Chapter 17 Chapter 17 From now on, An An and the fourth room will no longer have...

Chapter 17 Chapter 17 From now on, An An and the fourth room will no longer have...

Starting from noon, layers of fish-scale clouds appeared in the sky above the Fengtian Hall, and the colorful sun gradually blurred into halos, no longer as brilliant as it was in the morning.

A major case in Jiaozhou caused a stir in Northern Qi. A quarter of an hour ago, 800 miles of evidence was rushed to the imperial city. There were already cavalrymen making frequent commotions outside Xuanfu. At the same time, a rare plague broke out in Jiangzhou, threatening to spread to Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It can be said that one wave of trouble has not yet subsided when another wave arises.

The emperor did not even have lunch and quickly summoned his civil and military officials to the palace to ask for countermeasures. The palace was silent as if no one was there. More than a dozen ministers in robes bowed and stood silently, with their brows furrowed and no one said a word.

Finally, someone couldn't stand it anymore and grumbled a few times. The emperor was excited. Shao Jun's ministers offered suggestions one after another, but they were all paying attention to one thing and not the other. The emperor was not satisfied until a man holding a sceptre stepped out of the crowd, walked to the center of the hall and bowed to the emperor from a distance.

"I think that although there seem to be internal and external troubles here, in fact, only the matter of Jiangzhou can be called a worry. Jiaozhou of Northern Qi is not worth worrying about. There is no need to deal with it rashly or hastily."

These words were like a spring breeze that soothed the emperor's worries. The emperor was very interested and immediately asked,

"How do you see that, Mr. Cheng?"

The handsome man in the hall slowly raised his face. It was a face that was stunning at any time. He had a handsome bone structure, noble skin, eyes that seemed to contain a faint light, and a beauty that was both strong and gentle.

However, his figure is as straight as a pine tree, and he moves in a black robe without wind. Whenever he stands in a crowd, he can naturally keep a distance from others. There is a kind of transcendence as if he is the only one sober while everyone else is drunk. It is no wonder that after several decades, the four words "unparalleled talent" are only used to describe him.

Cheng Mingyu looked at the emperor quietly but did not speak immediately. The emperor understood that this was a secret discussion.

So the emperor immediately fiddled with the ring on his thumb and said calmly,

"My dear ministers, please withdraw first. Mr. Cheng, please follow me to the study."

After a while, Cheng Mingyu followed the emperor to the east side hall. When he stepped through the threshold of the study, the emperor asked the eunuch sideways,

"Why hasn't Xusheng come yet?"

Lu Xusheng was treated like the emperor's own son, even more favored than Prince Ning.

The eunuch replied, "The Crown Prince has gone to patrol the camp south of the city with Prince Ning, and he said he will be back at 3 pm."

The emperor uttered a sigh and said nothing more. Then the emperor and his ministers entered the study. The emperor sat down and motioned for Cheng Mingyu to sit down as well. Cheng Mingyu stood there without moving.

"It is said in the "Confucius's Decree" that 'If the ministers do not respect the monarch, then the majesty of heaven will not be established. If the majesty of heaven is not established, then the four seas will be difficult to pacify.' As the Zuodu Lushi, the head of all the ministers, I should set an example, be loyal to the monarch, respect the monarch, be careful in what I say and what I do."

Look, this is the kind of person who has rules engraved in his bones. He is never arrogant or impatient, and never humble or overbearing.

The emperor laughed and shook his head.

Cheng Mingyu had a great reputation, and his students and former officials were all over the world. As an emperor, he could not help but feel a little jealous of him. However, Cheng Mingyu was such a charismatic person that it was hard to hate him.

He was the toughest bone in the court, regardless of life and death, never boasting of his achievements, not partiality, and not forming a clique. Internally, he was respectful to the emperor, simple in the emperor's heart, and externally, he was fair and just, and well-versed in governing the country. He was like a walking law of the Jin Dynasty. With him, the court was not in chaos, and he was very comfortable as an emperor.

What is even more rare is that he has a noble character, is self-disciplined and self-reflective, is responsible for the country and the people, and is responsible for the rise and fall of his family. He does not know what selfish desires are and is a role model for aristocratic families.

"If there is only one gentleman left in this world, it must be Cheng Gong."

When Cheng Mingyu heard the word "gentleman", his eyes suddenly became dim, as if covered by a haze, and he uttered a low self-deprecating voice, "I don't dare to be called a gentleman."

"Hahahaha, where does Cheng Gong's words put the world?"

The emperor thought he was being modest and didn't take it to heart. He moved the paper on the table and asked seriously, "Mr. Cheng, tell me how Northern Qi should respond."

Cheng Mingyu came back to his senses and bowed, "This morning, I discussed this matter with Lu Chenshi and I have an idea. Your Majesty, please consider it."

"Mr. Cheng said."

"On the surface, send someone to Northern Qi to negotiate peace and pretend to be humble. Privately, follow the clues of the Jiaozhou case and send your confidant to communicate with Northern Qi. Northern Qi has two cities that are the source of taxes for Da Qi. One is Wulan City, which specializes in making civilian iron tools. You can send someone to secretly buy iron tools here and raise the price. Then Northern Qi craftsmen will abandon bows and arrows and forge civilian iron tools, and the military will be abandoned. The second is Kuning City. This city is located in the deep mountains and old forests in the northeast, and its fur business is the best in the world. You can also send someone here.

If they buy furs, especially horse furs, all the valuables of Northern Qi will flow out, and their war horses will be damaged. Within three years, Northern Qi’s fighting power will decline, and they will be able to defeat the enemy without fighting.”

