The old lady came.
The story of Mu Zi'an and her father was widely circulated in the mansion, and it even reached the ears of Old Madam Mu. When she heard the news, she slammed her fist on the table in anger, exclaiming, "This is getting more and more absurd!" She then ordered the servants to prepare for her return to the mansion.
The second wife went to find Mu Zian's mother, who was also the first wife of the household. Although the first wife was the legal wife, she lived a worse life than a concubine. As for the first wife, she was unwilling to fight for such empty titles, and naturally, Mu's father would no longer remember her. Now, she was being forced to kneel on the ground by the second wife's men, her chin being pinched by the second wife. "This face is really beautiful. Indeed, the eldest son of Mu has inherited his mother's good looks!"
The second wife reached out a hand and touched the first wife's face with a look of pity. The first wife wanted to turn her head away in disgust, but she forgot that her chin was being pinched. "It seems that the first wife doesn't know that your precious son has already seduced his own father into bed. Everyone in the manor saw your precious son being carried out of the ancestral hall by the master and then into the bedroom. Some sharp-eyed servants could even see the marks on your son's body." The first wife's face grew darker and darker as she listened. Seeing that she had achieved her goal, the second wife added fuel to the fire, saying, "You used to dislike using such seductive methods the most, but now your own son likes to use these methods. I suppose he wants to solidify his position as the eldest son. Judging from how skilled your precious son is, this must not be the first time!" After she finished speaking, she released her hand, looked at the woman in front of her, and turned away with a look of disdain.
Liu Yun, who had been serving the First Madam, saw her kneeling there, looking dejected. She went over to comfort her, "Second Madam has never gotten along with you. I suppose this time, she also wants to create a rift between you and the young man!" Hearing Liu Yun's words, the First Madam's expression improved. It wasn't that she didn't trust her son, but rather that she was worried about her so-called husband in name only.
Mu Zi'an left his father's room and walked back to his courtyard. He calmly accepted the strange looks people gave him, looks he had experienced far too many in his past life. He had seen countless people covet his appearance. He suddenly wanted to see his mother, but found his second aunt leading a large group of people out of his mother's courtyard. He rushed inside and saw that his mother was unharmed, which relieved him. The First Madam saw him, pulled him to sit down, and asked, "Second Aunt just came. She said you were punished by Father and taken to the ancestral hall. She also heard you were beaten. Let your mother take a good look at you?"
Under his mother's gentle gaze, Mu Zi'an didn't want her to see, so he declined, saying, "It's nothing, just minor injuries, they'll heal quickly!" The First Madam had no choice but to give up, but she was extremely unsettled. She felt that Mu Zi'an had suffered a great injustice, and no one could accept that she was being coveted by her own father.
Hearing about what had happened at the manor, the old lady was unable to pray peacefully at the temple. She sent a message to Mu Fu. By the time Mu Fu saw the message, the old lady was already on her way back. Mu Fu had no choice but to hurriedly have people prepare the old lady's courtyard. Three days had passed since then. Mu Fu, seeing that it was almost time, led everyone in the manor to the gate to welcome the old lady's carriage. The carriage stopped at the Mu manor. Mu Fu and the second wife bowed to the old lady. The old lady snorted coldly and stepped into the manor. Mu Fu and the second wife looked at each other. The first wife, seeing the old lady's expression, guessed that she had also returned because of Mu Zian's matter. The first wife looked worried. Mu Zian gently patted the first wife's hand, and the first wife glanced at Mu Zian. Mu Zian smiled at her, and then they walked into the main hall together. The old lady sat in the main seat, looking at Mu Fu and Mu Zian with an inscrutable expression.
In her eyes, she disliked her father-in-law from the bottom of her heart. He was short-sighted in both his conduct and actions, and excessively greedy. If it weren't for the sudden accident involving her beloved son, the position of family head wouldn't have fallen to him. She never imagined that after obtaining the position, he would seize his sister-in-law and forcibly marry her. At that time, she was overwhelmed with grief, and by the time she recovered, everything was already set in stone. Now, his actions were increasingly absurd; he even wanted to taint his own bloodline, that of the legitimate son...
