Chapter 163 The Invitation Card Conveyed From Duke Xing’s Mansion
“What do you mean, brother-in-law?” Qin Huaiyong’s face turned gloomy.
“Nothing. I just think that there are so many women who could give birth but why would you marry a widow, who has always stayed in your mansion? If others know this, the censor would not let you go easily!” Duke Yong sneered and threatened him coldly.
“The witness before is still there. Don’t you remember?” said Qin Huaiyong with an unkind expression.
“So what? Or you don’t need the help from Marquises’ Mansion of Fengyang, do you?” said Duke Yong very slowly as a sharp look appeared in his face. He said, “When I went to Marquises’ Mansion of Fengyang, I have mentioned you to them. They told me that your position would be confirmed soon. However… If the censor gets involved in this because of Madam Shui, then things would become complicated!”
“You wouldn’t show the witness in front of others and say something vague, would you?”
He meant that if Qin Huaiyong did have evidence to prove that Shui Ruolan didn’t mean to marry into Qin’s Mansion before but it was not only because Madam Di plotted against her but also because she was to take care of Qin Wanru who was used by Madam Di that she married Qin Huaiyong. Then Madam Di would not only be considered as a woman who violated women’s virtues but also a malicious woman. Duke Yong would never let Qin Huaiyong say this out.
Otherwise, it would not only damage the reputation of Duke Yong’s Mansion, but also would affect negatively the daughters of Di’s Family!
In other words, if Qin Huaiyong unveiled the truth, Duke Yong’s Mansion would not only deny the truth but also would break up the relationship between Qin Huaiyong and them!
Duke Yong’s Mansion’s power was incomparable to Qin’s Mansion’s.
Qin Huaiyong’s face turned livid but he repressed his anger and didn’t let it vent out. He set his cold eyes on Duke Yong and said, “Thanks for your concern. However, it is my business, and you don’t need to care too much about it!”
Seeing Qin Huaiyong’s bad look, he knew Qin Huaiyong got irritated but tried his best to repress the anger. Duke Yong knew that he should stop here and decided not to ask about this thing. As his expression relaxed, he said, “Although I don’t know how you would deal with this matter, no need to say, you know you need to do something as my sister got hurt without any reason, right?”
“Then what do you want me to handle this?”
“It is quite easy. My sister married you first so she is the first lady in the mansion. Although Madam Shui now is your wife, she was only the second lady. Her position is incomparable to my sister’s position, the official wife of this mansion. Now my sister got hurt and Madam Shui has to take care of her, don’t you think so?” said Duke Yong.
“She now is pregnant! It is quite inconvenient for her!” Qin Huaiyong immediately refused this advice. If Shui Ruolan did go to take care of Madam Di, she could not ensure the safety of her unborn baby. This unborn child might be his only son so he would definitely not agree with this suggestion.
“Then let your second daughter go! My sister has raised her for a time before. So I think this would be reasonable for her to take care of my sister, right?” Duke Yong settled for the second choice.
His words made Qin Huaiyong silent for a moment. Then he finally nodded in agreement.
Compared with Shui Ruolan, Qin Wanru was more appropriate. According to Duke Yong’s Mansion, they would not let Qin Huaiyong go easily if he didn’t send one of them to take care of Madam Di!
“Well, that would be great. Now I am gonna see my sister and let her be more careful in the future. It is not good for her to always be so careless. This time she hurt herself but next time she might make others get hurt!” A smile appeared in Duke Yong’s face. He now became gentle and kind. He even said that it was Madam Di that hurt herself accidentally.
“She should be more careful next time! She could not be fine every time!” Qin Huaiyong also forced a smile in his face. However, it seemed that he also meant something else.
Duke Yong’s smile suddenly disappeared but he then smiled again. He stood up and patted on Qin Huaiyong’s shoulder. “Great, great. Now we join hands and would help you find your steady position in the royal court soon!”
When finishing his words, he then walked outwards with a smile. After a few steps, he stopped and turned to look at Qin Huaiyong who still sat in the chair behind him. He said in surprise, “What? You don’t see my sister with me? Now she gets hurt and people would misunderstand if you don’t see her. If the censor of the capital city knows this and reports it to the royal court, then though it might be easy for you to explain, the whole thing would sound bad!”
Knowing that he was threatening, Qin Huaiyong sneered, stood up and walked in front of his desk. He said, “Brother-in-law, you go first. I would come later in case I would bother your conversation with your sister. I have the invitation card sent by Rui’an Great Elder Princess and wonder whether I should go and take a look!”
“From the Rui’an Great Elder Princess’ Mansion?” Duke Yong stunned. Then a hint of dissatisfaction flashed upon his seemingly proud face. Now, the whole capital city knew that the Madam of Duke Yong’s Mansion was kicked out by Rui’an Great Elder Princess. Many kinds of bad comments were overwhelming the Duke Yong’s Mansion. This was also an important reason that Countess Yong didn’t come to Qin’s Mansion.
Whoever she met, she would feel ashamed. Especially that, though those madams who she was familiar with didn’t say something about that, they all showed their disdain by their expression.
“Is Rui’an Great Elder Princess going to hold a banquet again?” Duke Yong sneered. She was just a princess of sinecure without any power. Why would they treat her as the Empress Dowager in the court! Today the Princess’ Mansion had already declined. The Princess’ Mansion in which there was only the Rui’an Great Elder Princess living only had the title to awe others.
