"Brother Qi, what on earth did you say to your grandmother and aunt that made them look so angry...what are you doing?" Wei Minzhi walked in with a several-month-old belly. She originally wanted to blame Wei Chengqi, but she didn't expect to see such a scene.
"Since Third Sister is pregnant, just focus on taking care of the little nephew in your belly and don't worry about other things."
"What did you say?" Wei Minzhi simply couldn't believe that her always obedient brother would say such words to her.
"Sister, didn't you hear me clearly? You are now the wife of the Zhao family. You should think about your husband and children wholeheartedly and live your life well. You don't need to worry about other things." Wei Chengqi lowered his eyes and didn't look at her. He bent down and put the cushion that was knocked to the ground by Fang back on the couch.
"My fourth sister is engaged to Lingfu, and my third sister is a relative of both the man and the woman. It is time for her to be noticed, and she should not be walking around everywhere."
"You..." Wei Minzhi became furious when she heard him mention the marriage between Wei Yingzhi and Lin Fu.
She had been at odds with Wei Yingzhi since they were young, and they disliked each other. She finally got a good marriage, and thought she could finally surpass her, but she never expected that she would turn around and get engaged to the Marquis of Loyalty.
It was only after she married into the Zhao family that she realized that Pingfu was no longer the wild child with no foundation in the Duke's Mansion. The people in her husband's family were even more eager to please him. And because she had known Zhao Pingfu since childhood, her status in her husband's family was somewhat superior.
But now that Wei Yingzhi is engaged and will marry into the Marquis's Mansion in the future, she will be superior to her in everything, and as her elder sister, she will have to live by her will. How aggrieved she is no matter how she thinks about it!
"You've really grown up. Not only have you made my grandmother and aunt angry and left, but now you want to make me angry too? Also, what did you say to mother just now to make her like this?" Wei Minzhi sneered, and when she saw Fang's distraught look, she became even more annoyed.
"This is all I have to say. If you don't want to listen, just forget it." Wei Chengqi said softly, helping Fang up and intending to help her into the inner room.
"Min'er, listen to your brother and don't confront Wei Yingzhi anymore. She has Zhao Fanfu and Rui Guifei behind her. You can't beat her." After taking a few steps, Fang suddenly stopped and said in a low voice.
"Mother..." Wei Minzhi watched the figures of the mother and son disappear from her sight. After a moment, she bit her lips lightly, with a hint of unwillingness in her eyes.
"What's going on, mother? Why are you saying you're sick and recuperating?" She asked Taozhi behind her with a cold face.
"Third aunt, it's better not to ask too many questions. As the Fourth Young Master just said, Third aunt, just live your life well and there's no need to worry about anything else. Besides, it's useless to worry now." Taozhi sighed.
"Third aunt, please go back. The room smells strongly of medicine, which is not good for the children." Without waiting for Wei Minzhi to say anything else, she continued.
No matter how dissatisfied Wei Minzhi was, she swallowed it down when she heard these words. Now nothing was more important than the baby in her belly. She would consider other things carefully after the baby was born.
Wei Junhang sat at the head of the main hall, looking at Lingfu, whose posture was becoming more and more upright, with satisfaction. He thought of how Lingfu, when he was still a little kid, had a stern face all day long, but insisted on fulfilling his duties as a 'servant' to serve him, and was busy running around the house with a height only up to his waist.
The little boy who was teased by him but was still grateful to him grew up into such a handsome and tall young man in the blink of an eye, and soon married his beloved daughter.
"My Lord!" Lin Fu felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at by him.
Why was the Duke looking at him like that? Was he dissatisfied with him? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
Wei Junhang laughed and patted his shoulder: "Good boy! Go ahead, the lady is waiting for you inside!"
Lin Fu's eyes lit up, he responded loudly, saluted him neatly, and then went to the backyard in a flash.
"My Lord, congratulations on finding a good son-in-law!" Zhou Mao seized the opportunity and walked in, congratulating Wei Junhang with a smile.
