good season

Chapter 148 The Woman in Qingjing Nunnery (Two chapters combined)

Perhaps it was the genitals that had long since become a meal for rats and been reborn through the cycle of grains that had the effect, because this time, Old Madam Wei's sorrow came and went quickly.

After all, even in her own grandmother's heart, being shortchanged was not as good as being given the correct weight.

Although the difference is only two ounces, it is still a difference. Moreover, Zhu Yu is now lacking more than just two ounces of meat; he also has the position of heir apparent.

In the past, Madam Wei would have immediately gone to Consort Li to demand an explanation, but this time, she hesitated.

It was during this brief hesitation that Lord Zhu returned.

Before he even entered the door, he heard that his elderly mother had almost fainted again. Lord Zhu was startled and rushed to Chunhui Hall with the speed of a reincarnation.

A son can die, but an old mother cannot.

If a son dies, he can have another one, but if his elderly mother dies, he must observe the mourning period.

Emperor Yongjia ruled the country with benevolence and filial piety. Not to mention Lord Zhu, even if a border general lost his father, he would have to ask the court officials to plead for him repeatedly before Emperor Yongjia would give a long talk about the great principles of filial piety and then issue an edict to allow him to remain in office despite the loss of his father.

Last time, because of Zhu Yu, Old Madam Wei fainted once. The imperial physician repeatedly warned that she should not be stimulated again, otherwise she might not wake up if she fainted again.

Lord Zhu's current job is both leisurely and lucrative, and many people are eyeing it. After three years of mourning, who knows if he will still have this position?

Lord Zhu rushed into Chunhui Hall, only to find that although Old Madam Wei's eyes were red and swollen, she was sitting there perfectly fine.

Lord Zhu let out a long breath and waved to the maids and servants filling the room: "All of you, step back."

The maids and servants all left, leaving only the mother and son in the room.

Madam Wei glanced at him and said, "Your son has been stripped of his title as heir, yet you seem unconcerned."

Not only was he not in a hurry, but Lord Zhu was in high spirits, his eyes brimming with excitement. As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his mother, and Old Madam Wei immediately guessed that something happy had happened.

Lord Zhu rubbed his hands excitedly, like a fly attracted to a cesspool.

"Mother, Rou Rou and Ruan Ruan are pregnant! Yes, they're both pregnant! I specially invited several doctors to check their pulses, and they all confirmed it's a happy pregnancy. I'm going to be a father again!"

After Aunt Lan miscarried, Lord Zhu was depressed for several hours. However, after a few hours, he recovered from his grief and threw himself into his pursuit of women.

Rou Rou and Ruan Ruan were the two sisters he had recently been favoring. Coincidentally, Aunt Lan had just suffered a miscarriage, and the sisters soon started experiencing various discomforts. Lord Zhu didn't pay much attention at first, but it wasn't until Rou Rou said that her period was over that he realized what was going on. He immediately sent people to fetch doctors, calling four or five at once. The diagnosis was that not only was Rou Rou pregnant, but Ruan Ruan was also pregnant.

This was a great joy for Lord Zhu, who had been struggling to have children. He wished he could sprout wings and fly back to share the good news.

As for Zhu Yu, Lord Zhu had already forgotten about him the moment he lost his manhood.

Although I only have one son, Zhu Yu, am I someone who lacks sons? It was the women in my household who were inadequate before. Just look at the women I keep outside. First there was Concubine Lan, then the twin sisters. If I don't exert myself, all is well, but if I do, I have three.

Lord Zhu excitedly shared the good news, but Madam Wei showed no joy on her face: "Yu'er's position as heir is gone."

Lord Zhu paused for a moment, then smiled and comforted her, "Mother, it's not the title of heir apparent that's missing, but the title of Marquis of Baoqing. As long as the title remains, why worry about not having an heir apparent? Look, Rou Rou and Ruan Ruan are pregnant at the same time, so there should be at least one son in each of their bellies. Then, won't we have an heir apparent again?"

Madam Wei snorted coldly: "They are all born of vixens, they can't be brought to the table, how can they compare to my Yu'er?"

Lord Zhu laughed and said, "Mother, just register the child under Ma's name after it's born. Does that ugly hag Ma dare to refuse?"

Of course, Madam Ma wouldn't dare. Now that she's disfigured, it will be difficult for her to even see Lord Zhu again. If she doesn't have any children, she'll have no place in this mansion.

Madam Wei sighed, "What about Yu'er? The Emperor has stripped him of his title as heir apparent, intending for the Ministry of Justice to severely punish him. Are we just going to do nothing and watch Yu'er die?"

