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If they wanted to leave, she, as their master, would eventually agree, return their indentures, and give them some dowries, thus fulfilling the relationship between master and servant.

If they were unwilling to leave, she would not object. If the master needed them in the future, she would be willing to let them serve Zhou Chen. After all, they were her dowry maids, and it would be easier to control them than taking concubines outside.

But all this was done with her permission, but Cai Zan secretly seduced Zhou Chen without her permission and without her knowledge, and this was something she could not allow.

How could she tolerate a disobedient and uncontrollable maid?

The next morning, after Zhou Chen left Chaoyun Pavilion, Hua Lan immediately ordered Mother Feng to take the hairpin down and bring it to her.

In front of Luohan's bed, Hualan sat upright, acting like the mistress of the house and the eldest lady of the marquis's mansion, with a stern expression.

Looking at Cai Zan who was tied up and kneeling on the ground, she spoke coldly.

"Cai Zan, you should know why I took you down, right?"

"Girl, spare me, girl, spare me, I, I didn't mean it, I really didn't mean it."

Cai Zan was so frightened that she was shaking all over and begged for mercy quickly. She knew that she was a kind-hearted girl and if she behaved more pitifully, she might be able to save her life.

But she didn't know that her behavior angered Hua Lan. She had been the housekeeper for two years and the mistress of the Marquis's Mansion for another year. The aura of the mistress of the household naturally developed over her.

She was willing to let Cai Zan accompany Zhou Chen, only if Cai Zan did. If she was unwilling, Cai Zan would absolutely not allow her to do so. If Cai Zan did so, she would never forgive her.

And the most important point is that her husband has not even completed the one-year mourning period, and Cai Zhan dares to seduce him blatantly, which is even more unacceptable.

"Forgive you? I usually treat you well, why do you do this?"

"me……"

Mother Feng went up and slapped her in the face, yelling: "Madam asked you to answer, why are you hesitating? Answer me quickly."

Cai Zan replied in panic, "I just saw that the Marquis has not consummated his marriage for a long time and he is too lonely, so I wanted to share the burden for you and serve you. Please spare my life, young lady."

Hua Lan said coldly: "According to what you said, should I thank you?"

Cai Zan shouted loudly: "Miss, I am your maidservant during your marriage. If you are not able to help me and the Marquis needs me, I can serve you."

Cuichan couldn't stand it any longer and shouted, "Shut up! You made a big mistake, and you still have the nerve to make excuses."

Cai Zan shouted, "I am not making excuses. The young lady has been married to the Marquis' Mansion for more than two years, but the Marquis has never taken a concubine. When the young lady was not comfortable, the Marquis never looked for another woman. The Marquis was also full of vigor and vitality. I did this for the young lady and the Marquis."

Hua Lan's face turned ugly: "You mean I'm jealous and don't let the Marquis take a concubine, right?"

Cai Zan bowed her head and said, "I dare not, I dare not."

Hualan silently looked at Caizhan who kept kowtowing. She admitted that she was a little selfish. She missed the kindness of the official to her and longed for all his love, so she never mentioned the matter of taking a concubine.

But of course she couldn't show it now, because Cai Zan's behavior was treasonous and immoral.

"It seems that you still don't really realize where you are wrong. Don't worry, I won't beat you to death. Mother Feng, gag her, tie her up, and take her away. I want to go back to my mother's house."

Hua Lan acted very quickly. She brought Mother Feng, Cui Chan, and several guards to the Sheng Mansion, and went straight to Weiruixuan. She ordered the guards to guard Weiruixuan and not allow anyone to come in.

"Madam, the eldest girl is back, and she has brought people to surround our Wei Rui Xuan."

The eldest lady was drinking happily in her room when she suddenly heard her maid Caihuan running in to report. She was immediately shocked.

"Hua'er is back and has fenced off the yard? What's going on?"

While asking, she stood up, but before she could walk out, she saw Hua Lan walking in aggressively.

"Hua'er, what are you doing..."

Before I could ask, I saw the colorful hairpin being pulled in by the guards and thrown on the ground.

"Cai Zan? Hua'er, what are you doing?"

Hualan ordered her maid Caihuan, "Go down, leave the yard, and don't come near."

