When Li Shouye listened to his mother's words, the suffocating feeling came over him again. Just when he wanted to turn around and leave on the spot, Xu Yinyin beside him stood up and spoke for him.
"Mother-in-law, my husband is naturally filial."
She took the initiative to go forward and support Lu Hanyi. Lu Hanyi wanted to shake her off when she saw her. Xu Yinyin continued, "The current emperor attaches great importance to filial piety. Without filial piety, there is no success. If something happens to you in the mansion, wouldn't it make your husband have a reputation for being unfilial? How can he serve as an official in the future!"
After hearing Xu Yinyin's words, Lu Hanyi immediately stopped making a fuss.
She let Xu Yinyin help her up, turned to look at Li Shouye, with guilt in her eyes, "Shouye, I really didn't know that I did this. If I knew that it would affect your future, I would never seek revenge on them!"
Li Shouye snorted coldly, "How dare you say that!"
When Lu Hanyi heard this, he closed his mouth again.
She looked at her son who was so angry that he turned blue, and now she was complaining about the headache.
"Son, son, mother has a headache."
"Mother-in-law, I'll take you inside to rest."
"I don't want you, I want to keep the business." Lu Hanyi only looked at Li Shouye.
But at this time Li Shouye turned around and walked out.
"Protect the business!"
"Mother-in-law, you'd better take a rest and wait until your husband calms down." Xu Yinyin said, "He won't listen to anything you say right now, right?"
Hearing this, Lu Hanyi controlled her temper. She watched Li Shouye walk away. At this moment, she thought of what Xu Yinyin had said when she helped her up just now, about how he would be an official in the future.
She couldn't help but ask, "By the way, you just said that he can still be an official if he keeps his business?"
When Xu Yinyin heard her ask, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, "Mother-in-law, my father has many connections in the capital, and he also has many familiar friends in the Ministry of Revenue."
"Then what are you waiting for? Tell your father to tell the people in the Ministry of Revenue! Tell them to reissue the transfer order for Shouye!"
Xu Yinyin: "…"
Xu Yinyin looked at Lu Hanyi who was shouting and commanding without any reason. She snorted and said, "Mother-in-law, of course I mentioned it to my father. My father told me to wait."
"How can you wait? Go to your house again and urge him to hurry up!"
Seeing that Lu Hanyi had no attitude at all and didn't even look apologetic, Xu Yinyin let go of her hand and said, "Mother-in-law, you should have a good rest. I have to go back to accompany my husband first."
"You!" Lu Hanyi wanted to curse at Xu Yinyin as she saw her walking out directly, but then she remembered that she said her father had connections and had mentioned it and was waiting, so she swallowed the curse that was about to come to Xu Yinyin.
Forget it, let her go for the next few days.
Let's wait until her father has dealt with Li Shouye's matter.
Two days passed in a flash.
Lu Hanyi gradually recovered.
The main reason was that her son's mood had improved, and she also became more active.
She took the initiative to send food to Li Shouye twice and ate with the couple. After Li Shouye asked her to come to his house several times, he accepted to eat with her again.
"Shouye, have some meat. This is beef. Mom went to the market to buy it herself. It's the freshest. The tendons are still jumping when it's just cut!" Lu Hanyi added more dishes to Li Shouye.
Li Shouye turned a deaf ear to it. He didn't even look at the food added to his bowl, but reached out his hand to pick up some food for Xu Yinyin.
"Yin Yin, eat more."
"Yes, my husband."
Xu Yinyin smiled at him, and the couple lived in harmony and were very loving.
Seeing this made Lu Hanyi angry.
She really wanted to overturn the table in public, or scold Xu Yinyin and ask her to go out for dinner, but when the words came to her lips, she remembered what Xu Yinyin had said before.
"Yinyin, you said before that your father knows someone in the Ministry of Revenue who can find an official position for Shouye. How is the matter going?"
After hearing this, Xu Yinyin glanced at Lu Hanyi and said, "Mother-in-law, you made a scene outside before and gave my husband a bad reputation. Now it's not that easy to deal with."
Hearing this, Lu Hanyi immediately became anxious, "Can your father do it?"
"Do Yinyin and my father-in-law owe you anything?" Li Shouye said angrily. "At the beginning, you were the one who rushed to their door and insulted them without knowing right or wrong. Not only did you ruin my future, but you also made them suffer innocent insults. Now you can confidently ask them to do things for me. Is there such a thing in this world?"
Lu Hanyi was speechless after being scolded by her son. She opened her mouth and said dissatisfiedly, "Shouye, why are you speaking for them!"
"How can I not speak for them! Yinyin is my wife. She was wronged to marry me. All the household items, servants and this house were her dowry. She has been devoted to me, but you still make things difficult for her from time to time. My father-in-law's family has helped me so much, but you came to their house to scold me. Everyone in the world owes you! They all need your orders!"
Li Shouye's words were so eloquent that Lu Hanyi was speechless.
Almost everything in this house, from top to bottom, inside and out, was Xu Yinyin's dowry. She didn't even give Xu Yinyin a penny of the betrothal gift.
Now that her son said this, Lu Hanyi felt short of breath and guilty, but at the same time she couldn't help feeling wronged, "Isn't it for you? I was thinking about you wholeheartedly. When I saw someone plotting against you, I went to avenge you! How could I know that these things would happen later! How can you blame me for everything!"
Li Shouye made her so angry, "Did I tell you before not to cause trouble during this period? Did I tell you that?"
"It's obviously you. You ruined my future. Now I have no chance of getting a job. Are you satisfied?"
Lu Hanyi gasped, and after a long pause, she turned her head away, "Humph, I think you are incompetent! If you were capable, the emperor would have asked you to be an official! How can you let me ruin your business with just a few words!"
Li Shouye: "…"
Xu Yinyin: "…"
Li Shouye couldn't say even a word more to his mother.
Looking at his mother who was completely unyielding and never knew she would do anything wrong, he turned around and walked out.
"Protect the business!"
"Protect the business!"
Lu Hanyi called him anxiously, but Li Shouye did not stay even a step.
When Lu Hanyi saw this, she became anxious again.
She turned her head to look at Xu Yinyin who was sitting at the dining table. Xu Yinyin was looking at her, neither anxious nor angry, as if she was waiting for her to speak.
Lu Hanyi was not that stupid. She could not understand what Xu Yinyin meant and could not hear the hidden meaning in her words.
She said several times that she wanted to wait, but she just wanted her to beg her!
How could she beg her!
"Xu Yinyin! Aren't you at all anxious about your husband's affairs?" She yelled at Xu Yinyin again.
Hearing her voice, Xu Yinyin also turned around and left.
She was about to step out of the house in one, two, three steps.
Lu Hanyi took a deep breath and called her awkwardly.
"Yin Yin, grandma is wrong."
Xu Yinyin stopped.
She turned and looked at Lu Hanyi.
Lu Hanyi looked at her awkwardly. Asking her to admit her mistake was like asking her to swallow charcoal fire alive, which made her heart burn with anger. If she had the slightest possibility, she would never admit her mistake to anyone!
Isn't this because of her son?
She had ruined her son's future, and now the only one who could help was Xu Yinyin.
Of course, there are other people who can help.
For example, go find Lu Kuan or Lu Lingyun.
But she had a falling out with Lu Kuan's wife Tong Nanyuan, so how could she have the face to go to the Lu family?
She also couldn't go to Liu to mediate on her behalf.
Her mother, Mrs. Liu, was also annoyed by her. If she heard again that she had messed up Li Shouye's job, she would definitely scold her. After that, she would not care about her and would tell her to go and beg for help herself.
There's no way to ask Lu Kuan for help.
As for Lu Lingjun, she would never beg her even if she died in this life!
Therefore, the only person she could ask for help and use was Xu Yinyin.
For her son's sake, she apologized to her!
When Xu Yinyin saw the expression on Lu Hanyi's face, the struggle, reluctance, shame, and a little bit of guilt in her eyes, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
"Mother-in-law, are you apologizing to me?"
She asked again.
At this time, Lu Hanyi really found a hole in the ground, and she crawled into it!
She twisted her teeth, looked at Xu Yinyin's eyes, and gritted her teeth, "I went to your house to make trouble last time and scolded you and your parents. Now, I apologize to you. I am sorry for you!"
Seeing Lu Hanyi bowing her head and apologizing to her, Xu Yinyin's frustration disappeared by a large margin, and she felt relieved.
