After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 131 Yang Family Concubine
Fang hadn't seen her grandson for several days and was already feeling restless. When she saw her son rushing over in a huff, she thought something had happened.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to eldest sister?"

Meng Zhan did not answer Fang Shi immediately, but instead found a seat and sat down heavily.

“Mother, if Wanqing were here, she would never stop me from taking a concubine.”

When Fang heard Meng Zhan's seemingly random remark, she realized it had nothing to do with her eldest daughter, but rather with Liu Feifei.

The kindness on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of gritted teeth.

"Zhan'er, do you mean she doesn't agree to the Yang family girl marrying into the family?"

Meng Zhan nodded.

Fang patted the armrest of the chair with a sinister look and said, "Hmph! Just because others call her Madam Meng, does she think she can rule the Meng family?"

"She, Liu Feifei, is dreaming!"

Fang suppressed her anger and looked at her son sitting opposite her, saying, "You should do whatever you agree to with the Yang family! It doesn't matter if Liu Fei doesn't agree to your taking a concubine, as long as I agree."

"But if word gets out, it might be bad for my reputation!" Meng Zhan said with a sigh, his head bowed.

Fang was not worried at all. If she couldn't deal with Bai Wanqing, could she not deal with Liu Feifei?
"Leave it to me! I'll make sure the Liu family won't be able to say a word."

Having received his mother's assurance, Meng Zhan was overjoyed. "Then I'll trouble you, Mother."

Liu Feifei was unaware of what Fang Shi and Meng Zhan were planning. She was using her eldest daughter's full-month celebration to send out invitations to the ladies and young women she knew in Huaizhou.

"Madam, I have already sent out all the invitations you gave me."

"But only half of the ladies responded immediately, while the rest gave a clear answer that they might not come."

Liu Feifei had naturally considered this outcome. Since her father lost his official position, many people had begun to distance themselves from her family, but they hadn't shown it too obviously because Meng Zhan was still a sub-prefect.

Now that a new prefect has arrived, these wealthy and influential families can easily find out about the feud between the Meng and Lin families with just a little inquiry.

They now naturally keep their distance.

"Half is fine, half is already beyond my expectations." What Liu Feifei didn't know was that they only agreed to come because they heard that the prefect's wife had personally come to visit Liu Feifei.

The full moon celebration was not a large event; only some women from the inner quarters were invited.

Some of the people who came that day were on good terms with Liu Feifei, but some of them were there to keep watch, not knowing the true extent of the relationship between the Lin and Meng families.

To their surprise, they learned at the banquet that Liu Feifei had undergone a cesarean section to deliver her baby, and the person who treated her was none other than Bai Wanqing, the wife of the prefect.

"Feifei, are you kidding me?! Her belly has been cut open, how could she possibly survive?" One of them had grown up with Liu Feifei since childhood, so he dared to ask her anything.

Liu Feifei nodded and said, "I can live. Look at me, I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Then Liu Feifei vividly recounted the day she was diagnosed with a difficult childbirth by the doctor and midwife. "At that time, I really felt like I was going to see the King of Hell. I was in so much pain that I was dying. Until I met Wanqing, she told me that I could have a C-section to remove the baby."

"Ask me if I'd like to give it a try."

The ladies present felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this. Even if they hadn't actually given birth themselves, they had at least heard about others who had.

If the midwife and doctor determine that it is a difficult labor, then isn't that like having one foot already in the gates of hell?

But the thought of someone cutting open his stomach to take the baby still sent a shiver down his spine.

"Feifei, did you agree back then?"

Those present were somewhat impressed by Liu Feifei. A cesarean section was one thing, but the woman in question was Bai Wanqing! Their relationship was quite delicate; she was actually willing to give up her life.

"It's already like that, what other choice did I have? But as it turns out, my choice was right." Liu Feifei said with a smile, and then asked Xiao Cui to take out the medicine pouch that Rui Xin had brought.

"You probably don't know, but Wanqing's grandmaster was the famous Physician Luo. These things that would be life-threatening for ordinary doctors are not the same for Physician Luo."

"These are medicine pouches from their clinic, specially for treating insomnia and excessive dreaming. You can take them home and try them out."

Xiao Cui handed one to each of the ladies present, and the ladies now understood that the owner behind the newly opened century-old medical clinic was the wife of the prefect.

Moreover, Liu Feifei not only reconciled with the prefect's wife after giving birth, but their relationship seemed to have become even closer.

The ladies who had been afraid of offending the prefect's wife couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

It was one of the ladies who stepped forward and said, "Since it's so good, we should definitely give it a try."

The other ladies followed suit, and after the full moon celebration, Liu Feifei successfully used herself as a living advertisement to give the century-old medical clinic a huge boost in business. Soon, more and more families came to the clinic to seek out Dr. Luo for outpatient consultations.

Dr. Zheng didn't know what was going on, but he felt that the medicine packets they had distributed had worked. However, seeing that the clinic's business was getting better and better, he finally felt relieved for the time being.

