I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 36 Ending
Duke Wei's Mansion, Ci'an Hall.

The old lady of Duke Wei kept fiddling with her Buddhist beads in her hands, while the old aunt sat beside her, wanting to say something but hesitant, not knowing how to comfort her.

The wife of the Duke of Wei, a first-rank official, disregarded her status and personally welcomed her concubine into the house. She was ridiculed and scolded by her husband, and she even fainted in public!
It really brought shame to the An family daughter!
The old aunt felt sorry for his misfortune and angry at his uselessness, and she also became unhappy with Tang Ming.

He looks like a smart kid, so why did he join An in making trouble?

Tang Wen hurried in and said, "Old Madam, I have inquired clearly. The eldest daughter beat the drum to file a complaint with the emperor, and the Duke and Concubine Song were summoned to the palace."

Old Madam An paused while fiddling with her Buddhist beads.

"Complain to the Emperor?" the old aunt asked in surprise.

Tang Wen: "The eldest daughter is suing Concubine Song for impersonating a daughter of the Song family and tarnishing the good name of the entire Song family."

Madam An said in a calm voice, "Although Song Qingyan's bloodline is not close to that of the Protector General's family, they share the same origin, and she even bears the marks of the Song family."

"The eldest lady said that the Song family has no daughters who are concubines or maids. Those who violate the rules will be expelled from the family. Your Majesty agrees with this." Tang Wen was so anxious that he was sweating all over his forehead. "To comfort the heroic spirits of the Song family, Your Majesty wanted to execute Concubine Song, but the Duke, the Duke..." He didn't dare to say anything more.

"Why are you hesitating? Hurry up and say it!" the old aunt scolded.

"The Duke saved Concubine Song's life by pacifying the southwest!" Tang Wen prostrated himself on the ground under Madam An's stern gaze. "His Majesty is furious. He has stripped the Duke of all his official duties, ordered him to stay home and reflect on his actions, and fined him three years' salary!"

The Buddhist beads in Madam An's hand instantly fell to the ground, and all the servants serving in Ci'an Hall fell to their knees.

"What?!" the old aunt screamed. Is Zheng Ge'er crazy?

"What about the concubine?" Anyone could hear the rage in Madam An's tone.

"Your Majesty has spoken with all authority. Concubine Song's surname is stripped away. She is ordered to copy the Four Books and Five Classics and Buddhist scriptures ten thousand times. She is not allowed to leave the palace until she has finished copying."

"Even the Third Young Lady and the Eldest Young Master were declared by His Majesty himself to be without talent or virtue."

Bang! Madam An swept the entire set of Three Immortals Blessings teacups off the table and dropped them to the floor. She pointed at the sprawled Tang Wen and angrily cursed, "Mrs. Song? Where did a Mrs. Song come from in the Duke of Wei's mansion?! That bitch is just the Duke's concubine, even worse than the maids and concubines. Who told you to call her mistress?!"

"Your Majesty has taken away that bitch's surname, and you still keep calling her Concubine Song. You are openly defying the imperial order. How many heads do you have left to chop off?!"

It was the first time that the aunt saw her elder sister, who was famous for her gentleness and kindness in Luoyang, get angry. She immediately sat in the corner like a quail, not daring to make a sound.

Song Qingyan, who was half-supported and half-carried by Duke Wei back to the mansion, no, now she can only be called Qingyan, was so frightened when she heard what Madam An said that she burst into tears.

Song Wan huddled behind her brother Song Shi, trembling all over.

Seeing his mother's rage, Duke Wei ordered Qingyan and her two children to be taken to the backyard for settlement, but was stopped by Madam An.

"Lock that bitch in the woodshed in the backyard. Don't give her any food or water. Once the ancestral temple is built, send her directly to the temple. Have someone strictly guard her. She's not allowed to leave the temple for the rest of her life!"

Madam An walked up to Qingyan step by step and said, "You should spend the rest of your life in the ancestral temple, chanting scriptures and praying for blessings, and sincerely repenting to the ancestors of the Tang family!"

