Chapter 97 Chapter 97 The ferocious wife of the Duke.

Seeing that the Duke hadn't denied it, Master Zuo knew that this was indeed the Duke's wife. What else could he do but nod and agree?

"Then please wait a moment, Madam. My concubines are not worthy of being in a formal room, and I am afraid of offending the Duke's wife. I will give you a few words of advice."

"No need. Madam, I just don't like to go to such elegant places. In order to avoid scaring them and causing Master Zuo to worry, there is no need to invite them over. I can just go and find them myself."

Jasmine started off right after she said that, and Master Zuo didn't even have time to react to her orders.

Jasmine stood up and put her arm around Madam Zuo's arm. "I'm not familiar with this mansion, so please show me the way, Madam Zuo."

Jasmine didn't give Mr. Zuo a chance to speak again, and hurried out, bringing up Madam Zuo.

The attendant walked quite quickly, obviously wanting to warn the concubine not to talk nonsense in advance.

Jasmine winked at Shancha, who then scurried forward. Jasmine and Madam Zuo took a few more steps forward and saw Shancha waiting for them, clutching the back of the attendant's collar.

The followers' faces looked extremely miserable.

The concubines of the Zuo Mansion lived in two attics connected by a corridor. Jasmine stood in front of the small courtyard with carved beams and painted buildings. Shancha and Xiuhong had already gathered the concubines of the Zuo Mansion in the open space in front of the courtyard.

Jasmine stood outside the courtyard gate and didn't go in immediately. Instead, she said to Madam Zuo, "Madam, you think that by compromising, you can win back your man's heart and protect the family business for Zuo He. But have you ever considered that it might all be in vain? Zuo He is a military commander. He might die on the battlefield one day."

Madam Zuo suddenly turned her head to look at her, clenching her fists and demanding, "How could you... poke me in the heart for no reason? I honestly believe I have never done anything to offend the Duke's wife!"

"Is what I said wrong?" Jasmine said again with a look of asking for a beating.

Madam Zuo was even more furious. She gasped, tears streaming down her face as she said, "I don't even bother trying to win him back, but this Zuo Mansion belongs to He'er! He'er is the only legitimate child of the Zuo Mansion! Even if he doesn't want her, as his mother, I have to keep her for him!"

Madam Zuo suddenly laughed again: "Madam, I'm afraid you don't know yet, but He'er is getting married soon. After the wedding, if he gives birth to a legitimate son, he will be the eldest grandson of the Zuo Mansion. No one can take away what belongs to us mother and son!"

Before Jasmine could speak, a plump woman dressed in bright clothes stepped forward with a graceful sway of her waist. "I pay my respects to the Duke's wife."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow, having never expected this concubine to know her. She was a step too late, after all these concubines had been taught how to speak and behave by Master Zuo.

"No need to be so polite."

Seeing how easy it was to talk to Jasmine, the plump concubine was even more pleased. She stood up and said, "The Duke's wife has seen it now. The reason why the First Lady displeases the Master has nothing to do with me. It's because of her bad temper and her intransigence. She often insults and punishes me. If I hadn't been so reluctant to leave my two children, I would have hanged myself long ago." As she spoke, the plump concubine actually covered her face with a handkerchief and burst into tears.

"You...you are talking nonsense! When did I insult or punish you? It was obviously you...you..." Madam Zuo pointed at the plump concubine and was so angry that her chest heaved and she couldn't speak.

"Several of my sisters can testify for me. How can the Madam deny it...ah!"

"You bastard!"

Before the plump concubine could finish her words, Jasmine slapped her on the head.

The plump concubine looked up quickly, then thought of something and knelt down.

"The eldest lady is the master, and you, a humble concubine, are the servant. You have no right to speak here. You dare to be so arrogant? You would have been beaten to death in the Duke's Mansion long ago."

Madam Zuo looked at her with half-belief and half-doubt, thinking, isn't she a concubine who has taken the throne? How can she be so fierce?

Jasmine turned and said to Madam Zuo, "Madam, you've seen it. Kind people are often bullied. This girl must have given birth to a bastard son, right? And more than one? If Deputy General Zuo dies, and only you and your grandson are left in this mansion, what chance will Madam Zuo have of winning? You're old, and the child is so young. I'm afraid you'll just be eaten up. But without a legitimate grandson and a legitimate wife, perhaps Master Zuo will still be sad for a few days."

