Chapter 25: The Dead General Returns
“Royal Physician Wang, why does my back hurt so much? And I can’t get up.”
“Alas, when I took the National Duke’s pulse just now, I discovered that he suffered a very serious injury three years ago, which affected his bones, but it was not properly healed.
Besides that, the National Duke seems to have been poisoned. This poison will affect your fertility, making it very difficult for you to have children in the future.”
Cheng Shaowu was shocked: “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! My woman gave birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins for me over two years ago! How could it affect my progeny?”
“I am skilled in orthopedics, but I also have some minor research in poisons. You were poisoned with an infertility drug over three years ago, and it is impossible to have children after taking that drug.
Moreover, the National Duke’s leg could have been cured, but I don’t know why it ended up like this…”
A leg that could have been cured became lame, and after being poisoned with an infertility drug, he still had a pair of dragon and phoenix twins. So, where exactly did the problem lie?
Ning Yan was also quite curious about where those two children came from. After all, her medicine could not possibly go wrong, and those two children did not look the same as in her previous life.
However, none of that was the focus right now.
“Royal Physician Wang, can you cure the National Duke’s poison? And his back, why can’t he move?”
Cheng Shaowu: A concubine is just a concubine. She’s not as sensible as the main wife. Among everyone in the room, only his wife was still concerned about his body.
Royal Physician Wang waved his hand helplessly, “As for the National Duke’s back, I am also powerless. You should seek another expert.”
How could Cheng Shaowu not understand the Royal Physician Wang’s hidden meaning? He might have to lie in bed for the rest of his life!
He was unwilling, how could he be willing?! He clearly had a great future, a war left him severely injured, and his leg was lame. Fortunately, he still had military merits and an official position, but now he was paralyzed!!!
“Go, go invite doctors! Invite any doctor with a bit of fame to me! Go invite them!”
For the next half month, doctors frequently visited General Cheng’s Residence, but no one could cure Cheng Shaowu’s injuries.
Old Madam, who was already half-paralyzed, learned that her son was also paralyzed and immediately took her anger out on Bai Rong’er, calling her over every day to teach her rules.
She was made to do all the dirty work, and every day she was so exhausted that she would collapse into sleep. The two children, feeling sorry for their mother, secretly cursed Old Madam. When her personal Da Ya overheard them, the two children were also called over to learn rules.
Small children couldn't do much, so Old Madam made them kneel. They would kneel for over an hour. Children just over two years old, not yet three, couldn't bear it at all. Bai Rong’er was afraid the children's legs would be ruined from kneeling, so she ran to Cheng Shaowu's sickbed to plead with him.
Before, Cheng Shaowu was solely focused on curing his own illness and had completely forgotten about Bai Rong’er and her two children. Moreover, after only a few days apart, how had the originally delicate and lively Bai Rong’er become like this, skinny as a ghost!
“Husband, I beg you, you were the one who said bringing me back would allow me to enjoy wealth and luxury, and that our children would receive the best education, that you would cherish them.
You promised to ask the Emperor for an imperial decree to make me a co-wife, and you didn't follow through, but that's fine. Now I am tormented by Old Madam every day, and our two children were punished by Old Madam to kneel in the ancestral hall just for saying one wrong thing.
They are not even three years old yet, their legs will be ruined from kneeling, husband, please go and speak for the children, okay? In the future, I will definitely keep a close eye on them and not let them offend Old Madam again.”
Cheng Shaowu narrowed his eyes. Bai Rong’er’s crying made him irritable.
But he still decided to go to Rongshouyuan to see his old mother.
When Old Madam saw her son being carried over, she immediately burst into uncontrollable sobs, “My son, whatever suffering there is, let me, your mother, bear it. Why does heaven treat my son like this…?”
After crying for a while, Old Madam finally stopped. By then, Cheng Shaowu had already had someone help him sit up halfway. Old Madam advised him: “Son, you must not give up. Look at me, when something happened to you, I was so angry that my qi and blood rushed to my heart, and I was paralyzed in bed, unable to speak properly. But because your wife took such good care of me, my condition has improved a lot.
If you persevere, perhaps one day your illness will be cured.
Moreover, your wife has given you an excellent legitimate son; he is the hope of our family.
Xun’er is currently traveling and studying with Grand Tutor Hu. When you returned, your wife had already sent someone to deliver a letter to the child, and he should be back soon.
When you see him, all your troubles will disappear.”
So, why are you still bothering with those illegitimate sons and daughters?
Bai Rong’er was anxious and tried to interrupt several times, but she never found an opportunity.
Fortunately, Cheng Shaowu finally thought of the two children, “Mother, have someone bring the two children over.”
Old Madam knew he was feeling sorry for those two little bastards, but after all, they were her own grandchildren, so she didn't make things difficult anymore and ordered her personal maid to call for them.
