Madam Wang has been unwell lately, or rather, ever since Wang E was exiled and the Wang family's reputation plummeted, she has been frail and sickly.
It's not that I'm physically uncomfortable; it's that I can't get over this feeling in my heart.
The woman who came to visit was a distant cousin of hers, surnamed Zhao, who had married into the Xindu family many years ago.
She greeted her with a forced smile, "Xue'er, what brings you here today?"
"Aunt, I heard you weren't feeling well and were resting, so I didn't come over because I was afraid of disturbing your rest."
"I happened to have nothing to do today, and I heard some interesting things at the banquet at the Liu family yesterday, so I thought I'd come and talk to you, Aunt, to cheer you up."
Before Madam Wang could react, she asked, "Which Liu family is it, and why are they holding a banquet?"
Madam Zhao replied, "Aunt, of course it's the Liu family that produced a Grand Secretary. Their eldest son, Liu Zhiheng, joined forces with the Li family of Suijintan to cultivate two high-yield grains, corn and potatoes. The Emperor directly appointed Liu the eldest son as a fourth-rank official. That's why we're having a feast to celebrate today!"
"I heard that the Li family is even more impressive. Old Madam Li was granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady, and the second son of the Li family was even granted the title of Earl. It's like a country bumpkin blossoming into a flower; the whole family has become remarkable."
Broken Gold Beach, the Li family?
Upon hearing these words, Madam Wang immediately sat up.
The maidservant serving her quickly grabbed a cushion and placed it behind her to make her more comfortable.
She waved her hand dismissively, then eagerly pressed Zhao for an answer, "The Liu family is having a big banquet?"
“Yes, Aunt.” Zhao pouted, a hint of envy and jealousy flashing in her eyes.
She studied at the same girls' school as Madam Liu when she was young, so they could be considered classmates.
Although her arranged marriage wasn't to a high-ranking family, her father-in-law was a fourth-rank official, and her husband was a scholar.
Unlike Madam Liu, who married a good-for-nothing who couldn't study and could only do business, reeking of money.
She was quite proud of this for a long time.
But later her husband remained stuck at the level of a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) and made no further progress, and her father-in-law also did not get promoted for more than ten years.
On the contrary, the Liu family was quite different. Liu Zhiheng was a good-for-nothing, but the old master Liu was a Grand Secretary, and the second and third sons of the Liu family were also sent to serve as officials in other places.
Now Liu Zhiheng has actually become a fourth-rank official, the same status as her father-in-law.
This completely wiped out any sense of superiority she had accumulated over the years.
Especially yesterday, witnessing the bustling scene in front of the Liu family's house, she felt incredibly anxious. After much thought, she realized that her aunt's house was the only place she could talk to, after all…
"Auntie, it's really infuriating to think about. The farm where the Liu family grows corn and potatoes actually belongs to our Wang family. We were extorted by the Li family and then transferred it to the Liu family. You could say the Liu family climbed up by stepping on our family's shoulders!"
"Yesterday I saw how arrogant the Liu family was, and the Li family too. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are both country bumpkins, and their child is also unruly and domineering, yet they are fawned over by everyone. I really felt sorry for our family!"
Madam Wang's face was ashen, but she suppressed her anger and urged, "Tell me everything clearly, from beginning to end."
Because Zhao harbored prejudice, her words were naturally unpleasant.
What do you mean the Liu family is so snobbish, looking down on poor relatives? And how the Li family bullies others by abusing their power, even targeting children?
Even if nothing happened, her saying it turned it into a big drama.
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Wang cursed, "Heaven is blind, allowing such a family to gain power!"
After saying that, she called to her trusted head maid and instructed, "Go to the front and talk to the old master about this matter. Even if our family has not made an enemy of that ungrateful Wang Xinqiu, scoundrels like the Li and Liu families should not appear in the court."
"Yes, Madam," the head maid replied and went to the front yard.
Upon hearing the name Wang Xinqiu, Zhao said, "That Wang Xinqiu, back in our Wang family, the old master and the third master treated him so well, but he has completely forgotten that now, he's a real ingrate!"
Madam Wang sneered, "Don't even mention our family. He's just as heartless towards Xiao'e, his wife of many years. Xiao'e is doing hard labor outside now, and we don't know if she's alive or dead. He doesn't care about our past relationship at all."
"Even his two little beasts are just as heartless. They are the lowly bloodline of the Li family after all. They don't even care about their own mother!"
Zhao nodded and added, "I heard that Wang Xinqiu bought back Sihaiju and reopened it, naming it Xiankelai. Those two boys have also been sent to Luo'an Academy!"
"Oh, really? How's business at Sihaiju?"
"Great, I heard it's packed with people, everyone knows how popular it is. Even my father-in-law went with his friends, saying they launched some unique new dishes, and a lot of people are rushing to try them..."
The two men, one willing to ask and the other willing to answer, hit it off and talked for a good half hour before Zhao took her leave.
Madam Wang instructed her maid to bring her some fine fabric and a set of jewelry.
Zhao was overjoyed, calling her "Auntie" repeatedly and saying she would visit often. Only then did she leave, completely satisfied.
In the front courtyard of the Wang family, Old Master Wang and Third Master Wang were gathered in the study, discussing this matter.
In fact, there was no need for Zhao to report the news; they naturally had their own channels to find out more clearly about what happened to the Liu family yesterday.
Old Master Wang paced back and forth on the ground, becoming increasingly agitated.
Last time, the family spent ten thousand taels of silver and several hundred acres of land to finally extricate him from the case of assassinating the Marquis of Xinting.
But the suffering in prison, and the cough that has lingered since, have become deep-rooted marks that can never be erased.
The once spirited and respected Third Master Wang now doesn't even want to go out for a walk for a month or two.
He would assume that anyone who spoke to him or even glanced at him was mocking him.
Despite not having avenged such deep-seated hatred, the Marquis, the Liu family, and even the Li family have become increasingly prosperous.
How could he possibly swallow this insult!
"Father, we can't wait any longer! Cough cough! Cough!" Third Master Wang was anxious and started coughing again as soon as he opened his mouth.
“Father, if we wait any longer, our family will decline while they will rise to prominence. With the decline of one family and the rise of the other, we Wang family may never have the chance to avenge our family again.”
Old Master Wang was also very anxious. He had always been a prominent figure in society, but in his old age, he was being bullied like this.
Even the Wang family's century-old reputation has been damaged, and they have been secretly criticized and gossiped about!
He simply couldn't stand it!
However, if they were to raise their banner high and confront the Marquis of Xinting, the Liu family, and the Li family, the Wang family's strength was insufficient.
Putting aside everything else, the Wang family suffered greatly when the Marquis of Xinting subtly manipulated things to get involved in the assassination attempt.
Therefore, even if one is to take action, it must be planned in secret.
"Get everyone in the family involved and thoroughly investigate the Li family's affairs. See where it's most convenient to start. The Marquis of Xinting has military power and merits, and the Liu family father and son are both old foxes who are not easy to deal with. Only the Li family comes from humble backgrounds, so it's easier to find loopholes."
"Yes, Father, rest assured, I will personally lead the investigation into this matter." After being dejected for a long time, Wang Sanye's eyes lit up when he heard that he was finally going to take revenge.
Even if Old Master Wang still had some hesitation, seeing his son like this strengthened his resolve to continue!
A person lives for their pride!
We need to show everyone that the Wang family is not to be trifled with!
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