Madam Wang stood in the courtyard of Ning’an Hall, gazing toward the direction of Cloud-Grasping Pavilion. Her eyes grew profound as she swore in her heart that someone would repay her and her son’s suffering a hundredfold.
The main branch would not have peaceful days. She would definitely bring her own sons and grandsons back to inherit everything of the Jingyuan Marquisate.
What Madam Wang was scheming in her heart, she did not say, and no one could know.
But Swallow Holding Branch, standing by the study tower window, put down the Thousand-Mile Lens in her hand. The expression of knowing something on Madam Wang’s face was deeply imprinted in her mind. She knew that Wang Caibing and the second branch would not let matters rest here.
So they were targeting the main branch, were they?
Indeed, they were a bunch of cowards who bullied the weak and feared the strong, always picking the soft persimmons to squeeze.
Swallow Holding Branch recalled the various scenes she had witnessed in the backyard of the Jingyuan Marquisate in her previous life. Putting herself in their shoes, she guessed what Wang Caibing would do next.
Wang Caibing might very well make the Old Marquis and the main branch taste the heart-wrenching pain of losing a son.
Although Wang Caibing’s mind wasn’t that full of twists and turns, she had after all been a mistress before. Her schemes and methods were merely inferior, not stupid.
Moreover, wasn’t there still Yan Jingzheng behind Wang Caibing!
Although he had left the Jingyuan Marquisate, he hadn’t severed contact with his birth mother. With him giving advice to Wang Caibing from behind, who could guarantee what Wang Caibing might do?
Previously, the second branch and Wang Caibing had acted covertly and cautiously, after all, one misstep could implicate the second branch. But now, the Jingyuan Marquisate no longer had a second branch.
Instead, this would allow Wang Caibing and Yan Jingzheng to act without restraint, taking revenge on the Old Marquis and the main branch.
Swallow Holding Branch felt it necessary to remind her parents not to become complacent because the second branch had left, lest someone exploit a loophole.
She put down the Thousand-Mile Lens in her hand and ran back to Cloud-Grasping Pavilion with a thumping sound.
When Swallow Holding Branch arrived at the main hall’s parlor, she saw her parents talking. Drawing closer to listen, she realized it was about the second branch.
Although several days had passed since the second branch’s adoption matter, Yan Tingbai still felt relieved and happy whenever he brought it up.
The Old Master was indeed still biased toward him. Served the second branch right for trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice—they suffered a huge loss this time!
But compared to her husband’s smugness, Madam Bai wasn’t as pleased. The second branch was gone, but there was still a Madam Wang in this mansion!
Living in the same mansion with an enemy who wanted to harm her was like dwelling under a dangerous eave, constantly anxious and unable to feel at ease.
Holding her belly, Madam Bai couldn’t help but frown: “How can I rest assured to nurture the fetus like this? Even when sleeping, I can’t help but want to keep one eye open.”
“You’re overthinking things. The Old Master just dealt with the second branch.
Where would Madam Wang dare to cause trouble!
You need to understand, Yan Jingzheng is still waiting for the Old Master to help him maneuver into an official position!
If they stir up trouble again now, and the Old Master gets angry and refuses to help him, wouldn’t he just be a commoner with no official rank?
No matter how foolish they are, they wouldn’t cause trouble at this time!”
Yan Tingbai, however, had his own perspective, believing the second branch and Madam Wang wouldn’t rush to do anything because they hadn’t obtained what they wanted yet. How could they bear to anger the Old Master at this moment?
Madam Bai smiled bitterly. This was the difference between men and women. Her husband, as a man, didn’t move within the inner quarters, and his thoughts were different. Naturally, he felt safe now.
But who was Madam Wang?
She was the Old Master’s second wife, Madam Bai’s nominal mother-in-law.
As the mother-in-law, she held a natural position of authority and had countless ways to make life difficult for her daughter-in-law.
