The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law glared at each other without saying a word. The hall instantly fell into a dead silence. Mama Ma had already chased all the servants out of the courtyard and stood by the door to listen.
After a long confrontation, the Lin Clan was finally defeated. She kowtowed three more times and said sincerely, "If Mother didn't force me, daughter-in-law wouldn't dare to do this. Mother didn't think about it. Yan 'er, Yu Xiang, Qi' er, and Siyu are all grown up and will soon have to discuss their marriage. It's not appropriate for Yu Xiang to manage this family. Don't tell me you want an unmarried young lady like her to choose a husband for herself and her siblings? Wouldn't that be a joke? There are many social interactions that need to be done. She's not good at it, so how can it be convenient? Now that it's my turn to manage the family, it's the best. I guarantee that the marriages of the siblings will be handled properly and perfectly. When Lord Husband was still alive, wasn't Mother always very satisfied with me? This time, I beg you to give me a chance to turn over a new leaf. I really know my mistakes! "After saying that, she kowtowed three more times. Her attitude was very humble.
The matriarch closed her eyes and didn't say anything. After a full quarter of an hour, she opened her eyes and waved her hand. "Fine, I'll leave the family to you for the time being. However, I have to warn you in advance. You're not allowed to use your power to mistreat Xiang 'er, and you're not allowed to make any mistakes. If I catch you in the wrong, take the divorce letter and go back to your parents' home. My Prefecture Yu won't tolerate you anymore! "
The Lin Clan believed that she definitely wouldn't make a mistake and immediately nodded. "Mother's teachings are right. Daughter-in-law will remember them. I just don't know when Yu Xiang will hand over the account books, matching cards, and storehouse keys to me?"
Seeing that she couldn't wait, the matriarch glanced at her mockingly and said slowly, "I'll have Xiang 'er send the things to you later. Don't be anxious. Write a military order for me. If you make a mistake, you'll take the divorce letter and leave. "
"Thank you, Mother, for your help. Your daughter-in-law will file a complaint now." Seeing that their goal had been achieved, the members of the Lin Clan wrote down the military order without hesitation and then lifted their feet to leave. However, before they reached the door, they were stopped by the old lady. "Wait, I have to warn you. Don't secretly go to Xiang'er and reveal her identity. Do you think you can force her to submit to you and Yu Miaoqi? You're wrong. Xiang'er was personally raised by Yan'er, so her temperament was exactly the same as Yan'er's. They were both masters who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. If you make her unhappy for a while, she will go all out to make you and Yu Miaoqi unhappy for the rest of your life. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try. "
Needless to say, the members of the Lin Clan really did have the idea of 'privately finding Yu Xiang to reveal her identity so that she would know who was closer to her.' However, once the old lady said this, she didn't know what to do.
If what the old lady said was true, then Yu Xiang was like a copper ball covered in spikes. Once touched, it would prick your hand. The only way to deal with her was to use a heavy hammer to flatten her. However, she had the protection of the old lady and Yu Pinyan, two great gods. Who would dare to use a heavy hammer on her? Even if they said a few harsh words to her and caused her eyes to turn red, Yu Pinyan would chop them up with a knife.
The members of the Lin Clan's hearts were filled with fear. They turned to look at Mama Kim.
Mama Kim nodded slightly, indicating that the old lady was telling the truth. Yu Xiang really had a fiery temper that couldn't be provoked. If they angered her, she could turn hostile and ruthless in a breath. It wasn't impossible for her to reveal the young miss's identity to the entire capital.
The members of the Lin Clan could only grit their teeth and agree.
-----
The Lin Clan was clearly going to be in charge of the household, but it was as if they had lost a battle. They walked like they were floating and had no strength. Yu Miaoqi stood in the corridor to welcome her. When she saw this scene, she anxiously asked, "Mother, did grandmother refuse?"
"No, Old Ancestor agreed." The members of the Lin Clan led their daughter into the room. After the two of them sat down, they sent all the servants away, leaving only Mama Kim to guard the door. They leaned close to each other and began to talk in private.