Bai Wanqing had been going out to make house calls with Doctor Luo these past few days. Most of the patients who came to them were from the backyards of large mansions. Almost as soon as they met, they would ask if it was really possible to perform a cesarean section to remove one or two babies. Bai Wanqing naturally knew that this was Liu Feifei's doing.

"Madam, I never imagined that Madam Meng would have such influence," Ruixin said to Bai Wanqing while urging her to take the medicine.

Bai Wanqing gave a soft "hmm," recalling the rumors she had heard over the past two days.

It seems that after Liu Feifei started publicizing her cesarean section, a rumor began to circulate that Liu Feifei could no longer have children, and that the Meng family would have to take a concubine if they wanted to have more children in the future.

First of all, she had already consulted with Master Luo. Although a cesarean section does affect fertility, it only affects a child's life for a year or two. As long as Liu Feifei recovers well, she can still have another child in a year or two. How could she be infertile?

However, Bai Wanqing could tell who was behind this as soon as she saw the style of the operation, so she secretly helped Liu Feifei.

Fang didn't expect that, at first everyone was convinced that Liu Feifei could no longer have children, but in just two days, news came out from outside that Doctor Luo had made a diagnosis, saying that Madam Meng's cesarean section would not affect her future reputation.

Fang was so angry that she cursed loudly in the room: "It must be that little bitch Bai Wanqing."

"It must be her."

Liu Feifei naturally heard the news as well. When she heard that it was Doctor Luo who came forward to give the diagnosis, she knew that it was Bai Wanqing's idea.

"Madam, it seems these rumors didn't originate from the century-old medical clinic." Xiao Cui was helping Liu Feifei comb her hair when a wave of rumors suddenly started circulating. Initially, Xiao Cui suspected that Bai Wanqing was taking advantage of her misfortune, but now it seems that's not the case.

“Of course it wouldn’t be them!” Liu Feifei never doubted Bai Wanqing. “If she wanted me dead, she would have had a hundred ways to do it when I was giving birth. She didn’t do it then, and she certainly won’t now.”

"Who would spread such a vicious rumor as 'may his family line end'?"

Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Liu Feifei couldn't help but chuckle, "My husband has been wanting to take Miss Yang as a concubine these past two days. Who do you think is behind this?"

"Madam, what should we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch Lord Meng bring Miss Yang into the house?" Xiao Cui asked.

If it were the old Liu Feifei, she naturally wouldn't have tolerated it; she would have turned the Meng family upside down. But in the past month, her mind has calmed down considerably.

"I've already made my stance clear to Meng Zhan, let's see what he does!"

Liu Feifei knew she couldn't stop it. Even if she stopped this young lady from entering the family now, she couldn't stop the arrival of young ladies from the Fang and Liu families in the future.
Meng Zhan's ambitions are too great; the Liu family alone cannot satisfy him now.

Just as Liu Feifei had predicted, although the rumors about Liu Feifei had been clarified later, Meng Zhan said that he did not know at the time that he had already made an agreement with the Yang family to take a concubine.

Although it has now been proven that Liu Feifei is in good health, as an official, it would be inappropriate to break his promise, so he still decided to take Miss Yang into the family.

Bai Wanqing later heard that when Miss Yang entered the house that day, Liu Feifei did not drink the concubine's tea.

No matter what Fang Shi and Meng Zhan said, Liu Feifei refused to drink.

But since she had already entered the house, it wouldn't be right to turn back. So, Miss Yang stayed at the Meng family's house without any explanation.

Because the news spread that Liu Feifei did not approve of taking a concubine, people outside suddenly began to gossip about Meng Zhan.

In short, Liu Feifei's reputation for being jealous spread, and Meng Zhan wasn't much better off, becoming known as a man who favored a concubine over his wife.

This made Meng Zhan feel ashamed when he was on duty for quite some time.

The Fang family, who had been keeping a close eye on the century-old medical clinic, never expected that Bai Wanqing would win over these gentry families in Huaizhou City so quickly.

Master Fang was slightly surprised when he heard the servant's report. "Heh, I thought that the prefect's wife would eventually give in and reveal her identity, just like our Fang family, to intimidate the people of Huaizhou into going to their clinics."

"Unexpectedly, she actually managed to persuade Madam Meng."

"I remember Madam Meng and our prefect's wife had a feud, didn't they?"

"Yes, sir. But when Madam Meng was having a difficult childbirth, the prefect's wife saved her, which eased the tension between the two. I just didn't expect that Madam Meng would actually go to the trouble of speaking up for Bai Wanqing."

"Bai Wanqing is a newcomer. Although she is the wife of the prefect, how many of us from powerful families are not well-connected? It's impossible for us to be afraid of her as the wife of the prefect."

"But Madam Meng is different. Although her family has lost its power, she has lived in Huaizhou City for a long time and still has one or two friends who can speak to her. With her endorsement, the century-old medical clinic can be trusted."

"On the contrary, the effect is better."

Mr. Fang frowned and thought for a moment, then asked, "Did the legendary Physician Luo really perform a cesarean section on Madam Meng to remove her child?"

(End of this chapter)