Mingxi shook her head. “That I don’t know.”
Consort Shu knew her sister-in-law well — she had no other flaws except her relentless support of her natal family.
Supporting one’s own family was something even Consort Shu did, but at least her family members were presentable, willing to listen to advice, endure hardship, and strive for better.
But what were the Feng family members doing?
Ever since they lost their title, they had become completely idle, living off the Duchess’s charity.
Consort Shu didn’t care about the money, but she did care about the Duchess’s behavior, which was clearly starting to affect the entire Duke’s household.
Mingxi had long had discord with her sister-in-law. Instead of trying to mend things, the Duchess seemed completely indifferent.
Now, when something needed to be done, Mingxi no longer trusted her. If Muchen remained a Wangye forever, that would be one thing — but what if, in the future, he took the throne?
Then Mingxi would become Empress, the mother of the realm. If the Duchess couldn’t win her trust, what then?
Consort Shu was well aware: while she was alive, Mingxi wouldn’t hold it against them. But what about when she was gone?
If her sister-in-law still didn’t know how to restrain herself or bow her head, what would that mean?
Mingxi could tell that Consort Shu was displeased — though not with her, of course.
To be honest, aside from the Duchess, Mingxi actually had a good impression of the other members of the Duke’s household.
As a woman herself, she understood exactly what Consort Shu was worried about. After thinking it through, she smiled and said, “Royal Mother, I’ve heard that my elder cousin’s wife was brought under the Duchess’s wing to help manage the household right after her marriage. She seems capable — perhaps it would be good to entrust her with this matter.”
Consort Shu looked at Mingxi with a touch of surprise. This child…
She chuckled softly. “You…”
Mingxi truly cherished Consort Shu’s kindness toward her and didn’t want her to be troubled. She smiled and said, “Older Cousin has proven himself — over the past few years he’s followed Wangye loyally, serving tirelessly. His wife is cheerful and efficient. Though we haven’t met often, I’ve found our conversations very pleasant.”
Consort Shu understood then. Mingxi’s dissatisfaction was solely with her sister-in-law, not the rest of the household. She patted Mingxi’s hand and said gently, “You don’t need to be so careful in everything. I’m not blaming you for anything.”
“You’ve cared for me, taught me, and treated me with sincere affection. I truly have no way to repay such kindness. Besides, I’m not lying to you — let me tell you something quietly: over in Donggang, I invested some silver with Nanxi and my cousin’s wife to help them earn a little private money.”
Consort Shu sighed. “It’s already more than enough that you have this heart.”
Mingxi smiled.
Everything must be balanced — the fear was always of leaning too heavily in one direction.
She supported the Dingyuan Marquis household, but she couldn’t afford to neglect Duke Wei’s household either.
The relationship between the two households was mutual. If she mishandled it, even the best of ties could crack under pressure.
She knew full well — the path of relying on in-laws was never an easy one.
Handled well, they were a sharp blade in her hand; handled poorly, they might become a blade against her throat.
Since Mingxi was willing to use Xu Yunhui’s wife, the very next day Consort Shu summoned her alone into the palace — the first time ever that she summoned someone from the Duke’s household without including the Duchess.
Duchess Wei, preoccupied with Feng Wenxuan’s marriage, initially didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until Feng Wenxuan came to pay her respects and brought it up, looking worried, that she said, “It’s good that Consort Shu now favors Cousin-in-law. But bypassing Aunt like that — how will the rest of the household see it?”
Duchess Wei was stunned.
Feng Wenxuan softly added, “Aunt, please don’t blame me for speaking out of turn. I’m just worried about you.”
Over the past two years, Duchess Wei had grown distant from her husband due to matters involving her maiden family, and the couple often clashed. Her nephews were one thing, but Wenxuan was a girl—if she didn’t marry well, what future could she possibly have?
With the delays, Feng Wenxuan had grown older, making it even harder to secure a good match. Prominent families looked down on her, and she and the Duchess looked down on those of lower standing. So things just dragged on.
Mingxi never would have imagined that by simply telling Consort Shu she had a decent relationship with her cousin’s wife, just to ease her mind, it would actually stir up trouble.
Perhaps it was Consort Shu’s evident regard for the cousin’s wife that displeased the Duchess—so much so that she tried to have Feng Wenxuan become Xu Yunhui’s concubine.
Pressed by the weight of filial duty, the cousin’s wife naturally could not refuse. Xu Yunhui objected, but his mother cried and made a scene, forcing him to agree. She even went as far as to say that since the cousin’s wife hadn’t conceived since entering the household, if she couldn’t bear a child, someone else would have to. She couldn’t allow Duke Wei’s line to end—that kind of talk utterly crushed the daughter-in-law’s dignity.
Xu Nanxi came to Mingxi’s place in tears, heartbroken for her sister-in-law.
Mingxi was silent for a long time, unsure what to say.
She handed a handkerchief to Xu Nanxi, who took it and roughly wiped her face. After a while, she looked up and said, “My brother doesn’t agree, but my mother won’t stop crying and making a fuss. Feng Wenxuan fell ill too and keeps begging my brother to give her a way to survive. I really don’t understand how she became like this—she wasn’t like this before.”
Mingxi spoke frankly: “Because this is the best marriage she can hope for now. Duchess Wei is her aunt by blood, and Xu Yunhui is her cousin. Even if things are tense now, after a year or two—or once she bears a child—the relationship will naturally improve.”
Xu Nanxi frowned.
Mingxi added, “But I must remind you—if Feng Wenxuan has that kind of backing, and the Madam is so partial to her niece, your sister-in-law is going to suffer. If Feng Wenxuan gives birth to a son, do you think she won’t fight for status? She definitely will. And once a family starts tearing itself apart from within, you already know what the outcome will be, don’t you?”
Xu Nanxi’s face darkened. “No. This can’t be allowed.”
Mingxi nodded slightly. “The most important thing is Duke Wei’s attitude. Your brother and sister-in-law are juniors—if the Madam uses filial piety as a weapon, they won’t be able to fight back.”
Xu Nanxi’s eyes lit up. “I understand now.”
She quickly took her leave. Mingxi watched her go and sighed softly.
She would never get directly involved in the affairs of Duke Wei’s household. If she touched this matter, whether it ended well or badly, she’d be blamed on all sides.
When it comes to people’s hearts, it’s best not to gamble.
Xiao Muchen returned to the manor under the cover of night. Since coming back from Dongjiang, he’d been busier than ever. Mingxi hadn’t planned to bring up Duke Wei matter—why invite unnecessary frustration?
To her surprise, Xiao Muchen mentioned it first. “Cousin doesn’t want to take a concubine. He and his wife are on good terms, and they don’t have children because he’s always away on assignments—he’s out of the capital for months at a time. Where would the kids come from?”
“What does he plan to do, then?” Mingxi still asked.
Since he brought it up, she couldn’t just pretend she didn’t know.
“Send him to Dongjiang to avoid the concubine issue altogether.”
Mingxi was startled and looked up at Xiao Muchen. “Did you get something from your last trip to Dongjiang regarding Gao Zhan?”
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