In the tenth year of Zhaotong, the Emperor's birthday was approaching. The palace was already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The imperial city was majestic. In the dead of winter, the trees were tied with flowers, as if it was spring, with clusters of flowers. Not to mention outside the palace, the craftsmen in the capital decorated with colorful paintings and silks, and the streets were colorful, with singing and dancing.

This year is the 24th year of the emperor. As the saying goes, 12 years make one cycle, and 24 years is exactly two cycles, which is of extraordinary significance. Officials, relatives, and concubines in the harem are all racking their brains to think about how to present gifts to the emperor.

The same is true for the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion.

As a noble family, the Marquis of Zhongjing's mansion, after the Marquis of Zhongjing's eldest son Lin Weinan inherited the title, was favored by the emperor. Not only was he the commander of the 3,000-man camp, but he was also the commander-in-chief of the left army of the capital. He could be said to be a first-class figure among the nobles.

In the main hall of the mansion stood a bonsai coral tree that was taller than a person. The coral had a very bright color, and Marquis Zhongjing and his wife, Mrs. Zhong, were very pleased to see it.

Mrs. Zhong was nearly forty years old, her face was still pretty, her skin was fair, and although she was a little fat, she looked much younger than other women of the same age. She smiled and said to her husband Lin Weinan: "The color of the East China Sea coral is really pure. If I present this to you, the emperor will surely be pleased."

Marquis Zhongjing pinched his beard and nodded: "Indeed, we are nobles, and we are different from the clean officials. If the gift we send is too shabby, wouldn't it be a betrayal of the grace of the emperor? Besides, there is Chao Yan, who is waiting for the emperor's judgment..."

Hearing his father mention Chao Yan, the Crown Prince Lin Chaoxu, who was sitting below, frowned and said, "The Emperor has ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate. When the truth is revealed, justice will be done for my sister."

It turned out that the Chaoyan mentioned by the Marquis Zhongjing was his daughter, the elder sister of the Crown Prince, and she married the son of Princess Xing'an. Princess Xing'an was originally the eldest princess, and her younger brother was Emperor Tianlu, who was powerful for a time, but Emperor Tianlu died suddenly less than a year after he ascended the throne, and Princess Xing'an's power also declined by three points.

Later, Princess Xing'an's other brother, Prince Zhou, succeeded to the throne. Unfortunately, Prince Zhou fell ill and died three months after the enthronement ceremony. His son Gao Shuo, who was fourteen years old, succeeded to the throne and has been on the throne for ten years now.

The husband of Lin Chaoyan, who was just mentioned, is the only son of Princess Xing'an. He was accused of colluding with the Japanese and is now imprisoned in Beizhen Fusi for investigation.

After listening to what the father and son said, Mrs. Zhong became worried and said, "My Lord, Prince, the person in charge of the Beizhen Fusi is Lu Chengyun, the commander of the Jinyi Guard? He is that man's son and is deeply trusted by the emperor." Although Mrs. Zhong did not have any children, she treated her stepson and stepdaughter as her own children and was now worried about them.

Speaking of Lu Chengyun, a hint of fear appeared on Marquis Zhongjing's face, which had been full of vigor and composure just now.

This boy is so terrifying. After winning the title of martial arts champion at the age of 20, he was in charge of the Jinyi Guard within five years. Moreover, when Zhong mentioned "that person", Marquis Zhongjing's face turned pale.

When Mrs. Zhong saw the look on her husband's face, she felt that she had said something wrong and dared not say anything more.

However, after the Prince of Zhongjing returned to his room, he mentioned to his wife and cousin Luo: "You don't have to serve the lady today. I want to tell you something. I heard that my aunt, Lady Yan, has already arrived in the capital. She came here for the emperor's birthday. She was so patient in the past, I'm afraid we will be in danger in the future. Look at what happened to my brother-in-law. I'm afraid it was she who caused it. Everyone knows that Lu Chengyun, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, is her son."

Luo said disdainfully, "She heard that her father-in-law died on the battlefield, and she immediately made peace with a soldier. Our mansion and my family tried their best to conceal the truth before marrying her off. She still wants to deal with us. I really don't know if her conscience has been eaten by a dog. She never thought that if we hadn't saved her reputation, would she have been chosen as the wet nurse of the prince of Zhou? Now she can be granted the title of the first-rank imperial edict as a wet nurse, and her son is the commander of the Jinyi Guard. She should thank us for all this. How dare she take revenge?"

Seeing his wife so angry, Lin Chaoxu hurriedly whispered, "You can only say this at home. You can't say this in the palace. You must know that the emperor respects your aunt very much."

After saying this, he held his forehead and said, "It would have been better if I hadn't let my aunt marry me back then."

