Chapter 28 Like father, like son
Of course, not every beauty can enjoy the honor of being a concubine. According to ancient teachings, only the blood sisters of the principal wife can have this honor.
When Jiang first entered the Zheng Mansion, the Marquis had the idea of changing her name and personality, borrowing the name of the Su family's nobility, and entering the mansion as a concubine.
However, due to the Zheng family's contemptuous attitude towards the Su family, such an attempt to curry favor was unnecessary, and Jiang was therefore not able to be listed as a member of the Su family.
Today, the situation is completely different. The third daughter of the Guo family is truly a royal daughter.
Faced with such a situation, Guo's inner turmoil is self-evident.
Just imagine, if Guo met with an unexpected accident, in order to maintain the bond with the Changping Marquis Mansion, the Guo family could make arrangements to promote this illegitimate sister to the principal wife and continue the family line.
In this way, a son born out of wedlock can become a legitimate heir.
For Guo, this was like a hidden arrow, full of danger.
In the memory of the previous life, the third daughter of the Guo family was not brought into the mansion by the marquis when her fate took a turn. Instead, she waited until she was more than a month pregnant and begged her father to marry her to Lord Zheng.
But how could Guo’s mother just sit there and watch?
The mother and daughter conspired to kill the baby in her belly and Miss Guo San on the night of the full moon before the official wedding date.
Now, Su Wanyu took the lead and wrote a letter in the name of the Marquis, inviting the third lady of the Guo family to visit the mansion in advance.
At this moment, Guo's face was pale, and her expression was just like when she first saw Zheng Chengyan and Jiang Yingying entering the house hand in hand.
The two scenes overlap, as if from two different worlds. Guo seems to have traveled through time and space and is looking into the eyes of his old self.
She stood up, offered Guo a cup of tea, and said comfortingly: "Mother, don't worry too much."
Hearing this, Guo's expression softened slightly, and the haze in her heart seemed to dissipate.
Su Wanyu suddenly changed the subject, her lips curled up slightly, and she responded to Guo with a tit-for-tat remark: "Most of the descendants of noble families are like this, taking concubines is a common thing. Doesn't the second master also have many concubines? Although he has many concubines, he only has one wife. Even if they are pregnant, the children still belong to you, and you will always be their legitimate mother."
As soon as these words were spoken, Guo's pale face turned as dark as night in an instant.
Zheng Chengyan and the maids around him all looked at Su Wanyu.
Guo noticed his intentions and became even more unhappy. Her usual gentleness and calmness turned into something extremely harsh at this moment.
"Someone, take me to see it!"
She quickly gave orders to the maid outside the door, and after standing up, she gave Su Wanyu a deep look.
Su Wanyu pretended to be unaware, still supporting her gently, and whispered, "Mother, please don't blame father. He is still your husband when he comes home despite his romantic affairs. If you anger him, I'm afraid the Second Master will also be implicated."
Zheng Chengyan's expression darkened, and he couldn't help but tighten his hand on Guo's wrist.
The Marquis's authority in the Marquis of Changping's Mansion is unquestionable.
In the past, the old lady had come to the mansion several times to question him, which showed how prominent his status was in the mansion.
No one dared to disobey, even the old lady. No matter how she complained in private, when facing the outside world, she could only vent her anger on Jiang Yingying.
Today, Zheng Chengyan has been named the crown prince before he has accomplished anything. No matter how dissatisfied or resentful she is in her heart, she will never scold the old marquis directly, but will only target her half-sister in secret.
Every word Su Wanyu said made sense.
After hearing this, Guo's emotions gradually calmed down, her anger was suppressed, and she forced a cold smile, "Don't worry, I just went to check on Third Aunt. She is pregnant, which is a great joy for the family."
After she finished speaking, she lifted up her skirt, her once elegant temperament still intact, her posture was upright, and she hurried to the main courtyard, accompanied by the steps of her maid.
The pace was so fast that the petals underfoot were trampled into mud.
Su Wanyu watched her go away, secretly admiring Guo's extraordinary forbearance and excellent acting skills.
Although she looks so dignified, she has a deep plan for her younger sister, which is difficult for others to understand.
In this world of intertwined powers, nothing is more coveted than the position of the Crown Prince of the Marquis of Changping.
Zheng Chengyan followed closely behind, leaving Su Wanyu alone facing the empty banquet table full of delicacies.
She stood in the courtyard, looking back at the steaming delicacies, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and then she supported Yunyi and strolled leisurely towards the main courtyard.
The stage has been set, and it is only time for Guo to draw back the curtain on this power struggle.
Walking through the winding corridor, before reaching the main courtyard, I ran into Siqi who came to inquire about the news.
Siqi came closer, bowed slightly, and whispered, "Miss, Madam Li from the main courtyard proposed that the third concubine of the Guo family be your concubine, but she was severely rebuked by the Marquis."
Su Wanyu sneered. Guo actually imagined that she could easily accept the pregnant Miss Guo as her concubine just like she did with Jiang.
In fact, she underestimated her half-sister and the influence of the Guo family.
The ancestor of the Guo family, the wise man who was respected as the Old Master, had long since ascended to heaven, but as the emperor's teacher, his influence benefited future generations, and his students and old friends were spread throughout the court and the country, and his influence was deep-rooted.
Mr. Guo plays an important role in the court and regards the honor of his family as his own responsibility.
Ordinary small families might be very concerned about the purity of their bloodline, and the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children is like a chasm, but in the eyes of a prominent family like the Guo family, these distinctions become blurred.
Whether they were Miss Guo, who was born into the principal wife's family, or Miss Guo San, who was born into a concubine's family, they were all valuable chess pieces for family marriages.
In this big family, whoever can climb up to the throne of power and bring more power and status to the Guo family will be the most shining figure in the entire family.
Today, Lord Zheng's favor for Miss Guo San has gone beyond the ordinary, and almost everyone knows that such a woman of noble status can never be just a concubine.
Under the severe reprimand from the old marquis, even though Mrs. Guo felt a thousand grievances in her heart, she could only reluctantly suppress her dissatisfaction and outwardly tolerated the third Miss Guo as a concubine.
Miss Guo San's wit and sharpness were also fully demonstrated at this moment.
Faced with the maid's support, she gently covered her abdomen and pretended to be suddenly unwell. This action instantly aroused the Marquis's anger, and he slapped the maid hard in the face.
This action, seemingly a punishment for the maid, was actually an open challenge to Guo's status, causing her to lose all face.
Hearing this, Su Wanyu looked up at the front yard in the distance, frowned slightly, and murmured: "Like father, like son."
Everyone in the court knows about Lord Zheng's skills, and Zheng Chengyan seems to have perfectly inherited this coldness and desire for power. While he is greedy for beauty, he is even more keen on expanding his own sphere of power.
"Let's go and take a look." Su Wanyu decided to investigate personally.
When they arrived at the main courtyard gate, they happened to see the Marquis hurriedly entering the inner courtyard with the unconscious Miss Guo San in his arms. The words he left before leaving were like a chill wind: "If Jing'er makes any mistake today, none of you will escape punishment!"