The Wife is First

Ch77 - Undeniable

Consort Qiu rested at the Cheng Wang’s residence and didn’t go back until the evening. Jing Shao gave his mother-in-law all the gifts that women could use to take back. 

“Wang Ye, these things are made for those of higher status. I can’t use them,” Consort Qiu said helplessly as she looked at the gold phoenix hairpin on the tray. This kind of hairpin could only be used by a lady who was second rank and higher. She was only a third rank consort.

“Even if you can’t use them, take them and see, or give them away as gifts. There are no female dependents in the Cheng Wang’s residence, so it’s a waste to keep them.” Jing Shao didn’t accept that objection; in fact, even if she used them, no one would dare say anything. After all, they were gifts bestowed by the emperor, and it was acceptable for the Cheng Wang to gift them to others.

Consort Qiu got into the carriage with a smile on her face. Mu Hanzhang turned back to Jing Shao and said, “I want to talk with my father. You have dinner by yourself.”

Jing Shao lifted his hand and tugged him closer, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear for him as he said in dissatisfaction, “I’ll go too.” 

Mu Hanzhang chuckled. “I can’t speak frankly with my father if you’re there.” After all, this was a family scandal. If the truth was exposed in front of the Wang Ye, the North Marquis might be shamed into anger.

“All right,” said Jing Shao, helping his Wang Fei into the carriage. “Then I’ll go to my brother’s place and freeload a meal off him. I’ll pick you up later in the evening.”

According to custom, he shouldn’t stay for dinner at someone else’s place. Although Jing Chen was very happy for his brother to come and freeload a meal off him, he still had to reprimand him. “It’s not proper to run around at night.”

“My wife has gone back to his mother’s house. No one cares about me,” Jing Shao sat down at the dinner table and said self-righteously.

Jing Chen was helpless, and ordered for another bowl and pair of chopsticks to be brought over.

Rui Wang Fei still hadn’t finished her post-birth confinement period, and concubines weren’t supposed to come to the table, so Jing Chen was also eating by himself; with his little brother accompanying him, it was a lot more lively.

“Today, the Countess of Yongchang went to Yongning Palace.” Jing Chen had someone bring a pot of wine to have a drink with his younger brother.

“Yongning Palace?” Jing Shao gnawed on a chicken leg and looked up doubtfully. “The empress dowager doesn’t manage anything. What is she doing there?” 

“Crying and being noisy about how the Cheng Wang struck the Count of Yongchang, and beating around the bush to say that the Jing family treats loyal subjects badly.” Jing Chen drank the cup of wine slowly.

“Let her make a scene; when word gets back to Imperial Father’s ears, the Count of Yongchang will have to bear the consequences.” Jing Shao chuckled. Had the empress’s people been kicked in the head by donkeys recently? They were doing such stupid things.

“Of course she won’t say that directly.” Jing Chen shook his head. Although the empress dowager of Yongning Palace didn’t manage anything, she still had the status. The Countess of Yongchang went there to complain and cry, and it would soon spread all over the capital. She kept harping on about how in the early days, the Count of Yongchang helped □□ conquer the empire but only received the title of count. Now that Cheng Wang had hit such a loyal subject, his Wang Fei was even going to be conferred as a marquis; how could such a concept exist in the world?

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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Jing Chen put down his cup, pondered for a moment, then said, “I have an idea.”

The two brothers got together and discussed matters for a long time. Jing Shao had wanted to immediately leave after finishing the meal, but Jing Chen pulled him back. “What’s the hurry? Let’s go see your nephews first.”

Jing Shao didn’t understand the situation and was scolded by his brother again. When requesting someone for help regarding an issue he was worried about, he had to adopt a good disposition and act politely in order for the other to be more amenable toward doing things properly. Understanding his brother’s meaning, Jing Shao had to obediently follow his brother to see his nephews. 

There were two cradles in the warm room. Jing Shao went close for a look. There were unexpectedly two children. He couldn’t help looking at his brother doubtfully. Jing Chen explained that the older child was from a fourth rank concubine, and half a month older than the second son of his first wife.

