Fierce Consort

Chapter 41

The old madam was in a bad mood to begin with, and Xue-shi's crying and making a ruckus gave her a headache. Thinking of Yan Ting's matter, she didn't have much patience.

She abruptly slammed the table in anger. "Xue-shi! Do you still have a woman's appearance?! Do you still have your mother-in-law in your eyes?!"
Although Xue-shi was shrewish, she had always feared this mother-in-law of hers. She trembled with fear and didn't dare continue wailing.

She sobbed quietly. "Mom, your daughter-in-law lost herself in anger. I've given birth and raised several children for Yan Zhi, and have always played the part of a dutiful wife. I've worked hard in raising the family, and it isn't like there aren't any concubines and chambermaids. But he still raised a mistress on the outside."

"Raising a mistress was his mistake, but coming to blows with your husband is yours. I've never heard of any household's wife who dared strike her husband in front of the elders. What household would dare keep a woman like you? If you make a fuss again, I'll have you go back to your maternal family."

When her maternal family was mentioned, Xue-shi didn't dare make a sound anymore.

Yan Zhi wiped the blood of his face. He grimaced in pain and kicked Xue-shi with an intolerant expression. "Hurry and scram back. I'll deal with you later!"

He then turned and smiled at the old madam. "Mom, don't anger yourself over her. Your son will deal with her properly when I get back!"

The old madam grunted. Xue-shi stood up and aggrievedly allowed the maids to send her away.
All the maids and grannies took their leave and the doors were closed. The hall fell silent once more but because of Xue-shi's ruckus, the atmosphere wasn't as tense as before.

Looking at the scratch marks on Yan Zhi's chubby face, the old madam couldn't quite endure it. She thought that since her oldest had told them about the mistress, there shouldn't be anything else he was hiding. She looked at Yan Ting, who also agreed with this assessment.

Yan Zhi was no longer suspected of offending someone. Then just what on earth was it?
"Mom, can you tell your son what happened? Although your son isn't impressive, my brain is still pretty decent. If everyone brainstorms together, we wouldn't fear any problem, no matter how big!" Yan Zhi patted his stomach and said, looking extremely righteous. If his face didn't have those scratches Xue-shi left behind, it would have looked even better.

"It's nothing big, merely old two's posting...."

Yan Zhi's mind thought quickly and said in astonishment. "It's about old two coming back from the border? I kept feeling like something was off. What, did something happen?" He looked extremely worried, caring and sympathetic.

The old madam hesitated a little and summarized the situation. It was like Yan Zhi said: since they were stuck, an extra person could maybe help figure it out.

Yan Zhi's face sank the more he heard, and he paced around the hall racking his brains. Suddenly, his face froze and he looked hesitantly at the old madam and at Yan Ting.

"Eldest, did you think of something?"

Yan Zhi hesitated. He glanced at Yan Ting and didn't speak.

"If you've thought of something, just say it. What are you beating around the bush for!?" The old madam was also anxious.

"I'm thinking, err, could this have something to do with the Zhenguo Duke Estate?"

Yan Ting's face twitched and he slightly narrowed his eyes.

The old madam felt panicked and said: "How could that be...."

Yan Zhi seemed to feel more and more that his thought was reasonable. "Mom, your son isn't just shooting in the dark. Think about the matter from last time. The Zhenguo Duke Estate had clearly been angered. Even though second sis-in-law went to smooth things over, didn't Yan Yan bring back quite a few maids from the Zhenguo Duke Estate....."