Chapter 203

These words of Old Madam Du were like a thunderclap on the ground, and the servants in the hall were so frightened that their hair stood on end, one by one shrinking into the shadows.

Fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Who in this mansion doesn't know that the madam is domineering, and on weekdays, she doesn't even allow the master to touch a mother dog, let alone take the master's ex-wife back.

I'm afraid there will be no survivors.

Du Ren Mei thought so too, so he secretly aimed at Jiang Shi's face.

He thought Jiang Shi would be furious, but to his surprise, Jiang Shi was actually light and breezy.

"Mother is really affectionate and righteous; it's been so long, and you still miss the old people."

Jiang Shi sat straight, smiling without smiling. "Then I don't know what status Mother wants Zheng Huilan to return with? Wife, or concubine?"

Old Madam Du looked at her scrutinizingly. "After all, she is Renmei's first wife; if she is a concubine, I'm afraid she will be criticized."

She thought for a moment and then said: "I think she should be taken back with the etiquette of a co-wife."

Qin Shi's smile grew wider. "Mother wants to take Zheng Huilan back, the daughter-in-law has no two words, who told the daughter-in-law not to be able to give birth to a son? However, wanting to sit on an equal footing with me, don't even think about it, she is not qualified enough."

She slowly stood up, her tone light. "The daughter-in-law suddenly feels unwell, so I won't accompany Mother to sit, I'll go back first."

After speaking, she took the maid and walked out of Wutong Courtyard without looking back.

The hall was eerily silent.

After a long while, Du Ren Mei opened his mouth hesitantly. "Mother, do you really want to take Hui Niang back? In case the Marquis Mansion is unhappy..."

The Beian Marquis Mansion has already cleared the joints for him, and in a while, he will be promoted to the experience of the Salt Transport Division, which is a fat job, so he can't make any mistakes at this juncture.

Old Madam Du gave Suyin a look.

Suyin understood and immediately sent all the servants who were serving away, standing at the door and guarding it tightly to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

Du Ren Mei was confused by this posture.

Old Madam Du looked at him and said earnestly: "Son, have you ever thought about why you have only been a mere eighth-rank assistant magistrate for more than ten years?"

This, Du Ren Mei's elegant face was full of shame. "It's all because the son is not promising, and failed to pass the imperial examination..."

After all, only those who pass the imperial examination can be granted an official position.

And the reason he was able to become an assistant magistrate was entirely because he climbed onto the Beian Marquis Mansion.

But no matter how powerful the Beian Marquis Mansion is, it can't cover the sky with one hand, and the flaw of being a scholar alone greatly limited his promotion path.

Du Ren Mei knew very well that the seventh-rank experience of the Salt Transport Division was the highest position he could climb in his life.

"Then are you reconciled? Are you really reconciled to being a small official for a lifetime?" Old Madam Du tempted him.

Du Ren Mei is naturally not reconciled, but what can he do?

"What does Mother mean..."

Old Madam Du smiled. "My meaning is, since the Beian Marquis Mansion cannot be relied upon, why don't we find another backer?"

She lowered her voice and told the story of "unimaginably noble."

Including how she saved Abbess Miaoyuan, Abbess Miaoyuan's identity and background, and the prophecy back then.

After listening, Du Ren Mei was sluggish.

After reacting, he stood up abruptly, his eyes wide, and the light inside was frighteningly bright. "You mean, Aman... she is very likely to ascend to the position of Empress?"

"Even if not Empress, at least she is an Imperial Noble Consort."

Old Madam Du's lips were filled with satisfied smiles. "Think about it, is it better to be a sesame-sized official for a lifetime, or a noble imperial relative?"

Does that need thinking? Of course, it's better to be an imperial relative!

Even if it's an Imperial Noble Consort, he can count as half a father-in-law of the country!

By then, what Beian Marquis Mansion, even Beian Prince Mansion, would be just so-so in his eyes.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and Du Ren Mei was a bit incoherent. "Then, then we will take Hui Niang back tomorrow!"

"Hui Niang has resentment toward our Du family, and she is a concubine, I'm afraid she won't agree..." Old Madam Du sighed.

She wanted Zheng Shi to be a co-wife, but with Jiang Shi's temper, it was already a great concession to agree to Zheng Shi entering the door.

If she forced it, I'm afraid both sides would suffer.

Don't worry, there will be a long time to come; when Aman gains power, without others saying anything, Jiang Shi herself will take the initiative to give up the wife position.

The most urgent thing now is how to convince Zheng Shi...

"What's difficult about this?" Du Ren Mei was full of confidence. "You know Hui Niang's character, she is the softest-hearted; as long as I say a few more good words, let alone being a concubine, she would be happy even if she were a maid."

Old Madam Du thought so too.

Zheng Shi is not only good-tempered but also deeply affectionate to her son, always obedient, doing whatever she is told, and never disobeying half a sentence.