The Northern Qi was different from the Great Jin. The salt and iron industry in the Great Jin was government-run, while in the Northern Qi, all citizens were soldiers. All weapons and war horses were equipped by the soldiers themselves. Once the war horses were damaged and there were not enough weapons, the Northern Qi iron cavalry would be like a bird with a broken wing.

Cheng Mingyu is different from Lu Xusheng. Lu Xusheng is good at fighting and dares to fight, but Cheng Mingyu always has a compassionate heart. He would not send troops unless it is absolutely necessary, because the lives of soldiers are also lives.

After hearing the last part, the emperor stroked his beard and laughed, "Mr. Cheng's cunningness is unmatched in the world."

Cheng Mingyu's expression remained the same, he just bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I agree. As for Jiangzhou, you can order the Imperial Hospital to organize a team of epidemic prevention personnel, escorted by the imperial army to the south, first isolate and seal off the mountain, and then provide treatment..."

Before Cheng Mingyu finished speaking, the emperor sighed, "Jiangzhou is a tax-heavy place. If the plague spreads, the consequences will be disastrous. It is not difficult to send the imperial army and the imperial physicians to the south, but the difficulty is that it is almost the end of the year, the treasury is empty, and there is an urgent need for supplies."

When Cheng Mingyu heard this, he understood the meaning of the song and immediately said, "The country is in trouble, and I have to share the worries of my king and father. The Cheng family just collected all the spring rent not long ago. I will donate 50% of it to the national treasury for disaster relief."

The emperor was moved when he heard this. He immediately stood up, walked around the table, came to Cheng Mingyu, and touched his shoulder.

"You are a minister of the state."

Cheng Mingyu quickly lowered his head and said, "I don't deserve it." He thought, isn't this the purpose of your placing Yi Yan in the Ministry of Revenue?

Cheng Yiyan is in charge of the national treasury revenue and expenditure.

Of course the emperor would not feel guilty, because his subjects were still his subjects after all, and they all served the emperor and the court.

Looking at Cheng Mingyu again, he is 45 years old this year, with a handsome figure, a noble demeanor, and no trace of fat on his cheeks. The official robe looks as if it was tailor-made for him. It is pleasing to the eyes. No wonder the emperor's sister has been obsessed with him for 30 years. On the other hand, he himself is obviously younger than Cheng Mingyu, but he already has a big belly... The emperor sighed in annoyance, took a step back, put his hands behind his back, and said,

"Today is the old lady's birthday, but I dragged you away from the banquet. I feel sorry for you. While it is still early, Mr. Cheng, please return home and entertain the guests."

Cheng Mingyu did not delay any longer, bowed again, and left Qin's study.

As he stepped out of the doorstep, a cold wind blew towards him. The clouds completely covered the sky. Cheng Mingyu looked at the dark clouds, and the light in his eyes slowly faded away. His eyes were heavy like an abyss that could not be filled, and he walked away.

Cheng Mingyu has always been self-disciplined. He goes to the Censorate to handle official business from 5:00 a.m. during the day, returns home at 1:05 p.m. to handle family affairs, and goes to bed at 1:00 p.m. at night. He has been doing this day after day for decades and has never changed unless there are special circumstances.

He is like the sundial standing beside the altar of heaven and earth.

Strict...boring.

It was the first hour of the afternoon, and it was time to return home. As he was about to leave the Meridian Gate and board his carriage, his attendants came galloping in front of him.

"Master, something happened. The second elder from the fourth room is making trouble in the meeting room."

Cheng Mingyu was stunned.

This day has finally come....it has finally come.

Without hesitation, he abandoned his carriage and rode his horse to the Cheng residence. When he arrived at the gate of the Nan residence, he saw people gathered inside and outside the gate.

When the crowd saw him dismount, they immediately made way for him.

"Hello, Master."

"Greetings to the master of the house."

The younger generations came to greet him.

Everyone looked at the chieftain as if he were a towering mountain, filled with awe, and thought that the chieftain had come to clean up the mess.

However, what they saw was Cheng Mingyu approaching Cheng Yian, knocking Cheng Mingyou over, and saying to him without hesitation,

"It's me."

These two words were not heavy, but they were clear enough to be heard by everyone present.

There was complete silence.

Cheng Yian looked at the figure falling from the sky, his brain seemed to be stuffed with paste and he could hardly think.

Of course, she was familiar with this figure.

If the Jin Dynasty court had two backbones, one was Lu Xusheng and the other was his cousin Cheng Mingyu.

At this moment, the cousin who was feared by everyone in the Cheng family stood in front of her and told everyone that he was the man who inherited her mother's throne.

How is that possible?

It could be anyone, but it couldn't be him.

Cheng Mingyou had one finger broken by Cheng Mingyu, and his back hit the stone steps, causing him to sweat and shiver in pain. He ignored the injury and raised his cracked eyes, his gaze piercing straight up.

"Is it you?"

Cheng Mingyu looked at him expressionlessly, his tone as calm as ever, "From this moment on, An An has nothing to do with you anymore. If you continue to speak rudely to me, get out of the Cheng family."

"Heh..." Cheng Mingyou slowly stood up with the help of the steps, and staggered to Cheng Mingyu. He took the step to meet Cheng Mingyu's eyes, and his teeth seemed to bite out a trace of blood. He narrowed his eyes and said sarcastically, "I'm leaving the Cheng family?"

"Cheng Mingyu, I thought you would feel sorry for me!"

