Meng Zhaoyuan stiffened. She hurriedly let go of Wang Su and looked at Zhuang Qing, asking in confusion, "Mother, what are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?" Zhuang Qing grabbed Meng Zhaoyuan and pulled her over to face Wang Su. Both their gazes darted away. Zhuang Qing demanded sternly, "Do you dare say she has nothing to do with you?"
What do I do? What do I do?
Meng Zhaoyuan blinked innocently. "Mother, I left you when I was little, and I finally managed to come home. Why are you trying to push your daughter away?"
With that, Meng Zhaoyuan lowered her head, pinched her sleeve, and dabbed at the nonexistent tears beneath the corners of her eyes.
Zhuang Qing watched her posturing coldly.
Had that voice not told her that Meng Zhaoyuan had thought up every last bit of this, Zhuang Qing might have been fooled by her act.
Thinking it over carefully, because she and the general both felt guilty toward their daughter, they usually turned a blind eye whenever she shed tears.
Before coming here today, Zhuang Qing had thought that she and her husband had spoiled Meng Zhaoyuan rotten, leading her to cause this trouble.
She had been determined to discipline Meng Zhaoyuan properly, only to unexpectedly uncover such an enormous secret.
"Mother?"
When Zhuang Qing remained silent for a long while, Meng Zhaoyuan raised her head.
Zhuang Qing sneered. "Can't keep up the act anymore?"
"Mother, I really don't know what you're talking about."
Seeing that Zhuang Qing had made up her mind today, Wang Su said, "Madam, every last bit of this is my fault. Please, don't hold it against the young lady."
Still trying to deceive me.
Zhuang Qing walked over to the maid and took her hand. "This is my daughter! You switched the dragon for a phoenix and let a cuckoo occupy a magpie's nest!"
How did she find out?
Wang Su had no time to think it through. Wailing and pounding her chest, she said, "Madam, it's all my fault for letting lard cloud my heart. I wanted my own daughter to enjoy wealth and glory, but-but Zhaoyuan is innocent!"
Wang Su reached out and pushed Meng Zhaoyuan forward a little, hoping Zhuang Qing would soften.
Watching all this, Tong Aning sighed inwardly.
[She's not innocent at all. Back when Wang Su gave birth, her husband happened to pick up another baby outside. All these years, that child slaved away like an ox or a horse in their home, with Meng Zhaoyuan ordering her around, and she wasn't even guaranteed one full meal a day.]
[If not for the neighbors helping her out, she might have died long ago!]
Died!
Zhuang Qing's heart jolted. She had nearly been separated from her daughter by life and death.
No wonder. No wonder.
When she pulled the child over, all she had felt was a handful of bones. Zhuang Qing's heart ached unbearably. Her vision went black, and her face turned pale as she began to collapse. The maid caught her.
The maid asked timidly, "Madam, are you all right?"
Even the hand Zhuang Qing held hers with was trembling. Tears streamed down Zhuang Qing's face. "Not madam. Mother. You're my daughter."
Zhuang Qing drew the maid's hand up against her face. "You surely don't remember, but your little hand once rested against Mother's face."
So tiny, so soft, so fragile, she had been stolen away, then passed along and discarded, suffering every hardship.
Zhuang Qing wished she could suffer in her place.
"Mother?" Azhu said hesitantly.
"Yes, yes, I'm your mother."
Azhu raised her hand and awkwardly wiped away Zhuang Qing's tears.
Zhuang Qing wanted to cry even more.
Meng Zhaoyuan cried too. "Mother, I'm the one..."
"Shut your mouth. I have no mind to deal with you now. Once the general returns, I'll let him decide."
Meng Zhaoyuan and Wang Su were both taken away by people from the general's estate.
Azhu looked toward Lou Yingyu, who waved generously. After they left, Lou Yingyu poked Lou Ming's arm. "Father, have someone deliver Azhu's bond of servitude tomorrow. That way, the rift between you and the great general will naturally be resolved."
"Don't think you're the only clever one. The court forbids forming factions for private gain. You're harming your father. Do you know that?"
Lou Yingyu played with her braid and blinked, not taking it seriously at all.
[Xixi, what rift is there between the chancellor and the great general?]
Uh-oh.
Lou Yingyu glanced at her father. You're on your own.
Lou Ming: ?
[When the chancellor and the great general were young, they both liked Zhuang Qing. The two arranged a fight, and the chancellor lost.]
It made sense. How could a chancellor possibly beat a military general?
[That's all?]
[Yep.]
[No wonder I thought there was something a little off about the chancellor's gaze just now.]
What was off about it? Lou Ming's eyes widened indignantly. He had been young and impulsive then. Those feelings were long gone now.
Before one wave had subsided, another rose.
Lou Yingyu whispered, "Father, if I tell Mother about this..."
"Hmph. Your mother has known for ages. If you want to use this against me, wait until your next life."
Lou Yingyu pouted.
Word had it that after returning home, the great general had sent Meng Zhaoyuan and her birth parents straight to Jingzhao Prefecture.
The family of three had knelt and begged him, but the great general had not even looked back. His household was already making preparations for a banquet to acknowledge Azhu as his daughter.
Lou Yingyu had told Tong Aning all of this.
Tong Aning felt no sympathy for Meng Zhaoyuan. It was best if everything could return to its proper course.
"Big Brother?"
Tong Yibin had been back for less than two hours, yet he was already heading out again. And he was actually frowning.
According to their parents, her big brother was someone who would remain perfectly calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him. He could actually frown too?
Tong Aning ran up to Tong Yibin and asked, "Big Brother, what's wrong?"
Tong Yibin said, "Vice Minister Wei escaped. We still haven't found him."
"The vice minister who wanted to frame you?"
Tong Yibin nodded. Tong Aning tried to pull him toward the pavilion to sit down. He was just about to refuse when she said, "Big Brother, maybe I can help you."
With the ability Tong Aning had gained, she really did have a way. Tong Yibin followed her to the pavilion.
Tong Aning poured him some tea. "Big Brother, don't worry too much."
Tong Yibin said distractedly, "I'm just worried the family will be implicated."
[So that's why Big Brother was frowning?]
Tong Yibin touched his eyebrows.
Tong Aning said, "Actually, Big Brother, you can look for him at his wife's younger brother's house."
Tong Aning's words were never wrong. Tong Yibin nodded and asked, "Why her younger brother's house?"
Besides his wife's younger brother, Vice Minister Wei also had her older brother.
The neighbors all said he was closest to her older brother, and they often arranged to listen to storytelling and drink tea at teahouses together.
"Well..." Tong Aning chuckled.
Tong Yibin immediately broke into a cold sweat on Vice Minister Wei's behalf.
[Because Vice Minister Wei and his wife's younger brother have a relationship no one knows about.]
A relationship no one knew about...
Could it be a passion of Longyang?
Tong Yibin suddenly felt a wave of disgust. He immediately stood. "I'll go arrest him right now."
"Hey, hey, hey, Big Brother, wait!"
By the time Tong Aning ran out of the pavilion, Tong Yibin was already nowhere to be seen.
Tong Aning could only head back. [Xixi, why did you tell me to stop Big Brother just now?]
[Because some people are tumbling like phoenixes in bed, oblivious to heaven and earth.]
Tong Aning let out an "Ew." Would Big Brother get a stye?