The Old Madam pulled back the swaddling clothes and saw the red rash covering the baby. Her heart ached terribly, and she hurriedly ordered someone to summon the Residence Physician.
Xu Rourou stopped her. "There's no need, Old Madam. Just give the child to me."
"You?"
Xu Rourou staggered to her feet and took the child, then turned her back to the Old Madam to nurse him.
Once she finished feeding him, the baby stopped crying, and his skin returned to its normal color.
She explained, "It's a hereditary skin condition in my family. His birth mother's milk will soothe it. Once he's weaned, it won't recur."
"Old Madam, I know I've made a terrible mistake. For Huai Shan's sake, please forgive me this once. If you must punish me, at least wait until the child is weaned."
The Old Madam asked, "Can you guarantee that this hereditary condition won't affect Huai Shan's health in the future?"
"It won't. Everyone in my family has been like this since childhood." Xu Rourou's gaze flickered.
The Old Madam sighed deeply. Still uneasy, she had the Residence Physician examine him before she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Wan arrived with little Wanwan in her arms.
As soon as she entered, she saw Xu Rourou sitting to one side, soothing Xie Huaishan and weeping pitifully.
"Wan'er, you're finally here. Sit down! Oh, let Great-Grandmother have a look at little Wanwan. What a darling!"
The Old Madam warmly took Liu Wan's hand and drew her down into a seat. Little Wanwan, however, refused to play along and buried her head in Liu Wan's arms.
[When someone showers you with kindness for no reason, they're either scheming or stealing. Be careful, Mother.]
"If you have something to say, Old Madam, please say it." Liu Wan soothed the little one in her arms as she looked up at the elder.
"You know what happened today. I must be getting muddled in my old age. That gold-and-jade neck ring was meant for little Wanwan, but that foolish mama took the wrong one. You won't hold it against your grandmother, will you?"
Liu Wan pressed her lips together and said meaningfully, "It's no great matter."
The Old Madam took the gold-and-jade neck ring a servant brought over and was about to put it around little Wanwan's neck.
A pair of chubby little hands seized it in a death grip. The baby actually glared at her, puffing with anger.
The Old Madam's expression stiffened before she smiled again. "Little Wanwan likes it. Then hold it and play with it."
[One look at the color, and you can tell this neck ring wasn't meant for a girl. Giving me the male lead's leftovers... Wanwan doesn't want it. Wanwan isn't a rubbish recycling station...]
As the little girl grumbled, she suddenly flung out her hand and tossed the neck ring away.
Clack.
The sharp sound of shattering jade rang out. The gold and jade separated, and the neck ring broke into several pieces.
The Old Madam and Mama Qing stood frozen, their faces looking worse than if they had swallowed shit.
Sitting to one side, Xu Rourou laughed to herself. That baby girl was already offending people right after her birth. Surely the Marquis's Residence would favor her and Huai Shan even more now.
"A child's clumsy mistake. Please don't blame her, Old Madam. Pan Chun, replace it with a new one from my dowry," Liu Wan instructed.
Pan Chun curtsied. "Of course, Madam. There are so many neck rings like this in your dowry. Which one should I choose to compensate the Old Madam?"
"Just take one with better materials and workmanship than this."
"Yes." Pan Chun left with a hand over her mouth.
The Old Madam sat down to one side, her expression dark.
"You were there when it happened today, Wan'er. You're the mistress of the Marquis's Residence. When one prospers, we all prosper; when one suffers, we all suffer."
"Under our dynasty's laws, giving an Imperial Gift to an adopted son truly dishonors the Imperial House. His Majesty's dragon fury is not something a mere woman like me can bear. Since you gave it to this child, Old Madam, did you not even think of a way out?"
Liu Wan frowned as she challenged her.
The Old Madam froze for a moment, then cried, "I didn't give it to him. I only saw how frail and sickly he was and lent it to him for a while to nourish his health..."
"Then tell His Majesty that," Liu Wan replied.
"His Majesty won't believe me. Wan'er, only you can save the Marquis's Residence." The Old Madam clutched Liu Wan's hand tightly.