Cheng Mingyu's face was expressionless. "No one has done you any wrong. When the news of your accident came, your mother and your wife were heartbroken and cried all day long, while you were lying on the frontier grassland, drunk and dreaming. You had a full year to send back a message. What were you doing during that time?"

"I didn't!" This is what Cheng Mingyou regretted most every time he thought about it.

He suddenly roared, "I didn't know I was on the list of officials sacrificed by the court, I thought..."

Cheng Mingyu interrupted him ruthlessly, "Every officer who goes to war wears a badge, and your badge fell on the battlefield. The soldiers who cleaned up the battlefield will certainly count you as dead. Your badge is not on you, don't you know it yourself?"

Cheng Mingyou was speechless. In fact, he had delivered the message, but it was a pity that the message was not delivered to the capital for some reason.

But it was only a moment of sadness, and he roared at Cheng Mingyu like an angry lion,

"Cheng Mingyu, you are the clan leader, famous all over the world, but you covet Fu'er's beauty and take her for yourself..."

"shut up!"

The old lady trembled and shouted with all her might, staring at Cheng Mingyou with great disappointment.

"This matter has nothing to do with Mingyu or Fuer. All the mistakes are mine. It was all my fault!"

Didn't Cheng Mingyou hate his mother? He gnashed his teeth in hatred, ran down the stairs, grabbed the old lady's arm with both hands, and shook her,

"Yes, why did you force Fu'er to do this? If you didn't force her, she wouldn't die. Can't you wait for me? Wait for two or three years!"

The old lady was probably so angry that she raised her hand and slapped Cheng Mingyou on the face again.

"How outrageous!"

Cheng Mingyou was stunned by her beating and sobered up from the drunkenness. He was stunned and didn't say a word.

The old lady was exhausted physically and mentally after all this effort, and was panting heavily.

"You think I don't want to wait?"

She walked in tremblingly with her cane and sat down on the armchair on the west side of the meeting room. Everyone followed her in, some sitting and some fighting, filling the whole room.

The old lady's eyes were filled with dejection. She continued, "Since the news of your death came back, Fu'er and I have been weeping every day. She never believed it and went to Xiangshan Temple to pray for you every two days. I also always felt that my son was still alive and was reluctant to hold a funeral for you. But a month passed, and two months passed. Finally, the relief money from the court arrived, and even the wounded soldiers were transported back to the capital. But my son died on the battlefield and turned to ashes..."

The old lady was in agony when she thought of this.

"Your father was a nobody, bullied by the clan, and died early. I raised you three by myself, and the sadness is untold. Your elder brother is mediocre, and your third brother has never passed the imperial examination. You are the only one in our family who has passed the imperial examination. All my hopes were on you, and now you are dead. How can I accept this?"

She bent down and wiped her tears with difficulty with her sleeve. "I want to leave you a descendant. If in the future, the court can favor the child because of your death in battle, then inheritance is naturally a good idea. But you also know the situation of your thirteenth uncle's family. His youngest son died early, and later he adopted a grandson. Did he raise the three-year-old child? On the surface, he occupied your thirteenth uncle's family's property, but secretly subsidized his own mother's family, causing chaos. Secondly, your eldest brother didn't have a son at that time, so where can I inherit?"

"I have asked Fu'er about her plans. She is determined to remain faithful to you. Fu'er is kindhearted and the most gentle and well-behaved child. Both her parents have passed away and she has no relatives in the capital. Where can she go? And what good family can I marry her into? I think it's a good idea. Then the two of us can live together."

"Later, I brought Fu'er back to my hometown to mourn for you."

"Although I agreed, I was worried every time I saw such a beautiful young lady with such a gentle face. It is said that widows are prone to gossip. I am afraid that she will bring trouble to you. Not only will it damage the reputation of the fourth wife, but it will also bring shame to you and even cost her her life."

"As expected, from time to time, someone would try to take advantage of her, secretly sending her pendants or perfume towels. Those dirty men would take advantage of Fu'er.

What the hell, a lively and cute young lady doesn't even dare to go out."

"I didn't have this idea at first, but with your death, the fourth house has lost its pillar, and everyone is bullying us. I can't swallow this anger. Your father died and left me a shabby stall. Now you die, and it's another shabby stall."

As if she had returned to the helpless situation she had faced in the past, the old lady felt heartbroken for a long time before she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"At that time, Ming Yu just returned home after resuming his mourning. One day I met him in front of the Cheng family memorial arch. Such a man from Zhilan Yushu was upright and calm. He told me gently that if I had any troubles, I would let him know. He was determined to help me, and I thought that if I had such a son, I would have no worries in my life. That night when I went back, I suddenly had an idea. "

"Didn't Mingyu decide not to marry? There will be no future troubles. I don't have to worry about his future wife having an affair with Fu'er."

"He is the patriarch and the head of the family. With him as her support, Fu'er will never be coveted by others in her life. She can live a stable life with her children."

"More importantly, if we can convince him to take over the throne, our fourth branch will have a real backer. This is a hundred-sided benefit with only one disadvantage."

"The practice of inheriting the throne concurrently has existed since ancient times. Although it is not encouraged in recent years, our Cheng family still has it. Back then, your seventh uncle's family also inherited the throne concurrently."

"After I made up my mind, I immediately went to discuss it with Fu'er, but Fu'er refused to do it, and I didn't dare to force her."

"But then something happened," the old lady said, her face full of wrinkles, and she said angrily,

"It's not good for Fu'er to hide in the house all the time. One day when the weather was nice and windy, I persuaded her to go out and pick some flowers, so that she could make some rouge and powder and send them to the sisters-in-law in the other room. She agreed. That day, she just went to the back garden of Chengjiabao to pick some flowers, and she was followed by someone. The bastard grabbed her hand and almost dragged her into the forest!"

