"Uncle Wei, you shouldn't have asked me that. You've already risen to the rank of Minister of Revenue, a second-rank official. You've seen more of the world than I have. You've been an official for so many years, what kind of people haven't you met? What kind of dirty schemes haven't you seen?"
What to do next is hardly a problem for you.
"I have something important and difficult to do right now, so I'll head back first." Hong Xiaoduo patted him on the shoulder, stood up, and started to leave.
"Girl, what's troubling you? Tell me, and I'll help you solve it," Lord Wei quickly stood up and asked.
Hong Xiaoduo turned around: "I need to think carefully about how to talk to Kaiyang. How about you go and explain to him for me?"
Upon hearing this, Lord Wei thought for a moment and immediately waved his hand, saying, "You should go and tell him, girl. If I go and tell him, that boy won't believe me."
If things go wrong, that kid might misunderstand and think he's a conman, that he deliberately lied to keep him as his grandson. Thinking back to the day he said he wanted to adopt him, the way the boy looked at him was so fierce, like a little wolf cub. Lord Wei didn't want to leave a bad impression on his grandson.
Hong Xiaoduo knew what he was thinking, smiled, shook her head, and left.
Kaiyang found herself practicing swordsmanship with the guards while holding a tree branch. Just as she was about to walk over, the steward quickly passed her and said to the guards, "The master is waiting for you in the study. Hurry up and go there."
Everyone was taken aback and called for everyone to come over. What was going on? It was because they had all been with this young lady Hong since noon, so they felt it was inappropriate. But if that was the reason, then the steward, Uncle Qing, could have just reprimanded and warned them. There was no need for the adults to personally discipline them, was there?
The guards didn't dare to delay and hurriedly followed the steward.
By this time, it was completely dark, but lanterns were still hanging at intervals throughout the mansion.
"Kaiyang, let's go back and wash up, then go to bed early." Hong Xiaoduo led Kaiyang toward the guest room. She had already thought about how to tell the child on the way to Beijing, but she still felt she should think about it some more.
Outside the guest room, the maid Ziyue and a servant Awen were assigned to serve the two of them.
When Hua returned to the mansion, she instructed that Hong Xiaoduo and Kaiyang be arranged in a guest room. When Ziyue and Awen saw the two guests return to the room, they carefully followed them in.
"Please prepare water for my bath," Hong Xiaoduo said.
When I entered the manor today, I simply washed up. Kaiyang had just practiced swordsmanship with the guards for a while. Although it wasn't very strenuous since I had just finished dinner, I still sweated a bit in this season.
There were two beds in the guest room, but only one washroom. After the water was brought, Hong Xiaoduo asked Kaiyang to go in and wash first. When the servant Awen saw this, he quickly followed and went in to serve him, but Kaiyang refused.
"It's alright, he's just not used to it yet, let him be." Seeing the servant looking a little uneasy after being rejected, he quickly said.
Her words reassured Awen, who stood aside waiting to go inside and tidy up.
On the other side, Lord Wei, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, walked towards his courtyard and met his son, Wei Zizheng, who greeted him. "Father."
"Zizheng, your father was just about to send someone to fetch you," Lord Wei said, looking at his son.
"Father, I have something to tell you." Wei Zizheng was a little anxious, and after he finished speaking, he sensed that something was wrong with his father's expression.
"What's wrong with you?" He didn't know how to ask, because as his own son, he couldn't tell what his father was feeling at that moment.
Excitement? Anger? A mix of emotions makes it quite complex.
"Put everything else aside for now and go fetch Caiying. I have something important to discuss with you." After saying this, Lord Wei walked past his son and continued towards his own courtyard.
He originally planned to talk to his son first, and then explain to his wife, while his son would talk to his daughter-in-law.
But then I thought, why bother with all that trouble? I can just tell those three myself.
Wei Zizheng was unaware of why his father was in such a hurry and so serious. He paused for a moment, then turned around and stopped his father, saying, "Please listen to what your son has to say first."
His son had never acted like this before. Lord Wei nodded and said, "Speak."
Wei Zizheng then told his wife about her current situation, saying that she was under a lot of pressure and was in a lot of pain.
Facing Tong'er, he felt no affection, surprise, or excitement; instead, he was incredibly affectionate towards the child named Kaiyang.
When Lord Wei heard this, he was taken aback. He had returned home this afternoon and met his daughter-in-law. He immediately sensed that something was wrong with her mood and assumed that she did not believe that the child the family had adopted was her son. He thought that in order to appease her, she had chosen a child who looked most like Zizheng and lied to her that she was Tong'er.
So that's why my daughter-in-law was acting strangely!
“Father, you and Mother both know Caiying’s personality. She didn’t want things to turn out this way. So, please don’t think she’s being unreasonable, and please don’t blame her. I believe that after Hong Xiao Niangzi leaves with that child, Caiying will have more time to spend with Tong’er and will gradually accept it. She just needs some time.” Wei Zizheng couldn’t continue.
He knew, of course, that his father and mother were not unreasonable people, and that they treated Caiying like a daughter.
However, this matter is too special. No one can understand why he is not close to his own son whom he has lost and found with great difficulty, but instead finds it hard to let go of a child with no blood relation. He is afraid that if his father and mother fail to persuade him, they may not be able to help but say harsh words to Caiying.
After hearing this, Lord Wei looked at his cautious son and was deeply moved.
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