Upon hearing this, Lady Wei couldn't help but cover her face and weep.
Madam Xu sighed a little harder, looking at Madam Wei with guilt in her eyes: "Now that the world is at peace, if Sanlang follows General Cheng in the military camp for a few years, the eldest son can get him a sinecure in the Ministry of War."
“Our Duke’s Mansion is large and powerful. The eldest son and the second son have served His Highness the Crown Prince in the previous dynasty and are valued by the Emperor. It’s not like we need to ask the third son to actually take up a sword and go to the battlefield.”
“Sanlang has been away from home for a long time, and you’ve been feeling lonely. Now that your niece from your maternal family has come, you feel like you have something to do. For your sake, I’ll put in a good word for your niece’s marriage and find her a reliable match.”
"But if you have high standards and look down on others, and insist on being fixated on the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, that won't work with me."
"I'm not trying to belittle you, but you all know perfectly well what your niece has done since she entered the household."
Madam Wei's eyes were red, and she couldn't help but clench her handkerchief tightly: "You know everything?"
Madam Yang was also somewhat surprised. Li Shiyue had told Old Madam Xu not to know about Wei Yujie's matter, for fear of upsetting the matriarch.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Madam Xu had managed the Xu family for the first half of her life. Even though she was getting old and living a peaceful old age in Shousong Hall, she wouldn't be completely oblivious to what was going on around her.
Madam Xu glanced at her indifferently and said quietly, "I am old, but I am not blind or deaf."
Madam Wei looked at Old Madam Xu with a resentful expression, her tone becoming increasingly weak: "Mother, as you know, the Wei family was never a wealthy or noble family, and we have been sent to other places for a long time, so our family has begun to decline."
"My wife's brother is even less capable. He couldn't help much when my father-in-law was alive, let alone the Wei family now."
"Thinking that it would be better to find another marriage partner in the capital, since those men were not people we knew well, we decided to have my wife's niece marry a man from the Xu family."
"For this reason, my wife's brother also wrote a letter with the same meaning."
Yang laughed in anger: "Since you've chosen the Xu family's son-in-law and can't resist the wealth of the Duke's mansion, why not grant your and the Wei family's wishes and let Sanlang be engaged to your sister-in-law's niece?"
After saying that, she looked coldly at Madam Wei.
She is gentle in her dealings with people, but that doesn't mean she's someone who can be easily manipulated.
Ultimately, they just wanted to get their hands on the Duke's mansion, since it had nothing to do with the third branch of the family anymore. Seeing that Xu Yunci was engaged to a county princess personally appointed by the emperor, who was also the most beloved cousin of Old Madam Xu, someone the Wei family couldn't afford to offend, they set their sights on her youngest son as a second choice.
Wei's lips moved, but she was too anxious to say anything, so she could only shake her head in refusal.
Madam Yang sneered: "Yes, you know your niece's character yourself. We treated her well after she entered the manor, but first she stirred up trouble between Erlang and Yan Yan. I didn't hold it against a child because of you, sister-in-law."
“He dealt with the maids around her, and out of respect for his sister-in-law, he sent her a fine piece of Shu brocade to make clothes.”
"My sister-in-law and Wei's niece had a really good plan. They turned around and spread rumors in the mansion, ruining Liu Lang's reputation."
Seeing the sudden turn of events, Madam Wei blurted out the truth: "No, no, I didn't mean to scheme against my elder sister-in-law. I respect her the most."
"It was Yujie who said that she had spoken with Liulang, and that Liulang had feelings for her, which is why she asked me to ask my sister-in-law what she thought."
“I don’t know how those rumors got out, and I can’t find the source. I’m wondering if the two kids were talking and someone saw them.”
"Foolish!" Old Madam Xu was so angry that she couldn't speak, pointing at Madam Wei.
“Even I know that Liu Lang has been staying outside with Er Lang and the eldest brother these past few days, busy with the flood situation, and hasn’t come back at all.”
Shock filled Wei's eyes as she muttered in disbelief, "Impossible! Yu Jie herself said that Liu Lang fell in love with her at first sight and secretly came back to find her..."
Now it's clear: it turns out that the Wei family was deceived by their own niece.
Unable to contain her anger, Yang's dislike for Wei Yujie reached its peak, and she lost her usual good temper towards Wei as well.
"You believe her? That's one-sided! If Liu Lang were truly sincere, he would have come to me long ago. Otherwise, why would I have refused you that day?"
"Besides, I've only met her a few times. It was when she entered the manor, and Liu Lang was standing next to me. He only glanced at her once. How could it be like she said that they've secretly pledged their lives to each other!"
It took Wei Shi a long time to accept this reality. She sat there, looking like a wilted eggplant, with no light in her eyes.
What could be more disappointing than being betrayed by the person you trust most?
"Alright, if the Wei family still wants our daughter to marry into the capital, they must stop thinking about it. Take your niece to the banquet at the Grand Tutor's mansion, find a suitable husband, and if he is suitable, ask someone to help him leave the Duke's mansion as soon as possible."
"However, if you agree to a marriage alliance with the Xu family, go back and tell the Wei family that the Rongguo Duke's Mansion does not agree. If they are unwilling, then hitch up that carriage and send the Wei family's daughter back to where she came from. The Duke's Mansion is too small to support people."
After speaking, Madam Xu closed her eyes and turned her prayer beads in her hands, clearly indicating that she did not want to say anything more.
As for Yang, she didn't even glance at Wei. After leaving Shousong Hall, she ignored Wei and left Wei to return to her courtyard in disappointment.
When Wei Yujie saw Wei Shi return looking distraught, she couldn't hide the joy on her face, and then her right cheek burned with pain.
She covered her face in disbelief, looking at Madam Wei with teary eyes: "Why did you hit me, Aunt?"
After walking back, Madam Wei became much more sober. She gritted her teeth and looked at her, saying, "Tell me why I hit you. I treated you like my own daughter, but you lied to me for a man."
"I trusted you so much, and even offended a whole family to arrange a marriage for you, only to find out that you lied to me. Don't you think I should hit you?"
Wei Yujie covered her face, forgetting the pain. Upon hearing the word "marriage," she grabbed Wei Shi's sleeve and refused to let go.
"Did the Duchess agree? Didn't you say that Old Madam Xu would see you? Did she mention this matter?"
Looking at her expectantly, she knew that there was a separate letter from the Wei family, which said that if she couldn't marry into the Xu family, she would have to go back and marry the local prefect.
He was an old man in his fifties. For the Wei family to agree, they must have offered a large sum of money to sell her.
Another option was for her to make sure she maintained the marriage alliance with the Duke of Rongguo's mansion. The third branch of the Wei family was out of the question, so the Wei family set their sights on the eldest branch, which would inherit the title of Duke of Rongguo's mansion.
Unfortunately, the Duke's son was already engaged, and the Wei family could not change their choice of betrothed, so they could only choose Xu Yunxu, the youngest son of the eldest branch.
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