Transmigration into a Book: My Lord, Your Wife Has Taken Another Concubine for You

At least Chu Mochen and Chu Mode, the two brothers, heard it clearly.

The brothers Chu Mochen and Chu Mode obediently stood up and said, "Your sons take their leave!"

Before leaving, the two brothers made sure to have the good stuff they had just received carried away.

The brothers Chu Mochen and Chu Mode even sent people overnight to move all their valuables away.

Of course, once Chu Mochen took his valuables back, two-thirds of them went directly into Lin Yanran's private collection.

As for why Chu Mochen gave it so readily, one reason was that Lin Yanran found out about it, and he could only shut her up by offering her benefits.

Secondly, Chu Mochen understood that once the items were in Lin Yanran's hands, they would eventually end up in his two sons' hands.

Although Chu Mochen still valued his two legitimate sons in his heart, especially since they were becoming more and more promising.

Although Chu Mochen always called Chu Yunxuan a rebellious son, an unfilial son, and a wicked son, he was quite certain of his eldest son's abilities.

Chu Mochen felt a pang of regret giving the items to Lin Yanran. However, considering they would eventually end up in his own son's hands, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

The next day, the rumors spread throughout Cangming that the old lady of the Hou family doted on her daughter, and that the daughter had moved out of the Hou mansion and the old lady of the Hou family had given her all the silver notes she had kept at the bottom of her chest to subsidize her.

They also provided over a dozen sets of their most treasured jewelry as a subsidy, making Madam Ma the most favored woman in the entire Cangming region.

This news was naturally spread by Chu Mochen and Chu Mode. Although they couldn't get the items back, they wanted to gain the upper hand in terms of reputation.

Some people couldn't believe it; who would be so biased towards a daughter who married out of the family? They personally questioned the brothers Chu Mochen and Chu Mode.

Both sons generously stated, "Those are our mother's private savings. She can give them to whomever she wants, and we, as her sons, have no objection."

For a time, all the women in Cangming, whether married or unmarried, envied Chu Xiyao's good fortune. Her mother favored her, and her two older brothers didn't compete with her for affection.

Chu Xiyao, whom everyone envies, doesn't have it as easy as everyone imagines. There are always some people who, when they're stuck in the mud, don't want to see others standing on the shore.

Therefore, whenever Chu Xiyao attended various occasions, all sorts of self-righteous people would stand up and criticize her for not taking resources from her brother, accusing her of being unfilial and lacking in common sense.

Her two brothers, who were said to dote on her in public, acted like good brothers in public, but when she asked them for favors in private, they ignored her completely.

Chu Xiyao couldn't even complain about her two brothers in public. If she did, everyone would look at her like she was an ingrate.

It was as if she had done something utterly heinous.

Her so-called maternal family was her strongest backing, which was practically a "joke about having unspeakable suffering."

When Ma Mingzhen and her two siblings heard that Cangming Xungui's young master and young lady were envious of them for having such a doting uncle, they were initially vehemently opposed.

But they gradually discovered that the more they opposed them, the more these people distanced themselves from them.

Gradually, Ma Mingzhen and her two siblings stopped speaking ill of their uncle in front of others. However, they felt extremely aggrieved and sent letters of complaint to the border one after another.

General Ma received many letters of complaint, so naturally he wrote to Chu Xiyao to inquire about the situation.

Chu Xiyao couldn't very well say that she stole her mother's silver notes! So she could only write a reply to General Ma, following the story that her elder brother Chu Mochen and the others had told others: that her mother had given her a subsidy.

General Ma knew that his wife had indeed received a benefit, so he wrote back to Cangming separately, scolding the three children and warning them not to write letters that spread rumors.

In fact, General Ma would have preferred his wife to refuse his mother-in-law's gifts, but looking at the folded document in front of him urging Cangming to send grain, he could only sigh helplessly.

The current situation arose because he initially underestimated the situation. He thought that if he didn't relinquish military power, the emperor would be far away and the royal family would be powerless against him, thus remaining dependent on him.

But he was being too naive. If the imperial court didn't provide him with food and supplies, how would he feed his 100,000-strong army?

In just a few short years, his grand general's mansion has become nothing more than a facade of splendor.

Does he expect him to lead his men to rob and become bandits? How could he face the men who risked their lives for him?

General Ma's agreement to allow his wife and children to return to Cangming was a gesture of loyalty to the Emperor. With this backing, he could also return to Cangming.

After these years of turmoil, those who are good at fighting may not be able to support an army. That world-renowned victory was not solely his achievement; the imperial court's supplies were also crucial.

General Ma didn't know if he had realized now that he wasn't that capable, or if it was too late.

Upon learning this news, Chu Yunxuan immediately asked his younger brother to return to the academy, and he quickly moved back himself.

The first thing Chu Yunxuan did upon returning was to take the silver notes to the main courtyard to see Lin Yanran. Chu Yunxuan was worried that Lin Yanran would feel bad because her aunt and the others had spent so much money from the Marquis's mansion.

Lin Yanran looked at the silver notes handed over by her eldest son. She knew what her eldest son meant, but Lin Yanran did not take them. "It didn't cost me any money, so I don't care."

It mainly depends on whether your father and you feel sorry for him.

After all, this manor belongs to your father now, but it will be yours in the future.

Chu Yunxuan pouted at Lin Yanran, "What if the father feels sorry for his son? What if the son feels sorry for his son?"

Lin Yanran sat in the rocking chair, rocking slowly as she asked with a smile, "Your father is feeling sorry for you, so tonight my son and I will add two more dishes. As for your good son feeling sorry for you, I'll think of a way to get back at him for you. Would that make you happier?"

Chu Yunxuan didn't want his mother to worry. "I'm happy to hear you say that, Mother. What's mine will be mine to take back later."

The son only wishes that his mother be happy every day.

Chu Yunxuan added in his mind, "Live happily."

Lin Yanran reached out and ruffled her eldest son's hair as he leaned closer. "Don't worry, I'm happy all day!"

Therefore, the biggest victim in this matter was Madam Hou, whose life's savings were divided up by her three "filial" children.

Chu Yunxuan moved back to the Marquis's residence, and Lin Yanran gained another dining companion. Whenever Chu Yunxuan was in the Marquis's residence, he would come to her main courtyard without fail to have dinner with her.

As for breakfast, Lin Yanran could not get up when she had nothing important to do; as for lunch, Lin Yanran would occasionally go to Deyuan Courtyard to eat.

Regardless of her relationship with Madam Hou, she still had to maintain appearances and not hand over any leverage to others.