Marquis Pingxi was about to tell Xiao Chen about it when he suddenly remembered that his mother had repeatedly told him that the fewer people who knew about this, the better, especially Xiao Chen.
At the time, Marquis Pingxi was somewhat indifferent, thinking that since Lady Chen had been married to him for so many years, even if she had selfish motives, those motives were for the sake of his two children.
However, the old lady repeatedly warned that people's hearts are unpredictable. Little Chen is not the eldest son's biological mother. If she goes out and says something that makes our family lose face for this or that reason, it's a small matter if the family members feel uncomfortable. If the third prince finds out about the secret and causes some trouble, then it will be a loss that does not outweigh the gain.
The words that Marquis Pingxi was about to say took a turn, and he swallowed them back, saying, "What secret could there be? It's all because of the old lady. She keeps dreaming about Grandmother. You know, when Second Uncle died in battle, Grandmother almost didn't make it through. Second Uncle was Grandmother's most beloved child. Grandmother held on until Second Aunt gave birth before passing away. Now that Eldest Brother has been adopted by Second Uncle, Grandmother would be comforted if she knew in the afterlife. She probably wants to see Eldest Brother get married and then give her Second Uncle's great-grandson so that Grandmother can rest in peace."
Hearing Pingxi Hou's rant in front of her, Xiao Chen was so angry she wanted to spit on him. However, Pingxi Hou was still the master of this house. Although this backyard was her domain, Xiao Chen didn't dare to anger Pingxi Hou. She knew very well the little bit of affection between herself and Pingxi Hou.
Madam Chen had already seen clearly that Marquis Pingxi was a heartless and ungrateful person. She had been able to run rampant in the inner courtyard for a time because of Marquis Pingxi's favor. But what would happen if Marquis Pingxi's favor was gone?
Madam Chen understood this perfectly, which is why she went to great lengths to make her child the heir of the mansion and inherit the title. At that time, she would be the matriarch of the mansion, and wouldn't it be a matter of a single word for her to do whatever she wanted?
Madam Chen sneered inwardly, but smiled and said, "In that case, my lord, how much silver are we prepared to spend on my eldest son's marriage?"
Marquis Pingxi said, “Back then, my second uncle’s family’s assets were all sealed up by my father and mother. After my eldest brother was adopted, the old steward of the mansion opened the storeroom. My second uncle’s side has enough money. Now that we are the eldest branch of the family and the two families have separated, you should prepare two thousand taels of silver notes. I will have the steward of the mansion who went to Hexi to prepare for the wedding take them with him.”
Madam Chen exclaimed in surprise, "Two thousand taels? My lord, isn't that a bit too much?"
Marquis Pingxi was already getting impatient and said, "You brought back 30,000 taels of silver from your brother-in-law's place. Do you think I didn't know? Remember, whatever the second branch of the family does, don't get involved. The old lady and I will handle everything."
After finishing his speech, Marquis Pingxi flicked his sleeves and went to the front yard.
Madam Chen sat at the table, wiping away tears in anger. Madam Chen was not good at managing things. Back in the Chen family's backyard, her stepmother did not care about the education of her illegitimate children. Madam Chen's stepmother had a bad relationship with Madam Chen's father. Her stepmother, who was also the mother of Madam Da Chen, once made it clear that she would only take care of the children she had given birth to. As for those children who were not her own, they had no blood relation to her. Whoever gave birth to them should take care of them. At that time, the old lady of the Chen family was still alive, and she did not say anything about such a rebellious statement.
The eldest daughter of the Chen family was carefully raised and taught etiquette and household management skills. The younger daughter of the Chen family, however, was not so well-educated. No matter how hard she tried, she never received systematic training. She only learned etiquette after marrying into the family. But she didn't know how to learn how to run the estate and shops. So she had to select a head steward to manage the business for her.
Xiao Chen's family doesn't have many capable people. The managers don't have any deep-rooted relationship with her, so they act recklessly. As a result, the profits from Xiao Chen's estates and shops are decreasing.
The shops in the Pingxi Marquis's mansion are looked after by a special steward. Every year, a certain amount of money is allocated to the backyard. Madam Chen's account books are a bit messy, and she often robs Peter to pay Paul. Most of the 30,000 taels of silver notes that she got from the Chen family have already been spent. Now, 2,000 taels is a huge sum of money for her.
Madam Chen's trusted nanny came in from outside and said, "Madam, please listen to this old servant's advice. Let's not get involved in this matter. It's not good to get involved too much."
Madam Chen raised her head, wiped her face haphazardly with a handkerchief, and said, "I am the mistress of this house, why should I not care? Go and have someone inquire again to see what the Marquis and the old lady talked about that night."
The trusted nanny said with some difficulty, "Madam, it's not that I don't want to send someone to inquire, but when the Marquis was talking to the Old Madam that night, the Old Madam sent away the servants around her, leaving only the Marquis and the Old Madam in the room. Moreover, the Old Madam's trusted confidants were guarding outside, so even if someone wanted to get close enough to eavesdrop, it wouldn't be allowed."
Madam Chen gritted her teeth and said, "The more it's like this, the more complicated this matter is. Who knows what these two are discussing? What if they do something outrageous? In the end, won't it be my Yun-ge who suffers? No, I must find out."
The Yongning Marquis's Mansion prepared a large dowry for Xu Zhi. Some of the items that could be used now were loaded onto carts and prepared to be sent to Ganzhou before the New Year. Other items that could not be used now were listed on the dowry list and sealed away, to be sent to Xu Zhi when she returned. Due to the urgency and special circumstances, they could only do whatever was cheapest possible.
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