An “honored concubine”—what kind of simple background would such a woman have?
Mingxi was clearly aiming to trample Madam Jiang underfoot, making her taste humiliation firsthand!
The Old Madam had a splitting headache. Just as she was thinking that Madam Xiao wasn’t the type, she heard Mingxi say, “My elder brother’s career is going well. If the household is unstable and he gets distracted at work, making a mistake, I won’t step in. Whoever makes the mess can clean it up themselves.”
The Old Madam immediately said, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.”
Nothing was more important than her eldest grandson’s future!
Mingxi took her leave. As soon as she was gone, the Old Madam summoned Madam Jiang and gave her a thorough scolding.
Madam Jiang was completely dumbfounded. At first, she dismissed it as nothing serious, but when she heard what Mingxi had said, she was so furious that she trembled all over.
Seeing Madam Jiang’s reaction only made the Old Madam angrier. She snapped, “If you don’t care about your own son, then I won’t either. He’s currently excelling in his career, but if you insist on pulling him down, that’s your problem. And don’t come crying to me later! You know what Mingxi is like—no one in this household can keep her in check. Besides, if your son falls from grace, Mingxi can always support her second and third uncles instead. They’re both doing well in their government positions, and their wives practically worship Mingxi, wishing they could light incense for her every day. If she has more reliable options, why would she bother supporting someone who isn’t?”
Madam Jiang felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She immediately lost her momentum and weakly tried to defend herself, “I was only thinking that Madam Xiao is pregnant and can’t attend to her husband. Every household brings in concubines to serve their husbands—why is it such a problem in our case?”
“Madam Xiao had already selected a personal maid to become a bed servant. That girl has always been reliable—why should this be a matter for the elders to interfere in?”
Madam Jiang’s smile stiffened. She forced a laugh and said awkwardly, “I just thought she was young and inexperienced, and might not have made a proper choice.”
“Oh, but the person you chose is certainly proper. So proper, in fact, that before she’s even entered the household, your son’s career and marriage are both about to be ruined.” The Old Madam scolded sharply. “And besides, Mingxi had a point—your husband hasn’t taken in any new women in years. Perhaps it’s time we find someone suitable to serve him as well.”
Madam Jiang was about to be poked into a sieve with all the criticism. She couldn’t swallow her anger, nor could she vent it in front of the Old Madam. Matters concerning her grandson’s household were not something the Old Madam could directly interfere with, but the Marquis was still her son—if she wanted to take action, she certainly could.
Madam Jiang was instantly silenced.
After Duan Yu returned to the residence, he was summoned by the Old Master for a talk. When he came out, his face was grim, and he went straight to the main courtyard to see his mother.
“Mother, I’m already so busy that my feet barely touch the ground. I’m being watched at every turn, scrutinized in my duties, and I can’t afford a single mistake. How could I possibly have the time to pay attention to concubines or chambermaids? I’m not some prodigy—every night, I burn the midnight oil just to keep up with my studies under my mentor. Please don’t make things more difficult for me.”
Duan Yu had been dragged into this mess for no reason, and now, he was sure to be resented by his eldest little sister.
Madam Jiang had already been scolded by the Old Madam, stabbed in the back by her own daughter, and now, her son had come to deliver another blow. She trembled with rage and shouted, “Get out!”
Duan Yu quickly made himself scarce—he still had to go and comfort his wife. Why was life so difficult?
Once Mingxi confirmed that things had settled down on Madam Jiang’s end, she stopped paying attention to it. However, the Second Madam and Third Madam later had serious conversations with their respective husbands. Second Master Duan and Third Master Duan both looked grave—it seemed that in the future, they wouldn’t even dare to think about taking concubines.
Their dear Xixi didn’t approve.
The Second Madam and Third Madam, having benefitted from Madam Jiang’s misstep, were practically beaming with joy. People really couldn’t afford to take the wrong path in life.
As night fell, there was still no news from the third household. Mingxi held a book in her hands, but her gaze was unfocused as she stared into the distance, lost in thought.
Huang Shao was indeed a tough bone to chew.
More than half an hour later, Third Madam arrived with Third Master. Mingxi quickly went out to greet them.
Third Master saw Mingxi and said, “I was worried you’d be anxious, so I came straight over.”
“Third Uncle, Third Aunt, please have a seat,” Mingxi said.
Third Madam knew that her husband had things to discuss with Mingxi. She had come along simply because it wasn’t appropriate for an uncle to visit his niece’s courtyard alone at night.
She smiled and said, “I was just about to ask Li Mama a few things. The pastries she sent over last time were excellent—I’ll ask her how she made them. You two talk.”
Third Madam found an excuse and left.
Third Master looked at Mingxi and said, “Huang Shao didn’t believe me at first and refused to listen, but when I showed him the evidence against Huang Baozong, he became more cautious. Still, he didn’t immediately agree.”
Mingxi nodded. “Huang Shao is this cautious and shrewd—no wonder he was the one who ended up holding the official seal.”
“Exactly.” Third Master agreed. “Later, when I left Huang Shao’s place, I ran into Qi He. He and I went back together to see Huang Shao, and this time, we succeeded.”
“He won’t make a move unless he sees the rabbit,” Mingxi remarked. “It seems His Highness had anticipated that Huang Shao wouldn’t be easy to persuade.”
“His Highness is incredibly foresighted—it’s truly impressive. Lord Qi is also remarkable; he convinced him with just a few words,” Third Master said with admiration. This was a lesson well learned. From now on, he knew he needed to improve his own skills in persuasion and strategy.
“What about Huang Baozong?” Mingxi asked.
“Lord Qi will take him somewhere secure,” Third Master replied.
Mingxi slowly nodded. Clearly, Xiao Muchen didn’t fully trust Huang Shao yet. Keeping Huang Baozong under his control meant that Huang Shao wouldn’t dare to turn against them.
Besides, if the Empress and Crown Prince ever found out about Huang Baozong, they would surely use him to force Huang Shao into submission. Rather than let that happen, Huang Shao would rather hand his son over to Xiao Muchen to ensure a stable partnership.
With Huang Shao joining their side, everything would proceed much more smoothly.
Now, it was up to Duan Wang to set a trap for the Empress and Crown Prince. How deeply they would fall into it depended on their own ability to save themselves.
Mingxi couldn’t interfere in what came next. She simply told her third uncle, “You don’t need to worry about other matters—just focus on keeping a close watch over the Imperial Horse Bureau. We may be working with Huang Shao, but you must not trust him completely. Stay vigilant.”
“You’re right. i’ll be careful,” Third Master quickly nodded, his respect for his niece growing. Everything she said made sense.
With time, once he gained more experience, she wouldn’t have to worry so much.
Mingxi had expected things to move quickly, but even she was surprised by just how fast events unfolded.
They had successfully blocked Zhong Yuqing’s impeachment attempt, but they couldn’t prevent the Crown Prince from stirring up other censors to submit formal accusations.
The charges against Qiu Yun came first, followed by the military defeat in Qinan—like a lit fuse, igniting chaos in court.
