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

Lacking conclusive evidence, the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion could easily deny that it had instructed the Changtai Marquis's Mansion to persecute Wei Fengyun.

However, cleverly utilizing the grudges between the Marquis of Changtai's mansion and the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion could also be a good strategy.

Jiang Huaiyu smiled and waved for Cuiying to help Pei Shi up. “To know one’s mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue. It is truly wise of you to have such awareness, sister. Now the Duke of Wei’s mansion is highly favored by the Emperor. Our duke’s mansion and marquis’ mansion are all doing our duty to the Emperor. Sister’s ability to understand the times and follow the trend is truly a sign of intelligence.”

Pei's legs were weak, and she struggled to stand up. She said gratefully, "Thank you, Duchess, for giving the Marquis of Changtai's mansion this opportunity. From now on, my mansion will follow the lead of the Duke of Wei's mansion and be loyal to it."

Jiang Huaiyu had little interest in the Pei family's loyalty. All she wanted was to use the Changtai Marquis's mansion to deal with the Jing'an Marquis's mansion and make them pay the price for their actions.

Jiang Huaiyu was filled with mixed feelings, but then she said, "I heard that Liao Yulong, the heir of the Marquis of Jing'an, is about to return to the capital to report on his duties. He is not yet married, so why not betroth your daughter to him?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Pei looked troubled. "The Lady of Jing'an Marquis has a high standard of vision. How could she accept me, the daughter of a declining marquis's family, as her principal wife?"

A hint of sarcasm appeared on Jiang Huaiyu's lips. "Why covet the position of principal wife? With the current power of the Marquis of Changtai's mansion, being able to become the concubine of the heir of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion is already considered lucky."

Jiang Huaiyu naturally did not want the Marquis of Changtai's mansion and the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion to become related by marriage, as that would only make the relationship between the two families closer.

"Send your daughter to the Jing'an Marquis's residence as a concubine so that she can gather information within and stir up trouble in the inner quarters. It is said that Liao Yulong is very likely to be promoted one rank and become a third-rank official during his return to the capital for his official duties. I require you to operate in secret to ensure that his path to promotion is blocked."

"Of course, there will be a reward after it is done. Haven't you always cherished your son? If this matter is successful, let Mai Yuxi return to the Fujian Division and serve as the commander. As long as your Changtai Marquis's Mansion obeys your orders, when my son Wei Fengyun inherits the position of commander of the Fujian Division, I will surely secure at least a thousand-household position for your son in the future, and even the title of garrison commander is not impossible."

Upon hearing this, Lady Pei was deeply moved, for Jiang Huaiyu's generosity far surpassed that of Lady Jing'an.

Looking back, Mai Yuxi's position as the head of the company was something Mai Yufeng had earned at the cost of his life, and through his own hard work. Now, Jiang Huaiyu made the same promise so casually.

The price to pay was merely to have her daughter, Mai Xiyue, become a concubine of the heir of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion, secretly passing on messages and disrupting the inner quarters of the Jing'an Marquis's residence. This deal was far too worthwhile.

Mai Xiyue was already destined for marriage, and a daughter's marriage would be like a flood, while the future of the Changtai Marquis's mansion depended on his son. What did sacrificing Mai Xiyue's marriage matter as long as it could secure a bright future for Mai Yuxi?

Even if the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion learns that she has sided with the Duke of Wei's mansion and will surely punish Mai Xiyue harshly, Madam Pei no longer cares about that.

"Please rest assured, Madam Duchess, I will do my utmost." Madam Pei bowed respectfully again, making a solemn promise.

Jiang Huaiyu felt disgusted by Pei's behavior of exchanging her daughter for benefits, but since she wasn't her daughter, she didn't need to feel sorry for her. She then gestured to Chunyi to fetch a silver note of one thousand taels and handed it to Pei.

"Look at your clothes, they seem to be from the year before last. In a little over a month, it will be the Apricot Blossom Banquet hosted by the Imperial Concubine. Here's a silver note for you, use it to buy some gorgeous clothes for your daughter, and make sure she wins Liao Yulong's heart in one fell swoop."

At this moment, Madam Pei was troubled by a shortage of money. The expenses of the Marquis of Changtai's mansion were enormous, and a few days ago they even had to sell their last shop. Jiang Huaiyu's thousand taels of silver notes came just in time to relieve the Marquis of Changtai's mansion's urgent crisis, and were even more generous than Madam Liang, the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an.

She humbly bowed and thanked her, saying, "Thank you, Madam. Your generosity is truly moving. The Marquis of Changtai's mansion will serve you wholeheartedly."

Jiang Huaiyu nodded gently and reminded her, "When you get back, have a good talk with your daughter. If she's unwilling, don't force her. Perhaps there are other feasible ideas."

With a flattering smile on her face, Madam Pei said in a gentle voice, "My daughter is naturally filial. For the sake of the future prosperity of the Marquis of Changtai's mansion, she will surely agree willingly."

Jiang Huaiyu nodded slightly and calmly ordered, "You may leave."

Pei bowed respectfully, holding the silver notes in her hand, her face beaming with a smile, and slowly left the Duke of Wei's mansion.

Cuiying, standing nearby, was filled with doubt and couldn't help but ask, "Does Madam really intend to accept that Pei woman? She's as fickle as a weather vane; I'm worried about her..."

Jiang Huaiyu took a deep breath, her tone calm yet firm: "For the sake of her son, she will willingly submit. The young master is currently a fourth-rank military commander. Once her son joins the Fujian Division, he will be completely at our mercy."

Cuiying immediately understood and exclaimed, "Madam's wisdom is extraordinary."

"When the young master returns, have him come to Moyou Hall for a meeting. I have important matters to discuss with him."

"As ordered."

Sitting in the carriage returning to the Marquis of Changtai's residence, Madam Pei's expression was calm, a far cry from the obsequious demeanor she had displayed in front of Jiang Huaiyu. The Marquis of Changtai was idle all day long, and the future of the entire manor rested on her alone. She had to run around everywhere, groveling to please others, enduring endless humiliation, and losing the dignity of the mistress of the manor.

Thinking about all this, a crystal tear quietly slid down the corner of her eye.

Pei raised her head, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and recalled the scene when she first married into the Changtai Marquis's mansion when she was young. She originally thought that endless wealth and glory awaited her, but she never expected to see such a desolate scene today.

She was absolutely unwilling to become someone else's appendage. Whether it was the Duke of Wei's mansion or the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, they would all become stepping stones for the Marquis of Changtai's mansion to climb to the top.

Didn't Jiang Huaiyu want Mai Xiyue to become the concubine of the Marquis of Jing'an's heir?

Humph.

A sly glint flashed in Pei's eyes. Becoming the heir apparent's concubine was nothing compared to becoming the Jing'an Marquis's concubine directly. This way, she could not only humiliate Liang, who had always given her the cold shoulder, but she might even be able to replace her and make her daughter the mistress of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion.

Pei's schemes grew increasingly insane; she was already prepared to use any means necessary.

Inside the Changtai Marquis's residence, Lady Pei, the wife of the Changtai Marquis, coldly watched Mai Xiyue kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Sobbing, Mai Xiyue said in a choked voice, "Daughter... promise Mother..."

Only then did Madam Pei's indifference turn into a beaming smile as she kindly helped Mai Xiyue, who was kneeling on the ground, to her feet. She said gently, "This is the good daughter I love. All these years, I have not spoiled you in vain. Now is the time for you to repay the Marquis's mansion."