Bastard

"She is Yun Wan! How could she not be Yun Wan? Why doesn't Yun Wan come back? Zhengliu, why doesn't she go home?"

Old Madam Lu returned to the Wuding Marquis Residence and waited for Lin Yunwan to come back.

Lu Zhengliu told her that Lin Yunwan would not be coming back.

Old Madam Lu was puzzled. "But I recognized her, she... she..."

Lu Zhengliu extremely agitated. He pushed the Old Madam aside and pressed her onto the bed. "Grandmother, they all say she's not Yun Wan!"

Yes, that's her!

"Old Madam Lu said, weeping."

I know she is!

Lu Zhengliu roared. He knew better than the Old Madam, but now everyone thought she wasn't.

He became increasingly irritable.

Suddenly, I smelled a strange odor, which grew stronger and stronger.

Neither the grandmother nor the grandson spoke. Old Madam Lu waved her hand, saying, "Go away, go away!"

"Grandson takes his leave."

Lu Zhengliu in panic, Nanny Yan, with a dark face, cleaned the Old Madam's body.

After leaving Hall of Longevity, he went to find Zhu Qing.

Lu Chang'gong happened to be there as well. Lu Zhengliu's voice was cold. "Why do you say that she is not Yun Wan? She is Yun Wan!" He stared intently at his Concubine and his eldest son.

Zhu Qing was a little scared at first, but when she saw that Lu Chang'gong next to her was almost as tall as Lu Zhengliu and was looking at him without any fear, she was surprised.

She was no longer afraid.

"Mu'er, go out and play."

Zhu Qing had her maid take her daughter away, sighed, and said to Lu Zhengliu, "Master, you're confused. Young Madam is dead. That wasn't our Young Madam. That was Prince Huan Consort."

She said resentfully, "If we slander Prince Huan Consort, our Lu family will be in deep trouble. Don't forget, there are so many people in the manor who are waiting to be fed and clothed."

Lu Zhengliu suddenly realized that he was the Eldest Di Son of the Wuding Marquis Residence.

What outrageous things has he done?!

But he was still unwilling to give up.

"Chang Gong, why don't you recognize Yun Wan? She's your mother!"

If even one of them could prove it was Lin Yunwan, things might have been different.

Lu Chang'gong looked at him expressionlessly and said softly, "I told you before, my mother is dead."

Lu Zhengliu looked at the two of them, feeling a deep sadness in his heart.

"You... you..."

They're all blatantly lying!

Lu Chang'gong paused, then reminded him, "You should think about it. If you offend the royal family and the Duke's mansion all at once, do you think the Wuding Marquis Residence can still survive?"

Of course it can't be saved.

However, there are two kinds of danger. The matter has not yet been settled with Emperor Jingshun, Wuding Marquis Residence is not in danger of being destroyed for the time being.

On the other side of the Duke Xingguo's Residence, it might not be so.

"Grandpa, grandpa, chaos! Chaos outside!"

The foreman of the Front Courtyard rushed in.

Lu Zhengliu and glared at him. "Who let you into the inner courtyard?"

The steward was horrified. "Go out and see for yourself!"

Lu Zhengliu the Front Courtyard to see what was happening. People from the Duke Xingguo's Residence's Mansion had come to move things and retrieve belongings. These included money, items, and the maids and servants that Madam Chen had previously given to Ge Bao'er.

Everyone has to go back now!

The Wuding Marquis Residence could no longer withstand such an impact, especially in front of its neighbors, as they wanted both money and people.

Hearing the commotion in the inner courtyard, Zhu Qing felt a sense of panic.

She asked Lu Chang'gong, "Eldest Young Master, what... what will we do in the future?"

Lu Chang'gong smiled faintly, "Don't be afraid, Concubine. You, me, and Mu'er will all get by."

Zhu Qing pursed her lips and said, "I'm not afraid of not having money. It originally belonged to the Duke's mansion, and I haven't used their things! I'm worried about the entire Lu family suffering."

