Marrying a treacherous official

The clan elders in the main hall all remained silent.

The Third Master looked at Old Madam Cui with a solemn expression. He saw the Old Madam shake her head at him, and he immediately understood that this meant she was letting the First Madam continue speaking, so he simply kept quiet.

In fact, everyone in the clan has a scale in their heart.

As early as when Cui Zemin was granted the title of Privy Councilor and concurrently Chancellor by the Emperor, while Cui Tingyan was still holding the nominal title of Marquis of the third rank, the scales had already tipped in favor of Cui Zemin.

Even if the second and third masters become successful in the future, they will find it difficult to rise to the position of prime minister and wield military power like Cui Zemin.

Moreover, Cui Zemin also holds the title of the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife. No matter what, the second and third masters are all legitimate sons of second wives, and they can never surpass Cui Zemin in status.

Ultimately, the Cui family, and indeed the entire clan, had to be handed over to Cui Zemin.

How could they possibly offend Cui Zeming at this critical juncture for the sake of that good-for-nothing second master?

Seeing that her uncles and aunts remained silent, Lady You assumed they were angry with Cui Zeming but dared not speak out. Wiping away her tears, she sat down in a chair and tearfully complained:

"Second Master has studied diligently for over ten years, all for the sake of passing the imperial examination and bringing glory to the Cui family. If we cannot rescue him from prison this time, he will be stripped of his title as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) and banned from taking the exam for life, which will ruin the rest of his life."

"Mother is overthinking it."

Yunji seemed to be offering her heartwarming comfort, but in reality, she was tearing open her wounds.

"The eldest brother fought desperately on the battlefield, surviving countless near-death experiences, and carved out a bloody path to rise through the ranks to become the Privy Councilor of the Imperial Court. Even if the second brother cannot enter officialdom through the imperial examinations in the future, he can still abandon his literary pursuits and join the military, fighting his way to fame and success on the battlefield."

Lady You couldn't stand such sarcastic remarks.

How could she bear to throw Cui Gongquan into the perilous battlefield, letting him risk his life for a future uncertain?

"How can you speak so viciously? Do you wish the Second Master were dead?"

"Mother can't bear to part with that."

"I couldn't bear to see Second Master in trouble, which is why I humbled myself and begged people everywhere to try to get him out of prison."

"My mother keeps saying she can't bear to part with him, so why did she let my husband join the army back then?"

Yunji refuted her with a single sentence, leaving her utterly humiliated.

She softened her voice and pressed Cui Tingyan further:

"It's understandable that a mother can't bear to see her own flesh and blood suffer, but what about the father?"

Cui Tingyan was terrified by this question.

He gave her a stern look, staring intently at her, urging her not to say anything out of line.

Yun Ji has already made a scene in front of the clan, so how could they care about his dignity?

"Both the eldest and second masters are legitimate sons. If the Marquis is willing to let the eldest master join the army, he will surely be willing to let the second master abandon his studies and join the army as well."

Having offended everyone in one fell swoop, she decided to go all out and continue:

"To be honest with you elders, my younger brother Gu Jinyu is also involved in this examination cheating case and has not been released from prison yet."

She looked at Madam You and said to her with endless sarcasm:

"If he is innocent, I would beat the drum to appeal to the emperor and get him out of prison, instead of forcing the old man to release him like my mother did, thus benefiting herself and harming others."

Unable to hold back any longer, Madam You immediately covered her face and burst into tears.

Cui Tingyan slammed his hand on the table, smashing the teacup to pieces.

"Shut up! How dare you speak to your elders like that! The Cui family will never tolerate such insolence!"

Yunji raised her hands to her forehead, knelt on the ground, and bowed deeply to the elders seated there.

"Father, please don't be angry. I will ask to be divorced."

Upon hearing this, the main hall fell into a deathly silence.

Cui Zemin thought to himself that her mouth was like it was poisoned, spewing venom at everyone she met. It turned out she didn't want to live in this mansion anymore.

I can't believe she even dared to think that way.

He grabbed her by the collar from behind, lifted her up from the ground, and interrogated her menacingly:

"What are you saying, Madam? Where did you go wrong?"

"I defended my husband, and I certainly did nothing wrong."

"Since there is no wrongdoing, the clan elders will step in to persuade Father, and he will not send you back to the family with a letter of divorce."

Cui Zemin paused deliberately, then emphasized, "Why must Madam request to be divorced?"

Yunji was subtly coerced by him and dared not say another word.

She seized this once-in-a-millennium opportunity and, right under Cui Zemin's nose and in front of her clan uncles, thoroughly enraged Madam You and Cui Tingyan, all in order to be divorced and expelled from the mansion.

Just when she was about to take the final step out of the Marquis's mansion, Cui Zemin suddenly intervened, ruining her entire plan.

Upon hearing this, Madam Cui was utterly disappointed in Madam You and Cui Tingyan.

She raised her cane and struck Cui Tingyan hard on the back, continuing until the Third Master rushed over and snatched the cane from her.

"Second sister-in-law, your health is important, don't get angry."

"Get out of my way! While I'm still breathing, I'll beat this bastard son to death!"

After Old Madam Cui uttered her curses, Cui Tingyan led Madam You to rise from their seats and stand before her to receive her reprimand.

"Both the eldest and second eldest are your sons, how could your heart be so twisted?"

"Mother, please calm down."

No matter how angry Cui Tingyan was, he dared not disrespect Old Madam Cui in front of his clan uncles and elders.

Without her cane, Old Madam Cui pointed at him and scolded:

"Go and see the blood on the old man's head. This child is known for his violent and unpredictable temper, yet you've repeatedly tried to kill him, and when has he ever fought back?"

Cui Tingyan stood lifelessly below the hall, never turning back to look at Cui Zemin.

"I think you've been blinded by beauty for too long, and you've lost all sense of reason."

This was the first time in her life that Madam Cui had spoken so harshly to the Marquis, and it was probably the last time she would ever say such things.

"Very well, in front of all the clansmen, I will speak the truth. From now on, the eldest master and the eldest madam will be under my care. After I pass away, they will be handed over to the third master. It is none of the Marquis's and his wife's business to interfere in their affairs."

"Has Mother finished speaking?"

Cui Tingyan tightened his jaw and gritted his teeth as he said, "If you've finished speaking, please allow me to take my leave."

Watching his angry departure, Old Madam Cui, suppressing her surging bitterness, addressed the crowd:

"Everyone, please leave. Madam, please stay and keep me company for a while."

Yunji poured a cup of tea and respectfully presented it to the old lady, serving her to drink it slowly.

"Grandmother, please don't let your anger get the better of you. Tell me if you feel unwell, and I'll go get a doctor for you."

"Good boy, I know you genuinely care about me."

If there was anything else that Madam Cui still cared about and couldn't let go of, it was Cui Zemin. "When Master met you, all his suffering was finally over."

Yunji is unworthy of such praise.

Grandma Cui took her hand and said earnestly, "Ji'er, Grandma wants to ask you a favor."

Yunji couldn't bear such a heavy burden of gratitude, so she quickly replied, "Grandmother, please give your instructions, and I will certainly do my best."

Seeing how readily she agreed, Madam Cui smiled kindly and said, "You should give the master a child as soon as possible. Once you have an heir, I will entrust the entire Marquis's mansion to you to manage."