She straightened her back and said, "Mother-in-law, you apologized to me. I received it. We are all family. For the sake of preserving the business, I naturally have no grudge against you."
"The matter of preserving the business..."
"You have to go to my house in person and tell my parents again. Don't you think this is reasonable?"
Xu Yinyin not only wanted Lu Hanyi to apologize to her, but also had to go to her parents' house to apologize.
When Lu Hanyi heard this, she became angry again.
If she went to the Xu family to apologize, how could she hold her head up in front of them in the future!
"Mother-in-law, you can't always ask others to take the blame for your mistakes. If it's wrong, it's wrong. We admit it and won't make the same mistake again." Xu Yinyin said, "Shouye is your son, not your enemy. Do you want to destroy him again and again?"
"How did I destroy him?"
"Hmm?" Xu Yinyin didn't say anything, just looked at her dimly.
Lu Hanyi met her gaze, and after a few breaths, he responded, "Okay, I'll go over in person and apologize to your parents!"
For her son.
She endured it.
Lu Hanyi brought some things and went to County Magistrate Xu's house in person to apologize.
When County Magistrate Xu and Zhang saw her coming to apologize, they were very happy.
There will also be a day when Lu Hanyi will bow her head and admit her mistakes.
I finally got rid of that anger.
The two of them didn't put on too much airs, after all, they were still relatives. They gladly accepted Lu Hanyi's apology and promised her that they would help her arrange to keep the business.
Just two days after Lu Hanyi apologized, the Ministry of Revenue issued a transfer order.
He was assigned to work as an eighth-rank clerk in the Lifanyuan.
The official position was very low and the work was easy, but there was not much future.
Lu Hanyi started to feel unhappy again when she saw such a small official.
"Xu Yinyin, what's wrong with your father, arranging such a small official position for Shouye!" Lu Hanyi said to Xu Yinyin dissatisfiedly at the dinner table.
"My previous transfer order was to work as a clerk in the Lifanyuan. It was not arranged by my father-in-law." Li Shouye said.
Li Shouye's words could not dispel Lu Hanyi's dissatisfaction. She pouted and said, "Your uncle was directly assigned to work for His Majesty. You are not worse than your uncle. Why did you get such a small position? I think someone deliberately doesn't want you to surpass anyone!"
She was making a veiled criticism of Xu Yinyin's father.
Old Man Xu was a seventh-rank county magistrate in Beijing. She had never looked up to him before, despising his low-ranking position. But now, her son was only an eighth-rank official, a truly insignificant official. In Beijing, a brick falling from the head could smash the positions of a large number of fourth- and fifth-rank officials. This was too insignificant!
If you go down further, you will be on the same level as those petty officials.
But when Li Shouye heard what Lu Hanyi said, he couldn't help but feel angry again.
"My uncle was the top scholar who won three first prizes in the imperial examination. He was taught by Grand Master Zhao. What am I? I don't even have a master! You must be able to make me become a master too!"
In addition to Lu Kuan's own efforts, Lu Lingjun paved the way for him to achieve such a successful situation.
But Lu Hanyi did nothing for Li Shouye. Even when Lu Kuan found a way for him to become Wang Daru's disciple, she still messed it up. How can they be compared!
When Lu Hanyi heard what Li Shouye said, she pouted indignantly, "You always blame mother for everything. In my opinion, you just don't work hard enough. There are many people whose family background is worse than yours and whose grades are not as good as yours, but they can still become high-ranking officials. How come they can do it but you can't?"
Li Shouye couldn't stay any longer, so he put down his chopsticks and turned to walk out.
"Husband!"
"Husband!"
Seeing this, Xu Yinyin didn't care about Lu Hanyi and quickly caught up with Li Shouye.
When Lu Hanyi saw this, she also threw down her chopsticks and said, "These guys are all turning upside down!"
"I have done so much for him, but he still doesn't appreciate it. I am born to owe him!"
"How heartless!"
"Why is my life so miserable? I have to encounter these ruthless people!"
Li Shouye was so depressed in the house that he couldn't control himself.
"Husband." Xu Yinyin walked up to him and comforted him, "Life will be fine."
Li Shouye remained silent and clenched his fists.
He originally thought that life would be better once his official position was restored.
But I never thought that such days would have no end.
As long as his mother is around, he will never be able to escape and will never have peace.
Xu Yinyin saw his distress and she sighed softly.
She also didn't expect that her mother-in-law couldn't restrain herself at all.
Even though I asked her to lower her head and apologize before, she still looked like this when I turned around.
The method her father gave her was only a temporary solution and not a permanent cure!
At this moment, her mind suddenly turned and she thought of someone.
"Shouye, maybe we can ask our aunt for help!"
Li Shouye frowned, "How can this be possible?"
"Have you forgotten how you married me?" Xu Yinyin's eyes lit up. It was Lu Lingjun who solved the problem when she and Li Shouye were separated by Lu Hanyi.
Perhaps Lu Lingjun is the only one in the world who can control Lu Hanyi.
"I'll go ask my aunt for help. I'm sure she can find a way!"
Xu Yinyin's eyes sparkled.
Ningyang Marquis Mansion.
Lu Lingjun has been busy building another house recently.
Cheng Binghao was conferred the title of Marquis of Changsheng, and Your Majesty also ordered the Ministry of Works to build the Marquis of Changsheng Mansion.
Now that all the procedures have been completed, it is time to start building the house.
It was built next to the Ningyang Marquis' Mansion. Lu Lingjun planned to open a small door between the two mansions so that the two brothers could live in their own mansions in the future.
Before Liu Xianxian married into the Changsheng Marquis Mansion, she could help manage the two mansions. After Liu Xianxian married, she would give the Changsheng Marquis Mansion to her to manage, leaving only a small door so that the two families could visit occasionally.
After she had looked at the drawings from the Ministry of Works and decided where to place the small door, the maid in the courtyard came to pass on the message.
"Madam, Madam Li is here."
"Yinyin is here, quickly ask her to come in." Lu Lingjun said with a smile.
Ask the servants to take away all the other things.
After a while, Xu Yinyin walked in.
"Aunt!"
"Why are you free to come and see me today?" Lu Lingjun asked her to sit over. "I remember that Shouye's transfer should have come, but what trouble has he run into?"
When Xu Yinyin heard this, she felt warm in her heart.
No wonder her mother asked her to recognize Lu Lingjun as her half-mother-in-law. Lu Lingjun was so kind to her nephews and younger generations.
She has already held a high position, so she has no interest in them. She is just a caring and loving person from an elder to a younger one.
"Aunt," Xu Yinyin smiled at her, "Shouye has been assigned to work in the Lifanyuan."
"Lifanyuan," Lu Lingyun said the name, "This is a good place."
The Lifanyuan was a diplomatic academy that handled external affairs and some regional affairs.
In Lu Lingyun's memory of her previous life, in the next few years, the dynasty became more and more prosperous and established diplomatic relations with many countries. Before her death, all nations came to pay tribute, and it was an unprecedented occasion. The Lifanyuan was very popular at that time and was highly respected.
"You're lucky to be in this business. You've found a good place and have a bright future ahead of you," Lu Lingjun praised.
"Really?" Xu Yinyin asked with a hint of confusion.
In their current view, the Lifanyuan was an idle place with no benefits and no future. Each department was most important to the extent to which His Majesty valued it. Needless to say, the Six Ministries were powerful, and the local officials in each province also had real power. However, a diplomatic department like the Lifanyuan looked more like a place for retirement.
"Of course, just tell Shouye to work hard and don't be careless. He will have the chance to show his talents in the future." Lu Lingjun reminded Xu Yinyin.
After hearing her words, Xu Yinyin was immediately encouraged with confidence. She was also worried that Li Shouye's selected official position was too low and his future was bleak. She also wanted to discuss it with her father, or find a way to get a job as a local official.
Now, after listening to Lu Lingjun's words, she felt that there was nothing to worry about and she could just put her mind at ease and wait.
"Yes, I will listen to my aunt." Xu Yinyin nodded obediently. After talking about Li Shouye, her eyes changed slightly and she looked at Lu Lingjun.
"Anything else you need from me?"
"Yes." Xu Yinyin sighed, "It's my mother-in-law's business."
She told Lu Lingjun everything that Lu Hanyi had done during this period, especially how she had been making trouble at home, which had ruined Li Shouye's spirit.
