Xu Shao didn't go to see the old lady by herself; she brought Zhou Junhong with her, along with Zhou Junhong and Zhao Sixing's child.
Zhao Sixing was studying in Tai'an with Zhou Junhong. This time, he was going back home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Yongping Marquis's mansion has been struggling these past few years. Jiang Shi has no business acumen, and the family's farmland and shops are generating less and less income each year. In the past, they could manage to squeeze some money out of Xu Shao to cover some of the deficit, but in the last two years, not only has Xu Shao stopped contributing, but the Yongning Marquis has also pressured them to subsidize Xu Shao's expenses. Therefore, the Yongping Marquis's mansion is living a life of mere pretense.
Xu Shao figured it out. After Zhao Sixing took Zhou Junhong to Tai'an, she lived on a manor in the suburbs of Beijing. With the Yongning Marquis's mansion as her backing, Xu Shao lived a pretty good life.
Xu Shao was having a good time, but her mother-in-law, Jiang, was not.
Jiang was the daughter of a prime minister, and her marriage to the Marquis of Yongping was considered a good match. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Jiang died young, and before Jiang's brother could rise to prominence, the Jiang family fell into decline. Jiang spent many years in the Marquis of Yongping's household being exploited by her mother-in-law.
Later, Jiang Zhaoming became Emperor Liang Cheng's confidant and is now serving as the Salt Commissioner of Jiangnan, in charge of salt, iron and silk in Jiangnan. Jiang began to feel proud and powerful. Unfortunately, at this time, Jiang's mother-in-law had passed away, and she had several daughters-in-law under her command.
Jiang disliked Xu Shao because she wasn't the daughter-in-law she had chosen for her son, Zhao Ziqi. Jiang preferred a daughter from her maternal family, namely Jiang Zhaoming's legitimate daughter. Unfortunately, Xu Shao fell in love with Zhao Ziqi at first sight, and the two marquis's mansions had a close relationship. Although the Marquis of Yongning and Madam Wu both disliked Zhao Ziqi and thought Jiang was not a good daughter-in-law, they couldn't stop Xu Shao from being willing, so they had to reluctantly let her marry into the family.
After Xu Shao married into the family, Jiang Shi set her sights on Xu Shao's dowry. She never expected that the Yongning Marquis's Mansion would prepare such a large dowry for Xu Shao. Over the years, Jiang Shi had secretly taken quite a bit of the dowry, but she never imagined that Xu Shao would have such a chance to turn things around. With the help of her family, she managed to take so much money from the Marquis's Mansion's public accounts.
Jiang originally intended to marry her niece from her maternal family to Xu Shao as her daughter-in-law, as her niece was of one mind with her. Unfortunately, the Yongning Marquis's mansion arranged a marriage for Zhao Sixing. Jiang, a well-known virtuous woman in the capital, complained to many people that being a mother-in-law was difficult. Later, after Zhou Junhong married into the Yongping Marquis's mansion and caused several disturbances, Jiang realized that Xu Shao and Zhou Junhong, this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, didn't care about appearances at all. No matter how much she complained in front of others, neither of them cared.
Jiang Shi relied on her reputation to control Xu Shao, but Xu Shao no longer cared about her reputation and was even able to openly and shamelessly tear apart her daughter-in-law in front of everyone, which was something Jiang Shi could neither accept nor cope with.
Therefore, from the moment Zhou Junhong married into the family until she became pregnant and gave birth, and then when the child was a little older and Zhou Junhong took the child to Tai'an to accompany her husband to study, Jiang Shi had no way to control her. This made her feel very insecure, and she always felt that if she couldn't control her daughter-in-law, then she wasn't a normal mother-in-law.
Next year is the year of the Grand Examination, and it is already July. Jiang suggested to Marquis Yongping that the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. Since the family was unable to reunite during the Spring Festival, they should take advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival to get together and have a good time.
It must be said that after being with Marquis Yongping for so many years, Jiang Shi really knows how to control his mind. During the New Year, Xu Shao stayed at the manor in the suburbs of the capital with Zhao Sixing and Zhao Sixen and did not return. The Marquis Yongping was actually very concerned about the Crown Prince Zhao Ziqi and several illegitimate children. However, due to the pressure exerted by Marquis Yongning, and most importantly, because Xu Shao had something on him, Xu Shao had now shamelessly torn away the veil that had been covering the face of the Marquis Yongping's mansion. Marquis Yongping was also afraid that if he pushed Xu Shao too hard, it would cause more trouble.
Like many feudal patriarchs, Marquis Yongping never interfered in matters of the inner quarters, merely observing with a cold eye. He naturally knew how much stuff and money his wife had obtained from his eldest daughter-in-law, Xu Shao, over the years. However, he always believed that they were all family, and that everything should be kept quiet within the family. As for the grievances Xu Shao suffered, he reasoned that as the daughter-in-law of this family, it was only natural for her to endure some grievances from her mother-in-law.
Marquis Yongping never expected that Marquis Yongning would be so furious over his daughter who had been married for over twenty years. It was as if he had torn a piece of flesh from Marquis Yongping's mansion, making Marquis Yongping feel heartbroken and keep sighing. How could he not have any objections to his daughter-in-law Xu Shao, who was now out of control?
Therefore, when Jiang said she wanted to write to Zhao Sixing and Zhao Sishen and ask them to come back for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Marquis Yongping naturally had no objection and let Jiang write to the Zhao Sixing brothers who were far away in Tai'an.
When Zhou Junhong saw the letter, she understood what it meant. As a grandson, Zhao Sixing was naturally going to return home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with his grandmother, but Zhou Junhong stopped both of the brothers.
Zhou Junhong made it very clear that she was only going back to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Next year is the year of the Grand Examination, and Zhao Sixing's studies are very demanding. It is unknown how long it will take for him to go back and forth. Zhou Junhong has never considered these people in the capital to be good people.
After discussing the matter in detail with Zhao Sixing and Zhao Sishen, Zhou Junhong took the child and returned to the capital from Tai'an.
When Jiang saw Zhou Junhong holding the child, she flew into a rage and cursed Zhou Junhong for being unfilial in front of the whole family, as well as Zhao Sixing and Zhao Sishen. She even scolded Xu Shao, who was sitting to the side holding the child.
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