Now that she is asked to return to her son's side, it is estimated that it is not a difficult matter.

The mother and son whispered and began to discuss countermeasures.

On the other side, Jiang Shi walked toward the main courtyard with a dark face.

The maid Lianyi led the way with a lantern, and really couldn't help it. "Madam, why did you agree to let that Zheng Shi enter the door?"

Jiang Shi glanced at her. "Why, do you think it's inappropriate?"

"The maid feels... it is a bit inappropriate."

Lianyi is Jiang Shi's confidante, so she naturally thinks for her. "That Zheng Shi is different from other women, she is the master's first wife, and her position in the master's heart must be unusual. Plus Old Madam favors her, if she enters the door, I'm afraid it will be a threat."

Jiang Shi nodded. "You are right, Zheng Shi's affection for the master is not less than mine, and even more."

"Then why did Madam..."

"Don't worry, Zheng Shi won't be able to enter."

Jiang Shi sneered. "The old woman calculated well, but unfortunately missed one thing; Zheng Huilan might be easy to coax, and she will come if you play the emotional card. But don't forget, she has a daughter, that bastard child hates the Du Fu to the bone, and doesn't even acknowledge her father, so how could she agree to let her mother re-enter the Du Fu?"

Not to mention still being a concubine.

Concubines are bought and sold, equivalent to objects; even if she beats her to death, it doesn't violate the criminal law.

That bastard child is smart, so it's strange if she agrees.

Lianyi suddenly realized, and thinking about it, she added: "But what if that bastard child can't beat her mother?"

"That would be even better." Jiang Shi's eyes flashed with sinister light. "With Zheng Shi as a hostage, isn't that bastard child at my mercy? If I tell her to go east, she dares to go west? I can torture her however I want, just to vent my anger!"

The masters of the Du Fu all had their own ghosts.

Du Ruo was peaceful here; after returning from Ling'an Temple, she was just inspecting the construction site, aiming at the growth of chili peppers in the fields, and studying some delicious food with Zheng Shi and Chunhua.

Life was quite carefree, but there were also two annoying things.

The first thing was Jiang Li's bandit suppression in Yugui Shan; there had been no news from the Ya Men, and she didn't know how it was going, or if they had taken down those thugs.

Du Ruo couldn't help but worry.

But thinking about it carefully, no news is good news, at least it shows that Jiang Li is currently safe.

She made up her mind to wait another two days, and if there was still no news, she would go to the county to inquire herself.

Besides this, there was another thing, which was about her mother Zheng Shi.

"It's spread all over the village, saying your mother is hooking up with men and has an affair with several men."

Yao Yulan was cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, and when she saw Du Ruo coming, she pulled her to the tree outside the shed. "It's said with nose and eyes, like Lao Tietou, Gou Laoqie, and... oh, and my third uncle!"

Others are fine, but Master Jiang?

Du Ruo was speechless; who didn't know that Master Jiang was a thousand-year-old ice block, and even this could spread rumors?

"Who spread the rumors?" Du Ruo raised her eyebrows and asked.

"Who else, your aunt-in-law who is not reliable." Yao Yulan rolled her eyes. "She had a fight with someone outside the day before yesterday, and after coming back, she cursed and scolded everywhere, saying that the villagers were all currying favor with your Jiang family's Second Branch and didn't dare to tell the truth, but she wasn't afraid, and insisted on being that 'out-of-the-crowd garlic,' letting the whole village smell your mother's fox smell."

Du Ruo nodded. "Alright, I know." Cao Shi's broken mouth, it seems it's time to let her close it forever.

"But seriously, your mother and my third uncle are quite a match."

Yao Yulan bumped into Du Ruo's shoulder, a bit excited and a bit regretful. "It's a pity, if it weren't for the fact that the third uncle's 'that' was frozen, I would really hope they could make it."

Du Ruo laughed. "Forget it, the third uncle's vision is so high, he doesn't even look at the seventeen or eighteen-year-old yellow flower girls, can he look at a middle-aged woman like my mother?"

She didn't oppose Zheng Shi remarrying, but since she planned to marry, she must find a suitable one.

Master Jiang is not bad, looks handsome, and has good knowledge; if nothing unexpected happens, there is still hope for a scholar.

It's a pity he is too cold; standing beside him for a while can freeze out icicles, and Zheng Shi is not a warm temperament, so she is afraid she can't melt him.

The two were laughing and talking when a tall and sturdy man ran over from the village road in a hurry.

It was the new village head, Jiang Tong.

"Sister-in-law, you better go back and take a look!" Jiang Tong ran to Du Ruo, panting and wiping his sweat. "Assistant Magistrate is here, brought more than a dozen people, and a pile of gifts, carrying a flower sedan chair and beating gongs and drums, saying he is here to take your mother back to the mansion!"