“An’er, I know you like Yunxiang. I like Yunxiang too. But a concubine is still just a secondary wife. I agree to make Yunxiang a secondary wife for two reasons: first, I don’t want you to be too repressed in your married life; second, it’s to show the people in the household.”

Bai Wei slowly sipped her tea and gestured for Bai Lian to stand guard outside the door.

Then he continued, "An'er, Zhao Yun is, after all, Zhizhi's older sister. She is also your Aunt Wan's eldest legitimate daughter. You should understand the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. No matter how much you like Yunxiang, she can't be included in our Li family's genealogy. No matter how much you dislike Zhao Yun, she is still included in our Li family's genealogy. No matter how much I like Yunxiang, I can't possibly recognize the child in her womb as my legitimate grandson. Do you understand this ironclad rule of legitimate and illegitimate children?"

Li Huai'an lowered his head, his eyelids half-closed.

After a long while, he finally raised his head again and said, "Mother, I understand what you said. I just can't get over that hurdle in my heart."

Bai Wei gazed lovingly at Li Huai'an, a hint of heartache and understanding flashing in her eyes.

She gently took Li Huai'an's hand and slowly said, "An'er, the human heart is like the sea, unfathomable, especially in this mansion, where things are even more treacherous. What Yun'er and your Aunt Rou did before was indeed heartbreaking, but have you ever thought that everything in this world has cause and effect, and reincarnation? They were young and impetuous, and for a moment they were blinded and did wrong, but who can guarantee that they won't have the same thoughts in the same situation?"

Her words were gentle yet powerful, like a spring breeze and gentle rain, slowly seeping into Li Huai'an's heart.

"Mother knows you are kind-hearted and sentimental. This sentiment is your precious quality, but it is also your vulnerable spot. Right now, you are tormenting and punishing yourself every day by using other people's mistakes!"

Seeing that Li Huai'an remained silent, she sighed and said, "Actually, I had planned before that Yun'er and Aunt Rou would scheme against you, and that I would teach them a lesson after they married into our Duke's Mansion. But then I thought, who hasn't felt resentful when they were young?"

Li Huai'an listened quietly, a slight wavering in his heart.

He couldn't bear to see his mother constantly worrying about him, so he let out a long sigh and said, "Mother, I'll try harder. I hope that after Zhao Yun becomes a mother, she can straighten her mind, and then I will forgive her for what she did before."

Bai Wei smiled with satisfaction, patted the back of his hand, and said, "That's the right way to think! When husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal."

After saying that, she turned to look at the screen by the door and suddenly became lost in thought.

"Mother? Mother?" It wasn't until Li Huai'an called her several times that she came back to her senses.

"Mother, Cangchun Pavilion has reopened today. Do you still want your son to buy paintings?" Li Huai'an noticed his mother's somewhat erratic gaze and saw the paintings on the screen before remembering to bring it up.

"Zhang Fang, is he back too?" Bai Wei didn't notice that her voice trembled slightly when she mentioned Zhang Fang.

"You, your voice, are you feeling unwell?" Li Huai'an noticed the unusual sound in Bai Wei's voice, stood up and took her hand, finding it somewhat cold.

"Bai Lian, bring me a hot water bottle!" he hurriedly ordered.

Bai Lian quickly brought over the hot water bottle and handed it to Bai Wei.

Bai Wei gestured for her to step back.

“The Hidden Spring Pavilion is open for business as usual. Zhang Fang should be back by now, right? After all, he's the manager of the Hidden Spring Pavilion!” Li Huai’an hesitated for a moment before stating his guess.

"Go ahead." Bai Wei suddenly felt a headache coming on. She waved her hand and instructed Li Huai'an to just check on Zhang Fang from afar when he had free time, and that there was no need to buy the painting.

"He lived on Guixiang Street, in the westernmost house, a detached house. There was a crooked old willow tree in front of the door, and there should be another one along the wall..."

Bai Wei's voice gradually faded away.

"An'er, I'm tired, you can go now."

Li Huai'an lowered his head slightly, gently lifted the cotton curtain, and then stepped out of the house.

He gazed at the snow-covered rooftops, reflecting on his mother's words.

He always felt that there must be some special relationship between his mother and Zhang Fang.

Just now, Mother seemed to be looking at someone else through the screen. That screen was part of Mother's dowry, and she said it was a priceless treasure.

When he was a child, he and Yunxiang were playing and chasing each other in this room. They accidentally knocked over the screen. For a long time afterward, his mother did not allow him to come into this room.

Li Huai'an stared at the snowflakes falling from the sky, and a bold guess came to his mind: Could it be that his mother and Zhang Fang, the manager of Cangchunlou, had a story of unrequited love?

Thinking back on what his mother had said to him today, Li Huai'an became even more certain of his suspicions.

He has a day off tomorrow and plans to go to Guixiang Street to find Zhang Fang and unravel the mystery in his heart.

Zhang Fang has been running the Cangchunlou brothel for many years and has extensive connections. Perhaps we can get Zhao Zhi's whereabouts out of him!

With this thought in mind, Li Huai'an felt a little relieved and walked briskly to Qingfeng Courtyard.

The mother acted swiftly. Ever since Bai Yunxiang was diagnosed with pregnancy, Bai Wei had allocated her a courtyard so that she could rest and recuperate in peace. This Qingfeng Courtyard was Bai Yunxiang's courtyard.