Lord Zhu thought, "Let him die if he wants. He's a disgraceful thing, and he's just a burden to live. I've heard that he's always stripping naked in prison. Yan Xia had no choice but to have someone tie him up with a blanket."

Some people say that Zhu Yu was shouting and yelling in the prison, and the sound of her was like a shrew in heat.

When Lord Zhu heard these words, he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. He was full of vigor and could have as many men as he wanted. How could he have a eunuch as his son?
So that guy should just die already, then it'll be none of his business anymore.

Thinking of this, Lord Zhu's eyes lit up: "Mother, I'll go and ask Uncle to step in and, before the Ministry of Justice makes its judgment, open the ancestral hall and expel that person from the Zhu family and remove them from the genealogy!"

Madam Wei was taken aback, wondering if she had misheard.
What did the son say?
Should Yu'er's name be removed from the family genealogy?

Seeing that Madam Wei was in a daze, Lord Zhu regretted it a little. Alas, why did he say it out loud?

Why can't he act first and ask for permission later?

But words spoken cannot be taken back.

Lord Zhu had no choice but to explain, “Your son is worried that he will implicate the Zhu family. After all, Rou Rou and Ruan Ruan are both pregnant. In the future, the children will either inherit the title or enter officialdom. How can they have such an elder brother? You love Yu’er, but they are also your grandchildren.”

Madam Wei remained silent. Seeing that his mother's expression had softened, Lord Zhu quickly seized the opportunity: "Mother, please don't go to Consort Li's place for now, and don't mention Yu'er's marriage either."

Madam Wei frowned, as if she had thought of something: "The Emperor has summoned you?"

Lord Zhu looked embarrassed. It would have been better if the emperor had come to see him personally, at least the emperor would have been willing to see him. But the emperor did not. Instead, it was an eunuch from the emperor's side who found him and gave him a lecture.

Only then did he learn that his old mother had actually gone to the palace and asked the emperor to betroth the eldest princess of the Liang Prince's Mansion to Zhu Yu!

At that moment, Lord Zhu thought he had misheard. Zhu Yu was a eunuch, everyone in the capital knew that. Had his mother gone mad? If he really wanted to find Zhu Yu a wife, he could give him a larger dowry and marry him to a woman from a humble family. But his mother was eyeing the Princess of Liangdi. She was no ordinary member of the imperial family; she was the daughter of the Eighth Prince, a princess!

Regardless of whether this marriage can actually happen, just mentioning it in front of the emperor is a slap in the face to the emperor and the Zhao imperial family!

That's right, it wasn't that Lord Zhu was self-aware, but rather that those last few words were spoken by that eunuch, and it was a warning.

Anyone who isn't mentally impaired can understand it.

Lord Zhu understood perfectly and immediately declared that he was the head of the Baoqing Marquis's mansion and that such a thing would never happen again as long as he was there.

Now that his mother had seen through his scheme, he told the truth and revealed that the emperor had sent his eunuch to reprimand him.

But the next moment, Old Madam Wei sneered repeatedly: "Heh heh, that old hag has grown wings, she doesn't take me seriously anymore." Lord Zhu was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Mother, what do you mean? What old hag?"

He had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. He had always known that his mother held something on Consort Li, but he didn't know what it was.

He had asked Old Madam Wei about it, but she said he was ignorant and incompetent, and worried that one day he might drink too much and say something in his sleep, which would be overheard by some vixen.

He could only guess that, most likely, Consort Li had had affairs with men before her marriage, but hadn't gone all the way yet, which was why she was able to enter the palace as a virgin.

Believe it or not, he actually guessed correctly. Unfortunately, he only guessed the first half. As for the second half, it wasn't that he couldn't guess it, but that he didn't have the courage to do so.

But now, he really wants to know.

My elderly mother is getting on in years. What if she faints one day and never wakes up again? Wouldn't this secret have to be carried to her grave?

What should he do?
Since the death of her loyal servant Uncle Ming five years ago, Madam Wei has not trusted anyone else, so she sends her son to Qingjing Nunnery every year, firstly to donate some money, and secondly to have a word with the nun Qingjing.

The silver was not much, only a thousand taels a year, and he only exchanged a few words with Abbess Qingjing.

Question: "Are the people in the nunnery alright?"

Answer: "Okay."

Ask: "Take me to see it."

Answer: "Okay."

Then, Abbess Qingjing would lead him to the medicinal herb field behind the nunnery, where several nuns were working. Abbess Qingjing pointed to one of the middle-aged nuns and said, "She's over there."