“So Brother has four sons now?” Jing Shao was surprised and looked carefully. The first wife’s son was small, red and wrinkled. He looked very ugly and his breathing was weak. He didn’t seem to be very healthy. The fourth rank concubine’s child was older. The redness had faded a shade, and he had delicate features, white and tender, which were very appealing.

After seeing the babies and talking to his brother for a while, Jing Shao rode Xiao Hei to the North Marquis’s residence.

“I won’t do those stupid things anymore. Go back and tell Wang Ye that the horses in the northwest are ready and will be transported to the capital one after another.” The North Marquis sighed. Before, Jing Shao had asked the marquis to sell him some horses. But that kind of business, like the illegal salt trade, was a crime punishable by beheading if one was caught. The North Marquis had been operating carefully and had achieved some results in the past half-year. 

Mu Hanzhang restrained his gaze. Jing Shao did mention that he had wanted the North Marquis to sell some horses to him in private. His father had always refused. Now that it was like this, he was expressing that he was ready to board the same boat as Jing Shao and his brother. He raised his hand and added to his father’s cup of tea. “There is one more thing I want to discuss with Father.”

“Go ahead.” The North Marquis took the tea cup, his heart warm. Mu Lingbao had never helped pour even half a cup of tea for his father.

“Big brother’s body,” Mu Hanzhang paused, pretending not to see his father suddenly clench the cup, “what is Father planning to do?”

Mu Jin frowned. His son saying it like that had to mean that he knew something. He couldn’t help sighing. “He brought disaster upon himself. What can I do?” 

“Imperial Father already knows about this.” Instead of letting the North Marquis play dumb, Mu Hanzhang simply made it clear. “How does Father intend to preserve the North Marquis title?” The imperial family would never let a crippled man be heir. If word got around that the North Marquis hadn’t abandoned the heir, the title may be seized by the emperor.

Mu Jin sucked in a breath of cold air. “What do you think?” A pair of sharp eyes stared at Mu Hanzhang closely. The Fourth Prince had used this matter to threaten him; now, the Cheng Wang also wanted to threaten him?

Mu Hanzhang put down his cup and looked at his father quietly. “The two sons of Third Uncle’s family are also injured from the cold. Mother has made this matter known. Naturally, Third Uncle can’t inherit the title.” Mu Jin’s third younger brother was his only brother. The others were all born from concubines and weren’t qualified to inherit the title. The North Marchioness had publicized the injuries of Mu Huafeng’s two sons everywhere to prevent the title from falling to them.

The North Marquis clenched his fist. That woman truly wished for the whole world to be in chaos. “In your opinion, what should we do with the family?” The look in his eyes relaxed a little. In saying these words, his second son was probably going to present him with an idea, and he couldn’t help but lower his guard inwardly. 

“Make your grandson heir,” Mu Hanzhang said firmly. Mu Lingbao’s eldest son was already three years old. He would be six years old in two years, and could be imperially decreed as heir then.

Mu Jin frowned. “I have naturally already thought about this, but Lingbao is still around. How can I just do that?” The heir was in the prime years of his life, but if Mu Jin made his grandson heir, others would ask for an explanation. At that time, the matter of Mu Lingbao becoming crippled would have to be disclosed, and the result would be the same.

“Don’t worry about that point, Father. This son will help you with it.” Mu Hanzhang’s voice was gentle but slow, every word enunciated with absolute confidence and very persuasive.

“What are Cheng Wang’s conditions?” Mu Jin nodded. He now believed deeply in his second son’s words. After all, he was about to be a marquis, and he wouldn’t be greedy for a title from his mother’s family. 

“My birth mother is pregnant.” Mu Hanzhang collected his gaze and lowered his voice before he spoke.

“What?” Mu Jin slowly stood up. “When did this happen?”

“This son asks for nothing but for Father to keep Mother and her child safe.” Mu Hanzhang stood up and looked at the North Marquis. “That is also what Wang Ye supports.”

The North Marquis looked squarely at him for a long time and said, “You don’t want your little brother to inherit the title?” 

Mu Hanzhang shook his head and showed a mocking smile. “It’s not certain whether it’ll be a boy or a girl. I just hope they can grow up safe and sound; there is no need for unreasonable demands.”

