Chapter 50: Substitute
“Good sister-in-law, don’t worry, let me tell you slowly.” Ge Shi began from the start. “You know, Prince Zhao and the Princess Consort have two sons. The elder son was adopted by the Empress and sent to the palace the year before last, so now only the younger son is with them.”
This matter is known to everyone. The current Emperor has no sons, so he selected several intelligent and handsome young men from the imperial clan to be raised in the palace.
Although the purpose was not explicitly stated, everyone understood it in their hearts.
Among them, Prince Zhao’s Princess Consort is the Empress’s own younger sister, so it was natural for the Empress to take in and adopt her son.
“The Prince and Princess Consort naturally dote on their younger son even more, but this Young Heir has been weak since birth and is often ill.
The Prince’s Mansion naturally tried every method, seeking doctors and consulting diviners, leaving no stone unturned.
For years, more than one person has said that this child has a Buddhist affinity and needs a method to resolve it. So they bought a substitute and sent them to a temple, thinking this would cure him.”
The so-called “Buddhist affinity” is an indirect way of saying that a person’s fate is troubled, either they are frail and often ill, or they face disaster and hardship. In short, they will not live long, and only by becoming a monk can it be resolved.
But how many people in this world are willing to become monks? Especially children from wealthy families.
Thus, the concept of a “substitute” arose, which means finding someone to become a monk in one’s stead. Generally, wealthy families would spend money to buy children from poor families and send them to temples to become monks or Taoist priests; this was not uncommon.
For example, the Gong Family’s Eldest Master has a substitute, who is about his age and is already an Abbot at a temple.
“But over the years, the Prince’s Mansion has bought so many substitutes, and the Young Heir is still sickly.
A while ago, he fell gravely ill again. It was truly perilous, which frightened both the Prince and the Princess Consort.”
“I vaguely heard about it a few days ago too. Spring is when old ailments tend to flare up, so one must be careful,” Consort Song interjected.
“Coincidentally, there was a master from Zhongnan Mountain, so the Prince invited him to the mansion to inquire about the Young Heir’s illness.
The master said that sending a substitute to become a monk was a good idea, but the Prince’s Mansion’s Young Heir was too precious, and ordinary substitutes wouldn’t be effective.
It had to be a child born on the same year, month, and day, and not from a poor background, otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to suppress it.
The Prince and Princess Consort were also troubled by this. Which family with any status would give up their child for no reason?
Moreover, even if there were those willing to give up their children, they might not be a suitable match,” Ge Shi said. By this point, Consort Song had already understood most of it.
“I remember the Prince’s Mansion’s Young Heir was born on the Double Ninth Festival, the year of the monkey,” Consort Song said, “Sister-in-law, you mean Gong Changan…”
“Yes, sister, listen to what I just said. Isn’t this like destiny?
Looking around, he is the only one.
If this child can be given away, the Prince and Princess Consort will definitely do their best to protect your Master.
Before, we were begging them; how much favor could we ask for? It was merely like giving charity to a cat or dog out of pity.
But if this child is sent to be a substitute, it will be different. We will have done the Prince’s Mansion a great favor, and how could they not try their best?
Furthermore, the Empress adopted the Prince’s elder son; how could she stand by and watch the younger one not grow up? Even His Majesty cannot bear to see it,” Ge Shi analyzed logically.
At this moment, the maidservant who had been sent to the East Courtyard returned and reported, “Little Madam, First Madam says that Old Madam has taken her medicine and is asleep, so she is not able to receive guests. Thank you for your kindness, Aunt-in-law, and she says to ask Little Madam to stay for a meal before leaving. She is temporarily busy and will chat with Aunt-in-law another day.”
“I understand. You may go,” Consort Song replied indifferently.
Ge Shi smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter if she sees us or not; as long as the intention is conveyed, Old Madam will know.”
“Does my brother know about this?” Consort Song asked urgently, her entire mind focused on this matter.
“How could he not know? He told me himself! It’s just inconvenient for him to come, so he hurried me here.
The Prince said that if a suitable person is found, there will be a generous reward,” Ge Shi said. “Good sister, you are intelligent, you must know what is more important and what to do.”
Consort Song thought for a moment and said, “This matter needs to be planned carefully. After all, he is Wen Mingqian’s son. Even if I agree, she will certainly not.”
“I think an arm can’t twist a thigh, can it?” Ge Shi smiled. “I won’t say any more. My little maids are mostly awake now, so I must go back.”
Her youngest daughter is only two months old and cannot be separated from her mother.
“Thank you, sister-in-law, for telling me such an important matter,” Consort Song said. “I won’t keep you any longer.”
“We are family, why be so polite? Let me remind you again, take good care of yourself. You are pregnant now; if anything happens, it will be your own body that suffers,” Ge Shi said.
“I know, sister-in-law. Now that we can finally see some light, it’s much better than fumbling in the dark before.” Honestly, Consort Song’s heart had eased considerably.
“That’s good, that’s good. It means I didn’t come in vain,” Ge Shi said as she walked out. “You should plan carefully, and the sooner the better, to avoid prolonged complications.”
Consort Song personally saw her sister-in-law out and, upon returning, dismissed the extra people, leaving only Granny Yang by her side.
“Little Madam, the method Aunt-in-law mentioned is likely the only useful one now,” Granny Yang encouraged. “Moreover, doing so will only bring us benefits, not harm.”
“You are right. We originally intended to drive Wen Mingqian and her son out of the mansion,” Consort Song nodded. “The reason she surnamed Wen can remain in this mansion is mainly because she has a son.
Both Master and Old Madam will tolerate her to some extent because of this.”
“Exactly. If the Fourth Young Master is sent away, she will have no support. Moreover, although she is detestable, our biggest fear is the Fourth Young Master,” Granny Yang said with a forced smile.
What Consort Song and Wen Mingqian were competing for was not just Gong Xu’s favor, but also the status of the main wife and the family fortune.
With Gong Changan as the legitimate son, her own son would only be a concubine-born son.
Even with Gong Xu’s affection, he would not inherit even half of the family fortune.
But what if Gong Changan were gone?
It would be like cutting off the firewood from under the pot for Wen Mingqian, and there would be no need to fear any storms she might stir up.
“In the end, this is heaven’s will,” Consort Song smiled exceptionally contentedly. This was the most relaxed she had smiled since Wen Mingqian and her son returned. “Master suffered a calamity, and Old Madam was so anxious that she fell ill.
At this time, if Gong Changan is made the substitute for Prince Zhao’s Young Heir, disaster can be averted and difficulties resolved. Isn’t this the will of heaven?”
“That’s what you say, but this old servant thinks that Wen Mingqian might not be willing to comply, right? She also knows that this son is her lifeline; what will she do for the rest of her life if she gives him up?” Granny Yang hesitated, thinking of Wen Mingqian’s past actions.
“She has no choice but to comply!” Consort Song snorted coldly. “Unless she wants to be a sinner of the Gong Family again!”
