Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

Madam Pei was extremely dejected, slumped in her chair, her eyes filled with endless worry. Looking out the window at the sky, she sighed inwardly, wondering how the Marquis of Changtai's mansion had come to this. At that moment, her son, Mai Yuxi, entered, and seeing his mother's appearance, his heart tightened.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Mai Yuxi walked to Pei's side and asked softly.

Madam Pei raised her head, looking at her son, trying to hide her disappointment, but the worry in her eyes was still evident. She gently patted Mai Yuxi's hand and said, "Xi'er, do you know? I've been observing other families lately, and they are all thriving, while our Changtai Marquis's mansion has been declining. This makes me feel very unbalanced."

Mai Yuxi frowned slightly as he listened to his mother's words. He knew that his mother had been worried about the decline of the family. He sat opposite Pei Shi and said earnestly, "Mother, I know your worries, but please believe me, I will do my best to revitalize the family."

Looking into her son's eyes, Madam Pei felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She knew that her son was her greatest hope. She held Mai Yuxi's hand tightly and said, "Xi'er, your mother has high hopes for you. I hope you can find a family in-law who can elevate the family's status. Do you know, your mother already has two candidates in mind."

Mai Yuxi looked at her mother with a puzzled expression and asked, "Mother, which two people were they?"

Madam Pei smiled slightly and said, "One is Jiang Xinrui, the daughter of the Jiang family. Her family is incredibly wealthy. If we can form a marriage alliance with her family, the status of our Changtai Marquis's Mansion will be greatly enhanced. The other is the daughter of the Yao family. Her father is a powerful minister in the court. If we can form a marriage alliance with her family, the status of our Changtai Marquis's Mansion in the court will also be enhanced."

Hearing his mother's words, Mai Yuxi's heart stirred. He knew that his mother had made careful arrangements for the future of the family. He looked at his mother, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes, and then said firmly, "Mother, I will do as you wish, and I will definitely revitalize the family."

Looking into her son's eyes, Madam Pei nodded in satisfaction.

Her son would not let her down. She gently patted Mai Yuxi's hand and said, "Xi'er, Mother believes in you. You must work hard to bring the family back to its former glory."

……

Before the banquet began, Madam Pei secretly slipped away, her figure disappearing into the bustling crowd. Madam Yu and Madam Xu sat to the side, their gazes falling simultaneously in the direction she had left, a hint of worry on their faces.

Madam Yu sighed softly and said, "Sister Pei's actions are truly worrying. I wonder how Mai Xiyue is doing now."

Madam Xu nodded slightly and said, "Yes, we have all seen Sister Pei's anxiety. However, are you aware that the heir of the Marquis of Changtai was once demoted?"

Madam Yu was slightly taken aback and said, "Oh? I didn't know about this. Wasn't the Marquis of Changtai's mansion always powerful? How could they have been demoted?"

Madam Xu smiled slightly and said, "This all started with the feud between the Marquis of Changtai's mansion and the Marquis of Jiaxing's mansion. Back then, the heir of the Marquis of Changtai's mansion had a misunderstanding that led to a feud with the Marquis of Jiaxing's mansion. Later, as the Marquis of Jiaxing's mansion's power in the court gradually grew, they took the opportunity to frame the heir of the Marquis of Changtai's mansion, which resulted in his demotion."

Upon hearing this, Madam Yu couldn't help but sigh, "So that's how it is. It seems there are many twists and turns behind this. However, since Sister Pei seems so anxious, shouldn't we go and comfort her?"

Madam Xu gently shook her head and said, "It's not the right time yet. Let's observe first and see if Sister Pei can find Mai Xiyue on her own. If that doesn't work, then we'll lend a hand."

The two chatted casually during the banquet, and the topic gradually turned to the current situation of the Marquis of Changtai's mansion. Madam Yu said, "The Marquis of Changtai's mansion has greatly diminished in power, and it is indeed not easy for Sister Pei to support it all by herself."

Madam Xu said, "Yes, but Sister Pei has a strong character, and I believe she will be able to overcome this difficulty. However, we still need to be careful about what's behind this."

As the two were talking, the banquet gradually began. Servants from the Marquis of Changtai's residence bustled about, setting out various delicacies. Madam Yu and Madam Xu temporarily put aside their conversation and began exchanging pleasantries with everyone.

However, Pei's departure created a somewhat awkward atmosphere at the banquet. Although no one dared to speak out directly, their eyes revealed worry. Yu and Xu, feeling uneasy, exchanged glances and decided to find an opportunity to look for Pei.

Halfway through the banquet, Madam Yu and Madam Xu pretended to go to the restroom and quietly left the banquet. They searched the mansion and finally found Madam Pei in a corner of the garden.

Pei stood alone in the garden, gazing at the starry sky, her eyes filled with endless longing. Yu and Xu exchanged a glance and tiptoed over to her.

Madam Yu said softly, "Sister Pei, you're here? We were worried about you."

Madam Pei turned around, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, followed by a grateful smile: "You...you've come all this way?"

Madam Xu said, "We were worried you'd be overthinking things while you're here alone, so we came to check on you. Have you found Mai Xiyue yet?"

Madam Pei shook her head, tears welling in her eyes: "I searched the entire mansion, but I couldn't find any trace of her. I really don't know where she is now, or if she is safe."

Madam Yu comforted her, "Sister Pei, don't worry. We're all here, and we'll definitely help you find Mai Xiyue. Did you know that Sister Xu just mentioned the demotion of the Marquis of Changtai's heir?"

Madam Pei nodded slightly: "I know some things, but I don't know the specific details. I only know that we lost contact after he was demoted."

Madam Xu said, "Sister, don't worry, we will help you find out the truth about this matter. The most important thing now is to find Mai Xiyue and bring her back safely."

A resolute glint flashed in Pei's eyes as she said, "Thank you. I will try my best to pull myself together and search for Xi Yue with you."

Madam Pei returned to her seat, her gaze sharpening slightly as she noticed her daughter, Mai Xiyue, had finished the lychees. Her expression darkened with displeasure. She stared coldly at Mai Xiyue, her tone stern, and said, "Mai Xiyue, what is the meaning of this? I specially prepared lychees for you, yet you ate them all by yourself. Don't you know this is impolite?"

Mai Xiyue was taken aback, not expecting her actions to offend her mother. She hurriedly explained, "Mother, I... I thought you didn't like lychees, so..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Pei's expression softened slightly, but she still said sternly, "Just because you don't like it, does that mean you can enjoy it all by yourself? Do you know that the family's reputation is maintained by the behavior of each and every one of us? If you don't follow the rules and others laugh at you, wouldn't that bring shame to the family?"

Mai Xiyue lowered her head, not daring to meet her mother's gaze. She knew she had to be obedient at home, or she would be punished. She sighed silently in her heart and made a silent vow to be more careful in the future.