After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

The reason why Gan Cai'er couldn't figure it out was because she couldn't see through it: love and hate are just two sides of the same coin.

Love taken to the extreme can breed resentment.

Women from aristocratic families were taught from a young age that "the father is the heaven of the son, and the husband is the heaven of the wife."

Fathers cannot be chosen, but husbands can. For the sake of this "sky," they can resort to all sorts of bizarre and incomprehensible methods, even outrageous ones.

In the Cuihan Courtyard of the Duke of Wei's Mansion in the twenty-fifth year of Jinghe.

"Has the Duke finished his shift?" Mei Wanyin asked.

"Reporting to Madam, the Duke has already returned," Qiaoque replied.

"Notify the kitchen to prepare dinner, and send someone to invite the Duke over."

"Yes."

Before long, the clever sparrow returned.

She said cautiously, "Madam, the Duke said he won't be coming today."

"Have you found out whose courtyard he went to?" Mei Wanyin asked with a stern face.

"Zhuo Ba said that the Duke plans to take his eldest son out riding." Qiao Que's voice became even softer.

A crisp "snap!" sounded.

Mei Wanyin swept the teacup off the table and smashed it into four or five pieces, spilling tea all over the floor.

The sparrow shuddered, wanting to hide but daring not to.

"In his eyes, there is only that bastard child born of that adulterous woman!"

Mei Wanyin's voice was filled with resentment and anger.

"Madam, be careful what you say!" Granny Wu stepped forward and helped Mei Wanyin up.

"Mommy..."

Looking at the wet nurse who had taken care of her since childhood, Mei Wanyin could no longer hold back her grievances, and tears streamed down her face.

“He went to guard the border and was gone for five or six years. I took care of and managed the entire Duke’s mansion. Later, when the news of his death in battle came, I collected his clothes and buried him. I also took care of his mother and raised his children. I did everything I could.”

"But look, Granny, he's been back for over half a year, how many times has he come to my courtyard? Has he even thanked me a few times for my hard work?!"

“Madam, you’re just being stubborn,” Granny Wu said, shaking her head.

"Although the Duke doesn't visit your courtyard often, he still comes eventually. He hasn't set foot in the courtyards of the other two concubines. Perhaps the Duke's temperament has changed after experiencing life and death."

"Furthermore, he still entrusts the management of the Duke's mansion to you, which shows that he still approves of your position as the mistress of the house. Moreover, the young master Dun, whom you and he have, is the rightful heir. Do you still fear that anyone in this mansion can surpass you?"

“But he killed Zhuo San as soon as he came back, and even personally taught that bastard son.” Mei Wanyin’s voice trembled slightly. “Granny, what do you think he found out?”

"Madam, don't be afraid," Granny Wu reassured her by patting the back of her hand.

"Even if the Duke finds out something, he wouldn't dare do anything to you. She's just a concubine; the Madam can beat or kill her as she pleases, let alone just kick her out of the mansion. You are the head of the household, and you have the entire Mei family behind you."

"The Duke surely knows which is more important."

With Granny Wu's comforting words, Mei Wanyin felt somewhat at ease.

Evening, inside Rongci Hall of the Duke of Wei's Mansion

Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out: "You bastard, what are you saying?!"

A sixty-year-old woman with completely white hair, her face full of anger, picked up a dragon-headed cane and started hitting Meng Yu.

Meng Yu sat in the round-backed chair, sipping his tea with his eyes down, motionless, letting the old lady Meng's cane fall on him with a dull "thump, thump, thump".

"Madam, this is unacceptable, this is unacceptable!" The surrounding old women and maids immediately rushed forward and separated the two.

"Even if you don't care about the Duke, you should at least care about yourself. Don't get upset and hurt yourself, or your heart will ache again at night," the head maid, Qiuyu, advised softly.

The room was in complete chaos, but Meng Yu sat quietly, unmoved.

Upon seeing this, Old Madam Meng clutched her chest, furious, and exclaimed, "She's just a woman! Are you really going to ruin the entire Meng family for her?!"

"You unfilial son! I thought you had improved over the years, but who knew you were still obsessed with women and couldn't tell what was important!"

“Mother! She is the woman I married, Xing’er’s mother.” Meng Yu raised his eyes and said solemnly.

"She's just an unfaithful mistress. If she hadn't given birth to your eldest son, she wouldn't be worthy of entering the Meng family!"

"Moreover, even after entering the Meng family, she remained unchanged in her lewd nature, seducing people everywhere..."

"mother!"

Before Old Madam Meng could finish speaking, Meng Yu interrupted her sharply. Meng Yu's phoenix eyes stared intently at Madam Meng, causing her to suddenly shiver.

For a moment she forgot that her youngest son had always been unruly and disobedient.

But if they are disobedient, they still need to be disciplined.

"You want to take her into the family as a secondary wife? Have you thought about Wanyin? Have you thought about the Mei family?!"

“The Mei family has been high-ranking officials for three generations. How dare you humiliate them like this! The Mei family has a great influence in the court. No matter how high your merits are, they can still tear a piece of your skin off.”

"Foolish! You're foolish!"

"If you really want to marry that woman again, I'll only do it if I die!!"

With each sentence she spoke, Madam Meng slammed her dragon-headed cane hard on the ground. In the end, she even threw the cane away.

The conversation between the mother and son ended unhappily.

The next day, in the Imperial Study

"What?! You want to exchange your military merits for a marriage arranged by me?!"

Emperor Jinghe looked at the memorial in his hand and felt his jaw drop in astonishment.

"No, Minister Meng, didn't you already have a wife?"

According to the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty, a first-class duke could have one wife and eight concubines, marrying a total of nine women. However, he could generally only have one principal wife, unless there was an extremely important reason for having a secondary wife. For example, the emperor might bestow a marriage upon him by imperial decree.

Emperor Jinghe thought of Prime Minister Mei's stern face and felt that he could not take on this disaster.

Meng Yu lifted his robe and slowly knelt down.

“Back then, I lied to her, saying I would marry her, which is why she left home and we got a divorce.”

"Although she is no longer here, the debt remains, and I shall repay it."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request your permission."

After saying this, Meng Yu kowtowed to the ground and remained there for a long time.

Emperor Jinghe was speechless.

"My dear minister, the person you're referring to is a concubine registered with Grand Tutor Lan. How do you wish me to designate her for you?"

Meng Yu is gone.

Emperor Jinghe breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to get away with it.

Three days later, the Prefect of Jingzhao knelt outside the Imperial Study, holding a booklet, requesting an audience.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to do justice for this old minister!"

"Please rise, sir. What has happened?"

"Your Majesty, yesterday the Duke of Wei forcibly broke into the Jingzhao Prefecture's treasury, found a marriage register from four years ago, and tore it up without saying a word! This is utterly disregard for the law and goes too far! Absolutely outrageous!!"

Lord Chen, who was over fifty years old, tremblingly raised the booklet above his head, his face streaked with tears.

Emperor Jinghe was furious. He felt a tightness in his chest and almost choked on his breath.

He didn't even need to look to know what Meng Yu was tearing up!

This madman, this lunatic! What is there that Meng Yu wouldn't dare to do?!

"Order the Imperial Guards to bring the Duke of Wei to me immediately!" Emperor Jinghe roared.

Before the eunuch who was delivering the order could even leave, Zhang Dezi came running in.

"Grand Tutor Lan has already bound the Duke of Wei and is waiting at the palace gates for Your Majesty to decide his fate!"