Lady Yao escaped from the small courtyard and commandeered Old Master Xia’s carriage, wailing that she insisted on going.
"Old Master, I, Lady Yao, am the official wife!"
"I am the legitimate mother! They should be kowtowing to me!"
She resolutely could not give in!
After all, once there’s a first time, there will be a second, and after that, a third.
Otherwise, wouldn’t she have to let Lady Wen walk all over her?
This was absolutely unacceptable!
Old Master Xia was very annoyed.
"Get off my carriage!"
Given Lady Yao’s malicious nature and her refusal to mend her ways, a sense of disgust had grown in his heart.
On reflection, he realized he had been blinded at the start.
The sight of his twin children had once made him feel they were a blessing from the heavens.
No matter how outrageous Lady Yao’s actions became, he had always turned a blind eye.
Now, however, he had finally come to his senses.
He finally understood that this woman was the one who had thrown the Xia Residence into turmoil!
Old Master Xia deeply regretted indulging her.
So, when he could no longer bear it, he finally gave the order.
"Servants, escort Madam back to reflect on her actions. If anyone dares to let her out again, male servants will be sold to a male brothel, and female servants to a regular brothel!"
"Those who don’t believe me can try it!"
As soon as these words were uttered, the expressions of the servant boys and maids trailing Lady Yao instantly changed.
Several of them scrambled, using both hands and feet, to drag Lady Yao away.
Old Master Xia breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling unburdened as he headed towards Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion.
Sitting in the carriage, the corpulent Old Master Xia half-closed his eyes, a bitter taste filling his heart.
Both women had borne him children, yet now they were irreconcilably at odds.
Caught in the middle, he found himself in an unenviable position.
Lady Yao was clearly at fault, but Maternal Aunt Wen... ah!
Ultimately, the fault lay with him!
He was the one who had driven Xia Tingfeng from home all those years ago, wasn’t he? And the grievances Maternal Aunt Wen had endured for so many years were undeniably real.
Even though she was born of a concubine, she shouldn’t have been tormented so.
And then there was the matter of legitimate versus concubine-born children.
What about the Empress in the palace, or Jingfeng, who was about to take the imperial examinations?
They were siblings, both legitimate children of his first wife!
Sigh! He realized he had failed them all.
Old Master Xia sighed, lamenting inwardly, I shouldn’t have had so many women!
If there had been only one, he wouldn’t have let them all down.
He was, after all, a man of letters, possessing some understanding of romantic affections.
But only a little.
Stubborn, favoring sons over daughters, fixated on the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born, and staunchly feudal—these traits still defined Old Master Xia.
His guilt towards Maternal Aunt Wen surfaced only in fleeting moments.
In truth, he was still being lenient with Lady Yao.
If Lady Wen had committed such acts, she’d likely be in a brothel by now!
Such was feudalism; such was the distinction between the legitimate wife and concubines.
「...」
「At Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion.」
After Miss Ni and Xia Tingfeng served tea to his parents, Lady Wen smiled and presented her new daughter-in-law with a gift.
Miss Ni gazed at the two gleaming hairpins in her palm, her smile a picture of demure elegance.
"Thank you, Mother!"
She had called her ’Mother,’ not ’Concubine’!
A slight smile touched Xia Tingfeng’s lips; he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
His wife thought exactly as he did!
In his heart, Maternal Aunt Wen was the true Madam, his mother, far more honorable than Lady Yao!
Maternal Aunt Wen looked a little flustered.
"Please get up!"
Xia Tingfeng and Ni Manxue both rose.
Old Master Xia presented some gifts and exchanged a few pleasantries, but he soon grew restless.
He rose abruptly, an embarrassed expression on his face.
"Old Master..."
Lady Wen was the first to rise to attend to him.
Xia Tingfeng and Ni Manxue also stood up.
Old Master Xia cleared his throat. "It’s... it’s nothing. Please, keep sitting. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave!"
With that, he departed with his two personal servant boys, almost as if fleeing.
He felt ashamed to be in Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion and had no desire to linger.
When his son had been disrespectful, he had come here out of spite.
Now that his son was willing to invite him, he felt awkward!
A scholar’s mind is indeed as unfathomable as a woman’s!
Xia Tingfeng frowned for a moment, reaching this conclusion.
Lady Wen, too, felt exceedingly awkward.
After mulling it over, she felt something wasn’t quite right.
So, that evening, after dinner, she finally departed by carriage.
However, she left Xia Caiying behind.
Xia Caiying cried and refused.
Lady Wen gently persuaded her with heartfelt words.
"This is your brother’s home; no one will dare bully you here. Your sister-in-law adores you too. Just stay here!"
"I’ll come visit you often in the future!"