"You unfilial son!" Lord Zheng roared, his eyes wide with fury. "What do you want to do? Who am I doing this for?"
Zheng Rucai stood in front of Madam Zheng and said, word by word, "Father, Mother has already agreed to this matter. You can let whoever you want marry, but not my daughter."
Zheng Rucai was not a good husband, but he was undoubtedly a good father.
Zheng Rucai had many concubines, who bore her many daughters, but she treated each daughter well. Of course, the respect that Madam Zheng deserved was unique to her.
After receiving advice from Chen Zhixiu, Madam Zheng discussed it with Zheng Rucai. Zheng Rucai hesitated to make a decision until three days ago.
After all, Lord Zheng was truly beyond persuasion.
Madam Zheng was a kind-hearted person. Although she was reluctant to part with her own daughter, she did not allow her concubine's daughter to take her place in the marriage.
Madam Zheng also knew that if she stopped Zheng Yinrong from marrying, Lord Zheng would definitely choose one of his concubine's daughters to replace Zheng Yinrong.
Therefore, only by splitting up the family can these poor children be saved.
Girls already have a hard time living in this era, and she doesn't want to push them into a pit of fire.
Zheng Rucai's words infuriated Lord Zheng. Seeing that Zheng Rucai was about to leave, he immediately ordered his men, "Lock them up! They are not to come out without my order!"
"It's no use," Zheng Rucai said indifferently. "I have already asked Mu Xiangyang to request that if he does not see me for a day, he should ask the Emperor to issue an edict to separate the family!"
Lord Zheng's eyes widened, and he raised his hand to slap the boy: "You unfilial son!"
"stop!"
Supported by her nanny, Madam Zheng walked over and stood in front of Zheng Rucai, her chest heaving with anger: "Master! If you want to go to your death, we won't stop you! But Yinrong has a long way to go, and we can't let you ruin it like this! Divide the family! Divide the family immediately! I'll go with Rucai and the others, and you can live on your own!"
"You! You are all unreasonable!" Lord Zheng never expected that in his old age he would be separated from his wife and children!
"Marrying into the Prince of Ping's household will only bring benefits, not harm! Besides, it's just an illness; with the imperial physicians around, what's there to be afraid of?"
Lord Zheng said dismissively, "I will naturally protect my granddaughter. I will speak to Prince Ping and make sure that neither Mu Chenglan nor Mu Chengjin will be allowed to consummate their marriage."
"Father, do you believe that?" Madam Zheng said, barely suppressing her anger. "Don't you know who Mu Chengjin and Mu Chenglan are? You do! You know, yet you still want to push Yinrong into the fire! Yes, you can sacrifice anyone for the greater cause, but I can't. Yinrong is my daughter! I'm not willing!"
“Grandfather, I don’t want to either.” Zheng Yingguo stepped forward. The seven-year-old child already knew good and evil and could distinguish right from wrong.
“The master once said that one’s future depends on oneself, and one cannot stand on one’s own back by relying on one’s family. My grandfather is afraid that the Zheng family’s century-old business will be destroyed in an instant. But I swear that I will make the Zheng family flourish through my own efforts. Please do not marry my sister to the Prince of Ping’s mansion.”
Lord Zheng shook his head, his face full of disappointment: "How can you be so stubborn and ignorant!"
Madam Zheng retorted angrily, "It is you who are stubborn and ignorant!"
"Have you thought this through? If we split up, even if I rise to prominence in the future, I will not give you a single penny!"
Zheng Rucai looked at Lord Zheng with disappointment, then turned to Madam Zheng and said, "Mother, let's go."
"I earned everything here, and you won't be able to take a single thing with you!" Lord Zheng roared again.
Madam Zheng pursed her lips: "My dowry courtyard is on South Street, just go there directly."
The group left without taking anything with them.
Zheng Rucai's concubines and illegitimate daughters quickly followed and went directly to the estate that was part of Madam Zheng's dowry.
Once they arrived at their destination, Madam Zheng said, "Don't be afraid, your mother has a dowry, so supporting you won't be a problem."
"Although this courtyard is not small, there are many of us, so we still have to squeeze in."
As arranged by Madam Zheng, the concubines and illegitimate daughters lived in two separate courtyards, while Madam Zheng's younger sister, Zheng Rucai, and Madam Zheng shared a courtyard.
Because Bai Tuantuan was guarding Xiang Chaoyang, she was unaware of what had happened to the Zheng family.
After receiving the message, Chen Zhixiu found Zheng Yinrong.
Zheng Yinrong was stunned for a moment, then tears fell down her face: "It's all my fault."
"Good child, this has nothing to do with you." Chen Zhixiu straightened Zheng Yinrong's clothes and then said, "I'll have someone take you there first. You should come back to stay tonight, since there are many people there and it's not ready yet."
"How about I go with you tomorrow?"
Zheng Yinrong nodded and curtsied to Chen Zhixiu: "Thank you, Aunt Xiu."
"Alright, go ahead."
Chen Zhixiu watched Zheng Yinrong board the carriage before leaving.
As soon as Zheng Yinrong arrived at the Zheng family home, she hugged Madam Zheng and Madam Zheng and started crying.
Madam Zheng patted Zheng Yinrong on the back and comforted her, "Alright, alright, it's alright now. No one can push you into the fire in the future. Your grandmother is here!"
Zheng Yinrong wiped away her tears and took out a large wad of silver notes from her bosom: "Grandmother, these are for you, to help with household expenses."
Madam Zheng gasped, "You child, where did you get so much money?"
“Xin’er and Lian’er helped me with the business, and Tuan Tuan also guided me. I took over a shop.”
At this point, Zheng Yinrong's face was full of gratitude: "I earned all of this, Grandmother, Mother, I can support you."
"Good, good, good!" Madam Zheng looked at Zheng Yinrong with satisfaction. "Our Yinrong has grown up too!"
Madam Zheng opened her mouth, then said, "We really should thank the princess."
“Mother, Aunt Xiu said she’ll be coming tomorrow. She was worried you’d be busy tidying up today, so she sent me back first.”
She also told me to go back to my room tonight.
"The princess is so thoughtful," Madam Zheng sighed. "Prime Minister Bai, he truly is still Prime Minister Bai."
Madam Zheng affectionately touched Zheng Yinrong's face: "Alright, after our family has dinner, we'll take you back."
"I'll take care of it, Mother and Grandmother don't need to worry." With that, Zheng Yinrong ran out and bumped into Zheng Rucai, who was returning from shopping.
"Father?" Zheng Yinrong ran over. "Father!"
Seeing Zheng Yinrong's joyful expression, Zheng Rucai smiled as well: "You've seen your mother and grandmother?"
"Okay! I'll go prepare the food. Will Father come with me?"
Zheng Rucai quickly handed the things in his hands to the servant, patted his chest and said, "Come on, Father's treating today, let's buy lots of good food!"
The father and daughter walked out happily, completely unaware that a figure was leaving behind them and heading towards the Prince Ping's residence.
Mu Chenglan patted his round belly, his face full of gloom: "Big brother, she actually dared to look down on me! Humph! I'll just have to take her!"
Mu Chengjin snorted coldly and said indifferently, "She's the only woman we brothers don't want. Does she even deserve to look down on us?"
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