Chapter 2001
Lady 5
Zhu Xiuping proposed to his mother that he wanted to marry Liu Mei, but Liu Mei immediately rejected the proposal.
“The future mistress of my manor cannot be a concubine’s daughter. If you want to marry Ah Qiu, I can agree, but a concubine’s daughter is absolutely unacceptable.”
Zhu Xiuping's teenage rebellion was still ongoing; the more his parents objected, the more determined he became to do it.
Zhu Xiuping began a hunger strike.
Liu felt a pang of heartache and showed signs of backing down.
But Lord Zhu wouldn't soften his heart: "Let him be. Anyway, I have more than one son."
Madam Liu roared inwardly: But she only had one son. Unfortunately, this son was a disappointment.
Lady Liu relayed Lord Zhu's words to Zhu Xiuping: "Do you think you can control your father? If you die, your father will pass the title to your second, third, or fourth brother. He doesn't lack sons, but you only have one life. Have you thought it through? Is a woman more important, or your life and the title?"
Zhu Xiuping couldn't believe her father could be so heartless towards her.
Liu sneered: "He is not heartless, but in his eyes, the interests of the Marquis's mansion are above all else."
Zhu Xiuping still didn't believe Liu's words. He thought that Liu was only saying that to stop him from having feelings for Liu Mei.
Zhu Xiuping made up his mind: he would elope with Liu Mei and then bring her back after she gave birth to his child.
In this way, the parents would have no choice but to accept Liu Mei as their daughter-in-law.
Zhu Xiuping sneaked out of the Marquis's mansion to find Liu Mei, intending to take her away with him.
Liu Mei hesitated, "If I marry her, she will be my wife; if I elope, she will be my concubine."
Having read the Four Books and Five Classics, Liu Mei naturally knew this sentence from the "Inner Rules" section of the Book of Rites.
She just left with Zhu Xiuping like that, which is even worse than Li Han taking Liu Tong as a concubine!
However, if she gives up going with Zhu Xiuping, they will become strangers and never be together again.
Zhu Xiu is the best person she's ever met. If she gives up that opportunity, how good a family could she marry into?
She was just a concubine's daughter. Perhaps her father would find her a scholar to marry, or perhaps he would marry her off to a concubine's son from a family of equal social standing...
Either way, her life won't be easy.
Want to take a gamble?
If she wins, she will become the heir apparent's wife in the Marquis's mansion.
If she loses, she will be expelled from her family and become a concubine without a maternal home, subject to the oppression of the principal wife, and may even be sold.
Liu Mei looked up and met Zhu Xiuping's burning gaze.
The boy's determination deeply moved her.
Finally, Liu Mei lowered her head and softly replied, "Okay."
Zhu Xiuping left the Liu family with Liu Mei. Unbeknownst to them, someone was standing on a tree branch watching them disappear into the night.
Liu Tong curled her lips. These were two idiots who didn't consider the consequences, one of whom was spoiled by his mother.
Liu Dong wouldn't stop them; even if she did, it wouldn't make a difference.
Zhu Xiuping didn't just elope with his people recklessly; he made ample preparations for the elopement.
Zhu Xiuping passed the imperial examination and was waiting at home for his official appointment.
The Marquis's mansion wanted Zhu Xiuping to stay in the capital, and had already decided that he would enter the Ministry of Revenue.
But Zhu Xiuping went to the Ministry of Personnel and bribed an official.
The official thought Zhu Xiuping wanted a better official position and was in a difficult position, but Zhu Xiuping only said that he wanted to go to a remote small county town thousands of miles away from the capital.
The officials were overjoyed.
Nobody wants to go to such a small county town, but now that a sucker has spent money to go there, he naturally has to oblige.
Zhu Xiuping instructed him to process the transfer order as quickly as possible, and the official delivered the order to Zhu Xiuping in just one day.
Zhu Xiuping took Liu Mei to the county town to take up their new post; from then on, they would be the county magistrate and his wife. After three years, with the help of the Marquis's mansion, he would be able to return to the capital.
Zhu Xiuping's plan was excellent, but he didn't know that his actions would enrage Lord Zhu.
Lord Zhu directly petitioned the emperor, who then revoked his title of heir apparent.
Although Lord Zhu did not make any of his other sons his heirs, this alone was enough to hurt Lady Liu.
Lady Liu fell ill from anger, and Liu Tong and Lady Zhao accompanied Lady Zhao to the Marquis's residence to visit her.
When Lady Liu saw Liu Tong and Liu Tong, she was reminded of Liu Mei and couldn't help but feel angry, so she drove the two out of the Marquis's mansion.
Liu Tong was indignant: "We didn't seduce her son, so why are you taking it out on us?"
Liu Tong: "There's nothing we can do, we're all daughters of the Liu family."
The storm that Liu Mei's departure stirred up in the Liu family was no less than that in the Marquis's mansion.
If word got out that the Liu family girl had eloped with someone, her reputation would be completely ruined.
Leaving aside the difficulties in Liu Tong and Liu Tong's marriage, even Liu Tao, who is already married, would be divorced by her husband's family and sent back to her parents' home.
Upon receiving the news, Liu Tao returned to her parents' home and embraced her mother, weeping uncontrollably.
"I'm her own sister! How could she betray her own sister like this?"
Holding her eldest daughter, Mrs. Sun was worried about her youngest daughter and didn't know what to do, so she could only cry.
She also harbored a slight resentment towards her youngest daughter.
This girl only cares about herself. Doesn't she think about her own mother and older sister?
Especially her own mother, who was scolded by the old lady and the madam for corrupting her daughter, and the madam even wanted to sell her off.
Fortunately, her husband still had feelings for her and stopped his wife.
The old lady didn't want her family scandal to be exposed, so she kept the matter quiet and only told others that Liu Mei was unwell and had been sent back to her hometown to recuperate.
Because of Liu Mei's incident, Liu Qiu and Liu Tong were kept under even stricter control. The old lady used her connections to hire two old nannies from the palace to stay by Liu Qiu and Liu Tong's side and discipline them rigorously.
Liu Dong was annoyed by the old nanny's watchful eye; she had no time for herself.
Having no other option, Liu Tong had to seek help from Princess Yinghua.
Princess Yinghua hosted a flower-viewing banquet, inviting all the noble ladies of the capital to attend.
Liu Tong and Liu Tong, accompanied by Zhao Shi, also came to the princess's residence.
Zhao was preoccupied with dealing with other noble ladies and had no time to attend to Liu Tong and Liu Tong.
However, the two were accompanied by a nanny to guide them, ensuring they wouldn't make any mistakes.
Liu Tong led Granny Li along the garden path toward a secluded courtyard. Granny Li sensed something was wrong and tried to stop Liu Tong.
Mo Shu and Mo Yan stepped forward and pressed down on Li Mama's shoulders.
Unable to break free from their grip, Granny Li was terrified and asked sternly, "What are you doing? Third Miss, you mustn't do something that would disgrace the family like Fourth Miss."
Liu Dong chuckled lightly: "Don't worry, Granny, I know what's important. It's just that someone wants to see Granny Li."
Granny Li was even more alarmed, thinking that Liu Tong was having an affair with another man and that she wanted to use the man's power to deal with her.
She planned to leave the Liu family immediately after the flower viewing banquet.
Liu Tong and the other two led Granny Li into a courtyard, where Granny Li met the person Liu Tong had mentioned.
Granny Li's eyes widened.
Mo Yan and Mo Shu released the restraints on Granny Li, who immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the man: "This humble servant greets Your Highness the Princess."
Princess Yinghua smiled: "Granny Li, it's been three years since we last met, hasn't it?" (End of Chapter)