The two children were brought over, crying, with tears and snot all over their faces. Old Madam turned her head away in disgust, “My obedient grandson wasn’t this messy when he was their age, even though they are less than a year apart.”
When Cheng Xun was just over two years old, he wouldn't let the maids carry him, saying something about men and women not touching each other. He acted like a little adult all day, spoke formally, and could recite the Three Character Classic and Thousand Character Classic after hearing them just once. Grand Tutor Hu adored him.
These two in front of her were too far from her legitimate grandson!
Cheng Shaowu was in no mood to listen to his old mother’s nagging. His eyes were fixed on the two children.
“Someone, bring me a mirror.”
The Jin Dynasty traded with various countries, and among the goods from the sea were expensive glass mirrors. Only wealthy families could afford these, and the General Cheng’s Residence naturally had no shortage of them.
The maid quickly brought a foot-long dressing mirror used by women and placed it in front of Cheng Shaowu.
Cheng Shaowu looked at the mirror, then at the two children, and suddenly realized that these two did not resemble him at all!
He had a high nose bridge, thin lips, and single phoenix eyes, but the two children had flat nose bridges, thick lips, and triangular eyes with slightly drooping outer corners.
Bai Rong’er inexplicably had a bad premonition.
“Husband, what are you looking at? Xin’er, Yuan’er, hurry and greet your father. Didn’t you say you missed father before? What’s wrong today?”
With a “bang,” the dressing mirror in Cheng Shaowu’s hand was thrown to the ground. “Bai Rong’er, you harlot, you actually put a cuckold on me! Tell me, whose children are these two little bastards?!”
“Wah~ Mommy, I’m scared!”
“Husband, what are you saying? You’ve scared the children.”
“Don’t call me husband, you disgust me. Tell me, whose children are these two? If you don’t, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Old Madam was startled at first, then her face darkened. “I wondered why these two children didn’t feel like my own. So they’re not my son’s offspring!
Son, if you ask her like this, she won’t speak. Someone, drag this harlot out and beat her until she tells the truth!”
Cheng Shaowu was panting heavily, but he did not stop his mother’s decision. Soon, the sound of slapping boards came from the courtyard.
The two children were terrified, and with the maid’s threats, they didn’t even dare to cry.
In a short while, Bai Rong’er couldn’t hold on any longer. “I’ll tell you! The children are Sun Erqiang’s.”
Cheng Shaowu wanted to get out of bed and hit her, but he couldn’t move, so he could only sit on the bed and curse, “Harlot!”
Then, his vision went black, and he fainted again.
When he woke up, six hours had passed. There was only a young servant by the bed. “National Duke, you’re finally awake.”
“Where’s the Madam?”
The young servant quickly said, “The Zhen Guo Duke has returned, and Madam is attending to him. I’ll go inform Madam right away.”
It took Cheng Shaowu a while to realize that his legitimate son had inherited the Zhen Guo Duke's Mansion and was now a titled National Duke. His child had finally returned, and he wanted to see what kind of good child his mother spoke of.
Soon, footsteps were heard outside the bedroom, and Ning Yan’s figure quickly appeared in his sight. Beside her was a small young man dressed in brocade robes, wearing a jade crown, and with a face as handsome as jade.
“You all may leave. I, the Madam, can handle things here.”
Cheng Shaowu’s eyes lit up when he saw the child. This child, at first glance, was extraordinary. He immediately had the idea of testing his knowledge.
But Ning Yan didn’t give him the chance.
“National Duke, after you fainted yesterday, Old Madam had Bai Rong’er beaten to death. And those two children were thrown out of the residence by Old Madam. I tried to persuade her, saying that no matter whether they were your biological children or not, they would always call you father, so why be so ruthless?”
Cheng Shaowu’s face darkened. “Those were two illegitimate children! Not getting rid of them, keeping them to disgust me, the National Duke? No, they should have been beaten to death directly!”
It was a good thing he still had a legitimate son, otherwise, with his body poisoned to infertility and paralyzed, he would truly be without heirs for this lifetime!
Ning Yan: “Weren’t they always illegitimate children? Why does the National Duke seem to be just finding out now!”
What is it if not an illegitimate child, born out of an illicit affair?
Oh, no, that's not right. They are illegitimate children among illegitimate children, practically the fighter jets of illegitimate children!
Cheng Shaowu understood the sarcasm in Ning Yan’s words, and his expression was distorted.
Thinking of his and his mother’s situation, he forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart and beckoned to his legitimate son, “Xun’er, come, come let Father have a look.”
Ning Yan was extremely pleased to see his constant change of expression and decided to strike while the iron was hot!
She chuckled softly, “Father? You don’t even look at what kind of person you are. Could you possibly give birth to such an excellent child as Xun’er?”
“Ning, what do you mean?”