"Fortunately, the servants of the Cheng family found her in time and rescued her. Mingyu got the news and punished the bastard with 20 strokes of the cane, cut off one of his arms, and exiled him to the border. From then on, Fu'er cried quietly all day and even stayed away from the house."

"I took the opportunity to persuade her again, telling her, 'Child, you are so beautiful, your mother-in-law is incompetent and can't protect you. Your brothers are also easy to be talked about. Your brother said something to you that day, and Jin scolded him for a long time. Child, do you want to be so wronged for the rest of your life? Mingyu will not marry again, and you don't have to worry about your descendants. He is a noble person, so you don't have to worry about him pestering you. Just wait until you are pregnant, and you can stop having any contact,'"

"'Mother-in-law knows that you are a very dignified and obedient child, and she cannot get over this hurdle in her heart, but you should agree to give birth to a child of your own, and you will have hope... and leave a descendant for Mingyou, which will be good for you and our fourth family.' I explained this to her in detail..."

"Fuer finally agreed with tears in her eyes."

"Next, I found the great uncle who was the closest to your father and explained the reason to him. Your great uncle agreed without a second thought. He led me to find the other three elders, namely your fifth uncle, twelfth uncle, and eighteenth uncle."

The last two old ladies were present at the scene, and they stood up and nodded to Cheng Mingyou.

"Yes, we came up with this idea together."

Together they found the old lady from Beifu, who had other plans.

"Then just let Fu'er remarry Mingyu." The old ancestor had met Xia Fu, and she was a girl who could make people like her from the bottom of their hearts.

"Of course I didn't agree." The old lady said, "This is completely different from the fourth room having a child named Mingyu. I tried my best to persuade my sister-in-law, almost kneeling down, and finally forced her to agree."

"The only one left is Mingyu himself. We have been trying to persuade him for more than a month. He is the clan leader and it is his responsibility to ensure the prosperity of his descendants. The fourth branch is already in such a state. It would be unreasonable for him not to lend a hand."

"He doesn't have a wife in his own family, so he can take his cousin's wife and put her in the fourth family. This is not against etiquette."

"Looking at the entire Cheng family, who is more suitable than Mingyu?"

"After several layers of pressure from the elders, we finally convinced Mingyu. Before that, Mingyu and Fuer had never met each other, so how could he covet Fuer's beauty?"

"The matter has been agreed upon, and the only thing left to do is to make it clear. However, your aunt is worried that Princess Minglan will cause trouble as the mourning period for Mingyu has expired. So she suggested that we suppress the matter first and not make it public. After the child is born, the two of them should not have any contact with each other. Then we can tell the clan members. I think the princess will not dare to make things difficult for Fu'er."

Cheng Mingyou died, and it was legitimate for him to succeed the throne. But it was unreasonable for Cheng Mingyou to come back to life, so there was no other way but to keep it secret. Later, when the old lady received the news that Cheng Mingyou was alive, she decisively found the old lady of Beifu and used thundering means to cover up the incident. This is a later story.

"After the mourning period was over, the matter was put on the agenda. I also asked the doctor what day was the best for having sex to conceive. Apart from those days, the two of them did not see each other again. Three months later, Fu'er became pregnant. Mingyu returned to Beijing to take up his post, and Fu'er stayed in her hometown to take care of the baby."

"Later, my decision was proven to be correct. Since then, no one dared to take advantage of Fu'er. Fu'er lived a stable life. Her face became fatter and she became more energetic. The situation of our fourth room also changed noticeably."

"The only thing that didn't go as planned was that the baby was a girl. I didn't give up. I finally convinced Mingyu to agree to take over the baby. Could it be that he had adopted another child? I thought about it over and over again, and decided not to bother two parents with the same problem, so I decided to try the same trick again."

At this point, the old lady stopped, covered her face and cried.

Cheng Mingyou crawled on his knees to the old lady and asked with red eyes, "So, Fu'er jumped off the cliff?"

The old lady wiped her tears and choked up, "Since she gave birth to the child, she has suffered from postpartum depression and cried from time to time. I thought that she would feel better if we moved to another place, so I took her and the child back to the capital."

"One day, Mingyu heard that we were back in Beijing, so he sent a lot of toys for the children, and some silk jewelry for Fu'er. I saw Fu'er staring at the jewelry absent-mindedly, and I mentioned the matter of the co-family. Fu'er was silent for a long time, and didn't speak for two days. Until one day, she suddenly smiled, and seemed to be in a good mood. She held An'an and said to me, 'I often dream about my mother recently, and I want to go to Xiangshan Temple to pray for her. I ask you to take care of An'an.'"

"She walked to the door, then came back to her senses and smiled at me, 'Mom, be careful not to drop An An.' I held little An An in my arms without even looking back at her, 'An An is my life, how dare I drop her?'"

"Who knew she would never come back after this trip?" The old lady burst into tears, looking at her son at her knees, "Mingyou, the fault of all the people is mine alone."

"Mingyu was what I asked for, and Fuer was what I forced. Don't blame anyone else, just blame me."

"We have benefited a lot from Mingyu over the years. If we continue to blame him, it would be like crossing the river and destroying the bridge. We would be ashamed to face others."

Cheng Mingyou sat on the ground, as if all the energy had been drained out of him, unable to utter a word.

