Mistress Qin’s eyes widened in shock the moment she saw Qi Tianming.
After a long pause, she sneered, “Why does Your Lordship have time to visit me, your wife? Are you here to see if I’m dead yet? If so, you’ll be disappointed, my lord. This concubine is alive and well.”
A flicker of disgust crossed Qi Tianming’s eyes. “Do you think I want to see you? If it weren’t for your precious daughter’s predicament, would I ever step foot into your Jinghua Courtyard? Dream on!”
“What happened to Mingzhu?” Mistress Qin dropped her sarcasm and asked anxiously.
Only then did Qi Tianming feel a sliver of satisfaction. No matter how much Mistress Qin had changed, she still cared for her child.
The thought vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by the shame brought about by Qi Mingzhu’s despicable actions.
If this matter wasn’t handled properly, the Changping Marquisate might become a laughingstock among the noble families in the capital.
Thinking of this, Qi Tianming was furious.
“How dare you ask me? Your daughter, the one you raised, is truly something else! Shameless, utterly devoid of any sense of honor, bringing shame upon the ancestors of the Qi family. Is this how you raise your daughters?” Qi Tianming berated Mistress Qin, pointing at her nose.
Mistress Qin was bewildered. Her Mingzhu was always so sensible; how could she be insulted like this by her own father?
“Tell me, what exactly happened to Mingzhu?”
“She got involved with your good nephew. Not only that, but she’s pregnant, nearly two months along, before even being married,” Qi Tianming said resentfully.
Astonishment filled Mistress Qin’s eyes and face. As it slowly faded, a hint of joy emerged.
Given her current situation, with Madam Yun managing everything and the Marquis’s favor solely on Madam Yun’s two brats, her Mingzhu’s chances of a high marriage were slim.
Thinking this way, her maiden family seemed like a good option.
However, after she was placed under guard, news from the Prince’s Estate made Mistress Qin a little worried. They had clearly abandoned her and her daughter. In such circumstances, could her daughter still achieve her desires?
“What is that expression?” Qi Tianming asked suspiciously.
“Your Lordship didn’t come to me just to vent your anger, did you?” Mistress Qin inquired.
Qi Tianming turned his head away. “This matter needs to be resolved. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to give her a bowl of abortifacient and send her to a nunnery to live a life of austerity. Although she was foolish, she is still my blood. I cannot bear to see her suffer a lifetime of hardship.”
“So, you want her to marry Xuan’er?” Mistress Qin asked hopefully.
Qi Tianming looked at Mistress Qin as if she were an idiot. “Have you gone mad from being confined? Your nephew got married at the beginning of the year. He married the legitimate daughter of Grand Scholar Lu. And who is Grand Scholar Lu? He is the Emperor’s tutor. Are you planning for the Qin family to divorce their wife? Do you think the Qin family would offend Grand Scholar Lu for your daughter? Besides, with an illegitimate pregnancy, does she qualify to be a main wife?”
“You want Mingzhu to be a concubine?” Mistress Qin asked incredulously.
“I wanted her to be a main wife, but she didn’t cherish herself and found her own way out. Besides being a concubine, or cutting her hair to become a nun, or dying of sudden illness, do you think she has any other options?” Qi Tianming said angrily.
“She could have the child removed and be married off far away. Even becoming a secondary wife is better than a concubine,” Mistress Qin persisted.
“Then your good daughter has to be willing! She was practically begging to become Qin Xuan’s concubine!”
“Can you let me see Mingzhu? She’s still a child. After something like this, she must be scared. I can ask her, counsel her, and see how to handle this matter to minimize any impact on the Marquisate’s reputation,” Mistress Qin said, her eyes darting. She knew Qi Tianming well enough to know he valued the Marquisate’s reputation above all else.