The moon shone through the gauze window, falling on Zheng Huantang’s shoulders, covering them with coolness.

Cooler than this was his heart.

Eight years—all his patience was completely worn away and disappeared when Zhao shi said the word “bullying.”

“Zhao Qingyun, the person you should truly hate isn’t that child. That child was carried to the Zheng family the moment she was born crying into the world. She knows nothing.

The ones you should hate are my father and me.

If my father hadn’t agreed, if I hadn’t agreed, that child couldn’t have taken root in the Zheng family.

Look at yourself these years—how have you treated that child? The way you look at a stray cat is softer than the way you look at that child.

Eight years, you’ve never once held her. When she’s sick and in pain, you don’t even lift an eyelid, wishing in your heart she would die of illness.

When the child was small and didn’t remember things, you could be excessive and I let you be. But the child grows day by day. Not only do you not restrain yourself, you intensify.”

Zheng Huantang clenched his fists so they cracked audibly.

“Do you think those little schemes and manipulations you’ve done in secret—that besides me, no one else knows? Do you really think she’s helpless and without support?

If I hadn’t pleaded for you, do you know how many times you would have died?”

Zhao shi’s face turned deathly white. “You… what are you saying?”

“Let me tell you the truth. There’s always been a master protecting Huaiyou. Everything that happens in this courtyard every day—my father knows it all.”

Zheng Huantang smiled bitterly.

“Given my father’s temperament, someone like you—he would severely discipline. But my father said, just for the sake of the one at Water Moon Convent, he’ll grit his teeth and tolerate you.”

Each of the man’s words struck Zhao shi’s eardrums with incomparable harshness.

Zhao shi shrieked: “What did I do that he needs to grit his teeth to tolerate me? Did I hit her? Did I scold her? All these years, I haven’t touched her with a single finger.”

“Your methods are a hundred times more vicious than hitting or scolding her.”

Zheng Huantang sneered once: “Every year on this day, when I return from Water Moon Convent, you always ask whether Master Jingchen treats Mingyue well. I always say yes.

You never believe it.

Why don’t you believe it? Because you don’t believe someone without blood relation would unconditionally be good to someone else’s child.

Because you yourself can’t do it, so you suspect others can’t possibly do it either.

But let me tell you clearly and plainly, Zhao Qingyun—Jingchen treats Mingyue a hundred times better than you treat Huaiyou.

Wherever Mingyue goes, she follows her master, calling ‘Master this, Master that,’ happy and smiling all day long. And Huaiyou?”

Zheng Huantang shook his head.

“I won’t even mention Huaiyou—I’ll just talk about Huaizuo. Even he fears you.

Fears that if he’s not careful he’ll make you unhappy. When you’re unhappy, your face sinks down, and the atmosphere of the entire Begonia Courtyard sinks down with it.

Zhao Qingyun, the children have eyes. They’re not stupid. Who’s good to them, who’s not good to them—they keep accounts in their hearts.

You blame your son for not being close to you. Have you reflected on why he’s not close to you?

Why does he constantly call ‘Sister this, Sister that,’ and even when Sister ignores him, he still clings to her, yet he never clings to you?

He’s flesh that fell from your body! He should be of one heart with you!”

Zhao Qingyun’s gaze was blank, her breathing growing more and more rapid.

“Let’s talk about your maiden family, the Zhao family. Why don’t I let them come see you? Why must I sever the connection between you?”

Zheng Huantang’s face revealed deep disappointment.

“Do you still remember the Double Ninth Festival of Year Eight of Yonghe? You said you wanted to write a family letter to your parents to report your safety. I said write it—I’d go ask Father afterward. But what did you write in the letter?

You secretly wrote about Begonia Courtyard’s matters on a small slip of paper and tucked it in the envelope.

Zhao Qingyun, have you thought about what the consequences would be if that slip of paper reached the Zhao family? Not only would my Zheng family be executed down to the last person, our three clans would be exterminated.”

Zhao Qingyun immediately shrieked in rebuttal: “Those are my birth parents! They wouldn’t tell anyone outside. They wouldn’t harm me!”

“Is that so?”

Zheng Huantang looked at her coldly: “But I clearly told you that this matter, no matter what, you couldn’t breathe a word of it outside—not even to your birth parents.”

“I… I just wanted to tell them about my grievances!”

Zhao Qingyun choked: “…I had no other meaning.”

No other meaning?

Zheng Huantang blinked extremely slowly, his voice indifferent: “In the end, it’s because the door doesn’t match, the household doesn’t correspond!”

Zhao Qingyun’s face changed: “Zheng Huantang, what do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean?”

Zheng Huantang closed his eyes. “Back then when I insisted on marrying you, my father didn’t agree. He said mismatched social standing was a great taboo in marriage.

He also said that a woman who could bewitch my fifth son into such infatuation must have some schemes and tactics. He said, ‘Fifth Son, if you don’t listen to Father, you’ll suffer for it in the future.'”

Zhao Qingyun’s throat caught: “I… what hardship have I made you suffer?”

“Zhao Qingyun, you don’t understand what my father relies on for his position today, what the Zheng family relies on for its position today.”

Zheng Huantang stood up, turned to look at the moon-like light outside the window, and slowly raised his head.

“My father’s position today doesn’t rely solely on the Zheng family saber in his hand, nor solely on fearlessness of death.

In this world, there are too many who can wield weapons and practice martial arts, too many who want to achieve merit and aren’t afraid to die.

The reason he could gain the support of noble patrons, rise above others, command tens of thousands of Zheng family troops—it relies on his righteousness as towering as clouds, his keeping of promises worth a thousand gold, his loyalty and faithful heart.

He always says, to be human one must have breadth of vision, wide perspective, and a big heart—don’t just think about your own little gains and losses.

If a person can only see one point, his heart can only hold one point. If a person can see ten points, his heart can naturally hold ten points.

The Zheng family’s wealth came with great difficulty. Father often says that while the Zheng family enjoys fine clothes and jade, servants at their beck and call, naturally they must also make sacrifices for this privilege, for the family.”

Zheng Huantang turned around and suddenly smiled.

“I’m telling you all this, but you won’t understand. You only see the Zheng family as a great house, rolling in wealth. You fundamentally don’t understand the effort and price that must be paid behind this wealth.”

“Why must I be that price?”

“Because you married me. Because I’m surnamed Zheng. Because I’m my father’s son! And also…”

Zheng Huantang: “It’s not that you must be that price, but that you happen to be that price. If Fourth Sister-in-law had been pregnant with twins and had also given birth on that day eight years ago, then the Fourth Branch would be that price.”

Zhao Qingyun: “Putting it every which way, it’s still that I’m unlucky?”

Hearing this, Zheng Huantang couldn’t even manage a bitter smile. He murmured: “I told you—you wouldn’t understand.”

“How do I not understand?”

Zhao Qingyun bit out: “It’s just telling me to accept my fate, telling my son to accept his fate!”

Zheng Huantang no longer looked at her. He turned around and spoke leisurely: “Before my father set out, he called me to the study.

He said: ‘Fifth Son, the person Father has wronged most all these years is you. But rest assured—Father won’t let you sacrifice in vain.’

He said: ‘After we return victorious from this campaign, I’ll arrange Huaizuo into the Zheng family army. The three Tao brothers and I will personally cultivate him. Your dream of becoming a general—let your son fulfill it for you!'”

“You… what did you say?”

“Huaizuo’s future prospects—my father arranged them for him long ago. In the future, he’ll be the Zheng family’s patriarch.”

Zhao Qingyun was shocked speechless.

—