Chapter 224 Goat Milk (Two Chapters in One)

"Mother, although Wei Ya'er is of noble birth, she is ugly, and my son..."

Having said this, Zhao Tingxuan suddenly couldn't continue.

What is he going to say?

Say he doesn't like this marriage?

Saying that he doesn't like Wei Yaer?

Or does he not like being forced into marriage by the emperor?

There were only them, mother and son, here. He wasn't worried about the walls eavesdropping, he just couldn't say it out loud.

He could see that his mother was very satisfied with the marriage, and even felt proud of it.

From childhood to adulthood, he has never said "no" in front of his mother.

He doesn't like drinking blood swallow's mouth. He heard people say it was the saliva of the swallow, which he found disgusting.

Besides, that's what women drink.

But when his mother asked him to drink, he drank it all.

His mother loves him the most. If he is unfilial, his mother will be sad and cry herself sick.

The resentment in Zhao Tingxuan's eyes gradually dissipated, and he ultimately did not say the three words "I don't like it".

Seeing him lower his head and remain silent, Nie's heart finally settled down.

At that moment, she was really worried that Zhao Tingxuan would disobey her. Fortunately, she was just worrying too much. Although Axuan went to the capital, he was still her good son.

She gave birth to four children, and only Axuan was filial.

The son still needs to be raised by her side, otherwise he will be taught badly. The eldest son is like this. He is not close to her and only has eyes for that bitch Meng Xiaotang. He doesn't care about his biological mother at all.

Not to mention that ungrateful Zhao Shiqing, he is not my biological son, so I can never tame him.

Fortunately, she understood this from the beginning and never got close to her adopted daughter.

However, compared with Zhao Tinghan and Zhao Shiqing, the most hateful one is Zhao Yunnuan.

That was her daughter who was born after ten months of pregnancy!

At such a young age, he is already competing for favor with his younger brother. But the old King Liang is partial and does not give the personal guards to his son Axuan, but gives them to Zhao Yunnuan instead!

Although Zhao Yunnuan was a princess with a title, so what? She was just a daughter, a daughter!

Shouldn’t the century-old foundation of Prince Liang’s Mansion be passed down to his son?

Thinking of this, Nie gnashed his teeth in hatred.

She knew what was going on.

Old Prince Liang was determined to let the sickly Zhao Tinghan inherit the throne. He did not hand over the Royal Guards to Axuan because he was worried that after Axuan took charge of the Royal Guards, he would build up his own power and threaten Zhao Tinghan!

That's why he handed over the imperial guards to Zhao Yunnuan. What does it matter if Zhao Yunnuan is capable? She can't inherit the throne. Just like now, when Zhao Tinghan returned to Liangdi, Zhao Yunnuan immediately handed over the military power with both hands.

Nie clenched her fists. If the Royal Guards were in Axuan's hands, she would never let Axuan hand over the military power.

Axuan is the most filial, and he will definitely listen to her.

Zhao Tingxuan was still immersed in his own emotions. When he looked up, he met Nie's face, which was distorted by cruelty.

Zhao Tingxuan was stunned. Is this his weak and unable to take care of herself mother?

He rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, Nie had regained that sad look.

If it were in the past, Zhao Tingxuan would definitely think that he was dazzled.

But now, he suddenly remembered what Zhao Shiqing said...

Maybe his mother really has another side that he doesn't know about.

And the dissatisfaction that mother had expressed towards my elder brother and sister-in-law just now was exactly the same as what my younger sister said.

Zhao Tingxuan's head was buzzing. He was very tired, both physically and mentally.

He returned to his residence, threw himself into bed and lay there for a long time. Suddenly, he remembered what Nie said about Meng Xiaotang poisoning him.

He wanted to ask his eldest sister, but felt it was inappropriate. He had been ridiculed by his younger sister for his eldest sister's marriage far away. He also figured out that his eldest sister was a hostage in Beijing on his behalf.

So, who does he feel most guilty towards in this world?

That must be Zhao Yunnuan.

Whenever he encountered any problems in the past, the first thing he thought of was to find his eldest sister. His eldest sister was capable and could help him solve any problem.

But now, he didn't even dare to face his elder sister alone. The reason why he could return to Liang was not because of the emperor's mercy, but because his elder sister wanted to suffer for him.

Forget it, let’s not ask my elder sister about this matter.

He thought about it and asked his servant to quietly go find Madam Zheng who was by Nie's side.

An hour later, the servant came back and told him the news he had heard from Nanny Zheng.

There was no poisoning.

Meng Xiaotang drinks goat's milk every day and raises two dairy sheep in her house.

That day, Nanny Zheng went home to see her little grandson. She originally wanted to stay at home for one night, but she was called back in the middle of the night. Nie suffered from vomiting and diarrhea and was almost dead.

Nanny Zheng secretly asked the maid in Suining Palace. The maid refused to tell the truth at first, but Nanny Zheng used some tricks and the maid told the truth.

