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

General Yao Zhendong was deeply shocked. He had expected the Jiaxing Marquis's family to be promoted to Duke based on the Marquis's illustrious military achievements. However, the sudden promotion of Wei Fenghui and Wei Fengyun made him wary.

Yao Zhendong originally thought that by controlling the military, he could support Wei Fengyao to ascend the throne and achieve a great feat of supporting the emperor. He also planned to marry his eldest daughter to the seventh prince as his principal wife, at which point the Yao family would become the most prestigious noble family in the Western Wei Kingdom.

But now it seems that His Majesty intends to give more power to the Duke of Wei's family, especially since Wei Fengyun has recovered from his intellectual disability, there is even a tendency for him to take charge of the Sword-Binding Division. In addition, the niece beside Jiang Huaiyu was specially brought from her maternal home in Jiangnan, this Lady of Wei is obviously also ambitious and has aspirations for great things.

Yao Zhendong's state of mind was like a tender leaf covered by autumn frost, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Deep down, he worried that the Yao family's glory and achievements might be usurped by the Duke of Wei's mansion, causing the family's wealth and prosperity to vanish. He secretly vowed to marry his daughter to the Seventh Prince, Wei Fengyao. As for Wei Fengyun and Wei Fenghui, at least one of them had to disappear, otherwise the Duke of Wei's mansion would become too powerful to control.

Lady Xu, the wife of the Marquis of Changning, was filled with joy. She and Jiang Huaiyu had always been on good terms, and now that the Marquis of Jiaxing's mansion had been promoted to the Duke of Wei's mansion, it would be the icing on the cake if she could form a marriage alliance with him.

Lady Pei, the wife of the Marquis of Changtai, had mixed feelings. If she hadn't trusted Mai Yufeng so easily and helped Lady Jing'an frame Wei Fengyun, creating obstacles for her son Mai Yuxi in front of Wei Fengyun, the relationship between the Marquis of Changtai's mansion and the Duke of Wei's mansion wouldn't have become so tense. Her dissatisfaction with the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion was growing daily.

However, the situation was now set in stone, and Lady Pei had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue the alliance with the Marquis of Jing'an's household. But she was determined to extract as many benefits as possible from the Marquis of Jing'an's household.

Furthermore, now that the Jiaxing Marquis's Mansion has been promoted to the Duke's Mansion, if his son could marry Jiang Xinrui and shift all past grievances to the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?

The Pei family ultimately decided to adopt a two-pronged strategy, as both sides would benefit the Changtai Marquis's mansion regardless of which side won.

Wei Fenghui's banquet for the top scholar came to a close amidst praise and blessings. In the afternoon, many noble families and dignitaries departed, and the Duke of Wei's mansion began the cleanup work after the festivities.

……

As night fell, Jiang Huaiyu, hand in hand with his three sons, entered the ancestral hall to offer a solemn tribute to the deceased Wei Dinglian.

Jiang Huaiyu's eyes were slightly moist. He gently lit an incense stick, bowed reverently, and then inserted the incense into the incense burner.

"You have now been honored as the Duke of Wei, and the Emperor's favor has been bestowed upon you. Your three sons have all achieved success, which is enough to allow you to rest in peace in the afterlife."

Wei Fenghui and his two sons knelt down in turn, kowtowed deeply to Wei Dinglian, and offered incense.

The following day, the plaque in front of the Jiaxing Marquis's residence was also renewed, replaced with the majestic and solemn name of the Duke of Wei's residence. At the same time, the emperor's decree of commendation for the border troops was also issued in full.

In addition to the honor bestowed upon the Duke of Wei's mansion, General Yao Zhendong was promoted to Marquis of Zhenbei, and the remaining generals and soldiers also received corresponding rewards. Everyone was overjoyed, and the entire army was invigorated.

In the imperial court, the three brothers, Wei Fenghui, Wei Fengyun, and Wei Fengyao, each held important positions and had already gone to their respective offices to perform their duties. Meanwhile, Princess Feixue, who had previously resided in the Duke's mansion, returned to Jingfan's residence with her maid, Mengqin.

