The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Little Liao watched as the Duke left, then re-entered Madam Qi’s main room. Seeing her mother-in-law’s face looking awful, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. She diligently poured a cup of tea and handed it over.

”Mother, please have some tea.”

Madam Qi angrily pushed it away and said, ”Drink what tea? I’m already full of anger.”

Little Liao’s clothes were splashed with tea, and she felt a bit annoyed inside, but didn’t dare show it on her face. She coaxed, ”Mother, please don’t be angry. If you get upset, who will worry about you if not me and Rui’er? Surely there isn’t anyone else who cares for you?”

Madam Qi gave her a cold glance, sneering, ”Don’t bring this act to me. Do you think I don’t know what’s on your mind? Frankly, if it weren’t for your foolishness and past actions, the Lord wouldn’t have sent you and your family back to your hometown.”

Little Liao said bleakly, ”Mother, isn’t all this just for the sake of the Prime Minister’s Mansion? Frankly, is our Duke Mansion truly beneath their Prime Minister’s Mansion? Does Father-in-law have to be this submissive to them?”

”Shut your mouth!” Madam Qi glared at her fiercely, scolding, ”Who do you think you are, daring to insult your father-in-law behind his back? If word gets out, you needn’t do anything else but hang yourself with a white silk, and at least you could enter the Qi Family’s ancestral tomb. Otherwise, you’d just end up divorced.”

Little Liao’s face turned pale and she immediately knelt down, ”Mother, that’s not what I meant. I just meant that the Prime Minister’s Mansion is too oppressive.”

”Silence! How the Prime Minister’s Mansion acts is none of your concern. I advise you to put away those little schemes of yours. Don’t act clever; if you make a foolish mistake again, even without Rui’er, the Lord will definitely write you a letter of divorce. At that point, I won’t be able to help you, and you might even implicate me.” Madam Qi warned her sternly, lowering her voice.

Little Liao’s face showed panic.

Madam Qi said coldly, ”Don’t think I’m trying to scare you. The Lord has been dissatisfied with you as a daughter-in-law since the beginning, as you can’t achieve anything productive, dragging Rui’er down with you. Now you can’t even properly guide Zhang’er. He’s long been displeased. If not for me and Zhang’er, do you think you could still hold this position?”

”Mother, I’ve always been devoted to you and Rui’er. I could even tear my heart open for you to see.” Little Liao kneeled and approached.

Madam Qi chuckled disdainfully, ”I have no need to see your heart. You just need to remember not to act foolishly again. Behave faithfully as the Second Young Madam, and you’ll have your wealth and prosperity. But if you continue to cause trouble behind the scenes, I won’t be able to protect you. The Lord has even asked me to completely relinquish my authority to manage the household. How much more do you think I can shield you?”

Little Liao felt a bit bewildered and at a loss.

Seeing her like this, Madam Qi felt a sense of frustration, then thought of the unambitious Qi Rui, feeling a painful twist in her heart. If not for selfish intentions, choosing another prestigious noble lady, wouldn’t today be the Second Young Master basking in glory?

Now, there’s a legitimate heir from the first wife pressing down, an heir’s wife, and a younger brother serving as a Fourth Rank official. Only he is left to help manage affairs. If it were major ones, that’s one thing. But if it’s minor, managing estates, how frustrating would that be?

Madam Qi felt somewhat unsettled, rubbing her temples. Little Liao, kneeling on the ground, sheepishly stood up, saying, ”Mother, rest assured, I’ll obey you from now on.”

Madam Qi waved her hand. Her trusted maid came in, saying the heir’s wife had arrived.