LOT – Chapter 9 The Old Madam Is Sent Back to Her Hometown, the Steward and Concubine Are Exiled a Thousand Miles Away

Xiao Lian and the steward hadn’t exactly been discreet in their affair. After all, Xiao Lian was a favored concubine of the old madam, and the steward managed all the large and small affairs within the household.

Most people wouldn’t even think to investigate them. Besides, with the old madam controlling all the household matters, even if the official wife wanted to intervene, she couldn’t.

As a result, the pair conducted their affair boldly and openly.

Once the Assistant Minister of War ordered an investigation, countless pieces of evidence came to light almost immediately. When two people are deeply involved in an illicit relationship, they tend to cross lines. In fact, even Xiao Lian’s dudou (a traditional undergarment) was found in the steward’s room.

Looking at all the evidence laid before them, both Xiao Lian and the steward turned deathly pale, their eyes filled with utter despair.

The old madam was so furious that her eyes rolled back in shock.

“You two! How could you do this to me? Xiao Lian! I’ve never treated you poorly!” she cried out in anguish.

Xiao Lian, watching the old madam nearly faint from rage, suddenly felt a surge of resentment well up within her.

“If you never treated me poorly, then why didn’t you make me the official wife? Didn’t you always dislike Madam? Why didn’t you persuade the Master to divorce her and let me take her place?”

“What good is being a concubine? It’s still just serving others! As long as the Madam is above me, I’ll never be able to rise. Even the children I give birth to will always be illegitimate!”

Hearing those words, the old madam was so enraged she immediately slapped Xiao Lian across the face. “With your status, you dare dream of becoming the official wife?! You’re just a lowly servant!”

“Have you forgotten who bought you into this household? If I hadn’t had someone bring you back here, who knows what kind of miserable place you’d be suffering in right now!”

“I’ve kept you by my side for nearly ten years! Even a dog would develop feelings after that long! And yet you actually did something like this!” The old madam was furious. “I may not like Madam Wei, but she’s the legitimate daughter of a noble family. What do you have to compare with her?”

“Even as a concubine, you’ve lived more gloriously than others. The other two concubines in this household couldn’t compare to you at all. You’ve lived better than the official wives of many ordinary families. So what more were you dissatisfied with?”

The more the old madam spoke, the angrier she became. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she’d raised a thankless wretch.

The Assistant Minister of War and his wife sat nearby, watching with indifferent expressions.

The other two concubines looked at Xiao Lian on the ground as if she were a fool.

Was life in this household not good enough? The master was kind, the madam was gentle, and the only difficult person was the old madam. But once the old madam passed away, life would only get better.

So what if the children were born concubines? They were still legitimate members of the household! If it was a son, he could make his own way, take the imperial exam, or join the military—so many options. If it was a daughter, with the master and madam’s kindness, a good husband would naturally be chosen for her.

Even for daughters born of concubines in noble families, no decent household would send their daughter off to become someone else’s concubine.

They really couldn’t understand what Xiao Lian was thinking. A slave girl who had been bought into the household actually dared to dream of becoming the main wife. If she hadn’t wanted to be raised to the status of a concubine back then, all she had to do was directly tell the master she was unwilling when the old madam suggested it. The master wouldn’t have forced her.

As the old madam slapped Xiao Lian across the face again and again, the Assistant Minister’s wife finally couldn’t hold back.

“Mother, that’s enough—she’s still pregnant.”

“In our dynasty’s laws, men and women who commit adultery are exiled a thousand miles away. Send them to the authorities immediately.”

With just one sentence, the two kneeling on the floor went limp.

Exiled a thousand miles!

“Madam! Madam! I truly know I was wrong! I truly realize my mistake! You can sell me off if you like—just please, don’t let them exile me!”

Xiao Lian finally broke. When the consequences landed on her head, she couldn’t be tough anymore.

Seeing her like this, the old madam felt a wave of satisfaction. “Let her be exiled! Death would be too easy for her!”

No matter how the two on the ground pleaded, they were still dragged away and handed over to the authorities.

As for the child in Xiao Lian’s belly—well, that couldn’t be helped. The child might be innocent, but the parents certainly were not.

You reap what you sow.

After Lin Mo returned home, she listened with great interest as the system narrated what had happened. The others at the dinner table were also completely absorbed.

Honestly, having a system like this was pretty nice—it was great for passing the time.

Lin Mo: [What about the old madam? In the end, it feels like this was all her fault. If she hadn’t played matchmaker so recklessly, none of this would’ve happened.]

System: [The Assistant Minister of War plans to send the old madam back to their ancestral home. With the clan elders there to keep her in check, she won’t be able to stir up much trouble anymore.]

System (continued): [Seriously, why do some people insist on bringing misfortune upon themselves? That old woman was living in comfort by her son’s side—served by maids, treated like a revered ancestor—and still she wasn’t satisfied. Now look, she’s being sent back.]

[And in their hometown, she’s not the highest-ranking person anymore. There are the clan elders too. What she did this time wasn’t some minor issue—she nearly caused chaos in the family’s lineage. The elders definitely won’t let her off easy.]

Master Lin and Madam Lin exchanged a look and silently gave thanks that their own family didn’t have such a troublesome elder.

Lin Qi and Lin Ran, having heard all of this, came away with a new realization.

For example, when evaluating a future spouse, you really had to consider what kind of elders they had. If the elders were too difficult to deal with, that was a deal-breaker. If they were mentally unstable, that was no good either.

This meal was truly lively. Aside from the occasional comment, they spent most of the time listening to the system gossiping.

Hidden in the shadows, the secret guards reported everything that had happened to the emperor.

“Tsk tsk, brought it on herself,” the Xuande Emperor commented. “Looks like the Assistant Minister isn’t the type to blindly obey his mother. I really dislike those blindly filial types—they only end up harming others and themselves.”

Eunuch Li agreed, “And to think Your Majesty knew about this even before the minister reported it. He won’t even need to explain it anymore.”

The emperor waved his hand. “What I’ve heard and what he personally tells me are two different things. He’ll still have to report it in person tomorrow. But once that old madam is out of the house, things should improve a lot for them. She brought this all upon herself.”

That night, when it was time to sleep, Lin Mo started feeling restless again. She suddenly wanted to climb up to the roof and look at the moon.

System: [When did you get so poetic?]

Lin Mo (displeased): [What do you mean ‘when’? I’ve always been a literary and artistic young woman, okay?!]

The maids guarding her in the shadows: …Does that phrase really suit you?