It turned out that Nie wanted to drink goat's milk that day, so Meng Xiaotang asked his kitchen to send a bowl of goat's milk.

Nie drank the goat's milk and vomited continuously. She insisted that Meng Xiaotang had poisoned her...

Hearing this, Zhao Tingxuan frowned.

He still remembered that when his younger sister first came to the palace, she was very weak, so his father specially raised two dairy sheep. Every time his younger sister drank goat's milk, it felt like drinking medicine, so his father asked his eldest sister to drink with him, firstly to accompany his younger sister, and secondly, drinking goat's milk was good for the body.

When his mother heard about it, she was very disgusted and didn't allow him to drink... Later, only the eldest sister accompanied the younger sister to drink.

Later, when my younger sister went to Baihe Mountain, she took a sheep with her. My mother then had the remaining sheep sent to the farm because she said she hated the smell.

"Why does Mother suddenly want to drink goat's milk? I've never seen her drink it before. She said she can't stand the smell of goat."

The servant lowered his voice and said, "Madame Zheng said that when the old princess was still at her parents' home, she couldn't drink goat's milk, even if it was added to her food."

Zhao Tingxuan was stunned, as if something exploded in his brain, sparks flew everywhere, and his eyes were dizzy.

He paused for a moment, then said to the servant, "Forget everything Madam Zheng said. If you dare to utter a single word, you will die."

This servant was the nephew of Madam Zheng, and was specially chosen by Nie to serve Zhao Tingxuan, so he was considered Nie's man.

The servant hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Second Master. These words came out of my mouth, but my brain is not very smart. I can't remember anything except eating."

Zhao Tingxuan took out two golden beans and threw them into the servant's hand: "Use them to buy snacks."

The servant thanked him profusely, took the golden beans and left happily.

Zhao Tingxuan could no longer remain calm.

Although he didn't know why his mother couldn't drink goat's milk, he didn't find it strange. Everyone has a different physique and different tolerance to food. He had seen people with rashes all over their bodies after eating crabs.

The problem is that Nanny Zheng said that my mother was not allowed to drink goat's milk when she was at her parents' home, which means that my mother herself knew that she was not allowed to drink it, but why did she suddenly want to drink it?

And it was chosen when Nanny Zheng was not at home.

Are you worried that Nanny Zheng will stop you?

Why would my mother do this?

Does mother dislike my eldest sister-in-law, or does she dislike my eldest sister-in-law raising sheep in the mansion?

It definitely doesn't mean that she doesn't like raising sheep. My mother didn't like my younger sister's sheep back then, but it was not until my younger sister went to Baihe Mountain that she sent the remaining sheep to the farm.

So my mother just doesn’t like my eldest sister-in-law.

My mother is really something. If she didn’t like my sister-in-law, she didn’t have to frame her for poisoning her and even risk her own life.

Besides, there is an imperial physician in the palace, and he will know whether poison has been committed or not by checking.

Zhao Tingxuan felt that Nie was too confused. Why bother?

He had met his eldest sister-in-law. She was dignified and well-mannered, and was very kind to him. Although she was a few years older than his eldest brother, she did not look old. On the contrary, she and his eldest brother looked like a perfect match when standing together. Besides, although his mother described his eldest sister-in-law as a country girl, he was not blind. The nobility that emanated from his eldest sister-in-law's bones was not something that could be learned by studying etiquette for a few days. It was nurtured bit by bit in a favorable environment from childhood to adulthood.

He envied his elder brother for being able to marry such a beautiful and generous wife, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with his elder sister-in-law.

At this time, Zhao Tingxuan didn't understand why his mother wanted to suppress his sister-in-law, and he didn't understand why his mother had to use such a clumsy method.

On the first day back in Liangdi, Zhao Tingxuan couldn't sleep.

In Suining Palace, Nanny Zheng sent her nephew away and shook her head silently.

The eldest princess gave her the opportunity to tell the second young master about the stupid things the old princess had done that were not worthy of being made public, and she did so.

The second wife is going to marry next year. Judging from the old princess's reaction, there will be chaos in the palace.

The eldest princess will be marrying in the capital next year. Although the princess is very capable, the old princess is her mother-in-law after all. She cannot be as ruthless as the eldest princess, such as putting the old princess under house arrest. The eldest princess can do such things, but the princess cannot.

Nanny Zheng sighed and said that she would retire no matter what when the eldest princess left Liangdi.

What was the favor of serving since childhood? She had followed the Nie family for so many years, but what she got was not as much as the eldest princess and the princess gave her in a year.

The eldest princess gave her a small farm of fifty acres, and the princess gave her a shop in Liangdu. As long as her children and grandchildren did not gamble, visit prostitutes, or start a business, the family would have no worries about food and drink.

