"The Duke's wife was actually embracing him. Clearly, the man behind this is none other than the incredibly powerful Duke Protector of the State in the capital! Oh, I've long been puzzled. How could Liao Qianqian, a mere widow, live in such a magnificent blue brick courtyard and even have her son enrolled in the White Egret Academy and become a scholar? It turns out she's actually hooked up with the Duke and become his beloved concubine!"
Liao Qianqian almost collapsed as she listened to the people around her cursing her as a "favored concubine" and "illegitimate child." However, the physical pain made her curl up on the ground, unable to care about anything else.
When Hao Ren heard Liao Lingxi uncontrollably address him as "father," he first frowned. Then, he turned his head sharply, his gaze landing on the filthy, crazy woman he had kicked to the ground. He couldn't help but be surprised: "Qianqian? Why is it you?"
His surprise was not without reason.
The Liao Qianqian in front of him was covered in the filth of the pigsty, her clothes were disheveled, her hair was messy like a bird's nest, her face was pale and haggard, as if she had aged a dozen years overnight, no different from the village women around her, no longer as charming and gentle as when she met him in private in the past.
He let go of Xia Zhiyu's hand and was about to go forward to support Liao Qianqian, but unexpectedly, the moment he touched her, he felt a sticky substance on her body. Looking closely, he found it was pig manure...
"Well--"
Hao Ren couldn't help but vomit on Liao Qianqian, backing away repeatedly, his face full of disgust: "How could you get yourself into such a mess?"
Liao Qianqian had already accumulated a lot of grievances and anger. She pointed at Xia Zhiyu, who was being supported by a maid, with sparks of hatred flashing in her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "This is all thanks to that vixen Xia Zhiyu!"
Hao Ren frowned and felt disgusted. The Liao Qianqian in front of him looked particularly strange and ugly.
Liao Lingxi realized that everyone knew his true identity, and he began to complain openly, "Father, that vicious woman, Xia Zhiyu, is reckless and cruel. She maliciously slandered my mother, attempted to drown her, and even schemed to destroy my future in the imperial examinations. If you hadn't arrived in time, my mother and I would have been dead long ago."
Hao Ren couldn't help but frown slightly, secretly blaming Liao Lingxi for being too impulsive and revealing his family background.
However, when he heard that Xia Zhiyu wanted to cut off his path to the imperial examination, Hao Ren's anger was instantly ignited, and he slapped Xia Zhiyu hard with a wave of his hand.
"How dare you be so cruel?"
The maid hurried forward to block Xia Zhiyu and pleaded anxiously, "Duke, the lady's pregnancy has already begun. How can you still use violence on her?"
Xia Zhiyu stared at Hao Ren with tears in her eyes, her hands covering her abdomen as she groaned in pain, "Cousin... I mean no harm. I simply want to protect the reputation of the Duke's Mansion and bring Sister Liao back home so that your bloodline can recognize its ancestral roots. We clashed only when we were in a desperate situation, but I have absolutely no intention of harming them."
Hao Ren glanced at her coldly, "Then where did this pig cage come from? Xia Zhiyu, do you think I'm an easy fool?"
"Ms. Liao would rather die than go back home with me. As such a chaste woman, I naturally have to respect her choice and fulfill her loyalty. Cousin, the emperor once said that helping others to achieve their goals is a virtue." Xia Zhiyu looked at Hao Ren with gentle eyes, his tone as soft as a spring breeze.
Hao Ren was so furious that he almost strangled her to death. However, when she mentioned the emperor, he was able to suppress his anger.
"Cousin, are you willing to let Sister Liao remain unknown and serve as your nameless concubine in this remote mountain village? Furthermore, Young Master Ling Xi is about to take the provincial examination in the autumn. Can you bear to see him bear the name of a concubine's son, endure the sneers of his classmates, and even the contempt of the examiners? I am doing this entirely for your own benefit."
Xia Zhiyu wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes as she spoke, "I'm truly exhausted from working so hard for this Duke's Mansion."
Liao Qianqian and Liao Lingxi were almost furious at her hypocritical appearance.
"Father, don't listen to her lies. She has ulterior motives and intends to drive us into a desperate situation and completely destroy us!"
Hao Ren gently closed his eyes and glanced at the onlookers from Xinghua Village. He thought to himself that unless he could kill all the witnesses today, the identities of Liao and Liao Lingxi would surely spread back to the court like the wind.
By then, Wade, the old fox, and Jiang Dinglian, the mad dog, will surely take advantage of his misfortune in front of His Majesty!
If he had the same military power as Jiang Dinglian, it would be easy for him to kill all these civilians.
However, he was ultimately just a powerless Duke of the Protectorate.
In desperation, Hao Ren could only say to Liao Qianqian and Liao Lingxi, "The two of you come back with me."
The identities of a concubine and a bastard are always more glorious than living a life of shame as a mistress.
Liao Lingxi was overjoyed. He thought that his father should have brought him back home in a legitimate way long ago. He was extremely tired of this kind of cramped life as a concubine!
However, Liao Qianqian frowned and flatly refused: "No! Hao Ren, I will never be a concubine, and my child must be born from a legitimate wife."
Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiyu sneered and waved his hand, signaling the servants to forcibly carry Liao Qianqian onto the bridal sedan. "What are you still hesitating about? Hurry and welcome the new concubine onto the sedan."
At this time, Hao Ren was anxious and uneasy. He reached out to help Liao Lingxi up, but his face was full of disgust towards Liao Qianqian, and he let Xia Zhiyu do whatever he wanted.
Seeing this, Xia Zhiyu became even more arrogant. Covering his mouth and nose, he walked over to Liao Qianqian and sneered, "Sister Liao, you'd better not waste your energy. After being a concubine for so many years, you are lucky to be able to enter the Duke's Mansion as a concubine. Don't embarrass your cousin in front of all these people. Hurry up and leave. I'm still waiting to taste the tea you offer."
…
Yongding Marquis Mansion.
Jiang Shu has always been worried that once she divorces Hao Ren, the three sisters Hao Qingzhi might be controlled by Hao Ren. Therefore, she is plotting whether she can arrange their marriage in advance.
But when she thought of Jiang Songyi's mention of their unhappy marriage, she couldn't help but feel worried. She decided to find a suitable opportunity for Songyi to have more contact with their future in-laws so that she could find out the problem as soon as possible.
She decided that even if Mrs. Xu was unwilling to take Jiang Songyi out for social events, she would still take her out personally to allow her to gain more experience in the social world and prepare for her future married life.
Yue Qingyang stayed in the main courtyard as stubbornly as a rock, showing no intention of avoiding suspicion as an outsider should.
Jiang Songyi was fed up with his ever-present behavior.
"Mother has already sent people to renovate Yinzhou Garden. Your Highness, don't you plan to go back and inspect it?"
"I'm naturally at ease with Madam Hou's instructions. I'll send the young lady back first."
Jiang Yuyao strolled out from a moonlit gate, her tone tinged with sarcasm, "Sister Songyi's friendship with His Highness the Proton is truly enviable. If outsiders didn't know better, they would have thought you two were childhood sweethearts who grew up together in the mansion."
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