Although Gu Mang followed Murong Lian's steps, he was confused and surprised that Murong Lian wanted to see him.
Although he had few memories of Murong Lian, he knew very clearly that Murong Lian had never treated him well, let alone bought a box of snacks to apologize to him.
Children's love and hate were not so complicated. Push them today, they remember it. But give them a bunch of sugar gourds tomorrow, the previous memories will disappear. Therefore, Gu Mang believed that he had never received the box of cakes from Murong Lian. If he did, the relationship between him and Murong Lian would not be as gloomy as it was later.
With such doubts, he followed Murong Lian the whole way, and finally arrived at Aunt Lin's cottage.
A peach blossom was planted by Aunt Lin's house, which was just in its flowering period and was blooming in a thick and colorful way. Murong Lian stood under the flowering tree, adjusted his clothes, and coughed awkwardly twice. He made sure that he put on the airs of the young master, so he raised his hand to knock on the door.
But before his knuckles touched the door, he heard two women talking.
"How he fell like this." The voice of the woman who spoke first was majestic and oppressive. It was the voice of Murong Lian's mother, Madam Zhao. "I asked you to take the baby. That's how you take care of him?"
Murong Lian heard his mother's voice and a look of awe and surprise took over his face. The little fist that was about to knock on the door lowered.
Then, Aunt Lin's timid voice came out from behind the door panel. "I'm sorry for my carelessness."
"I don't think you're careless. You don't have brains. Aunt Lin, have you ever been humiliated by the lady of Wangshu mansion in the past few years? Why didn't you come to me when the child was so badly hurt? Do you think I won't help you?"
"No, no," said Aunt Lin. "I didn't..."
Madam Zhao snorted coldly, "Why explain? I know that you've always hated me, and everyone regards me as a jealous woman and villain. Are you the exception?"
"Madam..."
"No more. I'll take the child," said Madam Zhao sternly. "Do your own work, and don't shake under my eyes."
Aunt Lin didn't make a sound, but behind the door there was a rustle of footsteps.
After a while, Madam Zhao's high pitched voice pierced the plank and came out ——
"What are you doing?"
Aunt Lin said in a low voice, "Madam, please leave him to me. You can't see that Ah Mang is always making trouble in his daily life. He's really afraid. He can't have a good rest in your place..."
"Am I a stranger?"
"No..."
"Then why would he be afraid of me? Will I eat him or will I poison him?"
"I didn't mean that..."
"Then let go! What are you worried about? If you don't see him again, he will be hurt?"
"..."
"Aunt Lin, you are aware, I am in charge of Wangshu mansion, and he is a child of the Wangshu family!"
Dead silence.
Gu Mang's head was buzzing. He could hardly believe his ears.
What?
Who was a child of Wangshu family?
Madam Zhao… She, what did she mean… What is she talking about??!
While his blood was roaring, the door of the hut creaked open.
But it was not only Gu Mang in the illusion, but also Murong Lian who Was stunned.
Murong Lian seemed to want to run, but it was like being filled with mercury. He stood at the door, unable to move.
So he ran into Madam. Zhao.
"Ah, Ah Niang..."
Madam Zhao came out with the little passed out Gu Mang. She saw at Murong
Lian at a glance, then the blood on her face disappeared rapidly.
"Why are you here?!"
Murong Lian raised a small pale face, and stammered to his mother in panic, "I
I..."
But Madam Zhao didn't let Murong Lian answer after she asked. She suddenly thought of something and raised her hand to stop Murong Lian's voice. Then she immediately closed the door, blocking Aunt Lin's line of sight.
Aunt Lin, "Madam..."
"Don't come out!"
"Madam, A Mang is really timid… He is always afraid of disturbing others..." Aunt Lin knew that she was annoying, but although she was timid, she was still stubborn. "You… If you see him get sick, don't let him stay with you… I must... "
"Shut up!" Madam Zhao slammed the door shut.
Bang.
Madam Zhao didn't seem to want Aunt Lin to know that Murong Lian was standing outside. She lowered her eyebrows and said in a low voice, "Come here."
Murong Lian stood still.
"Come here!"
Murong Lian could not return to his wits, and looked up at his mother in fear.
"..."
Madam Zhao cursed secretly and simply put her finger on his lapel. Left hand holding Gu Mang, right hand holding Murong Lian, she went toward her room without looking back.
As soon as she entered the room, Madam Zhao dismissed all the servants, threw Gu Mang on the bed and said to Murong Lian, "How much did you hear?"
Murong Lian was so small at that time. When had he gone though battle like this? He was so scared that he couldn't speak. He only opened his eyes wide, and his eyes were filled with frightened tears.
"Ask you something. A man with a big husband will cry in two words, like what! "
"I, I..." Murong Lian was still holding the snack box in his hand. His mother forced him to be in a hurry. He started crying, "Didn't I come fro Ah Niang? Was I picked up?"
Madam Zhao was stunned for a moment.
Murong Lian's crying was a bit uncontrollable. He looked at Madam Zhao and Gu Mang, who was in a coma on the bed, and at last he felt like choking.
