Duke Cai was extremely filial and had a deep love for his wife. He doted on his gifted young son with all his heart. Lin Dan cursed all three of them with just one sentence, and his words were extremely vicious. The more Duke Cai thought about it, the angrier he became. That night he went to the mansion of Marquis Yongxin, intending to persuade Marquis Yongxin not to believe in this evil Taoist priest. He also said that the prince was very sensitive about these things, and advised him to be careful in what he said and did.
Duke Cai had good intentions, but he didn't expect that Marquis Yongxin not only did not appreciate his kindness, but also argued with him to protect Lin Dan. He repeatedly advised him not to turn a deaf ear to the immortal's words and to send his young son away as soon as possible.
Duke Cai was almost pissed off to death by Marquis Yongxin. He pointed at Marquis Yongxin's nose and yelled at him, calling him a fool who was being bewitched and used by a sorcerer without even realizing it.
Marquis Yongxin also had a bad temper. He pinched his fingers and almost broke his hand bones.
They both drank several bottles of white wine, and the alcohol made them quarrel even more fiercely, threatening to sever the friendship between the two families.
Duke Cai left angrily, and when he returned home he immediately summoned his first wife and ordered her not to have any contact with the wife of Marquis Yongxin in the future. The eldest lady kept her head down the whole time, not daring to speak, her body shaking like a sieve, and she looked very abnormal. It’s a pity that Duke Cai was so drunk that he didn’t notice anything unusual.
The news that the Cai and Liu families had fallen out over a Taoist priest quickly spread in the capital, along with the Taoist priest's comments. Because too. The first emperor was bewitched by the evil Taoist priests and became so stupid that he almost lost his country. Therefore, officials of the next two dynasties, including royal family members, had no good feelings towards Taoist priests.
Some people believed Lin Dan's comments, but most people sneered at them and secretly laughed at Marquis Yongxin's ignorance. So from that day on, the number of nobles willing to interact with the Yongxin Marquis's Mansion decreased significantly, and their family became a complete joke.
"One of the old lady and the duke's wife must die. Why? This is too weird. I don't believe it." The little emperor shook his head repeatedly.
Prince Jin, who was sitting opposite him, also lowered his eyes and thought deeply. After a while, he said, "Madam Lin is definitely not a person who speaks nonsense. She must have her reasons for saying so. Let's take a look."
"Uncle, ever since you met Madam Lin, your catchphrase has almost become 'wait and see'." The little emperor couldn't help laughing.
Prince Jin thought so too and couldn't help but chuckle. However, he really liked the feeling of standing aside and quietly watching Lin Dan. Her every move and every word was like a Zen poem, profound and difficult to understand, yet fascinating.
…………
Xu Zuguang had just attended a banquet and it was already evening when he returned home. Even though he had a powerful father-in-law, he could not get many benefits from the Wan family because his wife was just a concubine. If you want to get promoted quickly in the officialdom, connections and money are indispensable resources. The help that Wan Yushi can give him is already the limit. If he wants more, he must demonstrate certain abilities or value.
But if Xu Zuguang was really capable, why would he rely on one woman after another to climb up? Therefore, Censor Wan was not optimistic about him, nor was he prepared to support him wholeheartedly. As long as he could be honest and be good to his daughter, it would be fine. In this case, Xu Zuguang had to use a large sum of money to pave the way. As long as he has money, he can naturally establish connections with the higher-ups.
In his previous life, the original owner continuously supplied him with money in order to make up for him, which finally allowed him to have a foothold in the army. He has tasted the sweetness, and in this life, he values money even more than in his previous life. He remembered clearly the most profitable businesses of the original owner and began to manage them according to the trajectory of his previous life.
He spent a huge amount of money to buy several shops that did not originally belong to his family, and also spent a lot of money to hire pastry chefs, perfumers, embroiderers, etc. who had made countless silver for the original owners. But for some reason, these people, who were paid monthly salaries that others could never imagine in their entire lives, were able to produce finished products that were only slightly better than ordinary goods, and were not as stunning as they were in their previous life.