After hearing this, Mu Jin thought of all his concubines who had suffered miscarriages, and Mu Hanzhang, who had almost died prematurely. For a moment, he felt extremely ashamed and sat down dejectedly. “It’s Father’s incompetence… that poisonous woman!” He hadn’t been able to see some things clearly in those years. Thinking about it now, if it wasn’t for the North Marchioness, would there have been all these unfortunate things all these years? Few of his bastard sons and daughters were born safely, and Mu Hanzhang, who was born, also almost wasn’t able to survive past childhood.

Not long after, Jing Shao rode his horse over to pick up his Wang Fei to go back home.

“Don’t worry, let’s say that it’s for the sake of the marquis’s household; this matter, I will definitely handle it properly.” Mu Jin personally sent his son out the door and repeatedly gave his guarantee. 

Mu Hanzhang nodded, put his hand in Jing Shao’s and turned to mount the horse.

“There was some news today.” Jing Shao sat with his Wang Fei in his arms and said to Mu Jin with a smile, “The Countess of Yongchang went to Yongning Palace to cry; she doesn’t want Jun Qing to be conferred as a marquis.”

Mu Jin immediately became tense. “There is such a thing?”

“There is. She’s saying that my Wang Fei’s contributions aren’t as good as that of the ancestors of the current Count of Yongchang.” Jing Shao sneered. “Jun Qing’s ancestors have contributed more than the count of Yongchang. His family background isn’t inferior to the count’s – don’t you think so, Father-in-law?” 

The North Marquis’s smile was very ugly. He laughed drily and said, “Naturally.” If she made a big ruckus, the emperor might take advantage of the situation and not grant Mu Hanzhang the title of marquis. At that time, he might even decide to just give the title of North Marquis to Mu Hanzhang, and that would be the end. Mu Hanzhang wasn’t going to have heirs, so the title of North Marquis couldn’t be inherited any more, and the whole family would be finished.

Jing Shao stopped there and smiled, said goodbye to the North Marquis, and took his Wang Fei away.

With a belly full of anger, the North Marquise went directly to the North Marchioness’s courtyard.

“No way!” the North Marchioness shrieked. “Even if Lingbao’s body is broken, I still have my eldest grandson. No matter what, we can’t let that son who has married out inherit the title!” She had been too stressed lately, and looked as if she had aged ten years; shouting and yelling loudly made her look even more terrible. 

“As long as the emperor can successfully confer him the title of marquis, the position of North Marquis will not disappear,” the North Marquis said angrily.

“Why rely on him becoming titled?” The North Marchioness’s voice got louder and louder. He was born of a concubine. His status was elevated after he married a prince, and to even think that he would become a marquis! She had fought half her life to secure her son’s position as the heir; why could that Mu Hanzhang also get the same title as her son without any effort, or even snatch her son’s title?!

The North Marchioness paced around several times before she suddenly said to the North Marquis, “Husband Marquis, you can’t let this happen. The emperor wants to end our family title! As long as Cheng Wang divorces Hanzhang, he will not be a member of the imperial family. At that time…”

“Pa!” the North Marquis couldn’t bear it. With one slap, he sent her to the floor and said, “I’ve been talking for a long time, but you didn’t hear a word! You wicked woman, your heart is as black as ink!” 

“Husband Marquis… I’m trying to protect the marquis household ah!” the North Marchioness jumped up and shrieked.

“Shut up!” the North Marquis roared. “How are you protecting the marquis household? Just by relying on your crippled son? Or just by relying on that grandson who can’t even fluently speak?”

The North Marchioness listened blankly to her husband’s reprimands, then finally covered her face and began to cry.

“Listen carefully, we are on the same boat as the Cheng Wang now. As long as Hanzhang can be successfully conferred as a marquis, Cheng Wang can protect us and establish our grandson as the next heir, and the emperor won’t say anything,” the North Marquis glared straight at his wife and said. 

After hearing the words “grandson” and “heir,”  the marchioness immediately stopped crying.

“There’s just one thing: You have to get rid of that Countess of Yongchang,” Mu Jin said in a heavy voice.