After pondering for a while, Madam Zhao came to understand. She first touched her forehead and then patted the table. "Murong Lian! What are you thinking about? How can a naturally beautiful woman like me give birth to such an ugly boy?"
Murong Lian's narcissism was in the same line with that of Madam Zhao's. It could be concluded that Murong Lian was definitely Madam Zhao's own child. Murong Lian raised a small hand to wipe his tears and choked, "Then you just said… You said he was… He is..."
Madam Zhao narrowed her eyes.
Murong Lian felt the pressure from his mother. His voice weakened, but he said in a low voice, "He is our family..."
This time Madam Zhao didn't speak at once.
She went to Murong Lian and took the snack box he was holding with great effort and put it on a table covered with gold embroidered white satin birds. Then she poured of fruit and flower tea from a teapot and drank slowly.
She turned the porcelain cup around in her fingers. Madam Zhao raised her eyes, but did not look at Murong. Her eyes fell on Gu Mang. After a long time, she said, "Murong Lian, come here."
Murong Lian went to her hesitantly.
Madam Zhao put down the teacup and pondered for a while. Finally, she grasped his shoulder and said to him, "I'm sorry… You should know this sooner or later. I wanted to tell you when you were older, but since you heard it now, there's no use hiding it from you. But this secret must be buried in your own heart. You can't say it to anyone, no one can hear it. Do you understand?"
Murong Lian nodded.
But how could such a small child learn to keep secrets?
Madam Zhao also had this consideration, so she pulled Murong Lian's palm. Fingertips shining, she drew a magic seal in his palm. It was obviously not a good seal. Murong Lian called out, "Ah Niang, it hurts!"
"It's just the pain of the seal being imprinted," Madam Zhao said. "It will make it impossible for you to let out the secret you hear today before you become the leader of Wangshu mansion. Once you say something wrong, it will be far more painful than this, so you'll keep your mouth shut."
She spoke, releasing his palm.
"Don't blame your mother for being cruel. You were born in the Murong family. If you show any weakness and do something wrong, you may lose your own life." After all this, Madam Zhao let Murong Lian sit down.
She looked at Murong Lian, who was covering the back of his hand and had tears on his eyelashes for a while. She opened her mouth, thinking of how to explain the past events that she had concealed in a way that a child could understand.
"Your father… His relationship with me... "
At last, she said, "In fact, all this time… It's not as good as you think."
Murong Lian: "..."
Gu Mang had heard about this before. Murong Xuan, the old Wangshu Jun, didn't like Madam Zhao, but instead wanted a girl from Lin'An. But later, because of the obstruction of the powerful nobles, Murong Xuan did not marry her in as a wife, but married the daughter of the Zhao family, who was the opposite of her.
But this kind of thing, after all, others didn't know everything, and only the person concerned could know the whole truth.
With the narration of Madam Zhao, the truth of the past finally gradually came to the surface.
It turned out that although Madam Zhao was born in a noble family, she did not live in the capital city before. Her father was an important minister stationed in the border area of the East. The whole family lived in the fiefdoms all year round. Only at each end of the year's festival, the Duke Zhao would come to the capital city with his wife and daughter.
Zhao Susu met Murong Xuan who played music for the king at a new year's banquet when he was in the prime of his life. She fell in love with this young and promising nobleman.
However, she was a proud person, and when others saw her mind, she was embarrassed. She tried to deny it, and even deliberately made it look like she looked down upon Murong Xuan. So Murong Xuan didn't have a good impression of her, let alone any feelings for her as a woman. Madam Zhao was also a woman who felt extremely good about herself. She believed that Murong Xuan would find her beautiful and bow to her pomegranate skirt even if she gives him two big white eyes every time they met.
The result was, of course, bleak.
Murong Xuan didn't look at her, but one year, when he was hunting, he met a girl who escaped from Lin'an.
He didn't know what happened to that girl. She probably injured her head before. She didn't remember many things. She only knew her surname was Chu. If she asked anything else, she couldn't remember anything.
But in addition, what she had was beautiful. She was lively and gentle in her movements. Her temperament was also very soft. Murong Xuan had a relationship with her.
In fact, if he calmed down and thought about it carefully, it was a relationship that he couldn't see through at a glance. Miss Chu's origin was unknown. She came from a humble background… All these reflected her incompatibility with Murong Xuan.
However, Murong Xuan was too young at that time and thought about everything optimistically. So he went to confess his mind to the king at that time, that is, his brother, and asked him to marry Miss Chu.
Originally, this was not absolutely impossible. Unfortunately, however, he just agreed to a courtship with Duke Zhao and promised to betroth his daughter Zhao Susu to Murong Xuan as his wife.
Most marriages of these pureblood nobles were decided by the emperor. He did not expect that Murong Xuan had his own favorite person. For the sake of the face of the royal family, he naturally rejected Murong Xuan's plea and demanded that Murong Xuan and the Chu family should be completely separated.
