“After giving birth to Zhu Xuanjiu, Concubine Fu injured her body. The Old Madam felt sorry for her and proposed raising the child by her side. What did Concubine Fu say?”
Yan Sanhe: “Old Steward?”
The old steward quickly said: “She said legitimate is legitimate, concubine-born is concubine-born—not a single bit can be confused.”
Yan Sanhe: “What does this indicate, Young Master Pei?”
Stop pulling me in, ancestor! I’m about to go bald from all this.
Young Master Pei was so anxious he wanted to jump up.
“It shows that even after Concubine Fu gave birth to a son, she remembered her place.”
Xie Zhifei glanced at the agitated Pei Xiao and said softly: “As cautious and careful as ever.”
“Even more cautious and dutiful than before.”
Yan Sanhe’s gaze met Xie Zhifei’s.
“Because the Zhu family rule is that all sons have inheritance rights, regardless of legitimate or concubine-born—it only depends on talent and spiritual aptitude. Concubine Zhu gave birth to a son. Does this son have talent and spiritual aptitude? Who knows?”
“So then…”
Zhu Weixi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
“The Old Madam wanting to raise the concubine-born son by her side—besides the reason of Concubine Fu’s health, she actually also wanted to see if this concubine-born son was intelligent. It was a test.”
Yan Sanhe: “Correct!”
Zhu Weixi: “And Concubine Fu didn’t agree because she was giving the Old Madam peace of mind. Legitimate is legitimate, concubine-born is concubine-born. Old Madam, rest assured—we mother and son will absolutely not be ungrateful.”
Yan Sanhe looked at Zhu Weixi and nodded lightly.
After all, women understand women best.
Her analysis was spot on.
“Actually, from the day Concubine Fu gave birth to a son, the sisterly bond between the Old Madam and Concubine Fu gained some subtle elements.
The Old Madam was secretly guarding against her;
While Concubine Fu wanted to prove she had no ulterior motives. But how could she prove it?”
Yan Sanhe’s gaze remained on Zhu Weixi.
Zhu Weixi said softly: “Concubine Fu could only desperately be good to the Old Madam and to the Old Madam’s four legitimate sons to prove she had no ulterior motives.”
“This was also Concubine Fu’s only and best choice after giving birth to her son.”
Admiration showed in Yan Sanhe’s eyes. “It both put the Old Madam’s mind at ease and made life a bit better for herself and her son.”
Young Master Pei couldn’t wait any longer. “And then?”
“Everything I’ve said above is just to help you all understand the environment Zhu Xuanjiu grew up in.”
Yan Sanhe glanced at Pei Xiao: “All of this is just the prelude.”
Oh my goodness, this is just the prelude!
As the old steward secretly gasped, he quickly added hot tea to everyone’s cups.
After the old steward finished adding tea, Yan Sanhe continued.
“The southwest corner, Wutong Court, was where Zhu Xuanjiu lived since childhood. This courtyard was very secluded and should have been very quiet, but because Concubine Fu was too kind, people constantly came and went.”
The old steward was startled. “Miss Yan, how do you know this?”
Yan Sanhe: “After leaving Jietai Temple, I met Second Uncle and his wife at the Wards Command.”
Zhu Yuanmo’s heart skipped a beat. “Miss Yan, you didn’t…”
“I met them at the Wards Command using the pretext of investigating a case, precisely to avoid arousing their suspicion.”
Yan Sanhe interrupted him, then raised her chin toward Xie Zhifei. “On this point, you should thank Third Master. It was his idea.”
Zhu Yuanmo let out a long breath and cupped his hands toward Xie Zhifei. “Third Brother, I…”
“Eldest Brother Zhu.”
Xie Zhifei spoke weakly: “Now isn’t the time for thanks. Let’s listen to Yan Sanhe continue.”
Yan Sanhe walked before the old steward. “Tell us, did people constantly come and go at Wutong Court?”
