Eleventh Lady was shocked.

It was the first time that Xu Lingyi lost his temper in front of her.

A gauze curtain painted in ink and wash, brought back from Xuan Tong.

Xu Lingyi knew.

There are also several of those tents in the Xu family’s storehouse.

It was specially made by the Gong family of Bantang, Yangzhou, and is quite precious because of its limited quantity.

Mrs. Qiao, who has always been snobbish, sent such a tent.

He couldn't help but think about all of these things.

He and Yuanniang knew best how Qiao Lianfang got in. To put it bluntly, she was just the final result of the fight between the two. Whenever he thought of this, he would feel a little angry. After Qiao Lianfang got in, she almost cut off contact with the Qiao family, so he ignored some obvious problems. For example, why did Qiao Lianfang break into the courtyard? Why didn't the Qiao family fight back and send her to the Xu family when they had a choice?

Qiao Lianfang felt uncomfortable at Duke Cheng's mansion yesterday, but it was not until today, when Qiao's mother came, that Shiyi Niang found out...

Why didn't Qiao Lianfang tell Shiyi Niang when she felt uncomfortable, and even didn't tell herself? And Mrs. Qiao, who didn't have much contact with her at ordinary times, suddenly became attentive when she heard the "unknown good news"...

He couldn't help but think about everything.

But he wanted to find someone to talk to more.

"Eleventh Lady..." Xu Lingyi looked up, and saw his wife's stunned face, and heard the sound of tea dripping on the ground. Thinking of his anger just now... all the words were stuck in his throat.

He didn't know how to start.

He could only look at the mess on the table and smile bitterly: "I'm not talking about you!" After a long silence, he whispered, "I'm talking about myself!"

There are many more words, but I can’t say them anymore.

When Eleventh Lady saw that he had a bitter smile and looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, and thought of the questions she had asked before she got angry, she already understood a little.

He was not wrong.

This anger was indeed directed at himself.

How Qiao Lianfang entered the Xu family was also a matter of fact.

Beautiful as a flower, young and beautiful, the daughter of the Duke of Cheng's mansion ended up like this because of their marital affairs. How could Xu Lingyi not feel a little guilty? Coupled with Qiao Lianfang's deep affection, how could he not like her a little. Some problems will naturally be ignored. For example, there are so many beautiful ladies, why did she go to the courtyard? Can it be said that Qiao Lianfang's behavior was also wrong. Although the skirt held by Yuanniang is evidence, if the Luo family takes it out, it will be a way of killing one thousand enemies and hurting eight hundred of themselves - making the Qiao family lose face while also making the Xu family lose face. As an old political family, the Duke of Cheng's mansion chose to swallow its anger. Can it be understood that the Qiao family is very willing to send Qiao Lianfang in? And how Qiao Lianfang's attitude towards him after entering the mansion, Xu Lingyi could not be completely unaware of it.

Normally, if you don't think too much about it, you will naturally live a life of luxury. But today, Qiao Lianfang's behavior touched Xu Lingyi's bottom line, and when he thought about it carefully, he naturally couldn't just let it go.

Even though Qiao Lianfang suffered thousands of grievances and injustices, there was one thing she was right about.

She is in this situation today because of her own misconduct.

If you don't bend down, who can ride on your back?

Naturally, this anger can only be directed at himself.

Knowing is one thing, discussing it with Xu Lingyi is another. This topic may be appropriate for others, but it is a bit sensitive for herself. She decided to skip it directly, so that she would not be difficult to answer when he asked her - the "degree" was too difficult to grasp. If she went to the left, Xu Lingyi would think she was complaining, and if she went to the right, it would condone Qiao Lianfang. He had to figure it out himself.

She smiled and asked the maid to come and clean the table: "The Marquis has a bad temper." She then made tea for Xu Lingyi again.

But before Xu Lingyi could bring the teacup to his hand, a maid came in and said, "Butler Bai is here!"

Xu Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief.

He really felt like sitting on pins and needles facing Eleventh Lady.

Manager Bai arrived at the perfect time.

He immediately stood up and said, "I'll go deal with the stones in the outer courtyard first." There was some apology in his tone.

Eleventh Lady also felt that it was the right time for Butler Bai to come.

The two of them took this opportunity to turn the page on this chapter.

She smiled and saw Xu Lingyi out the door. As soon as she sat down in the inner room, a little maid came in and reported, "Madam, Madam Hang from Gongxian Hutong is here."

The aunt's pregnancy, Wang Lang's death, and the Wang family's adoption issue... It was a turbulent time over there, and Eleventh Lady hurriedly invited Mother Hang in.

"Eleventh Aunt," Mother Hang bowed to her, "The eldest wife is not feeling well. The eldest grandmother said that she wants you to go back and see her."

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

Today everything came together.

She stood up immediately: "I'll go back with you!"

* * * * * *

When going back to my parents' home, I naturally have to say hello to the lady-in-waiting.

When she heard that the eldest wife was not feeling well, the old lady immediately sent someone to find Xu Lingyi from the outer courtyard and said, "...A son-in-law is half a son. You go back with her to see her!"

Xu Lingyi nodded, told the servant to harness the carriage, and asked Lin Bo to go to Chief Steward Bai to withdraw a silver note for two thousand taels of silver. He then called Manager Zhao from the Huichu Office and went to Gongxian Hutong together.