Wei Junhang's smile faded slightly, but he quickly covered it up and returned the greeting with a fist: "Thank you, Master Zhou!"
"There are countless families in the capital who envy the Duke right now, but you have snatched away their ideal son-in-law first." Zhou Mao said jokingly.
Wei Junhang smiled and said, "It's better to strike first than to gain the upper hand. That's probably what it means!"
Zhou Mao joked a few more times, and then he said casually, "I heard a few days ago that the prince was transferred to Xiyan City. How could he leave in such a hurry that he didn't even attend his sister's engagement party?"
"The imperial decree has been issued. There is no way to delay it. There is nothing we can do about it." Wei Junhang kept smiling.
Zhou Mao's smile froze.
There was no way he would believe such talk. Even if the decree was issued suddenly, His Majesty would not have taken such short time into consideration, not to mention that the man to be engaged was Concubine Rui's nephew.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid you won't be back for three to five years. And you're leaving in such a hurry, I'm afraid you won't even have time to arrange for someone to serve you, right?"
"Since you are going there for training, you naturally don't need anyone to serve you. Otherwise, how is this different from being in the capital city? Lord Zhou, do you think this makes sense?" Wei Junhang asked with a smile.
"Your Majesty, what you said makes sense." Zhou Mao tried to probe Wei Chenglin's reason for leaving Beijing suddenly, either openly or covertly, but Wei Junhang just laughed it off and blocked all his words with a powerful counterattack.
This old wily fellow is really slippery! Zhou Mao cursed inwardly.
He wanted to ignore him, but when he thought of his daughter who had become much more haggard recently and his wife who was worried, he made up his mind and asked directly: "I see that the prince is not young at all, and it seems that the marriage has not been arranged yet. If he leaves, won't the Duke and his wife be worried?"
What was he worried about? His son's marriage, of course!
"It is destined that one will eventually succeed. Without tempering, how can one grow? Without growth, how can one take on the responsibility of being the head of a family? Am I right, Lord Zhou?" Wei Junhang still had a smile on his face, as if he didn't care at all about what he said.
Zhou Mao couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
Although he had tacitly approved of Wei Chenglin's feelings for his daughter, the marriage between the two families had not been formally arranged after all. He was waiting for the official mediator invited by the Duke's Mansion to come, but he never expected that the official mediator did not show up, and Wei Chenglin suddenly left the capital.
Although he was satisfied with this "son-in-law", he would not rush to promise his daughter to him. His beautiful daughter should be proposed to by the best man in the world, not delivered to him on her own!
"Your Majesty is right!" Unable to find out anything useful, his face turned cold.
A daughter is sought after by hundreds of families, let alone his, Zhou Mao's precious daughter. Is she still afraid that she won't be able to find a good husband?
Watching him leave with a sullen face, the smile on Wei Junhang's face gradually faded.
After a long moment, he rubbed his forehead and let out a low sigh.
This Zhou Mao is indeed a capable minister, otherwise the emperor cousin would not have valued him so much. But no matter what, the eldest son and his daughter are not suitable. Since you know they are not suitable, don't give others any hope, so as not to make the daughter tired for the rest of her life.
Since the engagement was finalized, the wedding date was quickly set, which was after Wei Yingzhi's sixteenth birthday.
On the day before her wedding, Wei Yingzhi still couldn't wait for her brother to come back. She couldn't hide her disappointment and leaned on Shen Xinyan's shoulder and said gloomily, "Mom, is my brother not able to come back in time?"
Shen Xinyan stroked her long hair and murmured, "I think it's too late..."
During this year and more, she only occasionally heard news about her eldest son from Wei Junhang. She knew that he had arrived in Xiyan safely, but Wei Junhang did not say anything more and only asked her to rest assured.
Now that things have come to this, what's the point of her being worried?
"Young master, young master, walk slower, be careful not to fall..." Chunliu's voice came in along with the clear and soft laughter unique to children. Shen Xinyan was stunned for a moment, and a soft little body bumped into his arms.
Helplessly she hugged her little son who was laughing in her arms, and pinched his chubby face lovingly. She took the handkerchief handed to her by Wei Yingzhi and wiped his face and his hands.
