Because of Cheng Min's visit, Yichun marquis manor had a reunion dinner after a long time. The tables were separated by gender, and the children were running around freely. Since all were elatives, the etiquettes weren't so strictly enforced. Both the Old Master and the Old Madam were also happy to watch their younger grandchildren playing around.
Qingfu Junzhu's biological son Cheng Enbao also came. After five years of marriage, Qingfu Junzhu was still childless, so old Madam Cheng took the initiative to give Cheng Yujin to Qingfu Junzhu. Later, Cheng Yujin's adoption really brought good luck. Qingfu Junzhu was pregnant at the old age of thirty and gave birth to a son Cheng Enbao. This was the child she gave birth at her middle age, and also a precious male. One could imagine how joyful was the first branch. And at the same time, Cheng Yujin's existence also became awkward.
She was given away as soon as she was born. Her birth mother Ruan-shi loved the children who grew up by her side more. Qingfu Junzhu obviously loved her biological son more. Only Cheng Yujin, who was caught in the middle, had nothing. Ruan-shi accused her of preferring a rich adoptive mother. Qingfu Junzhu also guarded against her, thinking that she was a white-eyed wolf who wasn't close to herself despite the adoption grace.
Huo Changyuan said that she was too arrogant and not as lively and natural as Cheng Yumo. Of course they were different. Cheng Yumo didn't have to avoid playing with mud when she was a child. But Cheng Yujin could only get her adoptive mother's smile when she showed an outstanding performance.
Cheng Enbao was the only son in the first branch, and there was also a Junzhu mother who spoiled him. One could imagine how lawless he was, running around like a small cannonball, deliberately adding trouble to the servants, and tossing up the dishes so no one could eat. Cheng Yuanxian seeing the chaos his son made, and couldn't help but shouted: "Cheng Enbao, what are you doing?! Don't you have any manners?"
Qingfu Junzhu anxiously rebuked: "He is still young, why you need to shout at him?"
Qingfu was a Junzhu. Cheng Yuanxian didn't dare to not give her a face in front of so many people, so he could only turn his anger to another person: "Jin'er, what are you doing? Still not taking care of your brother."
Cheng Yuanxian's voice was very loud and sounded especially harsh in the noisy background. Cheng Yujin immediately stood up with her head bowed.
On the other table, Old Master Cheng was stunned. He subconsciously turned to see Cheng Yuanjing's reaction. The young man looked calm as usual, and the Old Master couldn't read his emotion. Angry and nervous, the Old Master's expression turned dark. He suddenly scolded Cheng Yuanxian: "Evil creature, whose name you can casually scold?"
Cheng Yuanxian, who got scolded, became confused: "What?"
However, soon he gradually understood. Cheng Yuanxian glanced at Cheng Yuanjing, who was sitting at one side. For the first time in many years, he noticed that Jin and Jing had similar pronunciations. When he shouted at Cheng Yujin just now, it was like he was scolding Cheng Yuanjing.
The atmosphere in the dining room suddenly fell into a heavy silence. Old Madam Cheng who was sitting on a separate table put down her chopsticks with an ugly expression. Old Master Cheng frowned and looked at Cheng Yujin. He used to call her the 'eldest girl' and rarely called her name directly. In addition, the old Master seldom took care of his granddaughters, and Cheng Yuanjing also didn't grow up inside the manor. So the old Master never noticed that Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing names actually sounded similar. Although there was a subtle difference, it still a taboo, especially when Cheng Yujin's name was called quickly.
Old Master Cheng said: "How does the eldest girl's name be the same as the ninth boy? An elder's name should be taboo for use. She didn't know before because of her young age, but how can you be so ignorant?"
Cheng Yuanxian already felt unsatisfied because of his father's blatant preferential towards this youngest son. The old Master's words immediately made him angry: "I've only known the taboo of naming over parents and grandparents. When did we also have a taboo over uncles? Father, your partiality is too excessive."
Old Master Cheng was furious. He slapped the table hard and pointed to curse at Cheng Yuanxian: "Absolutely disgraceful! You are idle all day, never learn and do nothing, cannot even be compared with one-tenth of the ninth boy. You aren't feeling ashamed and instead still have the audacity of being jealous, even dare to speak badly about him?"
