Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Now, I had become the marquis, the highest authority in the Marquis Manor.

I planned to be a good father and build a proper career for myself.

The first step was dealing with the complicated mess in the inner household.

A man with four wives and concubines simply couldn’t manage it.

Besides, I knew every one of these women had her own agenda.

Before, they had no choice. They could only fight over limited resources inside a cramped residence. But now that they had a choice, I wanted to see whether they would walk out and carve out a new world for themselves.

I casually pushed Concubine Hu off where she was clinging to me and said,

“I mean what I say. If any of you wants to leave the Marquis Manor, you may do so on your own. You may take your child with you, or leave the child behind.”

“Leave today, and I will give you five hundred taels as settlement money. Leave tomorrow, and I will give you four hundred.”

“Leave the day after tomorrow, and you’ll get three hundred, and so on. Think it over carefully.”

The room erupted.

Madam Song was horrified.

“My Lord! How can you do this?”

“The same goes for you. If you want to leave, I will give you a letter of divorce so you may remarry freely. But you may only take your own belongings.”

Madam Song’s face went deathly pale.

The reason the original owner had never formally married her in the first place was because she was poor.

If she left, aside from her few personal things, she would take nothing with her.

Madam Song’s expression turned icy. She did not dare speak again, only swept her cold gaze over the concubines.

Concubine Zhao lowered her eyes.

Concubine Luo looked conflicted.

Only Concubine Hu was visibly tempted.

Ignoring Madam Song, she probed, “My Lord, are you telling the truth?”

I ordered the steward to bring the silver. The moment the silver notes and ingots were laid out in the main hall, the whole atmosphere changed.

Concubine Hu immediately swayed her hips and smiled.

“My Lord, please stop testing me. You know I could never leave you in this lifetime, yet you insist on hurting my feelings like this.”

Sweet-tongued and venomous at heart.

When would I ever master that level of skill?

I signaled for her to follow me into the inner room.

Concubine Hu shot Madam Song a smug, provocative look, then twisted her slender waist and followed me inside in triumph.

Once we were in, I said calmly, “Take your son and leave today. I won’t pursue the matter of you cuckolding me. Otherwise…”

Concubine Hu’s face changed drastically.

“My Lord, where did you hear that? It must be the madam slandering me…”

I cut her off.

“Say one more word, and we’ll settle it with a blood test of kinship.”

Concubine Hu’s face went red, then white.

She dropped to her knees with a thud. Tears came the instant she wanted them, and she wept like a pear blossom in the rain, pitiful enough to soften anyone’s heart.

“Test it, then. I have nothing to fear if I have done nothing wrong. If it turns out Cheng’er is not your flesh and blood, I’ll smash my head to death right here.”

That acting…

That self-control, refusing to crack until death was staring her in the face…

No wonder she had so many scenes. She only went down near the very end.

I let out a faint sigh.

“The adulterer is named Ma Wenzhong, a penniless scholar too useless to even pass the xiucai exam. Using the excuse of buying clothes, the two of you rolled around together in a tailor shop…”

“My Lord…” Concubine Hu was terrified.

I said flatly,

“Leave immediately. At once. I’ll give you three days to run for your life. Three days from now, I will send men to hunt you down.”

“If you don’t run far enough and I catch you… heh, then blame your bad luck. Your time starts now.”

Concubine Hu didn’t dare faint, and she didn’t dare cry anymore.

She hurriedly scrambled to her feet.

“This concubine thanks Master for sparing my life. I’ll go at once. Please take care of yourself, Master. This concubine will remember your kindness forever.”

She sobbed as if heartbroken, but her feet did not slow for even a step.

I was speechless.

What dedication.

I called after her. “Take the silver notes and your indenture contract with you.”

She looked startled for a moment, then reached out and took the five hundred taels in silver notes and her indenture contract. Forcing out a smile, she left without looking back.

The steward followed her out and returned not long after to report.

“Master, Concubine Hu has left with the young master. Should we pursue them?”

Madam Song panicked.

“It’s fine if that vixen leaves, but she can’t be allowed to take Cheng’er with her.”