Jiang Wanwen felt irritated looking at her eldest daughter-in-law, who was full of petty schemes. If her eldest son Fu Xuanrui were here, she would have already grabbed a stick to beat him.
It seemed that in any era, unfilial sons were unreliable. “Enough, I’m tired. Take the child and leave!”
Xiao Jiaru still had other news to inquire about. How could she just leave? “Mother, do you have any news about my maternal family, the Guanshan Hou estate?”
“When we left Shengyang, the Guanshan Hou estate was the same as always, with nothing major happening. As for after that, I don’t know. Why don’t you write to the Emperor at the front lines and ask?”
Jiang Wanwen answered very directly, without any intention of making things difficult.
Xiao Jiaru immediately stood up, startling Fu Zhuoxu in her arms. “Mother, are you saying that when you left Shengyang, you didn’t even inform my parents?”
Fu Zhuoxu, uncomfortable from being held, began to squirm. Xiao Jiaru, too preoccupied to care for her son, set him down.
As soon as Fu Zhuoxu gained his freedom, he immediately ran to his aunt’s side, clutching Fu Xuanzhao’s sleeve tightly with his small hand.
Jiang Wanwen had no patience for her. “They’re not my parents. Why should I inform them of my whereabouts? Xiao Jiaru, have you lost your mind? You married Fu Xuanrui, but that doesn’t mean your parents married into the Wangfu’s ancestors to become my ancestors.”
Xiao Jiaru, thinking that her maternal family might be executed by the Emperor of Shengyang, felt as if she were going mad. “Mother, how can you be so heartless? You knew about our rebellion—couldn’t you have at least notified my family?”
Jiang Wanwen stood up and slapped Xiao Jiaru across the face. “Hah! No matter how heartless I am, I’m nothing compared to you and Fu Xuanrui, you unfilial children. Did the two of you send any word home when you rebelled? If not for your father visiting me in a dream on the night of his burial, all of us would have been doomed in Shengyang. And you have the nerve to say I’m heartless?”
After saying this, Jiang Wanwen paid no attention to Xiao Jiaru’s expression. She grabbed Xiao Jiaru with one hand and Fu Zhuoxu with the other, dragging the mother and son all the way out of the Zhuangzi.
She then tossed them outside the estate and ordered the gates to be closed.
Xiao Jiaru’s attendants wanted to intervene, but they didn’t dare to confront Jiang Wanwen. They could only follow closely behind her.
Of course, when Jiang Wanwen threw Fu Zhuoxu, she did so gently. But when it came to Xiao Jiaru, she simply tossed her aside without care.
Fu Zhuoxu didn’t cry while being dragged by his grandmother. It was only after the gates closed that he realized what was happening and began to wail, calling out for everyone outside.
Fu Xuanzhao, standing inside the gates with Jiang Wanwen, couldn’t bear to hear her nephew’s cries. “Mother, Xu Er is still young. What his mother did has nothing to do with him. Shouldn’t we let him back in?”
Jiang Wanwen patted her daughter’s head and explained earnestly, “It’s precisely because Xu Er is a good child that we mustn’t harm him. Your sister-in-law dislikes us. If Xu Er grows up with us, she won’t make any plans for him in the future. If one day your eldest brother succeeds in ascending the throne, Xu Er will be their legitimate eldest son—the one with no way out. Since Xu Er has been with us for so long, let’s not hold back his future.”
Fu Xuanzhao didn’t fully understand her mother’s words, but she knew her mother meant well for Fu Zhuoxu, so she said nothing more.
Seeing her daughter so obedient, Jiang Wanwen gently instructed: “Stay here and keep watch. If your sister-in-law leaves later and happens to leave Xu Er behind, open the door and carry him inside!”
After giving these instructions to her daughter, Jiang Wanwen left with Ruhua and Ruyue.
Xia Yu had been ready to act as a human shield the moment Jiang Wanwen threw something. But Xiao Jiaru herself possessed martial skills—she only appeared so flustered because she dared not fight back, stumbling slightly without actually falling.
Thus, Xia Yu didn’t need to become a human shield, instead steadily supporting Xiao Jiaru. “Your Highness, what should we do now?”
Xiao Jiaru was both furious and anxious, though her greater concern was for her maternal family’s Guanshan Hou estate. She hadn’t worried these past days, assuming her in-laws—the elderly and young—had safely escaped to Yongning.
Her father, Guanshan Hou, was so capable that upon receiving news, he surely could have escaped.
But after meeting with the Empress Dowager, she realized she had been somewhat naive.
Xiao Jiaru glanced at the closed gate of the Zhuangzi, gritting her teeth as she said, “Let’s go. We’ll return to the Wangfu first and write to the Emperor for information.”
Xia Yu looked worriedly at the weeping Little Master nearby. “Your Highness, what about the Little Master?”
Only with Xia Yu’s reminder did Xiao Jiaru snap out of her anxiety, turning to see her son crying pitifully with tears and mucus covering his face.
Xiao Jiaru had originally come to bring her son back with her, with a carriage prepared.
But now, consumed by urgency, she had no patience for a slow carriage ride—she only wanted to return to the Wangfu on horseback. Riding wasn’t suitable for bringing along a sobbing child like Fu Zhuoxu.
Xiao Jiaru thought that if she took her eldest son on horseback and he fell ill from the wind during the journey, suffering any mishap, both her mother-in-law and husband would likely blame her.
Her mind in turmoil, Xiao Jiaru didn’t consider any other options.
She strode forward directly, crouched beside Fu Zhuoxu, and gave her son a quick hug. “Xu Er, be good. Stay with your grandmother a while longer. Once Mother has finished her tasks, I’ll come back for you.”
What prompted this decision was actually her in-laws’ complete lack of attachment to her eldest son. Since her son wouldn’t be won over by his grandmother’s coaxing while staying with her, she could rest assured.
Fu Zhuoxiu, believing his grandmother and aunt had abandoned him, was genuinely heartbroken. “But… but Grandmother and Little Aunt don’t want me, they don’t want me… hic…”
Xiao Jiaru patted her son’s small back comfortingly. “It’s alright. After Mother leaves, your grandmother won’t neglect you.”
Hearing this, Fu Zhuoxu stopped crying instantly, opening his large, expressive eyes to look at Xiao Jiaru. “Really?”
Eager to pacify her son now, Xiao Jiaru nodded rapidly. “Really!”
“Then you should leave quickly!” Fu Zhuoxu said while pushing Xiao Jiaru outward.
Xiao Jiaru was immediately infuriated, but she truly couldn’t take her son along.
She could only clench her teeth, stand up, and gesture to Xia Yu and the others to depart. The party swiftly mounted their horses and rode off, abandoning the carriage entirely.
Once Xiao Jiaru made a decision, she never looked back with regret—and so she didn’t glance back even once.
Fu Zhuoxu saw that the woman called ‘Empress Dowager’ had left and immediately rushed forward to knock on the door. “Grandmother, Aunt! That person is gone—please let me in now!”
Waiting behind the door, Fu Xuanzhao heard her eldest nephew’s plea and quickly ordered someone to open it. She dashed out and scooped the child into her arms.
In her heart, Fu Xuanzhao consoled herself, ‘It’s not that I snatched him—his own mother abandoned him first.’