Nowadays, the businesses that Xu Zuguang had acquired were losing money every day, with the least being thirty or forty taels and the most being one or two hundred taels, which was rapidly draining his already meager family assets. Seeing that his family was running out of money, he never thought of giving up. Developing new products always takes time. Perhaps it’s because the timing and inspiration haven’t arrived yet. Why don’t we wait a little longer? What if after a few days, those masters and craftsmen will get the idea?
With such a fantasy in mind, Xu Zuguang could only grit his teeth and pay out money, or even live on debt. He really wanted to use Wan Xiu'er's dowry, but Wan Xiu'er kept the key to the warehouse very closely, so he had no chance at all.
In such anxiety, he walked into the house absent-mindedly, only to see Wan Xiu'er sitting in the main hall with a bowl of hot tea. She had not changed her gorgeous brocade robe yet, as if she had just returned from outside.
"Going out today?" Xu Zuguang quickly put on a smile.
"Yes, I went to my aunt's house and heard a strange thing..." Wan Xiu'er told Lin Dan about cursing the Duke of Cai's mansion, and sneered, "I don't know where this charlatan came from, but he is bolder than the sky. He cursed the old lady Cai and the first lady, and hinted that the young master Cai was a disaster. He suddenly touched the Duke of Cai's three reverse scales, causing the Duke of Cai to break up with the Marquis Yongxin who introduced the charlatan. What do you think will happen to that Taoist priest? If I were the Duke of Cai, I would definitely order people to flatten her Taoist temple and then break her bones!"
Xu Zuguang sent people to keep an eye on Lin Dan every day, so he naturally knew that she had bought Xuanqing Temple. After hearing this, his extremely unhappy mood miraculously improved. He has been looking for an opportunity to attack Lin Dan, but there are too many nobles coming and going on Nandou Mountain. In recent days, Prince Jin has been staying at the foot of the mountain every day. How dare he cause trouble there?
Prince Jin has always been cautious, and the young emperor attaches great importance to his safety. If there is any disturbance in Nandou Mountain, they will definitely get to the bottom of it. Therefore, Lin Dan and the other two were clearly alone and helpless, and he did not dare to touch them. He had also thought about bribing the three Taoists, but was rejected every time. The frustration in his heart was simply difficult to describe in words.
Lin Dan is like a poisonous thorn in Xu Zuguang's heart, which must be removed. Now, somehow, she had managed to climb up to the Yongxin Marquis Mansion, and became an even greater source of worry for Xu Zuguang. But now, she has offended Duke Cai. With Duke Cai's vengeful temper, she will definitely suffer in the future. When she has no backing and is driven out of Nandou Mountain, it will be the best time to take action.
Thinking of this, Xu Zuguang felt much more comfortable. He was just about to arrange for the servants to set the table when he saw the housekeeper running into the main hall with sweat all over his forehead, as if he had something to say. Seeing his wife was also there, he quickly put away his anxious look, put on a flattering smile, and secretly winked at the master.
Xu Zuguang's heart skipped a beat and he immediately had a bad feeling, but he didn't dare to ask in front of his wife, so he could only suppress his emotion. But after a while, Wan Xiuer's wet nurse came in, first glared at Xu Zuguang fiercely, and then whispered a few words in her master's ear.
The family's surname is Xu on the surface, but in fact every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and every tile are dowries given to Wan Xiu'er by the Wan family. She is the real master of this family, so she can do whatever she wants without giving her husband any face. She threw the tea bowl in her hand to the ground and said, "Bring those two bastards in!"
Xu Zuguang looked at the housekeeper, who shrank his neck and whispered, "The eldest young master and the eldest young lady are here."
"They are nothing but the young masters and young ladies!"
