"You dare not, what is there for you to be afraid of?" The lady pointed at Xu Lingkuan, her fingertips trembling.

The Madam did this just to stop Xu Lingkuan from telling the truth and doing bad things.

Eleventh Lady changed her mind and immediately stepped forward and said, "Mother, Fifth Uncle did it unintentionally. Don't be angry. Be careful not to get sick from anger." As she spoke, she winked at Fifth Madam, indicating that she should help Xu Lingkuan plead for mercy - Fifth Madam was pregnant, and in this case, it would be reasonable for the Madam to give her some face and she could take the opportunity to step down.

Madam Five was stunned.

Now it has spread all over Yanjing that the Marquis of Yongping has a concubine who gave birth to a son. Although the identity of this concubine is sometimes said to be a camp prostitute, sometimes an actor, and even some people say that she is a female village chief from Miaojiang, in her opinion, it is just that Yuanniang does not know how to behave and makes the family cold, so that the Marquis has the idea of ​​hiding a concubine in a golden house. Otherwise, why keep her outside? If she is brought in with a different identity, will Yuanniang dare to say "no"? She must be worried that if she is brought in, she will become the second Qiu Luo. Before she became a concubine, she was charming and smart, but after she became a concubine, she became dull and stupid. Men take concubines for the purpose of offspring and beauty. Yuanniang is good. She makes all the concubines look like proper ladies. What interest do men have in seeing them? Naturally, she will have other thoughts... Even if this is the case, why is Xu Lingkuan so excited?

This is the fourth room’s private matter!

It's not his turn as a younger brother to take care of it, right?

She was very confused, but in this situation, she could not ask, nor could she show it. You know, if a couple is not harmonious, neighbors will also bully them. If she showed her discord with Xu Lingkuan in front of outsiders, not to mention the wife, even the sisters-in-law would immediately look down on her. You know, a woman without the protection of her husband, no matter how strong she is, can't be stronger than this world.

As the thought flashed through her mind, Madam Wu showed a look of sorrow. She took a few steps forward and was about to kneel down: "Mother, please don't get yourself hurt by being angry. It's all because my husband doesn't know how to talk..."

As soon as she bent her knees, Eleventh Lady helped her up: "You are a virgin, you can't do this, you can't do this!" Then she looked at the lady-in-waiting as if pleading.

The Third Lady was startled and reacted. She immediately stepped forward to help Xu Lingkuan speak well of him: "Yes, mother, you should not give face to the monk, but to the Buddha. Just let Fifth Uncle go this time! He also knows he is wrong."

The lady's original intention was just to make Xu Lingkuan shut up, but when she saw that everyone was speaking up for him, she put on a slightly better expression.

Xu Lingyi looked at him and immediately scolded him, "Hurry up and stand aside and listen carefully. Don't interrupt me again."

After hearing this, the third lady looked at Xu Lingyi. She wanted to laugh, but she didn't dare to do so. Her expression looked very strange.

The Third Master looked anxious.

It seems that the Madam is looking for an excuse for Xu Lingyi today and taking the opportunity to let the child recognize his ancestry. Whoever stands in the way will be in trouble! My wife, please don't bump into him without knowing the severity of the situation.

He hurriedly pulled the corner of the Third Madam's clothes and said with a hint of meaning: "Mother is in charge of everything, what are you talking about?"

The third lady couldn't help but want to laugh again.

But when she looked up and saw her husband's anxious face, she forced herself to hold it in.

They really thought of it!

Concubine Tong has been dead for more than ten years, and now she actually appeared in the Marquis's dream and asked him to raise a child in his name to inherit the family line. I have only heard of people raising a son in the name of a concubine after the wife died without a son, but I have never heard of a concubine who can adopt a son like the wife. If you feel so sorry for her, why didn't you investigate the matter thoroughly back then, and just let Ren Yuanniang say whatever she wanted! Now, he actually wants to raise a son in her name...

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at Eleventh Lady.

She is well behaved. She does whatever the Marquis wants without saying anything. After all, no one taught her. You know, men are like children. If you slap them, you have to give them something sweet in return. If you just let them do what they want, they will gradually not take you seriously. If you just beat and scold them, they will gradually become afraid of you and stop being close to you.

However, this was the matter of the fourth house, and had nothing to do with her. After the New Year, she would take her children and follow her husband out of the capital, and become a wife of an official without her mother-in-law's dictation and her sisters-in-law's gossip. Qin Ge and Jian Ge were just proper yamen sons, and it sounded good and respectable to say so, so they had the confidence to get married.

She thought about it and frowned slightly.

When I went back to my parents' home to give New Year gifts, I heard that my eldest sister-in-law had fallen in love with the eldest son of the Wang family, the Marquis of Zhennan. After knowing what I meant, she actually wanted to marry her third daughter, who was born out of wedlock, to Brother Qin.

As the thought flashed through her mind, a hint of coldness appeared between the Third Madam's brows.

It's true that dogs judge people by their true colors.

After the Third Master has gained some experience and gained some experience, it is not impossible for him to become a minister if he asks the Empress for mercy. By then, I will see how you treat me.

The Third Lady was lost in thought while the Third Master had already helped Xu Lingkuan up.

"If you have anything to say, please say it nicely." He advised his brother, "Mother has always held you in her mouth for fear that you would melt, and held you in her hands for fear that you would fall. You must not hurt Mother's heart."

"I..." Everyone pushed the wall, leaving Xu Lingkuan at a loss as to where to start.