After listening to Xu Yinyin's words, Lu Lingjun frowned slightly. She knew her sister very well. It was indeed something Lu Hanyi could do.
But.
"Han Yi does have a bad temper, but what do you want to do by telling me all this?" Lu Lingjun asked.
"Aunt! Shouye and I want to ask you for help!" Xu Yinyin looked at Lu Lingjun pleadingly, "We have already made her suffer so much that there is no way out. My father taught me a trick before, which is to use Shouye's official position to make her admit her mistakes, but this trick is not very useful. After she is done, she will do whatever she wants and she will be more dissatisfied with us."
"We are totally at a loss now. If she continues to make trouble, I am afraid that Shouye will not be able to hold on! Please help me, aunt!"
It turned out that he couldn't stand Lu Hanyi anymore and came to ask her for help.
Lu Lingjun listened to Xu Yinyin's words and pondered for a while. After thinking about it, she raised her eyes slightly and said, "It's not impossible to keep your mother-in-law safe."
"What can I do, Auntie!"
Lu Lingjun looked into her eyes and said softly with her red lips, "Transfer your father-in-law back to Beijing."
The only person in this world who can deal with Lu Hanyi, no, the only person who can give Lu Hanyi a whole new battlefield is Li Wenxun.
Once he returned to Beijing, Lu Hanyi would no longer have the heart to care about her son and daughter-in-law.
A few days later, Li family.
Lu Hanyi was called to the Li family for dinner.
She was dressed in new clothes, looking elegant and luxurious, and was surrounded by maids and old women, so that her sister-in-law could see how free she was now.
Her son has become successful, and she can live with him out of the house. Her life will be so much easier!
Be as comfortable as you can be.
She just wanted to tell everyone.
Her, Lu Hanyi's, good days are finally over!
But just when she was feeling proud in front of everyone at the Li family, she heard shocking news.
Li Wenxun is going to be transferred back to the capital!
"What! He is going to be transferred back to the capital to be an official!" Lu Hanyi stood up suddenly.
Mother Li, who was sitting in the upper seat, glanced at her with dissatisfaction, "Yes, second son's wife, your husband is finally coming back, you must be happy now."
Happy?!
What the hell am I happy about!
Whenever Lu Hanyi thought of Li Wenxun, that useless man who had deceived her all her life, she wanted to rush out and fight with him. She had run around for him and finally raised her son to adulthood. Now, just when her good days of being able to show off and be the master of her own affairs were about to begin, he came back!
This is intentional to make her unhappy!
"Has he been promoted? Why did he come back?" Lu Hanyi asked hurriedly after getting angry.
"It's not a promotion, it's just a transfer to Beijing to work as an eighth-rank treasurer in the Ministry of Works."
Officials in Beijing are one level higher in rank. Li Wenxun was a seventh-rank county magistrate outside the capital, so he would be demoted one level when he returned to Beijing to serve as an official.
Li Wenxun returned to Beijing and became an eighth-rank official, which was basically a lateral transfer.
Lu Hanyi became even more furious when she heard this. This useless Li Wenxun had been away for more than ten years, and when he came back he was still an eighth-rank official!
She was really out of her mind to rush to marry such a man!
There is no number one scholar, no prime minister, only a disgusting man who is good at nothing and plots against the number one!
What kind of shit luck did he have in his previous life to live like that! He was deceived his whole life!
Lu Hanyi was so angry that she couldn't eat and turned back to her home.
"This second son's wife is becoming more and more unruly!"
"Mom, don't be angry," said sister-in-law Wei, looking at Lu Hanyi's back, "Wait until our second brother comes back and ask him to discipline her!"
"Humph! We must ask him to take good care of her! It's unfortunate for our family to marry a daughter-in-law like her!"
Lu Lingyun asked someone to use his connections to get Li Wenxun back to Beijing to work.
He estimated that he would be able to return to Beijing in about a month.
After dealing with this matter, she thought about asking Xu Yinyin's father to investigate the matter of Li Bixiang and Cheng Bingzhi spreading rumors, and sent someone to inquire about the progress.
at this time.
Luoguxiang.
Li Bixiang and her eldest son Cheng Bingzhi took care of themselves for some time and finally recovered from their injuries.
Cheng Bingzhi's broken mouth was covered with medicine for a long time, and the swelling went down. Now he doesn't spit blood foam when he speaks, but he still has air leakage.
His two big front teeth were knocked out by Lu Hanyi's men, revealing two black holes when he opened his mouth, making his already short and fat and not very handsome appearance even uglier.
"Mom, I can't eat the pork elbow anymore." Cheng Bingzhi looked at the big pork elbow on the table with envy.
"What's wrong with your sister? She knows that it's not convenient for you to eat this kind of food during this period, but she still serves it to you like this." Li Bixi said and looked towards the door, "Lanying! Come in and take the elbow down, shave off all the meat for your brother, and cut it into thin slices."
"Don't cut the slices too big, so your brother can eat them!"
Cheng Lanying, who was outside the door, walked into the room silently, took the elbow down, and said nothing.
"Don't eat secretly in the kitchen. I know the amount of this elbow. If you miss one, you'll be finished!" Cheng Bingzhi watched Cheng Lanying bring the big elbow away, staring at her with his eyes, afraid that she would eat it secretly.
When Cheng Lanying heard this, she couldn't help but slam the plate down and turned to glare at him.
Seeing her attitude, Cheng Bingzhi immediately pulled the foreign aid, "Mom, look at her!"
"Alright, Lanying, don't be mean to your brother. He's injured, you have to take care of him." Li Bixi took sides, "You have to know that when you get married, your brother will be your support, and he will have your back."
Amid Li Bixi's muttering, Cheng Lanying picked up the plate and turned to walk out.
I don't want to hear a word she says.
Seeing her leave like this, Cheng Bingzhi, who was sitting at the dinner table, said in dissatisfaction, "Oh! I support her! She is dreaming! If she doesn't beg me by then, I won't pay any attention to her! I will let her be beaten to death by her man!"
Cheng Bingzhi said this with a hint of pride in his tone.
He seemed to be imagining a scene in which his sister would be beaten badly by her husband's family after getting married, and would come back pitifully to beg him for support.
Oh! She wanted him to support her, no way!
He also has to ask her man to give her a good beating!
Asking her to give him a cold shoulder instead of serving him like the emperor!
Cheng Lanying, who was walking outside the door, was startled when she heard Cheng Bingzhi's words behind her, but soon she lowered her head and walked towards the kitchen.
Inside the room, Li Bixi looked at Cheng Bingzhi who was saying this, and she said angrily, "Speak softly, don't let your sister hear it."
"So what if she heard it! What else can she do! If you make me unhappy, I will marry her to the old cripple in the east of the city!" Cheng Bingzhi didn't care. It seemed that he controlled the power of life and death over Cheng Lanying without any scruples!
After all, this is what his mother told him since he was a child, and Cheng Lanying can only rely on him in the future.
He is the head of this family.
Without a man like him, none of them would be able to survive!
Li Bixiang listened to Cheng Bingzhi's words, but there was no dissatisfaction on her face that he was wrong. She rolled her eyes at this time, but she was thinking about something.
"Bingzhi, you can't treat your sister like this anymore."
"Why?"
"We may have to rely on her in the future!" Li Bixi glanced outside and looked in the direction of Cheng Lanying, "Your sister is a daughter of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion after all. Your elder sister can marry the prince of the Duke's Mansion, so how can she marry someone worse?"
"We can't ask her to get married! Will she still listen to us after she gets married?" Cheng Bingzhi refused repeatedly after hearing this. He was afraid that if Cheng Lanying lived a good life, she would no longer be under their control and would even seek revenge on them!
"You are stupid!" Li Bixi poked her son's head.
"Mom! It hurts!" She pressed the wound on Cheng Bingzhi's head, causing him to scream in pain.
"Hush, hush," Li Bixi blew on his wound and reminded him at the same time, "You can only have a good life if your sister marries well! She married into a wealthy family, and you are their brother-in-law. How can her husband's family not take care of you!"
"When the time comes, you can ask your sister to marry and have children. You are her biological brother, how can she ignore you! We no longer have the support of the Marquisate, so we can ask your sister to marry into a wealthy family, so that she can be our support!"
When Cheng Bingzhi heard his mother's advice, he woke up as if from a dream. He nodded repeatedly, saying that this made sense!