“Not the Princess’ Mansion, it is from the Duke Xing’s Mansion. Rui’an Great Elder Princess conveyed this invitation card from Duke Xing’s Mansion to us!” Qin Huaiyong walked around the desk and sat behind it. He picked up the card, looked at it for a while and said.
“What? Duke Xing’s Mansion?” Duke Yong’s expression changed.
Duke Xing was not the same as Duke Yong’s Mansion. Its rank of nobility was higher than Duke Yong’s Mansion’s and the Emperor even preferred Duke Xing’s Mansion to the latter. Duke Yong’s brother-in-law Duke Fengyang’s position and the Emperor’s favor toward him were far from Duke Xing’s Mansion.
Although Duke Yong’s Mansion seemed to be very strong and magnificent, it actually didn’t have too much power. In the circle of aristocrats, everyone knew that Duke Yong’s Mansion had declined. Whoever in the Duke Yong’s Mansion, the present Duke Yong or the heir, Di Yan, was not a powerful and intelligent man, but only a mediocre one.
Di Yan was even far from a mediocre man as he could only be considered as a dude among the aristocrats in the capital city.
Duek Yong’s Mansion was incomparable to Duke Xing’s Mansion which was very powerful now.
“Yes, it is from the Duke Xing’s Mansion. It says that they want to thanks Wanru for saving Master Hao of Duke Xing’s Mansion. This master was the grandchild of the Rui’an Great Elder Princess, right?”
Now Qin Huaiyong had the advantage in this confrontation. He looked very calm and soft and he still stared at the invitation card in his hand without raising his eyes, pretending not to see Duke Yong’s livid face.
“The second Lady Qin saved Duke Xing’s master so Duke Xing wants to appreciate Qin’s Mansion and let Rui’an Great Elder Princess conveyed this invitation card to here, to you?”
Duke Yong suddenly found out that he could not look down upon Qin Huaiyong anymore. He didn’t expect that Qin Huaiyong would establish a relationship with Duke Xing. If he asked Duke Xing to help him, then his position would be confirmed soon within one or two days.
“Qin Huaiyong is a military general who went to the war and has been rewarded for his battleground achievement when he is very young. This is also the reason that he was stationed with his own army before. Now he has been recalled to the capital city and he would definitely be promoted. If I always put him on the spot, he might part company with me. Now with the Duke Xing’s Mansion’s help, I could not get him stuck even if I want.”
Thinking about that, Duke Yong smiled again and said to Qin Huaiyong, “Then you could read this card carefully for Duke Xing’s Mansion is quite worthy to build a relationship with. I now go to see my sister first. She could not blame others but herself as she hurt herself so carelessly.”
“Okay, then I sure appreciate, brother-in-law!” Qin Huaiyong smiled and answered, setting his eyes on the card in his hand.
The Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t send this invitation card to him, but to Qin Wanru. It was Qin Wanru who let Qing Yue send this invitation card to him.
Qin Wanru was only to let him to take a look and to ask him about his meaning. He didn’t make a judgment at once and just put it on the desk casually. He actually worried about letting Qin Wanru such a little girl to go to the Duke Xing’s Mansion. Moreover, Shui Ruolan now was pregnant and he didn’t want her to follow her and be tired.
Duke Xing’s Mansion was very complicated and he didn’t want Qin Wanru to meddle too much in it.
He didn’t find a reason before. Now Duke Yong helped him have a good excuse and he also used this to awe Duke Yong.
It made the best of both worlds.
“Servant! Write to Rui’an Great Elder Princess’ Mansion that Madam Di hurt herself accidentally and the Second Lady Qin could not go to the Duke Xing’s Mansion because she had to take care of Madam Di!”
When Qin Huaiyong made up his mind, he gave the order to a servant.
A servant quickly came up from behind the door, bowed reverently to him and picked up the invitation card from Qin Huaiyong.
Qin Huaiyong waved his hand and then the servant left with the invitation card.
Standing up, walking in front of the window and looking at the hurried figure of his servant, Qin Huaiyong gradually looked very serious. “Duke Yong’s Mansion…”
Duke Yong didn’t stay in the Qin’s Mansion for a very long time. He only stayed in Madam Di’s court, talked to Madam Di for a while and then left in a hurry.
However, Di Yan stayed. Although the engagement between Qin Yuru and him was not confirmed yet, the Old Grandma of Duke Yong’s Mansion and Madam Di had accepted him. Thus, it would be reasonable for him to stay and take care of Madam Di.
In the evening, Qin Wanru heard from Qin Huaiyong that she had to take care of Madam Di tomorrow.
Hearing this order, her two servant girls and Nanny Yu felt extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan. Madam Di did antagonize Qin Wanru. This time it was Qin Wanru who let Qin Huaiyong expose her intrigue. If Qin Wanru went to Yulan Pavilion, she would definitely be tortured by Madam Di to death!
Qin Wanru was calm and even took a little shower to water the domestic swallow flowers near the window carefully. The domestic swallow flowers definitely should be raised in this capital city. Although they didn’t grow very well now, their look was much better than their dying look in Jiangzhou.
“Does father talk about the invitation card?” asked Qin Wanru. She turned a direction and watered the root of the flowers carefully. She sent this invitation card to Qin Huaiyong deliberately after knowing Madam Di hurt herself.
Although she felt surprised at the accident that Madam Di was kicked by Qin Huaiyong, she was sure that Duke Yong would come with this matter as an excuse!
However, though Madam Di and Duke Yong’s Mansion could take advantage of other’s power, she could also manage it…