Cheng Yuanxian was also a man already in his thirties. Now he was being scolded by his father in front of many relatives and juniors. He wasn't smart, and years of grievances suddenly surged. Disregarding the consequences, Cheng Yuanxian lashed out: "Father, do you still care about me, your other son? Over the years, you only care about that outside mistress and even raise a child from an unknown origin as your biological son. You never take notice of your own family. Now that second brother and I have grown up, what kind of face do you have to point your finger at me?"
Cheng Yuanjing turned his head down and staring into his wine cup. The light fell on his face, making his expression indiscernible.
Inward, the old Master completely scared out: Unknown origin? Dare to say that the crown prince had an unknown origin? Was Cheng Yuanxian crazy?
Seeing that their father's expression wasn't right, Cheng Min quickly called out, "Eldest brother! Father's health isn't good. Why did you say that?"
Shee then hurriedly tried to persuade the old Master: "Dad, brother is drunk and didn't mean his words. I don't know why he suddenly speaks like that, but he isn't intentional. Dad, don't be angry!"
Old Master Cheng was so angry that he couldn't speak, his fingers pointed on tremblingly: "You...you unfilial son. Very good! Take out the family law, I will teach him personally."
The womenfolks all stood up and anxiously gathered in a circle. When they heard the Old Master's words, they hurriedly tried to dissuade him. Old Madam Cheng sneered angrily: "Very good. Who are you showing off to? Are you really going to beat eldest child on the ground of not avoiding taboo name? Where did this rule come from, since when a niece should avoid her uncle's name? You just want to kill us mother and son. If I die, you can rightfully give your old lover a status, because leaving her as an outside mistress is humiliating!"
"Mother!" Cheng Min tried to pull back the old Madam. She was a married woman. In her natal family, she was a guest. Everyone had to give her a face, so Cheng Min dared to stop her parents' quarrel. Old Master Cheng look at the chaotic scene and felt a sense of exhaustion rose from his heart.
When he first brought little Xue-shi back, he did not know Cheng Yuanjing's identity. He only thought that the boy was little Xue-shi's illegitimate son. A once smart and lively fiancee was ground by the harsh time into her current appearance, it made Old Master Cheng sad. Because of the Xue family's case, little Xue-shi was implicated and got wronged. In the end, she even received such an insult yet unable to seek justice, having to raise her son alone. Old Master Cheng was so sorrowful that he decided to take the mother and son away no matter what. After returned to the capital, he claimed the boy as his biological son. This was to give little Xue-shi a face.
Who would have thought that a few years after returning to the capital, he would learn such a great secret?
When the crown prince was five years old, he went to a Taoist temple to recuperate. Unexpectedly, there was a mountain torrent during his visit. The whole temple was washed away, and the crown prince went missing. How could a young child survive such a big torrent? All the courtiers assumed that the crown prince has died. However, the emperor refused to accept the reality and almost crazily looking for the crown prince whereabout for so many years. Everyone could see that this matter had become a deep knot inside his majesty's heart. The courtiers tacitly decided to keep silent, and thus the crown prince's position had never been revoked. Instead, the second prince was growing up healthily and was the eldest prince in everything but name.
After the old Master Cheng placed little Xue-shi and Cheng Yuanjing into an outside manor, he obviously felt that someone was staring at him. After going back and forth a few times, a plain-faced eunuch blocked him in a dark alley, ordering him to take good care of the crown prince. The imperial palace wasn't peaceful, and his majesty deemed it unsafe to take the crown prince back. Thus, for the time being, the Cheng family should cover the crown prince's identity. In the future, after his highness returned to the palace, Yichun marquis manor would be handsomely rewarded.
Old Master Cheng was so scared that he knelt down.
Over the years, the palace has borrowed the old Master's hand to continuously send resources to Cheng Yuanjing. Because of that, he was widely reputed for heavily favoring an outside mistress. The Old Master knew that Cheng family had accidentally picked up a lucky star. The whole family's survival now tied to the crown prince's body. Once everything ended, three future generations of Cheng family would live in glory and honor without any worry. So the Old Master devoted himself to Cheng Yuanjing, neglecting the internal affairs of his own home. When he finally looked around, his eldest son had become a useless hedonist, while the second son was simply mediocre without any outstanding ability.
