“My son, I agreed to let you marry her because you said she was a good daughter-in-law. Is this the good daughter-in-law you were talking about?”
“Mother, you can’t blame her.” Pei Lingyu said somewhat embarrassedly, “It was my fault for being so reckless. If you want to blame someone, blame me.”
Pei Lingyu lowered her head.
It's quite embarrassing to say this to your own mother.
"You, you, you..." The aunt was so angry that she almost fainted.
Especially when she saw Jiang Yao's face, which looked even more charming because of her husband's love for her.
Looking at the ordinary-looking maids in the courtyard, especially Pei Lingyu's two plain-looking concubines in the crowd.
If I had known this would happen, I would have found two attractive girls for my son. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been won over by that little slut.
"My son, you're so foolish!" The aunt pounded her leg in anger.
"Mother, please accept her as your daughter. I truly love her."
Pei Lingyu held Jiang Yao's hand. Jiang Yao was fixing her hair, which was all messed up from running.
Fortunately, she ran fast and was not injured.
"Mother, please accept her. She's the only one I'll ever love."
The aunt was so angry that she burst into tears.
"What a tragedy, what a tragedy..."
On the wall, Qingxing stared in disbelief. "Miss, isn't Madam being a bit too extreme?"
"Although she is dissatisfied with the second young lady, the young master's reputation is already ruined. The second young lady is, after all, the daughter of a Beijing official and has a reputation for talent in the capital. How come the madam treats the second young lady like some worthless piece of trash and looks down on her so much?"
"Even if the Second Miss behaved improperly and seduced the Young Master before, it's not entirely her fault. Besides, during today's greetings, the Young Master also admitted that he did *that*, so why is the Madam blaming the Second Miss entirely..."
"If you don't blame her, who else can you blame but your own son?" Jiang Shuwan leaned against the wall and smiled contemptuously. "Pei Lingyu is the only son of the Madam, her precious darling."
"How could my darling be wrong? The one who's wrong must be that wicked woman outside."
"And think about how the noblewoman's dowry was moved away yesterday?"
"Does Miss mean that the Madam is blaming the Second Miss for the matter of the noble ladies' dowry?" Qingxing asked in surprise.
"It's not just about property. The noblewoman's family hates the Earl's Mansion with a passion, and the Earl's wife will also hold Jiang Yao accountable for this."
"The old man suffered a misfortune before, but was able to escape danger thanks to the help of the noble lady's family. They even became husband and wife. Now, the marriage is over, and they have become enemies."
"Madam Bo will probably blame all of this on Jiang Yao."
"Then doesn't Madam hate the Second Miss to death?" Qingxing gasped.
On the other side, Madam Bo and Pei Lingyu were still locked in a tense standoff, with Madam Bo vowing never to acknowledge Jiang Yao as her daughter-in-law.
Jiang Yao hated Madam Bo even more.
In her previous life, Aunt Bo treated Jiang Shuwan well, so she thought Aunt Bo would treat her well in return, or even better.
Unexpectedly, a cup of boiling water was smashed over her head. Luckily, it was cold, so her face was only slightly burned.
The aunt was so ruthless towards her, did she really intend to cling to her?
She's not one of those indigenous women who tremble at the sight of their mother-in-law like a mouse before a cat.
My mother-in-law is nothing.
She is the future mistress of the Earl's mansion.
My mother-in-law will need her to support her in her old age.
"Yulang, let's go back. I'm a little tired."
As she spoke, Jiang Yao pulled Pei Lingyu. Pei Lingyu looked at his mother with some embarrassment, but Jiang Yao pretended not to notice his troubled expression and dragged him into the bedroom.
Soon, embarrassing sounds came from inside the room.
"Yulang, please don't do that, my back is still sore..."
"!"
Madam Bo fainted immediately. After waking up, she went to cause trouble for Jiang Yao again.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were arguing fiercely, and their servants were also at loggerheads.
"They're making such a racket."
"Looks like I won't be able to get any peace and quiet for a while."
Jiang Shuwan sighed and slid down the ladder.
Jiang Yao always thought the Earl's Mansion was a blessed place, but it wasn't at all.
The Earl's family rose to prominence through military achievements and received imperial favor. Although their rank was one level lower than that of the Marquis's family, their wealth was no less than that of the Marquis's family.
The Earl's family had a small population, with only Pei Lingyu's branch of the family. With few people and few expenses, they naturally accumulated a lot of silver.
However, the Earl's Mansion was far less powerful than the Marquis's Mansion.
When the title of Earl was passed down to Pei Lingyu's father, the old Earl, he held only a sinecure and had no real power.
Last year, the canal flooded, breaching its banks for thousands of miles. The old man then secured a position to oversee the canal's repairs.
The repair of the canal and the control of floods were major national affairs. The imperial court allocated several million taels of silver. Those below, fearing that their superiors would discover their embezzlement, would bribe their superiors with silver.
As for the river, it also needs to be repaired, but we'll spend less money and replace the good stones with ordinary ones.
Anyway, it's not like there's a major flood every year. After a few years, when the stones rot, we can just apply to the court for money to repair the river and make another fortune.
Corrupt officials are seasoned veterans at this; they give money everywhere, including to the old man who is one of their superiors.
The old man was dazzled by the gleaming silver.
This kind of thing is nothing new in the government. Everyone is corrupt together, the risk is very small, and officials at all levels take bribes. How can you integrate into the group if you don't take bribes?
The old man failed to uphold his principles; however, no sooner had he taken the money than a major flood occurred.
The river dam broke, turning thousands of acres of fertile land on both sides of the canal into a vast sea.
The people were displaced, their lives were miserable, and their grievances were widespread.
The Emperor was furious, and the Ministry of Justice launched a thorough investigation. All the officials who had embezzled money, including the old man, were apprehended.
Therefore, the aunt sought help from the Marquis's mansion, but the mansion refused to help. The aunt then turned to a noble family for help.
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