Fierce Consort

Chapter 84

"If it weren't for your concubine mom threatening me, this one wouldn't have the guts to offend the madam. Considering our lowly positions and the fact we have daughters, only complete idiots would go against the madam. Look what the outcome was! She doesn't have to lift a finger to deal with someone like me!"

These mocking words which also contained some self-mockery actually made Yan Qian unable to say anything.

Concubine Wu added frost onto snow and continued speaking: "Not only you, that brother of yours as well. Only clinging onto the old madam is shortsighted. Apart from giving you some food and drink, what else is she good for? Looking a little further, how many more years does she have left to live? If you don't get in the lord marquis and madam's good books, you might not even become a daughter-in-law in the future."

As she spoke, Concubine Wu revealed an obscure smile, "Of course, the household mistress is magnanimous. She'll definitely let you get married off, and will do the same for the concubine born sons. There are many marriages that look good on the surface but are bitter inside. Any one of those households would be sufficient to make you suffer."

"You don't have to provoke me with these words. If I can't avoid this, can Yan Chan?"

"The fifth miss naturally won't end up well either. It's my fault for being muddled and listening to you guys and harming the madam. But this is her fate for being stuck with a concubine mom like me."

Concubine Wu's appearance of having nothing to lose made Yan Qian's heart tighten. A sort of irrepressible terror arose in her heart. "How can you.....

"Therefore, everything is left to fate now. We can only burn incense and pray the madam can be a little merciful."

Yan Qian was still too young after all. Being frightened like this, she started babbling: "Concubine Wu, you can't be like this. You promised my concubine mom to take care of me."

Concubine Wu laughed mockingly, "As a concubine, I'm not even counted as a mistress. How am I supposed to take care of you? Aren't you always full of great ideas? Why come pressure the pitiful me with my past deeds?"

"I, I....." After stammering for a while, Yan Qian finally said: "I will obey concubine in the future."

Concubine Wu gazed at her. She sighed deeply and after a while said: "We're all grasshoppers on the same string. If I end up suffering, you will naturally end up the same way. Ever since the madam returned, she never spared us a thought. However, while she's able to do so, we cannot. Tomorrow, you must go pay respects to her. Be more diligent in the future, and see if you can improve things a little.
Don't let up on your brother's side either. Luckily you've been having him bring you up in front of the old madam every now and then. Based on the situation, the madam will probably take the third miss out to socialize soon. It's best if the old madam can say something and have her take all the estate's misses along."

Yan Qian wanted to speak but stopped herself. She tore up her words and stuffed them back inside. Her mouth was bitter, the same bitterness she tasted when her concubine mom was sent off. This bitterness had remained within her heart.

"Spend some effort on Matron Zhao as well. See if stuffing her some silver can make her help a little. The third madam's side cannot be left out either. Hopefully she will have the sixth and seventh misses' marriage in mind. I will handle these things. Everything combined should bring about some results."

Yan Qian hurriedly nodded, her emotions extremely complicated.
......

Shen Yi Yao didn't know her paying them no mind would result in such an outcome.

Her thoughts had actually been really simple. If she didn't like them she wouldn't see them.
After Xue-shi enlightened her, Yan Ru on the other hand had started interacting with Yan Yan more frequently.

As Xue-shi said, Yan Yan was actually a very straightforward person. Good is good, bad is bad. If others came with good intentions, she wouldn't reject them.

After a couple of times, the two started getting closer.

Yan Yan had grown up after all. Even if this eldest sister had different tastes, it wasn't a big deal to get along with her. Like Shen Yi Yao said, there were many types of people. You cannot project your own likes and dislike onto others. Just like how she liked martial arts and others didn't. It was merely a difference in personality, and cannot be forced.

They could be said to have grown up together and were also sisters related by blood. The quarrels and arguments they had when they were younger seemed a little laughable now.

People more or less did some bad things when they were young, but it was ultimately harmless.
Yan Ling stuck especially close to Yan Ru recently, and her attitude had changed quite a bit. In the past she rarely spoke with Yan Ru when it was just the two of them. Now, she would also chat a bit with her. She also diligently ran over to Yan Yan as well. It seemed Xue-shi's words that day had affected her after all.

She certainly had some small ulterior motives. After all, Xue-shi wouldn't help her with everything. If she wanted to have a better marriage, she could only get help from Yan Yan and Shen Yi Yao. If Shen Yi Yao could help her out a little in the future, it would be a major change in her circumstances.

It had to be said, Yan Ling was a very intelligent person. Perhaps it was due to her experiences gowing up. While Yan Ru was being pampered in Xue-shi's arms, Yan Ling had already learned to analyze people's thoughts.

Yan Yan didn't reject Yan Ling's goodwill. Perhaps she wasn't really in favor of it at first, but seeing that pitiful little lass gifting her some self-made things, she inevitably softened a bit.

As time passed, Yan Yan could see what Yan Ling was planning. But just based on how she refused to be discouraged, it was hard to refuse her.

Yan Yan knew about Yan Ling's history. Back when she was younger, she noticed Yan Ling only getting Yan Ru's hand-me-downs. She had asked her mom out of curiosity. Her mom said with a complicated expression that it wasn't possible to do anything about it.

There truly wasn't anything that could be done.
It wasn't even easy to decide who was in the right and who was in the wrong!

Was Xue-shi wrong?

From her perspective, an ambitious maid had climbed into her husband's bed while they were in their honeymoon phase. Not only did she climb the bed, but she also got a child out of it. To get rid of the child went against the heavens and Xue-shi wasn't able to do so in the end. As the child grew older day by day, she was a needle that stabled Xue-shi's heart day by day. How could she treat her nicely!?

Was Yan Zhi wrong?

Perhaps he was at fault for being drunk and getting the people mixed up. But it was extremely clear he felt guilty. Even if he pitied Yan Ling, he never showed any signs of it. He knew his wife had anger in her heart and was very sullen. Every time Yan Ling appeared in front of Xue-shi, it was a reminder of what had happened.

To say there was someone in the wrong, it would have to be that Concubine Wang. She shouldn't have lusted after wealth and status.