“Am I not clear enough? Xun’er is not your child, but don’t worry, in the eyes of outsiders, he is your legitimate son. Xun’er’s existence has helped you a great deal, otherwise, people wouldn’t know how to laugh at you!
Of course, they’re still laughing quite a bit now.
The affairs of the residence have spread throughout the outside. Now, who doesn’t call you, General Cheng, muddled?!”
Of course, she had sent people to spread these messages. Anyway, it wasn’t her losing face, so she felt no guilt in spreading them.
Cheng Shaowu was so angry his eyes turned black, almost fainting again. “Harlot!”
“Slap,” a loud slap landed on Cheng Shaowu’s face, followed by another. Ning Yan’s hand didn’t stop. She didn’t want to hurt her own hand at all, and she didn’t know when she had picked up a board specifically for slapping faces. The “slap, slap, slap” sounds were incredibly loud!
She only stopped when she had had her fill of slapping. “You still have the nerve to curse people? You personally promised me when you married me that you would never take a concubine and that we would be together for life, only each other. Yet, you turned around and brought out a co-wife. Everything I’m doing, I learned from you!”
“Harlot! Who exactly is that adulterer? I will tear him into ten thousand pieces!”
“Xun’er, today your mother will teach you another lesson: when you don’t know who your opponent is, never speak harsh words, otherwise you will be slapped in the face!”
“You, are you afraid to say? It’s fine, I, the National Duke, will find out very soon!”
Ning Yan: “That’s too much trouble, I’ll just tell you. Xun’er’s father is Yuan Jingchen. Go and tear him into ten thousand pieces!”
She had already told Cheng Xun about this. Although such a background might not sound good if spoken aloud, his father was the Emperor, so who would dare to say anything?
“Good, good, good, I, the National Duke, will immediately send men to capture him! Yuan… Yuan Jingchen? Isn’t that the name of the current Emperor?”
Looking at the child in front of him again, he hadn't noticed it before, but now, upon closer inspection, he resembled the Emperor by five or six parts.
Cheng Shaowu “pffft” a mouthful of fresh blood and fainted again.
Ning Yan, with an unchanging expression, took her son’s hand. “Xun’er, you go back to your room and rest first. Be on time for class at the Grand Tutor’s Residence tomorrow. We, mother and son, won’t be staying in this dilapidated General Cheng’s Residence for much longer.”
“Xun’er remembers. Mother, you should also rest early.”
The young boy bowed, then exited. Xiangluan outside automatically followed him, escorting him back to his own courtyard before returning.
At that moment, Su Yang had just returned from Rongshouyuan. “Miss, Old Madam has already been informed. The doctor said she will live for at most another year.”
Outwardly, she seemed fine, but eating rich food every day in various ways, and with a few more emotional shocks, she might just gasp for air and kick the bucket one day.
“A year is too long. Living in this dilapidated General Cheng’s Residence is stifling. Let’s increase her dosage.”
When Old Madam died, it would be entirely reasonable for Cheng Shaowu, out of grief, to follow her to the grave.
Oh, right, I haven’t told Old Madam yet that her beloved eldest grandson is the Emperor’s biological son. For the Emperor’s son to call her grandmother for several years, what a great honor that is! She’ll surely be overjoyed and not know what to do with herself!
Arrangement!
Now the entire General Cheng’s Residence was under her control. The servants’ contracts of sale were all in her hands. Even if some bold person dared to speak ill of her outside, no one outside would believe them.
After all, her persona had been firmly established over the past four years. Even if she found an adulterer and bore him children, and even if she made her mother-in-law sick and intended to harm her husband, she was still the most virtuous and filial daughter-in-law in the capital of Great Jin.
It must be said, that harlot's life was truly tough. He was so angry he vomited blood, and not even a single dose of medicine was given to him, yet Cheng Shaowu actually survived after sleeping for one night, and could even speak.
He woke up clamoring to find Ning Yan.
How could Ning Yan bother with him? She just went about her business.
That night, the Emperor arrived.
“Why do you have to put yourself through such hardship? Before, he even had the nerve to say he wanted to marry a co-wife. I was so angry at the time that I almost had him dismembered by five horses directly.
Anyway, he has done enough foolish things. Just divorce him. I guarantee no one will criticize you.”
Ning Yan sat unmoving in her chair, casually glancing at the man. “And after the divorce? Marry you? I won’t go into the palace and suffer that kind of indignity.”
Yuan Jingchen felt his qi and blood surge again, his head buzzing!
This woman’s heart was truly hard. He hadn’t sent her any less good things, he had humbled himself before her, and he even saved the position of noble consort for her. Yet, as soon as he suggested she divorce, she would give him a cold shoulder!
The previous mention of Xue Zhenzhen was a mistake. It has now been uniformly changed to Bai Rong’er.
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