After rebirth, she became the favorite of the powerful minister.

Qiuju was not sure whether the lady would protect her if the matter was brought to the attention of the lady.

Although the Madam also said that she had to marry him now because of the imperial decree, and if he waited for a few years, she could find seven reasons for divorce, and even if she didn't divorce him, she could still be deposed as the principal wife. Therefore, servants like them would not treat Wen Qian as a proper master... But if things got too ugly, given the Madam's face-saving personality, I'm afraid... Qiuju bit her lip and said nothing, just stiffening her neck and holding on.

Yuan Ge was not interested in competing with her to see whose neck was more distorted. He walked past her with his sleeves rolled up and said in a low voice, "Although I know you have never regarded me as your master, I also don't regard you as my confidants. But since yesterday, your indentures have been in my hands... If you still want to stay in the Song family, you can kneel down as punishment, and then find a corner where I can't see you and live there quietly. If you are dissatisfied with this punishment, then pack up and leave the house now..."

The voice was loud, and the maids and servants who were eavesdropping outside heard it all. They looked at each other and were about to leave quietly, but were bumped into by Shiyin who came in from outside. Although she didn't know what happened, Shiyin didn't look happy, and put one hand on her waist and scolded, "What are you doing hiding here?"

The maids and old women ran away, stammering and looking embarrassed. Shiyin was still angry when she entered the house and saw Qiuju, who was holding her chin high and looking uglier than her own lady. She was about to scold her, but Qiuju was quicker than her. She pulled her neck back, threw her sleeves, and walked out with big strides. She walked into the yard and knelt straight down.

Even when kneeling, her neck and back remained straight without the slightest bend.

"Miss, look at her!" Shi Yin pointed at Qiu Ju who was kneeling in the yard and stamped her feet in anger, "Why are the servants of the Song family like this... Not only do they like to eavesdrop, but they also act like they are the masters above all else!"

Yuan Ge flipped through some clothes in the closet, picked out a bright-colored one and handed it to Shi Yin, "Let's talk about these things when we get back. If we are late for something like serving tea, we will be the ones to kneel down as punishment."

……

The Earl and his wife lived in Lixue Hall, the largest and most spacious room in the Earl's Mansion. It took a cup of tea to get there from Luofengxuan where Yuan Ge lived.

Even though they had not missed the hour, many people were already sitting in the room. The serious-looking ones in the lead were naturally Lord Ke Jing and his wife. The rest of the room was filled with men and women. The one with some charm was probably Lord Ke Jing's only concubine, Aunt An. The young man next to Aunt An was Song Ziyao, the eldest son of the Song family. The woman sitting opposite her holding a baby should be Song Shuyi, the daughter of the Song family.

I heard these from radio broadcasts on the way here. Fortunately, Lord Kejing did not have many concubines and did not have many offspring, otherwise it would be difficult to recognize them.

Since Yuan Ge had made up her mind to stay here for some time, she did not want to offend anyone, so she stepped forward obediently, lifted her skirt and knelt on the futon that had been prepared early in the morning. She took the teacup handed to her by the nanny, presented it with both hands, bowed and greeted, and served tea to everyone one by one.

They both took a sip with a blank face, and then placed a small wooden box on the tray with a blank face. After a while, Mrs. Song glanced at Yuan Ge and asked calmly, "Did you have a good rest last night?"

On the wedding day, they didn't even drink the wedding wine. On the first morning after the wedding, the new bride came alone to offer tea, and she never saw the groom from beginning to end... How she rested last night is self-evident. His mother-in-law really asked about things that were not related to the topic. She asked perfunctorily, and Yuan Ge answered casually, "To answer my mother, it's okay."

But someone covered the corner of her mouth and chuckled, "The feeling of being alone on the pillow is the most tormenting and difficult to sleep. Madam Third Young Master, there is no need to be so stubborn. Everyone here has been through this, so how can you not understand?" After saying that, she laughed again, and her laughter was charming and sweet.

Yuan Ge tilted his head to look at her. She was nearly 40 years old, and when she smiled, some fine lines could be seen at the corners of her eyes. But she had a pair of charming eyes, and those fine lines made her look full of charm and natural seduction. It was said that this concubine An was the favorite of Lord Ke Jing. If not for this, the Song family would never allow her to give birth to the eldest son before the legitimate son... It was also because of this that the wife and concubine had always been at odds with each other.

Thinking of this, Yuan Ge smiled innocently and asked, "I guess this is Aunt An."

"Ah."

Aunt An nodded and held the bracelet she had prepared early in the morning in her palm. It was not a good bracelet, but it was just the right gift for this girl.

But the other party did not turn around to serve tea, but asked, "Then... Did Aunt An rest well last night?"

"How could I--" The words that came out of her mouth were stuck in her throat. She realized belatedly the deeper meaning behind the new bride's words, and the smile on her face suddenly froze.

Aunt An frowned as she looked at the little girl kneeling on the futon and looking sideways. She was wearing a red dress, a complicated style popular at the time, with layers of tulle adorned with fine pearls, which was very expensive. It was said that the Wen family was rich, and it was true. The little girl was thin and could not support such a graceful dress, but on her, she had a completely different temperament, warm and flamboyant.

This girl... I always feel that she is completely different from the wedding ceremony yesterday with the veil on her head... This question is also tricky, no matter how you put it here, it is not right. She bit her teeth and sneered, "A young girl, not very old, wants to ask about the interesting things in the boudoir of her elders... The family style of the Wen family is really not commendable. Uncle, don't you agree?"

Lord Ke Jing glanced at his wife's increasingly gloomy face, coughed, and said nothing.

Instead, Song Shuyi, who had been teasing the baby with her head down the whole time, spoke in a calm voice, "To be honest, you are not a real elder, but a concubine. Since you are a concubine, you are just a servant in all seriousness. If it weren't for your mother's kindness, how could you sit here? Xiao Ping'an... isn't that right?" She didn't look up while speaking, but just lowered her head to ask the child in her arms.

The child is still young, babbling, laughing, and dancing.

He's a cute kid.

Aunt An's face changed, but she didn't say a word. She just held her son's hand on the armrest. Song Ziyao frowned and sat back down.

Yuan Ge raised his eyebrows secretly. He had heard that the young lady of the Song family was straightforward and bold, quite like the old general in the past. It seemed that the rumors were true.

Ke Jingbo coughed again and called out in a deep voice, "Shuyi..."

Before he finished speaking, his wife beside him suddenly turned her head and asked, "What? Did Shuyi say something wrong? If I'm not a servant, am I the master?"

"I didn't say that..." Ke Jingbo's momentum suddenly dropped, and he muttered awkwardly, "Is this the right time to say that? When the new daughter-in-law comes home, she should be offered a cup of tea and called Auntie. That's what we have to do... Don't you think so?"