How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

The banquet at the Marshal's Mansion had just ended, and the family was still gathered in the main room.

The banquet was cleared away, and fruits, tea, and cakes were set out again.

The stage in the courtyard was filled with the sounds of opera, specifically the play about Chang'e flying to the moon, which was Grandma Guo's favorite. Seeing the audience full of filial sons and grandsons made her very happy.

Commander Guo washed his hands with the water the maidservant had brought him, rinsed his mouth, and then wiped them haphazardly with a handkerchief.

Seeing Guo Zixing sitting next to the First Madam, listening to her scolding, nodding his head, it was unclear how much he had absorbed.

"Is the eldest brother twenty this year?"

Guo Zixing was taken aback. He realized his father was asking him a question, so he quickly stood up and respectfully replied, "Yes, after the Laba Festival, it will be the 20th."

"When I was your age, you could already walk."

Commander Guo said with a touch of nostalgia, "I was busy back then and didn't spend much time with you. I don't know how you grew up. Now that I have time, you've already grown up."

Grandma Guo also came to her senses and, hearing her son talking about her eldest grandson, stopped watching the opera.

"That's right. The eldest son is already twenty. Without your approval, his mother wouldn't dare to arrange a marriage for him."

His mother and wife both looked at him with expectant eyes, especially his mother, whose eyes revealed strong disapproval and resentment.

Commander Guo couldn't help but laugh and said, "There are advantages to getting married later. I've found a good match for you; the daughters of the Qiao family seem perfect to me."

Grandma Guo and her daughter-in-law didn't go out much, so even when Marshal Guo mentioned them, they weren't very clear about it.

Mrs. Guo then asked, "What kind of family are they? What are their character like?"

Mrs. Guo's eyes darted around, and she knew what was going on. She couldn't help but snort coldly, "From the Qiao Mansion, right?"

Commander Guo nodded, without denying it.

Apart from Old Madam Guo and Mrs. Guo, almost everyone present knew who Marshal Guo was referring to.

The Qiao family was a well-known wealthy family in the area. Unlike the Song family, which rose to prominence later, the Qiao family had been wealthy for three generations. At this time, they held the position of "Director" in the government, in charge of finance. They were a very well-off family.

No wonder Mrs. Guo snorted coldly when she heard this. Such a good family, why didn't she give it to her second son?

After hearing General Guo's explanation, Grandma Guo and Grandma Guo were overjoyed. Grandma Guo, in particular, was very happy. Her daughter was already married, and her only worry was her son's marriage. Now that it was settled, she was very pleased.

"Thank you for thinking of him, sir. Zixing, hurry up and thank your father."

Guo Zixing bowed respectfully to his father, his voice filled with gratitude, and said, "Thank you, Father."

Commander Guo waved for him to sit down, saying, "We're family, so let's not stand on ceremony. You're old enough to get married now, so we'll find you a wife and children to fulfill our wish as your elders."

I'm not young anymore. After taking care of your affairs, I'll need to look after my younger siblings. Now that you're married and have a capable wife, please help me with the household chores as soon as possible.

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked.

Old Mrs. Guo and Mrs. Guo were naturally delighted, but Mrs. Guo was still somewhat worried. Looking at the expressions of Mrs. Guo and the others, she sighed, "I'm afraid things will get unsettled again."

The phrase "managing family affairs" immediately suggests to anyone with a discerning eye that a "crown prince" is to be appointed, leaving the family affairs to him, leaving the other brothers with nothing to do.

When Commander Guo made this public at the family banquet, he clearly intended to make it a done deal and not allow any changes. As a result, Second Madam Guo was so angry that she threw down her chopsticks, turned around and left, disregarding all manners.

Guo Ziyou and his sister hurriedly chased after them, while the other concubines and sensible children had different expressions.

Commander Guo watched the show with an air of nonchalance, as if he hadn't stirred up the waters at all.

Mrs. Guo glanced at Marshal Guo, a hint of worry in her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "Sir, you should go and see her. Don't let her get too upset."

As for her son's marriage, she didn't mention it; she was quite satisfied and didn't want to cause any trouble.

Commander Guo stopped his family, "Aren't you going to watch the play? What are you going to do watching me?"

These words silenced the family, who obediently watched the play, but they "had no taste in their food" and had no idea what was happening on stage.

The third concubine observed Commander Guo out of the corner of her eye. Seeing him repeatedly raise his glass, she knew he wasn't completely indifferent. However, as an elder in the household, she had always adhered well to the principle of "minding one's own business."

Although General Guo had many wives and concubines, just by looking at their appearances, one could tell that he was not a womanizer.

His most beloved second wife, in particular, was not even as beautiful as his dull and uninteresting first wife.

Compared to the first wife's quiet and refined appearance, the second wife was rather rugged, with a large face, high nose, straight eyebrows, big mouth, and dark skin. Yet, it was precisely this masculine face that made her the most favored by Marshal Guo.

Although they were all concubines, she was the only one who could be called the second wife, considered the second wife, while the others were concubines, one rank lower than her.

The reason is that the second wife was with Guo when he was still a platoon leader, and she entered the family almost one after the first wife.

However, she was too late and became a concubine, which she always regretted and always disliked the first wife.

Back then, Guo Dashuai was a loafer who spent his days loitering on the streets of his hometown. Later, by chance, he joined the army and lived a life of hardship, never thinking of starting a family.

Later, he made some progress and returned to his hometown with the money he had amassed through fighting. He was severely beaten by the old lady, who then arranged a marriage for him.

The marriage was with a girl from his hometown village. He couldn't remember if her surname was Wang or Li, nor did he care. He would marry her as long as his mother was happy.

