Madam Qin, after all, did not completely lose her mind. Although she disliked the Old Madam and looked down on her attendants, she knew that the Old Madam had been capable since she was young, and her management of the household was praised by outsiders. Otherwise, she wouldn't have thought of having the Old Madam educate Mingzhu. Upon hearing Granny Fang's words, Madam Qin realized that she had been teaching her daughter too naively, to the point of foolishness.
"Mother can maintain her composure in front of Madam Wang because she has the confidence to do so. What about you? What do you have? The Marquis's family background is not the best, and your father does not dote on you exclusively. If anything were to happen, he would certainly prioritize the reputation of the Marquis's household. What is most important for a young lady before marriage? It's not your extensive reading or eloquent speech, but a reputation for virtue and kindness. As a junior, disrespecting elders, in the eyes of others, reflects poorly on your upbringing," Madam Qin said sternly. "For those you look down upon in terms of status, you must at least show them due respect to avoid giving them any grounds for criticism."
Qi Mingzhu had initially sought comfort from Madam Qin. After all, the Old Madam had reprimanded her in front of her two younger sisters, causing her to lose face and feel wronged and resentful. However, when she came to her mother, she received no comfort, only a lecture.
She felt so wronged.
Madam Qin, who had doted on her daughter since childhood, truly loved her. But remembering what Granny Fang had said, that the Old Madam even intended to annul the marriage with the Lu family, she had to harden her heart.
"It seems I have spoiled you too much in the past, raising you to be ignorant of the world's complexities. You must know that this capital is not lacking in families with status and position. If you throw a brick, it might hit ten people, and perhaps nine of them would be people you cannot afford to offend," Madam Qin said with a cold expression. "Therefore, you must change your temperament, or you won't even know how you offend people in the future."
Qi Mingzhu was intelligent; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to read so well. Once something was pointed out, she understood.
But that was in the past.
Now, due to Madam Qin's 'pregnancy,' Qi Mingzhu was sent away by Madam Qin with the excuse of being tired after only a short visit.
Qi Mingzhu had long harbored resentment. She felt no joy about Madam Qin's pregnancy; instead, she felt a sense of grievance.
She resented the unborn child, whose gender was unknown, for stealing Madam Qin's attention and affection away from her.
"You've already raised me with this kind of temperament, and you expect me to change it overnight? Impossible," Qi Mingzhu said stubbornly. "You don't need to worry about me. Since you're pregnant again, go and worry about that one. As for me, I'll fend for myself."
With that, she stormed off in a huff.
Madam Qin was so angry she was gasping for breath. Granny Qin quickly dismissed the servants in the room and closed the door. "Don't be angry. The young lady is upset because she was reprimanded by the Old Madam, and you lectured her without understanding the situation. How could she feel alright?"
"Fortunately, this is a fake belly. If it were real, she might have been angered to the point of losing it. In the past, I always thought daughters should be pampered, spoiling her to the point of lawlessness. Now, I realize I was truly wrong. Which legitimate granddaughter of other families isn't close to their grandmother? Yet she... alas!" Madam Qin felt an unshakeable gloom in her heart.
"It's enough that the Princess Consort favors our young lady. The Old Madam also cares for her; if she didn't, she wouldn't have sent Granny Fang to tell you about today's matter," Granny Qin reasoned. "Fortunately, the young lady is still young, and you still have time to teach her properly. Besides, our young lady isn't ignorant of these things; she's just aloof and unwilling. If she were willing, she would certainly do well. Didn't she manage the household affairs very well before?"
"That may be so, but..." Madam Qin frowned. "We must discipline her more in the future! Keep a close eye on Ru Yan and don't let any mistakes happen."
"You can rest assured about that. The Old Madam has sent people to serve her, and the Marquis is very attentive. Ru Yan is living very comfortably and her health is well-maintained. In another two months, we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl," Granny Qin said in a low voice. "She still visits Tinglan Courtyard often and seems quite close to that Madam Yun."
"I'm afraid they wouldn't be close. This way, it will be convenient for us to act in the future," Madam Qin sneered. "Everything in this Marquis's household can only belong to me and my child. That slut dreams of getting a share."
Granny Qin nodded in agreement, muttering to herself that Madam Yun was a decent person. Even after having a son, she hadn't used him to flaunt her status; she still lived in her small courtyard, content with her own life, and wasn't anxious even if the Marquis didn't visit. If it were a concubine in another family, the main wife would be smiling in her sleep. It was just bad luck to be a concubine of the Marquis and to be favored by him. Given her young lady's temperament, how could she tolerate it? It was only in the early years that her methods were less refined; if it were now, she would likely have been dealt with long ago.
Meanwhile, Qi Tianming was hastily summoned to Chaohui Hall.
The Old Madam immediately berated him, leaving Qi Tianming bewildered.
After the Old Madam vented her anger, he cautiously inquired what had happened.
Granny Fang systematically recounted the matter of Qi Mingzhu. Qi Tianming's brow furrowed. "I originally thought she was intelligent, but now it seems she's utterly foolish!"
"After all, she is your daughter. We cannot watch her continue to be so foolish. I have spoken with Madam Qin, and if necessary, we will annul the marriage with the Lu family," the Old Madam said slowly. "This will also put some pressure on that mother and daughter, so they don't think everything is within their calculations. These people are not fools. The Lu family is even less foolish. If they were to marry a legitimate daughter who is not worthy of being a matriarch, they would likely prefer to marry someone of insufficient status but who is competent in all matters."
"Mother, please reconsider. Zhenzhen is already betrothed to the heir of the Duke's mansion, a good marriage personally approved by Master Yuanjue," Qi Tianming quickly said. "The heir has met with me several times and has been extremely respectful, clearly treating me as an elder and being very satisfied with this marriage. Zhenzhen cannot be promised to anyone else!"
The Old Madam was so angered by Qi Tianming's nonsensical talk that she gasped for breath. "When did I ever say I wanted to annul Zhenzhen's marriage to the Duke's mansion? How is your brain wired? As you age, your brain hasn't improved at all! Having a good relationship with the Lu family doesn't mean we have to marry off one of our daughters to them. The head of the Lu family has a daughter, who is greatly doted upon. She is eight years old this year and is about the same age as our Yi Ge'er..."
Qi Tianming immediately understood. Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. He had been short-sighted, focusing only on the previously arranged marriage, and had forgotten about this. If nothing else, he was quite proud of his son. At such a young age, he had learned martial arts well, and his scholarship had been praised several times by great scholars. His temperament was steady, and his actions were measured. In another two years, he would truly be a fine young man. Even the young master of the Lu family spoke highly of him, stating that at his age, he couldn't compare to Yi Ge'er.