"Xiang'er is being naughty again, isn't he?" She asked with a deliberately stern face, looking at Chunliu who was panting.
"No!" Xiang Ge'er blinked his black and white eyes innocently, and his little face, which looked like Wei Junhang, was red and chubby.
"You must be teasing Sister Chunliu again, you little rascal are so naughty!" Wei Yingzhi smiled mischievously and stretched out her hand to scratch his itch, which immediately caused the little guy to laugh loudly and clearly.
"Fourth sister is bad, so bad..." The little boy who just celebrated his third birthday could speak quite fluently. He hid in Shen Xinyan's arms to avoid his sister's clutches, his eyelashes fluttering a few times, and began to complain pitifully.
Shen Xinyan smiled and picked him up: "Tomorrow, your fourth brother-in-law will come to pick up this extremely bad fourth sister."
As soon as the word "fourth brother-in-law" came out of her mouth, Wei Yingzhi blushed.
Xiangger clapped his hands and laughed, calling "fourth brother-in-law" happily, which made Wei Yingzhi's ears turn red with embarrassment.
"I, I'm not going to pay any attention to you!" Finally, she stomped her feet, covered her face and ran out, with the increasingly joyful laughter of the mother and son echoing behind her.
When Wei Junhang came in, he saw the mother and son lying on the couch laughing.
He walked forward with a smile, lifted the little son in his wife's arms high up, and patted the chubby little butt. The little guy screamed and hugged his head tightly, calling "Daddy" excitedly.
"Okay, he's just crazy, and you just love to tease him." After watching the father and son quarreling for a while, Shen Xinyan stepped forward and picked up the younger son.
Different from the eldest son who was quiet and silent, the youngest son was very noisy, and his little mouth was as sweet as honey. He could coax people with one trick after another, which made the eldest princess treat him as her lifeblood and could not leave him easily.
"Madam, His Highness sent someone to ask why the young master hasn't come over yet?" Just as I was thinking this, a maid came in and replied.
"Okay, go down with the nanny, wash your face, and then go to grandma." Shen Xinyan tidied her son's clothes and handed him to the wet nanny to take away.
Watching the little guy skipping and jumping away following the nanny, the curve of her mouth grew higher and higher.
"This child looks like me!" Wei Junhang raised his legs proudly.
His little son looked like him, which made him extremely proud. Every time he took the little guy for a walk outside and attracted envious looks from people like Qiao Laoliu, he felt filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Shen Xinyan glared at him unhappily: "Just like you, this noisy personality is most like you!"
Wei Junhang laughed loudly and waved his hand in disapproval: "It's better for children to be more noisy, so that they can behave like children, unlike Brother Lin when he was..."
His smile froze when he mentioned his eldest son's name. Looking at Shen Xinyan's eyes which darkened instantly, he regretted it secretly.
He cleared his throat and said, "Don't worry. He is now in Xiyan. Although he is not as comfortable as in the mansion, he has adapted well."
Shen Xinyan sighed, "When I dined with my mother yesterday, she prepared several dishes that Lin'er liked. Although she didn't say it, she was still thinking about him. Even Ying'er, Zhao'er, Yue'er, and Qi'er asked about him from time to time."
"Among all the people in the mansion, only Xiangge'er is the most carefree."
Wei Junhang's eyelids drooped slightly, and he said, "Then let Xiangge spend more time with mother, so that she won't have time to think about anything else."
"It's the only way." Shen Xinyan was helpless. Thinking about her son's temper, she couldn't help but smile. "To be honest, it's all thanks to the Duke that he passed on this noisy temper to Xiang'er."
Wei Junhang was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but laugh when he saw his wife's teasing look.
The next day was Wei Yingzhi's wedding day. The house was decorated with lights and filled with joy everywhere.
Looking at her daughter in a red wedding dress, Shen Xinyan's eyes unknowingly turned red.
She trembled her hands, took the phoenix hairpin handed to her by Chunliu, and carefully inserted it into her daughter's tall bun. Wei Yingzhi's eyes in the bronze mirror quickly welled up with tears.