Although Caihuan was the eldest lady's maid, she didn't dare to say a word when she saw Hualan was so fierce, and left in a hurry.

Wang Ruofu and Mother Liu both looked puzzled and looked at Hualan curiously.

"Hua'er, what's wrong? You look scary like this."

Although she is Hualan's biological mother, it was the first time she saw such an imposing Hualan. The pressure was overwhelming and she felt a little nervous unconsciously.

Hua Lan said in a deep voice: "Mother, I should have beaten this traitorous bitch, but she is the maid you gave me as a dowry. After thinking it over, I decided to send her back for you to deal with."

"Betraying one's master is immoral? Who, Cai Zan? Does she have the guts to do that?" Wang Ruofu looked unconvinced.

Hua Lan said nothing, and walked to the chair next to her and sat down: "Cui Chan, tell my mother what she did."

Cuichan immediately told Wang Ruofu everything Caizhan had done. Wang Ruofu flew into a rage and rushed over and slapped Caizhan in the face.

"You little bitch, I asked you to be Hua'er's maid and take care of her, but you dared to seduce the Marquis when Hua'er was not around, and during the Marquis's mourning period. I will beat you to death, you little bitch."

After one slap, he didn't feel satisfied, so he slapped him twice. After that, his hands started shaking.

"Mother Liu, beat this little bitch to death."

Mother Liu rushed over without thinking and slapped Cai Zan a few more times, causing her to wail in pain, but her mouth was stuffed with cloth, so she couldn't make much sound.

"Okay, okay, mother, I'll leave this hairpin to you. The master is still in mourning, so no rumors that are unfavorable to him can be spread."

Wang Ruofu understood what Hualan meant. In this age where filial piety is more important than anything else, if word got out that Zhou Chen had had an affair with the maid during the mourning period and the censors caught it, even if she couldn't bring Zhou Chen down, she would definitely get into trouble.

"Okay, Hua'er, leave it to me. I promise you that there won't be any rumors spread."

"Well, mother, I will go to pay my respects to my grandmother."

Seeing that Hualan was about to leave, Caihan struggled to squirm from the ground, crawled in front of Hualan, grabbed Hualan's clothes with her tied hands, and begged her face.

Mother Liu was not tolerant at all and went up to pull Caizhan's hand away.

As soon as Hua Lan left, Wang Ruofu ordered: "This little bitch, beat her to death, beat her to death..."

Hualan came to Shou'an Hall and told the old lady about this.

The old lady praised: "You did the right thing. If it was a normal time, it would be fine, but Sanlang is still in mourning. This matter is not a big deal, but it is not a small matter either. Although Sanlang is not a civil servant, it will be troublesome if he is used by someone with ulterior motives. This is the best way to solve it."

"That Cai Zan is dead, but what she said still makes sense."

Hua Lan's face turned pale: "Grandmother, are you talking about taking a concubine for the official?"

The old lady sighed, "You are a smart, kind, tolerant child. I know that Sanlang didn't even have a maid before, and you are his only wife after marriage, but you will always have inconveniences. Now it is not convenient for Sanlang to take a concubine in the past two years, but what about in the future? If it continues like this, there will always be some villains who will spread rumors and say that you are jealous, which will not be good for you."

She has lived for many years and has been able to take many things in an open-minded way. How could she not understand her granddaughter's thoughts? But as a grandmother, she still felt it necessary to give her some advice.

Hua Lan whispered, "In fact, I have thought about it before. When I was pregnant with my stepbrother, I also considered letting Cuichan and Caizhan serve the Marquis. But I didn't make up my mind, and I didn't ask Cuichan and the others. And seeing that the Marquis didn't mention it, I didn't do it. It's true that I have selfish motives."

The old lady patted her hands and said, "How can this be called selfishness? Which woman doesn't want to live with her husband as an equal and depend on him for the rest of her life? But this is not realistic. You should understand this."

Everyone living in this era understands that monogamy is unrealistic. It may be possible for ordinary people at the bottom of society, but it is difficult for ordinary wealthy families to do so, let alone a wealthy family like the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion.

Take Sheng Hong for example. When he was a ninth-rank official in a cold and bitter land, he already had a concubine. It is really rare for someone like Zhou Chen, who was born in a marquis's mansion and does not even have a maid in his room, to be like him.