"Mother, you don't know, but that Yu Xiang was so unreasonable. She actually warned me in front of me not to get close to my brother. What right does she have? That's my brother, not hers! " Yu Miaoqi began to cry again when she spoke of this. She continued, "I happened to meet my brother on the road and told him about this. He actually laughed and left. He didn't treat me as family at all. It really made my heart cold! "
"It's fine, it's fine. You still have Mother!" The members of the Lin Clan were furious, but there was nothing they could do. They could only hug their daughter and pat her. "In the future, Mother will be in charge of the household. You won't have to worry about her attitude anymore. Mother will definitely find you a good husband. He'll make you proud and have great wealth. Your brother is now a first-rank Great General of Agile Cavalry. He has millions of soldiers in his hands. Even the princes have to be courteous when they see him, not to mention those nobles. With our family's status, you can even marry a prince's grandson as his official consort. Why bother with a cripple like her? She'll never be able to marry into a noble family in this lifetime. When your brother marries, I'll buy a small residence in the countryside and send her away. Regardless of whether it's a steward, a manservant, or a villager, I'll casually arrange for her. When that time comes, Old Ancestor and your brother will only be concerned about their new daughter-in-law and the newly born heir. How would they have the time to care about her? Just wait and see. She's glorious now, but she'll definitely have a bad ending in the future. "
Yu Miaoqi felt much better when she heard this. Her tears turned into laughter. "Mother treats me the best. I didn't expect Brother to be a Great General of Agile Cavalry. I only know that he's a Commander of Everything. "
She didn't understand the politics of the previous imperial court. Moreover, he was a Great General of Agile Cavalry. His authority was even higher than that of a Commander of Agile Cavalry. For a moment, she was even more determined to have a good relationship with Yu Pinyan. Yu Xiang was afraid that she would snatch Yu Pinyan away, so she was going to try.
Because the Commander of Agile Cavalry was an organization established by the Emperor in recent years, the Lin Clan had never heard of it before. Therefore, she shook her head and said, "I don't know what that Commander of Agile Cavalry does. It's probably a second-rank or third-rank position, so that your brother won't have nothing to do when he's not fighting. Your brother has such a high position and power, and the Emperor's favor is generous. That bastard child naturally wants to be close to him. That's a good idea. Son, you also have to get along well with your brother. Let him understand who his true sister is. Although Mother can help you a little in the inner residence, your future still needs to rely on your brother. "
"I'll save it." Yu Miaoqi repeatedly nodded. After thinking for a long time, she said, "Mother, can you send someone to investigate this year's top scholar, Shen Yuanqi?"
"Why are you suddenly investigating him? Have you taken a fancy to him? The title of Zhuang Yuan Lang sounds nice, but it's not good enough for my precious daughter! "The Lin Clan covered their mouths and laughed.
Yu Miaoqi's face alternated between red and white. She waved her hand and said, "That's not true. Daughter suspects that he's the legitimate son of the Family Shen, which is my original older brother. If it's really him, I'm afraid that he'll reveal Daughter's past or try to curry favor with our Marquis Household. We have to guard against that. Mother, you don't know, but he's now an attendant scholar of the Hanlin Academy. He's staying in the capital. "
"It's already my, Marquis Yongle's, greatest benevolence not to eliminate the Family Shen. He actually dares to try to curry favor with us?" Speaking of the Family Shen, the Lin Clan was unable to restrain her anger. She gritted her teeth and said, "Daughter, don't worry. If it's really him, Mother will definitely find a way to get rid of him."
"Mother, you mustn't take his life!" Yu Miaoqi wished that she could kill everyone in her past, but her face showed that she couldn't bear it.
The Lin Clan patted the back of her hand with gratification. She smiled and said, "Qi 'er, you're really kind. The Family Shen is so despicable and shameless, but you still care about that little bit of old affection. Forget it, I won't do anything to him. I'll just have your older brother come forward and kick him out of the capital, never to return in this lifetime. A mere attendant scholar of the Hanlin Academy dares to challenge me, Marquis Yongle. He simply doesn't know what's good for him! "
Yu Miaoqi was still worried. She hesitated and said, "Mother, will Brother help me? He seems to dislike me very much. "
The Lin Clan felt a little guilty, but she pretended to be strong. She smiled and comforted her, "I'm his mother. You're his younger sister. This is just a small matter. He wouldn't dare to refuse. It's not that he doesn't like you. He's like this to everyone. "
"But he treats Yu Xiang very differently." Yu Miaoqi's words were full of jealousy.