Thus, they got married in a daze, left their families behind, and once again went to the battlefield.

This time his luck turned around, and he was promoted to platoon leader upon returning home. However, the price was too high, as his position as platoon leader was equivalent to that of the previous platoon leader.

In that battle, only he and the platoon leader remained from the entire platoon. In the end, the platoon leader stuffed the severely wounded him into a pile of corpses, then took a satchel charge and ran towards the enemy without hesitation...

When Commander Guo woke up again, the platoon leader's sister was standing in front of his bed. The girl had the same square face as the platoon leader, so it was obvious that the two were related.

With tears streaming down her face and her eyes red, the girl slapped Commander Guo hard across the face, almost sending the life she had just managed to save back to the King of Hell.

This girl was the second wife. From then on, she cut her hair, put on her brother's military uniform, and stayed by Marshal Guo's side until she took revenge herself, and then she began to grow her hair long.

She followed Commander Guo through thick and thin, saving him from danger on numerous occasions. Of course, Commander Guo also saved her many times, and that's how they became friends.

At first, it was awkward. Guo Dashuai felt like he had slept with the platoon leader. But later, he gradually became comfortable with him and they became inseparable.

Compared to other women, the second wife was someone that Marshal Guo was willing to entrust his entire back to. There weren't many people who could gain his trust, and the second wife was the first.

Only after Commander Guo rose through the ranks to become a military governor did he cease his military campaigns and begin to settle down. He chose to settle his family in the relatively stable city of Sifang and brought his mother and first wife there.

At that time, the first wife had already given birth to a son and a daughter during the occasional visits of Commander Guo.

Despite her physical limitations while serving in the army, the second wife managed to have two children.

The two women were naturally extremely awkward when they met. The first wife felt that the second wife had stolen her husband, while the second wife was even more resentful, believing that the first wife was merely reaping the benefits without effort.

Indeed, Guo Degang's empire owes much to the efforts of his second wife.

Fortunately, Commander Guo did not back down and let the two women fight each other. He waved his hand and built a magnificent courtyard to take good care of the old lady and the first wife.

He then renovated the east courtyard and moved there to live with his second wife like a proper married couple.

Neither of the wives was very educated, but the second wife was slightly better. At least she had been away from home for many years and knew how to conduct herself, but interpersonal relationships were indeed difficult for her.

As the status of the Marshal's Mansion rose, the social interactions outside were no longer something the two wives could handle, so a third concubine was brought in.

Although she came from a poor family, she was a genuine noblewoman from a prominent family. Her grandfather had served as the Salt Commissioner during the Qing Dynasty, making her a proper daughter of an official. Thus, the "madam's social life" of the Marshal's family was resolved.

Later, he rescued the granddaughter of an old imperial physician and took her as his fourth concubine. Since her arrival, the injuries and illnesses that General Guo suffered from from time to time have been relieved.

Later, someone sent over a socialite, a delicate and charming woman, whom he greatly admired for a while. After sleeping with her, he gave her a title, making her the current fifth concubine.

Except for the fifth concubine who has no children yet, all the other women have given birth. The first and second concubines each have two children, the third concubine has only one daughter, and the fourth concubine has a son.

With six children in total, both boys and girls, plus a house full of beautiful women, they could be considered to have "a house full of children and grandchildren."

When General Guo publicly told Guo Zixing to take care of the family affairs, wasn't that like tearing out the heart of the second wife?

In her view, this family business was built by her and Commander Guo, so naturally her children should take the lion's share.

But General Guo announced it in public, implying that he wanted Guo Zixing to succeed him. How could that not break her heart?

This struck a nerve with her hidden pain. No matter how capable or proud she was, once she became a concubine, she was born inferior to others, and even her children suffered because of her.

One moment filled with resentment, the next with regret, and heartbroken.

In the past, when she lost her temper, Commander Guo would always come to apologize. No matter how respectful and flattering others were to the Commander outside, they would still have to bow their heads to her when they returned home.

Not to mention the Marshal's Mansion, there are few husbands in all of China who are as considerate as this, which is why the second wife is most reluctant to part with Marshal Guo.

Guo Ziyou paced back and forth in the hall, extremely agitated. Guo Huaitong, resting on the second wife's lap, didn't know how to comfort him, and just watched his brother's pacing with pain in his eyes.

"Don't leave, I'm already annoyed."

Guo Ziyou snapped, "And you're still talking about me? You're so whiny, aren't you annoying?"

He realized his mistake as soon as he finished speaking and quickly slapped himself twice. "Mom, I didn't mean it. I wasn't talking about you."

The second wife said quietly, "You're looking down on me too? You think I'm not as pretty and virtuous as those other women?"

This wasn't a question for him; it was practically a question for his own father. However, since Commander Guo wasn't there, Guo Ziyou couldn't figure out what the woman was thinking.

In fact, ever since the later concubines entered the mansion, the second wife's mentality gradually deteriorated.

She knew where her family fell short: she wasn't good-looking, her youth was fading, and with Commander Guo's position stabilizing, she was no longer needed to lead the charge.

Having lost this advantage, she felt powerless in the backyard, and the less she could exert herself, the more she felt sorry for herself.

Only by firmly grasping onto Commander Guo, to show that he had not failed, could he soothe the deep-seated fear and anxiety in his heart.

But this domineering attitude also pushed Guo Dashuai further and further away. He respected and loved her, but he was also afraid of her and annoyed by her. It wasn't like he had no other choice. If he was wronged here, there would be other gentle and lovely women to comfort him.

As a result, the other concubines gradually gained more favor.