"Don't cry, girl. Be careful not to ruin your makeup." The matchmaker reminded her as soon as she saw it.
Shen Xinyan tilted her head back to hold back the tears in her eyes, and said in a hoarse voice: "Go and see if aunt is coming soon."
The little girl responded and ran out.
Soon, only mother and daughter were left in the room.
"After you get married, you should no longer be as willful as when you were a girl. Lingfu has been with you since childhood, and he has the best temper. He treats you well, so you should also love and respect him, and be considerate of him in everything."
"Although the Loyalty Marquis's Mansion only has you two legitimate masters, there are also many of the Imperial Concubine's people inside. Outside, you must always remember that he is your husband, put your husband first, and respect him in everything. Behind closed doors, it's a matter between you two. You must strike a balance here."
"As for the people in the Zhao Mansion, they are from different houses after all, so you should be polite to them. But don't let them bully you because of your seniority. No matter what, you are the wife of the Marquis of Loyalty. There is no need to let yourself suffer unnecessary grievances. And remember, I will not offend others if they do not offend me. If someone offends me, I will return it double!"
Although Shen Xinyan had said this to her more than once in recent days, Wei Yingzhi still agreed with tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry, mother. I won't let anyone bully me."
Shen Xinyan held her hand, looked at her carefully, and described her face with his eyes, as if he wanted to engrave her firmly in his heart.
"Madam, the auspicious time is almost here!" Chunliu reminded outside.
Shen Xinyan came back to her senses, pretended to turn her head away casually, secretly wiped her eyes, and then stood up, not daring to look at her, and said in a hoarse voice: "The auspicious time is coming soon, Pingfu will be here soon, mother, go and get ready first."
After saying that, he lowered his head and walked out quickly.
Wei Yingzhi looked at her back and finally couldn't hold back her tears.
By the time Lin Fu had "passed five gates and defeated six generals" and finally arrived at the main hall after untold hardships, Wei Yingzhi had already been covered with a red veil by Wei Junhang himself.
Shen Xinyan supported the eldest princess, and both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had tears in their eyes.
"Your Highness, Duke, Madam, don't worry, I will treat Ying'er well for the rest of my life!" Pingfu knelt in front of the three of them and solemnly made a lifelong promise.
Wei Junhang personally helped him up and said in a deep voice: "Actions are always more convincing than promises!"
Ping Fu nodded: "I understand, Duke and Madam, just watch!"
"Fourth sister, come here, second brother will carry you out." In the other room, Wei Chengzhao wiped his face, walked in front of Wei Yingzhi, and half bent down.
Since her biological brother Wei Chenglin was not at home, it was natural that her cousin Wei Chengzhao should carry her out.
Wei Yingzhi, with red eyes under her red veil, was about to lie on his back when suddenly a child's loud cry was heard.
"Wuwaaa, fourth brother-in-law, you, you don't take my fourth sister away... I, I will never be naughty again, and I won't say that fourth sister is so bad..." Xiang Ge'er cried and cried loudly, as if he was afraid that Lingfu would really take his fourth sister away. He ran to Wei Yingzhi with his short legs and grabbed her skirt tightly and refused to let go.
Everyone was caught off guard by this scene and was stunned for a moment. No one thought of pulling Xiang Ge'er.
"This little guy, really is..." The eldest princess' eyes were still shining with tears, but she had already smiled and waved to Xiang Ge'er, "Xiang Ge'er, come to grandma."
"No, no, grandma, please tell my fourth sister's husband not to take her away..." Xiang Ge'er was hiccuping, but his little hands grasped Wei Yingzhi's skirt even tighter, as if he was afraid that his fourth sister would be snatched away.
"This..." Suddenly, he was labeled as a bad guy who tried to snatch someone else's sister away. Pingfu touched his nose and didn't know how to coax the little guy for a moment.
"Fourth sister must be with fourth brother-in-law, otherwise how can he be your fourth brother-in-law?" Wei Chengqi squatted down and patiently persuaded Xiangger.
