Chapter 720 - 350 Godmother_1
It wasn’t until the end of April that the first rain of spring finally fell, starting with a torrential downpour that lasted two days and nights, then turning into moderate rain before gradually easing to a drizzle.
Ever since the rain began, the Old Queen Grandma had sent word that the younger generation need not visit Wanshou Hall to pay respects anymore, and that they should dine in their respective courtyards. She was particularly insistent that Qian Yixiu, who was now three months pregnant, shouldn’t go anywhere and should rest well in her courtyard.
That afternoon, with the drizzle still gently falling from the sky, Liang Jinyu, accompanied by two maids, walked along the covered walkway. The wooden clogs over her embroidered shoes clacked sharply against the ground, creating a crisp and resonant sound in the quiet rainy day. She seemed preoccupied, her brows slightly furrowed and lips pursed.
At Wanshou Hall, she had inadvertently heard Second Aunt Zhang speak to the Old Queen Grandma about Lady Cui preparing concubines for her two sons, which greatly displeased the Old Queen Grandma. She mentioned how those great aristocratic families had vanished, yet certain base practices still lingered on in the Liang Family.
The Old Queen Grandma didn’t like the idea of providing concubines for daughters-in-law and had never done so herself; her two sons had no additional women in their lives.
All three grandsons only had concubines because their wives wanted to ensure the continuation of the lineage or demonstrate their own virtuousness by making arrangements for additional women, and only children-bearing concubines could be elevated to official concubines.
To date, the second grandson, Liang Yihe, only had a legitimate son and thus no concubines. The eldest grandson, Liang Yiqian, and the third grandson, Liang Yichang, had concubines because they had illegitimate sons and daughters.
On the matter of taking concubines, Old Lady Liang did not approve, but neither did she oppose it, as it was the custom of the Great Qian Kingdom. She never considered Lady Zhang less virtuous for not allowing her husband to have illegitimate children, nor did she view Lady Cui and Lady Xia as more virtuous for having allowed it.
What upset the Old Lady the most was that, a few days earlier, in an attempt to keep her husband’s attention, Lady Cui had raised a maid to the status of a concubine and had even spoken of some inexplicable joy. Her own grandson, the illustrious Duke of Weiguo, even if only holding a sinecure, was a second-ranking official. Did he need a Maternal Aunt’s approval to feel joy? Ridiculous!
The Old Queen Grandma angrily declared, "Lady Cui used to be sensible, the couple was harmonious, and she managed the household well. The businesses outside also seemed to be thriving. What has gotten into her now? Her actions are becoming more and more unreasonable. Instead of looking for faults within herself to keep her husband’s affection, she has come up with some Maternal Aunt Xi, providing gossip for others. And now she’s..."