When Wei Junhang heard her mention her mother, his face was filled with guilt. His mother was already old, but she still had to worry about these unfilial grandchildren, and now she was bedridden. It was really hard to rest in peace.
"I'll ask an imperial physician to diagnose and treat me carefully tomorrow. However, after all, heart disease is difficult to cure..." He sighed.
He thought for a moment and then said, "Have Ying'er and Lingfu's marriage arranged as soon as possible. There have been a series of unjust things happening in the mansion recently, so it's time to have a happy event."
"Okay, Pingfu has been waiting for you to return to Beijing for who knows how long. I'm afraid he will come to visit in a few days."
Wei Junhang smiled slightly: "Ying'er has a slightly impatient temper. She has been spoiled since she was young, so it is inevitable that she is a little spoiled. Lingfu has a gentle and kind temperament, and they have grown up together. This marriage is really the best."
This was also the best news he received during the time he was away from Beijing.
If it weren't for Lin Fu's background, he would have wanted to marry his daughter to him a long time ago.
Naturally, Shen Xinyan was extremely satisfied with this marriage. She had watched both of them grow up and knew them very well. If they could become husband and wife and stay together for the rest of their lives, it would be one of her greatest wishes in life that had been fulfilled.
"When you were away, mother decided to divide the family." Thinking of the division of the family, Shen Xinyan said hurriedly.
"I know everything. I'll just follow mother's arrangements." Wei Junhang replied.
This was another thing that made him extremely angry. He never expected that his sister-in-law, whom he had always respected, would do such a thing!
If something happens to Princess Changning, not only will the relationship between the Duke's Mansion and the Prince Ning's Mansion be severed, but they may even become enemies.
Seeing his unsurprised expression, Shen Xinyan sighed, knowing that he might have looked into everything that had happened in the mansion recently, so she didn't say much, leaned gently against his chest, and murmured, "It's good to have you back..."
If he hadn't left the house this time, she wouldn't have known that she had become so dependent on him without realizing it. For a moment, she wanted to tell him about her two lifetimes, but she changed her mind and gave up the idea.
In this life, he was so angry just because he knew that his eldest son had gone to great lengths to marry Zhou Wanning. If he knew that his eldest son had treated him like that in his previous life...
Since they have let it go, there is no need to drag him into this anymore, as it will only create more rift between them.
Wei Junhang had no idea what she was thinking. He put his arms around her waist, feeling her rare dependence at the moment.
After Wei Junhang returned, he took a series of actions. Within just two days, the Grand Princess fell ill and Wei Chenglin left Beijing for his new post. All this happened without any warning, leaving everyone in the mansion puzzled, especially Wei Yingzhi, who didn't understand why her brother left so suddenly.
Neither Wei Junhang nor Shen Xinyan were willing to tell her what their eldest son had done. They just made up a vague excuse, as if they were afraid that she would ask again. They quickly brought up her marriage and embarrassed her to leave, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.
The couple looked at each other and saw helplessness in each other's eyes.
A few days later, under the leadership of Concubine Ruigui, the marriage between Marquis Zhongyi Zhao Linfu and Duke Yingguo's legitimate daughter Wei Yingzhi was officially arranged.
Wei Junhang took the birth dates of his two children and went to Lingyun Temple in person and placed them in front of Master Huiming.
"Master, can you please calculate for me whether these two children are destined to be together?"
Master Huiming slowly opened his eyes and looked at him, then slowly closed them again.
"Since you are not asking sincerely, why bother asking this?"
Wei Junhang sneered: "It is said that monks do not tell lies, but why did the master talk nonsense and say something irrelevant, saying that my son and a girl named Zhou are destined to be together!"
"What I said is true. Your son and that female donor are indeed destined to be together, but..." Master Huiming was interrupted by Wei Junhang before he could finish his words.
"What does fate mean? Fifteen years ago, a 'senior monk' predicted my fate and said that I would die young and would not live past thirty. But now, I am approaching forty. The master is a senior monk with great moral integrity and is respected by my mother. Why would he ruin his practice for the trivial matters of the world?"
Wei Junhang felt somewhat resentful towards Master Huiming. If he had not said "marriage is destined by heaven", his mother might not have believed the nonsense of her eldest son so easily.
Master Huiming narrowed his eyes and stared at him for a long time. Wei Junhang did not avoid his gaze. The two looked at each other silently. Master Huiming finally said, "I cannot see the Duke's face clearly."
"Even the masters are uncertain about certain things, which shows that fortune-telling is very vague and may not be credible!" Wei Junhang said decisively.
After all, Wei Junhang still had some respect for the old monk. He squeezed him a little, added some incense money, and then left.
Master Huiming stared at his departing figure, frowning, and muttered, "Strange, strange, it was definitely a destined marriage, why did it turn out to be... Strange, strange!"
