Chapter One Hundred and Forty
Li Zhiwei could not believe what she had just heard.
What had Madam Cao just said?
For her to marry County Magistrate Cao as a concubine?
How dare she even think of such a thing!
Li Zhiwei was so angry she laughed.
"Madam Cao, is this your idea? Or is it County Magistrate Cao's?" Li Zhiwei asked, looking at Madam Cao with a mocking gaze.
Li Zhiwei thought that County Magistrate Cao should not have the face to demand she marry him as a concubine.
Moreover, where did he get the nerve to think she would agree?
Because of his advanced age?
Or because of his lowly ninth-rank official title?
"Miss Li, you must understand, you are a woman who has been jilted. For my lord to still be willing to take you as a secondary wife is already an honor for you," Mrs. Tang said, looking at Li Zhiwei with a haughty expression.
Lady Qin, standing nearby, was also stunned by her sister-in-law's words.
If not for what Li Zhiwei had just said about Li Tianyou now being a third-rank official, then fine. After all, Li Zhiwei came from a merchant family; even being a secondary wife to the magistrate would be an honor for her.
But, the only daughter of a third-rank official's household...
Where did Cao Yunpeng get the face to take her as a secondary wife?
It's often said that a higher official rank can crush a person. Li Tianyou's rank wasn't just one level higher.
Yet, her sister-in-law's current arrogant expression made it difficult for Lady Qin to comment.
"An honor?" Li Zhiwei looked mockingly at Mrs. Tang, thinking she certainly did not need her so-called honor.
"Miss Li, as a jilted woman, for County Magistrate Cao to marry you as a secondary wife is indeed an honor for you," Madam Jiang chimed in, sounding somewhat gleeful.
"Exactly, she's been jilted, and now someone is willing to marry her, yet she has the nerve to look down on it?"
Soon, others also stepped forward to speak up for Madam Cao.
Madam Cao looked at Li Zhiwei with a smug expression, as if to say that if she didn't agree today, she would have no place to stand in Li'an County henceforth.
Li Zhiwei let out a few light laughs.
A cold laugh echoed in her heart. Did she really think this would make her compromise?
"Miss Li, surely you don't still believe that nobleman from the capital will come back to marry you, do you? My lord is now in his prime. How is he not good enough for you?" Mrs. Tang hadn't expected Li Zhiwei to react this way.
"Madam, since your lord is so wonderful, you should keep him and enjoy him yourself!" Qingyue couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward, her face full of sarcasm.
"Where did this wild girl come from? When your betters are speaking, what business does a servant have interrupting?" Mrs. Tang was taken aback that a mere servant girl beside Li Zhiwei dared to shout at her like this.
"Someone, slap her mouth! If the Li family doesn't know how to discipline their servants, I don't mind doing it for them," Mrs. Tang said, signaling for the matron beside her to step forward and slap Qingyue.
"Hah, the Cao family? I was unaware that the wife of a mere ninth-rank official could overstep her authority to discipline the servants of a third-rank household. Who gave you the nerve?" Qingyue retorted sarcastically.
Let alone Madam Cao, Mrs. Tang being here today, even if County Magistrate Cao himself came, she would not fear him.
After all, she and Qinghua were not ordinary maidservants; they also held official ranks.
Compared to Cao Yunpeng, they both held the fourth rank.
Lady Qin frowned nearby, wanting to advise Mrs. Tang against this, but found it hard to speak up.
“Madam Cao, I advise you and your lord to give up this idea. I, Li Zhiwei, would rather marry a cat or a dog than become County Magistrate Cao's concubine! As for my servants, they are no concern of Madam Cao's,” Li Zhiwei said firmly, looking at the arrogant Mrs. Tang.
"Li Zhiwei, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Mrs. Tang hadn't expected Li Zhiwei to be so bold as to publicly humiliate her in front of so many people.
"Is that so? I'd like to know how the Cao family dares to make me drink this 'forfeit'," Li Zhiwei asked mockingly, looking at Madam Cao.
"Sister, don't be impulsive," Lady Qin stopped Mrs. Tang just as she was about to say more.
"What, are you afraid of her?" Mrs. Tang was surprised that Lady Qin would stop her.
She was her own sister-in-law; shouldn't she stand on the same side?
"Sister, those two maids beside her... they don't seem ordinary," Lady Qin said with a frown.
Lady Qin thought to herself that the maid seemed to have an unusual bearing, but such a person would not serve as a slave to the daughter of a third-rank official.
Unless Li Zhiwei had another identity.
"Who knows if she just hired them from somewhere?" Madam Cao, however, didn't take it seriously, thinking Li Zhiwei must have just hired them from somewhere, since the Li family had some money after all.
Lady Qin shook her head, about to tell Mrs. Tang that those two girls were not the kind you could hire with money, when Qingyue had already kicked Mrs. Tang's matron flying.
"You wretched little hussy! How dare you run wild in my territory?" Mrs. Tang sprang to her feet, pointing at Qingyue's nose and cursing.
"Madam Cao, I advise you to think carefully about whether I am someone you can curse," Qingyue said coldly, looking at Mrs. Tang.
"Madam Cao has probably been in Li'an County for too long and is unaware of the world outside. My maid is no ordinary servant. She came from the palace and holds an official rank," Li Zhiwei said, looking at Madam Cao with a sarcastic smile.
"Don't try to fool me! You, a lowly merchant's daughter, what right do you have to be served by a maid from the palace?" Madam Cao blurted out her thoughts without hesitation.
"Then you should go ask Magistrate Cao who the people by my side are," Li Zhiwei stood up, and after speaking, prepared to leave.
If she had known it was such a foul and chaotic banquet, she definitely wouldn't have come.
"You can't leave!" Concubine Liu, who had been hiding in the back, quickly stepped out to block Li Zhiwei's path.
"It's you! What, are you very eager for me to stay and become your lord's concubine?" Li Zhiwei was not surprised to see Concubine Liu.
"You wretched woman! You caused my brother's death, and now you dare to look down on my lord? Just you wait, the lord will definitely not let you off!" Concubine Liu had actually been in the banquet hall the whole time. She had seen Li Zhiwei's arrogant demeanor clearly and knew right then.
The more Li Zhiwei looked down on the magistrate, the more certain she was of avenging her brother's death.
"Someone, detain Miss Li!" Madam Cao directly ordered people to block Li Zhiwei's path. Originally, she had wanted to give her face and make her a secondary wife.
Now it seemed completely unnecessary.
As long as the person was kept here, and the deed was done, the Li family would have to acknowledge it, willing or not.
"Madam Cao, are you planning to use force?" Li Zhiwei was almost moved to tears by this person's stupidity.
Is this how it's done?
Just because she didn't want to be County Magistrate Cao's concubine, they would resort to force?
Qinghua and Qingyue quickly moved to protect Li Zhiwei, preventing those people from harming her.
