Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 310 Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law
Su Qingwan didn't care what others thought; she was quite straightforward. After lunch, she arranged activities suitable for the ladies, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Some who felt uncomfortable but dared not speak up took their leave early. Su Qingwan politely saw them to the door, and as the hostess, she was beyond reproach; no one could find fault with her.

The flower banquet was a great success. After the guests left, only the Lu family remained in the mansion. Su Qingwan also sent people to tidy up the courtyard. Madam Lin left first with the Third Miss.

Zhang Shi, the fourth daughter, and Lu Yunshu stayed overnight. The wife of the Marquis of Ningyuan and the First Madam Chen also left quite late. In a few days, the First Madam Chen will be holding a polo match and asked Su Qingwan if she would come.

Since Su Qingwan has already taken the initiative to hold a flower banquet and meet everyone, there is no reason for her to stay at home without leaving the mansion.

"Okay, I'll definitely come. I'm pretty good at polo."

Madam Chen happily said, "Alright, let's have a contest then."

"it is good!"

After seeing the guests off, Su Qingwan also felt relieved and leaned softly against Qingyun, saying, "I'm so tired."

She was exhausted from preparing banquets, entertaining guests, and scheming against them. With so many women around, she was afraid of causing any unseemly incidents. She complained that there were many disputes in places with many women. Fortunately, others were more interested in her gossip and were also stunned by the drama. Everyone was patient and no trouble was caused.

After dinner, Su Qingwan accompanied Zhang Shi for a walk in the garden. Zhang Shi was worried and said, "Although you warned the noble ladies not to talk nonsense with opera, this matter is really shocking and there will inevitably be rumors. Ziyu is not in the capital. If the rumors are all directed at you, you should relax and not worry about it."

“Mother, I have already hired an opera troupe and prepared the play, so I am prepared. Don’t worry, their words pose no threat to me.”

Zhang was pleased. Su Qingwan was calm and composed, and she really liked her. "Xiao Wu, there is actually a way to resolve this matter as soon as possible. It just depends on whether you are willing to do so."

"Mother, please speak."

"You look exactly like Zhaolan, and you were once rumored to have had an affair with Ziyu. Now that you're married, in other people's eyes, it's like an affair between an uncle and sister-in-law, a case of framing someone else. Whoever speaks up will throw mud at you. You hold high positions and have the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) to protect you, so they're afraid to spread the rumors. But if your reputation is ruined, the clans in the capital will value lineage, reputation, and family tradition above all else. If family tradition is damaged, the most direct impact will be on in-laws. Several Lu family daughters are already engaged, and their future in-laws will likely look down on and humiliate them. Of course, they'll also be afraid of Ziyu." "Given their power, they dare not go too far. But it will also affect your children in the future. Once your crimes are etched on your bodies, it will be a disgrace that can never be washed away. Others will think that you are morally corrupt, and the children you raise will also be morally deficient. Your children's schooling, friendships, and in-laws will all be affected." Zhang explained the pros and cons to her gently. Although she was not a woman from a prominent clan, and had been widowed for many years, it was Lin who had helped her socialize. She was not as flamboyant and assertive as Lin, but even hiding behind Lin, she could see the situation clearly.

Even if Lu Jing is as noble as the Regent, if he is morally flawed, the clans will not consider their children when it comes to marriage. Only a family like the Ding family, which desperately needs the Regent's power, would marry their daughter to the Lu family.

If Lu Jing and Su Qingwan's reputations were ruined, the impact would be far-reaching, and Madam Zhang wouldn't want them to be gossiped about and cursed behind their backs. "I understand what Mother is saying."

Madam Zhang sighed and said, “Right now, I have a plan. Why don’t we announce your relationship with Zhaolan and make it clear that Zhaolan was killed by Li Xueying back then, and that you came to the mansion to seek revenge? Your personality is completely different from Zhaolan’s, and the family can all see that. As long as the truth is made clear, Madam Lin and the eldest son will understand your original intention, and it will also resolve the eldest son’s inner conflict. The brothers will not have to be so hostile to each other.”

Su Qingwan remained silent for a long time before saying softly, "I have considered what Mother said. As an innocent woman, how could I want to be gossiped about and cursed for the rest of my life? However, Mother, I divorced Lu Feng in my sister's name, giving her her freedom. If the truth is revealed, my sister will be a Lu family woman and will never be able to escape the Lu family. I don't want that! She hopes to be a Su family woman, return to her homeland, and reunite with my parents and brothers. I don't want her to be burdened by the Lu family anymore, even if she is dead, I still don't want that."

Zhang hesitated, then could only sigh.

Su Qingwan said, "Besides, if I tell the truth, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor. Whether it's the imperial edict or the iron certificate from the Lu family, I received them all under my sister's name. For the past year, I've lived in the Lu family under my sister's name. In other people's eyes, Lu Feng and I were only married briefly. People will also humiliate me for serving my brother-in-law as a younger sister. What about Lu Jing's reputation? Am I supposed to explain to everyone who humiliates me that Lu Feng and I are innocent? How can I prove myself? Lu Feng can destroy everything with just one sentence. Mother, things have come to this, there's no other way. I was stubborn back then, and now I have to bear the consequences."

She just never expected to marry Lu Jing, thus dragging him down with her and causing him to bear the consequences.

Zhang knew that Su Qingwan might not agree to these things. She was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, with a firm will. She had arranged operas to intimidate all the noble ladies and wives in the capital without consulting them. Lin was furious with Su Qingwan's audacity.

If it could be explained clearly, Su Qingwan would have done so long ago; why wait until after marriage?

Zhang said, "What if we tell everyone that you and Zhaolan are twins, and that Zhaolan divorced and returned to Jiangnan? That way, we can avoid damaging your reputations."

“The situation in Huainan is unstable. The Xie family raised my sister for many years, and their kindness is immeasurable. If we tell everyone that the eldest daughter of the Xie family is the Grand Princess of Huainan when the future of Huainan is uncertain, we will be ungrateful if anything happens to Huainan in the future. Moreover, my sister is dead, and the Xie family has completely faded from the public eye. If people know that my sister is the Grand Princess of Huainan and is in the Xie family, the Xie family in Jiangnan will be caught in a power struggle. Who can impersonate my sister to deal with all this? Things will only get more and more complicated.” Su Qingwan was unwilling to involve the Xie family. “Telling a lie requires constantly proving yourself. My sister is dead, and I don’t want to drag her out any further.”

At this point, Zhang Shi remained silent. Su Qingwan had persuaded her that she hadn't considered things thoroughly enough. In the end, she felt sorry for Xie Zhaolan, who was killed by Li Xueying at such a young age, but she felt even more sorry for Lu Jing, who had to bear the infamy. No one was more important than her son.

"Alright, Mother understands. Since you have made up your mind, Mother will no longer try to persuade you. I only hope that you will be happy and content in the future. Let what others say go with the wind and don't take it to heart."

"Yes, Xiao Wu will remember."