As if to wipe out the bad luck from the past, Shen Xinyan made the engagement ceremony quite grand, making people marvel at how favored the Duke of England's legitimate daughter was.
"Madam, the wife of Marquis Pingliang and Madam Zhou Wu went to His Highness's place." Chun Liu walked up to her and took the opportunity when she was free to report to her in a low voice.
Shen Xin frowned and thought for a while. He was still worried and said, "Come with me to take a look."
The wife of Marquis Pingliang and Fang Birong came here, it must be about Fang's matter.
After all, Fang is a living person. She is not "seriously ill and recuperating" for no reason. As her family, the Pingliang Marquis' Mansion will definitely send someone to find out the truth. This day is a matter of time.
However, the Grand Princess had just recovered from a serious illness, and Shen Xinyan was even more afraid that their words might anger the Grand Princess and cause her illness to relapse.
The maid guarding outside the door saw her coming and bowed to greet her.
"Are Madam Hou and Madam Zhou Wu still in there?" Shen Xinyan asked.
"My lady, it's still inside!"
Shen Xinyan hesitated whether to go in or not, when she suddenly heard the Grand Princess's angry shout from inside.
"I have always treated her well, and even let my second daughter-in-law Shen suffer a lot for her. But what about her? How did she repay me?! If you think that I, or the Duke's Mansion, have treated her badly, then you can just take her out of the mansion. I have lived to this age and don't care about face anymore. I will just go out and let the world watch the excitement and judge for themselves. Was it the Duke's Mansion that treated Fang Bizhen badly, or was she greedy and vicious!"
She slowly retracted her outstretched foot, knowing that it was not appropriate for her to go in at this time.
Sure enough, the voice of a woman could be heard faintly from inside.
"How can you say such a thing? She has been a widow for the past few years, raising her children and taking care of household chores for your daughter-in-law. Even if she has no credit, she has worked hard. Besides, you have watched her grow up. Don't you know her character? How could she do such a thing? There must be someone who framed her!"
Then the Grand Princess shouted, "Who is the one with ulterior motives? Is it me or my second daughter-in-law? I know her character very well. I only hate myself for being too soft-hearted and allowing her to become more daring and reckless."
"Besides, do you think I really don't know what you are planning? You, the Marquis of Pingliang, have no right to interfere in my family affairs. From now on, we are done with each other and there is no need to talk about sisterhood anymore!"
The wife of Marquis Pingliang was shocked. She didn't come here to quarrel with the Grand Princess. It would not benefit them at all to offend the Grand Princess. Could it be that she really wanted to take her eldest daughter back to the Marquis' Mansion and completely sever ties with the Duke's Mansion?
Even Fang Birong secretly regretted it. She had never expected that her elder sister would be implicated in the incident that happened several years ago.
She calmed down, stepped forward and bowed to the Grand Princess, and said softly, "Your Highness, please calm down. Mother only spoke without thinking because she missed her sister. Your Highness is also a mother, so you will understand her feelings. Please don't be offended."
"I cannot condone or sympathize with your behavior of harming my family, and I cannot turn a blind eye to it even though I know it!"
"You don't need to say anything more. This is all I have to say. Please get out!"
When Shen Xinyan pushed the door open, she saw that the wife of Marquis Pingliang's face was turning red and white. Fang Birong beside her seemed to want to say something to ease the situation, but the Grand Princess didn't even look at her. She turned around and ordered her to leave with a flick of her sleeves.
Seeing her come in, resentment appeared on the face of Lady Pingliang Hou, and she wanted to say a few harsh words, but Fang Birong quickly grabbed her and bowed respectfully to Shen Xinyan. The mother and daughter were then "politely" asked to leave by the maid.
"Mother, why should you get angry over these unrelated people? If you get angry and make yourself sick, wouldn't that be more harm than good?" Shen Xinyan walked slowly to the side of the Grand Princess and advised softly.
The Grand Princess looked at her deeply for a long time, then sighed and said, "You're right, they are just irrelevant people!"
They had been sisters for decades, but now she realized clearly that, no, perhaps a long time ago, a rift had already arisen between them since the wife of Marquis Pingliang asked her to intercede with the emperor on behalf of her husband and was politely declined.
It's just that they have been covering up the truth over the years.
The wife of Marquis Pingliang and Fang Birong, mother and daughter, did not leave directly, but were taken to Fang's place.
Taozhi, who had received the news and was waiting outside the door, saw the two people coming and hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, then led them into the house.
Inside the house, Fang was tirelessly urging Wei Chengqi to learn to be tolerant for the time being and to try his best to win Wei Junhang's trust, and not to let Zhao and Yue from the third room get ahead.
Wei Chengqi listened to her chattering in silence, but there was a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
After a while, he said, "Second Uncle is my uncle, so I will naturally respect and love him..."
