The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

After Song Wenjun and the old Marquis left, Madam Zhou hurriedly sent someone to summon Gu Huaizhou.

"Mother, why did you call me over in such a hurry?"

Gu Huaizhou had just finished his shift and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when Zhou called him over.

Zhou dismissed everyone from the room, and after the servants closed the door, she anxiously asked him, "Your father wants to marry Jiang off. Didn't your wife tell you?"

Gu Huaizhou looked surprised: "Why would you want to marry her off all of a sudden?"

"I don't know where that old man heard those rumors from, saying that Jiang's presence in the Marquis's mansion would cause gossip."

"To avoid the Marquis's family gaining a reputation for being mean, that's why we're marrying her off. We've already found a suitable match for your future wife, and after they meet, someone will come to propose marriage."

Gu Huaizhou looked flustered and said urgently, "Mother, no! Miaoyin must not get married."

"What's the use of telling me all this now? If you hadn't done such a disgraceful thing, I wouldn't be worrying about you." Zhou looked at Gu Huaizhou with cold eyes, wondering what he was thinking, getting involved with his sister-in-law.

That Jiang Miaoyin is also a shameless little harlot. If it weren't for the fact that she gave birth to Gu Huaizhou's son, she would have been drowned in a pig cage long ago.

Gu Huaizhou pulled at his hair with both hands, his brows furrowed, looking quite distressed.

Things happened so suddenly that he hadn't figured out a solution yet.

But in this household, the old Marquis is the one who calls the shots.

Once he's made up his mind, no one can change it.

Thinking of what the old Marquis had done to the family over the years, a flash of hatred crossed Gu Huaizhou's eyes.

When he looked up again, his eyes turned venomous: "Mother, I have an idea that I need your help with."

Looking at his expression, Zhou felt frightened. She knew her own son's character all too well.

He's just as selfish as that damned old man; they'll stop at nothing if their interests are threatened.

Zhou felt a chill run down her spine, shrank her neck, and asked, "What do you want me to help you with?"

How do you feel about how your father has treated you all these years?

“What else can I do? Over the years, my father has either treated me coldly or spoken ill of me. I…” Zhou Shi stopped abruptly, swallowing back the words of hatred she was about to utter.

Who knows if the old Marquis has any spies or informants in this house?

Zhou asked Gu Huaizhou, puzzled, "Why are you asking this out of the blue?"

"I just feel sorry for you, Mother. Every time Father takes a concubine over the years, it is a humiliation for you. Mother, do you really want this kind of life?"

From the time Gu Huaizhou could remember, he knew that his mother was living a life of widowhood.

My father never set foot in my mother's room, and even during holidays, the woman sitting next to him was always a concubine.

The Zhou family is just a figurehead.

Zhou gritted her teeth and gave a bitter smile: "I'm just a woman, what can I do?"

"I don't want to see my mother suffer anymore." Gu Huaizhou suddenly moved closer to Zhou Shi and said in a low voice, "If Father falls ill, then Mother will be in charge of this Marquis's mansion. At that time, Mother can do whatever she wants with those concubines and their bastard children."

Zhou was startled. She looked at Gu Huaizhou in horror and said incoherently, "You, what nonsense are you talking about?"

“Mother, I’ve made up my mind.” Gu Huaizhou held Zhou’s hand tightly and said, “If Father finds out about my affair with Jiang Miaoyin, she will definitely not survive, and she may not even be able to keep her son’s title. We can’t be soft-hearted anymore.”

Zhou was somewhat flustered. This matter was of great importance, and she had not yet made up her mind.

Gu Huaizhou, however, made up his mind and said, "It's just making him sick, not taking his life. What is Mother afraid of?"

"I, I..." Zhou was so flustered that she could not even speak properly.

Over the years, she had become so accustomed to accepting whatever came her way that she never even considered rebelling.

"Mother, think it over carefully." After saying this, Gu Huaizhou left.

He knew that Zhou would definitely listen to him. Over the years, Zhou had been cursing the old Marquis and wishing him dead.

She just needs a trigger point.

……

Akifuin.

Li's mother told Song Wenjun everything about Ruyi Residence.

"No sooner had you left than the First Madam summoned the Marquis over. The two of them talked in the room for a long time. This old servant did not dare to get too close. I only heard some words about titles and not being soft-hearted, so I did not dare to listen anymore."

Although it was just this incomplete passage, Song Wenjun could still sense a conspiracy in it.

It's highly likely that Zhou wanted Gu Huaizhou to come up with a plan on how to stop the old Marquis from marrying Jiang Miaoyin off.

Given Gu Huaizhou's wicked and malicious nature, if he wanted to control the entire mansion, the old Marquis would be a huge obstacle.

He must have been contemplating patricide.

Song Wenjun was not surprised at all. She would have underestimated Gu Huaizhou if he didn't dare to do it.

After all, he's capable of anything to climb the ladder.

Song Wenjun gave Li Mama a five-tael gold ingot and said, "Li Mama did a good job. This is a reward for you."

"Thank you, Madam Xie." A greedy glint appeared in Madam Li's eyes, and she felt even more strongly that her decision to follow Song Wenjun was the right one.

Song Wenjun waved her hand, signaling her to step back.

Li's mother bowed respectfully before leaving.

After she left, Song Wenjun rested her chin on her hand and fell into deep thought.

Given Zhou's timid nature, she would never dare to listen to Gu Huaizhou and harm the old Marquis.

She will only take action if she is pushed to the limit and her interests are threatened.

"Xiao Tao, call Mama Xu in."

"Yes, ma'am."

Before long, Xu Mama came in and curtsied to Song Wenjun: "Young Madam, please call this old servant."

Song Wenjun looked up at her, her fair face full of smiles.

These days, she's been nourished by ginseng and bird's nest, and her complexion is excellent. Her face is like a peeled egg, smooth and elastic.

"There's a New Year's Eve dinner at the manor tonight. This year is a bit special because we've had a new young master and a new young lady, and the new concubine is currently very favored. It's only right and proper that I prepare a generous gift for her. But if I only give it to Concubine Shen, it would be too deliberate. I've been thinking, why don't I select some gifts from the storeroom and send one to each of the courtyards? Those silks, satins, jade, agate, and the like can't be given away as gifts, so I'll just send one to each of the courtyards."

Mrs. Xu nodded, then asked, "Does Aunt Shen need special treatment?"

“Although she can’t be treated specially, her two children are the old Marquis’s precious darlings,” Song Wenjun reminded her.

Madam Xu immediately beamed with joy: "What the young mistress says, this old servant will do right away, and I guarantee that the young mistress will be satisfied."

"I trust you to handle things, go ahead."