Chapter 214: Chapter 214: She is… quite easy to satisfy

The streets of Shengjing remained bustling and lively as ever. Hawkers and servants hawked their wares, their calls rising and falling in succession. Children frolicked back and forth, bringing vitality to every place they went.

Commander Yan’s face was so dark with anger he looked as if he could wring out ink. Yan An, injured, could no longer walk and was dragged along by a family servant.

Until they returned to the residence.

Just as he stepped into the study, Commander Yan turned around and raised his hand, delivering a fierce slap across the face that resembled his own.

‘Smack’

The slap sent Yan An’s eyes reeling with stars, his ears ringing. The already swollen face became even more severe, the embedded blood vessels seeming ready to burst at any moment.

“Father…” Yan An spat out the words with difficulty.

Commander Yan breathed heavily.

All these years, he had acted with caution. When had he ever fallen so low? Completely stripped of his dignity.

“Don’t call me father!”

“What did I instruct you? Huh!”

“I told you, not less than three times, in these eventful times, you must not court disaster by flaunting yourself. And yet, you chose to ignore my words!”

“That’s the Heir of Prince Gong! Even if he hasn’t made a name for himself yet, his father is Prince Gong, a blood brother to the official family. Who do you think you are?”

“You calamity! Today–”

“My lord.”

The Governor’s wife had been anxiously waiting within the mansion and, upon hearing the two had returned, hurried to the study. Seeing Commander Yan berating Yan An so fiercely, she quickly stepped forward.

“Brother An is already in such a state, why are you still reprimanding him so!”

Seeing Yan An’s clothes soaked in blood and his body convulsing in pain, running a fever, and his face flushed in an odd way, her heart ached so much that her eyes reddened.

She scolded the servant woman in the study: “Are you blind? Go and fetch the Medical Staff!”

The old woman hurriedly checked Commander Yan’s expression.

“He still deserves medicine? A curse on the whole family, that dog! If you ask me, it would be better if he just died this time! To avoid future troubles!” Commander Yan was furious this time.

The Governor’s wife couldn’t believe it; she shielded Yan An behind her.

“My Lord! This is your legitimate son! He has already been severely punished. Isn’t that enough? This time, it was Ji Huo who came to cause trouble! Relying on his status, Ji Huo has been acting recklessly for not just a day or two. Why did he have to come to the Yan Mansion? I still want to stand up for Brother An.”

“It was but a few foolish words exchanged, the official family should also consider your years of service. Why be so heartless as to beat him with boards?”

Commander Yan’s head throbbed violently.

A single sentence from within Prince Gong’s palace had thoroughly awakened him, echoing back and forth in his ears, as though resounding through an empty mountain valley, with a haunting, lingering whisper.

—-I almost forgot, Lady Yan was raised and taught by the old lady herself, but that son isn’t.

Commander Yan looked coldly towards his legitimate wife.

At the time, right after the Governor’s wife gave birth to Yan Mi, the old lady took her to be raised in her own chambers. Although the Governor’s wife resented this, she had little power at home back then and could not establish herself firmly, so she dared not make trouble.

Later, she gave birth to Yan An.

The old woman still came over from the old lady’s side.

But this time, the Governor’s wife, holding the swaddled baby, pleaded bitterly with him. His legitimate wife, who hadn’t even recovered from childbirth, cried pitifully behind her covered face.

“Mother-in-law will take away Mi, so she is never close to me, and to see my own daughter, I must have mother-in-law’s approval. Now mother-in-law wants to take Brother An too–if my flesh and blood are torn apart, my heart will be in agony like a knife twisted in it.”

Upon seeing this, Commander Yan made the decision to let Yan An stay.

—-Mother, you have already had a hard time raising Mi. How could you bear the burden of another child and risk your peace? Please do not interfere with the boy’s business.

What did the old lady say back then?

—-You think I enjoy nursing your children?

The old lady banged on the table.

—-Fine, I’ll leave it alone. Why should an old lady like me endure such dislike? From now on, I will just take care of Mi.