"Just in case... let's put up the shelf first."

Eleventh Lady didn't know what the situation was. She thought that if she really reached her deathbed, Xu Lingyi's presence would also ease the Madam's heart.

She did not refuse, thanked the lady, and rode at full speed to Gongxian Hutong with Xu Lingyi.

Who knew that the atmosphere in Gongxian Hutong was quiet and everything was the same as before. There was not even a hint of the sadness they had expected.

Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang looked at each other in bewilderment. Luo Zhenxing, who was meeting them, was dumbfounded when he saw the Xu couple mobilizing so many troops.

"My Lord, this, this is..."

"Isn't it mother's fault?" Eleventh Lady said anxiously.

Luo Zhenxing couldn't help but stroke his forehead after hearing this: "Mother said she was not feeling well and wanted to see you..." But seeing that Shiyi Niang was so anxious and Xu Lingyi was also here, he was still relieved and couldn't help but smile widely.

Eleventh Lady was speechless.

Thinking of the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"...

The eldest grandmother came out to help: "Come in quickly, come in quickly. The Marquis is a rare guest."

Seeing that it was a false alarm, Xu Lingyi sent Manager Zhao back and went with Eleventh Lady to pay their respects to the Eldest Master and the Eldest Mistress.

The eldest master was very surprised to see the two of them coming back together. Luo Zhenxing went to the eldest master's ear to explain, and the eldest master nodded repeatedly, looking at Xu Lingyi with a look of "satisfaction". He immediately asked Luo Zhenxing to take out his treasured Jinhua wine to entertain Xu Lingyi, and asked Shiyi Niang to accompany the eldest wife to talk.

How could the eldest wife speak?

It was all Mother Xu who was talking.

"The eldest lady has a few words to ask you. Let me speak. Eleventh aunt, please bear with me."

"Mom is the one who serves her. We sisters were also taken care of by you at home. Besides, you are the one who asked me to do this. You don't have to be polite."

Mother Xu smiled and nodded slightly.

"The eldest wife asked me to ask you, is Aunt Qiao pregnant?"

The news came so fast. Who else could it be except Mother Tao? No wonder his eyes flickered at that time.

"Yes!" Eleventh Lady answered, sitting upright on the brocade stool in front of the bed.

"What's the Eleventh Aunt's plan?"

The shoe hanging in the air finally fell down.

Eleventh Lady sighed and said, "I am the legal wife and have the responsibility to take good care of the concubine. Please rest assured, mother, I will not let you down and will take good care of Qiao Lianfang."

Mother Xu was stunned.

The eldest wife, who had been lying on the bed with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.

Like a sword drawn from its sheath, emitting cold light.

Eleventh Lady smiled bitterly.

The first wife hadn't changed at all. Although she was in poor health, she still liked to control everything.

The eldest grandmother, who was sitting beside the eldest lady's bed with Eleventh Lady, saw this and said with a smile, "Eleventh Lady, Mother is worried about you, so she called you back and asked Mother Xu to give you some advice. You know, we are all your relatives. It's natural for us to be kind to you. It's all for your own good."

"Please teach me, mother!" Eleventh Lady was respectful, but there was determination between her brows.

Mother Xu looked at the powerful Madam, the calm Eleventh Lady, and the smiling Madam at the side. She gritted her teeth and said, "Eleventh Aunt, when you were at your mother's house, you were the most favored by the Madam. Otherwise, she wouldn't have married you to the Marquis of Yongping despite the fact that you were not yet of marriageable age. You know, if it were in normal times, this would be something that she would never dare to think about. A few days ago, the Madam was worried about you, so she specially called Mother Tao to ask about it. I heard that the Marquis was often on duty in your room. Now that Aunt Qiao is pregnant, it's very bad for you."

Eleventh Lady sat there and looked at Mother Xu with a smile.

Mother Xu saw the look that flashed by with a hint of sarcasm and disdain, and it felt like a thorn in her back, but she couldn't help but continue.

"That concubine Qiao is not only of noble birth, but also beautiful. Now she is pregnant again. If she gives birth to another son, I am afraid that the Marquis will value her more. How did she enter the mansion, the Eleventh Aunt also knows. Now that she is favored, I am afraid that the first one who will not let go is the Eleventh Aunt. What will the Eleventh Aunt do then? You know, without a child, this woman is like duckweed, and the foundation is always unstable. But if you want to have a child, the Marquis must marry you! But you are young, and if you are pregnant at this time, isn't it like having one foot in the coffin? The Xu family only wants many descendants, but our Luo family wants our children to be safe!"

Eleventh Lady lowered her head and took a sip of tea: "So what does mother mean?"

"The eldest lady's intention is to let the eleventh aunt take a concubine in the house."

Eleventh Lady gently blew on a leaf floating on the teacup.

"First, it can help you keep the Marquis. Second, it can teach Qiao Lianfang a lesson, so that she won't be self-righteous. Third, the eleventh aunt needs to recuperate so that she can have children for the Marquis in two years. Besides, this concubine is kept in your house, and she is not a person with a proper status. You can do whatever you want. If she doesn't listen, you can send her back to the Luo family at any time. Our eldest wife will make the decision for you. Even if you have a child, under whose name will the child be raised? Will she be promoted as a concubine? It all depends on your words..."

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This is a rough draft, please read it first. I will catch bugs tomorrow...