“Once she marries into the family, our Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion will be theirs alone! Mother, I don’t want this. Mother, is there any way to prevent Gu Xin from marrying into the family? We can only deal with Lu Zheng. If the two of them are together, they will have the help of the Emperor and Empress. We will never be able to do anything to Lu Zheng!” Lu Ni said unwillingly.
“Ni’er, I didn’t expect you to have seen this already.” Madam Lin raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Let me tell you. Even if she is a legitimate royal princess, once she marries into the Duke’s mansion, she is still my daughter-in-law, and I am her mother-in-law. In our Great Zhou, isn’t it easy for a mother-in-law to punish her daughter-in-law?”
Lu Ni was taken aback.
As if she had found the right direction, Madam Lin continued, "That's right, that's exactly it. None of the men in the Gu family have concubines, so their family tradition probably doesn't allow their sons-in-law to have concubines."
Lu Ni felt a pang of envy, but only for a moment. Soon, she followed Lin's line of thought.
Madam Lin continued, "The daughters of the Gu family cannot tolerate their husbands having other women. Lu Zheng doesn't seem to intend to take concubines or maids, but he's back now. Although your maternal grandfather and aunt have passed away, your mother is still the head of the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion. As his stepmother, I feel sorry for the son left behind by my elder sister. It wouldn't be difficult to put a few maids in his study. At that time, we won't need to do anything. The young couple will naturally start arguing. Once Gu Xin is uncomfortable, the entire Gu family and even the royal family will probably not let Lu Zheng have a good time!"
Lu Ni's face lit up with joy, but then she seemed to remember something and asked worriedly, "Mother, ever since Grandfather and Aunt had their accident, Second Aunt has been vying for your attention. Will she cause trouble later?"
"Hmph! Her?" Madam Lin scoffed. "She hasn't been able to do anything to me in the past two years! Besides, she's not a good person either. She might even be more eager to see this scene than we are. Your second uncle and aunt have quite the ambition."
Lu Ni was startled: "Mother, you mean..."
Madam Lin glanced at Lu Ni and sighed. She regretted not having properly taught Lu Ni how to manage the affairs of the inner quarters.
She thought the Lin family would remain in power forever, that the seventh prince would successfully ascend the throne, and that her daughter would live a carefree life. But now, this is the scene before her.
She patted Lu Ni's hand: "Ni'er, from now on, don't be as ignorant as before. Remember what your mother said: you have to rely on yourself for everything. Others will always fall. Only by using your own brain and standing invincible can you always stand above others. You have to learn to see clearly the environment around you and what the people around you are thinking. Don't look at the surface. Anyone can do what they say on the surface. Your second uncle is always a smiling, nice guy, your second aunt is a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong, and Lu Qin is a gentle and refined young master from a noble family. In fact, the three of them are cursing our eldest branch of the family. Don't think that just because someone smiles at you, they are really kind to you."
Lu Ni took these words to heart and nodded solemnly: "Mother, I understand. Mother, do you think I should sincerely associate with Gu Xin before she marries into our family?"
Lin shook her head: "No, that would be too obvious."
Lu Ni was taken aback.
Lin smiled and said, "If it's too obvious, people won't trust you. Gu Xin was able to return unharmed after two years in the West; she's not an innocent little rabbit."
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