—-Your wife accuses me of favoring the second room, but why don’t I take the second room’s children under my wing? Do I enjoy needless troubles? Her? With her impure nature, can she raise a child well? When you wanted to marry her, didn’t you know what kind of disaster you were creating? If you weren’t my son, why would I go so far as to pray and chant for you to repay your karmic debts? Now, you have made your mark as a servant in front of the officials, yet you are charmed by such a poisonous woman. I was helpless as a mother and couldn’t stop it. You’ll suffer in the future!

At that time, he thought the old lady was being too harsh.

The woman by his side, whom he had gone to great lengths to marry–even if their past was somewhat shameful–how could she raise a wayward child? Moreover, when Yan grows older, he would study with a teacher.

Commander Yan also thought of Yan Mi.

The last time he was sick, it was Yan Mi who was most filial, busying herself taking care of him.

If it wasn’t for the Wei Family catching his mistake–an error he committed while getting married–how would he be willing to marry Yan Mi off into the Duke Wei Mansion!

“From today onward, you are no longer to interfere with Mi!”

The Governor’s wife frowned: “No, if she keeps messing with Miss Wei, I’m afraid…”

She was a wife married with great effort, yet when Commander Yan saw her again, he felt somewhat fed up.

“In this house, I call the shots!”

He said coldly, “When the second branch married off their legitimate daughter, did your sister-in-law restrict them? If you cared for Mi as much as you do for that wretch, would she not be close to you?”

——–

Yongchang Marquis Mansion on Chaoheng Street

The carriage slowly stopped.

Cui Yun got off first, followed by Shen Hua, who emerged slowly, her skin so pale under the light it was nearly translucent.

She held up her heavy skirt, stepping down onto the footstool.

“Don’t cause trouble during this time.”

Cui Yun matched her pace, moving slowly.

Shen Hua could hardly control such matters.

But her acknowledgement came quick.

“Hmm.”

The girl nodded her head, not forgetting to do so — just as perfunctory as when she brushed off Shen Zhi back in the day.

—-Yangyang, do not cause trouble in the future. Though Shen Qu from the second branch is a bastard, after all, he is your elder cousin. When elders are discussing important matters, you should not have thrown a rock and hit his head, causing a bloody wound. It’s really inappropriate.

It was what Shen Qu deserved for coming so close to provoke her.

How dirty he was back then, his clothes still stained with mud.

The little girl was a thousand times unconvinced.

She’d still throw;

If she saw that little bastard again, she’d throw again.

But in front of Shen Zhi.

The girl obediently nodded her head.

—-Hmm.

—-Your brother is off to the academy to study. Presumably, he will return home in half a month. If you don’t cause any trouble during this time, your brother will have gifts for you. But if you’re not well-behaved, your gifts will go to Zhui instead.

Shen Hua did not care one bit.

Let them give it then.

She’s seen more coveted treasures than she could count.

Moreover, that clueless oaf Zhui, honestly dumb as she is, will still end up giving whatever she gets to Shen Hua.

In the end, it’s still hers!

The girl obediently continued to nod her head.

—-Hmm.

Shen Zhi watched all this, sighing in his heart. He squatted down to fasten the Jade Pendant for the girl.

—-Brother has thought it over, I still don’t trust you. How about you take a poisonous oath? If you’re not well-behaved, may you become the ugliest little girl in all of Fengzhou?

Shen Hua glared.

—-Brother.

—-You have no sister anymore!

Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but bend her lips into a smile. The girl’s eyes sparkled like rippling spring water.

Cui Yun turned his head to look at her.

These days, there were signs of the weather warming. The ice on the lake melted, and everything was reviving.

Yet the girl was still dressed as heavily as always.

Wrapped up tightly, her mink fur and proud demeanor made her look quite overbearing.

Cui Yun was indifferently clear on this.

Bringing her to her mother’s family, she actually seems this pleased?

She is… rather easily satisfied.