Rebirth of the Treacherous Official’s Madam

Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but reveal a crafty smile, secretly lowering her voice and asking Ming Jinrou, “Heard your brother is very busy recently?”

Ming Jinrou rolled her eyes, her tone actually full of contempt, “Of course, he’s busy. Right now, he’s grinding the Yulin army’s cavalry squad everyday according to the method older sister Cheng used to train the Lingyun battalion in the Chen province, training nonstop to the point where everyone from top to bottom have been whining for days. Several younger generations of the imperial clan right now all want to quit. Heard that at the end of the year, even the capital’s army will also be put through it. Right now, I’m scared that he will get sacked and beaten up when walking in the streets.”

“Ah? Train soldiers?” Yu Lingxin was quite surprised, “Could it be that your older brother just discuss military strategy and tactics together with xianzhu?

“What else do you think he can say with that brain of his?” Ming Jinrou slanted her mouth, also lowering her voice, “How many people in the world can be like you two, all day long being……..hey…….”

Before she could finish, she just got pinched by Yu Lingxin. Ming Jinrou could only quickly change her words, “In any case, ever since older sister Cheng returned to the capital, what my older brother has been the most diligent about is just practicing martial arts, training soldiers, and reading military books, don’t know if it’s because of having gotten beaten scared by older sister Cheng previously.”

Yu Lingxin was actually speechless, feeling that when recalling Ming Jincheng’s face again at this time, seemingly on his forehead, there was just the word: ‘unromantic’.

However, he although didn’t understand, others can help him ‘understand’.

When this Duanyang palace banquet started, the great majority of the people were still paying attention to Yu Lingxin, this future daughter-in-law of the Wen’an Marquis Manor whose birth was somewhat low. Exactly what kind of a stunning beauty was she to actually be worth the Xun family to go invite Marshal Yan and the Zhenbei General, Cheng Guangling, as the matchmakers, even raising the standards, sending an enormous betrothal gift.

But, when the palace banquet ended, the focus of discussion for the various womenfolk of the imperial clan and the titled madams mostly all turned towards the Grand Elder Princess Manor and Jin Duke Manor. Mainly, it was still praising Ming Jincheng for really being a tiger cub of a military lineage, having courage, drive, big guts, a good body, also openminded, and so on.

After all, based on Cheng Yanling’s birth, no one dared to use ‘a widow that returned home’, this bit, to look down on her. Never mind Ruiyang Junzhu that had gotten repeatedly embarrassed in public previously, even the princesses under Xuan Emperor also needed to politely call Cheng Yanling older sister.

Precisely because of this, in addition to Cheng Yanling having natural born abnormal strength, extraordinary martial arts, outstanding military achievements, her reputation of quaking the three passes, and so on, the military families and imperial clansmen in the capital all were faintly nervous, because the Cheng family seemingly had the intention of letting Cheng Yanling remarry.

To put it more bluntly, towards this kind of wife, for the husband to be able to preserve his life, it was already not bad.

Never mind saying something like the husband being the role model of the wife, or the hierarchy between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so long as Cheng Yanling furrow her brow, there was the fiery-tempered Grand Elder Princess Zhaoning above, and the iron-blooded one hundred and thirty thousand soldiers of the Chen province army, and the eight thousand of Lingyun battalion below.

That was really needing to be even more careful and cautious than marrying a princess. For the most part, it was just equal to inviting a seven-treasure god of war into the home.

In comparison, Ming Jincheng was just much more attractive.

As the only di son of the Jin Duke heir, Ming Yunji, inheriting the noble title wasn’t a problem. His deceased birth mother was Ying Duke Manor’s youngest di daughter, leaving behind an abundant of wealth and a high status maternal family. In the future, even if Ming Yunji remarry, the second wife won’t be able to put on airs in front of Ming Jincheng and his wife. Furthermore, the Ming family’s family principles have been upright and honorable for generations, their numbers simple. If not for the empress hinting in every way possible the intention to win over previously, many families all wanted to have their daughter married over.

Of course, if Duanyi Xianzhu has the intention, never mind Empress Wen’s niece, even if Empress Wen’s own daughter, all need to move aside.

TN: All translations outside of are stolen and reposted without permission!

But, the question was, between the two of them, did they really have the intention of taking that step? Was the Jin Duke Manor prepared to ‘invite a god of war’?

This topic was very enthusiastically talked about in the capital for a period of time. Even Yu Lingxin was all very curious. However, she never expected that this matter would actually reveal that tiny bit of sign during her own marriage preparations.