"Then, can I go with Fourth Sister and follow Fourth Brother-in-law?" Xiangger asked pitifully with his nose red from crying.
"Haha, fourth brother-in-law, you're giving one away for every one you marry!" Wei Chengyue on the side suddenly burst into laughter, earning a slap in the face from Yang.
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Wei Chengyue touched his arm which was a little painful from being hit by his mother, but he still couldn't help laughing.
Shen Xinyan and Wei Junhang were also in a state of confusion. Wei Junhang simply strode forward, picked up his son who was still bargaining, pinched his red nose, and coaxed him, "Why are you crying? You are such a silly child. Why don't you ask your fourth sister to bring your fourth brother-in-law back someday?"
"C-can I?" Xiangger asked with sobs.
"Of course you can!" Wei Junhang coaxed him while winking at Wei Chengzhao. Wei Chengzhao understood and immediately carried Wei Yingzhi on his back and walked out the door.
By the time Xiangger reacted, his fourth sister was no longer in the room. The little boy pursed his lips and was about to cry again, but his tears rolled around in his eye sockets for several times but didn't fall.
"I won't cry. I'll wait for my fourth sister to bring my fourth brother-in-law back." Although he said so, his look of wanting to cry but not wanting to was really pitiful. The eldest princess was so distressed that she pulled him into her arms and called him affectionately.
The Duke of Ying's Mansion and the Marquis of Loyalty's Mansion were getting married, and both mansions held banquets. The people from all the mansions in the capital simply split into two groups, one to the Marquis of Loyalty's Mansion, and the other to the Duke of Ying's Mansion.
As the mistress of the mansion, Shen Xinyan naturally would not be too idle. She only sat for a while and then went to greet the guests.
"Wei, Mr. Wei, Madam." She was busy when she heard someone calling her from behind. She turned around and saw Zhou Wanning standing not far behind her, looking a little uneasy.
"Miss Zhou?" She was a little surprised.
This was the first time she had seen Zhou Wanning since the Summer Resort.
The Zhou Wanning in front of me was obviously much thinner than the last time I saw her, and she looked even more pitiful.
"Mrs. Wei, Brother Wei, he, he, he will never come back again, right?" Zhou Wanning bit her lips lightly, took a deep breath, and asked stutteringly.
Shen Xin looked at her steadily, until her pretty face turned pale gradually, and finally she lowered her head in shame.
"Ms. Zhou, as a girl you shouldn't ask such questions. If someone hears it, it will damage your reputation as a lady." Shen Xinyan said calmly.
"I know, but, but, he left without even saying goodbye, I, I can't accept this..." Zhou Wanning's eyes were instantly filled with tears and she choked.
Shen Xinyan was silent for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know. I don't know when he will come back."
"Really? Even you don't know..." Zhou Wanning's voice was filled with undisguised disappointment and a gloomy expression.
"Sister Ning, why are you here? It's so hard for me to find you!" A girl in a pink long coat walked over quickly, took Zhou Wanning and left, "Auntie is looking for you..."
Shen Xinyan stared at her figure disappearing from his sight for a long time, then sighed softly.
***
In the woods somewhere in Xiyan.
Wei Chenglin was lying on the ground covered in blood. The moonlight shone on his body, revealing a knife wound so deep that the bone was visible.
He stared blankly at the bright moon in the night sky, seemingly unaware of the severe pain in the wound.
Today is Ying'er's wedding day, but unfortunately, her elder brother cannot carry her on his back. But fortunately, she is marrying Pingfu, who will never let her down.
His consciousness gradually became blurred. In a trance, he seemed to see his mother smiling at him tenderly, his father proudly sticking out his chest and saying, "With a son like you, I can never ask for another husband", and his grandmother lovingly reminding him to take care of his health.
Finally, in the white snow, the father chased the naughty Zhao Ge'er, Yue Ge'er, Lingfu and his sister like a child. In the corridor, Qi Ge'er was full of envy, his mother was leaning against the window, and he stood aside with a smile on his face.
That’s great…