After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 1091 Annoyance
Concubine Zhang Gong was awakened by her cousin's scream.

After all, she had lived in the harem where Concubine Sun was competing for hegemony for decades, gave birth to two princesses, and was still able to stand firm. She was not a stupid person and immediately realized the trap in Haitang's words.

The Zhang family is indeed a family of power, and they do value the reputation and upbringing of their daughters. They believe from the bottom of their hearts that as long as their daughters' reputation is preserved, everything else is secondary. The so-called heirs, family business, and clan members of the husband's family... are all just tools for the Zhang family to maintain wealth and glory. In order to maintain the reputation of the Zhang family's daughters, any tool can be sacrificed - but there are some words that can only be thought in the heart, but cannot be said directly!
If outsiders knew the real intentions of the Zhang family, who would be willing to marry the daughter of the Zhang family? ! The princes and nobles in the world, marrying the daughter of the Zhang family, are all hoping that she can become a good daughter-in-law for their family, continue their offspring, protect the family business, and take care of the family. If the daughter of the Zhang family only cares about her own reputation, but does not care about the interests of her husband's family, and is unwilling to sacrifice for her husband's family when his family is in trouble, then what is the point of marrying her? ! Even if the Zhang family is a prominent family, the daughter of the Zhang family is just a pure decoration that sounds decent to other families.

This is the front hall of Shoukang Palace. The empress dowager is in the hall, and there are palace servants watching from all sides. If Concubine Zhang Gong publicly admits in a place like this that Haitang's evaluation of the Zhang family's daughter is true, then within a few days, these words will spread throughout the circles of nobles and famous families in the capital. By then, it will be even more difficult for the daughter of the head of the Zhang family to find a good marriage. I am afraid that the other daughters of the Zhang family, and the daughters of future generations, will never be able to find a good marriage easily!
How many famous ladies are there in the Chu State? There are also many families that can be called "royal families". If the girls raised here only care about their own reputation, but cannot share the hardships with their husband's family, and are unwilling to contribute to their husband's family, why would those nobles and aristocratic families abandon other ladies and choose the daughter of the Zhang family?

Concubine Zhang Gong broke out in a cold sweat, and her eyes towards Haitang suddenly changed: "You girl, you have such a vicious heart! I just didn't like your aunt's behavior and made a few comments, but you actually want to ruin the reputation of my daughters and their future?!"

Haitang showed a puzzled expression: "Why did the Concubine Dowager say that? Isn't what I said the same as what you just said? How did my aunt's behavior displease you? Did she not know how to repay gratitude, or did she fail to protect her husband's children? Or did she fail to preserve her husband's family's century-old foundation and rescue the innocent members of her husband's family who were killed? You hate my aunt for no reason, which is really puzzling. Could it be that you sympathize with the Jiang family who colluded with the traitors in the court and plotted for money and killed people, and think that my aunt was wrong for asking for a divorce and not colluding with the Jiang family?"

Concubine Zhang Gong raised her eyebrows and was about to curse, but Zhang Yingfeng interrupted and said, "Miss Hai has misunderstood! What do the criminals of the Jiang family have to do with our Zhang family? The Concubine heard the slander of others and misunderstood your aunt's character, so she said these words. But the Concubine did not want to blame anyone, she was just misled by the villain." She reached out to support Concubine Zhang Gong, "Concubine, who is gossiping in front of you? Whether it is the wife of the Hai family or the stepmother of General Xiao Yu of the Imperial Guards, they are all virtuous people praised by the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother! If someone knows what the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother said, and still wants to stir up trouble in front of you, this person's intention is too sinister! Could he be deliberately trying to frame our Zhang family?!"

