The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 436

Minister Xu saw them arriving and immediately replaced his anxious expression with a beaming smile. He strode forward eagerly and called out, "My dear son-in-law, Wan'er, you’ve finally arrived! Was there some delay at your estate? The feast has been prepared—we’ve been waiting just for you."

Before he could reach them, Xu Wan leaned toward Zong Zhao and whispered, "My father is too good at smoothing things over. Even if we were late, he’d find an excuse for us. His skin is thicker than a city wall."

Zong Zhao patted the back of her hand lightly and murmured, "Wait for it."

"Hmm?"

Wait? Wait for what?

As Minister Xu approached, Xu Wan curtsied gracefully. "Father, happy New Year."

Minister Xu’s face brimmed with paternal warmth. "Yes, yes! Come inside quickly. Wan'er, you look radiant—clearly the general has been taking excellent care of you. You’re even more beautiful than before your marriage..."

Zong Zhao’s gaze grew colder and colder, so icy that Minister Xu’s words trailed off awkwardly.

"Let’s—let’s go inside first," he stammered, hastily ushering them in.

Zong Zhao didn’t even address him as "Father-in-law," nor did he offer any greeting. Minister Xu’s expression stiffened slightly.

If this rudeness had come from that young master Chen of Duke Jin's Manor, he would’ve scolded him without hesitation. But the man before him was the General of the Western Garrison, Luo Jingfeng’s trusted right hand—who would dare offend him?

The couple entered the residence, followed by two entourages of attendants—maids and servants totaling over twenty people.

In the dining hall, Minister Xu gestured for them to sit. The twenty servants lined up silently behind them, their sheer presence making Minister Xu uneasy.

But he was, after all, a minister. What scene hadn’t he witnessed before?

Clearing his throat, he began making small talk. "Madam Liu suddenly suffered a migraine yesterday and couldn’t join us today. I’m afraid it’s just me hosting this meal, so please forgive any lapses in hospitality..."

Zong Zhao cut him off. "She doesn’t like wood ear mushrooms."

Only then did Xu Wan notice the plate of stir-fried wood ear mushrooms placed directly in front of her—the one dish she detested most.

Back in Minister Xu’s household, the maids assigned to her had deliberately forced her to eat them until she nearly vomited. After her marriage to the Marquis Manor, the dish had never appeared again.

Minister Xu froze, then immediately barked, "Quick, remove this dish! Who arranged this? How could anyone forget what the young mistress likes?"

A trembling maid knelt and explained, "T-this was prepared by the maids from the young mistress’s old quarters. We didn’t know her preferences, so we asked them..."

Zong Zhao set down his chopsticks and fixed Minister Xu with a frigid glare.

The hostility was unmistakable. Cold sweat prickled down Minister Xu’s back as he quavered, "Bring those maids here at once. I’ll question them myself."

"Yes."

While the servants fetched the culprits, Minister Xu ordered new dishes. Only Xu Wan humored him by taking a token bite; Zong Zhao didn’t touch a thing, his oppressive aura darkening the room.

The accused maids were dragged in and fell to their knees. "Master, the young mistress loved wood ear mushrooms before her marriage! Perhaps... perhaps her tastes changed after she left? We truly didn’t know!"

Seeing them again after years, Xu Wan felt as if lifetimes had passed. Back then, she had just transmigrated into this world after dying from overwork in her past life, resigned to a passive existence until her wedding freed her.

These maids, emboldened by Madam Liu’s disdain, had withheld proper meals, feeding her scraps even the servants refused—dinners of nothing but sour fruit. In those days, even hated wood ear mushrooms had been a luxury. Over time, the maids had forgotten whether she actually disliked them or not.

Minister Xu seized the excuse. "Wan'er, did your tastes change after marriage?"

Xu Wan smiled sweetly. "What do you think, Father?"

Zong Zhao was defending her. She wouldn’t undermine him by smoothing things over for Minister Xu—she knew where her loyalty lay.

Minister Xu’s face twitched, but he forced a stern tone. "Useless girls! For such negligence, you’re all to be sent to—"

"Slap them," Zong Zhao interrupted again.

"At once, General."

Cui Zhi curtsied and led several maids forward. The accused cowered, their eyes wide with terror as the aristocratic maids loomed over them.

Slap! The crisp sound of synchronized strikes echoed through the hall.

"Aah—!"

"We were wrong! The young mistress hated wood ear mushrooms! Aah—!"

Slap!

Each blow landed with precision. Though the maids bore the physical pain, Minister Xu felt each strike as if it were his own humiliation.

Zong Zhao...

Zong Zhao dared to enter his home and strike his servants...

Who was the father-in-law here?

Was this how a son-in-law should behave?!

Minister ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‍Xu’s chest heaved with rage, his facial muscles twitching. But he couldn’t afford to rupture relations over this.

Forcing a smile, he wheedled, "My dear son-in-law, calm yourself. These foolish girls aren’t worth your anger. Look on the bright side—at least they didn’t accompany Wan'er to the Marquis Manor. Imagine the trouble they’d have caused there! Then my guilt would’ve been even greater."

Zong Zhao lifted his gaze. "Did she have any maids as part of her dowry?"

Minister Xu choked. "Th-the household was managed by Madam Liu. With my official duties, I didn’t pay attention. Surely... surely she did?"

Though he rarely involved himself in domestic affairs, he knew noble brides always brought personal maids—how else could they navigate a new household alone? Without allies, they’d be helpless, unable to even send word if mistreated.

Xu Wan shattered his delusion. "I had none."

Madam Liu had wanted her to suffer. Her misery brought Madam Liu joy. So on her wedding day, she had gone to the Marquis Manor utterly alone.

At the time, Xu Wan hadn’t protested, hoping marriage might bring escape. Instead, she’d encountered a tyrannical young master—finally provoking the fury she’d suppressed for so long.

Minister Xu’s face drained of color. "That woman! How dare she act behind my back? Summon her—" He caught himself, remembering Zong Zhao’s earlier order barring Madam Liu from the feast. "—Have her kneel in the ancestral hall!"

Zong Zhao remarked idly, "Kneeling while copying The Women’s Virtues a hundred times?"

Minister Xu, thoroughly outmaneuvered: "..."

Who was the father-in-law here?!

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