"But you don't have to think too much about it now. Sanlang is still in mourning. You can ask him first. This kind of thing should be discussed between you and your husband."

In the old lady's view, taking a concubine for Zhou Chen was not a big deal. To put it nicely, a concubine was a concubine, to put it bluntly, she was a slave, and her life and death were in the hands of the mistress of the house.

Hualan is the mistress of the Marquis's Mansion, in charge of the backyard. Zhou Chen is different from his illegitimate son Sheng Hong, and will not do anything like favoring a concubine over his wife.

So she felt that even if Zhou Chen took a concubine, it would not shake Hua Lan's position in the Marquis' Mansion. Instead, it would be able to reduce the pressure on Hua Lan.

On the way back, Hualan and Cuichan sat in the carriage.

Cuichan saw that Hualan was not happy, so she asked with concern, "Miss, are you still angry about the hairpin?"

Hua Lan shook her head and said, "It's over. I was wondering if I was too selfish. Cai Zan was right. My husband is in his prime, and I am full of vigor and vitality, but I want to monopolize the Marquis. It's wrong."

Cui Chan was surprised and said, "I think the Marquis loves the girl. The Marquis must think that the girl is a hundred times more important than his own temporary happiness."

She is Hualan's personal maid, and knows the most about Zhou Chen and Hualan. She also knows how strong and capable Zhou Chen is. But even so, Zhou Chen has never mentioned the matter of taking a concubine, which only shows that the Marquis loves the girl deeply.

Hualan looked at Cuichan in surprise, then sighed, "My master cares about me, so I should serve her well and take her as a concubine for him."

Seeing Hualan's tangled expression, Cuichan suddenly said, "Miss, if you agree, I am willing to serve the Marquis."

"what?"

Hualan looked at Cuichan in surprise.

Cui Chan hurriedly explained: "Miss, please don't misunderstand me. I think differently from Cai Zan. I just want to share the burden for you. I don't need a title or anything else. I am willing to serve you all my life and be your maid for the rest of my life."

Hua Lan was silent for a moment before she said, "Don't you want to get married? In fact, I have already made up my mind. When you get married, I will return your indenture to you and prepare a generous dowry for you so that you can get married in style."

Cuichan said, "Girl, I have never thought about getting married. I have thought about it a long time ago. For someone like me, even if I get married, I can only marry those peddlers. There is absolutely no way a good family would want me to be their first wife."

"Even if you get married, you still have to serve others. If you meet a mother-in-law or elder who is difficult to get along with, you will not only serve one person, but the whole family. Even if you have children in the future, they may not be successful and will struggle to make a living at the bottom of society all their lives. Instead of this, it is better to stay with the girl and serve her."

"I'm not greedy for wealth, I just think that if I stay with the girl, she's so nice, she will definitely not treat me badly, and all I need to do is serve the girl and the marquis well, so I'm willing to serve the marquis on behalf of the girl, not asking for fame, not asking for wealth, and not having children, I just want to be with the girl forever."

"Really, young lady, I don't want to leave your side. A master as good as you, I want to serve you for the rest of my life."

"Green cicada."

Hualan hugged Cuichan with a touched look on her face.

People are afraid of comparison. Cai Zan secretly seduced Zhou Chen for her own sake while she was away, while Cui Chan spoke her true feelings in front of her. Although they were both serving the emperor in the end, their purposes were completely different, so her views were naturally different.

"Cui Chan, if you really want, I will let you stay by my side and serve me forever."

"girl."

When Hualan told Zhou Chen in the evening that she wanted Cuichan to serve her when it was inconvenient for her, Zhou Chen was shocked and thought that Hualan was testing him.

But looking at Hualan's expression, it seems normal in today's society.

With a status like his, who wouldn't have a few concubines?

He hadn't looked for one before, not because he was pretending to be noble, but because he felt it was unnecessary. He could completely control this kind of thing. Rather than enjoying it himself, he still felt that the backyard was peaceful and quiet.

But now that Hua Lan had brought it up, he thought about it and asked, "Do you really think so? Are you not jealous?"

Hua Lan rolled her eyes and said coquettishly, "I'm not really a jealous woman. I also know that since we got married, you have always endured when I was inconvenienced. You always care about me so much and think about me. As your wife, of course I have to think about you, sir."

