"Status?" Wei Tingyu was startled by the question. This was indeed a bit tricky! After all, it was impossible for someone of Wang Yingxue's status to enter his manor! If she were a woman without a family, he might at least be able to give her the status of an outer chamber! But currently, she was precisely the Head Lady of the Dou family! And at the same time, also an outer chamber of the Marquis Jining's Residence? Wouldn't that make people laugh their teeth out if word got out? Moreover, the censors in the capital weren't idle either! All sorts of chaotic memorials would flood the imperial court, and he would surely be scolded fiercely; after all, disrupting the moral order was absolutely a certainty!
Ultimately, his current status wasn't high enough! Wei Tingyu's eyes darted around. The mere status of a Marquis Jining was enough for a life of luxury and enjoyment, but if he wanted to protect all the women he liked and no longer be bound by these worldly rules, it was definitely not enough! Only by standing at the pinnacle of this realm, looking down upon all living beings, could one establish the rules here! The Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues were merely meant to restrain ministers and common folk! But for the Emperor, such concerns never existed! Just like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Imperial Consort Yang, what they did clearly disrupted the moral order, yet in the end, didn't it become a beautiful tale for a thousand generations?
Of course, becoming Emperor had to be done step by step; he couldn't rush it now! If he acted rashly and caused chaos in the world, cleaning up the mess afterward would be very troublesome!
"You shall be considered an outer chamber for now!" Wei Tingyu thought for a moment, then said.
"Thank you, Marquis!" Wang Yingxue was startled, then quickly retreated two steps and solemnly bowed to Wei Tingyu, "This outer chamber, Wang Shi, greets my Lord!"
Good heavens! Wei Tingyu was speechless when he saw Wang Yingxue's excited demeanor! After all, an outer chamber was the woman with the lowest status in a household! A concubine at least entered the main gate, but an outer chamber couldn't even step through the main gate of the residence!
"Isn't your status as the Head Lady of the Dou family higher than that of an outer chamber in my Marquis's residence? Why are you so excited?" Wei Tingyu blinked, then looked at Wang Yingxue with a bewildered expression and asked.
"Being this Head Lady is meaningless! I'd rather be by the Marquis's side and be happy!" However, Wang Yingxue at this moment was like a woman consumed by love, expressing her loyalty to Wei Tingyu with an excited expression! "I was also deceived by Dou Shiying's honest and upright appearance for 10 years! Otherwise, I wouldn't have entered the residence and harmed Dou Zhao's mother!"
"It's just one wrong step after another! After that, I had no way back, so I could only try every possible way to maintain my position as the Head Lady of the Dou family!"
"And everything I did before was entirely for my daughter, Dou Ming! That's why I had to do those things against my conscience!"
"However, today is different! I no longer worry about Dou Ming's future; with the Marquis's care, she will surely have a life free from worries!"
"And just now, I also came to a realization: this latter half of my life should be lived for myself!"
Wang Yingxue rattled off a string of reasons, which managed to convince Wei Tingyu, because, logically, her thoughts were indeed sound!
"However, your status as an outer chamber cannot yet see the light of day!" Wei Tingyu nodded and continued, "If you trust me, you will have to wait a few more years!"
"I trust you! I trust you!" Wang Yingxue nodded repeatedly upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words, "As long as the Marquis is willing to acknowledge my status as an outer chamber in his heart, I will be content even if I die!"
"And now that I have become the Marquis's outer chamber, I will certainly not let any other man touch even a single strand of my hair!" Wang Yingxue was also a clever woman. She naturally knew which quality men of Wei Tingyu's status valued most in women! She immediately stated her stance, even raising three fingers as if to swear to the heavens!
"Since you are my outer chamber, I acknowledge your status!" However, Wei Tingyu looked at Wang Yingxue, his tone suddenly becoming serious, "But what I detest most is women in the backyard vying for favor and using schemes and tricks..."
"Marquis, please be clear!" Wang Yingxue nodded repeatedly, then said with a frank expression, "Before, I was truly blinded, but now that I have received the Marquis's favor, I naturally dare not do anything that would harm the stability of the Marquis's residence's backyard!"
"Since Dou Zhao is the Head Lady of the Marquis's residence, I will always be respectful towards her in the future and absolutely dare not overstep my bounds!"
"And I will certainly not do those things I did before!"
One had to admit that Wang Yingxue was indeed a clever woman. Wei Tingyu had only said half a sentence, and she already knew what to say in response! However, Wei Tingyu looked at Wang Yingxue's expression at this moment and was quite satisfied. At least at this moment, he could not see any hint of deceit in her eyes! It wasn't impossible that this woman was still putting on an act for him; after all, as the saying goes, "rivers and mountains may change, but one's nature is hard to alter." Wang Yingxue had been a wicked woman for so many years; the possibility of her suddenly changing her nature could not be said to be nonexistent, but it certainly wouldn't be very high. Of course, a few simple vows like these couldn't completely dispel Wei Tingyu's doubts!