"Yu Xiang saved his life once. Naturally, he's different from others. In the future, you two siblings will get along with each other, and your feelings will deepen. In the end, you're blood-related siblings. How could you be afraid that you can't surpass a bastard? My child, you mustn't worry. Everything will be fine. Mother will protect you. "The Lin Clan hugged her shoulder and patted her gently.
"I know. Sure enough, only Mother treats me the best." Yu Miaoqi gradually calmed down in the Lin Clan's arms. She asked again, "Mother, I've made some inquiries. Yu Siyu's lover is the Tanhua Lang. His father is the Salt Transport Commissioner, Minister Tong Fang. I heard Mama Ma say that his family has already met with misfortune. Is this true? "
The Lin Clan had lived in seclusion for many years. They were completely clueless about the happenings in the capital. They didn't know anything, so they could only look at Mama Kim.
Mama Kim bowed and replied, "Furen, this should be true. A few days ago, His Majesty conducted a thorough investigation of the salt tax and beheaded many corrupt officials. More than half of the Lianhuai's officialdom was cleared. The Salt Transport Commissioner and Minister Tong Fang is one of the most lucrative positions. That Fang family most likely won't be able to escape His Majesty's butcher's knife. "
Yu Miaoqi's eyes turned. She asked, "Then why is Yu Siyu still thinking about marrying over? Grandmother actually agreed! "
"It's a long story. Eldest Miss definitely doesn't know the inside story. She was muddle-headed for a moment. In order to climb up to a wealthy family, she even threw away her reputation. How could The Old Lady not teach her a lesson … "Mama Kim recounted in detail what she had secretly found out about 'Fang Zhichen being arrested at night.' In the end, she sighed," Don't be fooled by The Old Lady's words. In reality, she's just trying to scare Eldest Miss. Just you wait. In a few days, The Old Lady will lay her cards on the table with Eldest Miss and force her to peacefully choose a well-off family to marry over. Official Fang will be beheaded, the Fang family's wealth will be confiscated, and Young Master Fang's official position will be used to atone for his crimes and redeem his old mother. How could such a poor family be worthy of marrying a young miss from the Marquis Household? Even if it's a concubine's daughter, The Old Lady definitely won't agree. "
Yu Miaoqi nodded thoughtfully. The Lin Clan chuckled. They lowered their voices and said, "In my opinion, it's best for Yu Siyu to marry into the Fang family. What's wrong with a poor family? A poor family is convenient for us to manipulate. Give them a few hundred taels and tell them to go to the capital to get rid of Yu Siyu. In the future, we won't meet again. If she doesn't behave and still wants to come back, give her another few hundred taels and directly kill her. Hasn't her reputation already been ruined? Let the Fang family publicize this matter. She can either marry or be drowned in a pig cage. The family rules are there. Even the ancestor can't say anything. Mama Kim, send someone to Yangzhou to find the Fang family's mother and son. Be discreet. "
Mama Kim lowered her head and complied. Yu Miaoqi was greatly satisfied. She hugged the Lin Clan's' mother 'and acted like a spoiled child.
After the matriarch sent the Lin Clan away, she sent someone to inform Yu Xiang of the handover. Yu Xiang didn't say anything and took out fourteen years' worth of accounts, matching cards, keys, and other things. There wasn't the slightest bit of resentment.
The matriarch was extremely satisfied. In her heart, she thought that Xiang'er was still the most considerate. She immediately ordered several sturdy women to carry several boxes of account books to the Lin Clan. She was prepared to watch with folded arms.
The author has something to say: I feel much better after taking the medicine. Although my brain is burned, I unknowingly wrote half a chapter more. Moreover, my writing style is very elegant. Damn, I'm starting to admire myself!
Thank you to my rich friends, and thank you to all the friends who supported the original version. I won't kiss you today to avoid infection.