Xiang took the bangle and examined it carefully, couldn't help but look at him with new eyes. "Ordinarily, I see you doing things clumsily, didn't expect that at a critical moment, you'd be so clever."

  Linglong smiled and said: "Too kind, too kind, it's all thanks to learning from Second Master."

  Almost bursting with laughter, barely holding it in, the Eldest Young Master of the Fang Manor, Fang Zhiyi, had always been a symbol of integrity and righteousness in Datong, but after getting to know him for a while, one would discover that he was actually a scoundrel who would scrape the ground for every penny. After fighting against the Tartars, during the cleanup of the battlefield, he would make use of everything, picking up anything from the enemy's body that could be sold for silver. When fighting against bandits, he would even take their nests and thoroughly loot all the gold, silver, and jewels they had accumulated through hard work. What was even more outrageous was that many local merchants, taking advantage of his reputation on the battlefield, would ask him to dispatch troops to escort their merchant caravans out of the border, and he would calmly accept "protection fees", also conveniently letting the caravan take away goods he hadn't had time to "clean up" to sell.

  As if delighted to have recovered from the memories, he looked at Ling with a face of admiration and said, "Not bad, indeed a Confucian scholar can be taught. Now, what do you plan to do with these accessories?"

  Linglong scratched her scalp, grinning foolishly. "Since I can learn the skills of making money from Second Master, of course, I also learned how to divide the spoils. These are still for Miss to find an excuse to take out and we'll divide them together later. However, I am the greatest contributor, I want the biggest share."

  The joy was unbearable, and she almost fell onto the bed laughing. Even Xun Xian Yu Qin couldn't help but laugh, scolding while rubbing her belly.

  Xiang Qing gently pushed Ru Jing, laughing so hard that tears came out, "Miss, where did you find such a naughty guy? He really made me laugh to death."

  Yuqin also followed with: "Now, I finally understand why Linglong, such a foolish girl, can still be kept by her side."

  As soon as he heard this, he glanced at her with a meaningful look, "Mother Zhou once told me that you are a kind-hearted and diligent person. Over the years, you have indeed been very careful. It was not right for me to be on guard against you from the moment you came over from Madam's place."

  Yuqin's eyes suddenly became moist. Chao Ru said sincerely, "Before, I was indeed half-hearted, but after seeing your true abilities, Miss, I have been following you wholeheartedly." She was originally a servant of Li's family and came to Chao Ru's side with a negative attitude. However, after witnessing how Chao Ru quietly handled several disloyal maids, she suddenly realized that this young lady appeared ordinary but was extremely formidable and had very bright thoughts. Since then, she finally collected her mind and followed Chao Ru wholeheartedly. But seeing Xiangxiang Linglong occupying the position of head maid and being one of Chao Ru's closest attendants, speaking fluently in front of Miss, her heart was secretly moved. Later, it was still Zhou Mama who noticed her thoughts and privately reminded her, "Miss is actually not difficult to serve, as long as you are loyal and devoted to her, the position of head maid by Miss' side will not be lacking for you."

  Zhou Mama's words hit her hard, and from then on, she worked diligently, especially during the Shanxi days. After almost encountering danger with the horse thieves, Ruo Yin began to intentionally keep herself by her side. Now that they've returned to Beijing, Ruo Yin has let her start organizing her private clothes and allowed her to come and go freely in her boudoir.

  Qing smiled lightly, "A good bird chooses a tree to perch on. Thanks for thinking highly of me and considering me a good piece of wood."

  Yuqin fell silent for a moment, then whispered: "Today, why did the young lady only leave Linglong behind?"

  "Considering your fighting skills, are you sure you can beat Ling?"

  Yuqin remained silent, while Linglong looked proud and rolled up her sleeves, showing off her strength despite being small. This earned her a disdainful snort from Chen Xiang...

  Like a feeling was teased by several women, and laughed until she fell onto the bed. The four people, master and servant, were counting the silver coins on their fingers while laughing uncontrollably. Like a feeling covered her red and swollen left cheek, this slap was well-deserved...

  On the second day, early in the morning, the old lady indeed had someone harness a carriage and rushed to Yongqingbo's residence. Fangfu was not far from Yongqingbo's residence, and it took only half an hour by single-horse carriage to arrive. It should be no problem for the old lady to return home after lunch and take a nap.

  But before lunch, the old lady came back, and Qing Da was surprised, hurriedly got up and asked: "Grandma, why are you back so soon?" At least lunch should be eaten. Even if Yongqing Bo's wife is dissatisfied, she will have to keep the guests for lunch.

  The old lady grumbled: "What's good to eat? People are busy, who has the leisure to entertain an old woman like me?"

  With a tilted head, she sized up the old lady's suspicious smile on her lips, "Granny, what fun thing happened again?"