The wife of the Crown Prince, Mrs. Luo, didn't think so. "Humph, she came here every day. When her mother-in-law was still on the sickbed, she just wanted to flirt with her father-in-law. She finally got what she wanted and married here. When her father-in-law went to the battlefield and sent a false message saying that he had passed away, she immediately wanted to remarry someone else without hesitation. If we talk about the past, with her bloated and ordinary appearance, she was able to marry into the Marquis' Mansion, thanks to her deceased mother-in-law. Look at your current mother-in-law, Mrs. Zhong. Your father-in-law was in a coma, and she was sent here as a wedding bride. She raised you and your sister to grow up. In order to save your sister, she jumped into the ice and became infertile. The difference between these two is obvious."

It turned out that after giving birth to a pair of twins, Da Luo, the original wife of the Marquis of Zhongjing, her health deteriorated day by day. She knew that she would not live long, so she chose her step-sister Xiao Luo as her husband's second wife on the pretext of taking care of her own children.

One year after the girl got married, there was a war in the north and Marquis Zhongjing went to the battlefield to kill the enemy. Suddenly, she received the news of his death, so she threatened to go home and remarry. Later, she was caught having an affair with a military officer by her stepdaughter Lin Chaoyan.

This little Luo was almost thrown into a pig cage by her natal family, but her mother, Madam Luo, saved her and married her to the soldier. Later, the soldier happened to follow King Zhou to Anzhou, and little Luo became the wife of an ordinary soldier.

The next stepmother of the Marquis of Zhongjing, Mrs. Zhong, was originally the daughter of the county magistrate. She and Mrs. Xiao Luo were famous for being the real and fake daughters. Although Mrs. Zhong was the fake daughter, she returned to her humble home, but her care for her stepchildren spread all over the capital. She even went to the bride's house to celebrate. In the end, the husband was honored and the wife was rich. Everyone laughed at Mrs. Xiao Luo for picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons.

Unexpectedly, this little Luo who had fallen into the mud became a first-rank lady after the prince of Zhou became the emperor, and her son became an even more powerful official.

Originally, the two families had nothing to do with each other, but ever since Lu Chengyun captured Lin Chaoyan's husband, the Zhongjing Marquis's Mansion had a vague feeling that this was Xiao Luo's revenge, revenge for Lin Chaoyan's discovery of her affair.

With this mood in mind, on the day of the Emperor's birthday, Mrs. Zhong, the wife of Marquis Zhong, and her daughter-in-law, the Crown Prince's wife, entered the palace with trepidation.

There are rumors that the empress dowager was somewhat unhappy because the young emperor was too close to his wet nurse, Lady Yan. Little Luo's husband had just died of illness, so she simply returned to her hometown in Lin'an. Now that the empress dowager has passed away, she happened to come to the capital. She seized the opportunity very well, but I don't know how little Luo is doing now.

Mrs. Zhong looked at herself and saw that she had gained a little weight but still had a slim figure. She breathed a sigh of relief. Mrs. Luo was definitely a fat girl, and she was better than her in this respect.

When the Zhong family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law arrived at Chengguang Hall, there was already laughter and joy inside. The empress sat at the top, and the first person sitting at the bottom was a stunningly beautiful woman with an oval face, rosy eyes, smooth, white skin, and longing eyes, exuding a gentle aura.

Who is this?

She wore an exquisite five-phoenix crown on her head, pearls around her neck, and the attire of a first-rank lady. She had a charming appearance and looked to be in her twenties.

Zhong couldn't help but feel a little confused.

But the empress said in a friendly tone: "The emperor ate all the longevity noodles you presented to him this morning, and he said it tasted just like before. Madam, since you are in the capital, you should stay a little longer. Why rush back?"

Concubine Shu also said jokingly, "Yes, Madam Yan, you can stay in the capital and come to the palace often in the future."

Mrs. Zhong and her daughter-in-law Mrs. Luo looked at each other and never imagined that this person was actually Lady Luo, the wife of the State of Yan.

Isn't she very fat? How come she is so beautiful now? According to her normal age, she should be around 40 years old. She was born on the same day, month and year as me, and even in the same place. Otherwise, I wouldn't have held the wrong child. Zhong has never given birth in her life. Whether it is her figure or appearance, she is already outstanding among all the women. But when I see her again, she has changed so much.

Even sitting next to the empress who was in her twenties, it was actually a little better.

The Lady of Yan waved her hands again and said, "I am already very happy to be here in Beijing to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. The Emperor has the Empress and other ladies to take care of him. I don't have anything to worry about. I am so happy."

Everyone thought that this was a prudent person.

Seeing that Lady Yan was treated with great courtesy, the Zhong mother-in-law and daughter-in-law did not dare to say anything. Then, there was news outside that the Emperor had summoned Lady Yan and the Empress had actually stood up to see her off, which frightened the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law even more.

The emperor was resting in Jiuhua Palace, and happened to summon his wet nurse. When he saw Lady Yan, he stood up and made a half-salute. Lady Yan quickly turned away, not daring to accept the salute, and said lovingly: "Thanks to the grace of heaven, I am able to enter the palace to celebrate for the emperor. How is the emperor's health?"