"Yes, yes, yes, we must let her marry into a high position, preferably to the Duke's Mansion! If she can become a young lady of the Duke's Mansion like that bitch Cheng Suying, then I will be the Duke's Mansion's brother-in-law in the future!"
"She is not qualified to be the young lady of the Duke's Mansion." Li Bixi said faintly, "But she can marry into the Duke's Mansion and become a concubine!"
If Cheng Lanying wants to marry and become the principal wife, with her current status and the influence of the Marquis' Mansion, she can at most marry into the family of a sixth or seventh rank official. If the Ningyang Marquis' Mansion does not pay any attention to her and does not acknowledge her, she can only marry a minor official or a wealthy businessman!
It is absolutely impossible to enter the main gate of the Duke's Mansion.
But if you want to be a concubine, the threshold is infinitely high...
Cheng Bingzhi's eyes lit up at this time and he said, "Mom! I heard from my friends before that the second master of Liu Guogong's mansion is buying a maid to be his concubine! It would be great to send my sister to Liu Guogong's mansion to be his concubine!"
"really?"
"Of course he took it seriously! My friend is the son of the housekeeper of the second house in Duke Liu's mansion! He told me personally when we were drinking that their second master is already sixty years old, with white hair and yellow teeth, and he wants eighteen-year-old girls all the time. No matter how many they send in, it won't be enough!"
When Li Bixi heard this, her eyes lit up, "Then ask your friend to come over tomorrow to see her..."
At this time, Cheng Lanying came in with sliced pork elbow.
Li Bixi immediately shut up and looked at Cheng Lanying with a smile on her face, "Lanying, you are tired too, sit down and have a good meal."
"Yes, sister, please sit down and join us!" Cheng Bingzhi said flatteringly.
Seeing his abnormally flattering behavior, Cheng Lanying didn't appreciate it at all and snorted, "I don't deserve it!"
After saying that, she turned and walked out.
"Mom, look at her!"
"Don't worry, I'll talk to her in person later." Li Bijie looked at her daughter again, her eyes full of calculation.
At this time, Cheng Lanying returned to her room.
When she was about to enter the house, someone stopped her.
"Second Miss!"
Wei Dahai appeared in front of her with a nervous look on his face, grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.
If it were any other time, Cheng Lanying would have shaken off his hand long ago, but now that she recognized it was him, she was stunned for just a moment before following him to the corner.
"What do you want?"
Cheng Lanying was dragged to the side of the stable and looked at Wei Dahai with a frown.
"Second Miss, your mother and your brother are going to send you to Duke Liu's mansion to be a concubine!"
"What!"
"I heard it with my own ears!" Wei Dahai said to her solemnly, "When you went to the kitchen to slice pork elbows, the two of them were discussing marrying you off in the house!"
"But they are such bad people. They want to send you to Duke Liu's mansion to be the concubine of the Second Master who is over 60 years old!"
After hearing what Wei Dahai said, Cheng Lanying froze in place.
Wei Dahai looked at Cheng Lanying and was worried about her. "What should I do? Oh, right! Why don't you go back to the Marquis' Mansion and ask the mistress for help? You are the second daughter of the Cheng family after all. Although you have separated from your brother and moved out to live alone, you are still the blood of the Marquis' Mansion. If you go and ask her, she will definitely not ask you to be a concubine!"
Wei Dahai's suggestion made Cheng Lanying, who was stunned, smile bitterly.
Ask Lu Lingjun for help?
If she had been able to tell which people she could truly rely on and which people were a deadly pit, she would have been lucky enough to choose Lu Lingjun as her mother early on, and her fate would definitely not have been like this.
But there were countless opportunities in front of her back then, and even Lu Lingjun had personally taught her for some time, but she didn't cherish them. So she will have no chances in the future.
She could ask Lu Lingjun to help her this time, because she was kind and generous, and she would surely save her once.
But she was unwilling to beg her.
"Wei Dahai, you like me, right?" Cheng Lanying looked at Wei Dahai and suddenly spoke.
When Wei Dahai heard her words, his face suddenly turned red. He stammered, "I, I don't want to. I'm just a groom. How can I be qualified..."
"Wei Dahai," Cheng Lanying grabbed his hand, "I don't care if you're a groom or someone else! If you like me, take me away to a place where no one knows us!"
When Wei Dahai heard Cheng Lanying say this, his face turned red. He stared at Cheng Lanying with his big eyes, "Second Miss..."
"Lan Ying!"
At this time, Li Bixi's voice came from the front yard.
Cheng Lanying heard her calling her, and she looked at Wei Dahai with burning eyes, "I'll be waiting for you in the stable at midnight tonight. If you don't come, I'll go to Duke Liu's mansion and become his concubine!"
After she finished speaking, she turned around and went back to the front yard, leaving Wei Dahai alone there.
She didn't want to ask Lu Lingjun for help because it was useless to ask her.
She still couldn't escape the fate of being arranged to marry, and under her arrangement, she married a stranger with a good family background.
But what difference does being a wife or a concubine make to her?
What she lacked was not the so-called title of legal wife, but love.
In her life, when she was young, she received enviable love, but in the end it was proved to be a false love like a mirage.
Her father doesn't love her.
Her mother loved her even less. After they moved out of the Marquis's Mansion and she was no longer useful in competing for favor, she no longer concealed anything from her.
As for her brother, not to mention, Cheng Bingzhi's words were still ringing in her ears.
No one in the world loves her.
At this moment, she couldn't help but think of what her father said to her before he became a monk.
Just follow your heart and live happily.
Her father could become a monk for his own happiness, so why couldn't she elope with someone!
She walked back to the front yard and saw Li Bixi waiting for her in front of her house.
"Lanying, where did you go just now?"
"Go add some fodder to the horse." Cheng Lanying said expressionlessly, "My brother has to take an exam in two days, and the horse can't be hungry."
Hearing her say this, Li Bixi smiled and said, "I knew you loved your brother!"
As she spoke, she took her arm for the first time and led her into the house affectionately.
Cheng Lanying saw her action and her eyes lingered on her arm for a moment, her eyes full of sarcasm and coldness, "Mom, why are you looking for me if you don't go take care of your brother?"
"Do you think that I only have eyes for your brother? You are also my flesh and blood!" Li Bixi's face was full of love, "I love you just as much as I do!"
Cheng Lanying had no expression on her face.
Li Bixi pulled her into the house and continued, "You are not young anymore. I can't keep you here any longer, but I will definitely find you a good husband!"
"Your elder sister Cheng Suying married into the Duke's Mansion, and our Lanying is also a daughter from the Marquis' Mansion. How can you marry a worse person than her?"
Cheng Lanying snorted at this time, "Mother, how can I compare with my elder sister? She is the legitimate daughter raised by the Madam, and I am just a little concubine's daughter who was raised outside with my aunt's half brother since I was a child!"
"Lanying, don't have such thoughts. Even if I have to risk everything and smash my head against that man, I will still ask for a marriage for you like Cheng Suying!" Li Bijie said this with great emotion, like a really good mother who can sacrifice everything for her child!
If Wei Dahai had not tipped her off, Cheng Lanying would definitely have been shaken at this moment.
She would feel that her mother actually cares about her and loves her.
Although she usually puts her brother first, she is still her biological mother!
But at this moment, Cheng Lanying felt it was extremely ironic when she saw the deep love for her son on Li Bixi's face, which showed her willingness to sacrifice everything for the child.
She remembered again that her mother loved performing.
In the past, she acted affectionately towards her father, weak and innocent towards the mistress, and affectionately towards her mother.
When she was young, she was always deceived by her appearance.
But now, I truly feel her disgusting and ugly true face beneath her false appearance!
She was already extremely sad and inevitably felt a little unwilling, so she asked tentatively, "Mother, are you also going to ask for a marriage for me in the Duke's Mansion?"
Li Bixi's eyes turned at this time, and she was full of maternal love, "Lanying, your elder sister is marrying into the Duke Xu's mansion, and I will definitely send you to the Duke's mansion! Don't worry, I will go to the Marquis' mansion tomorrow to ask for help, and I will never let you down!"
At this moment, Cheng Lanying was completely heartbroken.
Not only did her mother want to send her to the Duke's Mansion to be a concubine of a man in his sixties, she also wanted to put the blame on Lu Lingyun!
If she entered Duke Liu's mansion and was offered as a concubine, when she came to her senses and came back to ask for an explanation, her mother would still say that it was Lu Lingjun's arrangement!