"What wise solution do you propose, Old Madam?"
The Old Madam said, "Adopt Huai Shan as your own. Then he'll be a legitimate son, with the standing to receive the honor of an Imperial Gift. It's the best way to preserve the Marquis's Residence."
[I knew you were up to no good, you old fossil. You want to use Mother's resources to send the male lead soaring to heaven in a single step. Pah!]
Little Wanwan raised her head and spat.
But all that came out was a bubble, which she then began playing with.
"Old Madam, I've already said that not just anyone can become a legitimate son of the Marquis's Residence. Back then, Zi Mu and Zi Xing were children from respectable families whom the Xie family selected from thousands.
"Simply because you took a liking to him, you decided to pity a child of unknown origins, even giving him an Imperial Gift. Now you keep insisting that I adopt him. Unless this child carries the blood of the Marquis's Residence, I find it very hard to understand why you're doing this."
Liu Wan spoke calmly and unhurriedly, sweeping an indifferent gaze over everyone present.
Even Xie Jin'an silently clenched his fists where he stood.
Liu Wan was no fool. She was cleverer than any of them. It was precisely because she was so clever that she had brought order to the Marquis's Residence's languishing businesses and household affairs.
The foolish ones were his grandmother and Xu Rourou. Their motives were far too obvious.
Only if they told her the truth would Liu Wan consider the greater good and help them.
Having thought it through, Xie Jin'an was about to speak when the Old Madam burst into tears.
"Wan'er, now that it's come to this, your grandmother won't hide it from you anymore. Huai Shan does carry the blood of the Marquis's Residence. He's the only biological son in this generation! The Marquis's Residence cannot be left without an heir. For its sake, you must save him, no matter what!"
Liu Wan's expression finally eased a little. She looked at Xie Jin'an. "Is he your child?"
Xie Jin'an's gaze darted away.
The Old Madam said, "No, he's not Jin'an's. He's the Fourth Young Master's."
Liu Wan's heart instantly chilled again.
She really had thought far too highly of them.
Xie Jin'an was the eldest son, with three younger, concubine-born brothers. The Fourth Young Master, Xie Jinqiu, was the youngest and had only just turned sixteen. Sickly all year round, he had never left the residence and was betrothed to a merchant's daughter. How could he have had an illicit affair and fathered a child?
The Old Madam said, "Because the Fourth Young Master hasn't married yet, it would be a scandal if word got out. That's why I brought this child home to raise him in secret."
"Where is the child's birth mother?"
The Old Madam glanced at Xu Rourou, then closed her eyes. "Dead!"
Liu Wan was furious!
They were still lying to her!
Suddenly feeling unwell, she stood up. "Old Madam, if you wish to protect this child, go to the palace yourself and plead guilty. As mistress of the Marquis's Residence, I naturally won't stand idly by. I'm willing to accompany you to the palace!"
The Old Madam froze!
Xie Jin'an and Xu Rourou were both stunned.
Liu Wan continued coolly, "This child cannot be brought into the light, so leaving him in his wet nurse's care would be appropriate. Since people outside already know about this affair, he can only be an adopted son of the Marquis's Residence..."
After a moment's thought, Liu Wan told the Old Madam, "Since Jin'an has also bedded the wet nurse, we might as well arrange for the concubines to be taken in at the same time. The wet nurse will count as one. You or Jin'an can find another when the time comes."
"Then the wet nurse's rank..." the Old Madam asked.
"This child does carry the blood of the Marquis's Residence, after all. How could we let him suffer? Xu, if you're willing to take this child as your own, you may be elevated to the rank of a lowborn concubine. If not, you'll be a bedchamber maid..."
Once Liu Wan had made these arrangements, everyone was thoroughly convinced.
[Mother is amazing! She's nailed down his status. The male lead will forever be an adopted son who can't be brought into the light. He won't even count as a concubine-born son. Hehe, still hoping to soar to heaven in a single step? Dream on! Pah, pah, pah!]
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