Wu Kai and Wu Lin were a beat slow to react. Just as they were about to argue, their grandmother waved her wide sleeves and said, "It's getting late, and I'm tired too. Go back to your rooms and rest."
"Grandmother, please rest well. I'll come to see you again tomorrow." Wu Kai stood up, bowed, and then ran out in a flash.
"Third brother, you wait!"
Wu Kai and Wu Lin gave a hasty bow and chased after him through gritted teeth.
Just as Grand Commandant Wu was about to take his leave, the old lady suddenly blurted out, "As a father, one should set an example."
"Mother! Your son understands."
Seeing the questioning look in his mother's eyes, Wu Taiwei realized that he couldn't explain the matter no matter how hard he tried, so he hurriedly fled.
Officials of the third rank or above in the capital were granted mansions. For officials who were convicted of crimes, the court would take back their mansions and reassign them to other places.
With the Wei family members dismissed, the Prime Minister's mansion would inevitably be taken back by the court. The Wei family members would either return to their hometown or go to live with distant relatives in the capital.
Throughout history, there have been daughters of officials who, having nowhere else to go, have fallen into prostitution in order to survive.
In particular, people who are at odds with each other in official circles will maliciously trample and abuse the other party's family members when they see them in brothels.
Some officials, coveting their beauty, bought them into their households as concubines.
Grand Commandant Wu understood his mother's concerns. In the past, his aunt and Empress Wei were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, and they were secretly competing with each other. His mother was worried that he would take the opportunity to vent his personal anger.
Wu Taiwei shook his head with a wry smile and walked back. He paused slightly at the end of the corridor, thought for a moment, and then turned and walked towards his wife Huo's courtyard.
There's too much to do today; I need to talk to my wife, otherwise I'll feel really down.
Madam Wu, who was already lying down, jumped up as soon as she heard the maid's report.
"My lord, I thought you had gone to another courtyard, so I rested before you arrived."
Just as Lady Huo was about to put on her clothes and get out of bed, Grand Commandant Wu waved his hand, "You don't need to get out of bed. I have already instructed the maid to prepare bath water."
Wu Taiwei was utterly impressed by his wife's ability to lie through her teeth. If he remembered correctly, in their more than twenty years of marriage, he had never seen Huo wait for him to go to bed.
They were an old married couple, so Mrs. Huo put the clothes back in her hands without ceremony, picked up a cushion and placed it behind her, then leaned back lazily.
"Did you leave the manor today?" Grand Commandant Wu asked, turning back to look at his carefree wife as he undressed.
Huo raised her eyebrows slightly and yawned sleepily.
She said listlessly, "Everything has been going well in the manor lately, and I haven't messed up anything. Mother didn't confine me to my quarters, so I went out for a short while and came home without buying anything."
Wu Taiwei was both amused and exasperated. His wife was the epitome of someone who took pride in something rather than felt ashamed. She spoke of being confined to her quarters as if it were a common occurrence, something not worth mentioning.
As long as she didn't mess things up, she was considered to have done a good job. Even if the old lady didn't praise her, she could be happy for a long time.
With such a big heart, she's wasting her talents by not becoming prime minister.
Knowing that his wife was someone who couldn't keep things to herself, Grand Commandant Wu glanced at her sideways and asked, "Is it the Wei family's affair that frightened you?"
"Husband, will the new emperor punish our family? Should we send someone to buy a house outside the capital and also acquire several dozen acres of land?"
Huo pulled the quilt tighter and said, "You were on duty in the palace, so you didn't see the scene of the ransacking. It was terrifying. The Wei family, hundreds of people, were driven out of the Prime Minister's residence with only their clothes and belongings. They were in such a sorry state, like stray dogs. It was really tragic."
The Wei family and the Wu family were once related by marriage, but their relationship was separated by two insurmountable obstacles.
The Huo family heard that the female doctor at Jishetang was highly skilled and could be called a miracle doctor.
She had not been able to find out the whereabouts of Miss Jiang for a long time, and the old lady said she had a headache whenever she went to pay her respects.
As a daughter-in-law, she should fulfill her filial duty. She asked the family doctor, who said that the old lady was not sick.
Today, when she went to Jishetang with her maid, she found it empty. The female doctor's apprentice said that her master had gone out on business.
She decided to take a stroll in the streets. Little did she know that she would witness the Wei family being driven out of the mansion by the Imperial Guards.
The maidservant reminded her to hurry up and leave so that Old Madam Wei wouldn't see her.
Given her personality, if Old Madam Wei asked her for help, she really wouldn't be so polite as to stand idly by and would lend a hand no matter what.
Wu Taiwei looked at Huo Shi as if she were a fool. “What’s the use of acquiring a lot of houses, shops and land? Do you think the Embroidered Uniform Guard is a pushover? They can investigate you thoroughly without going through the Ministry of Revenue and the Prefect of the Capital.”
Huo covered her face and wailed, "It's over. If our house is raided, we won't even have our underwear left."
Grand Commandant Wu said in a serious tone, "That's not the case. Didn't you say that the Wei family members brought clothes and bundles with them when they came out?"
This time it was Huo's turn to look at the fool. She rolled her eyes and said, "What are clothes and bedding worth? Even if you smuggled some jewelry and the officials didn't find it, how long could it last after you pawned it? Besides the servants, there are over a hundred people. Food, clothing, and shelter all cost money."
"My lord, our Wu family doesn't have as many people as the Wei family. What if the Emperor decides to deal with us?"
When asked this question by the simple-minded woman, Wu Taiwei was also unsure of what to do.
The new emperor never showed his emotions, and no one could fathom his nature.
In the past, he rarely summoned his ministers after the morning court session, but today, for the first time ever, he kept them in a side hall for breakfast, which consisted of pastries and tea.
He collected the ministers' self-examination reports and evidence of the prime minister's crimes, then pretended to solicit a plan for punishing Prime Minister Wei before hastily leaving.
When the ministers left the palace, they learned just how cunning the new emperor was. He had already made up his mind about how to judge Prime Minister Wei, and he was still asking the ministers for their opinions in the palace.
Wu Taiwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, reflecting on the day, and realized he hadn't said anything wrong.
"Tomorrow, I'll have my mother go to my fourth or fifth brother's house, and have them write a pledge to sever all ties. That way, if I'm ever convicted, I won't be implicated."
“You’re usually quite sharp-witted, so why are you so dull-witted now? Your fourth and fifth brothers are born out of wedlock. If you lose power, will they still be able to support your mother in her old age? Stop dreaming.”
"Madam, are you... are you not confused?" Grand Commandant Wu rarely praised Madam Huo.
"Do you really think I'm stupid? I'm just too lazy to argue. They say that trouble shouldn't befall married women. Your two younger sisters are your own flesh and blood. If something really happens, you'll have to rely on them."
As she spoke, Huo glared at Wu Taiwei.
Wu Taiwei casually draped the robe he was holding onto the clothes rack, then walked over and took Huo's hand.
"With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for? If I ever encounter misfortune, I will definitely find a way to prevent you from being implicated."
Huo's eyes lit up, and she excitedly grasped Wu Taiwei's hand in return. "Why don't you write a letter of divorce to me, my husband? If that day ever comes, I can take the letter of divorce and my dowry back to my parents' home. The Emperor won't know how much dowry I have, will he?"
Huo thought his idea was excellent, and even winked at Wu Taiwei as he spoke.
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