Besides, the matter was already done and there was nothing she could do. She had to be a concubine in the Duke's Mansion to curry favor for the two of them, and all the blame would be borne by Lu Lingjun!
Li Bixi was oblivious and continued, "Lanying, when you marry into the Duke's Mansion and live a good life, don't forget mother and your brother!"
"We are your closest relatives and your lifelong support! You must take care of us!"
Cheng Lanying listened to her mother's muttering and responded to everything without any rebuttal, showing the kindness of a loving mother and a filial daughter.
Seeing her docile appearance, Li Bixi said, "Lanying, don't you think that mother only thought about your brother and ignored you?"
When Cheng Lanying heard this, she sneered in her heart, but a smile as sincere as hers appeared on her face. "Mom, we are the only three of us in this world who are related by blood and flesh. How could I be jealous of you for loving my brother?"
"It's great that you think this way!" Li Bixi held Cheng Lanying's hand, "You have to know that mother treats your brother well because he is a boy. We both have to rely on him. When you get married in the future, your brother will support you!"
At this time, Cheng Lanying was too lazy to even retort her.
Still supporting her?
Li Bijie really treated her like a fool!
Just say that if she were to be married into the Duke's Mansion as his wife according to her wishes, how could her useless brother support her?
He is not the Marquis of Ningyang or the Marquis of Changsheng, so on what basis can he support her!
"So Lanying, you must be good to your brother in the future, and you two siblings must support each other well!" Li Bixi added this to her.
Cheng Lanying smiled and nodded, "I will. As long as I marry into the Duke's Mansion, I will definitely find a good job for my brother. I will definitely not let him work hard!"
Cheng Lanying, on the other hand, made big promises, which only made Li Bixiang laugh.
At the same time, she took out the needlework basket and said to her mother, "Mom, since you are going to marry me off, I will hurry up to embroider my brother's socks and underwear tonight, so that he won't have nothing to wear in the future!"
Li Bixi looked at Cheng Lanying who was still thinking about Cheng Bingzhi, and she felt relieved. She smiled and said considerately, "Don't embroider too late, go to bed early!"
"It's okay, mother. If I get up late tomorrow and don't hear you calling me, just come and knock on my door to wake me up. I'll do more for the family in the next few days!"
When Li Bixi heard this, she smiled even more, "Lanying, just take a rest. Mother doesn't need you to do anything!"
After she finished speaking, she turned and left.
She said no, but in fact she didn't take the sewing basket from her hand, and just let her sew clothes and socks for Cheng Bingzhi!
Cheng Lanying looked at her back, her eyes growing colder.
the next day.
Cheng Bingzhi went out early in the morning and soon brought back a person.
"Mom, where is my sister?" Cheng Bingzhi happily pulled his friend into the yard.
Li Bixi, who was picking vegetables in the yard, looked up at the locked door of the small room and said, "Your sister hasn't gotten up yet. Maybe she stayed up too late embroidering for you last night!"
Early in the morning, Li Bijie called out to Cheng Lanying twice. When she heard no response, she remembered what Cheng Lanying had told her last night about staying up late to embroider something.
She wanted to knock on the door and wake her up, but after thinking for a moment, she decided to tell her to rest for a while, lest she look unhealthy and be sent to the Duke's Mansion where the Second Master would not like her.
For this reason, she didn't urge her to get up and work today.
Cheng Bingzhi heard this and said, "Then hurry up and wake her up. I've brought her here. I can let her enter Duke Liu's mansion as a concubine today!"
At this time, the young man standing next to Cheng Bingzhi spoke up, "Is that really the second young lady of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion?"
"That's right!" Li Bixi nodded hurriedly, "I used to be Li Yi Niang of Ningyang Marquis's mansion, and that's my daughter, Cheng Lanying, the second daughter of Ningyang Marquis!"
"It's good that she is the second young lady of Ningyang Marquis' Mansion. I have already told our second master. Our second master said that he would give her a concubine when she enters the mansion! He also asked me to bring a sedan chair to carry the second young lady into the mansion!" The young man pointed to the door, and there was already a sedan chair outside the door!
When Master Liu Er heard that it was the daughter of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion, he couldn't wait to send someone to bring her back to the mansion!
It is said that he has a connection with the Ningyang Marquis Mansion.
His former daughter-in-law was the niece of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion, and he later asked her to set up a trap that implicated their entire Duke's Mansion!
Now I heard that the young lady of the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion was going to be his concubine. Even if she was a concubine's daughter who was raised outside and separated from her brother's family, she was still Qin's granddaughter, wasn't she?
He must take revenge on her!
When I heard the news, I immediately sent someone to pick them up!
When Li Bixi saw the sedan chair parked at the door, her eyes widened.
Cheng Bingzhi's friend said at this time, "Aunt, our master has given another 500 taels of betrothal gifts! He has already given it to Mr. Cheng San."
Five hundred taels!
Li Bixian glanced at Cheng Bingzhi and asked, "Where's the money?"
Cheng Bingzhi patted his clothes on his chest and said, "Leave it here!"
Li Bixi was beaming with joy at this moment. She kept inviting people into the house, while shouting in the yard, "Lan Ying! Lan Ying!"
After calling out twice and seeing no response from Cheng Lanying, she called out, "Xiaoying! Go call the second young lady out and help her dress up!"
When the maid Xiaoying heard this, she reluctantly responded and went to Cheng Lanying's room.
Li Bixi invited everyone to the main hall for tea, and at the same time pulled her son over and whispered, "Son, where is your sister's gift money? Come out and give it to mother."
"What do you want me to do for you!"
"Keep it for me, I will marry you a wife in the future!" said Li Bixi.
"It will be the same even if you let me go." Cheng Bingzhi refused to give the money.
Li Bixi was about to coax the money out in a gentle manner when she heard Xiaoying's cry from the yard outside, "Master! It's bad! The second young lady is not in the house!"
"What?!"
When Li Bixi and Cheng Bingzhi heard the noise, they all ran to Cheng Lanying's room and saw that her door was locked and her maid Xiaoying was standing in front of her window. "No one is inside!"
"Quick, kick the door open!" Li Bixiang shouted loudly, and Cheng Bingzhi kicked the person in front of him several times. After the door was kicked open with a bang, it turned out that there was nothing inside.
Not only was she not there, but even Cheng Lanying's bedding and clothes had all been packed up and taken away.
When Li Bixiang saw this, she screamed and quickly ran to the backyard.
Their horses are kept in the backyard.
Sure enough, the carriage was gone!
"Why is my carriage gone? Where is Wei Dahai? How did he see the carriage?" Cheng Bingzhi called Wei Dahai angrily when he saw the empty trough.
But Wei Dahai, who used to get responses when he called out, was nowhere to be seen.
Not in the stable at all.
Cheng Bingzhi angrily yelled, "Where is that damn Wei Dahai? He even lost my carriage. I'll skin him alive!"
"He can't even take care of a horse. I'll put all this on his account and make him pay for it for the rest of his life!"
Li Bijie felt dizzy listening to her son's scolding.
The daughter was gone, the carriage was gone, and the coachman was gone.
It's not like a thief stole their carriage!
She shouted, "It's over! That damn girl ran off with the groom!"
"She ran away! She dared to run away with someone!" Cheng Bingzhi, whose brain was extremely slow, finally figured it out.
"What? Your second young lady ran away with the groom?"
At this time, the son of the second master's butler of Duke Liu's mansion came in after hearing the noise.
When Li Bixi saw him come in, she felt dizzy for a moment.
"I'm telling you, if you can't find someone, you have to return the money!"
"Money? I don't have any. If you want money, go ask my sister and the coachman who kidnapped her!" Cheng Bingzhi covered his chest and acted like a jerk.
Just then, there was another clanging sound coming from outside the yard.
"Li Bixiong! Cheng Bingzhi!"
A deep male voice sounded outside. Li Bixiang and others walked out from the backyard and saw a group of soldiers coming to the door.
When Cheng Bingzhi saw these soldiers, he immediately said, "You came at the right time! My sister was kidnapped by our groom. Go and get her back!"
The leading officer glanced at him and snorted, "We are not here to arrest you."
At this time, Li Bixi's soul gradually came back to her. She looked at the mighty army in front of her and forced out a flattering and weak smile, "Sir, why are you here?"
"You guys did this all yourself!" The soldiers surrounded them and said, "Catch Li Bixi and Cheng Bingzhi and take them to the government office!"
"Why are you arresting us?"