As soon as Xu Weibai and Xu Yuling walked into the main hall, they heard Wan Xiu'er mocking them in a sharp voice. She didn't even look at them, but just glared at Xu Zuguang and said in a harsh voice: "Well, Xu Zuguang, since you have a wife and children, why did you lie to me and say that you were unmarried? I am the daughter of the Wan Censorate, and it is already very unfair for me to be married to you, a scholar from a poor family. You even divorced my wife and remarried. Now that my children have grown up, where do you put the child in my belly! I will go home and ask my father to judge the matter. You just wait!" After saying that, she turned around and left.
Xu Zuguang was so frightened that his face turned pale. He hurried forward to hug her, and ordered the housekeeper to take Xu Weibai and Xu Yuling to the side yard and lock them up.
Xu Weibai kept silent with a gloomy face, but Xu Yuling said in disbelief: "How could Xiu'er's mother not recognize us? Daddy clearly said that we would be registered under her name."
Two strong women came forward, held her arms to prevent her from running away, and said sarcastically: "Register it under Madam's name? What are you dreaming about? Madam is pregnant now, and she can give birth to legitimate sons and daughters. Why would she recognize you two bastards?"
Xu Yuling struggled and cursed the two old women, not realizing what the situation was. Xu Weibai, however, seemed to have figured something out and his face turned pale in an instant. They were placed by Xu Zuguang in a courtyard on the outskirts of the city and were guarded by servants and were not allowed to go out. They waited for one or two months but were never able to return to the Xu family openly.
Seeing that the day of the imperial examination was getting closer and closer, and his father neither sent him to the Imperial Academy to study nor arranged for anyone to buy documents for him to take the examination, Xu Weibai became anxious and urged his sister to come to the Xu family. However, he did not expect that he was locked up again as soon as he entered the door. The servants even cursed him as a bastard, and he was not treated at all as he had imagined.
Xu Yuling was very emotional and didn't think too much, but Xu Weibai was trembling all over and his expression changed drastically.
The two were locked in a simple wing. They were not served with snacks or tea. Instead, they were watched closely by several servants. The door was locked from the outside and the windows were sealed. It was simply... You can't escape even if you have wings. Xu Yuling had calmed down by now. She looked at her brother and whispered, "Brother, why is Xiu'er's mother different from the last life? I remember that she was the kindest and would not even step on an ant to death. How could she treat us like this? There must be something wrong."
Xu Weibai lowered his eyes and thought, as if he didn't hear her words. After a long time, he sneered and said self-deprecatingly: "The kindest? Yuling, don't you understand? This life is completely different from the last life. We took the most wrong step!"
"Brother, what are you talking about?" Before Xu Yuling could figure out what was going on, Xu Zuguang opened the door and walked in angrily. He slapped his daughter and son twice, knocking their heads off.
"Daddy, you hit me?" Xu Yuling looked at Xu Zuguang in disbelief, but Xu Weibai licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and showed a sarcastic smile.
"I'm beating you two bastards! Didn't I tell you to stay in the courtyard? What are you doing here? Do you know that Xiu'er almost had a miscarriage because of you guys?"
Xu Yuling did not react to this sentence, but Xu Weibai's eyes lit up slightly.
"I will send you back to Tanzhou now, and you will never come back again! Remember, I, Xu Zuguang, have never been married to Lin Dan, and we have never had any children. You are the children of your fourth uncle, named Xu Cuihua and Xu Dafu. As long as you stay in your hometown honestly, I will send you money regularly and support you."
"Dad, are you sending us away? Didn't you say you would bring us back to live with you?" Before Xu Yuling could figure out the situation, Xu Weibai was already shocked and on the verge of collapse.
Xu Zuguang sighed, "I suddenly have two children. How can anyone not investigate? If they find out something, I will be exiled like in my last life, and you will still be the descendants of a criminal. So, if you want to live a good life, stay in your hometown and don't cause any trouble. In a few years, I will bring you back in the name of raising your cousin's orphans. I know you are all filial children. You will definitely not bear to see me being arrested by the government again, right? As long as we work together and support each other, good days will always come."
