Chapter 60: Decisive, Establish Prestige and Lecturing Others
Oy,sc.u.mbag, isn’t the break up of your family a result of your own actions? Would your wife feel the need to die if you hadn’t brought back a concubine when you’re almost 50? Isn’t that also why you’ve been estranged from your sons?
However, Bai Xiangxiu wisely didn’t let those words spill out, simply saying, “Boss Liu, I already know about your family matters. But what does this behavior of running into the estate screaming about murder mean? Shouldn’t you be making funeral arrangements at home?”
Someone moved an embroidered stool over for Bai Xianxiu, and she gracefully took a seat. This was the first time the family had seen this aspect of Madame Xiu, and the same thought occurred them. How is this person mortal; she’s clearly a fairy! No wonder the prince is so fond of her, eh! What man wouldn’t like this kind of woman that has beauty and brains?
As for the senior madame, they started to shake their heads. She had already opened her mouth to speak.
She had clearly been frightened speechless moments ago. Now that someone had arrived who would be on her side, she summoned her courage to shriek, “This barbarian; he killed his own wife by infuriating her and now raises a knife to hack at me, an unrelated person!” The senior madame felt extremely wronged. Why had she met such an unreasonable person when she was in charge of doing something for the first time?
“Sister, please don’t speak anymore.” Saying such words at that moment, did she want the fraying situation to disintegrate further?
As expected, Boss Liu began to furiously struggle, and his speech grew more uncouth towards the first madame. “If it wasn’t for you, the b.i.t.c.h urging her on, would she have the gall to do all this? Why don’t you have the prince sell you off too and see how that feels!”
So it turned out that the concubine’s matter was still foremost on his mind.
Bai Xiangxiu spoke gently, “Enough, the prince’s complex isn’t the kind of place for you to scream and make a scene. If you continue to make a scene, you may well be punished with the truncheons.” As she gazed at Boss Liu, Bai Xiangxiu gestured to the side. “Don’t press him down like that; allow him to lift his head.”
Once Boss Liu felt his shoulders loosen, he immediately lifted his head. He had never seen this fourth madame of the prince before, but this one glimpse convinced him that his life had been wasted.
A man should marry someone like this beautiful young woman in front of him to have truly lived life!
What a pity…
But, something was amiss. There were many rumors that the fourth madame had a soft temperament. Then, why did that deep gaze cause panic to rise from deep within!? It was making his heart pound so!
He hurriedly dropped his eyes, and didn’t even dare to look directly at her.
“Please preside over this, Fourth Madame.” He had followed Long Heng for many years, so he knew whom he could offend, and those whom he couldn’t offend. The fourth madame, based off countenance alone, was someone he couldn’t offend.
“What can I preside over for you? Your family needs to be buried, yet you’re here making a scene. Ai…” sighed Bai Xiangxiu. She hadn’t been the kind of person who could put on an act, but she had learned well in the few months since she’d arrived. Skills like those were best learned under pressure.
“Everything was all caused by the woman inside! You must avenge my wife!”
Pu…
Bai Xiangxiu couldn’t help but chuckle. Although she didn’t like the first madame, she disliked sc.u.m like this even more. Regardless, he did have a certain point. If the first madame hadn’t supported Missus Liu with such happy conviction, Missus Liu definitely wouldn’t have dared sell off that concubine so easily.
It was one of the old madame’s servants on one side, and an old servant of yesteryear on the other. Thus, it was understandable that the first madame had chosen to help Boss Liu’s wife. Yet regrettably, they never imagined that Boss Liu was such an unreasonable troublemaker.
“Boss Liu, was Senior Madame carrying a knife to hack at your wife, or forcing her to consume poison? If it wasn’t the matter of you taking a concubine, how would she have ever committed suicide to leave the world? Men should shoulder their share of responsibility, but you dump the entire responsibility on the senior madame. Aren’t your cheeks burning with humiliation?” Her words were so shrewd and to the point that even Long Heng, who’d come by out of worry felt like an extraneous fixture.