"Yes, that's right. You should respect him more than usual. You have always been a smart child. You should know that the situation of mother and son can only be improved with the help of your second uncle. Otherwise, if the brothers of the third room take over first, without the support of your second uncle, I'm afraid..."
"Madam, the marquis's wife and the young lady are here." Taozhi listened for a moment, sighed and stepped forward to interrupt her.
"Grandma, aunt!" Wei Chengqi stepped forward to greet them.
"Good boy, thank you for your hardship!" Lady Pinglianghou sighed and helped him up.
Wei Chengqi lowered his head, making it impossible to see his expression.
When Fang saw her mother and sister coming, she knew it must be for her own business, so she said firmly: "Mother, you don't need to say more. The title of the Duke's Mansion should belong to our Qi Ge'er. It is passed down from father to son. Now that my husband is gone, the position of the Crown Prince should naturally be inherited by my son. Wei Junhang has already taken advantage of it once, so is he still thinking of passing it down to his descendants? There is no such logic in this world!"
"That's right!" Lady Pinglianghou nodded in agreement.
"The title of Duke's Mansion was earned by our ancestors. It belongs to my grandfather, not my father!" Wei Chengqi suddenly said.
Fang was touched in a sore spot and screamed, "What nonsense are you talking about?! Your father was the prince of the Duke, so the title will naturally belong to him in the future. Now that he is gone, you should take the throne, not Wei Junhang! It is your grandfather who was unfair, so the title fell to the second branch!"
"Okay, okay, Brother Qi, let your aunt see you. I haven't seen you for a while, but you've grown a lot taller!" Seeing that Wei Chengqi's face was red and he seemed to be about to retort again, Fang Birong quickly pulled him aside.
Wei Chengqi pursed his lips tightly but said nothing.
"Mother was hoping that you could take back the title. But now it seems that you have been brainwashed by those people from the second house. You can't even tell the difference between good and evil, and you have even learned to contradict your biological mother!" Fang never thought that her always well-behaved and docile son would contradict her like this. She was heartbroken and angry, and she pointed at him and cursed.
Wei Chengqi still said nothing.
What is good? What is evil? Are my second uncle and his people evil? Is it good that my mother set up a trap to frame Princess Changning in order to make my eldest brother a wife-killer?
"Qi'er, your grandmother won't help you this time. How can you talk to your mother like that? You should know how much hardship and injustice she has endured for you!" Lady Pinglianghou has always loved this grandson, but this time she frowned and lectured him.
"Wei Chenglin has been transferred to Xiyan City now. What kind of place is Xiyan? I'm afraid he will never come back. This is a great opportunity!" Fang Birong interrupted.
"What? Wei Chenglin was transferred to Xiyan City?" Fang was surprised.
"Sister, don't you know? What happened a few days ago has spread all over the capital. Everyone says that the Duke of England is willing to do this." Fang Birong was surprised that she knew nothing about this.
How could Fang open her mouth and tell her that ever since she was placed under house arrest, she had not been able to get any news from outside the mansion, let alone from inside the mansion.
"This is truly God helping me! I just hope that he will never come back, so that I can get rid of the hatred in my heart!" A hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
"Brother will definitely return safely!" Wei Chengqi finally spoke, but his words made the three people present look unhappy.
Especially the expression on his face, which clearly showed that he did not agree with what they said at all. How could Fang not see clearly? She was so angry that she grabbed him and beat him, crying and cursing as she beat him: "I have really worried for nothing in my life, and raised such a useless person like you! Why should your father's things be taken away by others! As a son, not only do you not seek justice for your father, but you also side with outsiders. You, you are going to piss me off to death, aren't you?!"
Wei Chengqi stood there motionless, letting her fists rain down on him. However, Lady Pingliang Hou and Fang Birong could not bear to watch it anymore, and hurriedly pulled Fang aside to persuade and comfort him.
"What are you doing? Can't you just talk it out nicely? Why do you have to hit him? If you hurt him, won't you be the one who feels bad?"
At the same time, she comforted Wei Chengqi: "Your mother is just too anxious. She has always treated you like a treasure and loved you as if you were her own life. She did so many things just for your own good!"
Is it for his good? He hoped that she could be less concerned about herself and just live a peaceful life. Why did she still fight for things that no longer belonged to her?
Wei Chengqi's eyes flashed with struggle. After a long while, he said in a hoarse voice: "I understand mother's intentions, but I still cannot agree! How can my second uncle and his family be outsiders? Since the son inherits the father's business, when my father passed away, my grandfather was still alive. Everything in the mansion naturally belonged to him. How could it be something that my father should leave to me?"
"You!" Fang's eyes widened in disbelief, but she heard Wei Chengqi continue, "If grandma and aunt are only here to visit mother, then forget it. If they are here for other purposes, then forget it!"