  The old lady slapped her and scolded, "You silly girl, you don't mince words at all. Your cousin had a legitimate son, both mother and child are safe, this is the biggest joyous event! Are you so happy to see others in trouble? You're even hoping for something bad to happen to them!"

  As if confessing, she gently shook the old lady's arm: "Yes, yes, I was wrong. Grandma, please don't mind me. But why did you come back so early? At least you should have eaten dinner before leaving?"

  The old lady hummed again: "Having bumped into someone from Yongning Bo's residence, how can you still eat this meal?"

  "Is Madam Jiang gone as well?"

  The old lady pouted, "The Yongning and Yongqing families have always gotten along well. However, this time it seems like they both brought some resentment."

  What happened again with the emotional debt?

  "That's Yongning Bo's wife's niece, whom you've also met a few years ago. She's a delicate and pretty girl, but with a big temper. " Ruhua thought hard for a moment, and seemed to recall that her name was Yunping'er, who was about the same age as herself, and this person was staring at her with hostile eyes on their first meeting.

  "Is it possible that Yun's family wants to marry their niece into the Yongqing Bo household?"

  The old lady looked at her with appreciation and said, "You guessed it right."

  As soon as she smiled, "I once heard the lady mention that Yun's family was not very good. I suppose Mrs. Yongqing refused." Then, Yun felt that she was being looked down upon, and then, she messed up her relationship with Mrs. Yongqing.

  The old lady chuckled, "It's not that the Yun family still dared to think that Mrs. Yongqing would look at her face and marry her niece to their eldest son. This cousin looks okay, but her family is too shallow, and she's a proud person. It's normal for others to reject her. But unfortunately, she can't accept it in her heart, always thinking she's the best. Now, the relationship between the two families has become awkward, and they can't save face, so they still maintain a warm appearance on the surface. Two women who are almost 100 years old together were secretly fighting in front of their guests, making me suffocate."

  It's like imagining that scene, and it's indeed explosive enough.

  The old lady sighed again: "Cloud wasn't like that in the early years, how come she's getting more and more disgusting now."

  She smiled silently, but didn't say a word. In her heart, however, she was thinking, "This is probably what they call menopause."

  ……

  Actually, as the saying goes "the elder brother doesn't speak of the second brother", the old lady and her grandson were still gloating over the misfortune of Madame Yun, the wife of Duke Yongning, while Madame Yun, after returning to the duke's mansion, was also gossiping about others.

  Yun's family teased their little grandson and then casually mentioned Fang Fu's old lady and her grandson.

  "...the old lady of that mansion, previously relying on her adopted son's power, was as arrogant as an empress. Now look at her, today in the Duke of Yongqing's mansion, where is her former haughtiness?"

  Jiang Yunran stood beside him, saying nothing.

  Yun's expression changed as he looked at his son, and he continued: "You haven't been out much lately, so you probably don't know that the Xiang family not only broke off the engagement with Ruoqing but also married Xiang Furen's niece. Although people outside are saying that the Xiang family is being too arrogant, a fly won't bother an egg unless it's rotten. If Ruoqing was really as good as you thought, the Xiang family wouldn't have humiliated Fang's family like this. The girl you've been thinking about all along is nothing special. Now it's even better, since breaking off the engagement with the Xiang family, no one has come to ask for her hand in marriage." Yun was justified in feeling happy and gloating over Ruoqing's misfortune. As a noble family that surpassed even the highest officials in the imperial court, giving her the title of a concubine would have been a favor, but instead, she had the audacity to look down on them. Now it's clear what retribution means.

  Jiang Yunran lowered his head, his voice faint, "Why did Mother tell me these things? What's the point of telling her son about such private matters? If it gets out, people will laugh at us."

  Yun's mother hesitated for a while, carefully observing her son's expression, but Jiang Yuran remained with his head hung low, lost in thought. After turning over the idea in her mind, she finally chose her words carefully and said: "In any case, after this incident, even if you want to marry well, it will be difficult. You can only marry down to a lower-ranking family or find an older widower with children from a previous marriage. Otherwise, you can only become a concubine of a noble family. Rather than that, why don't we go and ask for your hand in marriage, and I'll become your concubine instead?"

  Yun said, staring at her son's reaction, while Jiang You Ran swayed a few times before returning to calmness. His body didn't move, but his voice was low and rumbling like thunder. "I knew Mother would do something like this. However, I appreciate your good intentions, Mother. Since we can't be husband and wife with Ruxin, why must you rub salt in the wound? Although the Fang family has lost power, their sons are still quite capable. It's absolutely unacceptable to let my sister become a concubine for someone else. Moreover," Jiang You Ran finally lifted his head, his elegant face filled with thick sarcasm, "Mother also underestimates the pride of the scholarly families. Even if she marries a commoner, she won't look down on your useless son."

