Chapter 122 Refusal
Upon hearing this, Wang's face immediately fell.
She slammed the chicken soup in her hand onto the table with a bang: "Lin Kuangzheng! I haven't enjoyed a single day of happiness since I married you, and now, almost twenty years later, I still have to be insulted by you like this?!"
"Can't we live like this anymore? If you don't want to live like this anymore, I'll pack my things and leave right now, and go back to the Wang family!"
Lin Kuangzheng was having a headache. Since his father, Lin Taifu, passed away, the Lin family had gradually declined and was no longer as prosperous as it had been twenty years ago. Besides his elder brother, who else could support his younger sister, Lin Hui?
It is said that the eldest brother is like a father. If he does not shoulder this responsibility as an elder brother, is his younger sister supposed to fight against the Xiao family alone?
In his heart, even though he and his younger sister are already in their seventies or eighties, his younger sister is still his younger sister, and he can't just stand by and watch her be bullied by others!
Lin Kuangzheng flicked his sleeve, passing by Wang Shi without pausing, leaving behind a cold remark:
"You don't need to leave, I'll leave!"
After striding out of his house and boarding the carriage to the Xiao residence, Lin Kuangzheng suddenly realized that something was wrong.
Who delivered that arrow?
Is the thing tied on top actually real?
It is said that something unusual must be going on, and such behavior is certainly not ordinary.
Is it possible that someone couldn't stand seeing Xiao Su doing well and wanted to bring him down, so they sent this evidence to their brother-in-law, hoping to use him as a tool to kill him?
Or is it that someone can't stand Xiao Yuyao...? No.
She was just a young lady who hadn't even reached marriageable age. Even if she had offended someone, there was no need for them to go through such a roundabout way to investigate her background and then eagerly send her to him.
Moreover, such a small bamboo tube could only be carried and delivered by carrier pigeons, and the wording clearly indicated that it was written by Xiao Su to Old Madam Xiao, but was intercepted halfway and delivered to him.
There are no more than three factions in the capital that have the capability to hijack carrier pigeons...
Lin Kuangzheng blew in the cold wind, and his feverish mind gradually cooled down. There were too many things that were not right.
"Wait!"
He quickly called for the carriage to stop.
The driver pulled the reins in a daze, and the carriage swayed and came to a stop.
"Sir, should we change our route?"
Lin Kuangzheng lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "Never mind, let's continue on to the Xiao family."
He had acted impulsively in a fit of anger and hadn't even had a chance to scold Wang Shi. If he went back now, there would definitely be a lot of arguments and lawsuits. He might as well go to the Xiao residence to see his sister.
Although it was too late to visit in person, the bamboo tube in his hand was the most justifiable reason.
The Xiao residence.
As soon as the eldest princess said she wanted to take in an adopted daughter, Lin Hui was the first to ask the question.
The eldest princess, dressed in splendid robes, stood amidst the bright lights, radiant and dazzling like a god. Even though she was no longer young and vibrant, her aura was far beyond that of an ordinary woman.
Her phoenix eyes swept over, carrying a blatant scrutiny that made Lin Hui suddenly feel ashamed of herself.
Back then, she had always envied the princess for her dashing appearance and passionate love, but she foolishly believed that she had a loving husband and a harmonious marriage, which was far superior to that of the princess.
Looking back now, I realize that I was the most foolish one, spending years preoccupied with household chores, to the point that I neglected even my own daughter.
She cared about too many things: the Xiao family, the Lin family, her husband, her three sons, Yuyao... a whole host of things weighed on her mind.
Lin Hui finally understood that her heart had been divided into many parts, and she could only give very little to Yu Xuan.
The eldest princess, however, was different. She was unrestrained and passionate, giving herself to whomever she loved. Moreover, she was as resilient as gold. The pain of losing her husband and son, which was unacceptable to the world, could not break her. Instead, it made her stronger and more insightful.
Lin Hui sadly discovered that their Xiao family really didn't give Yu Xuan as much as the Eldest Princess had given her.
Perhaps, it would be a good thing if Yu Xuan could be adopted as a goddaughter by the eldest princess.
“Madam Xiao, if you did not hear me clearly, I do not mind repeating it again, but only this once, so please listen carefully.”
"I wish to adopt Yu Xuan as my goddaughter, include her in the imperial genealogy, and grant her the fiefdom of a princess."
Lin Hui felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Li's mother reacted quickly and caught her, helping her to sit down.
After the princess finished speaking, word by word, Xiao Su seemed to have just understood and blinked.
This is fantastic news!
It turns out that the princess did not come to interrogate her, but to deliver good news.
If the princess takes the daughter of the Xiao family as her goddaughter, doesn't that mean that the princess and the Xiao family are related by blood and naturally form a faction? Wouldn't the various forces in the court be even more wary of the Xiao family in the future?
"To be favored by the Princess is the greatest fortune of my life. Yu Xuan, why don't you come and thank the Princess for her kindness!"
"As for the rules and procedures for recognizing a daughter, I wonder how the Princess intends to arrange them?"
His joy had barely begun to surface when Lan Xin ruthlessly interrupted him:
"Minister Xiao is so overjoyed, why don't you ask your daughter what she thinks?"
Xiao Su was startled when reminded by the maidservant beside the princess; he hadn't noticed that.
However, surely no one would refuse such a good thing!
He waved his hand and said, "Yu Xuan is a sensible person, how could she not be willing?!"
"Yu Xuan is unwilling! I beg Your Highness to rescind your decree!"
Xiao Yuxuan's voice was soft and hoarse, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Lin Hui looked at her with anticipation.
The eldest princess remained calm, as if she had expected this to happen and was not surprised.
Only Xiao Su said incredulously, "You're unwilling? What is there to be unwilling about? The Princess is showing you favor, yet you act so haughty?!"
"Minister Xiao!"
Lan Xin rebuked, "In front of the Princess and Shang Fangjian, Minister Xiao, please be mindful of your appearance and manners!"
Xiao Su wasn't angry at being scolded by the maid. He suppressed his displeasure and still said sternly:
"Stop fooling around, just obediently agree!"
Xiao Yuxuan looked up again, staring into Xiao Su's eyes, and spoke clearly, word by word:
“Father, Yu Xuan does not wish to.”
She didn't want to escape the Xiao family in this way. She still had things to do, and she hadn't seen anyone reap what they sowed and get what they deserved. She couldn't leave yet.
Although the eldest princess treated her with great care, now was not the time; she did not want to become someone the eldest princess would be criticized for.
"Are you trying to drive me crazy?!"
The princess raised her hand, and Xiao Su immediately stopped talking, letting out a long sigh.
“Yu Xuan, I’m here today to stand up for you. If you’re willing to come with me, we’ll be like mother and daughter from now on. I’ll make sure you have everything I have. Have you thought this through?”
The princess's eyes flickered; her heart was actually filled with complex emotions.
On the one hand, Yu Xuan, at such a young age, was willing to get involved in the situation, which overturned her previous idea that Yu Xuan was blindly filial, and made her feel more sorry for her than before.
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