Madam Zuo shook her head frantically, then kicked the plump concubine over with one foot: "You bitch, don't be so confident, I will never let you bitches succeed!"

...

Mr. Zuo never expected that when he came back in the blink of an eye, his wife would point at his nose and scold him in public for favoring his concubine and ignoring his wife!

"...For so many years, he's been lingering among the girls, buying them whenever he sees one he likes. There are more than seven, six of them died in childbirth alone!"

"Madam! You can't talk nonsense!" Master Zuo glared at her. "The mouth can cause disaster and destroy a family. Madam, please be careful with your words!"

"For Zuo He's sake, I won't shut you up. But if Mr. Zuo interferes again, I'll have to deal with it impartially."

Only then did Master Zuo calm down.

Jasmine interrupted, "Wait, why are so many people having difficult births? Didn't they call a doctor?"

Madam Zuo pointed at Master Zuo and said, "In his eyes, women are nothing more than playthings, instruments for bearing children. If he wants to keep the baby, he can only perform a cesarean section to take the baby. Who would be lucky enough to survive?"

Jasmine gasped and took a half step back.

Yan Ke put his arms around her and asked, "Are you scared?"

"I'm not pretending." Jasmine was afraid that he would doubt her, so she answered subconsciously when he asked.

Yan Ke nodded helplessly, indicating that he did not doubt her.

Jasmine was genuinely frightened. She'd heard a lot about her cruelty, been to Jingzhao Prison twice, and even been sent to guard the border, but she was still frightened by what Master Zuo had done.

But she didn't think it was her fault. It was definitely because what Master Zuo did was so outrageous! Anyone would be afraid of him.

Yan Ke: "Madam, please continue."

Madam Zuo continued, "Back then, He'er was still young, and he allowed his concubines to bully us. Later, after He'er passed the imperial examination and followed the Duke to guard the border, the number of concubines in the mansion increased. He simply stopped me from managing the household, and fearing I might go out and talk nonsense, he even restricted my leaving the mansion. If He'er hadn't frequently reported good news home, I'm afraid I wouldn't be alive today."

As Madam Zuo finished speaking, she saw a figure passing before her eyes, followed by Master Zuo's screams.

Seeing Zuo He grabbing his father by the collar, Madam Zuo was horrified and rushed over. "No, He'er, that's your father, no, no!"

Zuo He's eyes were bloodshot, and he was unwilling to let go. He questioned Master Zuo: "Why did you do this? Why? Tell me why?"

Mr. Zuo was terrified. Although the man before him was his own son, they were rarely together, and the letters he wrote were only to his mother. Mr. Zuo thought he was not familiar with his son. He felt that the man before him was a murderer who wanted to kill him.

After realizing what was happening, Master Zuo struggled and cried out to the Duke for help: "Duke! Duke, help me! He is not my son, he will kill me!"

Yan Ke grabbed Zuo He's arm and ordered in a deep voice: "Let go."

Zuo He slowly retracted his hand, turned his head and looked at his mother with tearful eyes: "Mom... why didn't you tell me this? I want to know, I want to know, I will definitely..."

"This matter has nothing to do with you." Before he could continue, Madam Zuo interrupted, "I don't want you to worry about the family, I don't want you to worry about such trivial matters."

"I'm sorry, Mom!" Zuo He hugged Madam Zuo tightly. The mother and son were not very close to each other in the past, but at this moment Madam Zuo felt that her son was actually by her side.

Zuo He wiped his eyes and assured Madam Zuo: "Don't worry, mother. I have applied to build the Deputy General's Mansion. Waiting for the mansion... No, I will take you away today. Let's stay in the inn first. When the Deputy General's Mansion is completed, we will go home."

Mrs. Zuo was immediately overwhelmed by her son's love and nodded excitedly: "Mother will listen to you."

Jasmine interrupted at the right moment, "Deputy General Zuo, Madam, Master Zuo is involved in a murder case and I'm afraid he can no longer be the head of the household. Now that you two are leaving, I wonder which concubine will take over?"

Madam Zuo suddenly realized: "Yes, I can't leave. How can I leave? Those bitches should leave!"

Jasmine nodded. This was the truth.

