"A-Qing, things have come to this; the dagger must be pulled out eventually," Ruan Ruoying said sorrowfully, looking at Feng Zuwen lying on the bed.
Her face was full of grief, but only she knew what she was truly thinking.
She exchanged a glance with Feng Zuwu.
"Sister-in-law, this dagger cannot stay in his body for long," Feng Zuwu also urged.
"Yuanhao…" Song Shuqing looked at her eldest son.
"Pull it out. Even if there is only a ten percent chance of survival, we have to fight for it," Feng Yuanhao said, holding back his grief.
Feng Yuanhan nodded as well.
"Doctor Hong, can you wake Zuwen up? There are things he needs to arrange. In case he never wakes up again…" Ruan Ruoying said hesitantly.
Song Shuqing did not understand what she meant.
Feng Yuanhao, however, understood completely.
If their father passed away like this, the Marquisate title would inevitably have to be passed to someone else.
He was a cripple; how could he support the Marquis's estate? His second brother was chronically ill and was not an ideal choice either. That left only Second Uncle and Third Brother.
He closed his eyes in agony.
"Imperial Physician Hong, please use your acupuncture needles to wake Father." A tear fell from Feng Yuanhao's eye.
He was the eldest son. When his father collapsed, he was the only one who could make the decisions.
Imperial Physician Hong administered the needles.
Feng Tianxing also understood her step-grandmother's intention—she wanted her father to leave his last words.
Feng Zuwen slowly regained consciousness.
Feng Yuanhao pushed his wheelchair to the bedside and, with tears in his eyes, explained the situation to Feng Zuwen.
Feng Zuwen turned his head weakly to look at his wife and children.
Song Shuqing's face was already covered in tears.
With great effort, Feng Zuwen raised his right hand to touch her face, his voice frail. "Madam, I might have to depart first. The children will be left entirely in your care. However… I will try my best to survive. A ten percent chance is still hope."
"Zuwen, do you agree to have the blade pulled?" Ruan Ruoying stepped forward and asked.
Feng Zuwen lifted his eyes to look at his stepmother and second brother.
"Pull it," he squeezed out two words with difficulty, indicating his agreement.
"Zuwen, now that things have come to this, for the future of the Marquisate, to whom do you think you should pass the title?" Ruan Ruoying wore a sorrowful expression, even managing to squeeze out a few tears.
She isn't even bothering to hide her fox tail anymore. So direct and blatant.
Watching Ruan Ruoying's expression and the slight curl of Feng Zuwu's lips, Feng Tianxing complained inwardly.
Father, don't say anything reckless! You won't die—I can save you! You'll be hale and hearty tomorrow!
Sigh, but Father doesn't know I have this ability. What should I do?
Whatever, let him say whatever he wants. As long as he doesn't die, whatever he says won't count anyway. Feng Tianxing stood in the corner, shouting anxiously in her heart, tangled in dilemma.
Upon hearing this ethereal voice, the members of the first branch froze in unison.
Song Shuqing knew that was Feng Tianxing's inner voice.
Knowing that her husband might be saved, she didn't overthink it and instantly perked up.
"Husband, this is not something we can decide. It is better left to the Emperor to determine."
To prevent the others from noticing anything unusual, Song Shuqing immediately leaned over Feng Zuwen's bed, facing him, and winked at him frantically. Since the others were behind her, they could not see her subtle movements.
Having also heard Feng Tianxing's inner voice, Feng Zuwen was stunned. Seeing his wife's hints, he realized something was amiss and naturally went along with her.
"Mother, this matter… indeed… must be decided by the Emperor." He was extremely weak; speaking was an agonizing effort, and his words were somewhat slurred.
Ruan Ruoying thought about it and realized it was true. Besides, the Emperor could not possibly let Yuanhao or Yuanhan inherit.
Neither brother looked capable of shouldering such a burden.
Whether it went to Zuwu or Yuanji, it would still belong to their second branch.
With that in mind, she pressed no further.
