Gavin Norton smiled, and in his smile there was a trace of coldness. “Seventh Madam, I am indeed a scholar, which is why I speak to you this way. You are my elder? What a joke. In this Wang residence, aside from Fourth Grandfather and the other clan elders, only Father, the Princess Consort, the three concubines, and my mother are qualified to be my elders. How are you my elder? How could I not know? Did you, the Fourteenth Madam, become one of Father’s three concubines? Or do you think you are qualified to stand alongside the Principal Madam and the three concubines?!!”

These words were venomous!!!

Stanley Norton’s brows furrowed, and as he looked at Gavin Norton, there was a new wariness in his gaze.

Under the Qi system, only the emperor could have three palaces, six courts, and seventy-two concubines. As for others, even someone like Brian Norton, a prince, could only have one principal wife and three secondary wives; the rest were all concubines. Concubines, according to Qi law, had no status at all. In the end, a concubine’s standing was determined by two main factors: the degree of favor from her husband, and the status of her children.

If the husband’s favor was sufficient, it wasn’t uncommon for a favored concubine to suppress the principal wife. However, such favor based on beauty would not last long—except, of course, in the case of true love as in legends.

For a concubine, the most important thing was the status of her children. This was their future support, and ultimately their only support. Thus, in great clans and noble families, the struggles among wives and concubines mostly revolved around their children. To secure higher status and more resources for their children in the household, and if their children achieved success and recognition from the court in civil or military affairs, the mothers might even be granted titles by the court. In this way, even if their status in the household could not match that of the principal wife and the three concubines, it would still be far above that of ordinary concubines, and they might even have a real chance to stand on equal footing with the four mistresses of the residence.

This was what these concubines valued most!

But before that, their status was truly low, even lower than that of their own children—at least according to Qi law. Although, in reality, even the strictest noble families found it hard to enforce Qi law to the letter, now that Gavin Norton had brought it up, no one could refute him. Especially with Stanley Norton present—he was a scholar, well-versed in the laws of Great Qi. Since he said nothing, no one else dared to speak. Only Calvin Norton’s face turned purple with rage. “Gavin Norton, are you looking for death!!”

No one could stand being insulted about their own mother to their face.

So Calvin Norton shouted angrily, took a sudden step forward, and charged straight at Gavin Norton. He was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining Level Two, far stronger than Gavin Norton. With just one punch, he could cripple Gavin Norton.

Bang!!

Calvin Norton’s body suddenly halted. An even greater force appeared out of nowhere, knocking him backward. He staggered back four or five steps before his back hit a pavilion pillar and he finally stopped.

“Enough! What kind of behavior is this, making such a scene!” Stanley Norton had repelled Calvin Norton, his face dark as he swept his gaze over everyone, finally fixing his eyes on Charles Norton. “Since Gavin Norton says you pushed him into the pond, you’ll come with me to the clan office!”

What?!

Charles Norton never expected things to turn out like this.

As soon as he heard Stanley Norton’s words, his legs went weak. The clan office—what kind of place was that?

The Wang clan office in the Ning Prince’s residence was legendary—a place of legend. Why legendary?

Because no one who entered the clan office, especially servants, was ever heard from again. Now Stanley Norton actually wanted to take him there—how could he bear it? He had only wanted to teach Gavin Norton a lesson, so how did he end up sending himself to the clan office?

Under Stanley Norton’s gaze, he nearly collapsed on the spot.

“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me! It was the Eleventh Young Master! The Eleventh Young Master pushed him in!!!”

“Shut up, you wretched brat!!!”

In the early spring breeze, there was still a trace of winter’s chill, making the courtyard feel cold and gloomy. No one expected Quentin Norton to suddenly blurt out such a thing. In Baihua Garden, the cold spring wind instantly turned icy.

Stanley Norton and the other two looked grim as they watched Charles Norton, who was being held by the clan guards, saying nothing.

Calvin Norton and his mother also stared at Quentin Norton, eyes full of murderous intent. After cursing, they too said nothing.

Colin Norton’s expression was odd. He glanced at Gavin Norton, then at Charles Norton, wearing a bitter smile, but also said nothing.

As for the others, they all stood there like frightened birds, not daring to make a sound.

“Take him away!” Stanley Norton said, his face full of ill-temper, waving his hand. Charles Norton wanted to say something more, but a rag was suddenly stuffed into his mouth, silencing him.

Stanley Norton waved his hand, signaling the clan guards to take him away. Then, after giving Calvin Norton and his mother a fierce glare, he said nothing more, and left with Scott Norton.