Chapter 48 Twisted and Secretive Pleasure
Huo Yunzhan was quickly summoned.
He had clearly not slept all night; his eyes were dark and bluish-black, and he looked haggard.
When the old lady saw him like this, she was even more furious and grabbed the teacup next to her and threw it at him!
Huo Yunzhan neither dodged nor avoided the teacup, letting it smash at his feet with a piercing shattering sound, and only softly called out, "Mother."
Old Madam Hou gritted her teeth, pointed at his nose, and angrily scolded, "Don't call me mother! I don't have a good-for-nothing son like you! Look at the good things you've done lately! You've completely disgraced the Huo family!"
She winked at the old woman beside her, who immediately understood and quietly led the other maids in the room away, closing the door tightly behind them.
Madam Hou clutched her heaving chest, feeling her blood surging and struggling to breathe: "When your brother died on the battlefield, I was the first to disagree with your attempt to take his place!"
"But you told me that everything you did was for the future of the Marquis's mansion! And since the die is cast, I had no choice but to accept it for the sake of the bigger picture! I acquiesced to your absurd behavior!"
"I understand and can tolerate your desire to appease Liu Ruolan and leverage Prime Minister Liu's influence to secure your position in the court!"
"But as soon as you returned to the manor, you began to fool around with Liu Ruolan every night, indulging in debauchery and excessive sexual activity, which led to... led to you developing such an unspeakable illness at such a young age! You may even be unable to have sex!"
"Did you do all this for your own dirty selfish desires, or is it truly for the future of the Marquis's mansion, as you claim? Only you know the answer in your heart!"
Huo Yunzhan's face was somewhat pale, his eyes flickering, and he could only explain in a low voice, "Mother, please calm down, your son... your son only wanted Liu Ruolan to get pregnant with my child as soon as possible, so that we could have an heir and completely tie her, the Prime Minister's Mansion, and our Huo family together. Your son really did it for..."
Old Madam Hou ignored his explanation and interrupted him sharply: "Shut up! You are my son, and I, as your mother, know your character better than anyone!"
"As soon as the Shen family got into trouble, you immediately changed your tune, harboring resentment towards Qingci and complaining that she had lost her family's support and could no longer provide you with enough assistance in your career!"
"Although you are attracted to Qingci's beauty and temperament, your ambition is much greater! You have always coveted Liu Ruolan's status as the daughter of the Prime Minister, wanting to climb the social ladder by associating with the powerful and wealthy!"
"As soon as you returned to the manor, you couldn't wait to indulge in passion with her every night. Is it really just so simple that you want her to get pregnant as soon as possible and produce offspring for the Huo family?"
"Do you dare to put your hand on your heart and say that it wasn't because you felt a twisted, secret, and forbidden pleasure because Liu Ruolan was your brother's lawfully wedded wife, and now she was lying obediently beneath you, pleasing you, that you became complacent, indulged in excessive lust, and ultimately ended up like this?"
Huo Yunzhan's handsome face turned pale and then flushed in an instant after his mother pointed out his darkest desires.
Shame, anger, and a hint of embarrassment at being seen through flickered in his eyes!
A surge of intense anger welled up within him: "Mother! What's the use of saying all this now? Things have already come to this..."
Yes, that's how it is now!
Upon hearing this, Madam Hou was overcome with grief. She abruptly raised her hand to cover her face, tears streaming down her face through her fingers: "Qingci was pregnant. The doctor said that it was almost certainly a healthy boy!"
"That's the eldest grandson of the Huo family! What a pity... what a pity for that innocent child!"
She lowered her hand, her red eyes filled with regret and reproach: "And that Yue Niang! How could you... how could you be so foolish as to push her out to take the blame for that poisonous woman Liu Ruolan!"
Huo Yunzhan gritted his teeth, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
Why did he push Yue Niang forward? Naturally, it was because... at that time he was still relying on Liu Ruolan and the power of the Prime Minister's mansion. How could he possibly push Liu Ruolan forward? He could only sacrifice an insignificant pawn!
Madam Hou coughed violently a few times, finally calming her agitated emotions somewhat: "The physician in the manor has limited medical skills, and his diagnosis may not be thorough or accurate. Go immediately and find several more renowned medical experts from the capital to examine you carefully!"
"I... I'll find a way to send a letter to the palace. Even if it means losing face, I'll definitely get a royal physician to examine you! I'll make sure to find out the root of your illness!"
She paused, then said, "From today onwards, you'd better live in separate rooms from Liu Ruolan! Don't fool around with her anymore! Take good care of your health! Do you hear me?"
Huo Yunzhan lowered his head and replied meekly, "Yes, son understands."
Old Madam Hou gritted her teeth, a weary inquiry flashing in her eyes: "Last night, Liu Ruolan made such a fuss, Qingci... how did she deal with Qingci in the end?"
Huo Yunzhan had been tormented by Liu Ruolan's hysterical crying all night, so he naturally remembered the conditions that Shen Qingci had proposed very clearly.
He said in a hoarse voice, "Shen Qingci said that Ruolan should write an apology letter, explaining in detail the cause and effect of the slander against her last night, and then... he should personally post it in various places in the mansion for all to see."
"Also, tell Ruolan to immediately open the Zhonggong Private Treasury and return all of her dowry to her."
Huo Yunzhan's tone still carried a hint of dissatisfaction and resentment as he said this: "Shen Qingci really is... showing no mercy at all, insisting on... insisting on making this matter known to everyone, making the Marquis's mansion a laughing stock."
Upon hearing this, Madam Hou's eyes widened in anger. She slammed her hand on the table and shouted sternly, "Shut up! Was it Qingci who made this public? Wasn't it Liu Ruolan herself who shamelessly aired the family's dirty laundry?"
“Go to the Marquis’s mansion right now and ask everyone! From the stewards to the maids and servants, who doesn’t know about last night’s farce? Who doesn’t know that your ’mighty glory’ is gone?”
"Qingci is doing this to save face for you and the entire Marquis's mansion! She has the imperial decree in her hand, and she has the right to do so. Even if she directly takes Liu Ruolan to the authorities, who would dare to say a word against it?"
"Don't you think about it? She's a young widow who's been widowed for less than a hundred days. If Liu Ruolan really confirms that she had an affair with you and seduced her own uncle, how will she ever be able to stand in the capital again? All that spittle will drown her!"
"If I were her, and suffered such a humiliating disgrace, I would probably have done something a hundred or a thousand times worse than her!"
"Qingci is absolutely right to scold you! You can't even control the person next to you in bed, letting her do whatever she wants, and you can't explain the facts to her. When something goes wrong, you just complain and blame everyone and everything! You really are... really becoming more and more capable!"
As Madam Hou spoke, her chest heaved violently with anger, and she couldn't help but gasp for breath. Pointing at Huo Yunzhan, she said furiously, "You'd better shut up! I get angry just looking at your face!"
"Immediately! Go find a doctor right now! Do everything you can to cure your illness! That's the most urgent thing!"
"If you really... really can no longer... can no longer have sex, can no longer have children for the Huo family and continue the family line, then all your plans will truly be ruined!"
The old lady's voice was filled with despair and sorrow.
Huo Yunzhan was thoroughly scolded, but dared not utter a single word in rebuttal. He could only agree repeatedly before taking his leave.
Just as they were about to reach the main courtyard, they saw Shen Qingci walking towards it.
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