Jiang Xunzhi and his wife planned to return to the distant Jiangnan region with their son, Jiang Xinhao, as there was a vast family business waiting for them to take care of. Jiang Xinrui, on the other hand, was left at the Duke's mansion by Jiang Huaiyu.

In the capital region, people compared and commented on the Duke of Huguo's mansion and the Duke of Weiguo's mansion.

The Duke of Huguo's mansion gave birth to the illustrious Consort Chao. Now that the Empress's position is vacant, she has assumed the imperial seal and oversaw the entire harem. The Duke of Huguo, as the first-rank prime minister and leader of the civil officials, wields immense power in the court.

To avoid suspicion, the heir of the Duke of Protectorate chose the path of a military officer and is currently serving as a sixth-rank military officer in the Five Armies Commandery.

In contrast, the three sons of the Duke of Wei's family have achieved outstanding success in the three major areas of civil administration, military prowess, and intelligence agencies. Given time, they will surely surpass the Duke of Hu's family and stand out from the crowd.

Jiang Huaiyu sat in Moyou Hall, listening to the latest news from the capital relayed by Steward Zheng, and couldn't help but sigh.

At present, the Duke of Wei's mansion is at its zenith, enjoying great prestige. At this moment, the wisest course of action is to remain low-key to prevent malicious individuals from taking advantage of the situation to launch an attack on the Duke's mansion, thereby ensuring its stability and peace.

Inside the Duke of Wei's mansion, in the Moyou Hall, warm incense wafted and red candles burned brightly.

Cuiying and Granny Wu were busy counting the congratulatory gifts they had received yesterday. As they sorted through the gifts, they talked in hushed tones, their faces beaming with joy and surprise.

Cuiying carefully opened a beautiful box, revealing two dazzling red corals inside. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Madam, look at these red corals! Their color is so vibrant, their texture so exquisite—truly rare in this world!"

Granny Wu chimed in, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes: "Yes, this red coral is priceless. I'm afraid even the ladies in the palace might not have such a treasure."

Jiang Huaiyu sat on a grand chair to the side, her gaze fixed on the two-zhang-tall jade screen depicting a fairy bathing. She gently stroked the surface of the screen and said calmly, "This jade screen is truly exquisite and lifelike. It seems that Consort Xi attaches great importance to this birthday banquet."

Cuiying asked curiously, "Madam, why do you think Consort Xi would send such a valuable gift?"

Jiang Huaiyu smiled slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes: "Consort Xi is meticulous and exceptionally intelligent. By sending these gifts, she is expressing her respect and friendliness towards me, and also demonstrating her status and wealth. I myself would be reluctant to give away such gifts."

Granny Wu nodded and said with emotion, "What you say is absolutely right, Madam. These gifts are priceless, but Consort Xi gave them away without hesitation, which shows how much she values ​​you."

At this moment, Cuiying presented the silk gauze and pearl brocade, and said softly, "Madam, these two pieces of gauze and brocade are soft in texture and bright in color. They would be excellent for making clothes."

Jiang Huaiyu nodded slightly, but her gaze fell on the one hundred gold ingots. She sighed softly, "These gold ingots are worth ten thousand taels of silver. Such a huge amount is truly astonishing. Jiang Huaiyu, what merit do you possess to receive such a generous gift?"

Granny Wu quickly comforted her, "Madam, you don't need to be modest. You have worked diligently in the household, taking good care of your husband and children, and have earned everyone's respect. The fact that Consort Xi sent these gifts is also a recognition of you."

Cuiying chimed in, "Yes, Madam, you are our role model, and we all admire you very much."

Jiang Huaiyu smiled slightly, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes: "I know, I will continue to work hard and live up to expectations. However, these gifts are too valuable, and I must find a way to make them the most valuable."

Granny Wu asked curiously, "Madam, what are your plans?"