They were standing some distance from the medicinal herb field, but Lord Zhu still managed to see the nun's face. Although she wore no makeup, she was pretty and even looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.
Recalling these past events, Lord Zhu became increasingly puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Mother, after all these years, who exactly is that person in Qingjing Nunnery? You must let your son know the truth. Although I can rest easy knowing that the Baoqing Marquis's mansion has you as its pillar of strength, you are not a deity and cannot live forever, right?"

Madam Wei's face turned ashen. This unfilial son, is he worried that if she dies, no one will be able to protect him?
Although Madam Wei was angry, she knew in her heart that she was getting old.

Ever since she fainted last time, she knew that her health was not as good as before.

She originally intended to tell her son this on her deathbed, but now she has decided to tell him earlier.

"She is that man's daughter."

"Who is it?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Lord Zhu realized something and exclaimed in surprise, "It's...it's Li!"

Before he could finish speaking, Old Madam Wei interrupted him: "It's her daughter."

Lord Zhu was so surprised that he opened his mouth wide and couldn't utter a single word.

I never expected that Consort Li would be so bold as to dare to participate in the imperial concubine selection even after having given birth. And those old nannies in the palace who were responsible for physical examinations, were they bribed or blind? How could they not tell that a woman had given birth?
Oh, and the retired emperor was also blind; he didn't even see if there was any bleeding.

No, I've heard that the madams in brothels all know how to do this: they smear chicken blood on the sheets to make their customers happy.

Oh my, Consort Li really knew how to have fun when she was young; no wonder she was favored.

When Madam Wei saw that Lord Zhu's eyes were darting around, she thought he didn't believe her, so she said, "Back then, she was still Consort Li. She finally got pregnant with the emperor's child, but Consort Meng also happened to be pregnant. The Emperor Emeritus already thought highly of Consort Meng, and now the difference in their status was even more obvious. He would visit Consort Meng every day after court, but he ignored Consort Li, who was also pregnant."

Back then, your grandmother had an old nanny who could tell the sex of a woman from the shape of her uterus, and she was extremely accurate.

Consort Li asked me to bring that old nanny into the palace. The old nanny could tell at a glance that she was not carrying a boy.

At that time, Consort Li asked me for help. We were both women of the Wei family, and we would share the same fate.

Before entering the palace, she had a lover who was already married with children. Since she came from an official family, she could not become a concubine, so the two broke up.

Her life seemed smooth after entering the palace, but it was not so pleasant. With so many women in the harem, it was impossible to give her all the favor. She often felt lonely and would think of that man again.

She asked me for help to find out about that man. Coincidentally, she and that man's wife got pregnant around the same time.

So when the old nanny determined that she was carrying a girl, she asked me to find her a few pregnant women outside the palace.

This included the man's wife.

Later, Consort Li did give birth to a girl, while the man's wife gave birth to a boy. I risked having my family wiped out and my clan exterminated to send the boy into the palace, while bringing the baby girl out at the same time.

Hehe, don't underestimate this transaction. There are more than twenty lives involved, including the old nanny that your grandmother valued the most.

Your grandmother fell ill because of that old nanny's death and passed away not long after. The reason your father and I became estranged was also because of this incident.

If this hadn't happened, your father wouldn't have taken a concubine, there wouldn't be that second son's family, and I wouldn't only have you as my son.

What Madam Wei didn't say was that the old Marquis Baoqing didn't know the whole story. He only suspected her of killing the old nanny and causing his mother's death, so he never entered her room again.

Since they did not share a room, they naturally could not have any more children. Therefore, Madam Wei only gave birth to Lord Zhu, while the old Marquis Baoqing had another son with his concubine, Lord Zhu the Second, who was the father of Zhu Qing and Zhu Xin.

Madam Wei held a grudge about this for half her life.

"This is what that bitch owes us. She owes me, she owes you, and she owes the Marquis of Baoqing's mansion!"

Old Madam Wei gritted her teeth, while Lord Zhu stood frozen in place.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and Lord Zhu was terrified!
After a long while, Lord Zhu finally heard his own voice: "Mother, are you saying, are you saying that the one in the palace... he's not... not the Emperor Emeritus's child?"

Madam Wei sneered: "His father's surname is Xu, and his name is Xu Kun. His wife's surname is Zou. Xu Kun was once that slut's father's advisor. He had an affair with that slut, but when that slut's mother found out, she dismissed him."

Lord Zhu finally recovered from his shock. He remembered what Old Madam Wei had just said about the more than twenty lives lost: "This Xu Kun is dead, isn't he?"

Madam Wei said, "Back then, Madam Zou willingly handed the child over to me. Can you guess why?"

How could Lord Zhu know? He shook his head.