Xu Yuling clearly felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't say anything to refute it. She couldn't just watch her father suffer the same pain he suffered in his previous life.
Xu Weibai lowered his head and remained silent, with half of his face hidden in the shadows.
Xu Zuguang continued, "Your fourth uncle is dead, and his two children were washed away by the flood. It is very likely that they will not survive. You have replaced their identities. You must be careful when you go back and don't reveal any traces."
Xu Weibai didn't speak until this moment: "No matter how careful we are, Mom is so famous in her hometown, others will recognize us."
"It's okay. I will send you to a more remote place and change your household registration. Don't worry, I have sent people back to your hometown to make arrangements. As long as you are cautious and don't contact outsiders, no one will know about this. Now I am only a sixth-rank official, how dare I offend the Wan family? In a few years, when I am promoted, I will take you back and adopt you as my adopted sons and daughters, and our family will be complete as always."
These words frightened Xu Yuling but not Xu Weibai. However, he did not dare to show any abnormality and could only force a smile and nod.
Xu Zuguang had long known that these two people were easy to manipulate, so he left without giving it much thought. The servant immediately closed the door and locked it.
Hearing the clanging sound of the chain hitting the bolt, Xu Weibai shook his head, chuckled, and then his eyes turned red, with overwhelming regret bursting out of his pupils.
"Yuling, in our previous life, we were both deceived by Xu Zuguang and Wan Xiuer. We are probably the dumbest people in the world, do you know that?" He said word by word, gritting his teeth.
Xu Yuling looked at him in confusion.
He added, "Do you know what kind of path Xu Zuguang has chosen for us? He registered our household registration under the name of our fourth uncle. From now on, you will be a village woman, and I will become an illiterate farmer. My fame is gone, and I cannot take the imperial examination or become an official. If Xu Zuguang wants to climb to a position that can compete with Wan Yushi, it will take more than ten or twenty years. Just imagine, what will we be like by then? We are trapped in a remote mountain village by him, and we don't interact with outsiders. What's the use of having more money? When he remembers us, you may have married a local poor family, worrying about your livelihood all day long, and I will marry a peasant woman, facing the loess and the sky, and my life will be wasted like this!"
Xu Yuling finally showed a look of horror.
Xu Weibai smiled bitterly and said, "Do you remember what our situation was like at this time in our previous life? Although Xu Zuguang was exiled, we were the legitimate sons and daughters of the Xu family. All servants had to act according to our moods and did not dare to disobey us. We could go wherever we wanted and were not restricted in our freedom. We could have whatever we wanted and were not treated harshly. I entered the most famous Hanshan Academy in this dynasty and made many friends. Later, I took the imperial examination and became the youngest scholar, becoming famous in one fell swoop. And you have endless fine clothes, delicious food, and silks and satins. Do you still remember?"
Xu Yuling was stunned by what he said. After a long time, she lowered her head, looked at the coarse cloth clothes on her body, and tears fell. She remembered that at this time in her previous life, although they were descendants of criminals, they had never suffered any injustice except for occasional criticism...
Xu Weibai gritted his teeth and said, "Haven't you figured it out yet? The biggest difference between the last life and this life is that Wan Xiu'er is still the legal wife, and she's pregnant with a legitimate son. She can give birth herself, so how could she recognize us to compete with her son for the family property? She wishes we would never show up again! And for the sake of his own future and life, Daddy would never recognize us. We have no way out!"
Xu Yuling finally understood and felt like she was struck by lightning.
"Could it be that only the path that mother took is the most correct one?"
"What do you think?"
"Can we still be like we were in our last life? I don't want to be a peasant woman. I want to marry Huang Lang! I don't want to go to the countryside." Xu Yuling sobbed.
"What are you arguing about? Be quiet!" The servant standing outside banged on the door with a ferocious tone.
Xu Yuling covered her mouth with sobs, but she heard someone muttering from the back window: "She seems very reluctant. If she goes to the countryside and doesn't behave herself, there might be a big mess. No, we have to tell the lady."
