What Are You Plotting?

Seeing that Zhao Jingli was somewhat swayed, Zhao Ruyu quickly pressed her advantage. "I just inquired, and because Physician Shi is in the manor, the treatment was quick, and the old lady's condition isn't too serious. She'll recover with proper care. Since the consequences of her mistake aren't too severe, punishing my mother within the manor is fine. Sending her back to her parents' home is bad. If this gets out, my fourth sister and I will be fine; we can just stay home and not go out. But what about my second brother? With a mother like that, he'll be pointed at and gossiped about as soon as he goes out. What will he do then?"

As she spoke, she covered her face and wept.

Zhao Jing'an shuddered at the thought of the consequences and quickly continued to plead.

Caidie and Caiyun came with the First Madam. The First Madam led Matron Zhou into the main hall, and after Lady Wei and Lady Su left Rongxi Hall, the two of them stood guard at the entrance of the Rongxi Hall.

Seeing this, Caidie quickly went into the courtyard and reported what had happened to Zhao Yuanxun and the First Madam.

The First Madam's face immediately turned ugly.

Matron Zhou hurriedly asked, "Should this old servant go and reprimand the Second Young Master, the Fourth Miss, and the Sixth Miss?"

The First Madam shook her head and said, "No need. Let's see how he does it." She closed her eyes, but the tears she was trying to hold back still rolled down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Zhao Yuanxun squeezed Lady Zhu's hand with heartache and sighed.

Because Zhao Jingli was the heir apparent, he and Lady Zhu devoted the most energy to him, cultivating him not only in both literary and martial arts from a young age, but also in setting very strict requirements for his character.

If Zhao Jingli disregarded the old lady's illness, the rules of the Marquis's mansion, and his principles of conduct, and actually came to them to plead for Lady Wei, even though he might only be concerned about brotherly affection and not actually meant for Lady Wei, because they knew he was Lady Wei's son and Lady Zhu Zhao Jing'an's biological brother, they couldn't help but think about their kinship.

Is the deep blood bond between a mother and child, or between brothers, truly unbreakable? No matter how meticulously one raises or how well one treats another, can it compare to the blood ties between a mother and child?

Ever since they learned that Zhao Jingli was not their son, but rather a product of a conspiracy orchestrated by the Lady Wei to seize the title of Marquis, he and Lady Zhu could no longer treat Zhao Jingli with a fair heart.

They had initially hesitated about how to deal with Zhao Jingli, but now Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu clearly realized that they could no longer keep Zhao Jingli by their side. Otherwise, they would be resentful, and Zhao Jingli would also become psychologically distorted because of their attitude. Such a punishment would also be unfair to Miss Xi and Zhao Jingtai.

So let's all go back to where we are and live in peace.

Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu sat there lost in thought when they heard Matron Zhou softly remind them, "My lord, my lady, the eldest young master has entered."

The two looked up and saw Zhao Jingli walk in, followed by Zhao Jing'an, Zhao Ruyu, and Zhao Rurui.

Zhao Jingli first bowed to the two of them, then asked with concern, "How are Father, Mother, and Grandmother?"

Zhao Yuanxun glanced at his wife, noticing her tightly pursed lips, her eyelids not even lifting, and Zhao Jingli complete lack of interest in speaking. He then said, "The treatment was timely; her condition is alright."

This is their unified explanation.

After all, if things had been portrayed as extremely serious, it would have been hard to believe that the old lady suffered no aftereffects of her stroke. However, it is an undeniable fact that Lady Wei's domineering words and actions caused her mother-in-law to suffer a stroke.

The four children all breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Jing'an, Zhao Ruyu, and Zhao Rurui lifted their shirts and knelt down.

Zhao Jing'an said, "I know my mother's behavior was inappropriate and made the old lady sick. She should be punished. I would like to beg my uncle and aunt to allow me to take some of the punishment for my mother. My mother loves me the most. If I am punished with a dozen strokes because of her mistake, she will surely reflect on her actions and think twice before speaking and acting in the future, and dare not make mistakes easily again. This punishment is more effective than sending her back to the Wei Family. Therefore, I beg my uncle and aunt to allow me to request to be punished with fifteen strokes of the cane. There is no need for my uncle and aunt to carry out the punishment; I will have the steward of the second branch of the family do it."

He had carefully considered the reason for choosing fifteen strokes of the cane. It was within his physical tolerance and wouldn't put his uncle and aunt in too much of a difficult position.

Zhao Ruyu and Zhao Rurui also bowed and said, "We voluntarily request to copy Buddhist scriptures twenty times to pray for the old lady's well-being."

After the three finished speaking, Zhao Jingli said, "Father, Mother, Second Brother, Fourth Sister, and Sixth Sister are all very filial. How about we give Second Aunt a chance to admit her mistake?"

Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu felt a chill in their hearts and stared at Zhao Jingli for a long time without saying a word.

The children's hearts jumped into their throats.

After a long pause, the doctor said coldly, "A crime of disobedience cannot be so easily forgiven with just a few words. If you let it go so easily, your grandmother will have suffered an illness for nothing."

Her gaze towards Zhao Jingli was filled with disappointment. "Your grandmother has always doted on you. When you pleaded for your second aunt, did you even consider your grandmother's feelings? You considered their filial piety, but where is your own filial piety? Young Master Li, I've carefully raised you for over ten years. But today, you've disappointed me greatly."

As she spoke, she waved her hand, turned her face away, her expression one of utter despair, her voice tinged with weariness and sorrow. "Let them out."

Matron Zhou and Caidie immediately stepped forward and asked them to leave.

Zhao Jingli blushed deeply after being spoken to by Lady Zhu, feeling extremely ashamed, and immediately knelt down.

His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say that he knew his grandmother's condition wasn't serious and that he was pleading for his second aunt for the sake of the overall interests of the Marquis's mansion. But the words wouldn't come out.

It seems that no matter what I say, it's just sophistry, making me appear particularly insincere.

"Young Master, you'd better go out with them. Can't you see how worried the Marquis and Madam are about the Old Madam's illness? Instead of helping, you're making things worse," said Matron Zhou coldly.

She also doted on Zhao Jingli like a grandson. Zhao Jingli's actions just now not only hurt Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu, but also chilled her heart. Therefore, she spoke without any mercy.

Zhao Ruyu was unwilling to be kicked out like this, so she raised her head and called out, "Aunt..."

Matron Zhou turned her attention to her. "Sixth Miss, you're the same. The Old Madam has always treated you well, even better than your own mother. Even though she knew you weren't a daughter of the Marquis's family, she still didn't send you back. Now you eat and use better things than the other young ladies in the manor."

She smiled dismissively, "After all that happened, you only cared about protecting your mother, ignoring the old lady's love for you. I don't think you have much filial piety towards your mother, do you? Do you think that your marriage to the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence will be difficult because your mother was sent away? At a time like this, all you think about is yourself!"

Upon hearing this, both Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an looked at Zhao Ruyu.

Zhao Ruyu encouraged them, and they only thought that Zhao Ruyu was being filial to Lady Wei. Little did they know that she had this ulterior motive.