Firstly, during the Duanyang palace banquet, Empress Wen, aside from verbally praising and congratulating, also bestowed jade artifacts and palace-made accessories to add to her dowry. The other imperial concubines and titled madams present more or less also added some.

At the time, Yu Lingxin was just focused on responding according to the etiquette, so didn’t pay attention to the specific amount. However, after leaving the palace, she discovered that the gifts she obtained from entering palace this time actually filled three whole carriages, already exceeding two thousand taels.

After carefully looking over, the most expensive was naturally the empress’s bestowment. The jade artifacts and jewels were all very precious. This was just blatantly expressing goodwill towards the Xun family.

And the other generous hand came from the Yiyang Marquis Manor. Yu Lingxin didn’t feel that she had this kind of face. The Wen family was still borrowing the opportunity to become closer with Ming Huayue and Xun Che. Perhaps, they still haven’t thoroughly given up on forming marriage ties with the Jin Duke Manor.

As soon as Yu Lingxin returned home, she just immediately passed on a message to Xun Che, asking him how to handle these. Xun Che’s reply was very simple, ‘Just take it. Additionally, Madam Cheng will arrive in the capital within the next few days.’

The meaning in this, before Yu Lingxin could think over, she just got called to Dongli Residence by her grandmother and father, asking her whether everything was well in the palace.

Yu Lingxin directly had the list of add-ons to her dowry that Shuangye and Gancao had just finished recording, with the ink still not fully dry yet, handed over. The amount made even Yu old madam stunned. A moment later, she finally said, “Eldest one, why don’t you stop running around and bickering with your wife for now, first wait and see how much add-ons Ling’er will receive for her dowry.”

Yu Bocheng couldn’t help but smile, “It can’t just reach all the way to thirty thousand?”

Yu Lingxin didn’t speak, just recalling the words Bai Guo passed back. She probably knew what that guy meant……….

On the eighth of the fifth month, Chang’de Countess came to visit with Qi Pei, even bringing an entire carriage of gifts, saying that she wanted to give Yu Lingxin a thousand taels of silver to add to her dowry.

If as her maternal uncle and maternal aunt-in-law, this amount, she can accept, but the Chang’de Count couple’s relationship with Qi-shi was very distant. Although there weren’t any grudges, it still wasn’t considered that close. At this time, bringing this sum of money, Yu Lingxin very much didn’t want to accept.

However, the Chang’de Count Manor being well-known for taking advantage of any situation ultimately wasn’t in vain. The Chang’de Countess was further able to lower her stance. Seeing that Yu Lingxin had the intention of politely declining, she just spoke with a smile, “Not afraid of niece laughing at me, I previously had many muddled areas, treating that maiden family sister-in-law and nephew of mine a bit unfairly. Now, having come to an understanding, wanting to turn around, there’s just this desire to apologize and make amends. If niece were to decline, then it’s just not giving aunt-in-law this chance? Besides, your mother isn’t in the capital. Your relationship with your maternal family, you can’t just count on your madam to help maintain, right?”

Chang’de Countess saying it this bluntly was rather reasonable and fair, and a thousand taels wasn’t considered too shocking of an amount, and it wasn’t too good to not let the Qi family, who was her legitimate maternal family, add to her dowry, so she could only forcibly accept.

At this time, Chang’de Countess seized the opportunity to mention that she and Qi Pei can act as the guest of honor and hairpin bearer for Yu Lingxin’s coming of age ceremony.

This, Yu Lingxin didn’t agree to, answering with a smile, “Aunt-in-law’s good intentions, I appreciate, but Madam Cheng just arrived in the capital yesterday, already set as the guest of honor. And for the hairpin bearer, already invited Jinrou. When time comes, if aunt-in-law and older cousin is free, can come over to attend the ceremony.”

The smile on Chang’de Countess’s face somewhat stiffened. Her visit this time was mainly for Yu Lingxin’s hairpin ceremony. That was a girl’s most important coming-of-age ceremony prior to marrying after all. The guest of honor’s identity needs to be esteemed and intimate. She believed herself to have the highest status among the Yu family relatives. If she were to also preside over Yu Lingxin’s hairpin ceremony, then afterwards, it’ll be easier to pull in the relationship with her maiden family’s first branch.

However, she completely forgot, Cheng Yanling’s mother, Xie-shi, can be considered Yu old madam’s clan relative, so they can be considered distantly related aunt and niece. Although the Chang’de Count Manor’s nobility wasn’t low, when it comes to actual power and influence, how can she compare with Madam Cheng.

In the moment, she could only awkwardly laugh, forcibly saying a few words about the marriage preparations and such.