Zheng Huiyi was extremely anxious: "How could my brother be so absurd! Sister-in-law, you can't leave. Even if my brother comes back, you can't leave. You are the matriarch of our Zheng family, married through proper channels and carried in by a bridal sedan chair. Your fate is now closely linked to the Zheng family. You have nowhere to go."
Zheng Huaiyu nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "Auntie is right, Mother, you can't leave. Father must have been out of his mind to make that promise. Once he comes back and spends time with you, he'll definitely regret it."
Princess Duan was filled with indignation and slammed her hand on the table, exclaiming, "That scoundrel Zheng Dinglian! What nonsense is he spouting! A woman, after marriage, should enjoy lifelong dignity unless she commits a serious offense! How dare he betray us and be so ungrateful! When he returns, I will make him pay!"
Zheng Fenghui was furious: "How could Father be so heartless! This is absolutely not the behavior of a true man!"
Only Zheng Fengyun quietly nestled beside Gu Qinlan, without uttering a word.
He heard it all clearly and understood it perfectly. It wasn't that his father was incompetent, but rather that his mother had never intended to stay in the Zheng family for long.
Before she even stepped into the Zheng family, she had already planned her escape route for the future.
In this world, every woman longs to forge a beautiful marriage and gain her husband's love and her in-laws' respect. Although her parents had never spent time together, at this moment, the entire Zheng family stood firmly by her mother's side. By all accounts, her mother could already be considered an extremely outstanding matriarch, a role model that all women dream of.
However, a mother is no ordinary woman.
During the brief time she lived in her mother's courtyard, he came to know that their mother was an extraordinary woman with lofty ambitions and a broad vision.
The constraints of the inner quarters would only limit her talent.
She was clearly not suited to wasting her life in the inner quarters.
The vast world outside is the stage for her to showcase her talents.
He was filled with curiosity about his mother's future. If her wishes came true, what glorious heights would she reach?
However, he did not say much.
After all, he's still a child, so who would take his words to heart?
Looking at the anxious people trying to persuade her to stay, Gu Qinlan suddenly had an idea: perhaps staying in the Zheng family was a good option.
That night, none of the Zheng family's masters, except for Zheng Fengyun, were able to sleep peacefully.
The next day, they gathered in Princess Duan's courtyard, all with heavy dark circles under their eyes.
Zheng Huiyi yawned and suggested, "We must come up with a strategy to dissuade my sister-in-law from leaving."
Zheng Huaiyu shook his groggy head and said with a wry smile, "But I really can't think of anything in our home that my sister-in-law would miss."
Princess Duan's eyes were red and swollen, and her voice was hoarse as she said, "I will write to that rebellious son immediately, ordering him to end the war as soon as possible and come back immediately! If he doesn't come back, his wife will run away!"
She couldn't sleep all night because of her worries, and tears streamed down her face whenever she thought about it.
She had lived for decades and had finally enjoyed six months of peace. She thought the rest of her life would be filled with enjoyment, but who knew her son would do something so absurd!
This made her increasingly angry.
Was her life's journey easy?
She was neglected at home during her youth, suffered cold treatment from her mother-in-law after marriage, and as a mother-in-law herself, her daughter-in-law felt she was incompetent, and even the servants in the house deceived her. Now, she has finally married a virtuous and kind daughter-in-law, but she may leave her at any time.
Just imagining this scene made her feel that her fate was extremely tragic.
Zheng Fenghui couldn't help but sigh, "Grandmother, your request is far too demanding. The situation in the war is not something Father can control alone. Please don't write to Father casually, lest you disturb his peace of mind."
As a descendant of a famous general, he deeply understands how crucial a person's mindset is on the battlefield.
If an army commander's mindset wavers, it will inevitably affect the morale of the entire army.
Therefore, he considered this act of writing letters to be extremely foolish.
However, the three women of the Zheng family all shouted at him in unison, "Shut up!"
How could they not understand this principle? But the current crisis was so urgent that they had no time to spare.
Zheng Fenghui shrank back, still wanting to remind them, but saw Zheng Fengyun gently tug at his sleeve, signaling him not to say anything more.
Zheng Fenghui was extremely anxious: "We can't let them run wild like this."
Zheng Fengyun replied calmly, "Don't worry, the city gates have been sealed for a month, so letters can't be sent out at all."
The city gates have remained closed since the refugees besieged the city.
A few days ago, Gu Dingli's funeral could only be temporarily arranged on a small hill in the city.
This was the case not only for Gu Dingli, but for all the people who died in the city during this period. The coffins were temporarily placed on that small hill, and the remains were moved outside the city for burial after the refugee problem was resolved.
This was a coercive measure taken by the government to prevent refugees from forcibly entering the city under the guise of funeral processions leaving the city.
Although some families find this arrangement difficult to accept, what other options do they have?
Zheng Fenghui finally breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good."
The three women of the Zheng family looked like wilted eggplants, listless, pale, and dejected.
"Is there really no way out? Are we just supposed to watch her leave helplessly?"
The thought of this possibility made Princess Duan wipe away her tears again.
As soon as she started crying, Zheng Huiyi and Zheng Huaiyu also began to sob.
Zheng Fengyun sighed helplessly: "Grandmother, Aunt, Eldest Sister, please don't cry. Mother is right, she might only make the decision to leave after Father returns."
It's not like I'm leaving right now.
Tears welled up in Zheng Huiyi's eyes, but her eyes immediately lit up: "That's right! Sister-in-law said to wait until Big Brother comes back! Then all we have to do is make sure Big Brother doesn't come back!"
She was proud of her intelligence, having come up with such a brilliant plan so quickly.
The emperor issued an edict ordering him to return; if he refused, he would face severe punishment for treason.
Zheng Fengyun could hardly bear it any longer. At this moment, he didn't care that his premature display of wisdom would surprise others, and said directly, "It's not that difficult to keep my mother. Just treat her with sincerity."
He knew that his mother was the same kind of person as him, and that they both longed for love deep down.
He was just over a year old when his father died a heroic death on the battlefield, and his mother followed him in death. For those long three years, he struggled to survive alone under the abuse of his wicked servants. He desperately longed for someone to truly care for him, but he knew that such hope was slim, so he learned how to protect himself from a young age.
In this new mother, he saw a lonely figure similar to himself.
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