Wang Lingyi asked Wang Xipei in detail about what happened at the Spring Banquet. It was a bit strange that Tang from the Duke of Xiangguo's Mansion was staring at her younger sister.
Duke Xiangguo's Mansion...
I remembered that the hot spring villa my mother gave me seemed to be adjacent to a garden in the Xiangguo Mansion. When I went to ask the villa owner about it, I heard him mention it.
After Wang Lingyi visited the hot spring villa, she wanted to expand it. The villa owner said that although the garden next door belonged to the Duke of Xiangguo's Mansion, there were people taking care of the garden a few years ago, but in the past two years, there were only a few gardeners and it had been abandoned. If Wang Lingyi wanted to expand her own garden and buy it, the villa owner could go and ask first.
Now Wang Lingyi called the head of the farm, who said that it was indeed the garden of Duke Xiang's mansion. However, no matter whether she went there in the name of buying the garden for the marquis's mansion, or contacted the middleman who was registered with the officials in Kyoto, the letters she sent were like a drop in the ocean, and there was no response.
Wang Lingyi asked her sister to go back first. Several princes and nobles should have reported their favorite candidates in the past few days. If the Fourth Prince really chose her sister and Emperor Mingzheng was also interested, then after seeing his son's memorial, he would always suppress it first and make things clear before issuing an edict, so there is still a chance for this matter to turn around.
Wang Lingyi sent a visiting card to the Tang family of Duke Xiang's government office.
In fact, Tang had received a letter from Wang Lingyi wanting to buy the garden, but she couldn't sell the garden just because she wanted to. It was Huang's dowry and her private property.
Although Tang had been in charge of the finances for so many years, touching Huang's private property... this matter must be consulted with the Duke. Although the Duke Ye Zhou was a military general, he was very thoughtful.
Tang asked him about the garden outside the capital. When he heard that it was related to Huang, he became upset and said to Tang: "Since it's hers, send someone to ask about it. If they don't want to sell it, then refuse it. If they want to sell it, then let them negotiate it themselves."
Tang had her own ideas. If she sold it, the money would be in Huang's hands. If she didn't sell it, it might end up in the Duke's Mansion in the future. If it ended up in the Duke's Mansion, she could get some of the money... So the matter was put on hold, and she never replied to the letter.
Now that she had seen Wang Lingyi's invitation, it seemed the Marquis's wife was determined to buy the garden. If she delayed any further, it would be bad if the Duke found out. And then there was the fact that Wang Xipei was her sister, which was also an interesting point...
Tang was a smart person. In her early years, the Duke asked her to take charge of the banquets and internal affairs of the Duke's Mansion. She thought she would finally achieve her goal. However, the Duke went to the palace several times to ask for a divorce but was unsuccessful. So the matter has been stuck for so many years.
Although everyone was accustomed to her performing the duties of the mistress as a concubine, she was never accepted by the circle of noble ladies because of this embarrassing identity.
Everyone came to the Duke's mansion's banquets, and the etiquette of coming and going was in accordance with the rules. But once he left, he was gone, and there would be no personal relationship between them. When she went to a banquet, if the Duke was there, everyone would greet each other and say hello. Without the Duke, she was always alone.
Many years ago, when Huang's legs were frostbitten, she also heard strange rumors outside, as if she was a spoiled vixen who was lawless and bullied the legal wife.
In fact, how could it be possible? She herself hadn't figured out why Huang had suddenly fallen out of favor, and why the Duke had suddenly turned his back on his wife.
After all, they were a loving couple in the past. Tang was also very nervous when the Duke took her to the palace banquet for the first time. If the couple quarreled and used her as a scapegoat, she would be in great trouble when they calmed down and reconciled.
So, when she saw Huang dressed in formal attire and already waiting in the carriage, and saw the Duke in a daze, she quickly took the initiative to bow and indicate that she would not go. Was she being arrogant because of her favor? She was clearly retreating humbly.
She hadn't expected the Duke to order Huang out of the car, publicly humiliating her. Tang was terrified. She didn't know why the Duke was so angry, but she was afraid that the Duke, Ye Zhou, would regret it tomorrow and use her as a scapegoat to win Huang's favor and forgiveness.
So she praised Huang's clothes sincerely and in a flattering way. In a clumsy way, she wanted to save Huang's face. She was just an insignificant and unworthy concubine, and you were the mistress, the legitimate wife who could wear the palace clothes of a noble lady.
As a result, the Duke ordered Huang to be stripped of her outer clothes and forced to kneel in the cold courtyard... After attending the palace banquet trembling with fear, Tang heard that Huang had a serious leg disease. She herself was worried and frightened and had a high fever for three days, and was ridiculed by the Duke.
When she woke up, she heard that the Duke had invited an imperial physician for her, and even the court physician for Huang was invited by the old housekeeper.
She had become the so-called "favored concubine" without knowing why, and she and the Duke had lived in peace and happiness for many years. Ye Zhou did not let other concubines overshadow her, but she had never been the only one to stand out.
Although she may not be particularly favored behind closed doors, and her treatment is similar to that of other concubines, she is indeed asked to manage the household and act as the mistress. Her children also seem to be looked up to by the Duke because of her hard work.
When word got out about him favoring his concubine over his wife, memorials were flooding the imperial court. Tang was horrified once again. Those who heard her accused her of being a wicked seductress, bullying her mistress. The Duke offered no comfort, only mocking her again, "You're as cowardly as a mouse!"
Ye Zhou entered the palace, but instead of confessing his crime, he even demanded a divorce, much to the dismay of Emperor Mingzheng. Ye Zhou had previously commanded the Western Route Army, but it was later split into three divisions, one led by the Marquis of Ningyuan and one still under Ye Zhou's command. Ye Zhou suggested that he no longer care about this division, and since they had all impeached him, he would retire completely.
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