Chapter 8: The biological father is no ordinary prolific father.

After exchanging greetings, they all walked inside together. Passing through an archway, they arrived at a spacious and elegant courtyard, where a group of maids, servants, and young men stood outside the main hall. There were more than a dozen of them, all standing with their eyes downcast. The courtyard was so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop.

This was the first time Jiang Yu had witnessed the rules of a large family.

Upon reaching the entrance to the main hall, two pretty maids lifted the curtain for them, and Jiang Yu followed the glamorous woman into the hall. There, in the center, sat an elderly man in a grey robe, his face somewhat withered.

He must have been around seventy years old; his eyes were already cloudy, but Jiang Yu could clearly see shrewdness and wisdom in them. This must be the Duke of Chu.

Sure enough, the beautiful woman beside her said, "Younger sister, quickly greet the Duke."

Jiang Yu knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times, saying, "Jiang Yu greets the Duke."

The Duke of Chu stood up, supporting himself on the table. He walked over to Jiang Yu, bent down to help her up, carefully examined her, and then said in his aged voice, "You are the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion. This is your home. Settle down here in peace."

This seemingly simple statement clearly identifies Jiang Yu as the eldest daughter of the Duke of Chu's family.

“Yes, Grandfather,” Jiang Yu said with a smile.

The Duke of Chu's cloudy eyes met hers for a moment, then he looked behind Jiang Yu. Jiang Mingchang and Cheng Yunxiu quickly bowed to him, but to their surprise, the Duke of Chu returned the bow with a deep salute, and then said, "Thank you both for your careful nurturing of Jiang Yu. You are the benefactors of my Duke of Chu's mansion."

The Duke of Chu's grand gesture and words left everyone in the hall somewhat stunned. The Duke of Chu was not only a Duke of the highest rank, but also a figure of great importance in the court. He not only bowed deeply to two commoners, but also said they were benefactors of the Duke of Chu's family.

Everyone couldn't help but ponder why the Duke of Chu valued Jiang Yu so highly.

Jiang Mingchang and Cheng Yunxiu were at a loss for words. They returned the greeting to the Duke of Chu, who waved for them to sit down. Then, a beautiful woman of about forty years old stood up with tears in her eyes and said in a trembling voice, "My Zhu'er has finally returned."

Jiang Yu knew immediately that she was her biological mother just by looking at her; the two looked so alike.

Jiang Yu bowed to her, but before she could finish, she was pulled into a hug, and then she heard the girl crying, "My Zhu'er, you have no idea how I've endured these past years. I've worried day and night..."

Jiang Yu's eyes also welled up with tears. She could understand the anxiety and worry of a mother whose child had been abducted. Gently patting her back, Jiang Yu said, "Mother, I'm back. I'll stay with you often from now on."

These words did not calm Lu Yifang, the wife of the Duke of Chu's heir. She continued to hug Jiang Yu tightly and cry until the women in the room came over to comfort her, which finally stopped her crying.

She released Jiang Yu, then bowed deeply to Jiang Mingchang and Cheng Yunxiu, saying, "Thank you both for taking care of Zhu'er. You are my benefactors, and I will do everything in my power to repay your kindness."

Her expression was genuine and unmistakable, deeply moving both Jiang Mingchang and Cheng Yunxiu. They returned the greeting, and Cheng Yunxiu readily grasped Lu Yifang's hand, saying:

“Yu’er has been intelligent since she was a child. The neighbors all say that it is our blessing to have a child like Yu’er.”

"Yes, my Pearl was different from other children from birth. She didn't cry or fuss, and she would just whimper when she was hungry."

As Lu Yifang spoke, she looked at Jiang Yu with a loving expression, and then she proudly said, "Zhu'er could speak before she was a year old, and her calls for her mother and grandfather were incredibly clear. By the time she was three, she had memorized most of the Thousand Character Classic."

Hearing her say that, Jiang Yu was almost completely certain that she had been reborn as a baby. It's true that some children can speak early, even before they're a year old, but very few can clearly say "mother" or "grandfather." The pronunciation of "grandfather," in particular, is quite difficult for a child under one year old.

Moreover, memorizing most of the Thousand Character Classic at the age of three is something no ordinary child could achieve. So the question arises: if she was a reincarnation, given her personality, she wouldn't have revealed her "intelligence" so early; there must have been a reason why she had to do so.

So why did she do that?

Although she was only three years old when she was abducted, she had the mind of an adult. How was she abducted under such circumstances? And how did she lose her memories before the age of three? What kind of conspiracy was involved?

For a moment, Jiang Yu thought about many things.

At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over and said, "Madam, Pearl is back. There will be plenty of time to talk to you and let Pearl get to know the family."

Jiang Yu looked at the man and saw that he was dressed in a purple robe, with a tall and handsome figure. He looked about five parts like her own elder brother, so this must be her father.

Sure enough, the man gently patted her shoulder, his eyes filled with affection and joy, and said, "Pearl, I am your father."

Jiang Yu bowed to him, "Father."

Jiang Chengye patted her shoulder again, "You've suffered all these years."

Jiang Yu lowered her eyes and said, "My parents have treated me very well over the years, and I haven't suffered at all."

She spoke with great seriousness, wanting everyone in the Duke of Chu's mansion to know that her adoptive parents treated her very well, and that she even enjoyed a life of freedom that noble ladies could not.

Her words made Jiang Chengye, the heir of the Duke of Chu, somewhat embarrassed, and his expression turned sour. At this moment, Lu Yifang took Jiang Yu's hand and said, "Just by looking at your appearance and demeanor, I can tell you haven't suffered any hardships."

She looked at Cheng Yunxiu and Jiang Mingchang with gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much."

Cheng Yunxiu quickly replied that it was her duty.

The minor awkwardness passed quickly, and then Lu Yifang took Jiang Yu's hand and introduced her to the people in the room. After getting to know them, Jiang Yu roughly understood the personnel structure of the Duke of Chu's mansion:

The Duke of Chu had one son and two daughters. His son was Jiang Yu's biological father, Jiang Chengye. He had two daughters, one legitimate and one illegitimate. The legitimate daughter married into the Duke of Wei's household in the capital, becoming the wife of the Duke of Wei's heir. The illegitimate daughter's husband was a fourth-rank official, serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Jiang Chengye, the heir apparent of the Duke of Chu, married the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Anyuan. He had two sons, one legitimate and one illegitimate. The legitimate son, Jiang Jiarong, the man who greeted Jiang Yu at the gate, married Zhang Xiangling, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jiangling, who was also the beautiful woman who greeted Jiang Yu at the gate.

The couple had one daughter, Jiang Yuan. Jiang Jiarong also had many concubines, but they were all illegitimate daughters; Jiang Yu didn't keep track of the exact number.

Jiang Chengye had a beloved concubine who bore him a son, Jiang Jiamu. However, Jiang Jiamu was in poor health, and he only came to Jiang Yu's family reunion today by forcing himself to be healthy. He married Wu Zhengyan, the legitimate daughter of a fifth-rank official in the Court of Judicial Review, who was the elegant woman who greeted Jiang Yu at the door.

The couple had a son, who is four years old this year and named Jiang Yunkang. He is the only great-grandson of the Duke of Chu.

Jiang Chengye only has one legitimate daughter, Jiang Yu. His other daughters are less clear; Jiang Yu roughly counted them when she was recognizing people, and there were at least seven or eight. It's said that several others are still infants and unable to come today.

This father is exceptionally prolific.