Dusk was falling. The lanterns outside the corridor were lit one after another. A long wind blew in, making the lamp on the desk flicker. The servant immediately found a lampshade to cover the candle. The meeting room suddenly became very quiet, with only the old lady's occasional sobbing.

Cheng Mingyu listened indifferently without moving, as if he were an outsider, as if those years were just like the old lady's words, lightly brushed aside. He was silent for a while and then spoke first.

"From today on, An An has nothing to do with the Fourth House anymore."

The old lady heard this and stood up, "No!"

She leaned on her cane and pointed at the two elders, half putting pressure on them and half pleading, "Mingyu, the elders were present at the event, and you promised with your own mouth that An'an is the child of the fourth room. This is in the family tree and cannot be changed. You are the current Zuodu Lushi, the head of our Cheng family, and you cannot go back on your word."

But Cheng Mingyu's eyes left no room for negotiation. "You also promised that you would not let my daughter suffer any grievances. You know very well how much I have subsidized you four families privately over the years. I arranged the official duties of the three cousins, and it was also my instruction that several nephews could study in the Imperial College. All of this was just for her to grow up safely and without worries. But you have seen what happened today. You broke your promise first!"

The old lady was so anxious that she jumped up and down. Her plan finally came to fruition, how could it fail in the middle of it? "Mingyu, I don't agree! You have seen how I have treated An'an these years. I let her live in the best yard and eat the most exquisite snacks. My own granddaughter was put behind. If I hadn't taught her carefully, how could I have raised such a naive girl?"

"As for today's events, I will also explain them to you."

The old lady's expression suddenly faded and she said in a loud voice,

"Come here, tie up Miao and send him to

Go back to your hometown and watch over her, never come to Beijing, Qianqian will also go back to Hongnong and be handed over to the old nanny for instruction!"

Immediately, a housekeeper came in and took a few maids to take Miao and Cheng Yiqian away. Miao was still not honest in her words.

"What kind of dirty things did such a wealthy family do!"

Unfortunately, her voice was soon muffled by a ball of cotton.

Then the old lady looked at Cheng Mingyou and said with pain,

"As for Mingyou, he is not worthy of staying in the capital. Qing'er will be raised by me personally from now on, and you three will go to Hongnong to plead guilty. You don't have to come back."

The latter part was said to Cheng Mingyou.

It is obvious that the old lady has given up on Cheng Mingyou's branch.

Miao's son Cheng Yiqing knelt at the door with tears in his eyes and kowtowed to the old lady, "My grandson will obey your instructions."

After finishing all this, the old lady wiped away her tears and said to Cheng Mingyu, "Now the yard is clean and peaceful, and you can return home peacefully without any worries. Are you satisfied?"

Unfortunately, this usually strict and restrained man had a flash of distraction and ruthlessness in his eyes. "It's too late. I won't give anyone the chance to bully An An again. The family tree is in my hands. As the clan leader, I will rectify the chaos. You have no right to interfere."

Even though the Cheng family rules are strict, the patriarch has a veto power.

He had been looking forward to this day for countless days and nights, thinking about it day and night. If he had not cared about the reputation of the mother and daughter, he would have adopted the child long ago.

The old lady was so angry that she threw her cane to the ground, making a sharp sound.

"You are trying to kill me!"

Cheng Mingyu was a man who was adept at maneuvering among politicians from various countries. He didn't care about the situation in the Cheng family. He didn't even look at the old lady. He turned around and slowly looked at Cheng Yian. His clear eyes seemed to touch the magma and turned into ripples of warm water. His throat moved for a moment, and he slowly came to Yian.

"Ping Ping..."

This was the first time he stood before her openly as a father.

A faint light was pouring down around her body, and her face was still that lovely, just like when she was a child.

"Ping Ping, are you willing to follow Dad back to the main house?"

Ping Ping...

Cheng Yian's expression swayed again and again, his eyes fixed on his shoulder without moving up.

She hadn't heard the word "Ping Ping" for many years. When she was young, her grandmother was angry with her for being naughty and occasionally scolded her as "Ping girl". After she grew up, no one called her that again.

She remembered her grandmother mentioned that this was the nickname her mother gave her. Her given name was "Yian" and her nickname was "Pingping", which expressed her parents' good wishes for her to live a safe and smooth life.

The name "Yian" was given to her by her father, so is this father her cousin?

I am also thankful that she has experienced two lives, and after the whole thing was over, she was much calmer than expected.

She also asked him calmly, "What about my mother?"

It didn't matter where she remembered it. What mattered was how her mother dealt with herself. She didn't want people to talk about that kind and gentle woman after her death.

Cheng Mingyu felt a heavy pain in his heart, his throat rolled violently, and he spoke slowly,

"If your mother's spirit in heaven wishes, I will bring her tablet to you and register you under her name, how about that?"

"Bah!"

This time Cheng Mingyou stood up again, staring at Cheng Mingyu viciously.

"You are dreaming. Fu'er is my wife. You can never have her, even as a tablet."

As he said this, he winked and asked his trusted servant to fetch Xia's tablet.

The Cheng family ancestral hall is where all the ancestors are enshrined, and space is limited, so many of the side rooms have their own small tablets placed in their own courtyards. Xia Fu's tablet is placed in a small ancestral hall in the fourth room.

After a while, the boy brought it to Cheng Mingyou, who held it in his arms, sat down on the ground, and stared at the void in front of him like a scoundrel.

"Fu'er is mine, no one can take her away."

Seeing this, Cheng Yian smiled instead of getting angry, and took two or three steps forward.