"Cui Chan is willing. You can let her accompany you during this period. After the mourning period is over, if you like a girl, I can help you marry her. But the premise is that prostitutes from brothels and theaters are absolutely not allowed."

Although Zhou Chen has experienced life with three wives and four concubines several times, he still has to sigh at this time that life in ancient times was really good. The wife of the main house would take the initiative to help take in concubines. If this happened in modern times, it would be really unimaginable.

"We'll talk about the future later. Now I just want to hold you tightly."

Before Zhou Chen had been in mourning for a year, a major event suddenly happened in Western Xia. The young Western Xia emperor Li Liangzuo murdered Mo Zang Epang and exterminated the entire Manchu clan of Mo Zang, thus officially taking control of Western Xia.

Of course, this is not the main point. The main point is that the young emperor of Western Xia, Li Liangzuo, actually wrote a letter to the Song Dynasty, expressing his willingness to pay tribute to the Song Dynasty with a thousand good horses and some treasures, requesting the return of the two states seized by the Song Dynasty, and promising that he would never start a border war during his reign and was willing to sign a peace treaty with the Song Dynasty.

There was a heated argument in the court over this matter. Some people believed that the two states had long been part of the Song Dynasty and how could they be returned? They could not agree to it.

But some people think that it is just two barren states, and Xixia is willing to pay tribute of one thousand good horses and some treasures, and even willing to sign a peace treaty. In this way, there will be at least decades of peace on the border between Song and Xia. This is definitely the best choice for the Song Dynasty and it can be agreed.

The two sides held different opinions and refused to give in to each other. The emperor was also having a headache. He did not want to return the two states, but he also wanted a peace treaty. However, there was no such easy thing.

When Zhou Chen heard about this, he was also very surprised. Did Li Liangzuo solve the Mei Zang clan so quickly? It seems that his seizure of the two states of Western Xia has brought about a considerable butterfly effect. The young emperor Li Liangzuo actually surrendered to the Song Dynasty and asked for peace. It seems that there are capable people around him.

Although he is now at home in mourning, he is really curious about what choice the court will make in the end.

Of course, as far as the Song Dynasty is concerned, he would not find it strange no matter which choice he makes.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1123: Tongfang, Several Years Later

The court had been arguing for more than half a month over the issue of Xixia's request for peace and territory, and the argument was only slightly less vigorous than the call for the emperor to adopt a royal family son as his heir.

Zhou Chen's fifth uncle is also a military commander, and he is also on guard duty in the palace. According to what he said, there were not only quarrels in the court, but also fights. Several officials were beaten to death, and they were always merciful. The officials broke out on the spot and beat several people before calming down their anger.

Zhou Chen was also speechless about this. It was such a trivial matter, but they had been discussing it for almost a month without any result. These ministers were really difficult to lead, but the most fundamental reason lay with the emperor himself.

The emperor neither wanted to return the conquered land nor to give up peace on the border. With him being so conflicted, it was naturally impossible for his subordinates to reach a consensus.

The current prime minister of the court is Han Zhang, the great minister. Even he personally intervened but did not gain any advantage.

Because it was the commander-in-chief of the two states who conquered the two states. How could the Duke of England and other nobles agree to return the two states?

Although the civil servants in the court have higher status and greater power, it does not mean that the nobles are completely powerless to fight back.

The emperor needs civil officials to help him govern the world, and he also needs military generals to help him stabilize the world. The ancestral teachings require him to check and balance the military generals, and not allow them to have a higher power and status. But if the military forces are in his own hands, he certainly will not really let the civil officials completely crush the meritorious military generals.

The military generals headed by the Duke of Yingguo were so powerful that even the civil officials headed by Han Zhang could not overwhelm them for a while. Neither camp gave in and they would confront each other every time they went to court.

However, as time passed, the voices of the civil servants grew stronger and stronger, and the voices for peace in the court also grew stronger and stronger, and those who opposed it gradually could not bear it anymore.

The reason why this happened was naturally due to the influence of the emperor and the queen. These two most noble people in the world wanted peace more and no more war.

Another month later, the Song Dynasty and Western Xia finally held the final negotiations.