Even before she married, Madam Bai had heard many stories about daughters-in-law being tormented by cruel mothers-in-law until they went mad or took their own lives.
Many of the harsh rules and doctrines within the inner household were actually devised by women to torment other women. Unable to confront men, they could only vent their frustrations on weaker, more defenseless targets.
The second branch being expelled from the marquisate was akin to carving a piece of flesh from Madam Wang’s heart. It would be strange if she didn’t direct her resentment toward the eldest branch.
For now, with the Old Master still alive, Madam Wang naturally wouldn’t dare act recklessly. But if the Old Master were to pass away, things would be hard to predict.
Madam Bai couldn’t explain her worries in detail to her husband. Even if she did, without firsthand experience, Yan Tingbai would find it difficult to truly understand.
But Swallow Holding Branch understood the difficulties all too well. Madam Wang didn’t need to deliberately do anything malicious.
Simply by invoking doctrines and rules to make Madam Bai serve her mother-in-law, she could wear a person down to the bone.
Swallow Holding Branch stepped forward and took Madam Bai’s hand. “Mother, release people, send them out of the estate, and replace them with our own.”
No matter what methods Madam Wang intended to use, one thing was certain: she wouldn’t personally take action. By seizing the opportunity now to release servants who might be loyal to Madam Wang or disloyal to the eldest branch from the estate, they could directly cut off Madam Wang’s eyes, ears, and hands.
The eldest branch would be much safer.
As for whether some servants might be wronged or caught in the crossfire in the process, it was inevitable.
But the marquisate was not short of people to employ. While servants couldn’t be replaced outright, Madam Bai was in a critical position now and couldn’t afford any mishaps.
Even if some were innocent, they could only be considered unlucky.
As for Madam Wang’s desire to torment her daughter-in-law, there was no need to rush. As long as the Old Master was alive for another day, Madam Wang would have to behave for another day. There was still time for the eldest branch to devise countermeasures.
Upon hearing her daughter’s words, Madam Bai quickly grasped the idea, her eyes lighting up. “That’s a good plan.”
The Jingyuan Marquisate had far too many servants. Due to the peculiar rule of only buying new servants and never selling any off, the marquisate’s servants had become generation after generation of hereditary household retainers, resulting in more servants than masters.
Within the Jingyuan Marquisate, these connections were deeply intertwined, forming a vast network of relationships. Sometimes, an inconspicuous young maid might have parents or grandparents who were stewards inside or outside the estate.
As the lady of the household, Madam Bai had been plagued by these intricate relationships when she first took charge of the household. It took her great effort to sort them out and ensure that those below her didn’t dare to feign compliance while acting contrary.
Although slaves and servants were considered the property of their masters, to make these servants productive, they had to be provided with food, rice, and money—a considerable expense.
The cost of feeding and supporting the servants alone exceeded the expenditures of the masters themselves.
Providing food, rice, and money was fine if the servants obeyed dutifully, but some old servants who had served the previous masters and lived comfortably had forgotten their place.
They became arrogant beyond measure, idling about without working, and some even turned into greedy rats, pilfering from the public stores for their private gain.
Madam Bai had long been displeased with this and had been looking for an opportunity to thoroughly rectify the situation.
Especially now, with fewer masters in the marquisate, there were far too many idle servants, making such extravagance entirely unnecessary.
Now, reminded by her daughter, Madam Bai thought more and more that it was a good idea. Not only would it remove some people and cut off Madam Wang’s right-hand men, but it would also save a large sum of money. Increasing income and reducing expenditure are the foundation for a family’s long-term existence. Thinking about it, it truly was a win-win situation.
Madam Bai turned to look at her husband beside her: “Father of our child, what do you think of Sister Yuan’s idea?”
“This is a great idea! It quietly drives away those disloyal to us and saves money too. Excellent, excellent! This is a wonderful idea. Truly worthy of my daughter—so clever!”