"What qualifications do you have to say that? She married you, but she is not your subordinate. Since she chose to jump off a cliff to commit suicide, it also means that she wants to escape from this sea of ​​suffering and does not want to stay in the Cheng family."

As a daughter, she could not fulfill her mother's filial piety. The only thing she could do was to fulfill her mother's dying wish and help her leave the prison of the Cheng family.

Having made up his mind, Cheng Yian let out a long breath and said seriously,

"Cheng Mingyou, I am asking for a divorce from you on behalf of my mother. I want to move my mother's tablet out of the Cheng family!"

Cheng Mingyou just treated it as a joke and turned his face away, "She is my legally married wife. If I don't agree, no one wants to take her tablet away."

However, at this moment, a voice came from outside, clear and loud,

"You have no choice but to agree!"

Lu Xusheng was seen walking into the meeting room in a purple-brown military uniform, with a rhinoceros-patterned leather belt around his waist and his trouser legs tucked into black boots, which made him look tall and slender, with a heroic and majestic look. He looked like he was leaving in the morning, so it was obvious that he came directly from the government office. When Cheng Yian saw him, his heart inexplicably settled.

Lu Xusheng comforted his wife with his eyes, then came to her side and said with a guilty look,

"I'm a little late."

Cheng Yian felt a sudden pain in his nose and shook his head.

Lu Xusheng glanced at Cheng Mingyu who was standing on the other side of Cheng Yian and sneered in his heart. He had offended his father-in-law after working for half a day.

Now is not the time to think about this, he turned his gaze to Cheng Mingyou,

"Second Master, you keep saying you're protecting your mother-in-law, but you've put her in an unjust position in every way you can. When your mother-in-law was mourning for you, you were having an affair with someone else. Ask yourself, are you worthy of being her husband?"

Cheng Mingyou ignored him and asked with a sneer,

"Lu Xusheng, you also learned the truth today. Can you still accept Cheng Yian's identity?"

Lu Xusheng laughed loudly upon hearing this.

"What a joke! I, Lu Xusheng, married Cheng Yian. No matter where she comes from or what her family background is, once she enters my family, Lu Xusheng, she will always be my wife, and no one can say a word against her."

"She can even throw away the word 'Cheng' if she's happy!"

The Cheng family elders were furious when they heard this.

"You are simply a traitor."

Lu Xusheng didn't care at all. "I'm not like you, talking nonsense, saying the most righteous words, doing the most filthy things, and forcing a woman to death." Lu Xusheng didn't want to argue with him, and raised his hand to Cheng Mingyou.

"Please ask the second master to return the tablet to An An."

Cheng Mingyou was not afraid of boiling water, and glared at Lu Xusheng with a gloomy face, "You, an outsider, dare to interfere in the affairs of our Cheng family."

Lu Xusheng replied calmly, "As the saying goes, a son-in-law is half a son. My mother-in-law has no sons, so it is appropriate for me, her son-in-law, to take care of her affairs after her death." He sighed and said, "Lu only cares about right and wrong. Don't use those worldly rules to pressure me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and shook Cheng Mingyou's elbow, and the tablet flew out of Cheng Mingyou's hand into the air. Lu Xusheng easily picked up the tablet with this hand.

Cheng Mingyou covered his elbow in pain and bent over, his face turning pale.

"You...you are totally disrespectful to your elders!"

"That also depends on whether you look like an elder!"

To deal with a rogue like Cheng Mingyou, you have to deal with a "soldier ruffian" like Lu Xusheng.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yian rushed over, took the tablet and held it in his arms like a treasure.

After Lu Xusheng got the tablet, he discussed with Cheng Mingyu.

"Master Cheng, my mother-in-law left the Cheng family in her last will. The second master of the fourth house seems to have no chance of writing a divorce letter himself. May I ask, Master Cheng, as the head of the clan, you have the authority to write a divorce letter, right?"

It was not actually fair to let Cheng Mingyu do this, but Lu Xusheng didn't care. As long as he moved the cards away, his mother-in-law would be free. As for the lawsuit between Cheng Mingyu and Cheng Mingyou, it had nothing to do with him, Lu.

Cheng Mingyu certainly saw through Lu Xusheng's plan, and he did not hesitate.

"Okay, I'll write it."

"How dare you!" Cheng Mingyou hated Cheng Mingyu the most, hated that he had a physical relationship with Fu'er, "What qualifications do you have to write? You can do whatever you want just because you are the clan leader."

Cheng Mingyu ignored him and told the butler beside him to get some writing brush and ink. At this moment, the old lady suddenly spoke,

"An An, why don't I write the divorce letter?"

Everyone looked at the old lady in surprise.

Cheng Mingyou tried to stop it like a madman, but the manager behind Cheng Mingyu immediately rushed over and held him down.

The old lady was really good at weighing the pros and cons. "An An, I am your mother's mother-in-law. I will write the divorce letter. It will be more legitimate than Ming Yu."

After all, Cheng Mingyu and Xia Fu were once husband and wife, so it is inevitable that people will accuse him of favoritism.

"I think you also hope that your mother can leave the Cheng family with a clean record, right? Grandmother has nothing else to ask but one request, that you stay in the Fourth House, even if it's just for a title..."

Cheng Mingyu obviously couldn't agree, and frowned as he was about to

Suddenly a voice called him.

"Mingyu."

The old lady of Beifu was escorted into the meeting room by her daughters-in-law. She came to Cheng Mingyu and comforted her son.

"Mingyu, let's take a long-term view."