Imperial Physician Hong and Doctor Zhang worked together to swiftly pull out the dagger. They quickly applied medicine to stop the bleeding, tightly wrapped the wound with bandages, wrote a prescription, and left after giving their medical instructions.
Throughout the entire process, Feng Zuwen did not faint again. He wanted to live; his third son was still so young, and he had yet to figure out whose childlike voice that was.
Once the matter was handled, the unrelated people left. Song Shuqing dismissed all the serving maids and servants, telling them to stay far away, and personally closed the door.
The third son was taken away by Ruan Ruoying, who said Song Shuqing certainly wouldn't have the mind to care for him tonight.
Only the family of five remained in the room.
"Mother, what is going on?" Feng Yuanhan was young, only thirteen, and was the first to speak up.
Only then did Song Shuqing bring over Feng Tianxing, who had been standing in the corner, and sat by the bed with her.
"Husband, Yuanhao, Yuanhan, look at this child." Song Shuqing had them look at Feng Tianxing's face.
Earlier, they had been too busy with Feng Zuwen's injury to pay attention to Feng Tianxing. Fortunately, the child was truly well-behaved, standing quietly in the corner the whole time, so no one from the second branch had noticed her.
"Mother, why does this child look so much like you?" Feng Yuanhao was the first to react.
"Who do you think Yuanji looks like?" Song Shuqing glanced at them and asked.
"He doesn't seem to resemble Mother, nor Father," Feng Yuanhao said after thinking seriously.
"Husband, this child had been begging outside our gates for five consecutive days. I brought her in today, and once she was washed clean, she looked so much like me. So, I decided to take her in as an adopted daughter."
Mother, I'm your biological daughter! That boy named Yuanji is Second Uncle's child!
Feng Tianxing could barely sit still. She pointed back and forth between the two brothers, gesticulating wildly while letting out urgent babbling noises.
She desperately wanted to express that she and her two elder brothers were of the same blood.
The two brothers stared in shock at Feng Tianxing, who was babbling non-stop, their jaws practically dropping.
"Madam…" Feng Zuwen, lying on the bed, was no better off, calling out weakly.
Seeing their reactions, Song Shuqing knew that they could also hear the child's inner voice. She immediately shot them a warning look, signaling them to stay silent.
It would be bad if the child found out they could hear her inner voice.
No one would want others to know their private thoughts.
That would leave no sense of self at all.
"I suspect this child is our actual daughter. Otherwise, how could she look so much like me by coincidence? It must be the deities in heaven guiding her back to find us." Toward the end, Song Shuqing looked lovingly at Feng Tianxing in her arms.
Back then, when she woke from her stupor and learned that her second sister-in-law had given birth to a stillborn, she had comforted her for a long time.
Mother truly is clever! Just from my looks, she knows I'm her biological child! Feng Tianxing immediately beamed at everyone. Her hard work to return hadn't been in vain; she had suffered quite a lot over these past three years.
"What?" Feng Zuwen played along, asking in astonishment.
"I knew it! Doesn't Yuanji look just like Second Aunt?" Feng Yuanhan pretended it was a brilliant guess, which was also the truth.
"In other words, the second branch plotted to swap the babies back then," Feng Yuanhao stated with certainty, not as a question.
Eldest Brother is smart, too! Your broken legs were also arranged by the second branch, and Second Brother isn't sick—he's poisoned! The second branch just wants the noble title. If the father can't get it, they'll let the son take it!
The family was even more shocked to their core.
"Despicable… Despicable! I must have been blind!" Feng Zuwen closed his eyes in agony.
The pain from his wound was nothing compared to the heartache he felt.
Weren't you truly blind, Father? You actually thought your stepmother was genuinely good to you? In the beginning, she hadn't secured her footing in the Marquisate, so of course she treated you and Eldest Aunt well. Once her wings grew strong, she naturally favored her own children!
You foolishly filial father, your stepmother prays every day for your death. Everything you own will be snatched away by Second Uncle's family, and you will meet a tragic end. All because they have their eyes on your title! Feng Tianxing grumbled inwardly.