When the emperor had smallpox when he was young, it was Lady Yan who took care of him single-handedly without asking anyone else for help. Even when he was six or seven years old, the emperor was still quite weak. The fact that he is in such good condition today is the result of Lady Yan's meticulous care.

Even though the emperor is now fighting against powerful officials and is adept at politics, he is absolutely dependent on Lady Yan.

"When I was young, I often relied on Lady Yan's care. Unfortunately, Chengyun said that you still have to return to Lin'an." The emperor sighed.

Lady Yan said, "Your Majesty, I am old now. It is already very good to have Chengze taking care of me. I never thought that there would be such a day before. It is all thanks to Your Majesty's great blessing. In the future, you must take care of yourself. Don't think that it doesn't matter because you are young..."

The emperor usually had a bad temper, but when he heard Lady Yan's nagging, he felt that he was a loved person, so he listened with a good temper.

"Madam, I intend to confer upon Chengze the title of a thousand-householder of the Jinyi Guard, so that he can provide for my wife in the future."

Lady Yan knelt down to express her gratitude.

…

The eldest son, Lu Chengyun, was appointed as the commander of the Jinyi Guards and had a residence in the capital. The youngest son, Chengze, saw that his mother, Lady Yan, was a little tired after returning, and couldn't help but say, "Mother, my brother told me that Lin Chaoyan's husband might not survive this month. Collaboration with the Japanese is a serious crime, so don't worry."

"Why should I be relieved? Your uncle fell into the lake and died when he was so young. Your grandmother didn't enjoy any blessings from me and was even dragged down by me. Who would have thought that a girl less than ten years old would be so vicious? And my good sister has been plotting against me from the beginning." Lady Yan was filled with resentment when she mentioned the past. Even though she is now extremely powerful, there is no way to make amends.

Lu Chengze said anxiously, "How can you be blamed for this? When you were transferred, your life was very difficult. It was not easy for you to return to your home and meet your family who treated you so well. Who would doubt you? You were able to strike back later, and now you are doing very well."

As soon as the mother and son finished speaking, they said that the emperor in the palace had sent rewards, not only silver, palace silk, and antiques, but also the official position of Qianhu of Jinyiwei for Lu Chengze.

Lu Chengze was ecstatic, he knew that all this was thanks to his mother.

But he still felt it was not worth it for his mother: "If you hadn't been framed by Lin Chaoyan, you would have been the Marquis's wife long ago."

Mrs. Yan waved her hand and said, "Goodbye. I can make a way for myself and take care of you brothers. It's better than being someone else's mother."

Lu Chengze couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. He had heard that it was said in the capital that her mother was blind and could not compare to her elder sister, the original wife of Marquis Zhongjing, who was virtuous and kind, nor could she compare to the loyalty and kindness of her stepmother, Mrs. Zhong.

But now, thanks to herself, not only was her mother granted the title of a first-rank lady, but her brother also became a high-ranking official at the age of 25, and it is possible that he may even be granted a title in the future. Even he himself could easily become a sixth-rank thousand households.

Even his late father was granted the title of Fourth Rank Jinyiwei Assistant because of his mother's close relationship with the Zhou Palace. You have to know that his father was just the son of a general flag, an ordinary soldier.

Everyone thought that being a wet nurse was easy, but they didn't know that without her mother, there would be no chance for her to become the current emperor. It can be said that the life of the current emperor was saved by his mother, and she also trained his brother to become a top martial arts scholar. This is not something that ordinary people can do.

Otherwise, there were eight wet nurses for the Crown Prince of Zhou. How could my mother be so prominent? Moreover, the emperor was so dependent on my mother that the late Queen Mother regarded her as a great enemy.

Lady Yan saw her son smile and poked his forehead: "You should go and have a rest soon. We will be back to Lin'an in a few days."

After her son left, Lady Yan couldn't fall asleep. Her maid Hongluo stepped forward and said, "Madam, the dew is too deep. Let me help you to rest."

"I'm not sleepy yet."

"Would you like some snacks? The master just sent them over."

Hearing the word "dim sum", Lady Yan couldn't help but groan: "No need for that. I was flattered by people with dim sum back then, and I became fat and stupid in my prime. Now it's too late to regret it."

Hong Luo left immediately: "Yes, madam, I will leave now." She was a servant in the capital and did not know what Lady Xiaoyan liked.

Lady Yan looked out the window. The Lu family's mansion was built exactly like the Lu family in Lin'an. When she opened the window, she could see the sparkling lake. Dozens of crystal lanterns were hung beside the lake, making it look like a dream.

This was probably done by the eldest son to make her happy. She had no feelings for her husband, but she gave birth to two such filial sons.

What a pity! If my brother and mother were here, it would have been so nice to see this scene.

When she just returned to the Luo family, her brother gave her a glass wind lantern. At that time, she didn't know that it was her brother's most precious lantern and she didn't watch it closely. So it was broken by the new maid that day.

Thinking of this, the lanterns were blown up by the wind, and she seemed to see her brother running towards her with lanterns in hand...