Her eyes fell on Cheng Yian who was not far away. The gentle and quiet girl still looked a little dull, and it was obvious that she had not recovered from the dramatic change in her status. The old ancestor sighed distressedly and said to Cheng Mingyu,

"I know you have been waiting for this day for many years, hoping that your child will call you daddy, but you should not rush it now. Give your child some time and wait for her to slowly accept you."

After saying this, the old lady turned around and looked at the old lady in the fourth room. Her tone changed.

"Fourth sister-in-law, you have worked hard to take care of An An these years, but our eldest branch has not treated you badly, and An An doesn't owe you anything. Now that An An has to marry a good man, it is no longer something you and I can control. Whether it is the fourth branch or the eldest branch, they are all from the Cheng family. She is always a daughter of the Cheng family, and this cannot be changed. Why do you have to force her and make her feel hostile to the Cheng family?"

"What I mean is, leave some space for each other so that we can meet again in the future. You should give An An the divorce letter she wants. It will be legitimate. Ming Yu and I will remember this. As for the family tree, An An can decide it herself. How do you think?"

As expected of the ancestor, he had a broad vision and mind, and the old lady in the fourth room couldn't find any fault with what he said.

The old lady knew that this was a delaying tactic by the old lady of Beifu. She was very cunning and used this tactic to win An An's favor so that An An could return to her ancestral home as soon as possible. No wonder, An An was not a lady of a noble family at the moment. Lu Xusheng's words just now gave her the confidence to not care about the identity of a girl from the Cheng family.

In fact, today's trouble by that idiot has ruined everything. The eldest branch of the family has been keeping an eye on her every day, just waiting for an opportunity to take the person back. It's a pity that the plan of more than ten years has come to an end here. No matter how unwilling the old lady is, it's too late to save the situation.

The last bit of chips in hand could be given away as a favor. At least An An could still remember the kindness of his father-in-law who raised her for more than ten years and maintain the face of the relationship.

"Forget it..." The old lady held her forehead and sat down in the armchair. She seemed to have aged a lot in an instant.

"Okay, I'll give it to An An if he wants it."

In the end, Cheng Mingyu ordered his servants to take Cheng Mingyou away on the pretext of causing trouble. Before Cheng Mingyou left, he asked his mother in tears,

"Mom, I have one last question for you: Did Fu'er miss me before she died?"

The old lady closed her eyes and did not move. How could she respond to such words? She ignored it.

Xia Fu is dead, and it is impossible to guess why she jumped off the cliff that year, and Cheng Mingyou's doubts will never be answered.

The matter finally came to an end, and Cheng Yian breathed a sigh of relief. The matter was over, but there were still many doubts about his mother and the concubine. Cheng Yian raised his eyes and looked at Cheng Mingyu steadily.

"Can I talk to you alone? I have something to ask you." A very polite but unfamiliar tone.

Cheng Mingyu's eyes ached. How could he not agree? He quickly raised his sleeves and pointed outside, "Come with me."

Cheng Yian handed the tablet to Lu Xusheng and looked at him with sparkling eyes, "Please help me with the rest."

The tone was obviously different from before, it was gentle and trusting.

Cheng Mingyu glanced at Lu Xusheng.

Lu Xusheng's heart softened as well, and he took the tablet and said, "Go with peace of mind."

The father and daughter stepped out of the doorstep one after another. It was dark, and bright red lanterns were hung on the tree branches on both sides of the stone path. The lights were like a fire snake winding deep into the mansion.

The tribesmen inside and outside the group had not yet dispersed. The surprise in everyone's eyes remained unchanged, and their eyes looking at Cheng Mingyu were still full of admiration and awe.

If it was someone else who took over the throne, the clan members would definitely have complaints, but this person was Cheng Mingyu.

He is the clan leader. He is the one who carries the hard burdens and handles the tricky things. Others do it for beauty, but he does it for responsibility. Cheng Mingyu naturally has this kind of personal charm that makes others feel that everything he does is justified.

So much so that at this moment, when everyone looked at Cheng Yian, they felt more envy.

Envious of her for being the daughter of the headmaster.

Things are different now.

Look at those beside her. One is the head of the Cheng family, who is the most famous civil official of the dynasty, and the other is the commander of the border army who makes people in all directions tremble in fear. Who wouldn't say that she has a good life?

Cheng Yian looked at everyone's sharp eyes and smiled bitterly in his heart.

After all, my background is not very glorious. I don’t know what kind of gossip will spread in the capital after today.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, several eunuchs suddenly walked in from the brightly lit doorway. They were all dressed in robes and robes, and had extraordinary bearings. The leader came to the steps holding a dust whisk, glanced at Cheng Mingyu, tucked in his hat, and bowed.

"Master Cheng, your Majesty has spoken."

The rest of the Cheng family knelt down immediately, and Cheng Mingyu led Cheng Yian down the steps and bowed.

The eunuch took a step back, facing the father and daughter, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty said, I congratulate Lord Cheng for recognizing his daughter, and I specially gave a pair of jade ruyi to Madam Lu to surprise her."

This is like a timely rain, which cradles all possible rumors.

With an identity recognized even by the emperor, who could criticize Cheng Yian's background?

The person in Fengtian Hall must be dancing with joy at this moment.

Cheng Yian turned out to be Cheng Mingyu's biological daughter. No one would be more pleased to see this than the emperor. In this case, as the emperor, he should confirm this identity as soon as possible and clean up the mess for Cheng Mingyu. He helped Cheng Mingyu, and there was no reason for Cheng Mingyu not to appreciate it.

Cheng Mingyu didn't show any obvious expression, he just bowed solemnly and said, "I accept your order and thank you."

