C25 – Mind Your Own Business, Madam!
As usual, when everyone arrived, Tang Yue inquired about what had happened. They had just as Shan had explained, and Tang Yue didn’t want to be involved with their domestic disputes any longer, regardless of whether it was a national or personal issue. He was an outsider and couldn’t do much to help.
The butler personally escorted the guests out. The guards in the mansion were different from the household servants and deserved respect.
Upon returning, the butler reported, “Young Master, as per your instructions, I have granted the driver ten days of leave and arranged for someone to look after his needs. However, the medicinal wine for pain relief and treating injuries has been depleted in the residence, except for a few bottles that are reserved for the masters.”
Tang Yue was taken aback. “Does it mean that the coachman is just a servant, and it’s not appropriate to use such high-quality medicine on him?”
“There are only herb shops outside, and I have not heard of any place selling medicinal wine,” replied the butler.
“I see,” Tang Yue nodded. “Please send someone to purchase the medicine. Make sure to follow the prescription. One silver breast per bottle. For internal injuries, two silver dang, two silver raw earth. For external injuries, peony skin is two gold, and licorice is five gold. Don’t worry, our family will not run out of medicinal wine in the future.”
Tang Yue repeated the prescription and instructed the butler, “Make sure to purchase the necessary quantities. We need enough medicine to treat both internal and external injuries, as well as some wine for pain relief. “
“As a surgeon, I am well-versed in treating external injuries with medicinal prescriptions. I will not treat my own family unfairly,” Tang Yue reassured.
When the manager heard the report, he was taken aback. Despite being raised in the countryside, the young master displayed remarkable knowledge and demeanor.
If it weren’t for his distinctive face, the manager might have assumed the young man had entered the wrong building.
Meanwhile, Marquis’s Wife Zhao Shi was busy checking on the Tang sisters to ensure they were unharmed. Only then did she feel a sense of relief.
“What happened? Every time you go out, you return unscathed… Men, hurry and beat that driver to death! What’s the point of coming here if you can’t even drive properly?” she fumed.
Tang Ya had already changed clothes and applied makeup. Hearing her mother’s words, she hurriedly intervened, “Mother, my brother has already taken care of everything. If you send someone to harm the driver again, it would be a loss of face for our family.”
Marquis’s Wife was incredulous and touched her daughter’s forehead. “Ya, are you feeling unwell? What kind of brother would prevent us from punishing a servant and still care about his reputation?”
Tang Ya was slightly annoyed, “If not for my elder brother, what would Ah Wan and I do?”
Marquis’s Wife patted her chest, “Maybe he’s the one bringing disaster. Why else would such a thing happen on his first outing? After all, he’s the one who killed his own birth mother. He might be a jinx.”
“Mother, how could you say such things?” Tang Wan tried to reason with her.
“Brother treats both Sister and me very well. Mother, just take a look at how harmonious our family can be. When all of us sisters get married, you’ll have someone to rely on,” she added.
Marquis’s Wife crossed paths with him, “You all… you all have truly disappointed me!”
It was all because of that cursed star. Ever since he arrived, he had taken away her husband and daughter. Her daughter, who she had raised for over a decade, was now more loyal to him than to her own mother. Why couldn’t he have died in North Yue?
After leaving her daughter’s courtyard, Marquis’s Wife felt suffocated. She summoned the butler and ordered him to have all the servants who had accompanied her earlier that day killed.
When the butler did not immediately move, Marquis’s Wife demanded, “Why are you still standing there?”
“Madam, the young master has instructed the driver to attend to your injury and has also inquired about the situation. We are waiting for Master Hou to return and make a decision,” he explained.
The underlying message was clear: “Madam, please mind your own business.”
“What do you mean? Are you suggesting that I cannot scold a servant? That coachman couldn’t even properly take care of the horse and deserved to be punished. Yet, you think I should let him off easily? What kind of logic is that?”
The butler contemplated for a moment before responding, “Young Master is kind and merciful.”
“So are you implying that I am cruel and discourteous?”
The butler’s scalp tingled, as he was not skilled in verbal arguments. “That is not what I meant. Madam is naturally benevolent. Although the driver made a mistake, he has learned his lesson. It would be better to let him make amends.”
Marquis’s Wife was furious and her chest heaved with anger. “Is the Marquis’s Mansion still under my authority or not?”
The butler lowered his head, “Regarding matters within the household, they are naturally under Madam’s control. As for external matters, Madam need not concern herself.”
The butler refrained from saying the rest of his sentence, but Marquis’s Wife was not foolish and understood what he meant.
“Alright then! … Very well!” Marquis’s Wife flung her sleeves and left. The butler reassured himself that he was not at fault and proceeded to attend to his duties with a clear conscience.