Nanny Zheng dreams of retiring, collecting rent, growing vegetables, raising chickens and taking care of her grandchildren. Isn't that much better than staying with this stupid, evil and confused old princess?

By the way, I told the second young master today that the eldest princess must be informed of this matter.

A few days later, Madam Zheng's daughter-in-law came to visit her. She leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Mother, yesterday I was out buying groceries when someone came up and threw a paper bag into my basket. I opened it and saw a gold ingot inside, weighing a full ten taels."

The daughter-in-law doesn't believe that there is a fool who throws gold everywhere. Even if there really is one, she will not meet him. All the blessings in her life were used up on the old ginseng she took when she gave birth to the child.

Without the old ginseng given by the eldest princess, she would not be alive today and would have died long ago.

There is no need to ask, this matter must be related to her mother-in-law. She dare not keep it secret, because her mother-in-law will find out sooner or later. Her mother-in-law is rich and knows important people, so she dare not offend her.

Unexpectedly, instead of praising her for her honesty, her mother-in-law sighed.

"Mother, why are you unhappy?"

"Alas, it's a pity that your son is too young to follow the eldest princess to the capital."

She had heard that the eldest princess had selected a number of people to take to the capital, and it would be great if her grandson could go with them...

Zhao Yunnuan didn't know about Nanny Zheng's regret. Now that she had handed over the military power, she was free from worries. Apart from preparing her dowry, she had nothing else to do.

But Zhao Tingxuan's marriage still made her feel a little uncomfortable.

This marriage was most likely arranged by Nie.

Of course, Nie was not necessarily seeking the Princess of Changling County, but she was definitely a noble lady of high birth and status.

Zhao Yunnuan learned from Nanny Zheng that when the imperial decree granting her and Yan Xia's marriage was delivered to the palace, Nie was not happy. Firstly, the family status of the Duke of Weiguo was too high, and secondly, she heard from somewhere that Yan Xia was not an uneducated second-generation rich man. She was very angry and smashed an antique vase that her father had loved during his lifetime.

Perhaps, Nie wanted her to marry a scum like Zhu Yu.

Zhao Yunnuan didn't want to think too badly of Nie, but facts have proved time and time again that not every mother loves her children. Some people will treat their children as tools. Even an old princess like Nie who has already established a foothold in the palace will still do this.

An obedient son can support her, but a son who is not raised by her side and is not close to her will of course be abandoned.

As for daughters, they can serve as stepping stones for sons.

For a daughter like her who is disobedient and always targets others, of course it is best for her to marry as far away as possible. Not only should she marry far away, but she should also be controlled by her powerful in-laws and be held back and suppressed by her uneducated husband, making her feel suffocated and unable to take care of her parents' affairs.

Zhao Yunnuan sneered. Many times, she wanted to leave like her younger sister, but she couldn't. She was not the younger sister without a title. The title was both an honor and a shackle to her. She couldn't leave as she pleased, and she couldn't go against the marriage arranged by the emperor.

Fortunately, my younger sister and the people she sent to the capital can prove that Yan Xia is a good person and the family tradition of the Duke of Weiguo is also upright.

Although she was reluctant to leave Liangdi where she grew up, she now had a longing for the capital.

The capital city is a den of dragons and tigers, and also a prison, but her younger sister is there, as well as the painstaking arrangements she has made for herself. She has fighting spirit and confidence, and she must create a new world for herself and her younger sister.

As for Liangdi, let's leave it to the eldest brother. Since the eldest brother has inherited the throne, Liangdi is his responsibility.

It was his destiny to defend Liangdi, and it was his luck not to defend Liangdi.

As a younger sister, she can only help up to this point. The rest depends on her elder brother and sister-in-law.

As for Zhao Tingxuan, as the eldest sister, she can only help him to this extent. If he still refuses to change his ways and chooses to listen to Nie and go against his eldest brother, Zhao Yunnuan will have no way to help him.

Her younger sister wrote to her, asking her to pay attention to the friends around Zhao Tingxuan and never let him come into contact with Wu Shi San. Zhao Yunnuan then called her cousin Zhao Tingrui.

Zhao Tingrui was a famous playboy in Liangdu. He used to be Zhao Tingxuan's study partner. Nie was worried that he would lead Zhao Tingxuan astray, so she tried every means to replace him.

But he wrote good poems, Zhao Tingxuan liked him very much and would invite him to every poetry meeting.

When Zhao Tinghan got married, it was Zhao Tingrui who went to pick him up.

Zhao Yunnuan called Zhao Tingrui and asked if any of the young men in Liangdu had taken Wu Shi San.

Zhao Tingrui actually knew.

He mentioned a few names and asked with a smile, "Sister, you're not going to arrest anyone, are you? Although the court has issued a clear ban, the officials won't investigate unless the people report it. Besides, the court only banned the sale, not criminalized it. At most, they'd fine someone. Anyone who can afford this isn't someone who can't afford it, so arresting them would be pointless."