Seeing that he still didn't understand, the lady knew that the only solution now was to cut the Gordian knot. Fortunately, she had already made a plan...

She coughed heavily twice.

The room immediately fell silent, and everyone's eyes were on her.

"Wei Zi." The lady called the maid in loudly, "Go, let Madam Du come in."

Wei Zi responded through the curtain. After a while, she opened the curtain herself and Mother Du came in holding Feng Qing.

Everyone looked stern.

Just as he said he wanted to raise a child under Aunt Tong's name, he immediately brought the child to everyone. It was clearly an early arrangement.

Look at the child again.

He was looking at everyone in horror with a pair of long, round eyes.

When he saw two familiar figures, his eyes lit up and he immediately looked at Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang with anticipation.

Xu Lingyi was staring at Xu Lingkuan, who was acting strangely today and made him very worried, and didn't notice any of this. Eleventh Lady, who noticed this, gave Feng Qing a gentle and comforting smile, telling him not to be afraid.

Feng Qing twisted in Mother Du's arms, and when he saw Shiyi Niang gently shaking her head at him, he intuitively sensed Shiyi Niang's displeasure. He suppressed his fear and hugged Mother Du, who was a little cold to him because he almost bit her just now.

"This is the child." The lady came straight to the point and spoke succinctly, "He is three years old this year, and is the fifth among his brothers. The one before him overturned, and the one after him was punished. The Marquis named him Sijie..."

It was actually given such a name!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but look at Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi was looking at Xu Lingkuan with a stern expression, whose face changed slightly.

As for the Fifth Lady, who had been watching her husband out of the corner of her eyes, she frowned almost imperceptibly.

"...Eleventh Lady will be responsible for the upbringing." The lady said, holding the teacup, "It's getting late, everyone should go home!"

Upon hearing this, the Third Master immediately tugged at the Third Madam's sleeve, and with a smile, he took the lead of his two sons, who were somewhat stunned by the news, and said, "Mom, let's go back first - tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and we still have to worship our ancestors!"

The third wife immediately agreed: "Yes, mother. I have to get up early tomorrow morning to arrange the New Year's Eve dinner. We will go back first."

The lady nodded.

The couple left with their child as if they had been pardoned.

Madam Wu looked at her husband, whose expression was a little dull, and smiled as she gently pushed him: "Master Wu, let's go back too! The road in the back garden is not easy to walk on."

Xu Lingkuan woke up as if from a dream, glanced at Feng Qing, seemed to want to say something but hesitated, but was not in a hurry to leave.

"Fifth brother's wife, I have something to tell my fifth brother," Xu Lingkuan suddenly said, "You go back first! He will be back soon."

"Fourth brother..." After hearing this, Xu Lingkuan looked at Xu Lingyi with a complicated expression.

There is an unexplainable tacit understanding between the two.

Madam Wu turned her eyes slightly and said with a smile, "Then I will go back first." Then she whispered to Xu Lingkuan, "Master Wu, be careful on your way back."

Xu Lingkuan nodded absentmindedly.

The Fifth Lady then smiled and went out, surrounded by maids and servants.

"Mother, why did he come to our house?" Zhun Ge'er's clear and confused voice suddenly rang out in the room. "Is he going to live with you like my sister?"

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but feel ashamed.

He only cared about Xu Lingkuan and forgot about the two children!

She immediately looked at Xu Siyu who was silent - children who are willing to talk are easy to communicate with, but the most frightening thing is people who keep everything to themselves.

Xu Siyu's face turned slightly pale, and he lowered his eyelids to look at the bluestone bricks under his feet - he seemed to have turned into the bricks under his feet, and was silent in silence.

He is older, more sensible, and more thoughtful.

He felt more deeply than others what Feng Qing, who was renamed, meant to him... Feng Qing's name was "Jie", which meant to admonish, and his name was "Yu", which meant to tell and understand. In addition to sympathizing with each other as illegitimate sons, he was probably more worried about how much weight Xu Sijie had in Xu Lingyi's heart!

Eleventh Lady stepped forward and touched Zhun Ge's head, whispering, "From now on, he is your father's adopted son, and your brother. So he has to live in our house, just like Zhen Jie'er, in my yard. He is younger than you, so you have to treat Jie Ge well in the future, just like your brothers treat you."

Zhun Ge smiled brightly and said, "Can I ask him to pour tea for me?"

Eleventh Lady couldn't help laughing: "Of course! But you have to wait until he's older. Otherwise, he'll get scalded by the hot water."

Zhun Ge nodded vigorously: "I will also give him my shuttlecock to kick." As he said that, he stepped forward to hold the hand of Feng Qing, who had changed his name to Xu Sijie from then on - but was pushed away by Xu Sijie, who then hid in Mother Du's arms, looking at Shiyi Niang eagerly.

The lady looked at him with a frown on her face.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly took Xu Sijie and held him in her arms.

It is understandable that his experience made him wary of strangers in an unfamiliar environment, but not everyone would forgive his rudeness - especially when he rejected the friendliness of his eldest son Xu Sizhun.

"Zhun'er." She smiled, "Jie'er just came to our house, so he is shy. When he gets to know you and knows you are his older brother, he will play with you." Then she smiled and asked Xu Sijie, "Is that right?"

Xu Sijie just hugged Shiyi Niang's neck tightly and said nothing.

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Let’s continue our date…O(∩_∩)O~