Old Master Cheng lamented in silence, but soon, his thoughts were put back on Cheng Yuanjing. As long they had the crown prince's support, even if the Cheng family was filled with hedonistic descendants, they wouldn't be destroyed. However, the old Master didn't expect his two sons, under their mother's indoctrination, to become extremely hostile to Cheng Yuanjing, and even rely on their identity to openly insult him.
That is the crown prince!
Stupid, incompetent, and arrogant. Old Master Cheng was very disappointed with his family. No one understood his painstaking effort. Instead, they kept digging their own graves, making trouble everywhere. All the face he accumulated in front of the crown prince was now all gone, completely squandered by old Madam Cheng and Cheng Yuanxian.
Old Master Cheng was in despair, but he still determined to give Cheng Yuanxian a punishment. This was not only to carve a lesson into his son's brain, but also expressed his standing to the crown prince. Old Master Cheng angrily called for the family law. The servants couldn't persuade him. They could only brace themselves and went to fetch a rattan whip.
Cheng Yujin didn't expect such big trouble would happen from just one sentence. Now the Old Master was furious and really intended to beat Cheng Yuanxian. Tomorrow, after his anger was gone, they would return back into a harmonious father and son. But Cheng Yujin still has to face the Old Madam and Qingfu Junzhu.
Cheng Yujin made a prompt decision and immediately knelt in front of the old Master: "Grandfather, please hold your anger. This happens because of me. My father simply wanted to protect me. If grandfather wants to punish someone, please punish me instead."
Cheng Yujin's sudden action shocked everyone. Cheng Yuanjing's face was already cold enough. After seeing Cheng Yujin kneeling, it darkened even more: "How can it be your fault. Get up."
How could Cheng Yujin get up? She saw a rattan whip in Old Master's hand, and with a firm determination, rushed up to grab it from his hand. All the womenfolks screamed with fright. They immediately saw Cheng Yujin gripped her arm and frowned, as if enduring a pain. The old Master subconsciously thought that he had accidentally hit Cheng Yujin. He immediately threw the rattan whip away and asked: "Eldest girl, did you get hurt?"
Cheng Yuanjing didn't expect Cheng Yujin to rush forwards. Looking at the girl's arm, his expression turned ugly.
Cheng Yujin frowned, she was holding one arm with another hand, but she still raised her head to smile at the old Master. "I'm fine. Grandfather, did you hurt yourself?"
On the side, Cheng Min was almost burst into tears. How could there be such a sensible girl in this world? Old Madam Cheng also sighed: "Don't make a fuss anymore. Eldest child already such an age, yet still not as sensible as this child. Girls are pampered and can't leave scars on their bodies. Someone come, help the eldest girl to get treated."
Old Master Cheng's anger was subdued a bit. Cheng Yuanxian's face was still resentful, but Qingfu Junzhu took the chance to help him up. Cheng Yujin was injured and asked the elders permission to retreat. All the elders naturally gave her a good face. Supported by her personal servant girls, Cheng Yujin went into the green gauzed cabinet to get treatment.
The green gauzed cabinet was at the innermost of the hall. Cheng Yujin was still an unmarried girl and had to be careful with her appearance. Du Ruo carefully closed the partition door. Lian Qiao then gently lifted Cheng Yujin's sleeves. "Ah," she exclaimed before quickly suppressed her voice: "Miss, your hand isn't hurt..."
Hearing this, Du Ruo hurriedly came over. Under the candlelight, Cheng Yujin's arm was like porcelain, fair and delicate without a single wound. Du Ruo slowly exhaled: "It's good that Miss isn't hurt. I thought Miss is really..."
Cheng Yujin gestured for them to shut up. She quickly glanced outwards and said: "You still have to put the medicine on my arm, and afterward tightly wrap it with a few layers. After we go out, you saw nothing. Understand?"
"This servant understands."