Even if it is a divorce, there is no custom in the world for a divorced woman to take her husband's children with her!
Today he was going to bring those three daughters who were regarded as evil spirits back to his house, and continue to use the life-transfer contract to make Jiang Shu helpless and fall into the abyss of despair!
However, to his surprise, despite the constant discussions from outside, the door of the Marquis's Mansion remained closed and no one came out to respond.
until--
The servants of the Duke's Mansion came to announce: "My Lord, the Madam has gone to Xinghua Village to find you a concubine!"
Hao Ren couldn't help but feel a little panicked when he heard this. "What plan is Jiang Shu going to use?"
Last time, she took Xia Zhiyu into the family without authorization, causing him to be impeached. She favored her concubine and neglected her wife. The reputation she had built up over the years was wiped out in one day, and even affected her son Liao Lingxi's career development.
At this moment, she has broken off all ties with him, but the dramatic scene continues to unfold.
The servant narrated in a low voice, "The newly-acquired wife intends to take Liao from Xinghua Village as a concubine. She has good reasons for this, claiming that she cannot allow the Duke's bloodline to be lost in the world."
Hao Ren's heart suddenly tightened.
Xia Zhiyu, how many secrets does this woman know?
This woman who is incapable of achieving anything but always causes trouble!
Previously, she had taken it upon herself to bring Jiang Shu to the inn to catch him in adultery, thus exposing his affair with Liao. That would have been fine, but now, was she actually going to reveal the true identities of Ling Xi and Yu Yao?
Hao Ren's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he had only one thought in mind: he had to stop Xia Zhiyu. He had no time to care about Jiang Shu and the girls. He immediately turned back to the carriage and ordered the driver, "Hurry to Xinghua Village!"
The people gathered outside the Yongding Marquis's Mansion to watch the battle exchanged confused glances with each other.
"Didn't the Duke of the Protectorate come to take his daughters back home? Why did he leave so suddenly?"
Hao Ren's trusted assistant, who remained behind, sighed deeply, his expression filled with helplessness and resignation. "The Marquis of Yongding is determined not to release the man. What can the Duke do? Can he force his way in? With the Marquis of Yongding in charge, even if he does, he won't be able to take the man away."
Once these words were spoken, the Yongding Marquis's arrogance and rudeness became even more apparent.
At this moment, the gate of Yongding Marquis' Mansion slowly opened.
The doorman held a basin of dog blood and poured it directly at the people in the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion, making blood dripping everywhere.
"Exorcise evil and avoid disaster!"
"Alas, our Lord and Madam just wanted to treat the cousins to a lunch, but the Protector of the Country left in such a hurry?"
The two doormen echoed each other, their words sarcastically and in a sarcastic tone.
"I heard he's in a hurry to welcome his new concubine! The Duke of the Protectorate is truly sentimental. A few days ago he was on his knees begging our aunt, and now he can't wait to take in a new concubine."
"My cousins have such a hard life. They've been treated coldly in the Duke's Mansion because they're daughters. Now, they've returned home with their mother to take care of her sick mother, but they've been forced by their biological father. Before they've even set foot in the mansion, their father has been rushing off to take in a new concubine."
The crowd who were originally watching indifferently, changed their views after hearing the doorman's narration, and began to feel deep sympathy for the young ladies of the Duke's Mansion.
"Their mothers were forced to divorce and return home, and their fathers favored their concubines over their wives. The family prioritized boys over girls. I'm afraid the futures of these young ladies are filled with thorns and setbacks."
…
In a corner of Xinghua Village.
Xia Zhiyu changed into a bright red dress, her hair was adorned with dazzling pearls and jade, and she wore a crystal clear jade bracelet on her wrist. She looked like a blooming peony, gorgeous and dazzling, making people mistakenly think that she was going to step into a bridal sedan today.
Although this outfit cannot be compared with Jiang Shu's previous luxury, it is the best dress that Xia Zhiyu has collected for many years. She uses it to show her noble status as the wife of the Duke's Mansion and deliberately appears to be particularly ostentatious.
She personally led a small and exquisite sedan and stopped it outside the gate of the Liao family's courtyard.
Different from the grand ceremony when Jiang Shu married her, Xia Zhiyu only used an ordinary pink sedan chair to marry Liao this time. There was no wedding procession with gongs and drums, only a group of servants and guards wearing red cloth.
On the one hand, Xia Zhiyu was short of money and could not afford to arrange an overly luxurious ceremony; on the other hand, she thought that she was completely different from women of bad character like Liao. She had entered the family as a noble concubine, while Liao, with her low status and bad reputation, was just a lowly concubine!
The maid held an umbrella for Xia Zhiyu. She fanned herself lightly and walked into the Liao family's courtyard, led by the servant. "The auspicious time has arrived, Sister Liao, please get in the sedan chair. The Duke is waiting for you at the mansion."
Liao Qianqian had not yet recovered from the caning she received from the government and was still recuperating in bed. Hearing the noise outside, she was helpless and could only watch Xia Zhiyu and his men intrude without permission.
The maid Baizhi bravely stood in front, but her strength seemed insignificant and she was soon easily subdued by the servants of the Duke's Mansion.
Liao Qianqian could only lie on the bed, staring at Xia Zhiyu with eyes wide open, "Xia Zhiyu, who sent you here?"
Xia Zhiyu pursed her lips gently, a smile blooming like a petal. "This is naturally the Duke's will. Liao, although you are currently a widow, fortunately, our country's laws are lenient and allow widows to remarry. The status of the Duke of Protectorate is so prominent that now, your cousin is willing to condescend and take you as a concubine. Although the title is called concubine, it is actually a step up in your honor."
As soon as she finished speaking, she gave the maid next to her a look that only the two of them could understand.
The maid immediately pulled out a concubine certificate from her sleeve and walked briskly to Liao Qianqian. "Madam Liao, you are not able to move easily. Madam saw that you were frail and sick, so she thoughtfully brought this concubine certificate to you personally. As long as you sign your name and stamp your handprint on this document, you can return to the Duke's Mansion with us."
"lady?"
The first person that came to Liao Qianqian's mind was Jiang Shu, but she had already heard that Jiang Shu was about to part ways with Hao Ren. At such a critical moment, how could she come out to add a new concubine for Hao Ren?
Her gaze turned to Xia Zhiyu, who was wearing a bright red dress. She saw that her outfit was similar to Jiang Shu's in the past. However, even with all the jewelry added together, it was still difficult to match Jiang Shu's former extravagance. Instead, it gave people a feeling of imitating others. She couldn't help but sneer, "Madam? Are you talking about you?"
"Xia Zhiyu, do you really think that since Jiang Shu has left and you're pregnant, the Duke's Mansion will become yours? You're really delusional. Hao Ren will never let you become his principal wife!"
"As for your child, Jiang Shu was pregnant before. So what if she got pregnant? Only by giving birth safely and raising the child to adulthood can it be considered a real achievement!"
Liao Qianqian's gaze fell on Xia Zhiyu's slightly bulging belly. Her tone was full of resentment and curses, but a hint of secret pride could not be concealed deep in her eyes.
Jiang Shu had been pregnant with Hao Ren several times, and some of them were boys, but they all died young or were stillborn, with only girls surviving. However, she was different, raising a pair of children with promising futures for Hao Ren.
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