Empress Dowager Zhang Gong impatiently shook off her cousin's sleeves, not wanting to pay attention to her words. Who was slandering her? She just didn't like Empress Dowager Xu's behavior. She thought that Empress Dowager Xu praised two remarried women for no reason, which was suspicious. Maybe she was guilty. She didn't intend to expose the Queen Mother's scandal in public. It was just that her life in Shoukang Palace was difficult. She tried every means to promote her niece to the palace, but she was repeatedly frustrated. She was so difficult, and her relatives in her natal family still blamed her. She had no choice but to shock the Queen Mother and make her more sensible...

Zhang Yingfeng ignored Concubine Zhang Gong's impatience and hugged her arms again, looking directly into her eyes with wide eyes, hoping that her aunt could understand the hint in her eyes.

Concubine Zhang Gong looked at her cousin's eyes and slowly came to her senses.

She obviously just wanted to scare Queen Mother Xu so that she would give in on her niece's entry into the palace. The so-called topic of the Hai family woman not keeping her chastity and remarrying was just an excuse she made up. How could she really be angry about an ordinary woman outside the palace remarrying? Why did she quarrel with the daughter of the Hai family over such a thing? !

She almost forgot her real purpose just now! If she didn't accept the step handed over by her cousin's niece and end the quarrel, she would only embarrass herself if she continued to make trouble. Could she still win the argument? ! As her cousin's niece reminded her just now, the remarried women of the Yu family and the Hai family were all praised by the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother. She could quarrel with the Queen Mother, but she could not disobey the Empress Dowager. If she continued to belittle the women of the Yu family and the Hai family, wouldn't she be disrespecting the Empress Dowager? !
Obviously... She only needs to say one or two hints to scare Queen Mother Xu in the palace, and then take the initiative to contact her for negotiation. Why is she arguing with the daughter of the Hai family here? ! In the end, the future of the daughter of the Zhang family will be affected.

Concubine Zhang Gong was very upset and gritted her teeth and said secretly, "Indeed...someone spread rumors. My dear child, it is only now that you reminded me that I realized something was wrong. It seems that I really misunderstood the remarried woman of the Hai family..." She accepted the opportunity handed over by her niece and backed down. She just looked at Haitang and was still unwilling to give up. "You, girl, are really picky. Although you are dedicated to maintaining the family elders, it is not a good thing for a girl to be so sharp-tongued."

Haitang lowered her head and said, "Thank you, Madam Dowager, for your teachings. I just care about the family's reputation. Don't the descendants of the Zhang family always value the reputation of women the most?"

Is the reputation of the remarried woman of the Hai family the same as the reputation of the daughter of the descendant of the Zhang family? !

When Concubine Zhang Gong heard this, she was annoyed again and wanted to curse, but she heard Empress Dowager Xu's slow words from the direction of the palace door: "Why is Concubine Zhang here? Didn't you say that you wanted your niece to take some things back to her parents' home? Why are you arguing with my nephew's wife? But what did the young man say wrong? Young people are ignorant, Concubine, please bear with them. Didn't the eldest son-in-law make a mistake a few days ago? When the emperor was angry, Concubine said it was a trivial matter. We are all family relatives, why be so petty?"

Concubine Zhang Gong choked. She remembered that her eldest son-in-law had made a mistake and had not yet turned over a new leaf. If she angered the queen mother at this time, would it harm her eldest son-in-law? Her eldest daughter was pregnant for ten months and could not bear the blow of her husband's accident at this time.

Concubine Zhang Gong immediately restrained herself and bowed to Empress Dowager Xu with lowered head and pleasant eyes: "Your Majesty, you are too polite. It was just a small misunderstanding and it has been cleared up now. I still have something to tell my niece, so I will take my leave now." After that, she took Zhang Yingfeng's hand, called the palace maids who were accompanying her, held the boxes, turned around and left.

Haitang knelt down and bowed, seeing off Concubine Zhang Gong, then turned around and looked up at Empress Dowager Xu who was standing in front of her.

Empress Dowager Xu smiled at her and waved, "Come, let's talk in the palace."

(End of this chapter)