Chapter 341 The Thief's Heart Remains Undiminished
When Tan Qingrou was diagnosed with pregnancy, everyone present was happy for her.
She felt a little embarrassed, thinking that discovering Zhuozhuo was pregnant at her first birthday party was a very impolite thing to do, as it would spoil everyone's joy.
Neither Sheng An and his wife, nor the three elders, would care about such a trivial matter.
As for Zhuozhuo, she's just a one-year-old toddler, so she's even less likely to know how.
Tan Qingrou and Song Zhihang, filled with excitement and joy, barely finished their lunch before saying goodbye and leaving.
Not long after they left, Tan Zhenlin rushed home to tell his family the good news.
Ning Sihan stayed behind and went to the study with Xu Jinnian to play chess.
Whether they were genuinely playing chess or using it as a pretext to plot something, only they themselves know.
On the third day, the Lady of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion sent a carriage full of gifts as a token of gratitude.
Sheng An was too embarrassed to accept it, so he had the people from the Marquis's residence take it back.
As a result, they simply unloaded the boxes of gifts at the door and left in their carriage without even entering the gate.
As Grandma Sheng watched Aunt Niu and the others sort through the gifts, she remarked to Sheng An, "Madam Hou is too kind."
These gifts might not mean much to the Marquis's family, but they were all incredibly valuable to ordinary people like them, things she wouldn't have dared to dream of before.
Sheng An nodded, pondering what to give Tan Qingrou.
While things were peaceful and joyous here, the atmosphere at the Princess's residence was somber, with servants being carried out every few days.
Since becoming a cripple and confined to bed, Mu Yuanzhen's personality has changed drastically, and she has become hostile to all those who serve her.
Especially since the murderer could not be caught for so long, or even tracked down, and she could not avenge herself by tearing the person to pieces, she was filled with boundless hatred and wished that the whole world would be buried with her.
Now, if Mu Yuanzhen senses any unusual expression from someone, she assumes they are mocking or looking down on her, and then orders them to be dragged away and beaten to death.
In less than a month, more than a dozen corpses were carried out of the side gate of the princess's mansion. The bloodstains on the stone slabs in the courtyard never dried, and the eerie smell of blood lingered for a long time.
For a time, everyone in the princess's residence was on edge, fearing that they might do something wrong and poke Mu Yuanzhen's eye, only to be dragged away and beaten to death.
Princess Pingyuan remained silent in response, tacitly allowing Mu Yuanzhen to vent his anger by beating and killing servants.
In the eyes of the mother and daughter, the lives of these servants were no different from those of ants. Who would care about an ant that was stepped on?
However, with so many corpses being carried out of the mansion, it was inevitable that word would leak out, further damaging Mu Yuanzhen's already terrible reputation.
That day, Mu Yuanzhen ordered the execution of another servant, and then summoned Princess Pingyuan to his residence.
She could neither speak nor write; only her eyes could move.
Those around her had to guess to understand what she meant, even Princess Pingyuan was no exception.
Looking into her daughter's anxious yet pleading eyes, Princess Pingyuan guessed, "Are you still thinking about Xu Mingyu and want him to come to the manor to visit you?"
Mu Yuanzhen blinked once, then blinked twice more.
Princess Pingyuan frowned slightly and asked in a cold voice, "Are you so obsessed with him, or do you want to marry him?"
Mu Yuanzhen blinked twice to confirm Princess Pingyuan's meaning.
Princess Pingyuan shook her head, her attitude very firm: "No, Xu Mingyu has no feelings for you. If you force yourself to marry him, you will only harm yourself."
Upon hearing this, Mu Yuanzhen became extremely anxious and frantically winked at Princess Pingyuan.
Princess Pingyuan sighed, her heart aching for her only daughter, and patiently explained to her:
“In your current state, even if your mother were to beg His Majesty to grant you a marriage decree, you would not have a good life after you marry into that family. If they harbor ill intentions towards you, your death will not be far off.”
Mu Yuanzhen couldn't listen to a word and blinked frantically again.
Now she's practically a living dead, with only two obsessions in her mind.
Her two options were: first, to find the murderer and bring him to justice; and second, to marry Xu Jinnian and have a child.
Although she was unable to move, the imperial physician said that the toxins had penetrated deep into her bone marrow, but her internal organs were fine.
In this way, it won't affect her ability to have children.
Princess Pingyuan pondered for a long time before finally guessing Mu Yuanzhen's plan, and a thought suddenly occurred to her.
Yes, Yuan Zhen can still have children, and the offspring she gives birth to are also her descendants, who can still inherit the glory of the princess's mansion.
Seeing that his mother was clearly interested, Mu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up with anticipation, and he continued to wink at her.
Unable to make a decision, Princess Pingyuan spoke up to calm her down: "This is a matter of great importance, Mother needs to consider it carefully."
Mu Yuanzhen was somewhat disappointed, but knowing that this matter couldn't be rushed, he could only blink twice.
Princess Pingyuan returned to her courtyard, dismissing everyone else except for Granny Li: "Granny, what do you think of Yuan Zhen's proposal?"
Li Mama sighed inwardly and gently advised, "Your Highness, childbirth is like passing through the gates of hell for a woman. Even if Miss is able to conceive, it will be extremely difficult for her to give birth safely."
Princess Pingyuan's expression shifted unpredictably, as if she were weighing something.
Seeing this, Granny Li guessed a bit about what she was thinking.
The young lady is currently a cripple. If she could give birth to a child, she could continue His Highness's bloodline, inherit the glory of the Princess's mansion, and perhaps even...
In His Highness's opinion, it is worth it to exchange Miss's life for a child of blood.
Thinking this, Granny Li felt a chill in her heart, but she dared not show it on her face.
After a long silence, Princess Pingyuan said softly, "What the old woman says is true. This matter needs to be considered carefully."
Granny Li tentatively said, "Miss is deeply in love with Lord Xu. If she cannot get what she wants, she will not be able to live a peaceful life in the future."
Princess Pingyuan, upon hearing this, said nonchalantly:
"The people in the villa are still there. Find the one who most resembles Xu Mingyu, train him well, and send him to the mansion to keep her company every day."
If Xu Mingyu were not his student and had not caught His Majesty's eye, it wouldn't have mattered if she forcibly dragged him to the mansion to accompany Yuan Zhen.
Now that she dares to do this, she is essentially asking for trouble and handing the Emperor a knife to punish her.
Granny Li breathed a slight sigh of relief, and her expression brightened considerably: "Your Highness's idea is excellent. This old servant will arrange it immediately and make sure Miss is pleased!"
Princess Pingyuan trusted Li Mama very much: "Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mama."
Li Mama's tone became increasingly respectful: "It's no trouble at all. It's what this old servant should do to share the burden for His Highness and Miss."
Mu Yuanzhen kept hundreds of male lovers in his villa, of whom only two resembled Xu Jinnian by about 50 or 60 percent. The others either resembled him in a certain facial feature or in terms of temperament.
The person who most resembles Xu Jinnian is Xu Huaining. If Xu Huaining hadn't died, he would have been the most suitable person to impersonate him.
Choosing the best among the worst, both male concubines were rigorously trained by people sent by Granny Li, who made them imitate Xu Jinnian in every word, action, and even voice.
This matter was not deliberately concealed, and Xu Jinnian soon received the news, feeling so disgusted that she almost couldn't eat the meal that Sheng An had prepared.
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