But Murong Xuan was in love with Miss Chu at that time. How could he agree? He was always gentle and meek. He actually had a dispute with his emperor brother in court. The emperor was upset by him but didn't want his brother to be too embarrassed. At last, he was angry and encouraged by saying that if Murong Xuan couldn't let go of the Chu daughter, after he married Zhao Susu and gave birth to a son, he could make an exception and promote the rank of Miss Chu and allow her to marry Murong Xuan as a concubine.
The former emperor thought he had made a big move, but his brother, who had always been witty, was stubborn and refused to give up half a point.
In the end, there was a fury.
At this time, Lin'an granted the Yue Juntian a chance to take part in the performance. He said that he had checked into the identity of the Chu family, and there was no girl with the surname Chu in Lin'an at all. Such a woman with unknown origin was either a spy or a monster.
In the emperor's rage, he took Miss Chu into custody and put her on the platform for trial.
When things got to this point, Murong Xuan could only promise to fulfill his engagement and marry into the Zhao family. He asked to let Miss Chu live.
In fact, according to the emperor's meaning, he didn't think Miss Chu was a spy. He knew that Yue Juntian took the opportunity to sue Murong Xuan for his personal grievance. So he thought that he would threaten Murong Xuan by threatening Miss Chu in the end. As long as Murong Xuan became a good parent and met the demands of Zhao family head, a senior minister, then she could be let go.
But the Zhao family didn't think so.
Except for the narcissistic Zhao Susu, who didn't take the rumors seriously and didn't think that her husband and the Chu girl were a big deal, the rest of the Zhao family felt that Chu was a thorn in the flesh that had to be pulled out. In addition, Yue Juntian fanned the flames from the side, and the Zhao family became more and more restless.
They calculated several times, and bypassed the platform by paying the cultivators to put a fake Miss Chu out, and leave the real Miss Chu to continue to be used as a test body at the platform.
They thought this would level the stumbling block on the love road for their daughter, but there is no wall without wind in the world. The plot of Zhao family soon spread to Murong Xuan, who was on the front lines at that time. Murong Xuan was very depressed at that time, and when hearing such news, he was so upset that he was severely hurt by the enemy in a decisive battle. Finally, he died on the way back to the city. His last breath was on the bank of the Fushui
River.
The Zhao family didn't expect that they were self-defeating. Not only did they not help their daughter, they also made Madam Zhao stay in poverty. When the news came in July, Madam Zhao was already pregnant. She was very sad and scared when she gave birth to a baby boy. That was Murong Lian.
After giving birth, Madam Zhao was depressed and immersed in the pain of her husband's death. She didn't know that Murong Xuan had been coaxed to drink joyous wine on her wedding day. In fact, he had no feelings for her. She thought they were deeply in love with each other, but they were separated from each other.
When she went to her late husband's study to collect the relics in tears, she found a stack of letters between her husband and Miss Chu.
Seeing the continuous love thoughts and murmuring words flowing out of the lines, Zhao Fu finally realized that she had always been overconfident. In fact, those rumors were true. Her husband didn't like her at all, but the lowly exile.
How could Madam Zhao, who was so arrogant, not be angry?
They concealed the truth from her, and only wanted her to marry the Murong family elder to quarrel with each other. Even though she fell down on the table and smashed the door, she could not help but feel her breath. Even thinking about the Chu girl, she couldn't stand it.
She was unconsciously reduced to a laughingstock, all thanks to her Zhao family, who regarded her as a chess piece, and that bitch named Chu!
How could Madam Zhao let go of the Chu girl when she finished fighting with the Zhao family? After several inquiries, she finally found out that Miss Chu was now detained in the demon room of the Sishu platform. So she went there with resentment. At that time, the Chu girl was being taken by the practitioners who had received the payment to do the potion test.
The "flattering bitch" she saw on the platform was a body frozen by spiritual incantations, with a totally different face, a bony body, and—
A clearly raised abdomen.
"For several months, she's been frozen in Xuanming14 ice to stay for a year, which is equivalent to three or two days outside," the cultivator explained to her, "Your father wanted to kill her directly, but it was too obvious. So he froze her first for fear of arousing suspicion from the emperor."
"Madam, do you want to kill her now?"
Madam Zhao: "..."
She was a little dazed.
She first read her husband's love letters with this woman, and her heart was full of envy.
But now, across the ice, she looked at the woman who was similar to her age.
Just because she was not of good birth, she couldn't marry someone she liked. Her face was destroyed and her life was hanging. Even her child could not be saved. They were all given up by her family.
She was like her, after all, another victim of the chessboard.
Madam Zhao's heart was full of five flavors, and then she looked at the abdomen that was pregnant with life— She was not a compassionate person, but she has just given birth to a baby, and her heart was softer than before. After a long hesitation, she finally couldn't bear it, so she saved Miss Chu.
Zhao Susu hid Miss Chu from everyone in the dark room of Wangshu mansion, and asked a steady mother to take care of her until the baby was born safely.
In order to hide from people's eyes and ears, she changed the surname of Chu, and only took half; On top of Guan was Lin.
From then on, there was no Chu girl in the world, and there was another ugly woman in Wangshu mansion.
That was Gu Mang's Aunt Ni.