Thinking of this, her gaze toward Mu's father became even sharper, but toward Mu Zi'an, it was kind. It even felt as if she was looking at an old friend through Mu Zi'an. As for the second concubine, she only addressed her as the second madam out of consideration for Mu Zi'an's reputation. Otherwise, as a concubine, Mu Zi'an would have been considered to be climbing the social ladder. She was originally a girl from a brothel, with unparalleled seductive skills. She bewitched Mu Zi'an so much that he lost his soul and insisted on making her a concubine. For a girl in that kind of place, even if she sold her art but not her body, it would still be a stain on her life that could never be washed away.
"Why do I only see your second concubine, and not your wife? Let me remind you again, the one walking beside you will always be your legal wife, not some lowly concubine. Don't, as the head of the household, lose sight of the most basic respect and hierarchy." Hearing the words "lowly concubine," the second wife could only wring her handkerchief, feigning nonchalance. Mu's father was also born out of wedlock; his mother, of low status, had given him to Old Madam Mu to raise, registering him under her name. As for the true eldest son, he had long since died at his hands, and the reason the first wife disliked him was because she knew this.
Before his eldest son died, his good wife married him. But how could he tolerate such a good thing? So, he practiced forbidden arts, ambushed his eldest son, and even, while the eldest son was seriously injured, took his wife in front of him, causing the eldest son to die of shock. Old Madam Mu was unaware of all this; she only believed that her child's sudden death was due to practicing forbidden arts. Old Madam Mu was well aware of his wolfish ambitions, but with only this one child left, who else would he choose to inherit?
Mu Mingyue wanted to gain some favor with Old Madam Mu. The old lady had been calculating for most of her life; she was certainly aware of these little tricks, but simply turned a blind eye. The old lady still felt some guilt towards the First Madam, and besides, Mu Zi'an looked remarkably like her eldest son who had died many years ago, so she was especially friendly to them.
Mu Mingyue muttered to herself, "They're all vixens! Mu Zian, that slut, seduced her own father and even fawned over Grandma!" Although the old lady was old, her hearing was still very good. She slammed her hand on the table and said, "Second Aunt is really well-mannered, raising a daughter who keeps talking about sluts and vixens all the time!"
The second wife, never having seen anything like it, immediately pulled her daughter to kneel down, pleading pitifully, "Madam, it's my fault! I haven't raised my daughter properly. Please forgive Mingyue this time, since it's her first offense and she's still young!" The old lady sneered, "Since she doesn't understand manners, and you, as her mother, have failed in your teaching, then this old woman will teach her a lesson!" Yingchun, receiving the old lady's order, ordered her servants to pull the second wife away. Seeing his mother truly enraged, Mu's father wanted to kneel down and beg his mother... The mother released Mu Mingyue, and the old lady gave him a cold look. The butler also walked in at this time, carrying the family law they were familiar with. When Mu Mingyue saw it, she panicked even more. She had witnessed her father whipping Mu Zi'an with this leather whip countless times, and now it was her turn. "Yue'er knows she was wrong, please let Yue'er go, Grandma. Yue'er will never dare to do it again!" Mu Mingyue was so frightened that she was at a loss, and her eyes were red. But the old lady Mu would not listen to her. When the butler saw this, he whipped her. Mu Mingyue cried out in pain.
Mu Zi'an relished seeing her being beaten. He met Mu Mingyue's hateful gaze without fear, even giving her a provocative smile. Each lash from the butler was delivered with full force, the whip still carrying his spiritual energy. Seeing Mu Mingyue's pained expression, the butler declared, "This is nothing!"
Seeing that blood was seeping through Mu Mingyue's clothes, Mu's father looked heartbroken. He could only kneel down and beg his mother to let Mu Mingyue go. The First Madam was extremely pleased to see all this. She knew that Mu Zian was not her child and would often use family discipline on him. It was a pity that she hadn't let him experience it for himself.
"Master, if you really care, then take the punishment for her?" Mu Zi'an didn't expect his mother to talk back to his father. Her words silenced his father's expression. Suddenly, at that moment, the second concubine also realized what kind of person the man she admired was. As long as the old lady didn't call for a stop, the steward would not stop.
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