At evening, Liang Zhe was sent back by Emperor Delong’s people, and at the same time a eunuch came to read out an imperial edict: demotion of rank!
The super first-rank Zhengxi General’s Mansion and Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion were demoted to the second-rank Pingxi Earl’s Mansion.
All the noble titles of female family members attached to the mansion through the Marquis Pingxi were demoted to fourth rank.
Old Madam Liang was demoted from super first rank to fourth-rank Lady, as was Luo Meixiang.
Madam Meng had her noble title through Second Master Liang, so the demotion didn’t affect her title.
Qin Shuying didn’t have a noble title yet anyway, so it naturally didn’t matter to her.
This time, receiving the edict included an additional person—Liang Zhe lying face-down on a bench. His wounds had already been treated in the palace.
Luo Meixiang immediately let out a shriek, but the eunuch paid her no attention and continued reading the imperial edict unhurriedly.
Liang Qiong and Liang Yuan were stunned like wooden chickens.
Madam Meng looked at this one, then that one—in this mansion, although her noble title would still be the lowest from now on, compared to Old Madam Liang and Luo Meixiang, she was only half a rank lower, wasn’t she?
Old Madam Liang knelt on the ground, half her body numb.
The reason for demotion was simple—Liang Yunshan’s contempt for imperial favor: first, right after being granted the marriage to Princess Qin’an, he engaged in violence at home; second, knowing full well that what Liang Zhe wore around his neck was personally bestowed by Emperor Delong, he had it removed and had Liang Zhe held down for beating; third, knowing that the Liang Zhe couple needed to enter the palace, he deliberately prevented them from going.
Any one of these charges was irrefutable.
After the edict was read, Old Madam Liang slowly rose, looking down at the prone Liang Zhe with an inscrutable expression—for the first time, not with that contemptuous gaze.
Liang Zhe lay on the board without raising his head.
Liang Yunshan had entered the palace and naturally already knew Emperor Delong’s intentions. He didn’t show much emotion, only glanced at Liang Zhe on the ground with a complex expression before going to see off the eunuch.
Luo Meixiang pointed at Liang Zhe with trembling hands: “You, you, you are so vicious, so vicious!”
Qin Shuying had the people from Songtao Residence lift Liang Zhe and stood in front of him: “Just who instigated the Earl to call for violence? Madam surely knows, doesn’t she? Rather than blaming others, Madam should think carefully about who made it so you can’t be a Madam anymore but can only be a Lady, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital when you go out. Some people don’t need to go out, so naturally it doesn’t matter to them. But you, Madam, need to go out—you need to prepare for Second Miss’s marriage, and find matches for Second Brother and Third Brother. When Princess Qin’an enters the house, she’ll still be a princess. But what about you, Madam?”
Qin Shuying spoke these words very quickly, each sentence like a sharp knife stabbing into Luo Meixiang’s heart.
Luo Meixiang was stunned.
Old Madam Liang frowned slightly. Though she knew Qin Shuying’s words were full of instigation, she didn’t take them to heart at all.
Her relationship with Meixiang was extraordinary—Old Madam Liang wasn’t afraid of Qin Shuying’s attempts at sowing discord.
However, seeing the hesitation on Luo Meixiang’s face, Old Madam Liang felt somewhat annoyed. After cultivating her for so many years, she was still so unable to handle herself, and it looked like she might actually be swayed by Qin Shuying’s instigation.
How useless!
But Old Madam Liang merely glanced at Qin Shuying with a bland expression: “Sharp-tongued and petty, not fit for proper company.”
Then she maintained her usual grace and bearing and walked out unhurriedly.
As if, even being demoted to an earl’s mansion, even being demoted to a Lady, she didn’t care at all.
Because her pride came from her heart, from her very core, needing no fame or profit as foundation or platform.
That unyielding pride and bearing, that grace that vowed never to bow—if it were in a battlefield confrontation, it would indeed inspire admiration.
Unfortunately, now it only aroused disgust.
Being insulted thus by Old Madam Liang, Qin Shuying’s face showed no excess emotion.
This morning, Old Madam Liang had treated her like dust. Now that all pretense was torn away, from now on she too could treat Old Madam Liang like dust.
Actually, thinking about it, it was quite good—no need for false courtesy, no need for repeated consideration.
Straightforward, revenge for revenge, grievance for grievance—how satisfying.
Seeing that Qin Shuying was completely unaffected by Old Madam Liang’s words, Liang Qiong angrily cursed Liang Zhe: “Did you speak ill of us before His Majesty? If not for you, how could His Majesty do this? It’s all your fault, all your fault! How will you have the face to see Grandfather in the future? How will you have the face to see our ancestors? You are the sinner of the Liang family, you are the sinner of the Liang family!”
Liang Yuan also spoke harshly: “Elder Brother, Qiong is right. How will you have the face to see Grandfather in the future? How will you have the face to see our ancestors? You are the sinner of the Liang family!”
Qin Shuying sneered: “Second Brother, you’re wrong to say that. His Majesty issued the edict, yet you keep pointing fingers and accusing—are you dissatisfied with the imperial decree? Have you so quickly forgotten how the marquis’s title was stripped away? Could it be that you look down on an earl’s mansion?”
The Liang Qiong siblings immediately fell silent, glaring angrily.
The most pained person was Luo Meixiang. Her status had fallen dramatically. She had been arranging marriages for Liang Jie and Liang Yuan, picking and choosing for a year without finding suitable candidates.
For legitimate daughters of second-rank officials, she felt they lacked titles, background, and nobility.
For the legitimate daughter of the Xuanyang Marquis’s family, she felt their father and brothers lacked real power and weren’t impressive enough.
She had met Prince Guiyang’s legitimate daughter, who was very beautiful with good family background, both noble and wielding real power, but Prince Guiyang was far away in Guiyang. His legitimate daughter lived in the capital with his princess consort, and she didn’t know if her upbringing was good.
Princess Fuping was perfect in every way, but when testing Consort De’s attitude, Consort De said Princess Fuping was still young and not yet of age for marriage discussions.
…
Now it was perfect—forget about legitimate daughters of second-rank officials, the Xuanyang Marquis’s family, or Prince Guiyang. Even any random official family in the capital could pick and choose among her sons!
She had never suffered any grievance since birth. Though she was a concubine-born daughter, Old Madam Liang had a good relationship with Concubine Zhou and had always taken special care of her. When she was in the Luo family, there was no difference between her and legitimate daughters.
But now, because of Liang Zhe’s accusations, she had fallen so far and had to live such a stifled life!
Luo Meixiang trembled with rage: “Liang Zhe, do you think that by turning the marquis’s mansion into an earl’s mansion, we may suffer but you’ve gained some advantage? Before, when you went out, people knew you were from the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion and how they respected you. Now when you go out, who won’t laugh at you? Harming others while harming yourself—you’re actually so stupid! Blood is thicker than water—by exposing all the family’s affairs for everyone to see, do you think people will think more highly of you? They’ll only say that you don’t even spare your father and brothers, so how good could you be to others?”
If Old Madam Liang had been there, she would have had to revise her opinion that Luo Meixiang was unfit for proper company.
Luo Meixiang had spoken quite well.
Actually, she didn’t know that she was too severe, and Luo Meixiang was rather intimidated by her, which was why she often lost her composure in her presence—or rather, appeared unfit for proper company in Old Madam Liang’s eyes.