The Old Lady Hou slammed the table directly.
"Preposterous!"
"You didn’t know that He Xiang Powder should not be mixed with alcohol?"
"Which pharmacy did you buy the medicine from, tell me the name, and I’ll investigate it myself!"
Tan Biluo instantly fell silent.
The Old Lady is going to investigate personally, does that mean she wants to blow this matter up publicly?
Heavens, if this kind of matter goes public, how will she still have the face to meet people?
A young lady buying He Xiang Powder before getting married?
Even if she didn’t go personally, she surely instructed someone to do it, right?
It’s bad enough she bought it, but to use it on the first day she entered the household.
How impatient could she be? How unsatisfied with desire? How scandalous? How shameless?
Rumors can distort facts, and words can kill a person.
Tan Biluo couldn’t even imagine the outcome if this matter spread outside.
She might not survive, being scorned to death by everyone!
"No!"
She shook her head, not daring to think further!
"Madam, I’ll tell you, I’ll speak..."
"I... I know He Xiang Powder shouldn’t be used with alcohol, but... I heard..."
"Heard what?!" The Old Lady Hou stared angrily, nearly wishing to swallow Tan Biluo whole.
Tan Biluo dared not look at her, speaking weakly.
"I heard... that mixing He Xiang Powder with alcohol increases its potency a hundredfold, so I... wanted to try it!"
"I didn’t know it would be poisonous, Madam, I truly didn’t!"
"My cousin and I grew up together, how could I ever harm him!"
"Please, Madam, see clearly, Biluo sincerely just wants to be with my cousin forever!"
The Old Lady Hou spat in her face.
"Pah!"
"Who are you to say you’ll be with your cousin forever?!"
"That’s something the County Princess can say, what does it have to do with you?"
"Don’t think just because you share some affection with Zeze, you can surpass the County Princess!"
"I’m telling you, as long as this old woman is alive, no one can surpass her! This is the rule of a noble family!"
Although the Pingan Marquis Mansion doesn’t have many branches, it has established a firm foothold in the Capital City over the past century! It’s considered a noble family that adheres to rules.
The clearest rule in a noble family is the hierarchy of seniority, division, and order.
The rightful wife is the wife, no matter how favored a concubine is, she cannot surpass her.
This is the most orthodox rule among all nobles, even the Royal Family follows it.
Moreover, for court officials, favoring a concubine over a wife is a grave crime!
Firstly, it would lead to impeachment by officials with serious consequences.
Unless you don’t want to hold office, even if you dislike the rightful wife, you have to respect and treat her harmoniously without mistreatment.
Secondly, who is County Princess Yilan? She’s a Zhao, a Royal Clan Daughter. Even if she’s not well, she has the entire Royal family standing behind her.
If you offend County Princess Yilan, how many lives does the Nan Family have to reconcile? That would be playing with the fate of the entire family.
Hence, the Nan Family must establish rules.
Nan Yunze is young and inexperienced, it’s normal for the young couple to have disagreements, but this old woman cannot overlook the situation.
So...
Now, in the entire Pingan Marquis Mansion, aside from the Princely Heir, the Old Lady values Madam Imperial Concubine the most among the younger generation!
...
Tan Biluo looked at her aunt, whose face was full of anger and disdain, and was bewildered.
Yes.
She used to visit the Nan Family with her biological mother.
Back then, the Old Lady valued her so much, constantly calling her niece, making outsiders believe they were direct relatives.
Now...
Her expression changed so quickly, so unfamiliar.
The kind, amiable smile was gone, replaced by disdain and contempt.
The way she looked at her was like looking at a maid, no, even lower than a maid!
Tan Biluo felt broken, unable to cry out even if she tried.
She opened her mouth, shaking her head silently.
"No!"
"Madam, no matter what, I would never harm my cousin!"
"Shut up!"
The Old Lady Hou shouted in anger.
"Change the way you address him immediately!"
"Do you think you can call him that? He’s the Princely Heir, you’re a concubine-born daughter, what right do you have?"
Tan Biluo: "..."
Pain! So much pain! Pain deep in her bones!
Every word from the Old Lady pierced into her bones like countless needles.
Shattering into pieces the dreams she had painstakingly built over the years.
What kind of cousin?
Indeed!
What kind of cousin was he?