"Brother Qi, do you know what you are saying?" Even Fang Birong couldn't help but look at him in shock.
"How could the matter of Princess Changning be accomplished by mother alone? I would never believe it if you said that my aunt had not contributed. Grandmother and second aunt are not stupid people. They must have already investigated everything clearly, but they are unwilling to make it public for the sake of both families' face. My aunt is a smart person. She should know what to do." Wei Chengqi had a blank expression on his face, as if he didn't hear what they said at all.
"And my grandmother and grandfather, they have used the names of my grandmother and second uncle to gain so much advantage over the years. Even if my grandmother and second uncle don't say anything, I'm afraid they know it in their hearts. After all, everyone has a clear mind."
Fang Birong was shocked and her expression changed immediately.
Did the Grand Princess and the others really find out about me? No, that's impossible. I only provided medicine to my sister, and I didn't handle other things. I shouldn't have been involved!
Even the wife of Marquis Pingliang was not happy. In the past few years, the couple had indeed taken advantage of the Duke of Ying's mansion to gain a lot of benefits, but they did not expect that others had already seen everything.
Besides, it was okay that she was scolded by the Grand Princess just now. After all, she was the Grand Princess of the imperial court, to whom even the Emperor had to give in. She had a noble status, so she could only endure it.
But being accused by her own grandson like this made her heart burn with anger. If she hadn't taken into account that this was the Duke's Mansion, she would have lost her temper on the spot.
Fang was so angry that she almost couldn't breathe. She pushed away the Pingliang Marquis' wife who was holding her, rushed forward and slapped Wei Chengqi hard on the face: "How dare you! Is this something you should say?!"
Wei Chengqi's face was turned away by her blow, and it took him a while to turn around slowly. His expression was calm, and even his eyes were calm, like a pool of stagnant water that could not be easily stirred in the slightest.
Fortunately, Fang Birong, who had experienced a lot, was frightened by his look. She subconsciously pulled the sleeve of the wife of Marquis Pingliang to stop her from moving forward.
Fang regretted the moment she slapped him. No matter how much she had done in her life, wasn't it all for this son? If mother and son were to be separated because of this, then what was the point of her persistence for so many years?
"Grandmother and aunt have been here for quite some time. I'm sure grandpa is still waiting for news from you. I'm sorry I can't see you off." After a long while, Wei Chengqi said slowly.
"You..." Lady Pingliang Hou was so angry. She was already angry after the Grand Princess sent her away once, but now even her own grandson treated her like this?
Fang Birong, on the other hand, was tactful. She knew that she must have been disliked today, so she insisted on pulling the wife of Marquis Pingliang with her.
"Okay, then we'll go back first. You and your son should have a good chat. Sister, don't be impulsive. There's no such thing as overnight hatred between mother and son."
After watching the mother and daughter leave, Wei Chengqi lifted up the corner of his robe, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Fang several times. The "bang bang bang" sound of his forehead hitting the ground made Fang's heart rise to her chest. She could no longer bear it and went forward to pull him up.
Wei Chengqi insisted stubbornly, and kowtowed to her nine times before stopping. With a red and swollen forehead, he said in a hoarse voice: "Mother, give up! I don't want anything, I don't want anything, and I don't want to fight for anything. I just want to serve you until you grow old, get married and have children in the future, so that you can enjoy your grandchildren and live the rest of your life in peace."
"As for the title, don't say it's not mine. Even if it is, I don't want it! The current prosperity of the Duke's Mansion is all because of my second uncle's family. My second uncle has had a close relationship with Your Majesty since he was young and has won the emperor's favor. My second aunt has raised me for many years. The Royal Concubine in the palace is grateful for her care for the Zhao family and takes care of everything. The Crown Prince and my eldest brother are classmates. How can outsiders guess the trust between them?"
"Not to mention that since Second Uncle dared to let Big Brother go to Xiyan, he must have made sufficient preparations. Even if Big Brother really has an accident, the title will definitely not fall on the child. Because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will not agree, the Royal Concubine will not agree, and His Majesty will certainly not agree!"
"Mother, do you know that when you fight for the title, you are not fighting with Second Uncle's family, but with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty the Concubine, and His Majesty!"
Fang's face turned pale, and she took several steps back, finally sitting down on the couch with a look of despair on her face.
"Mother, stop it! We will just live our own lives in the future. Why should we make our loved ones sad and our enemies happy for something that will never belong to us again?" Wei Chengqi advised with a sob.
Fang's lips kept trembling, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she couldn't utter a single word.
It's not that she didn't feel something, but she just didn't want to think about it too deeply. Now her son's words have shattered all her years of persistence. The extravagant hopes that had been shaky in her heart have collapsed and can never be put back together again.