Invite the Clan Elders

"Young Master Qing, Concubine Ge be your birth mother? Young Master Qing, are you ill? Or have you gone mad?"

Zhu Qing helped Qing up.

Qing cried out, "I'm not sick! I'm not crazy! She really is my mother! Mother, please save my mother, she's dying!"

Zhu Qing sighed.

As long as he's not sick or crazy, that's good. He said it himself, and everyone heard it. Don't even think about going back on your word later.

She released Qing and stood beside Lin Yunwan.

He finally understood his recent doubts. After all this time, it turned out to be like this. It's amazing that Ge Bao'er could come up with such a thing. A cat turning into Crown Prince, she's too bold!

"Sister-in-law, please send someone to save her. After all, she's the Heir Apparent's Concubine; it's a human life. You can't just stand by and watch her die because of this!"

Lu Jia never makes people feel comfortable with what she says.

She promptly ordered the Matron and servants who had followed her, "Hurry up and jump into the water to save them! Are you all blind?!"

Lin Yunwan also ordered people to go into the water.

Although the place where they fell into the water was relatively shallow, it was still dangerous; Xiliu must not be harmed.

Zhu Qing quickly said, "You should all go save Xiliu! Tong Liu, don't you know how to swim? Hurry up and save Concubine Ge. She's from the same room as me; I can't just watch her drown."

Tong Liu replied, "Yes," and prepared to go into the water with the Matron.

Zhu Qing followed and stood on the shore waiting.

She looked at Ge Bao'er, who was pretending to struggle, and sneered inwardly.

"You little bitch, you gave birth to a son and then fed me Contraceptive Decoction. I'll make you pay!"

The Matron and servants who knew how to swim pulled everyone ashore.

Following Zhu Qing's instructions, Tong Liu pulled Ge Bao'er ashore.

Zhu Qing squatted down and exclaimed, "Sister Ge, quickly give me your hand, I'll pull you up!"

Ge Bao'er won't drown, but the water is cold in late autumn.

She couldn't see or hear anything clearly, so she reached out and handed it to Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing pulled Ge Bao'er over, and taking advantage of the chaos, grabbed Ge Bao'er's hair and pulled her head down into the water.

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle."

Ge Bao'er hadn't choked on water before, but Zhu Qing managed to fill her nose and mouth with water, causing her to choke and cough incessantly.

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle."

A few more bubbles rose to the surface of the water.

This is going too far!

Fearing someone might die, the Matron said helplessly to Zhu Qing, "Concubine, please pull the person up quickly."

Zhu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "This isn't the first time I've rescued someone from drowning. Don't you have experience?"

They slowly pulled the person up.

She didn't use much strength; it was only with the help of those around her that Ge Bao'er was pulled out of the water.

Xiliu learned to hold her breath, and Ge Bao'er didn't really want to die with her. Although she suffered some pain, it wasn't a big deal.

It was so cold that her teeth were chattering.

"Give her my cloak."

As she spoke, Lin Yunwan took off her cloak and handed it to Tao Ye, who was nearby, urging Tao Ye to take it quickly.

Tao Ye wrapped a warm cloak around Xiliu's shoulders.

Xiliu's hair, damp and clinging to her face, stammered, "Thank you, Madam."

Lin Yunwan said, "Stop talking. Ping Ye, take her to my place for a hot bath."

Ping Ye nodded and said, "This servant will get her some of my own clothes to wear."

Ge Bao'er wasn't feeling so well. Standing alone in the cold wind, Qing rushed over and hugged her waist, crying and shouting, "Mother, Mother, Mother! I don't want you to die!"

"Qing'er."

She was so cold that she cried while holding her son, only then did she feel a little warmer.

Lin Yunwan walked over, gave the mother and son a cold look, and turned to leave.

Zhu Qing also snorted coldly, looking at Ge Bao'er with great disdain.

The other maids Matron spat at her without any politeness, and they all muttered among themselves as they left.

"I never imagined she was so shameless. Not only was she engaged and seducing men, but she also had a child before the lady of the house even married into the family!"

"I heard that her biological parents are dead, and she has no legal status."

"And you still want to climb the social ladder? Shameless, despicable wretch."

"I was wondering why. Young Master Chang Gong such a good person, yet Young Master Qing and Madam just don't get along. Don't you see? The offspring of a lowly person will also be lowly."

"Shh, don't go talking about the young master's affairs."

"A concubine's child born before the Principal Wife even entered the household is utterly despicable! So what if I said that! I'll say it anyway! Even if you kick me out of the mansion, I'll still speak up for my wife! Despicable!"