Cheng Yian took the jade ruyi and handed it to Ruhui. After watching the palace maid walk away, he followed Cheng Mingyu to his outer study in the Beifu.

Cheng Mingyu's study was not located in a prominent position in the Cheng Mansion. Instead, it was far away from the central axis, in a secluded place. Passing through a magnificent corridor, one entered a very spacious courtyard with some rock decorations inside. The overall layout was very simple and low-key. Cheng Yian didn't want to look at it any more, so he followed him along the corridor inside. At the corner, he saw three people standing outside the study.

The first person, with clear eyebrows and a bright smile in his eyes, was the second brother Cheng Yiyan, "An An, welcome home."

Cheng Yian saw that Cheng Yiyan had always been close to him. He recalled how he had protected him in his previous life. Now he thought that it was all arranged by Cheng Mingyu. Compared with his unfamiliarity and awe towards Cheng Mingyu, it was obvious that this second brother had received a smile from Cheng Yian.

"Second brother..."

She curtseyed.

The gentle and graceful voice of "Second Brother" melted Cheng Yiyan's heart. "We are blood relatives, why should we be so polite..."

Before Cheng Yian could say anything, the young woman beside Cheng Yiyan came over with tears in her eyes and held her hand.

"An An, my poor sister, you have suffered so much."

Cheng Yiyan's wife, the eldest grandmother Lu, had already burst into tears. She had always been a dignified and honest person, and just now she learned that Cheng Yian was her biological sister, and she felt sad for her fate.

Cheng Yian had only heard of this sister-in-law in the past, but had not had much contact with her. He felt embarrassed for a moment and did not know how to comfort her.

"Don't cry, sister-in-law."

The last one was Cheng Yiqiao, the second daughter of the eldest house. She leaned against the wall and stared at Cheng Yian without coming over.

Cheng Yiqiao's mood was quite complicated. When she first learned that Cheng Yian was her father's biological daughter, she inevitably felt jealous that someone was competing with her for her father's affection. But then she changed her mind and thought that Cheng Yian should have been the most loved person like her, but she was raised in a side room without a father or a mother for more than ten years. She was really pitiful. Her momentary heartache overcame her jealousy and she soon accepted that she had a younger sister.

Maybe she was used to being superior and didn't know how to get close to Cheng Yian. She greeted him dryly.

"Ahem, from now on I'm your second sister."

People often say that the eldest daughter of the eldest house has a bad temper. Cheng Yian is usually a little afraid of her and doesn't approach her. She politely returns the greeting, "Hello, sister."

Seeing Cheng Mingyu waiting at the doorstep in the distance, Cheng Yian quickly followed him.

The three people here watched the father and daughter enter the building and then looked away.

Cheng Yiyan immediately looked at his sister seriously.

"Second sister, from now on An An is your biological sister. You are not allowed to be disrespectful to her. An An is not Yi Xin. She is weaker in character and cannot argue with you. Don't bully her."

Cheng Yiqiao frowned when she heard this, "Hey, Cheng Yiyan, don't be too partial. I haven't done anything yet, but you're already complaining. Daddy usually doesn't talk much, but you're more noisy than three living dads."

Mrs. Lu knew that the quarrel between the brother and sister would never end, so she quickly pushed Cheng Yiyan out.

"Alright, alright, stop disturbing Father and An An."

The quarrel between the brother and sister outside gradually faded away, and Cheng Mingyu and Cheng Yian had already sat down in the inner room.

This wing is very large and is used as a study. A row of carved lattice windows separate a green gauze cabinet. The lattice windows are very old but the carvings are very delicate. Under the light of the Yangjiao Palace lamp,

The birds, animals and orchids are lifelike.

There was a square table under the screen facing due north, with an armchair on each side. Cheng Mingyu sat down on the left, turned around, lit a silver lamp and pushed it to the opposite side. He thought Cheng Yian would sit next to him, but unexpectedly the child sat down in front of a long table opposite.

There was a wide aisle between the father and daughter.

The gentle sound of rain hitting the branches and leaves outside the window added a special quietness to the building.

The lights outside the corridor were shining brightly, illuminating the misty rain. Cheng Yian stared at it in a daze for a while before slowly shifting his gaze to Cheng Mingyu.

Perhaps in order to get closer to Cheng Yian and not put any pressure on her, Cheng Mingyu took advantage of her distraction to go inside, take off his official robe and change into casual clothes.

He was wearing a well-worn tea-white gown and had a refined appearance. His eyes looked at her quietly with restrained tenderness.

Seeing him sitting upright, Cheng Yian also straightened his back.

Cheng Mingyu noticed that she was adjusting her sitting posture and suddenly realized something. She pulled at it with her hands again and again, not knowing how to put it down. As the head of the Censorate and the number one person in the court, she was actually a little at a loss.

It's just that he is used to being introverted, and idle people cannot understand his mood.

Therefore, in Cheng Yian's eyes, he is still the leader who has accumulated power for a long time and is serious about everything.

"I have something to ask you next. I hope you won't hide it from me, okay?"

Still a little afraid of him.

The gap between father and daughter cannot be healed in a day or two.

Cheng Mingyu felt a pain in his heart. He placed his hands on his knees and said gently, "Ping Ping, just ask. Dad will tell you everything he knows."

Daddy?

Cheng Mingyou never liked her, so she didn't dare call him daddy. Whenever she saw Yi Qian and Yi Qing calling them daddy affectionately, she felt jealous.

Now, Cheng Yian sighed in his heart, unable to say anything.