  Yun's anger was overwhelming, and he couldn't help but say: "You're so excellent, and you're about to inherit your father's title, why do you have to belittle yourself like this?"

  Jiang Yunran smiled wryly, "What do I have besides my hereditary title? My literary skills are not as good as Ziyan's, my martial arts are not as good as Zicheng's, and even the children I've had are weak and sickly. In three to five years, compared to the Fang family, it will be like the difference between east and west thirty years ago."

  Yun's words were like a cold shower to the gloomy and depressed atmosphere, making it hard for him to bear. He couldn't help but shout: "Shut up! With this deadpan expression all day, who are you trying to show? A man should be born with a sense of purpose, to make a name for himself, to bring honor to his ancestors. What's the point of being so infatuated with romantic feelings? From now on, I want you to perk up immediately! Think about your identity and the future of the Jiang family, which relies on you to carry on the legacy. I won't allow you to be so down in the dumps!" Yun's words startled the baby, who began wailing loudly. Yun quickly picked him up and tried to soothe him by walking back and forth while speaking softly, but the baby continued to cry uncontrollably. Getting even more annoyed, he yelled at the nanny outside: "Are you all just standing around like zombies? Can't you hear that Young Master is crying? Get in here and attend to him!"

  The wet nurse and the maids rushed in, took over the wailing infant, saw Yun's fierce face, didn't dare to linger, and carried the child out.

  After the house was quiet, Yun's mother said to her son again: "Since you don't want to take Ruqing as a concubine, I won't force it. But you only have this one child, and this child is weak in body, afraid that he can't hold up the Jiang family's door in the future. And your wife can no longer give birth, so why not just take another concubine?"

  Seeing that his son did not express any opinion, nor did he object, he felt a sense of relief and continued: "It's too monotonous to have only two concubines in your house. Moreover, those two concubines are of lowly status and are really not worthy of giving birth to the descendants of the Jiang family." He paused for a moment, seeing that his son still did not speak, and then said: "How about taking another proper and virtuous woman from a good family as your concubine?"

  "Everything will be decided by Mother," said Jiang Yunran indifferently.

  Madam Wang was overjoyed and didn't mind her son's indifference, and hurriedly said: "I've thought about it, generally speaking, officials with some family background are not willing to let their legitimate daughters become concubines, they can only marry a secondary daughter back. But how can a secondary daughter be brought out? And the girls from the Zhuang household are too petty-minded, even if they give birth to children, they cannot educate them well. I think your cousin Ping'er is the most suitable."

  Yun's expression changed slightly as he said, "Ping'er has been with our family since the year before last. She has always been diligent and obedient to rules, and she is also kind-hearted and gentle. Moreover, she is not an outsider, but someone who knows the roots and depths of our family. Don't you think that's better than bringing in someone from outside?"

  Jiang Yunran's expression was slightly sarcastic, "Isn't Ping'er's sister-in-law always wanting to be the wife of the Young Master of Yongqing Bo's manor? How could she be willing to stoop to being just a concubine?"

  Yun's family was silent for a long time, her face burning red. In fact, earlier, she had promised her brother to bring Ping'er to Beijing to find a good husband for her, but she did not expect that Ping'er's vision was so high, refusing to marry anyone without a hereditary title or someone she didn't look up to. She racked her brains and couldn't find anyone suitable for her. Later, she discovered that this girl would often run to her son's room, which made her realize something was wrong. To dispel Ping'er's infatuation with her son, she hastily searched for a match for him. However, the younger sister of Kaiyang County, who had been fine before marrying into the Jiang family, began to weaken physically after becoming pregnant, and even nearly died during childbirth. Although both mother and child were safe, Kaiyang County was no longer able to bear children, and this child was also weak, as if he would lose his life at any moment. This made her extremely worried, what if this child couldn't survive to marry and have children? Would the Jiang family not decline?

  Yun's words stirred up his spirits, and he said with a smile: "At first, I also thought that Ping'er had an extraordinary vision, not marrying anyone ordinary. But later on, I discovered that this child had been secretly liking you all along. Moreover, Ping'er is not just any ordinary girl, she is your second uncle's own daughter, clever and lively, and likes you too, and doesn't mind being a concubine. This is really something hard to come by, even with a lantern in hand."

  Jiang Yunran still had a calm expression, "Since mother thinks it's good, then let's do it according to mother's idea."

  Digression

  I heard that entering the top ten with a monthly ticket comes with rewards, hmm, I'm tempted... However, it's probably going to be tough, so let's just stick with traditional flowers and diamonds to delight people... Hehe, this is what I love most.