"Since that is the case, starting tomorrow, I will assign a few female bodyguards to your side!" Wei Tingyu thought for a moment and said, "Firstly, to protect your safety, and secondly, if you have any urgent matters, you can convey messages to me through them!" For those he didn't trust, the best method was to place his trusted subordinates by their side and observe for a while!
Wei Tingyu now had eighteen Golden Shadow Guards and thirty-six Silver Shadow Guards, more than enough to guard the Marquis's residence! Now, sending two Golden Shadow Guards and four Silver Shadow Guards to take turns guarding Wang Yingxue, he figured she wouldn't be able to pull any tricks, even if she deliberately tried to deceive him!
"Yes!" Wang Yingxue was startled upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words, then immediately nodded in agreement. She dared not have any objections to this. In reality, this clever woman naturally knew that Wei Tingyu's action of assigning female bodyguards to her must have its purpose. Besides protecting her safety, it also served as surveillance! Of course, for Wang Yingxue, this was actually a good thing that she had eagerly sought, as her biggest worry at the moment was that Wei Tingyu wouldn't believe her loyalty! Since she was still the Head Lady of the Dou family, if the Marquis still doubted her relationship with Dou Shiying, that would be terrible! Now, with the Marquis's personally appointed female bodyguards constantly accompanying her, even though it was surveillance, it could also prove her innocence and put the Marquis at ease! At the same time, she had also promised not to use any bad means or schemes to engage in domestic disputes with the Marquis's wives and concubines, and these female bodyguards could also vouch for her! Thinking this way, Wang Yingxue truly welcomed Wei Tingyu's arrangement with open arms.
Seeing Wang Yingxue agree so readily, Wei Tingyu nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that what this woman had said earlier truly held some credibility; her standing in his heart had risen quite a bit!
In the manor's kitchen, the female cooks were busy chopping, mincing, stir-frying, and cooking. On the nearby tables, various freshly cooked dishes were already laid out. After inspection by the mistress, they would be served in the hall for the esteemed guests to enjoy!
"These dishes, five dry and five wet, are quite appropriate!"
"These cold dishes cannot be served loosely! They must be arranged in platters!"
"This duck and barley soup must have the duck meat shredded before being served!"
"And this Snow Crisp Mountain! Prepare more! The Marquis loves it!"
At this moment, Dou Zhao was personally inspecting whether these dishes suited Wei Tingyu's palate. With her vermillion lips slightly parted and her jade fingers lightly pointing, she clearly arranged the entire table of dishes! He Weifang, Miao Ansu, Zhao Zhangru, and Dou Ming, the four women, followed closely beside her, as if listening to imperial decrees, taking all of Dou Zhao's words to heart. After all, understanding the Marquis's dietary preferences was also an important skill and ability for them to establish themselves in the Marquis's residence later on. Especially He Weifang! As the Marquis's co-wife, if Dou Zhao was absent or ill someday, then she would have to manage these matters herself, and she dared not be negligent at all! As for the little girl Dou Ming, she looked even more diligent and eager to learn, wishing she had paper and pen to take notes as she listened.
After Dou Zhao finished explaining all the precautions, her eyes widened, and she spoke with an expression of wanting more, "When entertaining nobles, the banquet is most important! Especially the Marquis's diet, which cannot be taken lightly!"
"Elder sister can be so meticulous?! Little sister truly admires you!"
"Do you think the vessels I chose for these fruits are appropriate?"
Seeing her younger sister's diligent and eager-to-learn demeanor, Dou Zhao smiled slightly and once again guided her on the dishes she had prepared. He Weifang, Miao Ansu, and Zhao Zhangru also occasionally spoke up with teasing remarks, laughing at Dou Ming's diligence in learning for her brother-in-law, which made the little girl's cheeks flush, but she still refused to leave, determined to learn all of her elder sister's skills.
And this harmonious scene in the kitchen was seen by Wei Tingyu and Wang Yingxue, who had just emerged from the room. Especially Wang Yingxue, seeing her daughter getting along so harmoniously with her elder sister Dou Zhao and Wei Tingyu's other wives and concubines, she even looked somewhat lost in thought. This scene was indeed beautiful! If her old self had seen it, she would have surely exploded with anger, determined to destroy this beautiful scene! Why was my mind truly so ill back then? Why did I have to do such extreme things?
Indeed, people are often like this: when they were stubbornly fixated, no matter how they thought, they couldn't turn the corner! They had to achieve their goals, even if the final cost was the ruin of their family! However, once the matter was suddenly understood, it immediately became clear, and one would even feel that their previous behavior, conduct, and thoughts were particularly ridiculous and childish! In a sense, Wang Yingxue had truly grown up only today! In the past, although her life experience and age were increasing, her thoughts and mind were trapped on the day Dou Zhao's birth mother committed suicide more than a decade ago! As a teenage girl, she entered the Dou residence and was immediately branded with the crime of forcing the main wife to her death, ascending to the position of principal wife amidst the gossip and scornful gazes of others. Her viciousness and ruthlessness all these years were merely a shell she used to protect herself! Now, this shell had finally shattered! And Wang Yingxue finally showed the soft and gentle side of a woman her age! Of course, the main reason for all this was that she had a backbone! She knew that she no longer needed those disguises and ruthlessness to protect herself and her daughter, because with Wei Tingyu there, as long as she was wholeheartedly loyal to him, there would be no problems at all!
