Chapter 74 is quite artistic.

"Hmph, she's got a good life." Wu Zhenghuan, who was standing next to Madam Wu, looked on with envy.

Madam Wu gritted her teeth. "Yes, she's lucky. She was married off to a sickly man, but she was fortunate enough to give birth to the Duke of Chu's only great-grandson. Now her sickly husband has become the legitimate son."

Wu Zhenghuan leaned closer to Madam Wu and whispered, "We can't let her get too cocky or glamorous, or we'll have no good days ahead of us."

Madam Wu was well aware that Wu Zhengyan had been engaged to a family that, while not of great wealth, was still a fourth-rank official family, and the man she was betrothed to was the legitimate son. It was through her and her daughter's schemes that the engagement was broken off, and Wu Zhengyan was then married to the sickly illegitimate son of the Duke of Chu's family.

Moreover, there are many other entanglements between them and Wu Zhengyan. For example, half of Wu Zhengyan's biological mother's dowry was given to Wu Zhenghuan as part of her dowry.

If Wu Zhengyan gains power, they will definitely not have a good life.

“Mother, I think you should agree to the Jiangling Marquis’s proposal. What good is it that Wu Zhengyan gave birth to the Duke of Chu’s only grandson? In the end, he will belong to someone else.”

With a look of jealousy and smugness on her face, Wu Zhenghuan continued, "So what if her sickly husband is the legitimate son? He didn't listen to the words of the Lady of Jiangling Marquis. The Duke of Chu has no intention of making things public. She is still the wife of a concubine's son."

As she walked, Madam Wu pondered, "I'm afraid things aren't that simple."

"So what if it's not simple?" Wu Zhenghuan said, "We can't let that bitch get away with it."

Mrs. Wu waved her hand impatiently, "Go home first, I'll discuss it with your father."

Wu Zhenghuan knew that this was not something she could interfere with with her words, so she snorted and walked out. She hadn't taken two steps when Madam Wu called her back and said in a low voice, "Don't talk about this. The Duke's Mansion is not something we can afford to offend."

"Then don't let that bitch Wu Zhengyan get away with it," Wu Zhenghuan added.

"I understand, I understand, you can go now." Madam Wu gave one last instruction, "Don't tell anyone, understand?"

"I understand, I understand." Wu Zhenghuan strode away, and Madam Wu hurried to her courtyard. Wu Ruzhou must be anxious to discuss something with her.

A short while later, she arrived at the small flower hall in her courtyard and saw Wu Ruzhou pacing anxiously back and forth. Seeing her return, he immediately asked, "What do you think we should do about this?"

Madam Wu disapproved of his lack of composure in the face of adversity, but she still smiled and said, "Please sit down, sir. Let's discuss this matter properly."

Wu Ruzhou realized he had lost his composure, coughed awkwardly, walked to a chair and sat down, then said, "After thinking it over, I think things might not be as simple as Lady Jiangling said."

Madam Wu thought to herself, thankfully he hasn't been blinded by his promotion. But what she needed wasn't his clarity of mind. Just as Wu Zhenghuan had said, Wu Zhengyan couldn't be well; if Wu Zhengyan were well, they would be in trouble.

She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, then looked at Wu Ruzhou and said, "I am a stepmother, and there are many things that are not my business, and some things that I should not say."

"Why are you saying all this? You became her mother when she was six or seven years old. You practically raised her. What can't you say? Just say what you want to say." Wu Ruzhou's tone was very impatient.

Madam Wu inwardly scoffed, but her outward appearance remained impeccably virtuous. She asked, "Sir, how many years have you been in this position?"

When asked about the thing he least wanted to talk about, Wu Ruzhou looked very unhappy.

Without waiting for his reply, Madam Wu continued, "It's been five years, hasn't it? After your superior, Lord Zhao, was promoted last time, you should have been promoted too, but Tang Liguang, who was less senior than you, took the position. At that time, seeing you so dejected, I was so sad that I couldn't sleep well for many days."

Touched by her words, Wu Ruzhou patted her hand and said, "I know your heart."

Madam Wu smiled kindly, "In the capital, relationships are layered upon layered. Those of us without connections have to be careful and watch others get promoted and bring glory to our families."

Upon hearing her words, Wu Ruzhou let out a heavy sigh.

Madam Wu also sighed, "This is an opportunity, but it will make Zheng Yan suffer some injustice."

"Hmph, what grievances could she possibly suffer?" Wu Ruzhou now felt that Madam Wu was always thinking of him, while his daughter Wu Zhengyan was completely unfilial. Having been married into the Duke of Chu's mansion for so many years, she hadn't helped him at all.

“You can’t say that,” Madam Wu said with a loving tone. “Although the Duke of Chu’s mansion is very wealthy and powerful, marrying into it would be like climbing to the sky for a family like ours. But she is still the wife of a concubine’s son, and she will probably suffer some grievances in the future. Although the wife of the Duke of Chu’s heir is a good-natured woman and does not make things difficult for her daughter-in-law, what about the servants? There will always be times when they are unhappy.”

Her words were quite artful; they seemed to be speaking up for Wu Zhengyan, but in reality, she was saying that Wu Zhengyan should thank her family for marrying into such a powerful and wealthy family as the Duke of Chu.

Although Wu Zhengyan was the wife of a concubine's son, the Chu State Duke's mansion was large and wealthy, and she had no worries about food and clothing. She also didn't have to put up with her mother-in-law's temper, so her life couldn't be better.

Sure enough, Wu Ruzhou snorted heavily again, "Back then, when you plotted to marry her into the Duke of Chu's mansion, she still made a fuss with you. If it weren't for you, where would she have the good fortune she has now?"

Madam Wu suppressed the corners of her lips that were about to turn up, and said, "Zhengyan has had it tough, otherwise she wouldn't have been completely unhelpful to you, sir, all these years."

Wu Ruzhou's face darkened further. Madam Wu continued, "But this time, it concerns your promotion, sir. This is a matter of utmost importance. If I may say something I shouldn't, even if Zheng Yan suffers some injustice... it's worth it."

“I’ve raised her for so many years, she has to repay me.” Wu Ruzhou said, “Go to the Duke of Chu’s mansion and tell her to give the child to the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jiangling. If she doesn’t agree, I will sever ties with her and see how she can hold her head up in the future.”

When Madam Wu saw that Wu Ruzhou had fallen into her trap, she felt relieved and happy, but she didn't show it on her face.

She added, "Actually, Zhengyan is a good girl, and she must be thinking of you too. I'll send an invitation to the wife of the Duke of Chu's heir right now, and I'll go over tomorrow."

The Lady of Jiangling could come to their residence without any prior notice. She dared not go directly to the Duke of Chu's residence without sending an invitation.

........

Chu State Duke's Mansion

Jiang Yu was discussing matters in the study of the Duke of Chu when the steward Li Zhong came over to report, "The Lady of Jiangling Marquis has gone to the Wu family, the maternal home of the Second Young Mistress."

After learning that the Marquis of Jiangling was smuggling salt, the Duke of Chu ordered his men to keep an eye on the Marquis's residence. Therefore, news of the Marquis's wife's visit to the Wu family quickly reached the Duke of Chu's residence.