"Madam almost had a miscarriage, don't bother her. But the master doesn't care about these two bastards, we can just deal with them privately..." As they spoke, the two voices faded away.
Xu Yuling and Xu Weibai were not ordinary children of twelve or thirteen years old, so they naturally understood what the maid meant by "dealing in private". If they were not honest, at best they would be given a mute drug or their tendons would be cut, so that they would never be able to expose Xu Zuguang's scandals again; at worst they would encounter "bandits" on their way home and end up with their bodies scattered all over the place. In short, Wan Xiuer can give birth to children and is the legal wife, so she doesn't need to rely on them to deal with Lin Dan, and there is no need to keep two bastards to be a nuisance.
With the power of the Wan family, she could easily erase all traces of their existence.
Xu Yuling finally realized how bad the situation was for her and her brother. Her voice was trembling as she spoke: "Brother, what should we do now? Daddy won't be so cruel, right? He will protect us, right?"
Xu Weibai smiled bitterly and said, "If he wanted to protect us, he wouldn't have registered our household registration with Fourth Uncle, let alone sent us away. The Xu family is all Wan Xiu'er's people. How would we be treated if we went out? Could he not have thought about it?"
Xu Yuling was in despair. She slumped down on the ground, covering her face and crying. She didn't dare cry loudly, for fear of annoying Wan Xiuer and making her attack them early.
Xu Weibai looked at his sister's head and finally revealed an expression of despair. It was not until then that he realized that his mother was the only one they could rely on and only his mother would plan for them wholeheartedly. But sadly, they had already severed ties with her and had put themselves on a path of no return.
I would rather have a beggar mother than an official father. The words Lin Dan said before leaving appeared clearly in Xu Weibai's mind. Yes, mother can go begging to feed her children, so what will father do? The bond between a child and his mother is unique and cannot be severed, but a father can have many children and many women, so why would he care about their life or death?
In the previous life, this family was supported by my mother, and my father had nothing to do with it. How come they can't see or hear anything? You are so blind and confused, you deserve to be punished in this life!
Xu Weibai pulled his hair fiercely, feeling regretful and hateful. But what can you do if you regret and feel hatred? He has now reached the end of his rope...
…………
Lin Dan had always known that Xu Zuguang was a ruthless man and would never let Xu Weibai and Xu Yuling return to the Xu family as legitimate sons and daughters. However, she had never expected that he would be so cruel as to directly erase their identities and send them to a remote mountain village. Doesn't he know that by doing this he is ruining the future of his two children?
Of course he knew, but he didn't care.
However, these have nothing to do with Lin Dan. She has now become a person in the center of controversy. Almost every day, noble ladies come to Xuanqing Temple, but they do not come to attain enlightenment, but to laugh at her. Behind her back, they called her a demon and said that she was so rampant that she would be punished sooner or later.
Under the instruction of Duke Cai, several groups of people came to cause trouble for Xuanqing Temple, wanting Lin Dan to sell the mountain to Hanguang Temple at a super low price. Seeing that the pressure from the government was increasing, at this critical moment, the mansion of Duke Cai hung a white banner and issued a obituary, that the vigorous old lady Cai had died!
When the news came out, the entire aristocratic circle was in an uproar. The little emperor even smashed the teacup in his hand. He was shocked and horrified, not knowing what to do.
"It's only been a few days, how could he die so suddenly? What did the imperial physician I sent to check the pulse of the old lady and Madam Cai say?"
"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Chen said that the old lady's pulse is strong and healthy, and she will live a long life. Although Madam Cai has suffered some damage, it is not serious. She will recover after a few months of rest. There will be no accidents to the two of them in the short term."
"Then how did the old lady die?"
"The Duke said it was a sudden death. He just died after a sleep."
"How could it be possible? How could it be possible? I can't figure it out! I must go find Madam Lin and ask her! Could she really be a living deity?!" The little emperor muttered as he quickly walked out of the palace. He was almost driven crazy by his curiosity.
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