allonlinenovel Chapter 119 Aunt Hua Wanzhi
Chapter 119 Aunt Hua Wanzhi
One hundred thousand taels is no small sum.
However, Lü Yi knew that the only way for the Lü family to rise again was through her sister in the palace, so the more money they had, the more likely they were to succeed.
Aren't they rich? Aren't they clamoring to redeem themselves?
Okay, then bleed him out thoroughly before you leave!
"Will the concubines agree to this?"
"Hmph, that's their problem, what's it to me!"
Upon hearing this, the steward could only leave with a droopy head. When he relayed the words to the concubines, everyone felt that it was extremely unreasonable!
"Ten thousand taels? Why don't you Lü family just rob us? Go ask around in Man Dalong, where would you find such a thing! If it were ten or twenty thousand, we'd consider it a snake bite and pay to avoid trouble, but ten thousand taels? Bah! I haven't even settled accounts with you for the marriage fraud yet!"
One of the aunts, who had a sharp tongue, started cursing.
The other concubines were also dissatisfied, and they kept saying they wanted to go to Magistrate Wang to get justice for them!
The Lü family has already lost its reputation. If they cause any more trouble, they may not even have a place to stand in the future. Thinking of this, the steward could only try his best to appease them, but to little avail.
At this moment, a concubine stepped forward and spoke softly.
"Sisters, don't worry. Young Master has always been kind and generous to us. He must be in trouble to say such things. Why don't I go with the steward to see him and sound him out? If we can resolve this matter peacefully, it will benefit all of us, won't it?"
"Sister Wanzhi, is this really true?"
Why would I lie to my sister?
"Alright, we'll listen to you this once. But if the Lü family still insists on 100,000 taels of silver before they'll release the concubine, then don't blame us for not showing any consideration for our past relationship!"
Hua Wanzhi was the concubine who had given Lü Yi the silver notes to make connections.
Her family was the wealthiest among them, but she usually kept a low profile. Today, seeing the Lü family suffer a great calamity, while others were afraid and wanted to back down, she had a vague feeling that an opportunity had come.
Her status as a merchant was always her weakest point in the marriage negotiations.
Who doesn't want to marry into a wealthy family? She was no exception, but where would she find such a good opportunity?
Originally, I came to Bianzhou to participate in the autumn general election and try my luck, but I never expected to enter the Lü family's household.
It seems the Lü family has fallen from grace.
But she understood one thing better than others: as long as Consort Jia in the palace remained in power, the Lü family would still have a chance. Moreover, her father-in-law had passed away early, her mother-in-law was gone, and the second daughter of the Chi family, who was blocking her way, had already divorced.
In other words, if she can rise to power, she will control the entire Lü family.
And if she could win over her husband's heart, she would be a wife who had shared hardship and adversity, a deal she wouldn't let slip by.
So, after going over his words in his mind a few times, he followed the steward to see Lü Yi, who was lying on the bed half-dead.
The moment you step inside, you're hit by the strong smell of medicine. Sixty strokes of the cane—even if it's just for show, it'll still leave you with raw, bleeding skin and needing a good rest for a while!
"What are you here for?"
"I have come to say to you today that no matter what happens to the Lü family or to you in the future, I am willing to stay by your side and never leave you."
The person in charge was somewhat surprised to hear this, let alone Lü Yi who was lying down.
"You...you're not going with them?"
"Leave? Where to go? The reason I wanted to enter the manor was because I valued the young master as a kind and righteous person. The affection you showed to your mother-in-law and sister-in-law is evident in how you always treated me, an unimportant concubine in the eyes of others. So I've thought it over. Rather than wandering aimlessly outside, I'd rather stay with the young master. I can live well whether life is good or bad!"
Hua Wanzhi's words were touching.
What's so great about adding flowers to brocade? It's the kindness of offering charcoal in the snow that's truly unforgettable.
Seeing this, Lü Yi waved to her, and she walked over and squatted down in front of him. The two clasped hands, and Lü Yi's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke to her.
"Fine, fine, you've stayed with me through thick and thin, so I'll make it clear right now: I'm taking this concubine as my wife. Hmph, those people from the Chi family have ruined us to this extent, and I'll make them pay for it, but not now. Anyway, there's no one in charge of the household right now, so you can act like the mistress of the house. Steward, take my warrant and give the order: from now on, Concubine Hua will be the rightful mistress of our household! If anyone dares to disrespect her, they'll all be sold off and replaced with a new one!"
"Yes, young master, this servant understands."
In a wealthy and powerful family, it would be impossible to simply elevate a concubine to the status of a wife. But now, the Lü family has lost all its former glory, so how can it compare to the outside world?
So let's just move it; there's a ton of stuff going on in the mansion that no one's taking care of anyway.
With the new wife in charge, it's important that we servants have a set of rules to follow!
Hua Wanzhi hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. While there were reasons for seizing the initiative, she also felt that Lü Yi was indeed easy to fool. She could be coaxed with just a few words, which meant that it would be truly easy for her to take power in the future.
He then thanked Lü Yi profusely.
"Thank you for your kindness, my husband. I will not refuse. The most important thing right now is to properly handle things at home. My mother-in-law's body should be returned to her hometown, and the concubines in the mansion should also be dealt with properly. After the New Year, when things have calmed down a bit, we should find a way to go to the palace to see Consort Jia. She has worked so hard for the family for so many days, and we should let her know what's going on. My husband, please take good care of your injuries. I will handle things!"
"Alright, I'll do as you say, Madam!"
Lü Yi granted her immense power, which made Hua Wanzhi extremely pleased.
After calming him down and leaving the house, Hua Wanzhi gave instructions to the steward.
"Husband, please don't publicize the matter of elevating my status. It's not too late to announce it after the matter of releasing concubines is properly arranged. 100,000 taels per person is not possible, but 30,000 to 50,000 taels per person is still possible. I will go and persuade them one by one."
"Yes, Madam's word is law!"
The word "Madam" brought a hint of pride to her lips and eyebrows. The bigger the storm, the greater the opportunity. Her father's business acumen was indeed true!
When she arrived at the hall and spoke to each of the concubines, her demeanor returned to its previous gentleness. She sighed as soon as she entered, and the concubines' expressions also turned sour.
"How to say?"
"Oh, ladies, I've tried my best, but I just can't explain it to the young master. He's even said that if you want to sue him, go ahead. He wants to see if Bianzhou City is still a place where people follow the rules of etiquette!"
It was probably because the aunts present all came from merchant families, so they had been taught from a young age that harmony brings wealth and it's better to avoid trouble.