Chapter 647: Chapter 647 Madam Hou’s Request Chapter 647: Chapter 647 Madam Hou’s Request Lord Cheng waved his hand, “That’s not quite right, Mister Qi is a great asset to the court, and if something had happened to him, it would have been a great loss to the Dasu dynasty. Whether it was a coincidence or not, you did indeed contribute. But I heard you declined the teacher’s reward?”
Madam Hou pursed her lips and replied softly and cautiously, “Yes, the convict indeed dares not claim any merit.”
“Well, when merit is established, rewards are due. Both the teacher and I believe in clear rewards and punishments, and since the teacher is now working with me, in that case, how about I give you the reward?”
Lord Cheng treated Qi Chan with great courtesy. Although Qi Chan had just been exiled to Linzhang Prefecture, his status in the capital remained very high, otherwise, he wouldn’t have encountered an assassination attempt along the way.
According to the information he received, just a few days after Qi Chan was exiled, the emperor had already mentioned his name several times in court. Being so remembered by the emperor and with his family and students active in the capital, Qi Chan would, sooner or later, return and perhaps rise even higher.
Besides, Qi Chan was a truly capable man, and with him assisting, Lord Cheng would only rise higher and higher.
Madam Hou quietly lifted her head and glanced at Qi Chan.
The latter smiled and nodded. Madam Hou then knelt down again, “The convict indeed has a request to make, and hopes for the Lord’s approval.”
Lord Cheng was not surprised; he was well aware of the kind of life exiles led here.
A person with no other thoughts must be up to something big, and such people deserve the most attention. Now that Madam Hou had spoken honestly, Lord Cheng felt relieved.
“The convict wishes to leave the Shu family,” Madam Hou took a deep breath, “The convict does not dare hide from the Lord that the convict and other members of the Shu family are at odds and can no longer stay together. The convict wants to relinquish her status as a concubine of the Shu family and leave with her daughter.”
Lord Cheng raised an eyebrow, his fingers lightly tapping on the table, “You want to leave the Shu family?”
Now, how to put it? Madam Hou was a concubine.
Even if exiled, she was still a concubine and could not be separated as a wife could. Unless the second master’s parent master and Madam died, she might be able to gain her freedom.
Otherwise, only if the second master drove her out of the Shu family or gave her away or sold her to someone else could she leave the Shu family under normal circumstances.
Lord Cheng was indeed a bit troubled for a moment.
However, Qi Chan suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words, with Lord Cheng nodding as he listened, then he clapped his hands and laughed, “Good, let’s do it that way.”
He looked back at Madam Hou, “This is what we’ll do, I will arrange for you and your daughter to work at a courier station midway between Heichang County and Linzhang Prefecture, which counts as a normal redeployment, and the Shu family won’t be able to stop you. Though you both won’t live with the Shu family’s members and your status as the concubine of the second master’s remains, over time, it may become nominal, allowing you some freedom to act.”
In this way, not only could Madam Hou and Sixth Young Lady leave the Shu family, but they could also be given relatively lighter duties–it was a solution that served both purposes well.
Upon hearing this, Madam Hou indeed was pleased, “Thank you, Lord, thank you, teacher.”
“Stand up,” Lord Cheng turned and instructed the guard beside him, “Follow Madam Hou and her daughter back to Righteous Dao Village and hand them over to the officers at the manor, you can set off tomorrow.”
Madam Hou and her daughter were somewhat excited and immediately stood up to follow the guard to leave the tea house.
Just then, Qi Chan suddenly called out to her, “Wait, I would like to ask where the other girl who helped me is located? I seem to not have seen her in the wasteland earlier.”