Li Bixi shouted loudly, "It's unfair, it's unfair! Sir, what have we done? You can't arrest innocent people!"
"Arresting innocent people at random?" The official sneered, "When you spread rumors about the daughter of County Magistrate Xu, were you innocent?"
Hearing this, Li Bixi's heart skipped a beat. She widened her eyes and said, "We, we didn't..."
As she finished her words, several thugs were pushed out.
"We have arrested the people, and they have confessed that it was you who ordered them to do it!" The official was holding down a few hooligans and glaring at Li Bixi, "What else do you have to quibble about?"
Li Bixi never expected that they would actually arrest everyone.
When the hooligans in front of them saw Li Bixi, they all said, "It's her! It's her!"
"My Lord, she was the one who paid us to spread the rumor!"
"Sir, we are innocent!"
Li Bixiang had no more words to argue at this time, and she was arrested in a panic.
Cheng Bingzhi, who was beside her, was violently arrested. He shouted, "You can't arrest us! Do you know who we are?"
When Li Bixi heard this, she suddenly felt like a light was lit in her heart, "Yes! We are from the Ningyang Marquis' Mansion! You can't arrest us!"
But they have someone to rely on, the Ningyang Marquis' Mansion is their back. Ordinary lawsuits cannot offend them. If anything happens, the Marquis' Mansion is like a towering tree!
If they want to arrest them, they have to notify the Ningyang Marquis Mansion first!
When the official heard this, he snorted, "We have already informed your master, and the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion said that you will be brought to justice!
Clang.
a bolt from the blue.
This was truly a bolt from the blue!
Ningyang Marquis' Mansion doesn't care about them anymore!
At this moment, Li Bijie suddenly remembered the provocation she had made to Lu Lingjun when he captured her that day.
She instigated Lu Lingjun and her sister to become enemies and seek justice for them.
Lu Lingyun really went to seek justice for them.
However, she investigated everything that happened in detail!
Find out all those who bribed and spread rumors, and give her justice!
Lu Lingjun didn't even bother to argue with her or listen to her excuses. Facing her provocation and calculations, he sent her directly to the yamen!
"Mother, mother! What should we do!"
"Mom, I don't want to go to jail!"
Ningyang Marquis Mansion.
Lu Lingjun leaned lazily on the bench, listening to the report from his subordinates.
"Madam, there's news from the government office. They've locked someone up."
Lu Lingjun smiled faintly when he heard this.
Li Bixiang thought that the rumors could not be traced to her, but the person she offended was County Magistrate Xu. After receiving Lu Lingjun's clear instructions, County Magistrate Xu thoroughly investigated the matter again.
Moreover, he used the answers to work backwards to find out the thugs who knew Li Bixi and questioned them one by one. After he knew the people who spread the rumors, the interrogation became particularly simple.
The person was quickly caught.
Li Bixi had provoked her that day and demanded evidence and innocence from her, so this time she gave her everything clearly.
"Li Bixi pleaded guilty in court, but she took all the blame on herself," Chun Xing continued to report the news to Lu Lingyun, "The Third Master was released, and she is in jail! They said she will be sentenced to three years!"
When Lu Lingjun heard this, he couldn't help but sigh.
There are still many mothers who love their children the most in this world. At critical moments, mothers will take all the blame on themselves to find a way out for their sons.
After all, it was Cheng Bingzhi himself who caused this trouble in the first place.
But in the end it was because Li Bixiong failed to educate her children properly and always spoiled and indulged Cheng Bingzhi, which caused him to get into trouble again and again.
She nodded, and lazily tried to get up, then she heard Chun Xing say again.
"By the way, ma'am, there's something else going on in Luogu Lane!"
"What's up?"
Chun Xing's expression became extremely strange at this time. She said, "The second young lady ran away with the groom!"
Lu Lingyun?
She was stunned for a moment, obviously confused by the news.
The maids in the yard all gathered around.
"No way!"
"Is this true?"
"How could the Second Miss run away with the coachman?"
"It's absolutely true. It was the groom Wei Dahai who was sent over before. She kidnapped the Second Miss," Chun Xing glanced at everyone. "I heard someone report that someone from Duke Liu's residence went there today. They said that their concubine Li was planning to give the Second Miss to their Second Master as a concubine, but she was not caught. She ran away with the groom!"
The maids chattered even more when they heard this.
"So it turns out that Aunt Li wants to send her to be a concubine!"
"This Aunt Li is too much. The Second Miss is at least a daughter of the Marquis's Mansion. At the very least, she can marry a minor official and become his wife! How dare she send someone to be a concubine!"
"No wonder the Second Miss ran away. Wouldn't her life be ruined if she was sent to be a concubine?"
"You are so stupid! She could ask the lady for help! Why would she stoop so low as to run away with a groom?"
"Yes, yes. If she came to ask Madam for help, Madam would definitely choose a good husband for her and make her the legitimate wife of a good family. How could she be so desperate as to elope with the groom?"
Lu Lingjun listened to the shocked and puzzled words of the maids. She shook her head gently and said to them, "Okay, everyone stop talking about this."
"And Chun Xing, keep this matter to yourself and don't let anyone know about it."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lu Lingjun looked at the maids who had dispersed. Thinking of Cheng Lanying's elopement with the coachman, she couldn't help but sigh.
Among these children, the one who looks most like Cheng Yunshuo is Cheng Lanying.
One month later.
Li Wenxun returned to Beijing.
At the same time, he also brought back his three concubines and five children.
Li Wenxun's favorite concubine who had always helped him manage the household was called Xiangxue. She was also his personal maid and was brought up from the concubine's room.
The last two concubines were taken by him in Jiangnan. One was Rong Niang, a young fishing girl he met in Jiangnan. She was extremely beautiful and gentle, and he was attracted to her at the first sight. He spent a lot of money to take her into his house without Lu Hanyi's knowledge.
One of them was Lily, the subordinate's sister, who was very eloquent and knew how to act like a spoiled child. After drinking at the subordinate's house and taking a few glances at her, she asked the subordinate, who was sensible and wanted to curry favor with her, to send her to him as a concubine the next day.
These three concubines each have their own strengths. Xiangxue is the most resourceful and quick-witted. Because she has been with Li Wenxun for the longest time and understands him best, she directly obtains the right to manage his backyard. At the same time, she also gave birth to two sons for Li Wenxun.
Rong Niang was considerate, gentle and kind. Although she only gave birth to two daughters for Li Wenxun and no sons, the two daughters looked like their mother, very gentle, cute and kind, and were also the treasures of Li Wenxun's heart.
As for Lily, although she had been in the mansion the shortest, she gave birth to the youngest son for Li Wenxun. She was eloquent and knew how to act like a spoiled child, and her pillow talk made Li Wenxun completely dazed. Her family became very powerful in Donghai County because of her, and she also enjoyed a prosperous life in Li Wenxun's backyard because of her family's strength. No concubine could suppress her!
These three concubines had a firm control over Li Wenxun's backyard. Back then, the three of them worked together to squeeze out the mistress Lu Hanyi, and Lu Hanyi had no ability to resist at all.
Now, they followed Li Wenxun back to Beijing.
On the day they returned to Beijing, Lu Hanyi stayed at home and refused to go to the Li family!
"Mother-in-law, my father-in-law is coming back today, aren't we going to the old house?" Xu Yinyin dressed up early in the morning and went to Lu Hanyi's room to wait.
"Why are you going there? What are you doing there? You idiot, why are you rushing to curry favor with those bitches?"
Xu Yinyin: "…"
"But my father-in-law is returning to Beijing today. It would be bad if we didn't go," she whispered.
After Li Shouye got the job, he went to work in the Lifanyuan. Before leaving, he told her that his father would come back today and he would go directly to the Li family's old house to pay a visit in the evening.
Normally, these women should go there during the day.
When Lu Hanyi heard this, she said, "If you want to act like a bitch, go ahead and act like a bitch! Don't ask me!"
Xu Yinyin: "…"
Xu Yinyin was so upset by her scolding that someone from her subordinate came to report.
"Madam! Madam! Someone is coming outside, saying that the concubines of the Li family are here to ask to see the mistress!"
Lu Hanyi: "!"
These bitches, she doesn't even go to see them, yet they still dare to come to her house!
Lu Hanyi gritted her teeth, more than a decade of anger rising up, her mind turned, "Bring those bitches up to me!"
Before, it was in Jiangnan, where she was unfamiliar with the place and made them angry. Now that they are in her territory, she must give them a good beating!
