Chapter 1366 – The Ladies’ Tea Party (Nine)
Jiang Pengji has always been the unconventional lord.
If it were any other lord, as long as the sky wasn’t falling, they’d usually wait until after the New Year to deal with matters.
But not her! She aimed to make everyone in the opposing family have an unhappy New Year.
On the morning of the first day of the New Year.
Jiang Pengji sent messengers to every household, scolding them all, making such a ruckus that the whole Xiangyang County knew about it.
Almost every family being scolded played out a similar scene, with men, women, young and old, all crying together in grievance.
This was the very first scandal of the year, and the audience watching was utterly entertained, so much so they forgot to eat.
“…My son is devoted to Lord Lan Ting, contributing greatly; how does taking three to five concubines amount to disrespecting customs and exceeding bounds?” The old woman was taken aback by her son’s declaration, neglecting to slap her daughter-in-law in anger, she cautiously turned to the messenger and said, “It’s clearly my daughter-in-law’s fault for not being able to bear a proper son, leading to me forcing my son to take concubines.”
The old woman took the blame for her son’s concubining onto herself, casually slandering her daughter-in-law to justify her actions.
The messenger rolled his eyes internally; he had visited two families already, and the plotline was just the same—couldn’t there be a bit of originality?
“Old lady, may I ask, how old is your son this year?”
The old lady replied, “My son is thirty-three.”
The messenger continued, “Old lady, may I ask again, does your son’s family have a history of nobility or high rank?”
The old lady blushed, responding, “Our family has been farming for generations; it was only in the time of my great-grandfather that we became a prosperous family, nothing noble.”
“No nobility in your ancestry, just farming until recent generations turned affluent—that is merely a family with a slight fortune, right? The customs state that commoners shall have one man for one woman! What right does your son have to take concubines?” The messenger coldly retorted, “You said your son has ‘achieved greatly,’ I ask you, is he now noble or holds high office? With great accomplishments comes the right to have eight concubines! Your son’s achievements are meager, yet he has more than eight women in his courtyard!”
The old lady widened her eyes in shock upon hearing this.
She stammered, “This, this… I didn’t know about this…”
Lack of status, lack of accomplishments—no qualifications for concubining.
The messenger sneered again, “Previously, someone was sent to investigate and found that you manage your household poorly, teaching your son nothing good, allowing him to neglect his wife and support his concubines. You pressured your capable daughter-in-law to step down for a favored concubine, is that not true?”
Even without the investigation, her immediate action of slapping her daughter-in-law was enough evidence!
The old lady didn’t dare to admit it.
She shook her head vigorously, like a bell that wouldn’t stop ringing.
She cried and wailed on the ground, “These things were all done by an old woman blinded by fortune! My son didn’t do this willingly!”
The messenger’s eyes were filled with indifference, and he snorted lightly.
With a wave of his hand, he intended to move on to the next house.
“Mess—messenger, wait!”
While the old lady was still wailing, her son was not one to simply cry; he hurriedly pulled the messenger aside and, using his wide sleeves to hide, discreetly stuffed two money pouches into the messenger’s hands. Both pouches were bulging, and he could feel the weight. The messenger weighed them in his hands and had a good idea of their contents.
He accepted the bribe, and the man’s face lit up, feeling hopeful.
“Messenger, please speak a few good words for me in front of Lord Lan Ting,” the man said calmly, “to be frank, those women in the back are not concubines, they are all entertainers and courtesans I bought from outside, kept in the back to sing and entertain the family—”
Overstepping bounds to take concubines was a grave matter, but raising entertainers and courtesans was not such a big deal.
Before the chaos, many noble families regarded having entertainers as fashionable—an art of refined indulgence.
“Then it’s mostly a misunderstanding; produce their contracts, and you can prove your innocence,” the messenger coldly chuckled, yet maintained a semblance of concern as he advised the man, “Time is running out, I should head to the next household, or else it’ll be difficult to report back.”
The man respectfully sent the messenger off.
The messenger left with a cheerful grin, and as he stepped out of Chang’an Alley, he spat in disgust, exclaiming, “I’ve never met a man so shameless—thinking he can buy my life with such a meager sum!”
In just one morning, running four or five households, the messenger returned with a box full of “spoils.”
Not only was he loaded, but several other messengers also returned “heavy laden.”
“Tsk tsk, what a hefty reward.”
Yang Si raised his hand, stroking his beard, inspecting each box; they were all filled with bribes.
Some contained hefty gold and silver, while others were precious jewels—any one of which could make a commoner wealthy.
The messenger bitterly smiled, cupping his hands, “Military Adviser Yang, please don’t scare us; we wouldn’t dare touch this filthy money.”
This was all about their future prospects; no one would give up a bright future for a little temptation.
“Look at you timid ones, knowing fear is good. The lord despises bribery and corruption the most,” Yang Si was in a good mood, his words were gentle, “The lord is always fair with rewards and punishments. You all have accomplished something today and visited so many households, naturally, there will be rewards. Eighty percent of these items will go to the treasury, and the remaining twenty percent can be shared among you, consider it the New Year’s gift from the lord.”
Oh wow—
What a pleasant surprise!
The faces of the messengers brightened; even with only twenty percent to share, that was still a considerable extra income.
One messenger hesitated, “Military Adviser Yang, I’m a bit worried… what if those people actually forge contracts?”
The women in their backyards, some were legitimate concubines, others were treated as concubines without the formal title, and many were from respectable families—some even pregnant. Overall, most were from decent backgrounds.
If they forged contracts, they would be demoted from respectable status to the lowest level—able to be traded and mistreated at will!
“What of it?” Yang Si said coolly, “The more desperate they are, the better for us; they should ensure their legacy is tarnished forever.”
Art comes from life, but life surpasses art.
If those people didn’t mess it up, what material would Wei Ci have to write his novels?
Meanwhile, down in Chang’an Alley, chaos unfolded as well.
Several concubines were forced to sign contracts. Even as they cried and pleaded, it only earned them a few harsh kicks.
The pregnant cousin was also looking at her man with tears in her eyes.
“Cousin…”
The man remained indifferent, and the cousin placed a hand on her round belly, glancing at her mother.
“Mother…”
The old lady slammed the table angrily, shouting, “What’s more important, you or my son’s future? If we don’t get through this difficult time, our family will be the laughingstock of the neighborhood, and my son’s future will be over. You used to be so sensible; why are you being so disobedient now?!”
