Madam Cen suddenly thought of something, “Where has that wretched boy gone?”
Her trusted matron was taken aback, then couldn’t help but gasp, “He must have gone to find the eldest young master…”
Madam Cen broke out in a cold sweat.
“Quick, stop him!”
But it was already too late.
Cen Shaoyuan was the legitimate second son of the family, also the youngest.
After Cen Fang’s father passed away, Cen Fang was busy with matters at the Office of the Crown Prince’s Affairs and rarely concerned himself with household trivialities.
Naturally, he paid little attention to the upbringing of his children.
He already had an exceptionally outstanding eldest son.
This youngest son was excessively doted on by his wife and had a stubborn temperament. Cen Fang held no great expectations for him.
As long as he didn’t cause trouble or create problems for him, that was enough.
As for the other concubine-born sons and daughters, he naturally paid even less attention.
But on this day, Cen Fang learned that his youngest son, for the sake of a woman, had gone to beg his eldest son to use the Crown Prince’s connections.
Cen Fang was furious.
“You’ve always indulged that wretched boy, and I’ve never said anything, but now he’s done such a thing! You! Do you want to anger me to death?”
Cen Fang was reserved by nature, usually quiet and taciturn.
But Madam Cen had always held a certain reverence for her husband.
Seeing him lose his temper, she trembled with fear and knelt down.
Weeping, she said, “Husband, husband, I didn’t know either!”
“That wretched boy was perfectly fine, then suddenly went mad…”
“It must be that young lady surnamed Zhou! It must be her! She deliberately came to our house to break off the engagement, then took the opportunity to deceive A Yuan…”
Cen Fang truly hadn’t known about this matter.
He frowned, “What are you saying? Explain in detail?”
Madam Cen was helped up by her personal matron and sat on a chair. She pressed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief before sniffling and recounting how Zhou Mingyi had come to their home to break off the engagement.
“You mean, Zhou Yanjin’s daughter personally brought the marriage contract and token of promise to our house to break off the engagement?”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Madam Cen trembled, “Husband, you never asked!”
The matter of postponing the marriage between their youngest son and the Zhou family’s daughter was an unspoken understanding between the couple.
Cen Fang had once said that the Zhou family had now declined, leaving only a brother and sister, and it was unclear what would become of them.
Madam Cen understood his implication and put a hold on the marriage between her youngest son and the Zhou family’s daughter.
As prospective in-laws, when Zhou Yanjin and his wife were still alive, Madam Cen had been very attentive to Zhou Mingyi.
After all, they were prospective in-laws, just waiting for the two young ones to come of age so the two families could become relatives—how could she not pay attention?
If she didn’t, the in-laws might inevitably have thoughts.
Madam Cen had no daughters of her own, but she herself had once been a young girl.
Thus, she was most aware of when Zhou Mingyi would come of age.
In fact, several years ago, when the Zhou couple was still alive, Madam Cen had already decided on the coming-of-age gift she would give Zhou Mingyi.
It was an extremely luxurious ruby headdress set.
Even the style was one that young girls would like.
A woman’s coming-of-age ceremony was extremely important, signifying that she had reached adulthood and could discuss marriage.
But since her husband had hinted at his intentions, last year, on Zhou Mingyi’s birthday, Madam Cen had “held her ground” and not acted.
Cen Fang fell silent.
“Since she has already come to break off the engagement, what is that wretched boy trying to do now?”
Madam Cen was also puzzled, “Husband, don’t you know Yuan’er’s temperament?”
“He’s always been contrary since childhood. Perhaps that Zhou family girl saw this and deliberately played him!”
That’s what Madam Cen thought.
Otherwise, why would her son act like he’d lost his mind?
Cen Fang pondered for a moment, “So it seems that girl from the Zhou family is quite scheming.”
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
Madam Cen then recounted the entire sequence of events.
Cen Fang frowned in thought for a while, “In that case, it might be better to just let him have his way. With his stubborn temper, the more you oppose him, the more determined he becomes.”
Madam Cen thought the same.
“But what about Qing’er?”
“He has always doted on that little troublemaker, and you know how persistent that child can be. I’m afraid he…”
The “Qing’er” Madam Cen referred to was her and Cen Fang’s eldest son, Cen Shaoqing.
Cen Shaoqing was a full six years older than his younger brother Cen Shaoyuan.
Raised by his grandfather since childhood, he had always been diligent and had passed the imperial examination as a jinshi five years ago, ranking in the first tier and entering the Hanlin Academy.
What was even more remarkable was that in his earlier years at the Imperial College, he had been classmates and close friends with the Crown Prince.
Later, leveraging this connection, he also served as Assistant Director of the Crown Prince’s Library in the Eastern Palace.
This was a position of the fifth rank, lower grade.
This rank was actually half a grade higher than Cen Fang’s position as Assistant Director of the Household of the Crown Prince.
Moreover, their son was young and had old ties with the Crown Prince, making his future even more promising.
But favors are like a resource that diminishes with use.
If their eldest son couldn’t withstand his younger brother’s pestering and used his connection with the Crown Prince on such trivial matters, they would be furious.
Compared to the eldest son’s future, the younger son’s little whims were completely insignificant.
Cen Fang immediately ordered horses to be prepared; he had to stop that rebellious son and absolutely could not allow him to do something so reckless.
…
Shen Residence.
Shen Kuo remained unconscious. Emperor Qianwu had ordered imperial physicians to personally attend to him. The Xue family wanted to intervene but couldn’t, growing increasingly anxious.
“Kuo’er has rendered great service this time. Why isn’t he being brought back to our care?”
General Xue directly confronted Madam Xue.
In front of the imperial physicians, Madam Xue felt embarrassed, “Husband, His Majesty’s intention is for Kuo’er to be treated right here at the Shen Residence by the imperial physicians. How… how could I disobey His Majesty’s wishes?”
Madam Xue felt extremely wronged.
General Xue: “You!”
“Since you can’t help, you should leave. Don’t disturb the imperial physicians while they’re administering acupuncture to Kuo’er.”
General Xue also felt ashamed.
Shen Kuo was the son of his loyal subordinate, who had died saving him. Before dying, the subordinate entrusted his only son to him.
But at that time, the frontline battles were intense, so he sent the child back to his residence and entrusted him to his wife.
Madam Xue had always been meticulous and thorough, so General Xue never suspected that Shen Kuo might not be well-treated in their home.
It wasn’t until he returned to the residence and saw Shen Kuo, wary like a wolf cub, that he realized what kind of life the child had been living in their household all these years.
In a fit of anger, General Xue took Shen Kuo to the military camp.
To Madam Xue, this only confirmed the earlier rumors—that Shen Kuo, this wolf cub, wasn’t really the son of some loyal subordinate but was instead a product of General Xue’s indiscretions outside.
It wasn’t until Shen Kuo had trained in the military camp for several years and General Xue proposed marrying his own legitimate daughter to him that Madam Xue panicked.
Although General Xue was a rough man, he would never do something as contrary to ethics as having his own children marry each other.
Only then did Madam Xue realize she had been mistaken all these years.
Shen Kuo truly was not General Xue’s son.
If he were his son, how could Old Xue have entertained such an absurd notion as marrying his own daughter to him?
But it was too late for regrets.
She had treated Shen Kuo poorly, and Shen Kuo had always been wary of her.
Even this time, when he was so severely injured, he returned directly to the sparsely populated Shen residence instead of going to the Xue residence.
Yet, upon second thought, Madam Xue felt a surge of resentment.
“Why did he have to go and save that Consort Zhen? He might as well have died with her at the bottom of the cliff.”