A group of maids and Matron returned to the banquet with several masters, and Old Madam Lu and Old Madam Xia immediately noticed that something was wrong.

It seems like something has happened.

Lin Yunwan appeared from the crowd, and Old Madam Lu's heart skipped a beat. Could her great-grandson be in danger? She asked anxiously, "Yun Wan, what's wrong? What happened?"

Old Madam Xia put down her chopsticks and asked with concern, "Where's the child?"

Even Lu Zhengliu was uneasy.

Did he speak too harshly, and the maids Matron relayed the message and frightened Qing?

He frowned, stood up, and looked at Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan's face was icy cold as she glanced at Old Madam Lu and Lu Zhengliu before finally settling on her own mother.

Her eyes reddened, and she closed them briefly before saying, "Mother, please ask the elders of the Lin clan to come here for me."

She knelt down.

Lin Yunyi walked over with heartache, squatted down and helped Lin Yunwan up. "Elder Sister, what happened? Tell me!" He gritted his teeth. "Your adopted son has been very disrespectful to you?"

He can't let that little beast get away with it!

Madam Lin felt a sharp pain in her heart; her daughter's voice was so calm, yet so full of grievance.

She fought back tears, groped her way to help Lin Yunwan up, and said, "Alright. I'll go back and ask your uncles and aunts to come over. Yun Wan, explain everything to your mother now."

Wei Shi was stunned.

She walked over and said, "What's wrong? Why did you invite the Lin Family over?"

Why is it acting like we're severing all ties with the Lu family?

Old Madam Lu and Lu Zhengliu had already guessed what was going on, but Old Madam Lu hadn't expected things to escalate to this extent!

She called out, "Yun Wan."

Ge Bao'er is just a Concubine; she won't live much longer. What's there to be afraid of?

She kept this secret to herself, wanting to tell it but not daring to.

Lu Zhengliu lowered his head and clenched his fists.

He had always been afraid that she would find out, but now that she did, he was relieved of a major worry.

Only Old Madam Xia was left completely bewildered. She looked at Lu Jia.

Lu Jia walked over to her mother-in-law and spoke on Lin Yunwan's behalf, since it was something that couldn't be kept secret anyway.

"Brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but how could you be so foolish? Even if younger female cousin Ge is Qing's biological mother, you can't hide it from Yun Wan. She's the legal mother; she doesn't care about legitimate or Concubine-born Son Legitimate Sons. How could she not raise him?"

"Look how upset you've made your sister-in-law! You'd better go and comfort her."

Old Madam Lu felt dizzy.

It really was that!

Wei Shi's eyes widened. She strode up to Lu Zhengliu, grabbed his arm, and asked, "Is Qing really Ge Bao'er's son?"

Lu Zhengliu nodded.

Amitabha.

No wonder that brat was so annoying; he was born to the Old Madam's even more detestable Grandniece!

It's outrageous that they kept it from their own mother.

"Oh dear, I'm telling you..."

Wei Shi clapped her hands and stamped her feet, unable to utter a single word of what she wanted to say; she simply lacked the literary talent.

But she was anxious and ran to grab Madam Lin's hand, urging, "Mother-in-law, please don't get angry."

Madam Lin was a well-educated, reasonable, and gentle person who never lost her temper or showed any displeasure.

She shook off Wei Shi's hand and said coldly, "We really dare not stay in your Lu family any longer!"

Madam Lin herself was unsteady on her feet, Lu Zhengliu tried to help her up.

Lin Yunyi stood in front of Wei Shi, coldly looking at Lu Zhengliu, and said, "No need for the Heir Apparent to worry, I will take care of my mother."

Madam Lin's voice trembled. "Yun Wan, come home with me."

Lu Zhengliu blocked their way, saying apologetically, "Mother-in-law, Yun Wan can't leave."

Old Madam Lu also came out and said, "My dear in-law, if the Lin Family truly wishes to send members of the Lin Family to our door, my Wuding Marquis Residence will open the main gate to welcome them. But Yun Wan is still a member of my Lu family; you cannot take her away!"

Continuing this argument will only result in both sides suffering losses.

Old Madam Xia stepped forward and said, "Then let the elders of both families come over to talk." She whispered to Madam Lin, "The Wuding Marquis Residence won't make things difficult for Yun Wan. If you insist on taking her away, then things might get complicated. Listen to me, go back first."

Lin Yunwan also advised Madam Lin, "Mother, you and your brother should go back first. I'm fine."

Lin Yunyi, suppressing his anger, said, "Sister, Mother and I will be there to pick you up soon!"

Lin Yunwan nodded and saw them out the Second Gate.