Chapter 276: Adding A Son
Zhang Zhaodi understood Su Yaoguang’s meaning.
Su Yaoguang was just worried about her body, meaning she was still very welcoming of this child’s birth.
Zhang Zhaodi stroked her belly, her eyes growing moist.
“I’m old, and I shouldn’t be causing such embarrassment. But this child is here to witness our whole family’s happiness. I want to joyfully welcome his arrival. Whether he is a son or a daughter, he is Yaoguang’s family in this world, and also a testament to the happiness my husband and I have after our long separation.”
“If Madam wants to give birth, then we will. I will definitely invite the best doctor to care for Madam and welcome the child’s arrival together with Madam.” Su Rende touched Zhang Zhaodi’s belly and said, “When Madam gave birth to Yaoguang, I knew nothing and left Madam to suffer grievances and hardship alone. Now, I want to make it up to Madam doubly.”
“If you want to make it up, make it up to Yaoguang. This one in the belly doesn’t need you to make it up to her.” Zhang Zhaodi said crossly.
“What I want to make it up to is Madam, and only secondarily Yaoguang. Yaoguang will forever be my most precious daughter; even this one in the belly can’t surpass her.”
Su Yaoguang was amused by the two’s overt and subtle reassurances.
She hugged Zhou Wangshu’s arm: “Don’t be so fussy. I’ve already married, and I have a husband to dote on me. I won’t compete for favor with this younger brother or sister.”
She wasn’t a child; how could she worry that they would dote on the one in the belly and not her? As someone who had lived two lives, could she really compete for favor with a little kid?
Zhang Zhaodi was already three months pregnant.
Now that the joyful pulse had been diagnosed, they must immediately notify the other two sisters of the Zhang family, as well as Jiang Jing and Jia Chunni and others.
As a doctor, Jiang Jing needed to frequently come to check Zhang Zhaodi’s safe pulse and confirm the safety of her and the child in her belly.
Zhang Zhaodi was an advanced-age mother and needed attention in many areas. When Jiang Jing and the others heard she was pregnant, they were stunned for a moment before wanting to move to the general’s mansion.
Previously, when asked to move to the general’s mansion, they each refused to be constrained, feeling it would be inconvenient. Now that they heard Zhang Zhaodi was pregnant, they all wanted to move over to take care of her.
“How is it, Jing’er?” Zhang Yingdi asked.
“Don’t worry, little aunt, godmother’s body is very good.” Jiang Jing said, “These years I’ve been conditioning your bodies, and finally your physical conditions have improved.”
“Your godmother is older after all and doesn’t recover as well as young people. You need to spend more time helping her.”
Zhang Pandi said from the side: “Tell us what needs attention and what to eat, and we’ll cooperate.”
Jia Chunni nodded repeatedly from the side.
She thought of Zhang Pandi’s physical condition again and asked Jiang Jing: “Sister Jiang Jing, how is my mom’s body? If she gets married, can she still give me a younger brother or sister?”
Zhang Pandi was mortified and pulled Jia Chunni away, not allowing her to speak recklessly.
“Don’t worry, Chunni, second aunt’s body is also very good.” Jiang Jing said, “As long as she is willing, she can definitely give birth.”
Zhang Pandi was still a few years younger than Zhang Zhaodi.
Zhang Pandi’s eyes reddened: “A few years ago my body had already collapsed. Not to mention giving birth, at that rate I probably wouldn’t have lived more than three years. If not for meeting big sister and Yaoguang, and then Jiang Jing, I’m afraid I’d already be a pile of dirt by now, and Chunni would have been married off to some cripple or old bachelor just to exchange for betrothal gifts.”
“I’m doing quite well now and haven’t thought of anything else. That Boss Song did say he wanted to marry me, but I felt I wasn’t worthy of him and didn’t agree.” Zhang Pandi said.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Zhang Yingdi said, “No wonder these past few days Boss Song seemed so listless; it was because of you! He sincerely wanted to marry you, and you actually refused him.”
“Mom, Uncle Song is pretty good.” Jia Chunni said.
“These things aren’t urgent.” Zhang Pandi said, “What our family needs most to be cared for and protected right now is big sister. Before big sister safely gives birth, we’ll put other matters aside and focus on taking care of her through the birth.”
Zhang Zhaodi thus became the key protection target.
Her two younger sisters, one goddaughter, and one niece took turns caring for her. If she went to Peach Blossom Workshop, the scene was even more exaggerated, with everyone inside and out treating her like a rare animal.
In the prison. The Marquis of Cheng’an lay there gasping for breath. Hearing footsteps, he seemed to sense something and slowly raised his head.
