Have you seen it?
They actually dared to bring their mistress and her son to the wife's front; that's going too far.
Rong Ning frowned and asked again, "Has anyone told you about their identities?"
The Seventh Madam shook her head. “The manor has held several grand banquets, but these are not things we need to worry about. Many people come to the banquets, and we don’t know many of them well. I remember this mother and son because my mother-in-law got along well with them. My mother-in-law liked the child very much and would call him over to talk every time she came, which is how I remembered them.”
Ha...this family really treats the Seventh Madam like a monkey.
Rong Ning really felt sorry for her. "Your mother-in-law likes them so much, aren't you curious about their identities? After all, people don't become close to each other for no reason."
The Seventh Madam shook her head. "There are so many people coming and going in the mansion, there's nothing to be curious about. But I overheard them chatting, and it seems she's a distant cousin from my sister-in-law's family."
Distant cousins from my sister-in-law's family?
This relationship is so convoluted, it's absolutely amazing!
Listening to this, it seems that not only the Seventh Young Master and the Prefect and his wife know about the existence of this mistress and her son, but it is even possible that the entire Zhu family, except for the Seventh Madam, is kept in the dark.
If that's really the case, then the Zhu family is utterly disgusting!
When someone truly wants to deceive another person, they can completely fool you, leaving you with nothing but dust and grime.
Rong Ning took a deep breath, pointed to the portrait of her mistress, and tentatively asked, "Would you like to take a closer look? Does this child look like your husband?"
"ah??"
Upon closer inspection, the seventh wife realized that the eyebrows and eyes did indeed resemble her husband's, and she was momentarily stunned.
"Your Highness, what do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is that this mother and child are your husband's mistress and son, who are kept outside the marriage. The child is five years old now, so according to the age, the child should have been born before you got married."
I have investigated this woman's identity. She was originally the daughter of a steward, but her family was convicted of a crime and she became a prostitute. Later, she caught the eye of the Seventh Young Master, who redeemed her. However, because of her lowly status, the Zhu family could not agree to take her into their household, as it would damage their reputation. Therefore, they secretly kept her outside.
And judging from what you just said, it's likely that more than one person in the Zhu family knows about this.
"No...impossible..."
The Seventh Madam's face turned ashen, her eyes wide open, and she shook her head frantically, "Impossible...they wouldn't do this to me."
The little girl in her mother's arms became uneasy because of her mother's emotional fluctuations and burst into tears.
Her loud crying left the Seventh Madam feeling helpless and bewildered.
She cried as she comforted her daughter in her arms, glancing at Rong Ning from time to time with deep sorrow and despair in her eyes.
This scene is heartbreaking.
Aying pulled out a few pieces of candy from somewhere, squatted down, and stuffed them into the little girl's wide-open mouth as she cried.
The crying stopped abruptly.
The little girl, with a candy in her mouth, sniffled, turned her head, stared blankly at Aying, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Candy...candy...sweet...thank you~ hiccup~thank you for the candy, sister!"
Soft and chewy—absolutely adorable!
"Good boy/girl~"
Aying patted her head and said to the Seventh Madam, "If you are at ease, Madam, let me take her out to play for a while. That way, it will be easier for you and His Highness to talk."
The Seventh Madam instinctively wanted to refuse, but when she thought of the few rays of sunlight that occasionally pierced through the dark and damp prison, she suddenly changed her mind.
She looked up at Aying, tears streaming down her face, and pleaded, "Isn't the sun shining brightly today? Can we take her out to bask in the sun for a while? My Ayu loves sunbathing the most."
Aying's heart tightened, and she looked at Rong Ning to see what she would say.
Rong Ning nodded.
Sending the children away makes it easier for them to talk.
The little girl was very obedient, not making a fuss, and was carried away by Aying. Madam Qi watched her daughter being carried away before slowly turning her head back.
She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Highness... what you said is only one side of the story. I want to believe it, but I dare not believe it completely. After all, he is my husband. We have been married for many years and have a very deep relationship. I still don't believe that he would do such a thing!"
"I know!"
Rong Ning wasn't in a hurry. It would be strange if she believed someone after hearing just a few words about something so important.
She took out a portion of the account books and handed them to the Seventh Madam. "These are the deeds to the land, houses, and shops that your husband and mother-in-law transferred to that mistress over the past few years. The amount is huge. Oh... right, this is only a part of it."
If all is accounted for, a quarter of Zhu's assets were transferred to this mother and son before Zhu's downfall.
The Seventh Madam felt her hands and feet turn cold as she listened. Looking at the accounts, her eyes burned and swelled, and her chest heaved violently.
She clutched the account book tightly, her red eyes looking at Rong Ning, and asked in a trembling voice, "Your Highness...where are this mistress and her child now? Have they been imprisoned?"
"No... The entire Zhu family is involved. They seem to regard this child as their hope and are doing everything they can to protect him and preserve the Zhu bloodline. That's why they've hidden their whereabouts very well and haven't found him yet."
"So Your Highness means that the Zhu family, on the surface, is involved in a nine-generation clan feud, but in reality, they have secretly prepared a way out, and all of us may be stepping stones."
Rong Ning nodded, "That seems to be the case."
"But why?!"
Why did Zhu Qi treat me like this?!
What does all those years of marriage mean?!
The Seventh Madam looked up, tears streaming down her haggard face.
From the moment she married into the Zhu family, her husband doted on her, always putting her first and never arguing with her. Everyone said that the Seventh Young Master used to be incredibly promiscuous, but it was his wife who made him turn over a new leaf. Marrying a wife like her was a blessing the Seventh Young Master had accumulated over several lifetimes.
Because of this, her mother-in-law was very fond of her, always saying that it was thanks to her that she hadn't given up and that the marriage had come to fruition.
Her mother initially looked down on Zhu Qi. She was the youngest daughter in the family and was doted on, but Zhu Qi was just an illegitimate son with no official rank. In her mother's eyes, no matter how powerful the Zhu family was, it was really a case of climbing the social ladder by sending an illegitimate son to marry her daughter.
However, the mother-in-law visited the family many times to arrange the marriage, her sincerity growing stronger with each visit, and her words were always pleasant. After much consideration, the parents finally agreed to the marriage.
After marriage, Zhu Qi behaved very well, and his mother gradually felt at ease. Later, after giving birth to A Yu, seeing Zhu Qi busy taking care of her, she was even more relieved and said that Zhu Qi was a good husband. Although he was not successful in his career, he was still a caring person.
That's what she thought too.
But... now she's being told that it's all an illusion. How ironic.
She had seen that mother and son many times, and had even witnessed them interacting with her husband.
They really think she's stupid!
The biggest fool in the world!
What was she thinking back then? She was so bewitched by a dream woven by a man that she refused her family's offer to help her escape and followed him to her death.
How ridiculous!
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