The whole family died tragically? The eldest daughter is the most powerful in the capital after her

The old lady was still angry, but when He Chun'er and Chen Lan introduced their eldest sons and mentioned that they had both passed the imperial examinations and became scholars, the old lady's eyes moved slightly and a smile of relief appeared on her face involuntarily.

She looked carefully at the two young men of extraordinary bearing, and actually felt a bit of fondness for them.

The old lady nodded slightly, her tone softened, and she asked, "Yongcheng, Yongxin, right? You two have already won the title of scholar at such a young age, and it seems that you are diligent and hardworking. In a few months, it will be the spring examination. If you can pass the examination, it will be a great honor for your family."

Upon hearing this, Yongcheng and Yongxin bowed deeply to the old lady and said respectfully and gently, "Thank you for your concern, grandma. We will live up to your teachings and study hard without slacking off."

After hearing this, the old lady's smile became even more intense, and she couldn't help but nod repeatedly.

She looked at the two young men carefully, and actually felt a little proud in her heart.

Now that the children of Qi family's concubines have achieved such success, it really brings them a lot of honor.

Just as the old lady was pleased, the fifth lady was the first to react and said sarcastically, "Oh, second brother really has a unique vision. The concubines he picked are all capable!"

"A concubine can raise a talented son. This blessing is really admirable."

She changed the subject and looked at the Second Madam meaningfully, with a malicious smile on her face, "If my Fifth Brother could be as blessed as my Second Sister-in-law, it would be a blessing from his previous life."

The Second Lady was already burning with anger at this time, and the smile she was trying to maintain on her face gradually broke down.

Looking at this group of people kneeling in the hall with a smug look on their faces, she felt secretly resentful. She could never accept these people.

She was about to explode, but she saw Lin Ruoxuan step forward, smiled slightly, and said in a soft but piercing tone: "Second Madam, didn't you just say that the Marquis's family tradition is generous and courteous to illegitimate children?"

"Now that several of you have become scholars, you have brought honor to the family. Moreover, the Qi family believes that harmony in the family is the key to success. As the wife of the Marquis, you should be generous and magnanimous."

After hearing this, the Second Madam's face turned pale, a hint of anger flashed in her eyes, and she stared at Lin Ruoxuan coldly, but forced herself not to lose her temper.

At this time, the Fifth Lady was not willing to be left behind and echoed, "Second Sister-in-law is right. We are so lucky to have six talented sons at once. Everyone in the Qi family is very envious! The Fifth House is not so lucky. You have two talented sons without any effort. You are really a role model for sisters-in-law!"

There was a strong sense of sarcasm in the Fifth Lady's words, and her implication was just to mock the Second Lady for being burdened by her concubine but having to accept these children "with joy".

The Second Lady was filled with resentment when she heard this, the anger in her eyes almost bursting out, but she had to force a stiff smile on her face.

The Second Madam took a deep breath, sneered, patted her sleeves lightly, and said with disdain: "You are kind enough to think of me, of course I am grateful, but the concubine should also have the rules of the concubine."

She sneered secretly in her heart, knowing that Lin Ruoxuan and the Fifth Madam just wanted to expand the affair with the concubine and force her to accept these children.

But she also knew that if these people really entered the Marquis' Mansion, her own position would be in jeopardy.

So, she glanced at a few people coldly, and walked away neatly, saying in a cold voice: "Whoever brought the water should deal with it. You guys can chat slowly. I won't accompany you anymore!"

The Fifth Lady was originally waiting to see the Second Lady's embarrassed look when she "accepted" these concubines and children, but the Second Lady had no manners and just left after saying something. She was stunned for a moment, her face turned slightly pale, and she stopped smiling awkwardly.

Seeing this, the other families stood up and left for fear of being implicated again.

After everyone left, Lin Ruoxuan slowly walked to Liu Ruyan and Chen Qiuyue who were kneeling on the ground, folded her hands in front of her stomach, and looked down at them.

She smiled slightly and said in a leisurely tone: "Ladies, since you have volunteered to come to the Qi Mansion to be concubines, do you know that entering this deep mansion means that you have no choice?"

"Whether you are a concubine or a mistress, you may have some status, but it is just a lowly status. If you make the mistress unhappy, you can sell her off at any time, leaving her with no place to stay."

"If you know your status and keep your duty, the mistress will still tolerate you. In other words, if you use dirty tricks, not only will the Qi family's inner house not tolerate you, but even the people in the capital will not tolerate you."

Liu Ruyan and Chen Qiuyue looked at each other, their faces changed slightly, their original shyness disappeared completely, replaced by an unconcealable panic.

They knelt more respectfully with their eyes lowered, already frightened by Lin Ruoxuan's words.

Although they knew that concubines had a low status before entering the mansion, they did not expect to end up in such a miserable situation.

Seeing their dazed expressions, Lin Ruoxuan continued, "If the two girls were in the Qi Mansion, they would have some wealth and splendor, but if they fell out of favor, they could be sent away at any time, and they might even be unable to get rid of their status as slaves."

"There is a way for you to choose now. If you want to find another career, you can let your elder brother-in-law take your indentures and restore your status as a good citizen. Then you can find your sweetheart and marry a suitable family as a legitimate wife."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the two girls suddenly changed, and they saw a glimmer of hope in their uneasiness.

They raised their heads slightly and looked at Lin Ruoxuan cautiously, feeling uneasy and almost unable to believe that they had such a choice.

They had already heard about the dirty deeds in the wealthy families, and no one wanted to pin the fate of their life on a piece of concubine contract.

Liu Ruyan hesitated for a moment, but couldn't hold back any longer. She bit her lip lightly, raised her head and asked, "Eighth Miss, are you really willing to let us leave? But, but about this indenture..."

Lin Ruoxuan nodded slightly, with a meaningful smile: "I always keep my word. If you want to leave, I will persuade the Qi family to release you. This is just a piece of paper. How can it trap you for your whole life?"

Seeing that Liu Ruyan was ready to move, Chen Qiuyue lowered her head and thought for a moment. Finally, she could not help but nodded slightly and pleaded, "Eighth Miss, if you are really willing to lend us a hand, I am willing to leave."

Liu Ruyan also took a deep breath and said softly, "I am willing to do the same. I will never forget the great kindness of Eighth Miss."

Lin Ruoxuan nodded with satisfaction, a faint smile flashed in her eyes, and she waved her hand gently, signaling them to stand up.

Her voice was like a breeze: "In that case, you can go with Lotus and wait. I will make arrangements for you today. From now on, you don't have to set foot in the Qi Mansion. Be a good man in the future, and you will not waste your life."