Zhou Wangshu stood before him.
“I heard you wanted to see me. What is it?”
The Marquis of Cheng’an said weakly: “Jing’er, I am your biological father. How can you treat me like this?”
“You killed my biological maternal grandfather and maternal uncle, and also forced my biological mother to her death.” Zhou Wangshu looked at the Marquis of Cheng’an coolly, “If you’re relying on that tenuous blood tie to beg me for mercy, you’ll be disappointed. Since I personally sent you in here, I won’t save you out again. Marquis of Cheng’an, weren’t you very arrogant? Your little sister-in-law is Consort Chen; you used her name to buy and sell offices, engage in corruption and bribery. Your son is even more ruthless, killing like hemp and treating common people like weeds. You should understand that everything in this world has retribution.”
“I’m willing to give you all my things, the title and property, in exchange for my life.”
“Your life isn’t worth that much money.” Zhou Wangshu said coolly, “By the way, I’m not here because I’ve really softened toward you and want to show mercy. I’m here to tell you that your precious son Xia Zhen has become a complete madman, and your second wife Tang Shi is locked in Xia Zhen’s room. The two of them fight over a share of food every day to survive. Tell me, who will live longer, your second wife Tang Shi or your mad son?”
“As for you, you won’t die that quickly, because I won’t let you die so easily.”
Seeing that Zhou Wangshu wouldn’t let him go, the Marquis of Cheng’an dropped even the pretense of being a loving father.
“I shouldn’t have been softhearted back then and spared you this scourge. If I’d dealt with you and your mother together, none of this would have happened. You are ultimately the Zhou family’s illegitimate child, always siding with the Zhou family, never thinking that you bear the Xia surname. I truly regret acknowledging you. I’d rather have no heir to inherit the title than bring back you this ungrateful person.”
The jailer nearby couldn’t listen anymore and asked Zhou Wangshu: “Lord, should we pull out his tongue?”
“No need.” Zhou Wangshu said coolly, “If we pull out his tongue, we won’t hear his pleasant begging for mercy. From today on, use a different torture on him each day until you’ve gone through every torture here, then call a doctor to bandage his wounds. Do you understand my meaning?”
The jailer wasn’t stupid; how could he not understand?
From the earlier conversation, it was clear the Marquis of Cheng’an had killed his legal wife and plotted against her maternal family. Now Zhou Wangshu had returned to the capital city precisely to avenge that family.
Zhou Wangshu left the prison.
He stood at the prison doorway, listening to the screams coming from inside.
Those were the Marquis of Cheng’an’s screams.
This feeling of having one’s life and death grasped by another was surely unbearable.
Zhou Wangshu returned to the Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion from the yamen. As soon as he entered the mansion, he saw Su Yaoguang moving things.
“Madam, what are you…”
Seeing him return, Su Yaoguang said: “Mom is pregnant now, and second aunt, third aunt, and Jing’er have all moved to the general’s mansion. There’s no one or anything here to hinder us anymore, so I also want to move back to the general’s mansion.”
“Alright, then we’ll move back together.” Zhou Wangshu had no objection, “No matter what, I am your son-in-law who lives with the wife’s family. Wherever Madam says to go, we’ll go.”
Su Yaoguang sensed something off in his mood, stopped what she was doing, walked over, and hugged him.
“You’re in a bad mood?”
Zhou Wangshu leaned on her shoulder and said sourly: “These years I’ve always been thinking of returning to the capital city for revenge. In the first few years, I thought this vengeance would be hard to take. To avoid implicating you all, once I found a good opportunity, I had to leave secretly, lest when I committed a capital crime of beheading, I’d implicate you too.”
“Then what made you change your mind later?”
“I couldn’t bear to leave.” Zhou Wangshu pinched her cheek, “I hadn’t even left yet, and you were telling everyone we were a fake couple who would divorce sooner or later. Those hungry wolves were staring at you all day. Once I left, I’m afraid they’d snatch you away and devour you. I thought it over: vengeance must be taken, but it doesn’t have to be by extreme means.”
There were a thousand ways to take revenge in this world. Some harmed the enemy at a cost of 1,000 to oneself of 800; some were like boiling a frog in warm water—not painful or itchy at first, but over time it would cook the frog dead. If he wanted to emerge unscathed, he had to use the warm water method.
“Back then, the Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion was incomparably towering in my eyes. It was like a huge mountain pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. Later, you stayed by my side and helped me through many difficulties. Watching you save people back from the brink of death time and again, I thought: if a little woman like you can do it, what do I have to fear?”
“You did it.”