The old steward glanced at Zhu Yuanmo. “Reporting to Miss Yan, in this residence, wherever the master of the house loves to go, that’s where the liveliness is.”
After Concubine Fu gave birth to a son, the Old Master was overjoyed. All kinds of tonics were sent to Concubine Fu’s courtyard as if they cost nothing.
As soon as Concubine Fu emerged from her confinement month, the Old Master frequently stayed there.
Though the Old Madam managed the household, she also ran over to see Concubine Fu whenever she had free time.
First Uncle, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle also loved coming to this courtyard.
From the day Concubine Fu entered the Zhu family, she treated these three masters as her own children, protecting them in everything, sometimes even daring to refuse the Old Master’s face.
The three masters also liked being close to this concubine and all called her “Aunt.”
This liveliness continued until the Old Madam became pregnant with Fifth Uncle.
Once the Old Madam was with child, Concubine Fu frequently went to her courtyard, helping the servants care for the Madam’s food and daily life.
Occasionally when the Old Madam was tired, Concubine Fu would even help the Old Madam check accounts and manage the household.
Wutong Court actually became empty and quiet.
In the eighth month, the Old Madam was startled by a feral cat. Her water broke and she gave premature birth to Fifth Uncle.
Fifth Uncle wasn’t born full-term, so his health was poor from childhood.
Concubine Fu had also been in poor health since childhood. Long illness makes a good doctor—naturally she knew how to care for the child to make him comfortable.
She was meticulous, gentle-handed, and soft-voiced. Gradually, Fifth Uncle didn’t even like his wet nurse anymore—he only wanted Concubine Fu to hold him. He would only eat what Concubine Fu fed him.
“One person can hardly have three heads and six arms.”
Yan Sanhe: “When Concubine Fu devoted her attention to Fifth Uncle, she couldn’t devote it to her own son. If she attended to one side, she had to neglect the other.
Fifth Uncle slept with Concubine Fu from childhood; Zhu Xuanjiu slept with his wet nurse from childhood.
Fifth Uncle’s eating, drinking, and daily care were personally attended to by Concubine Fu; Zhu Xuanjiu was cared for by his wet nurse.
So Zhu Xuanjiu was the one who was neglected. Old Steward, am I right?”
The old steward didn’t nod right away.
He remembered something.
When the master was a child, around two or three years old, he liked to move a small stool and sit beneath the window of Concubine Fu’s side room.
No one knew why he sat there.
Later they learned he was waiting for Concubine Fu to lull his younger brother to sleep so he could be close to Concubine Fu.
“Miss Yan, you’ve guessed correctly again.”
I didn’t guess.
Rather, all the pieces of information strung together led to this conclusion.
“Zhu Yuanzhao.”
“Miss Yan?”
“Do you now understand why, among three sons, your father loved you most?”
Yan Sanhe looked at Zhu Yuanzhao.
“Zhu Yuanmo is the eldest son, Zhu Yuanhao is the youngest. You’re the second son, and should have been neglected like Second Miss. He saw his former self in you, so he gave you an extra measure of care.”
Zhu Yuanzhao felt Yan Sanhe’s words were indescribably absurd, yet extraordinarily logical.
“So have you all noticed? The person who most resembles Zhu Xuanjiu is actually Second Miss, because their childhood experiences were quite similar.”
Yan Sanhe: “But the two differ. Zhu Xuanjiu was Concubine Fu’s only son. His neglect wasn’t because of Concubine Fu.”
Young Master Pei agreed: “Someone like Concubine Fu who was so good to other children certainly wouldn’t be bad to her own son.”
“The old steward just mentioned that when Zhu Xuanjiu was young, he liked sitting beneath the window, waiting for Concubine Fu to be free.”
Yan Sanhe: “This shows that as long as she had time and there were no outsiders, Concubine Fu would pour all her maternal love onto her biological son. After all, he was flesh fallen from her own body.
Old Steward, am I right?”