Yan Ke solemnly warned, "Madam, please do not let your hatred cloud your mind. If those concubines wish to leave, you do not need to force them. But if they want to stay, since they have already entered the Zuo Mansion, you must not force them to leave. Nor should you treat the concubine harshly."

Zuo He was furious. He bowed to the Duke and said, "I still want to take my mother to my place. As for the Zuo Mansion, just seal it off."

Madam Zuo knew what "enfeoffed" meant, that would truly be a waste of time. She anxiously patted Zuo He on the back and said to the Duke, "Duke, please don't bother with this brat. Don't worry, I will take good care of the Zuo Mansion and take good care of the illegitimate children."

Yan Ke nodded.

The matter ends here.

Yan Ke ordered his men to escort Master Zuo out of the house and said to Madam Zuo, "Thank you for your cooperation today, Madam. If there is nothing else, I will be leaving now."

Jasmine stopped as she passed by Zuo He, and said with a half-smile, "Deputy General Zuo's residence has been moved in. You can't just tell the Duke, you have to send a separate invitation to me as well, understand?"

Zuo He's confused face.

Madam Zuo beside him reminded him: "Today, thanks to the Duke's wife..."

Jasmine didn't wait for Zuo He to say anything, and ran to follow her grandfather's vigorous steps.

After Zuo He heard what his mother said, he waited until his mother summoned the concubines to the living room to lecture them. As expected, Zuo He saw five blue and red finger marks on the face of the woman in front.

Madam Zuo also saw this and couldn't help but sigh, "The Duke's wife may look young, but her methods are truly remarkable. Given time, I'm afraid no one in the capital will dare challenge her."

Zuo He: "She is the wife of a duke, and no one in the capital dares to offend her."

Madam Zuo sighed, "You don't often go in and out of the inner house, so you don't understand. Sometimes, there are a different set of rules in the inner house."

Zuo He: "I don't know. I just know that it's been very difficult for the Duke."

Madam Zuo shook her head again upon hearing this. "In the past, when the old lady was in charge of the Duke's Mansion, the Duke would occasionally need to step in and help with matters. But from now on, the Duke will only need to focus on the front court, and Madam will be able to handle matters at the rear. This is a great thing for the Duke."

Zuo He frowned, not quite understanding what his mother said, but he didn't refute it.

Madam Zuo: "When the Vice General moves in, we'll have to make a grand ceremony. Mother will then write a letter to the Duke's wife herself. Since you're serving the Duke, you'll probably run into her often, so don't be rash."

Although Mrs. Zuo rarely sees her son, she still understands her good son.

Zuo He thought to himself, "It's too late," but said "Yes" neatly.

Zuo He suddenly thought again, the reason why the master started to attack their family today might be the idea of ​​the Duke's wife?

Is she taking revenge on him?

Two days later, Jasmine heard that the Zuo Mansion had sent away four concubines, and the other three who had children stayed.

I heard that the three concubines and their children were still living in the attic. Jasmine felt that Madam Zuo was still too kind.

If it were her, she would have set the attic on fire and sent those filthy things as far away as possible, out of sight, out of mind.

Jasmine sighed and immediately figured it out. She complained to Shancha Xiuhong and the others, "Madam, I've discovered that it's so rare to find someone as smart as you in this world."

Shancha Xiuhong nodded in unison.

"you do not say."

"It's not that it's rare, it's that it doesn't exist at all."

Jasmine raised her eyebrows even more proudly.

Zuo Hedie was unable to escape this time. The Duke of Guo reported the case of Zuo Hedie's murder of his concubine to Li Fuyin.

Within two days, Li Fuyin had uncovered the truth of the matter. Master Zuo confessed his guilt in court, and the midwife who had performed the cesarean section and many of Master Zuo's followers and confidants were also arrested.

Since Zuo He was now in charge of the Zuo Mansion, His Majesty, upon hearing of this, retracted the newly approved Deputy General's Mansion, meaning that Deputy General Zuo would have to change his own plaque.

Zuo He was reluctant but had no choice. So, the housewarming day of Deputy General Zuo's mansion was moved up a few days later.

Jasmine received the invitation handwritten by Old Lady Zuo. The invitation to the Duke contained only two sentences, while the one for her was a full two pages long.

On the day of the Left Vice General's housewarming, Jasmine dressed even more ceremoniously than when she entered the palace. She even took out the pearl-studded golden crown that only the wives of dukes could wear.