The scandal had reached such heights that Qiao Wan put on a pitiful act of a wronged woman.
Dingyuan Marquis seemed entirely bewitched, determined to make her his concubine.
Even when others told him she had ulterior motives, he was like a blind man—refusing to listen or believe a word.
The household was in chaos for days, and outsiders were thoroughly entertained by the drama.
Mingxi went to see the Old Master.
He looked at her with guilt in his eyes. Having such a disgraceful son was truly a headache.
“Grandfather, this is actually an easy problem to solve.”
The Old Master looked at her. “How so?”
Mingxi lifted her eyes and said, “Qiao Wan is clearly not a proper woman. She grew up in a pleasure district—even if she was a courtesan, she still came from that sort of place.
If she really entered our household, never mind me—what face would my three elder brothers have left?”
In officialdom, reputation was everything.
By bringing up the three brothers, the Old Master sighed inwardly. He knew this granddaughter was about to strike hard.
“What do you intend to do?”
“Qiao Wan has her sights on our family. Most likely, I’m the real target. But I’m soon to marry—if she was sent by someone to harm the Marquis family, I won’t always be around to stop her. If she succeeds in some scheme, the Marquis family would be doomed. I don’t think that’s something Grandfather would want to see.”
The Old Master’s expression changed repeatedly. He understood exactly what Mingxi was implying.
“I understand. You don’t need to say more.” He decisively cut her off. She was still a junior—if she said too much, it would damage family affection.
“Thank you, Grandfather, for understanding.” Mingxi stood.
“The foundation of the Marquis family was built by you. Now, with Second and Third Uncle working hard, and my elder brothers making careers for themselves, even the younger generation is studying diligently. The future looks bright.”
The Old Master understood—this girl was threatening him.
But she said it with such righteousness and dignity that he was both annoyed and impressed.
“Don’t worry. Your grandfather won’t go soft.”
Mingxi added one last thing, “Has Grandfather heard about Duan Huirou’s dealings with the Jiang family?”
The Old Master hadn’t. Mingxi sat back down and explained everything about Jiang family’s schemes.
The Old Master’s face grew even darker.
Neither the eldest son nor his wife is sensible or reliable!
“Jiang family has a hold on the Marquis Madam. That’s the hidden danger within the Marquis Residence. Today they dared to target Duan Huirou, next time they’ll use her to go after someone else in the family.”
“Grandfather, the Jiang family is the Marquis Residence’s in-law family. Unless the Marquis divorces his wife and completely severs ties with the Jiangs, this relationship will always be a risk. So long as it exists, the Jiang family will continue to scheme against us.”
“There’s a saying—’A thief can steal for a thousand days, but no one can guard against them for a thousand days.’ Don’t you agree?”
Mingxi had long despised the Jiang family, but never had the chance to act. Now that they had schemed against Duan Huirou and it happened to coincide with Qiao Wan’s outburst, it was a heaven-sent opportunity—one she would not miss.
The old master’s expression shifted back and forth. He looked at Mingxi, who remained calm as if speaking about strangers when she mentioned the eldest son and his wife. The feelings in his heart were indescribable.
“Go rest for now.”
“Please take care of your health, Grandfather. This whole family is depending on you. I’ll take my leave.”
After Mingxi left, the old master let out a deep sigh. This girl was ruthless, but precisely because of her decisiveness, he felt that even if he were to pass away one day, he could rest in peace with her around.
The only part of the Marquis Residence that Mingxi disliked was the eldest son and his wife. Now, they could only be cast out.
The next day, the old master summoned Dingyuan Marquis to the ancestral hall and questioned him before the family ancestors. But the Marquis, blinded by “true love”, insisted on bringing Qiao Wan into the residence as a concubine.
The old master was deeply disappointed. He said nothing more, merely waved his hand to let the Marquis leave.
The Marquis, thinking his father had relented, happily rushed off to see Qiao Wan.
When Madam Jiang heard of it, she furiously smashed her teacup.
That little tramp wanted to enter the residence? Not a chance.
Madam Jiang summoned Yang Yiniang to discuss how to stop Qiao Wan from entering the household. Meanwhile, the old master returned to his study, bathed and changed clothes, wrote a memorial, and personally entered the palace to request an audience with the Emperor.
This kind of scandal in the Marquis Residence couldn’t be hidden. Rather than let others bring it up before the Emperor and tarnish Mingxi’s reputation—thus jeopardizing her marriage with Duan Wang, as well as the futures of his sons and grandsons—the old master chose to throw away his own pride and confess everything to the Emperor himself.
The Emperor, who was in poor health, originally did not want to see Dingyuan Marquis. But remembering that his granddaughter-to-be was about to marry Duan Wang and that the old Marquis had made great contributions to the court, he reluctantly agreed to summon him.
After hearing the old Marquis’s report, even the Emperor was stunned.
What was wrong with Dingyuan Marquis?
He seemed respectable on the surface, but inside there was so much filth. The Emperor even began to resent Duan Mingxi a little, wondering if the Marquis Residence was a poor match for the royal family.
Had he known it would be this much trouble, he never would have allowed the match in the first place.
But looking at the old Marquis—aged and trembling, tearfully admitting fault—the Emperor couldn’t bear to be harsh.
“You’ve really made up your mind? To revoke Dingyuan Marquis’s title and pass it to his eldest son, Duan Yu?”
“Yes, this old subject has no face left to meet Your Majesty. My household has brought disgrace upon our name—I can only shamelessly beg for your mercy.”
The Emperor looked at the sorrowful and resigned old master and sighed. Once, he had been a great general on the battlefield.
A hero now past his prime.
“So be it. You’ve given your life for Great Chu. I won’t let you leave disappointed.”
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace.” The old Marquis knelt heavily to give thanks.
“Quick, help him up.”
Ding Zhao, the palace steward, hurried over to help the old master up. “Old Marquis, please take care of yourself.”
“Thank you, Steward Ding,” the old Marquis choked out as he rose, trembling.
After leaving Chongzheng Hall, the Emperor said to Ding Zhao, “When I first ascended the throne, the borders were unstable. The old Marquis was still full of spirit back then, accompanying me to war. In the blink of an eye, he’s already so old.”
Upon hearing “old,” Ding Zhao’s eyelid twitched. “How could the old Marquis compare to Your Majesty? Every Wangye under your knee is a dragon among men. Dingyuan Marquis is truly disgraceful—making the old Marquis worry about family affairs at his age.”
Hearing that, the Emperor nodded. His sons were indeed all better than the old Marquis.
“It’s rare for him to come and plead with me. Ding Zhao, you go personally and deliver the edict—help steady the situation at the Marquis Residence.”
Ding Zhao agreed immediately.
He understood that this was to prevent the Marquis and his wife from causing a scene with the old Marquis.
As the Emperor’s chief steward, Ding Zhao’s presence alone would be enough to keep them in check.
When Ding Zhao arrived to deliver the imperial edict, the Marquis and his wife were stunned. Madam Jiang’s legs went weak and she collapsed on the spot—how could this be happening?
She turned to look at her husband. It was all his fault—this lecherous, incompetent man had even cost her the title of Marquis Madam!
