A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Lady Yao escaped from the small courtyard and commandeered Old Master Xia’s carriage, wailing that she insisted on going.

"Old Master, I, Lady Yao, am the official wife!"

"I am the legitimate mother! They should be kowtowing to me!"

She resolutely could not give in!

After all, once there’s a first time, there will be a second, and after that, a third.

Otherwise, wouldn’t she have to let Lady Wen walk all over her?

This was absolutely unacceptable!

Old Master Xia was very annoyed.

"Get off my carriage!"

Given Lady Yao’s malicious nature and her refusal to mend her ways, a sense of disgust had grown in his heart.

On reflection, he realized he had been blinded at the start.

The sight of his twin children had once made him feel they were a blessing from the heavens.

No matter how outrageous Lady Yao’s actions became, he had always turned a blind eye.

Now, however, he had finally come to his senses.

He finally understood that this woman was the one who had thrown the Xia Residence into turmoil!

Old Master Xia deeply regretted indulging her.

So, when he could no longer bear it, he finally gave the order.

"Servants, escort Madam back to reflect on her actions. If anyone dares to let her out again, male servants will be sold to a male brothel, and female servants to a regular brothel!"

"Those who don’t believe me can try it!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the expressions of the servant boys and maids trailing Lady Yao instantly changed.

Several of them scrambled, using both hands and feet, to drag Lady Yao away.

Old Master Xia breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling unburdened as he headed towards Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion.

Sitting in the carriage, the corpulent Old Master Xia half-closed his eyes, a bitter taste filling his heart.

Both women had borne him children, yet now they were irreconcilably at odds.

Caught in the middle, he found himself in an unenviable position.

Lady Yao was clearly at fault, but Maternal Aunt Wen... ah!

Ultimately, the fault lay with him!

He was the one who had driven Xia Tingfeng from home all those years ago, wasn’t he? And the grievances Maternal Aunt Wen had endured for so many years were undeniably real.

Even though she was born of a concubine, she shouldn’t have been tormented so.

And then there was the matter of legitimate versus concubine-born children.

What about the Empress in the palace, or Jingfeng, who was about to take the imperial examinations?

They were siblings, both legitimate children of his first wife!

Sigh! He realized he had failed them all.

Old Master Xia sighed, lamenting inwardly, I shouldn’t have had so many women!

If there had been only one, he wouldn’t have let them all down.

He was, after all, a man of letters, possessing some understanding of romantic affections.

But only a little.

Stubborn, favoring sons over daughters, fixated on the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born, and staunchly feudal—these traits still defined Old Master Xia.

His guilt towards Maternal Aunt Wen surfaced only in fleeting moments.

In truth, he was still being lenient with Lady Yao.

If Lady Wen had committed such acts, she’d likely be in a brothel by now!

Such was feudalism; such was the distinction between the legitimate wife and concubines.

「...」

「At Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion.」

After Miss Ni and Xia Tingfeng served tea to his parents, Lady Wen smiled and presented her new daughter-in-law with a gift.

Miss Ni gazed at the two gleaming hairpins in her palm, her smile a picture of demure elegance.

"Thank you, Mother!"

She had called her ’Mother,’ not ’Concubine’!

A slight smile touched Xia Tingfeng’s lips; he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

His wife thought exactly as he did!

In his heart, Maternal Aunt Wen was the true Madam, his mother, far more honorable than Lady Yao!

Maternal Aunt Wen looked a little flustered.

"Please get up!"

Xia Tingfeng and Ni Manxue both rose.

Old Master Xia presented some gifts and exchanged a few pleasantries, but he soon grew restless.

He rose abruptly, an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Old Master..."

Lady Wen was the first to rise to attend to him.

Xia Tingfeng and Ni Manxue also stood up.

Old Master Xia cleared his throat. "It’s... it’s nothing. Please, keep sitting. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave!"

With that, he departed with his two personal servant boys, almost as if fleeing.

He felt ashamed to be in Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion and had no desire to linger.

When his son had been disrespectful, he had come here out of spite.

Now that his son was willing to invite him, he felt awkward!

A scholar’s mind is indeed as unfathomable as a woman’s!

Xia Tingfeng frowned for a moment, reaching this conclusion.

Lady Wen, too, felt exceedingly awkward.

After mulling it over, she felt something wasn’t quite right.

So, that evening, after dinner, she finally departed by carriage.

However, she left Xia Caiying behind.

Xia Caiying cried and refused.

Lady Wen gently persuaded her with heartfelt words.

"This is your brother’s home; no one will dare bully you here. Your sister-in-law adores you too. Just stay here!"

"I’ll come visit you often in the future!"

Xia Caiying looked at her mother, then at her brother, and finally nodded.

"Alright!"

Truthfully, she missed her brother terribly and was tired of Xia Ruyi’s bullying.

She longed to live with her brother and sister-in-law.

But... she couldn’t bear to part with her mother!

Seeing this, Ni Manxue quickly stepped forward to comfort her.

"Little sister, your mother isn’t far away. She can go home today and come back to visit tomorrow!"

Xia Caiying looked up, her face tear-streaked, and asked innocently.

"Is that true?"

Ni Manxue smiled and nodded.

"Yes!"

"It’s getting late, Mother. If you’re leaving now, please travel safely."

Knowing she couldn’t persuade her to stay, Ni Manxue spoke candidly.

Lady Wen boarded the carriage, smiled, and nodded.

"You all should get back too!"

"Yes!"

Ni Manxue responded.

Xia Caiying ran forward a few steps.

"Mother, you must visit often! If you don’t, I’ll come find you!"

The little girl said, wiping her tears.

This made Xia Tingfeng and Ni Manxue both laugh.

"Silly girl!"

Lady Wen also smiled at the sight, waved, and departed.

A woman obeys her father before marriage, her husband after marriage, and her son if her husband dies.

She still had a husband, so she couldn’t follow her son; her husband had to come first.

Even if the Xia Residence was a fiery pit, she had to leap into it.

But before taking that leap, she had managed to get Xia Caiying out, helping her escape that fiery pit.

In the future, as the young lady of Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion, Marquis Zhongyong’s own sister, surely no one would dare bully her.

Eventually... she would undoubtedly find a good match!

Lady Wen mused quietly.

She had only these two children in her life; naturally, she wished for them both to thrive.

To witness their happiness and well-being with her own eyes—she would die content.

「...」

「The grand wedding of Xia Tingfeng finally concluded.」

Tiger, Rat, Monster, and the others had finally witnessed their Big Brother’s wedding. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The scale and splendor of the event were a true eye-opener for them.

"Truly a wedding worthy of being bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor!"

"What a spectacle! So many officials, high and low, attended!"

"Exactly!"

"Big Brother Tiger, you’re a Thousand-Household Commander. If you work hard, you might achieve the same glory as Big Brother one day!"

"When that day comes... marry two or three Beautiful Delicate Ladies, one for each day, no repeats! Haha!"

Rat teased him.

Tiger sat on the doorstep, looking somewhat sullen and not quite himself.

"What’s wrong, Big Brother?"

Rat sensed something was amiss.