After a while, three elderly women came in with a few children.
The leader was a woman in a yellow silk shirt, followed by a woman in a purple shirt and a woman in an orange silk shirt on her left and right respectively.
Their clothes were all very bright and made of expensive silk.
She actually dressed better than Lu Hanyi did in the capital!
How could they not be dressed well? Although Li Wenxun had made no progress in the past decade or so and had been serving as the county magistrate in Donghai County, he had made a lot of money as an official. As a local official for a long time, he could make the most money. This money was not much compared to the money in the capital, but it was enough to feed the concubines in the backyard.
Especially, without the mistress around, there would be no one to watch over the private treasury in the mansion, and no one to save money!
The three concubines all make as much as they can, and only what goes into their own pockets is real.
This only makes them look more glamorous than Lu Hanyi.
When Lu Hanyi saw these three bitches, she scanned them up and down and looked at what they were wearing. Her eyes were about to burst into flames.
Good! She suffered so much in the capital, and she let these bitches live well!
"You three, long time no see!" Lu Hanyi said while gritting her teeth.
The three women in front of her were not afraid at all when they heard her words. They all leaned forward and said, "I pay my respects to the Madam."
Hearing them greet each other so obediently, Lu Hanyi's mind instantly became active.
She couldn't deal with them when she was in the East China Sea, but now that they are under her nose, this is finally a chance for her to turn the tables and she can deal with them properly from now on!
She was just about to show off her power as the mistress and order these bitches to be beaten with a stick first, when she heard the three of them turn their heads to look in the direction of Xu Yinyin and bow to her.
"I pay my respects to the mistress!"
What?!
Madam!
Xu Yinyin is the mistress!
Xu Yinyin was stunned by the greetings from the three old aunts.
But they were right.
She is the mistress of this house!
Originally, she was the mistress. This was her and Li Shouye's home, and all the servants in the mansion recognized Xu Yinyin as the mistress.
It's just that Lu Hanyi is strong and unruly. Xu Yinyin has to give in to her for the sake of Li Shouye's face, so that Lu Hanyi can be the master of the house. It's the mistress's illusion.
When these three concubines said they came to pay their respects to the mistress, they meant to pay their respects to Xu Yinyin!
But it's not Lu Hanyi!
Lu Hanyi pulled it down immediately!
"What are you talking about!"
Xiangxue, who was in the lead, glanced at Lu Hanyi who was sitting above her. Seeing her face that was filled with anger without any concealment, she couldn't help but think that the mistress of their family really hadn't made any progress in the past ten years.
You are old, how come you can't even control your emotions?
At that moment, she knew in her heart how powerful Lu Hanyi was, and it was exactly the same as before!
She immediately said with a smile, "Madam, now that the master has started a family, the new wife is naturally the mistress of our family, right?"
"I'm not dead yet!" Lu Hanyi slammed the table.
Xiangxue continued to smile and said, "Madam, we heard on the way here that Master's wife's family gave her a large house as a dowry. Now you are moving in with Master's family. No matter how you count it, you should be the old lady. How can you compete with the young mistress for the housekeeper!"
Hearing this, Xu Yinyin tried to smooth things over and said, "Okay, Mom, let's not worry about this."
It would have been fine if she didn't come out to smooth things over, but once she came out, Lu Hanyi was even more furious!
What does Xu Yinyin mean by saying this!
Isn't this just a way of agreeing with these bitches and joining them in dealing with her?
"You idiot! Do you have any right to speak here?" she cursed on the spot.
At this time, the aunt in purple clothes on the left said in dissatisfaction, "Madam, how can you speak to the mistress like this?"
"Yes, the young mistress is the mistress of this family. After all, we are guests. How can we criticize the mistress like this?"
Another aunt, Lily, said sarcastically.
What she said made sense.
If Li Shouye's father had died, and Lu Hanyi was a widow who came to live with her son and daughter-in-law, she could have more power by relying on her status as a widow, but no matter how powerful she was, she could not be more powerful than a real mistress.
Not to mention her husband isn't dead yet!
What this means is that she should live with her own husband, and her own children have separated from the family. Even if she comes with them, she will still be considered a guest!
Mistress, mistress, there must be a master before there can be a mistress. In a family, whoever is the master, his wife is the mistress!
She should really live in the old Li's house with her husband!
She can only be considered the mistress of her own husband's backyard, how can she be the mistress of her son's backyard from which she has divided the family!
Just like when Lu Lingjun's two sons separated the family, she could only choose to live with one of them, and the other one would have their new wife become the mistress of the house.
How could she be the head of so many families!
At this moment, Lu Hanyi could only say that she had to go to her man's house and be the master, and she must not bypass Xu Yinyin!
Xu Yinyin's face became uglier when she saw these people calling her mother-in-law. She couldn't help but say, "I don't have so many rules here. My mother-in-law is my mother. As a daughter-in-law, I have to listen to her when she lectures me."
After she finished speaking, Xiangxue couldn't wait to say, "Madam, please don't say that. It's natural for the Madam to give you some admonitions as an elder, but you are of such a noble status that the Madam should give you admonitions in private. If she gives you admonitions in public, outsiders will think you have done something unfilial!"
"Yes, there are only a few of us present. If there were outsiders, how would your reputation be preserved, Madam?"
"I can see that the young mistress is kind and easy to talk to, but even if we don't care about our own reputation, we still have to protect the master's reputation! If it affects the master's future, it will be useless for us women to defend ourselves!"
The three concubines spoke one by one, all of them were speaking in favor of Xu Yinyin, using both Xu Yinyin's reputation and Li Wenxun's reputation, acting as if they were considering the couple with all their heart, but these words inadvertently put her and Lu Hanyi at odds with each other.
She instigated discord between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, secretly brought them into Xu Yinyin's camp, and used Xu Yinyin to suppress Lu Hanyi!
"Aunt Xiang, Aunt Rong, Aunt Bai, that's enough, stop talking." Xu Yinyin quickly suppressed them.
"We will naturally listen to the young madam." The three of them said respectfully to Xu Yinyin.
He acted as if he respected her and ignored Lu Hanyi at all.
When Lu Hanyi saw this scene, she was so angry that her eyes turned red.
It's not that she couldn't tell that these people were doing bad things, but she just lost her mind under their instigation and just said to Xu Yinyin, "Xu Yinyin! Who is your mother-in-law? If you still recognize me as your mother-in-law today, beat these three people up and kick them out!"
When Xu Yinyin heard this, she was overwhelmed. It was nothing that these three old aunts talked nonsense, it was not as serious as they said. But if she listened to Lu Hanyi and beat the people up and kicked them out, people outside would really talk about their family!
"Mother-in-law, forget it." Xu Yinyin said hurriedly, "When you come to our house, you are a guest. What's more, today is the day when everyone just returned. There is no need for us to be unhappy over such trivial matters."
"These are trivial matters?!" Lu Hanyi slammed the table, and then she looked at the three old concubines standing below.
This guy didn't come to her house to be dealt with; he was clearly here to provoke her!
These three bitches pushed her away when they were in Jiangnan, and now they want to push her away again after coming to the capital.
How is this possible!
She stood up and rushed downstairs, slapping the three bitches and the children they brought with them one by one.
Xu Yinyin, this useless idiot, didn't listen, so she beat him up herself!
"ah!"
"ah!"
"ah-"
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
Lu Hanyi was like the Li family's god of war, beating up all the people who came to his door.
Just when she was beating Xiangxue and the other three concubines to her heart's content, a middle-aged man's voice came from outside the door.
"What are you doing!"
"ah-"
The moment Rong Niang heard the voice, she was the first to pull her two delicate daughters to the ground.
"master!"
As soon as Li Wenxun came in, he saw red slap marks on the faces of his beloved concubine and his two beloved daughters. He was immediately angry. He looked again and saw that his wife, who had been separated from him for more than ten years, was like a female demon, beating his other concubines left and right.
She asked him to beat all his concubines, and her eyes were full of murderous intent and she took great pleasure in committing violence. Li Wenxun was immediately furious.
"Lu Hanyi!"
When Lu Hanyi heard the voice that sounded like her enemy, she immediately widened her eyes and looked at the man who walked in.
The man no longer had the elegant look he had when he was young. His face was covered with wrinkles and he had grown a long beard that made him look old. Under his compressed facial features, his eyes seemed particularly calculating.
