Chapter 31: The Confrontation

Half a month later, the Duke of Wei returned to the capital in grand triumph. While he was regrouping his troops thirty miles outside the city, Lady An used the excuse of welcoming him at the city gates to secure permission from the Old Madam to leave the estate.

The Duke of Wei's carriage traversed most of Luoyang before arriving at Jade Belt Lane.

With a wave of her hand from Nanny Zhao, the drum and gong troupe, who had been waiting there, immediately erupted into ear-splitting ceremonial music, playing and singing right in front of the innermost courtyard.

Passersby began peeking out from their homes to see what was happening.

Vendors and customers in the bustling streets stopped in their tracks and craned their necks; clearly, there was a grand spectacle unfolding!

Nanny Zhao stepped forward to knock on the door, but there was no response for a long while.

Curling her lip, she called over a man known throughout the surrounding villages for his booming voice. Inserting himself into a lull in the music, he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Lady An of the Duke of Wei's estate has come specifically to welcome the Duke's mistress into the household!"

"Please, Concubine Song, open the door!"

The echoes drifted through the entire Jade Belt Lane.

"Wow!" The commoners began to jeer. Some enthusiastic onlookers even climbed onto walls, shouting to the guards and servants standing on high alert inside, "Open up! The Mistress herself is coming to welcome your master's concubine into the manor to enjoy a life of luxury!"

With dark faces, the guards suppressed their murderous intent and drove the onlookers down from the walls.

In the neighboring courtyard, a woman adorned in gold and jade crumpled her handkerchief in her hand, her heart consumed by jealousy: *Why couldn't I have such a reasonable Mistress!*

A perceptive nanny beside her advised, "Oh, my Lady, when any mistress enters a household, the primary wife usually sits poised and waiting for the concubine to kneel and serve tea. For the Lady of the Duke of Wei's estate to come knocking at the door like this—anyone with eyes can see it's a trap. Haven't you noticed the neighbor hiding away in silence?"

"Why?" the woman asked, puzzled. She had pleaded for years without the Master agreeing to bring her in. "To enter the manor as a legitimate concubine... even if the children born are of concubine status, they would still be proper young masters of the household. Isn't that a hundred times better than being outside, having people point fingers and call them bastards?"

The nanny looked at the young woman and shook her head. "The household is not as easy to live in as you think!"

Inside the residence, Song Qingyan slammed her jade cup onto the ground with fury. "Good! Good! Well played, Lady An!"

She had been so focused on guarding against that little wench Tang Zhao that she hadn't expected to be caught off guard by Lady An!

"Madam, if they continue this commotion, they are determined to use public opinion to force you into the manor. Once you enter, it will be difficult to leave," Nanny Zhang said.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Song Qingyan paced back and forth in the room. "The only way now is to avoid the brunt of their attack." She looked toward the steward. "Pack our things. We are leaving through the back gate."

"Madam!" a servant rushed in to report. "The back gate is blocked. The guards who attempted to break through have all been captured alive!"

"Lady An has made full preparations to drive me to my death," Song Qingyan sneered. "Where is the Duke? Is he nearly home?"

"The guards watching outside have already gone to inform the Duke."

"Fine. With the Duke backing me, why should I fear a mere Lady An?" Song Qingyan laughed coldly. "Since Lady An wants to see me so badly, I shall fulfill her wish!"

"Soothe the young lady; do not let anyone offend her," Song Qingyan instructed before leading her entourage grandly out of the courtyard.

Nanny Zhao, leaning against the door, heard a flurry of footsteps and quickly retreated down the steps. With a creak, the heavy, carved rosewood gates swung open.

A woman appeared before the crowd, dressed in a crimson gown embroidered with golden peonies and wearing a full set of pale pink pearl headpieces.

"Which one is the Duchess of Wei?"

Tang Ming then assisted Lady An off the carriage, standing on the steps to face the mistress.

The moment Lady An saw the mistress's face, her pupils contracted, and she cried out in shock, "No, no! You are not Lady Song! Lady Song died ten years ago! Who are you?"

Standing on the high steps, Song Qingyan looked down at Lady An with a smile as bright as a flower. "I am, of course, not my ill-fated cousin. Lady An, had my cousin not passed away, you would be nothing more than a mere concubine!"

*How dare you show such bravado in front of me!*

Tang Ming trembled all over, finally understanding why Tang Zhao wanted to deal with this mistress.

She quickly composed herself and gave her mother's sleeve a sharp tug.

Looking at her daughter, Lady An slowly regained her composure. Following her daughter's guidance, she stepped up the stairs and declared, "Regardless of the past, I am now the Duchess of the Duke of Wei's estate, the Duke's legitimate wife! I am the Mistress of this mistress!"

Song Qingyan gritted her teeth.

Lady An and Song Qingyan stood on opposite sides of the threshold—one inside, one outside. "Now that I have personally come to welcome you into the manor, you should greet me with a smile and show your gratitude!"

"Is the Lady perhaps trying to trick me into the manor only to use schemes to harm me?" Song Qingyan shook her head. "My cousin died in this manor; I do not possess her good fortune and dare not enter the manor privately."

Lady An's eyes reddened with rage. Years ago, she had been falsely accused of being involved in Lady Song's death and had endured immense persecution, only to be saved by the Old Madam's intervention.

"My mother's death had nothing to do with her; the Old Madam investigated it herself. Does Concubine Song not even believe the Old Madam's words?" Seeing that her mother was unreliable, Tang Ming was forced to speak up herself.

"I naturally believe the Old Madam," Song Qingyan shifted her gaze to the graceful, elegant young girl. "The Duke has shown me great kindness. I consider myself of mediocre beauty and lack the fortune to step through the gates of the Duke's manor; I only seek to live out my remaining days here."

"You are mistaken, Concubine," Tang Ming's tone was as gentle as Song Qingyan's. "You have given Father a son and a daughter; that is a blessing beyond measure."

Song Qingyan clenched her hands. *They know about Shi'er's existence!*

"Even if you do not consider your own interests, you should consider your children. The laws of Dayu do not recognize the children of a mistress. If you insist on not entering the manor, then your son and daughter will be branded as bastards!"

"How can the legitimate young masters and ladies of the Duke of Wei's estate be pointed at and called bastards without fathers? Furthermore, you live outside amidst a chaotic crowd; what if something were to happen to them?"

Song Qingyan cared most about her children. Now, being insulted by a junior for her children being bastards, she was consumed by fury. She didn't even care that Tang Ming was subtly questioning her legitimacy. She sneered, "The Second Young Lady is a lady of noble birth. Please mind your tongue, lest you violate your precepts and face the Buddha's punishment!"

Lady An could not bear to see her daughter of seventeen years being cursed by a mistress. She raised her hand and struck that "pitiful" face hard!

*Slap!* Song Qingyan's face immediately swelled and turned red. She said in disbelief, "You dare strike me?"

Lady An shouted sternly, "You are a mere mistress, a servant by birth, yet you dare curse the legitimate young lady? Such a lack of decorum—should I not strike you?"

"Bravo!" The onlookers applauded.

A middle-aged woman spat and shouted loudly, "She certainly deserves it! For a mistress to be so arrogant, she must be taught a lesson!"

What woman in the world wouldn't be angry if she knew her husband had someone else? They only endured it due to various reasons.

Seeing the primary wife discipline the mistress, they felt a sense of catharsis.

As the legal wives, they were born with the right to discipline the mistresses!