Lingshe returned her mind to the situation and saw her father looking at her disappointedly, clearly intending to scold her for not having proper manners.
The concubine started complaining, "Husband, look at your daughter! I've been trying to make up for her manners, even coming right to her courtyard after leaving you in the main hall, but she only knows how to scream at me! Husband, you are a hero among men and know how to teach children. This must be that bitch's fault! She trained her daughter to behave like a boy. How could a daughter be so misbehaved, not even listening to her father's calls!"
When Yu Lingshe's father heard the first part, he was satisfied. He didn't care about the truth, as long as there was an excuse, he was fine. But when he heard the second part, he was annoyed at his wife and scolded her, "You have such stupid ideas! All children of my Yu clan are qualified! She might be lacking in manners and respect, but how can her skills be matched with any boy? I have seen all the so-called talented boys in the capital, and none of them could even reach her feet with their skill! Alright, stop talking, woman!"
Yu Lingshe nodded when she heard this. Her father might be a vulgar man, but he wasn't crazy and still knew how to behave. Rather than saying he had a concubine, it would be better to say he married politically, and his concubine was the hottest woman he could find to fulfill the pleasures of marriage.
Her mother had also married politically so that their Yu family would continue to support her father's temple. They were much more traditional than the Yu clan, but she had heard of the clan's reputation and was willing to marry into it. If it wasn't for both of them accepting the concubine into the family, then even if Lingshe's father wanted to, he couldn't have taken one.
The clan rules of the Yu family were very strict and had to be followed, or else they would be kicked out or even killed directly, depending on the severity. In the end, the concubine was just a toy for pleasure. Even her becoming the main wife was merely to fulfill his sense of responsibility. This was why she could scold all she wanted but couldn't accomplish anything.
When Lingshe saw that the drama was over, she asked her father, "Father, I wonder why you came to see me?"
She didn't believe for a second that this idiot could come up with a plan to scheme against her. As she had said, this was a vixen who had only ever learned how to get men and please them. If it wasn't for her mother's sickness, she would have been stuck in the bedroom all along.
Her father didn't mind her directness. He might dislike her presumptuous behavior and liked tripping her up over small things, but for serious matters, he still took up his inheritance as a Yu clan member seriously.
He said slowly, "In the last clan meeting, the clan discussed your position as the first lady of the clan. They are considering revoking the title, yard, and the benefits that come with them."
As he said this, there was anger visible in his eyes. As a shallow person, he didn't have many things that were important to him, but face was definitely one of them. His daughter being the first lady meant that even if he lost his position as clan leader, he still kept his 'power.'
Yu was also annoyed when she heard this. "Are those old men arguing again? Uncle's bloodline hasn't produced a talent in the past three generations, and his own son has barely gained any recognition, yet he wants to start fighting already?"
The title 'first lady' or 'first master' in the Yu family referred to the first young talent in the family, like a crown prince in a kingdom. The first master or lady has a lot of say among the peers and is generally expected to take on the role of clan leader later on.
Her father also scoffed, "That brat hasn't even learned how to wash himself, yet he wants to take the role. My brother is just being tricked by your third uncle. He's trying to promote his own son, who is even worse, just because of his age. He wants to take the first position!"
Yu sneered. Both of them cursed a bit, completely ignoring the concubine. The concubine also became quiet when they discussed clan matters. No matter how important she felt in her husband's heart, she knew that when it came to business, there was little she could do, especially when it came to this daughter.
She could only scold and speak badly. Her husband would even be a little pleased when she did so. They had a difficult relationship—on one side, the father never truly cared for this daughter of his since it was her mother who took the responsibility. On the other side, she was an important member of his lineage.
He himself wasn't even in the top five of his lineage of seven people... it was a bit embarrassing, but he had learned how to stop caring about these things. As long as he could enjoy life, he would just keep doing things the way they had been.
After sneering and scoffing, Yu said, "I was planning to meet the ancestor anyway. There won't be an issue with this. Just go back to your own yard and play with your little puppet..." She thought for a second and then said, "Father, I think I should have a little sibling! Make one quickly so we can have more people in the lineage!"
When her father heard this, he nodded seriously, not noticing her joking expression, or simply ignoring it. Up to this point, he wasn't sure about having a child. One of the basic classes in the Yu clan school was courtyard drama—children of different mothers were the beginning of chaos. Now that his own daughter told him to have children, he only had one thing in mind: any drama wouldn't be his issue!
Yu Lingshe just left after her father. She knew that certain things shouldn't be bothered with. She wanted a younger sibling because she didn't think there was any other talented person. Although she wouldn't be here to see him—after all, it was only five years away from the point where she would ascend, as she was currently 13 and would do so at 18—it was still easier for her to make arrangements with a sibling than to look for a better candidate among the many descendants of the Yu family.