She hated these bitchy concubines, but the one she hated the most was Li Wenxun!
This damn scumbag lied to her all her life and wasted her life. When you think about it, her life is even worse than her previous life!
In her previous life, she married the scumbag Cheng Yunshuo, but at least she was rich and wealthy. Although she was imprisoned in the backyard of the mansion by Qin and the old marquis, she was never treated badly in terms of food and clothing.
But marry him!
Her life was ruined by this hypocritical, cunning, unfaithful and heartless man!
"How dare you come here!"
After seeing him, Lu Hanyi let go of those concubines who deserved a beating.
"This is my son's home, why shouldn't I come here!" Li Wenxun looked at her and said.
"How dare you talk about your son! What have you done for Shouye? I raised Shouye by myself! What have you done for him since he was little?"
Lu Hanyi's fighting spirit exploded instantly. She rushed to Li Wenxun and questioned him, "For the past ten years, you have only been focusing on hanging out with your concubines in Jiangnan. Have you ever cared about preserving your business?"
"Have you ever sent him a penny? Have you ever written him a letter? Have you ever read him a book or urged him to study? Have you ever even given him a penny as a gift for his marriage?"
Listening to her questioning, Li Wenxun's face was gloomy. He looked at Lu Hanyi and said, "He is also a child of my Li family. He grew up under the care of my parents. How could my parents treat him badly!"
When Lu Hanyi heard this, her anger reached its peak.
Under his parents' knees, his parents raised him...
She fought him!
Lu Hanyi fought with Li Wenxun like an angry little cow.
First, he punched and slapped Li Wenxun in the face. Li Wenxun never expected that Lu Hanyi had become so rude and barbaric in the past ten years.
Before, he was just a little stupid, prone to temper tantrums, and unreasonable, but now he is directly resorting to violence.
She hit Li Wenxun with several punches and slaps without any palm techniques, which made Li Wenxun react. He dodged immediately. After Lu Hanyi missed twice, she tore his clothes and pulled his long beard.
Li Wenxun was pulled so hard that he cried out in pain. He used his hands and feet to fight back against Lu Hanyi, just like catching a flapping fighting hen, but her long claws left several bloody marks and her sharp teeth bit him a few times.
After all, they had been living a life of luxury for too long and had no time for actual combat. Li Wenxun was caught off guard and was hit by Lu Hanyi in a few moves.
"master!"
"father!"
"Mother-in-law!"
"Old lady!"
The concubines, children, maids, servants, and Xu Yinyin in the room were all in chaos.
A large group of people stepped forward to separate the two people.
"You, you, you crazy woman! How dare you hit me?!" Li Wenxun was extremely angry, his clothes were disheveled, his hair was loose, and he was hit in several places on his face and body by Lu Hanyi, and the places where he was scratched so hard were bleeding.
He looked at Lu Hanyi with great anger.
"I'm hitting you, you bastard, you old beast!" Even though Lu Hanyi was captured, he still had the strength to fight and cursed at Li Wenxun.
She is no longer the little girl who was played around by Li Wenxun's scheming and had no power to fight back and suffered in silence.
She is now a shrew!
It is said that if you don't explode in silence, you will explode in silence.
She said she couldn't win against these bad guys who were full of schemes and cunning. They always used dirty tricks to bully her and plot against her. She couldn't beat them in terms of cunning and strength... so she had to use the most primitive means to deal with them!
She's going to throw a tantrum!
When she splashes water, she is invincible!
Li Wenxun never expected his wife to become so ferocious and terrifying. He was so angry that he pointed at her and said, "I'm going to divorce you, you crazy woman! I'm going to divorce you!"
There was a moment of silence when he said he was going to divorce his wife.
The eyes of Concubine Xiang and the other three all lit up. They came here to provoke us today not just because they had nothing to do but to get beaten.
She just wanted to sow discord between the mistress and the master the first moment she arrived in Beijing, and at the same time find out Lu Hanyi's background so that they could prepare for the future.
This first move actually forced Li Wenxun to divorce his wife...
The three of them couldn't help but feel happy.
When Xu Yinyin heard such a big deal as divorce, her heart skipped a beat. She looked at her parents-in-law anxiously, her mind full of thoughts about Li Shouye.
What would Li Shouye do if the two of them divorced?
How can he have a career in politics? His colleagues will laugh at him to death!
"Mother-in-law, please stop being impulsive. You have to think about keeping the business." Xu Yinyin said while supporting Lu Hanyi.
After she finished speaking, Lu Hanyi sneered, "How dare you divorce me!"
"Now my eldest sister is the mistress of both the Ningyang Marquisate and the Changsheng Marquisate! My brother Lu Kuan is a favorite of the emperor! My sisters all married high-ranking men, and my Lu family is extremely prosperous. How dare you, a poor eighth-rank treasurer who works in charge of the storehouse, divorce me!"
Lu Hanyi's mind had never been so clear.
She straightened her back, pushed Xu Yinyin away, pointed at Li Wenxun's nose and cursed, "Do you think I'm still the idiot who made you run away from Jiangnan with your tail between your legs? Look where we are! This is the capital! This is my territory! I can make you go from guarding the warehouse to guarding the toilet with just a flick of my finger!"
When Li Wenxun heard Lu Hanyi say this, his righteous anger suddenly subsided.
Yes.
How dare he let Lu Hanyi go!
Now Lu Hanyi's family is so powerful, her elder sister Lu Lingyun is not only the mistress of the Marquis's house, but also has two Marquises in her family, and her second son is the Marquis of Changsheng who has just made military achievements and is enjoying unlimited popularity! Her younger brother Lu Kuan is a favorite in front of the emperor, and has been highly valued by His Majesty for ten years, and has already had a profound influence in the court!
With only these two brothers and sisters backing him up, he would never dare to divorce Lu Hanyi.
Not to mention that she also has sisters who married into wealthy families, a father who is an official in the court, and younger brothers.
And, Li Shouye, whom she raised...
"Forget it, for the sake of keeping the business, I won't bother with you!" Li Wenxun snorted coldly, thus letting the matter go.
"You still don't care about me?" Lu Hanyi sneered. She was about to show her anger again. At this time, Li Shouye hurried back from outside.
"mother!"
"Protect the business!"
When Lu Hanyi saw Li Shouye rushing back, her anger subsided a lot.
When Li Shouye came back, he saw the mess in the yard, and across the street were his father and his aunts whom he hadn't seen for more than ten years.
"Son! You're finally back!" Lu Hanyi held Li Shouye tightly with both hands.
At this moment, the mother and son seemed to be dependent on each other. Lu Hanyi had no one to rely on and could only rely on Li Shouye's tone, which made Li Shouye feel heartbroken.
In any case, he had no good feelings towards his father who had ignored him and his mother for more than ten years.
Sometimes Lu Hanyi's behavior gave him a headache, but she was his mother, and he couldn't let others bully her!
"Dad, why do you bully Mom as soon as you come back!" he questioned his father.
Li Wenxun: "…"
"Son," Lu Hanyi was so moved that she burst into tears when she heard Li Shouye speak for her, "Mom is lucky to have you. If I didn't have you, I wouldn't know how I would live in the future!"
Li Wenxun, who was scratched by her and injured all over, said: "..."
Li Shouye protected Lu Hanyi behind him. He questioned Li Wenxun even more angrily, "Dad, Mom has been working hard in the capital alone, serving grandparents and taking care of children. Even if she has no merits, she has worked hard. Why do you come to my house and look for Mom's fault as soon as you return to Beijing!"
Li Wenxun: "…"
He really wanted to make this mother and son so angry that they vomited blood.
"Which eye of yours saw me bullying your mother? Look carefully, I, your aunts, your brothers and sisters are all injured! It was your mother who did it!"
Li Shouye then took a look at the opposing camp, and saw that none of the people coming from the opposite side were good.
This is indeed his fucking fighting power...
But at this time, he had to protect his own mother. He only looked at the concubines in front of him who were dressed gorgeously, "Dad, you also know that you just returned to Beijing today. Why did you ask these concubines to come and make my mother unhappy on the first day? Don't you know that my mother has always been at odds with them!"
Li Shouye's words really hit the key point.
If these old concubines hadn't come to provoke her, Lu Hanyi wouldn't have been so angry.
Li Wenxun had no way to refute this point. He just snorted and turned around to glare at Aunt Xiang and the other two.
That means I'll come back and deal with them later.
The three of them all shrank back, not daring to say a word.