Marrying a treacherous official

Madam You gritted her teeth, but her face was all smiles, as warm as a spring breeze.

"Mother's arrangement is the most appropriate. With Ji'er's help, I can be relieved of a lot of burden. I just don't know if Uncle will agree."

Old Madam Cui asked, puzzled, "Why doesn't the eldest son agree?"

Madam You glanced at Granny Kong, who was waiting quietly to the side, with a slight sweep of her eyebrows:

"After all, it was Master who took his anger out on Granny Kong and her group, which is why they moved to the North Village. If we hand them over to Ji'er to manage now, I'm afraid Master will be the first to object."

"Mother is mistaken; the old man is not such a narrow-minded person."

How could Yunji stand by and watch You Shi ruin her plans? She said with absolute certainty:

"On the first day that Granny Kong came to the mansion, I took her to see the master. The decision I made in anger back then was not my true intention. When the master saw Granny Kong again, he was filled with emotion, but he did not utter a single word of complaint against her."

"It's truly remarkable that the eldest brother has achieved this much."

Madam Cui sighed sincerely, feeling deeply gratified.

Now that things have come to this, anything Yu Shi says will be in vain.

The old lady had spoken, and although she was unwilling to hand over the North Estate and nearly a hundred servants to Yunji, she had no choice but to comply.

Seeing Gu Yunji bullying her mother like this, Cui Lizhu, who was always arrogant, could not swallow this insult. She glanced at Cui Gongchuo, signaling him that he could speak.

"Eldest sister-in-law, when are you going to give my eldest brother a son? I'm the youngest in the family, and once I leave school, no one will play with me anymore."

Cui Gongchuo grinned mischievously, his chubby round face making him exceptionally endearing.

Yunji, however, couldn't bring herself to like him. "Third Master, you'll have to ask your elder brother about that. I listen to him in everything."

"Eldest sister-in-law, don't worry, but Grandmother is getting impatient."

Choi Yeo-joo looked at her, a cold, faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"My elder brother holds a high position in the court. At his age, his sons should all be in school, and he has many concubines. My sister-in-law isn't in a hurry to have children, and she won't allow him to take concubines. Could it be that she wants to monopolize his favor?"

The Cishou Hall suddenly became deserted.

The woman was jealous and had no children. Just one of these reasons alone constituted one of the seven grounds for divorce, enough for Cui Zemin to divorce Yunji. Not to mention that Cui Lizhu had placed two more charges on her at once.

"I have been married into the mansion for less than a year, or to be precise, I have only spent a little over a month with the master."

Yunji wasn't angry at being misunderstood; instead, she explained it to her in detail:

"Before, when the old man was training and preparing for war in the Tiger Wing Army, I saw him very few times. Later, the old man made a contribution to the cause and moved back to Qinghui Courtyard. I spent more time with him then. I never thought that these matters of the inner courtyard would be on the young lady's mind."

She lowered her expression and slowly said, "I dare not deceive my grandmother and mother. I have mentioned the matter of taking a concubine to my master in person."

Old Madam Cui turned to her and asked, "When did you bring it up, and why?"

"On the very day that the old man was promoted to Privy Councilor."

Yunji avoided discussing the conflict of that day, instead highlighting the First Madam's magnanimity, and virtuously said:

"My lord works tirelessly day and night for court affairs, and he cannot be without a close confidant to take care of him. After much consideration, I proposed to my lord that I take my personal maid as a concubine. I did not expect to offend my lord. From now on, I will never mention this matter in front of him again."

Madam You sensed something amiss in the matter. "Why is the master angry?"

Yunji hesitated for a moment, then Granny Kong stepped forward to defend her, saying:

"This old servant was also present that day. As an outsider, I can see clearly. The reason why Master got angry at Madam was because he cares about her and couldn't bear to hear her say such hurtful things. With Master being so affectionate, it's probably not far off for Madam to give birth to an heir."

These words struck a chord with Madam Cui.

Having spent most of her life in the inner quarters, Old Madam Cui had seen all sorts of sordid things, so how could Cui Lizhu's scheming thoughts possibly fool her?

"This matter can't be rushed. The eldest daughter isn't even married yet, so why is she already acting like those gossipy women outside, constantly talking about what's going on in her brother and sister-in-law's courtyard?"

Cui Lizhu rose from the rosewood armchair and knelt on the ground in a panic. "Zhu'er knows her mistake and begs for forgiveness from Grandmother."

Madam You sat upright in her chair and fiercely scolded her:

"You spend all your time with those old women and maids in the courtyard. Look at you now, where is even a trace of the virtuousness a lady from a noble family should have?"

She struggled to suppress the heaving breath in her chest and said, "Granny Tong, from now on, the young lady will be under your care. If she still fails to learn manners, I will hold you accountable!"

Granny Tong replied, "This old servant obeys."

Madam You composed herself and rose to her feet, bowing slightly to Old Madam Cui. "Mother, Zhu'er's rudeness is entirely my fault for failing to properly raise her. I am willing to accept the punishment."

"The young lady is not yet of marriageable age. It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. Since she knows she was wrong, then go back and properly educate her."

The look in Madam Cui's eyes as she looked at Madam You was one of disappointment with this mistress of the house. "Next time you bring the eldest daughter to Cishou Hall, I want to see her make progress."

Madam You obediently agreed.

After the group left, the main room returned to its quiet and desolate state.

Madam Cui sat motionless in her armchair, listless for a long time, before asking the old nanny serving her, "What did you figure out?"

The old nanny replied considerately, "There is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. The eldest daughter raised in a noble family is indeed extraordinary."

Madam Cui didn't just despise You Shi; she never respected You Shi from the bottom of her heart.

However, her son refused to listen to advice and insisted on marrying this concubine's daughter as his second wife. Meanwhile, her eldest grandson, whom she valued, was often away from her, making it difficult for her to even see him.

She managed to keep her old bones from collapsing, but she constantly sensed that her time was coming to an end. Like a spent arrow, she wanted to change the current situation of the Marquis's mansion, but she couldn't do anything about it, so she simply gave up.

When Madam Cui first saw Yunji, who had come with Madam You a few times before, she was quiet and reserved, always maintaining a gentle and modest demeanor. At first, she couldn't tell anything from her.

Seeing that Yunji had suppressed You Shi without making a sound, Old Madam Cui had a glimmer of hope. If she could manage the Marquis's mansion well in the future, Old Madam Cui would be willing to lend her a hand.

"I hope my old life can be lived a little longer."

After returning to Minghe Hall, Cui Lizhu flew into a rage, sweeping all the celadon-glazed carved tea sets on the crane-shaped table onto the floor with a flick of her sleeve.

"What's with Gu Yunji putting on airs in front of Mother! She's just the daughter of a lowly sixth-rank official who climbed the social ladder to become the First Madam by attaching herself to the Marquis's household. Doesn't she even know who's in charge of the Marquis's household? How dare she bully me like this!"

Hearing the sound of broken porcelain scattered all over the floor, Madam You changed her previous stern lecture and let her vent her anger.

In the past, when she was a concubine's daughter in the You family, she suffered all kinds of hardships but could only swallow them down. Now, as a pampered daughter, she doesn't have to put up with anyone's temper and can vent her anger however she pleases.