“Now do you know why I must be harsh with our son?”

Zheng Huantang turned around, word by word.

“Jade cannot become a vessel without polishing. He’s a man, a man of the Zheng family. Every Zheng family man has endured hardship from childhood—without exception.

If he can’t even bear this little hardship, what accomplishments can he have in the future? How could he catch my father’s eye?”

Zhao Qingyun said in a trembling voice: “So you…”

“I’m his father. Every stick that strikes down, I also grit my teeth. I also hurt. Your son’s ambition is to become a great general in the future. A great general is first a warrior who wields a sword—a warrior must fight with his life.”

Zheng Huantang: “If I’m harsh on him by one measure now, he’ll have one measure of self-preservation ability in the future. If I’m harsh on him by ten measures now, he’ll have ten measures of self-preservation ability in the future.

Why do I treat Huaiyou well? Because I raised her.

Human hearts are all made of flesh. When she was no bigger than a kitten, she was placed in my hands. I raised her through shit and piss. Even without blood relation, over these eight years I’ve developed feelings.

Furthermore, this child is clever and obedient. She learns everything immediately, grasps things with a single hint. Her obedience—there’s no need to mention it. You know it in your heart even better than I do.

More importantly, the kindness I show her—Father sees it all. When Father sees it, he’ll feel more for Huaizuo.”

Speaking to this point, Zheng Huantang fell silent for a good while.

“My life is already like this. My son cannot be like this. He must be upright and proper, must achieve merit and establish his career, must support the entire Zheng family.”

This statement struck right at Zhao Qingyun’s heart.

What she actually hoped for was that her son could rise above others in the future, receive hereditary nobility, live a life of glory—this had been her greatest unwillingness and reluctance for eight years.

“Huaiyou will be raised for at most another three years before Father plans to marry her off far away. The person will go first, and after she comes of age, she’ll formally marry. It’s just that suitable families aren’t easy to find—Father has been looking all these years.”

Zheng Huantang: “As for Mingyue’s future, Father hasn’t discussed it with me, but given his nature, he definitely won’t stand by and do nothing.”

“Is this true?”

“We’ve been husband and wife for many years. When have you ever seen me speak an exaggeration? Without ten parts certainty, I wouldn’t say a single word to you.”

In the dim room, Zhao Qingyun couldn’t see the expression on the man’s face clearly, but the joy in her heart surged up wave after wave.

A way out.

Finally endured until there’s a way out.

“As for why I won’t let you bear more children, it’s to guard this secret, to guard our Zheng family. My father, this person…”

Zheng Huantang sighed, “…he fears being criticized by others when doing things. He’d rather wrong himself than not do things thoroughly.

When the child was first brought here, I said, ‘Couldn’t we just send this child to Water Moon Convent?’ He looked at me as if he wanted to devour me.

Do you think I have no resentment? I do.

But he’s my father. We’re one family—we rise together, we fall together.

Have you thought about what consequences would follow if I let you become pregnant again, if the gate of Begonia Courtyard couldn’t be kept closed?”

He looked at Zhao Qingyun with desolate eyes.

“You married into my Zheng family—you’re a person of my Zheng family. Have you ever thought deeply about these things?”

Zhao Qingyun was struck dumb again.

After a long while, she made an excuse for herself.

“My mother never taught me these things. She only wanted me to be a good wife and mother, be filial to my in-laws, bear more children for the Zheng family.”

“My father was right—the door doesn’t match, the household doesn’t correspond!”

Zheng Huantang covered his face and sighed: “In the end, it’s still me who wronged you.”

“What does that mean?”

Zhao Qingyun quickly walked before Zheng Huantang and pulled down his hands. “Do you regret marrying me?”

Zheng Huantang looked at her for a long time, then lightly exhaled three words from his mouth:

“I regret it.”

The woman seemed unable to believe that these three words “I regret it” came from the man’s mouth. Xie Zhifei clearly saw her expression freeze, her face turn white, her thin lips begin to tremble.

“Zheng Huantang, you… it’s too late to regret now.”

Her eyes stared fixedly at the man, revealing a trace of madness.

“Don’t think of divorcing me. If you dare divorce me… I… I’ll tell… tell all of Begonia Courtyard’s secrets… tell them all out.”

Xie Zhifei almost simultaneously with her last word falling stumbled backward half a step.

Mother!

How could you say such foolish words?

Indeed.

Zheng Huantang was shocked by Zhao Qingyun’s words into gasping for air, then didn’t make a sound for a long time.

His back was to Xie Zhifei. Xie Zhifei couldn’t see his expression but could completely imagine what kind of face he wore at this moment.

Half of that face was in moonlight, half in shadow. Half was alarmed and terrified, half was heart-dead as ashes.

Zheng Huantang looked at his principal wife for a long time, finally sighing lowly.

“I never thought of divorcing you. I only feel that if you hadn’t married me, your days would certainly be much better than now—children surrounding you, harmonious marriage, instead of like now…”

The man’s pupils compressed into a line, his lashes trembling violently several times.

“Unable to walk out of this Begonia Courtyard for a lifetime!”

“A lifetime?”

Zhao Qingyun’s two delicate brows suddenly furrowed.

“Didn’t you say in two years that girl will be sent away? Once she’s sent away, why would you still confine me? Why?”

Because of that sentence you just said!

Xie Zhifei couldn’t bear to watch anymore and slowly closed his eyes.

The room fell deathly silent. Zheng Huantang said nothing more.

Zhao Qingyun looked at the expression on the man’s face and slowly came to her senses. “You’re afraid I’ll tell Begonia Courtyard’s secrets?”

Zheng Huantang looked at her coldly, still not speaking.

“I won’t tell. Huantang, we’re husband and wife as one body. You said it—we’re one family.”

Zhao Qingyun was clearly anxious. She looked up at the man with eager eyes, speaking incoherently.

“Huantang, I was joking with you just now. In the future… in the future I’ll be good to Huaiyou. I’ll never show her a cold face again, never use those little schemes… I’ll treat her as my biological daughter. I’ll cherish her, really cherish her well!”

She reached to grasp the man’s hand.

“Really, truly, you must believe me. Even if I don’t think of others, I must certainly think of my own son. Just now, I just momentarily let it slip.”

“Qingyun.”

Zheng Huantang called out lowly. “If you truly think of your son’s future prospects, then stay obediently in this Begonia Courtyard and don’t come out again.”

“Why… why?” The woman’s voice carried a sob.

“Because you…”

Zheng Huantang word by word: “Just now wanted to bring mutual destruction—that impulse, that energy. I also cannot let Begonia Courtyard, let the Zheng family take this risk.”

“I already said it was unintentional.”

“Unintentional is the most terrifying.”

Zheng Huantang pulled back his hand and placed it behind him, his voice suddenly becoming cold as ice and frost.

“Starting tomorrow, don’t disturb those two children unnecessarily, especially Huaizuo.”

Zhao shi’s eyes suddenly widened enormously, revealing large expanses of white in disbelief.

“Huaizuo is the future patriarch of the Zheng family, also the new general of the Zheng family army.”

Zheng Huantang spoke resoundingly.

“If I let him have more contact with you, I would be harming him for life.”