Chapter 107: Lu Yuan Ze Kneels
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Lu Yuan Ze fainted out of sheer rage.
The guests at the banquet were nobles who typically prided themselves on their decorum. At most, the scandal would have circulated within a small social circle. However, with Lu Chao Chao spreading the news far and wide, it became the talk of the entire city.
Common folk loved nothing more than juicy gossip.
“Did you hear? Marquis Lu fell victim to Penis captivus!”
“Oh my! Playing so recklessly? I heard he was caught red-handed at the first birthday banquet!”
“Shameless! And during his daughter’s celebration too!”
“Wait, there’s even juicier news! Remember that so-called genius, Lu Jing Huai? Turns out he’s the Marquis’s illegitimate son!”
“Madam Pei is his mistress!”
“But Madam Xu is the only daughter of the Xu family, cherished since childhood. When the Grand Tutor Xu warned her against marrying Lu Yuan Ze, he knelt before their door for three days and nights. Madam Xu even fasted, breaking ties with her family just to marry him.”
“Although they broke ties, her dowry was enviably rich.”
“It’s probably because of that disgraceful episode that Marquis Lu hasn’t visited the Xu family in years. Madam Xu, foolish as she is, doesn’t return home either.”
“I once saw Grand Tutor Xu lurking around a corner just to catch a glimpse of his daughter. Poor parents, they have such loving hearts.”
“All this sacrifice, and look at what Marquis Lu turned out to be!”
“Lu Jing Huai and Lu Yan Shu are around the same age. He must have been seeing his mistress while groveling before the Xu family for marriage.”
The rumors spread like wildfire, and when the Marquis heard them, he coughed up blood and fainted on the spot.
“No wonder Lu Jing Huai spends so lavishly. Turns out it’s from Madam Xu’s dowry! Shameless!”
“And didn’t Madam Xu have to sell everything to cover the deficit afterward? Unbelievable that they still dare commit such debauchery in the Marquis’s Manor.”
Madam Xu had been dealt an unimaginable hand. Not only did she support the entire manor, but also the Marquis’s mistress and her family.
The entire capital was abuzz with disdain.
At that moment, the Xu family paid a visit.
Xu Yi Ting arrived with his wife, Madam Zhou, his face stern as he stood in the main hall.
Despite being gravely ill, Lu Yuan Ze forced himself out of bed. The moment he entered, Xu Yi Ting kicked him to the ground.
Having barely escaped death’s door recently, the Marquis felt the sharp pain surge through his body, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth.
“What did you promise when you begged to marry Shi Yun? Do you still remember?!” Xu Yi Ting, though a scholar, was in excellent shape. His punch left the Marquis with a bloody nose and mouth.
Rolling up his sleeves, Xu Yi Ting’s sudden aggression was startlingly at odds with his usual demeanor.
“You vile creature! How dare you betray her!”
“She fasted for you, attempted suicide for you, severed ties with her family just to marry you! How dare you repay her like this?!” His eyes burned red with fury. Xu Yi Ting had long known about the mistress but finally had the opportunity to take action.
Madam Zhou hurried forward to pull him back. “Don’t resort to violence. Let’s talk this through.”
“Marquis, calm yourself.”
“Husband, you too, calm down,” she urged, tightly grasping Xu Yi Ting’s arm.
The Marquis, weak as he was, took two more kicks before flying back and slamming into the doorframe with a thud. He collapsed, writhing in pain.
“My son! My son!” The Old Madam rushed in upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing her son curled up on the ground in agony, she cried out for a physician.
“Xu family brat, what do you mean by this? How dare you come to the Marquis’s Manor and harm someone?!”
“If Shi Yun were more capable and kept her husband in check, Yuan Ze wouldn’t have gone looking for someone else!”
The Old Madam’s words ignited Xu Yi Ting’s fury once more.
Madam Zhou tugged at him and gently shook her head. Although the Old Madam was infuriating, her status as an elder meant any retaliation would spark formal accusations.
“Where is my sister?” Xu Yi Ting’s gaze was dark, his voice strained as he suppressed his rage.
Before anyone could answer, Deng Zhi spoke up. “Master, the Madam fainted from anger yesterday. Please, come to the Listening Wind Courtyard.”
Shi Yun had been waiting.
She deliberately let the Marquis take his beating before showing herself.
When Xu Yi Ting and his attendants reached the courtyard, they expected to find her in tears.
Instead, “These flagstones were expensive. Make sure to pry them up and take them back.”
“And the well in the backyard? Fill it in.”
“As for the tables and chairs, don’t leave a single piece behind.” Shi Yun stood with a ledger in hand, meticulously tallying her expenses.
“Oh, and the beds? All bought with my money.” She moved systematically through her list.
Xu Yi Ting blinked. “What?”
“Elder Brother? What brings you here?” Shi Yun’s eyes sparkled as she noticed him.
Xu Yi Ting felt a pang of sorrow. Once, his sister had been pampered and carefree under their protection. Now, she appeared ready to tear the entire Marquis’s Manor apart.
“If I didn’t come, you’d be devoured whole. Fortunately, you’ve wised up.”
“The whole family was too upset to sleep last night,” Madam Zhou added, taking Shi Yun’s hands affectionately.
Seeing her younger sister-in-law’s rosy complexion and lack of grief, Madam Zhou was surprised and relieved.
“You’ve finally come to your senses.”
“As long as you’re unharmed, come home with us.”
Shi Yun touched her face. Pei Jiao Jiao maintained the appearance of a youthful maiden while she had aged significantly after managing the Marquis’s household for half a lifetime. Though her maintenance was decent, time had still taken its toll.
Reassured by her cheerful demeanor, Xu Yi Ting and Madam Zhou did not linger.
“Shi Yun, the Xu family doors will always be open for you. We’re family forever,” Madam Zhou said sincerely, gripping her hands tightly.
Shi Yun smiled and nodded.
After sending her brother and sister-in-law off, a maid informed her that the Old Madam summoned her to the Virtue and Kindness Hall.
Shi Yun’s expression turned cold.
That evening, Shi Yun followed the maid to the hall. Lu Yuan Ze and the Old Madam sat in the center, with the former avoiding her gaze, his expression awkward.
The Old Madam remained silent.
“Shi Yun, this situation is entirely my fault,” Lu Yuan Ze said softly as he stood. “I’ve always admired you. To spare your feelings, I kept Pei Jiao Jiao outside the manor.”
“Shi Yun, could you take Jing Huai and Jing Yao under your name as your legitimate children?”
“Pei Jiao Jiao comes from humble origins and cannot be the household’s main wife.”
Pei Jiao Jiao never imagined that after this scandal, the Marquis would recoil every time he saw her. Hoping to usurp Shi Yun’s position, she instead found herself cast aside.
“Shi Yun, Yan Shu is paralyzed, Zheng Yue has squandered his potential, and Yuan Xiao is foolish beyond measure. Jing Huai respects and reveres you; he would treat you as his own mother.”
“Let him inherit the title of Heir to the Marquisate, will you?”
Lu Yuan Ze’s voice was desperate as he knelt before her with a thud.
The Old Madam sat upright, her gaze sharp as daggers aimed at Shi Yun.
“Shi Yun, we’ve been married for eighteen years. Save me just this once. Save the Marquisate just this once.”
“The Marquisate cannot be without an heir.”
The Old Madam’s face darkened. “He merely made a mistake all men make. He’s kneeling before you. What more do you want?”
Idiots. Annoying bunch. Someone should give that old witch a blow to her mouth….
The grandmother is shameless utterly shameless