He had always felt that she had too soft a personality, so he’d be unable to sit still and had sent for a litter. He stopped a ways away when he saw that she more or less had the situation under control. He felt that it would actually be bad for a man to appear and interfere in the matters of the rear court, so he took a seat in a nearby pavilion to watch the proceedings. He’d be able to make a timely move if anything cropped up.
Only Shu’er understood what was happening as he glanced over. He quickly s.h.i.+fted his glance elsewhere, deathly afraid that the prince would take him to task for loss of face. However, he discovered that the prince was still glaring at him, and Shu’er’s legs and stomach began to tremble.
Long Heng retracted his admonis.h.i.+ng gaze from Shu’er. He felt that née Bai looked to be beautifully sharp at the moment, but still carrying a touch of tranquility amidst her cool-headedness. Even if she looked formidable, he still felt that she was merely bluffing. Being able to act to this extent was a result of her excellent upbringing.
Alright, sometimes men were so sure of themselves that they rather run into a wall than turn around. Long Heng was unfortunately this kind of person. Regrettably, he himself would never admit that.
He watched quietly, wanting to wait until she dealt with matters before leaving. As he continued to listen in, Boss Liu remain unconvinced. “Madame Xiu, you must speak reasonably! A man taking a concubine is as natural as the heaven’s law and earth’s principles. It’s not proper for a married woman to oversee too much. It’s not like I starved her, and I kept her in comfort with maids and old servants. Why couldn’t she accept another woman?”
Bai Xiangxiu felt that it was completely impossible to get through to this man. However, he also represented the way of thinking for all the men in this world. As their pockets grew, so did their desire to support several more women. If they didn’t, their friends would say that they were henpecked.
“Oh? Did you ever imagine what kind of experience it was for her? Ultimately discarded after a spending a lifetime with you? n.o.body can prevent you from seeking out a concubine, yet you cannot despise your own wife like that!
“She bore and raised children for you, and helped operate the family business for you. All she wanted was only for the two of you to love each other and keep each other company for the rest of your lives. But you keep company with another girl and degrade her to a housekeeper, which woman would accept this calmly and without anger? The senior madame does have some fault in this matter, but you are also to blame.”
She kept going, not giving Boss Liu a chance to speak. “Now you’ve stormed into the inner residence of the prince’s estate without authority and challenged the prince’s authority. It will be difficult to pacify public anger if you are not punished. From henceforth, you no longer need to live within the prince’s estate. Instead, look for a location outside to properly live out the rest of your life. Senior Madame was also in the wrong. I will punish her and return your concubine. You can spend your days well with her from now on.” Bai Xiangxiu waved her arm, signifying that people could drag Boss Liu away.
Boss Liu never imagined there’d be a day that he would be driven away. He was stunned for a moment, before indignantly bursting out.
“You woman are too heartless! Which hole were you still stooping in when I followed the old master to the north and west to conquer the lands? Wanting to kick me out at such a time; I’ve never seen such ungrateful people like you!”
Bai Xiangxiu nearly laughed in her anger. However, she kept her composure and didn’t show fear. “Ha, what do you mean by being ungrateful? Are you implicating the prince? Since you’re speaking like this, then let us settle all the accounts.” She rose to her feet and took a few steps forward, “You are an old guard of the household. I wonder if you still remember what kind of punishment is due for a crime of breaking into the inner residence, and wielding a weapon to boot? Shu’er, give Boss Liu a recount.”
Shu’er spoke at once. “Unless the prince or the old madame permits otherwise, those privately carrying a lethal weapon and storming the inner residence will be beaten to death, thrown into the ma.s.s grave, and will not be honored with a burial.”
“And what punishment fits the crime of insulting the master of the inner residence?” Bai Xiangxiu was well aware of these rules for fear of accidental violation and her inevitable death as a result.