When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?

Lu Chang'gong said calmly, "Concubine doesn't trust Mother."

When this taboo was mentioned, Zhu Qing paused for a moment.

She sat down with relief, smiling, and said, "Yes, how could I not believe... your mother?"

After holding back for a long time, Zhu Qing couldn't help but burst into tears of joy. "I never thought I'd see her again. She's not dead, that's wonderful!"

"Eldest Young Master, you... you knew all along?"

She only just realized it.

"If you hadn't known beforehand, how could you have brought your two maids Ping Ye and Tao Ye, to work together with your mother from the inside?"

Zhu Qing became more and more excited as she spoke.

Lu Chang'gong nodded. "This is the day I've been waiting for."

"I might be able to help my mother when she returns."

Even if it's just a drop in the ocean, he will still be there for his mother.

Zhu Qing covered her face and cried, "Eldest Young Master lied to me so badly!"

Lu Chang'gong smiled faintly, "If I told you, your acting would be unconvincing."

After crying, Zhu Qing began to worry about Lin Yunwan again. "I wonder if the Princess Consort can pass the Emperor's test."

The Crown Prince must be reasonable, Three Departments and Six Ministries must provide evidence.

However, in the presence of emperors, likes and dislikes always come first.

Lu Chang'gong's hand, holding the teacup, trembled slightly as he said, "I trust my mother's judgment. She married Prince Huan and decided to return; she must have been confident."

Zhu Qing smiled and said, "That's true..."

\

"It's just a family dinner, so please don't be shy."

In the Imperial Palace, Emperor Jingshun summoned his two sons, as well as Qi Zaijun.

But they all knew in their hearts why this unexpected family dinner was for.

No one spoke at the banquet.

After the banquet, Emperor Jingshun casually asked, "I've heard there's been a strange thing circulating in the Capital lately. Crown Prince, Seventh Prince, what do you think?"

The Crown Prince was thin and frail. He had barely bowed when Emperor Jingshun said, "Alright. Make yourself at home."

"... yes."

The Crown Prince said, "The matter has been settled; it was nothing but baseless rumors."

Qi Lingheng said casually, "Whatever the Crown Prince says goes."

Emperor Jingshun remained silent for a moment.

The memorials that have been submitted recently are all over the place, and they all concern his daughter-in-law's identity.

Now that both sons had reached an agreement, he no longer wanted to say it openly.

Emperor Jingshun said to Qi Lingheng, "You and Jun'er stay here and have some crabs with me tonight."

She then said to the Crown Prince, "You can't eat crabs. The weather is getting cold, so you should go back early to warm yourself up."

"... yes."

The Crown Prince's arms were weak and trembling constantly.

Eunuch came to help him up, and the Crown Prince reluctantly knelt before the emperor and empress before leaving the palace.

Emperor Jingshun took Qi Lingheng to his study.

He placed the secret letter in front of Qi Lingheng and asked with a stern face, "Aren't you going to tell me the truth?"

The letter had already been opened. Qi Lingheng glanced at it and learned that a garrison sent by his Imperial Father to Jiangqian had returned and had investigated everything thoroughly.

Qi Lingheng was not afraid. He put the letter back and said softly, "Imperial Father, what is said in the letter is largely correct."

"You bastard!"

Emperor Jingshun was so angry that his beard flew off. He thought of how his son had promised to marry in Jiangqian a few years ago, but after the marriage, he refused to come back, saying that it was because he had done something terrible and that he couldn't let the Di Daughter of the Lin family travel such a long distance with him.

... He even thought his son had gotten an unmarried girl pregnant, so he hastily issued an imperial decree ordering him to marry her on the spot in Jiangqian, thus missing his own wedding.

He didn't do that kind of despicable thing, but what Qi Lingheng did was even more despicable than that!

"Imperial Father, this is Crown Prince owes me."

Qi Lingheng raised his head and said coldly.

Emperor Jingshun fell silent.