Zhang Yuyuan's identity was known only to the Zhang family elders, Zhang Zhaocheng, Zhang Zhaozhi, and Zhang Zhaoqin. Zhang Zhaocheng repeatedly instructed his two younger brothers not to reveal this to the family, as it concerned the life and death of the entire family. If others knew that they were hiding a prince in their family, the Zhang family's wealth would be no match for those who wanted to harm them. The reason the Zhang family fled south to avoid trouble was because the patriarch refused to treat an old prince, which brought a devastating disaster upon the family.
The elderly Zhang couple felt terrible looking at their child who was crying sobbing. This child, who looked so young, had suffered more than many people could ever endure in their entire lives.
Zhang Zhaoci quickly went over and helped the mother and son wipe away their tears, saying, "We're going to live together from now on, which is a great thing. Come on, wipe your tears. We should be happy today. From now on, you two will have plenty of time to talk and play together."
Bai wiped away her tears and said apologetically, "Sister, please don't be offended. I just haven't seen the children for a long time, and I've been missing them terribly. I'm so happy right now, really happy."
Looking at her younger sister-in-law, Zhang Zhaoci thought she seemed like an easy person to get along with, and said, "It's good that you're happy. Here, this is a gift from your older sister. Take it and play with it."
Zhang Zhaoci took off a lustrous jade bracelet from her own wrist and put it on Bai Shi's wrist. The bracelet was of excellent quality. Bai Shi tried to refuse, but Zhang Zhaoci smiled and said, "You can wear it. I have also prepared gifts for my sisters-in-law."
Zhang Zhaoci also prepared jewelry for his sisters-in-law, some of which were jade hairpins and others were jade pendants, all carved from high-quality jade.
The old lady of the Zhang family said, "It's getting late, hurry up and eat. After you finish eating, Zhaoci, go home and tell the old lady that your father and I will visit her at your house first thing tomorrow morning."
The family reunion dinner was held in the front hall. The doors and windows around the hall had been covered with thick felt cloths, leaving only the necessary windows for ventilation. Several charcoal braziers were placed around the hall, making it warm and cozy despite its size.
After a lively meal with three large tables set up, it was already late, so Zhang Zhaoci took the children back to the Xu family home.
After arriving home, I first went to the old lady's place and told her about what had happened in the past two days. Besides the return of my parents, the main point was about the old lady of the Feng family whom I met at the post station.
Xu Di, Xu Zhi, and Xu Bai were told to go back and rest first. Zhang Zhaoci and Granny Lu then talked to the old lady about the old lady of the Feng family at the old lady's rest area.
Chief Minister Feng is now Emperor Liang Cheng's right-hand man. He is a rare example of an upright and honest official, and a role model for many officials.
Upon hearing this, the old lady said, "It's her! Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her for decades. I wonder what she looks like now."
Lu Mama said, "I didn't see anyone either. It was Chen Mama who came forward. Chen Mama served in the Empress Dowager's palace back then. Later, she was sent to Old Madam Feng's side by the Empress Dowager. She is a few years older than me."
The old lady sighed and said, "People really can't keep up with the passage of time. Speaking of which, there are very few of those of us who were with us back then who are still alive. When you have time, please invite the old lady of the Feng family to come to our house for a visit."
Zhang Zhaoci said, "Oh, I really want to get to know this old lady. She managed to carve out a path for herself in adversity and raised her children so well. It's not easy."
The old lady said, "It was not easy. The events of that year were all caused by a marriage. The late Empress Dowager was going to act as matchmaker. I remember that the person she was going to introduce was the only son of the late Emperor's second uncle, who was also a person who loved poetry very much."
Granny Lu said, "You're the only one who remembers these things. Back then, very few of us had even heard of them."
The old lady said, "The Marquis of Anping was a muddle-headed man, and Jiang Si's mother was even more muddle-headed. She didn't know how to protect her child after giving birth. At that time, the incident at the Marquis of Anping's residence caused quite a stir, and the late Empress Dowager was angry about it for a long time."
The fourth daughter of Jiang refers to Old Madam Feng. She is the fourth child in her family, with one half-sister and one legitimate sister. The half-sister was born to the concubine who was most favored by the Marquis of Anping, while the legitimate sister was born to the Marquis of Anping's legal wife. The legal wife died in childbirth when she gave birth to this daughter, and the legitimate sister did not have a good life in the mansion.
Granny Lu said, "I heard that the one who eventually married the Prince was Madam Feng's half-sister."
The old lady said, "Yes, at that time I had just returned from the south and was waiting to be married at home. I heard that the fourth daughter of the Marquis of Anping's family had an accident. Later, I heard that the Prince was going to marry an unknown concubine's daughter from the Marquis of Anping's family. This matter caused a great uproar. This Prince was good-looking, had good character, and most importantly, had a good personality. All the noble ladies in the capital wanted to marry him. In the end, he was going to marry a concubine's daughter."
Zhang Zhaoci asked curiously, "What is the purpose of this?"
The old lady said, "Many people outside don't know, but how could the Empress Dowager swallow this insult? So she asked around and found out some things. It turned out that this illegitimate daughter was the daughter of the concubine that Marquis Anping liked the most. Marquis Anping wanted to continue his marriage contract with the Prince. At that time, the only eligible girl in the mansion was this illegitimate daughter. So Marquis Anping went to the Prince and said that he would give the illegitimate daughter two more layers of dowry from Miss Jiang Si, so that his illegitimate daughter could marry the Prince."
Zhang Zhaoci exclaimed in surprise, "So simple? The Prince agreed?"
The old lady sighed and said, "Yes, it's that simple. The Prince made an agreement with Marquis Anping that he could marry his concubine's daughter, but the concubine's daughter would have to keep all of Jiang Si's dowry. The concubine's daughter could only control the two additional layers of dowry that Marquis Anping added. After the concubine's daughter married into the Prince's mansion, she would have the final say in everything. Marquis Anping's mansion agreed. Marquis Anping thought at the time that as long as she married into the family and the marriage was arranged, he could slowly plan for the future."
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