Chapter 9

Xiao Lian and the steward hadn’t been very discreet in their affair, largely because Xiao Lian was highly regarded as a concubine by the old madam, and the steward was in charge of many household affairs. Most people wouldn’t have thought to investigate them, especially since the old madam controlled the household’s affairs, leaving the official wife with little authority to intervene.

This allowed the two of them to carry on their affair openly.

When the Deputy Minister of War ordered an investigation, it didn’t take long to uncover plenty of evidence. When passions ran high, the two had often done things that crossed the line; they even found Xiao Lian’s undergarment in the steward’s room.

Seeing the evidence, both Xiao Lian and the steward turned pale, their faces full of despair.

The old madam was so furious that she nearly fainted.

“You! How could you betray me like this? Xiao Lian, I have never treated you unfairly!”

Xiao Lian, seeing the old madam about to pass out from anger, suddenly felt a surge of fury herself.

“If you never treated me unfairly, why didn’t you let me become the official wife? You’ve never liked the lady of the house, so why didn’t you have the master divorce her and make me the official wife?”

“What good is being a concubine? It’s still just serving others! As long as the official wife is above me, I’ll never rise. Any children I bear will always be illegitimate!”

The old madam, enraged by this, slapped Xiao Lian hard across the face. “How dare you dream of becoming the official wife with your status! You’re nothing but a servant!”

“Do you forget who bought you? If I hadn’t brought you here, who knows what kind of suffering you’d be enduring now!”

“I’ve kept you by my side for nearly ten years! Even a dog would have grown attached by now, and yet you do this? I may not like Wei Shi, but she is a legitimate daughter of an official family. What do you have to compare with her?”

“And even as a concubine, you’ve lived a life of luxury. The other two concubines in this household can’t compare to you at all. You’ve lived better than the official wives in most homes. What more could you possibly want?”

The more the old madam spoke, the angrier she became, feeling more and more like she had raised an ungrateful wretch.

The Deputy Minister and his wife sat by, watching them with the same cold expression.

The other two concubines looked at Xiao Lian as if she were an idiot.

Wasn’t life here good enough? The master is kind, the lady of the house is benevolent, and the only difficult person is the old madam. But once she passes, life will be even better.

So what if the child is illegitimate? They would still be legitimate heirs! If it’s a boy, he could rise up and have numerous paths to success, such as the imperial examination or a military career. If it’s a girl, with the master and lady’s kindness, she would surely be married off to a good husband.

They couldn’t understand what Xiao Lian was thinking, hoping to become the official wife when she was merely a purchased servant. If she hadn’t wanted to be elevated to concubine, all she had to do was refuse when the old madam suggested it, and the master wouldn’t have forced her.

Seeing the old madam slap Xiao Lian again and again, the official wife couldn’t help but intervene, “Mother, that’s enough; she’s pregnant.”

“In accordance with the law, those guilty of adultery are to be exiled a thousand miles. Let’s just send them to the authorities.”

With that single sentence, the two people kneeling on the ground went limp with fear.

Exile a thousand miles!

“Madam, please! I truly know I was wrong! Please, sell me off instead, but don’t send me into exile!”

Xiao Lian’s bravado crumbled as she realized the severity of the situation.

The old madam, seeing Xiao Lian’s fear, felt a sense of satisfaction. “Let her be exiled; even death would be too easy for her!”

Despite the desperate pleas of the two on the ground, they were still taken to the authorities. As for the child Xiao Lian was carrying, it was deemed irrelevant. Although the child was innocent, their parents were not. They would have to bear the consequences of their own actions.

When Lin Mo returned home, the system eagerly relayed the developments, much to her interest. The other four people at the dinner table were equally engrossed in the tale.

Having such a system had its perks; it was a great way to pass the time.

Lin Mo: “What about the old madam? It seems like this whole mess was ultimately her fault. If she hadn’t meddled in matchmaking, none of this would have happened.”

System: “The Deputy Minister of War plans to send the old madam back to the family’s ancestral home. With the elders of the clan overseeing her, she won’t be able to stir up any more trouble.”

“Why do some people insist on ruining things for themselves? Look at this old lady—wasn’t she living comfortably at her son’s side, with maids attending to her every need, treated like a revered ancestor? But she wasn’t satisfied and had to create problems. Now she’s being sent away.”

“In the ancestral home, her status won’t be the highest anymore; there are clan elders above her. This time, she’s made a serious mistake that nearly compromised the family’s future generations. The clan elders definitely won’t let her off easily.”

Minister Lin and Lady Lin exchanged glances, silently grateful that they didn’t have such a troublesome elder in their family.

Lin Qi and Lin Ran gained new insights from hearing this story. For instance, when considering a marriage prospect in the future, they should pay attention to the elders in the family. If the elders are too difficult to deal with, that’s a definite no. If they’re not of sound mind, that’s also a dealbreaker.

The meal was lively, with most of the conversation being about the system’s gossip.

Meanwhile, the hidden guards in the shadows reported everything that happened back to the emperor.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. People bring misfortune upon themselves. It seems the Deputy Minister of War isn’t one of those blindly filial types. I can’t stand those kinds of people; they end up harming others and themselves.”

Eunuch Li chimed in, “It’s fortunate that Your Majesty learned of this in advance; there’s no need for the Deputy Minister to report it.”

Emperor Xuande waved his hand. “Hearing it from him directly is different. Tomorrow, I’ll still have him report to me personally. But after sending the old madam away, I believe his family’s situation will improve greatly. It’s just a shame the old madam brought this on herself.”

Later that night, when it was time to sleep, Lin Mo suddenly felt restless and wanted to climb up to the roof to look at the moon.

System: “Since when have you been so poetic?”

Lin Mo replied indignantly, “What do you mean, ‘since when’? I’ve always been a poetic young woman, okay!”

The maids guarding her below: … Does the term “poetic young woman” really suit you?