"Mother!" the Duke of Wei yelled. Madam An raised her cane and pounded her stubborn son until he was gasping for breath. "You too, go to the ancestral hall and kneel down to reflect on your sins. If you refuse to repent, you will die there. I will personally go to the palace to beg His Majesty and ask that you appoint Brother Yan as the Crown Prince. This will prevent the Duke of Wei's century-old legacy from falling into your hands!"

Old Madam An's eyes filled with tears. "I gave birth to a son like you. How can I face your father after I die? How can I face the ancestors of the Tang family?"

Duke Wei was unconscious from the pain in his back, but seeing his mother in tears, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, "It's all my fault. I'm unfilial and have caused my mother so much worry!"

"I will go to the ancestral hall to apologize to my ancestors right now. Please take care of yourself, mother."

Seeing that her son had not been completely bewildered, Mrs. An felt relieved and fell backwards, losing her balance.

"Mother!" Duke Wei caught his mother's falling body and shouted to the servants kneeling in the courtyard, "Quickly call the imperial physician!"

Ci'an Hall seemed to come alive in an instant.

Duke Wei personally carried his mother to the bed. After the imperial physician came in to examine the patient and write out the prescription, he personally boiled the medicine and fed it to his mother. The mother and son talked to each other for a while. Only after Madam An was exhausted and fell asleep did Duke Wei come out of the inner room.

Qingyan, her mother and her two children were still kneeling in the yard. When they saw Duke Wei coming out, they all looked up eagerly.

Duke Wei was exhausted, and after much hesitation, he ordered, "Do as the old lady says."

Qingyan widened her eyes in disbelief and was about to speak when a maid from the old lady's courtyard poked her hard in the lower back. The pain made her eyes go black, and then she was dragged out by two servants holding her arms.

Duke Wei opened his mouth but said nothing in the end.

"After father has dealt with mother, what will he do with me and my sister?" asked the sixteen-year-old boy who was kneeling upright.

Duke Wei felt guilty towards the brother and sister who had been innocently implicated, but he could not disobey the emperor's order. "From now on, Wan'er will stay with Madam and learn the rules well. As for Shi'er," he sighed, his path to civil and military success blocked. "You will stay in the mansion for now. Father will find a way out for you in the future."

"Thank you, father," Song Shi kowtowed heavily, took his sister and followed the leading servant to the backyard.

The two stopped in front of a desolate courtyard. The servant said respectfully, "Master, this is your courtyard." He then pointed to the next door, which was equally dilapidated, and said, "That's the third young lady's courtyard."

Song Shi nodded and took his sister to the opposite yard for a walk. Song Wan looked at the yard, which was so different from before, and could no longer hold back her tears.

"Why are you crying? You'll cry a lot in the future." Song Shi wiped away his sister's tears. "Don't worry, your brother will definitely protect you and mother."

Song Wan nodded obediently.

Song Shi looked at his sister with a smile, but there was an undispellable haze in his eyes.

In the main room, An woke up and learned that Duke Wei had been stripped of his official position, then fainted again. Tang Ming had no choice but to wake his mother. "Now that things have come to this, the concubine can't turn over. Father is unlikely to forgive mother and daughter anytime soon. Mother, why don't you take a step back, hand over the housekeeping power, and focus on raising our children."

An Shi was not willing to accept this, but she had no other choice, so she had to agree. She washed herself and went to Ci'an Hall in person. Ignoring Madam An's cold face, she smiled apologetically, "My daughter-in-law was foolish. When she heard that the Duke's concubine had given birth to a grown son, she lost her mind. She was worried that Brother Yan'er's position as the Crown Prince would be unstable, so she rushed to your house. She didn't expect what happened next. My daughter-in-law was wrong. I voluntarily hand over the housekeeping power and focus on cultivating my character and raising our children. Please approve of this, mother."

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(End of this chapter)