34. The Great Scholar of Our Time
Under the full guidance of their elder brother Xu Qingchen, the young masters of the Xu Family had a cordial meeting with Minister Ye and the elderly matriarch of the Ye Family. Ms. Wang, who sat to the side and tried to interject several times but couldn't get a word in, was deliberately ignored. Fifth Young Master Xu later stated that he had no interest in conversing with other people's concubines. Indeed, in the eyes of the Xu Family, Ms. Wang's status as a legitimate wife had never been acknowledged. Apart from the grievances between Ms. Wang and the late Madam Xu, the Xu Family itself did not recognize the practice of promoting concubines to the status of primary wife. This was perhaps also because, historically, few men in the Xu Family had ever taken concubines. If Ms. Wang had been a virtuous lady from a prestigious family, they might have accorded her some respect. Sadly, Ms. Wang clearly lacked these virtues.