“I collected their evidence, and found various exhibits and witnesses, all for the day I could uproot them completely.”
“Wangshu, let’s not talk about those people. Your great vengeance is avenged. Let’s find time to offer incense to your maternal grandfather and them!”
Zhou Wangshu nodded: “Good, let’s first move the things to the general’s mansion.”
With trouble at the Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion, Zhou Wangshu and Su Yaoguang moved back to the general’s mansion in grand style.
In the afternoon, the verdict on the Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion came out.
Xia Zhen and Tang Shi after all didn’t understand imperial court matters, so their punishments were waived. The Marquis of Cheng’an’s evidence was conclusive, so he could only be thrown into the salt mine to labor for life, never to crawl out.
When Zhou Wangshu left the prison earlier, he had already given instructions: no matter the sentence for the Marquis of Cheng’an, he must be beaten for ninety-nine, eighty-one days, as if kowtowing in apology to his maternal grandfather’s family.
Zhou Wangshu’s maternal grandfather’s family had their case overturned and was no longer traitors.
Zhou Wangshu had merit in overturning the case for his maternal grandfather; he was granted the Zhongyi Marquis’s Mansion and enfeoffed as the Marquis Zhongyi.
The Anping Count’s Mansion disappeared and no longer existed; the world now had one more Zhongyi Marquis’s Mansion.
The Zhongyi Marquis’s Mansion belonged to Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu, and could later be passed to their child. The Zhongyi Marquis’s Mansion was right next to the Protector General’s Mansion; if the wall in between was opened, the two could be used as one.
Su Rende had suggested opening the wall, but Su Yaoguang refused.
Su Yaoguang thought it was easy to open but hard to seal up again later, which could hurt feelings.
Anyway, it was just next door; they could come back anytime, and it was only a few steps.
“Yaoguang isn’t willing to open the wall today.” Zhang Zhaodi said, lying on the table. “She must still mind this child.”
Zhang Pandi said from the side: “Big sister, now that you’re pregnant, you really are prone to overthinking. Yaoguang is so sensible; these years she’s always been heartbroken for you and taking care of you. She is the one who most hopes you can have happiness. Her not agreeing today is also for everyone’s good. Think about it: this child in the belly, whether boy or girl, will be your child in the future, Yaoguang’s brother or sister. If the houses are connected, then the Zhongyi Marquis’s Mansion side is hers; how would this side count? Hers, or her younger brother or sister’s?”
“Give it to her if she likes it. I’ve said it: Yaoguang is my most important child. Her thoughts matter more than anyone’s.”
“Yaoguang, come quickly; your mom is being difficult again.” Zhang Pandi couldn’t persuade Zhang Zhaodi and had to drag Su Yaoguang over to comfort her.
Su Yaoguang carried soup, sat beside Zhang Zhaodi, and said: “Just for a mansion, is it worth being difficult? This is what I’m thinking: look, your son-in-law is so capable; won’t he rise even higher later? Once he rises, won’t His Majesty grant an even bigger mansion? If we connect the mansions and make them one, when His Majesty sees our family living so well in such a big mansion, why would he grant anything more? Then, because the two families became one, your son-in-law wouldn’t even get rewards properly—that would be a loss, wouldn’t it?”
Zhang Zhaodi listened to Su Yaoguang’s words and nodded gently.
“You’re still the thoughtful one.”
The others secretly smiled.
“Yaoguang, now that the Marquis of Cheng’an and Cheng’an Marchioness are under your control, no one can harm you in the slightest. You don’t need to avoid pregnancy anymore and can consider having a child.” Jiang Jing said.
“Has Yaoguang been avoiding pregnancy all along?” Zhang Zhaodi asked.
Jiang Jing looked at Su Yaoguang, who glared at her, meaning she had a big mouth.
Jiang Jing felt embarrassed and wanted to make amends, but heard Su Yaoguang generously admit it.
“Yes, Mom, you all saw it a while ago: that Cheng’an Marchioness and her beast-like son were always staring at our side without letting up. We didn’t dare be the slightest bit negligent, so we didn’t dare have a child too early. We hope the child grows up in a healthy and safe environment and don’t want them to live in fear with me.”
“And now? Can it be now?” Zhang Pandi said.
“Not yet even now.” Su Yaoguang said, “Have you forgotten Dad has been going out early and returning late lately, saying he’s training troops? There’s very likely to be war at the border again.”
Worry showed on Zhang Zhaodi’s face.
Last time she was pregnant with her daughter, Su Rende left for years without returning, forcing her to raise her daughter as a widow. Now that the family was finally reunited, they hadn’t enjoyed happiness for many days before unrest began again.