"Madam... Madam..." At this moment, two calls rang out behind Wei Tingyu and Wang Yingxue. Both turned back at the same time, only to see the wet nurse who had been guarding Wang Yingxue's door earlier, running over breathlessly from afar. She had been guarding Wang Yingxue's room earlier, but suddenly felt a stomachache and ran to the privy to relieve herself. When she returned, she found the door open and Wang Yingxue gone, so she actively searched for her. Of course, the wet nurse's stomachache earlier was also caused by Wei Tingyu remotely using his internal energy to pinpoint an acupoint. After all, it wouldn't have been good to let her see the two of them walking out of the room so openly; he still had to consider Wang Yingxue's reputation! Wang Yingxue also thought of this at the moment, and looked coyly at Wei Tingyu, her expression truly like a young wife acting coquettishly with her husband! And the wet nurse, seeing the instantaneous change in Wang Yingxue's face, immediately froze for a moment. However, she only frowned slightly in suspicion, then immediately put the matter temporarily out of her mind.
"What's all the fuss about? How rude!" Of course, Wang Yingxue would certainly be dignified and proper in front of Wei Tingyu. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed the breathless wet nurse, and asked.
"Just now, a young servant from the Dou family delivered a letter at the gate, saying that a former acquaintance of Madam's brought her daughters from out of town to the capital! They went to the manor to look for you but you weren't there, so they entrusted this letter to the servants of the manor to deliver!" The wet nurse glanced at Wei Tingyu who was standing nearby, bowed to him, and then immediately took out a letter and handed it to Wang Yingxue.
"My former acquaintance?" Wang Yingxue was also surprised. After so many years in the capital, how could she remember any distant former acquaintances? Her mind was a bit confused for a moment. Of course, at this moment, she was even more afraid that Wei Tingyu would misunderstand. After all, the person just delivered a letter, and didn't bring any other message, only saying it was an old acquaintance. And this old wet nurse was also muddled, not even clarifying whether the person was male or female. What if the Marquis misunderstood?
Thinking this, Wang Yingxue no longer waited and opened the letter in front of Wei Tingyu. When she saw the delicate handwriting in the letter, her bright eyes immediately widened!
"Li Niang! Li Niang has come!" After reading the content of the letter, Wang Yingxue's face became even more excited.
"Li Niang? Who is that?" Wei Tingyu, standing nearby, heard this and seemed to have a vague image in his mind, but still couldn't recall who this person was for a moment...
"Marquis! This Li Niang is this concubine's childhood playmate!" Wang Yingxue was also immersed in the joy of reuniting with an old friend at this moment. She happily read the letter while explaining, "Later, I came to the capital with my family, and Li Niang married far away. It's been almost 20 years since we last met!"
"Later, she did send two letters through someone, but I heard she married into a merchant family and lived quite prosperously!"
"She even has five daughters at home, each one beautiful as a flower!"
"Now, she and her daughters are not doing well in their hometown, so she sold their property and land deeds, and brought all her money to the capital to seek refuge with her second daughter who has already married out!"
Listening to Wang Yingxue talking to herself while reading the letter, Wei Tingyu immediately understood! Good heavens! This is connecting to the plot of "Five Fortunes Descending"! As expected, the System was right; these so-called "big female lead dramas" would gradually connect to this world, one by one, and interact with the people of the original world. In the current world setting, the mother of the five sisters, Lady Li Niang, was actually acquainted with Wang Yingxue since childhood?! How interesting!
At this moment, Wang Yingxue finished reading the letter and also noticed the fleeting glint in Wei Tingyu's eyes. Of course, she didn't know that Wei Tingyu was marveling at the wonders of this world; she thought he was interested in the content of what she had just said!
"Alright! You may go down!" Wang Yingxue waved her hand at the wet nurse, signaling her to leave. After she and Wei Tingyu were alone, she said with a teasing tone, "How is it, Marquis, are you also interested in my childhood playmate?"
"Mmm!" Wei Tingyu chuckled upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Wang Yingxue to actually be jealous? But that was good; this way, she seemed more like a normal woman! If she didn't show any jealousy at all, that would truly be too heartless and unnervingly calm!
"The Marquis answered quite readily!" Wang Yingxue's face immediately showed a surprised expression after hearing Wei Tingyu nod in agreement! His answer was too quick! However, her eyes darted, and she then said, "My friend here has already given birth to five daughters, but I don't know how much her figure has changed... Is the Marquis perhaps interested in her five daughters?"
Figure? Wei Tingyu recalled the situation in the drama he had watched before. Although Lady Li Niang had given birth to five daughters, her figure was undeniably stunning! However, those Five Golden Flowers were his true target!