Gu Wanning had no desire to be tied to a stallion like him either.
However, being divorced by a husband meant she was morally deficient, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry would be pointing fingers at her for the rest of her life.
That was absolutely out of the question.
Even if she were to leave, it had to be through an amicable separation!
"What evidence does the Marquis have to prove that I am prone to jealousy?" Gu Wanning forced herself to say, though she was actually panicking internally.
Xu Weibai was almost driven to laughter by his own anger. He pointed a large hand at the four pieces of "charcoal" kneeling on the ground. "Aren't they evidence enough?"
"How do they count as evidence?"
Even as she retorted, Gu Wanning felt uneasy.
The First Concubine, Li Jinxiu, was the daughter of a minor official. She was quiet, taciturn, and kept to herself.
The Second Concubine, Jin Rongrong, came from a merchant family. She was the most clever and slippery of the bunch, never one to stick her neck out.
The Third Concubine, Wen Huaying… she was the type who wouldn't utter a word even if you kicked her three times. She came from a family of imperial physicians and was a medical practitioner herself. She was favored by the Grand Princess, who had bestowed her upon Xu Weibai. This one had a powerful backer and didn't seem like a troublemaker.
The Fourth Concubine, Zhou Yaya, was the youngest. She was only thirteen when she entered the manor and was barely sixteen this year. She was a "silly-sweet" girl from the mountains, said to be from a martial arts family. She knew kung fu and had a fiery temper.
This one was the most dangerous.
Sure enough, the Fourth Concubine looked at Xu Weibai as if he were her savior and began rattling off Gu Wanning’s "crimes" one by one.
"Flogging and punishing us at every turn is one thing, but she even withholds our monthly allowance…" The more the Fourth Concubine spoke, the angrier she became. Her eyes burned with such fire it seemed she wanted to take Gu Wanning down with her.
"You're young; there are things you don't understand," Gu Wanning lied through her teeth. "It's like a child being beaten—how could they possibly appreciate their parents' painstaking efforts? Silly girl, do you think I'm being strict with you to harm you? It's because I love you."
"You… you…" The Fourth Concubine's lips trembled with rage, but she was speechless.
Gu Wanning smiled brightly. "You've practiced martial arts since childhood, so you should understand the importance of a strong physique better than anyone. Furthermore, the expenses of such a large Marquis's Manor are enormous, and we are stretched thin. That's why I had you all clear the land to farm. It not only strengthens your bodies so you can better expand the family lineage for the Marquis in the future, but it also makes us self-sufficient and reduces expenses…"
As she spoke, she almost moved herself to tears.
What had she done wrong?
"The Marquis says I am jealous? It truly chills my heart. I am clearly acting out of love, planning for the long term. The Marquis says I am talkative? Well, you can ask them—do I ever speak much to them in our daily lives?"
She didn't even require them to perform the morning and evening courtesies because she was too lazy to see them.
Much less talk to them.
All of Xu Weibai's accusations were groundless.
The Fourth Concubine shook with rage. She wanted to pull the other three concubines in to testify with her, but she found their heads lowered almost to their chests. Where was there any sign of them helping her?
Fine, fine! She had stuck her neck out for everyone, even losing her will to live, and this was how they treated her!
"Glib-tongued and sanctimonious!" Xu Weibai squeezed the words out through gritted teeth.
His subordinate, Gao Lan, had previously investigated Gu Wanning's background and said she was petty, narrow-minded, stupid, and wicked.
He hadn't mentioned that she was a silver-tongued orator.
Xu Weibai loathed her even more.
"Thank you for the compliment, Marquis." Gu Wanning raised a hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, looking indolent and at ease. "The Marquis has just returned; why not take a good rest? I'm feeling unwell today, and since I am not pleasing to the Marquis's eyes anyway, I won't stay here to offend you. Look at these beautiful concubines—you can keep whoever you like to serve you, or keep them all together."
Enjoy yourself, I'm leaving!
"Stand still! Where do you think you're going?" Xu Weibai spoke, his voice tinged with fury.
He wasn't done speaking, and she wanted to run?
Was she using these four pieces of charcoal to mock him?
Did she really think that after three years in a military camp, even a sow would look like Diao Chan to him?
"I'm going to set up the cucumber trellis," Gu Wanning’s voice drifted back from a distance. "Agricultural tasks cannot be delayed. Since the Marquis cannot bear to see his concubines work hard, I can only do it myself."
Xu Weibai: "…"
Now only he and the four pieces of charcoal remained, and he felt incredibly frustrated.
Having been struck by the betrayal of her "teammates," the Fourth Concubine's heart had also gone cold. She knelt there, dejected and listless.
The other three went without saying; they hadn't dared to look at Xu Weibai once since he arrived.
Xu Weibai naturally wouldn't let Gu Wanning off so easily, but at that moment, a maid came forward to announce something.
"Marquis, the Grand Princess has sent someone to call for you," an attendant said respectfully at the door.
"Understood," Xu Weibai replied with a cold expression.
After returning to face the Emperor, he should have gone to pay his respects to his grandmother, but he hadn't.
Now his grandmother was getting impatient.
"The Grand Princess said you must bring Madam with you."
A flash of loathing crossed Xu Weibai's eyes.
If his grandmother hadn't pushed for it back then, the Emperor wouldn't have bestowed the marriage between him and Gu Wanning.
"Marquis, should I send someone to invite Madam?" Gao Lan asked tentatively.
"No need. Take the Third Concubine."
The Third Concubine stood up and followed submissively behind Xu Weibai.
The other concubines' eyes filled with inquiry, envy, and various other emotions.
As for Gu Wanning, she had originally only intended to put on a show. But looking at the neat, vibrant, and lush vegetable plots in the backyard, she forgot for a moment that she had traveled through time.
The green onions stood tender and tall, rows upon rows of them pleasing to the eye; the purple stems and round-bellied purple eggplants were delightful to look at; the cucumber vines were flourishing but a bit messy—no rush, they would be tidy once the trellis was up…
There were also small red radishes, cilantro, and even a patch of watermelons. The tiny watermelons beneath the female flowers made it impossible for Gu Wanning to look away.
Current Gu Wanning felt the happiness of a mouse that had fallen into a grain bin.
In her past life, she was a child who grew up in the countryside with her grandfather, and she had studied agriculture in university.
Though she was unemployed upon graduation and had to change careers to become a cubicle worker among steel and concrete, the pastoral dream had always been hidden in the depths of her heart.
After all that, had her dream been realized by her predecessor?
Unfortunately, this was the Marquis's Manor, not her own territory.
Although she had just escaped a disaster, she didn't think Xu Weibai would stop finding trouble with her.
To hell with the "one big happy family" of wives and concubines—she just wanted to be beautiful and alone!
Away from the stallion, she wanted an amicable separation.
Oh, wait, that wouldn't work; their marriage was bestowed by the Emperor.
Unless Xu Weibai committed an unforgivable crime and she drew a clear line between them, there was basically no possibility of separating.
If they couldn't separate, how could they live under one roof in peace?