Mrs. i dismissed Su Yu, and after a while, i Boqing returned to the room.
Mrs. i started to complain as soon as she saw i Boqing.
"I originally thought that Yu’er was a sensible and understanding child, and I pitied her for losing her parents, being so lonely and helpless, so I took extra care of her in everything. But I fear my good intentions might co to nothing."
"What happened?"
i Boqing sat down and asked.
Although he wasn’t patient with trivial household matters, he and Mrs. i had been married for many years and had a deep affection, so he was willing to listen to her.
Mrs. i then recounted her intentions of matching Su Yu with Xiao Song.
"I noticed that she got along well with Brother Song on the way here, so I thought she was at the age for marriage. We all understand Brother Song’s character and temperant. We also know what kind of person Anning is. It’s great to have soone you understand well! If it weren’t for you being Anning’s Master, I’m just being blunt: Yu’er has no parents or family foundation. Do you think the Xiao Family would look up to her? This is clearly sothing extrely good for her, yet she actually told she looks down on Brother Song’s background, thinks Brother Song lacks parental guidance and fears his character might not be good. She seems to imply that Brother Song isn’t Anning’s biological son, and she wants to marry the biological son of Anning instead."
Upon hearing this, i Boqing’s face gradually darkened.
It’s important to know that Su Yu also grew up without parents. It was Mrs. i who pitied her and brought her ho to nurture and care for her. i Boqing believed he was quite conscientious in his treatnt of Su Yu, treating her like his own junior without ever mistreating her.
However, today, Su Yu ntioned the lack of parental guidance to Mrs. i. Outwardly, she was talking about Xiao Song, but the implication was an accusation of neglect by the i Family, of not properly educating her.
"Indeed, we didn’t educate her well."
i Boqing’s voice turned slightly cold: "It’s our fault for letting her be so unaware of her limitations. We were too lenient with her before. From now on, we should be stricter. Starting tomorrow, you should properly teach her the rules and make sure she learns everything she should know."
Mrs. i nodded: "You’re right. I was too indulgent with her before, neglecting other aspects. From tomorrow, I must properly shape her character."
i Boqing let out a cold laugh: "She sure has ambitious ideas. I think she’s interested in Ying Ge’er. But Ying Ge’er is the heir of the Third Young Master. If the Third Young Master succeeds, Ying Ge’er will be... Su Yu’s ambition is too big."
Mrs. i thought it made sense.
Even though Xiao Song was adopted, Anning and Xiao Yuan raised him for many years. If Xiao Yuan indeed succeeds and solidifies his rule in the future, Xiao Song will undoubtedly beco a Prince. If Su Yu married Xiao Song peacefully, she would be the rightful Princess.
But she still wasn’t content, aiming for the position of Xiao Ying’s legitimate wife. She wants to be the Empress.
And Mrs. i wasn’t aware of Su Yu’s designs on Xiao Yuan. If she knew, who knows how furious she’d be, and she might not have the face to see Anning again.
Anning had just settled the i Family’s people when, a few days later, Xiao Ling, Xiao Ying, and Xiao Bai brought back several boatloads of people.
They docked at the newly built port on this side of the Southern Yi, and after disembarking, Xiao Yuan sent Yuan Wei to receive the Zhang family’s farrs, dispersing them to settle in various prefectures, distributing the necessary An Family’s silver and grain seeds, and teaching them how to farm.
Once the Zhang family’s farrs were settled, the spies Xiao Yuan sent out returned with news.
Several noble families not far from the Zhang family directly annexed the Zhang family, not only taking over their manor but also collaborating with the local Magistrate to fra the Zhang family with many charges, causing the family heads to be imprisoned and the household servants to be taken to the human market by traffickers and sold.
Mr. Zhang hadn’t even returned ho when he received news that the Zhang family was gone.
Overco with grief and rage, he imdiately spat blood.
Spitting blood caused Mr. Zhang to fall ill, and he didn’t last long in the inn before passing away.
Xiao Yuan saw Zhou Lansheng and provided him and the village chiefs, along with the Zhang family’s steward they brought, with detoxification dicine. Once the toxins in their bodies were purged, Anning arranged for Zhou Lansheng and Yinya to et.
This pair of unfortunate people embraced each other and wept when they t.
Later, Yinya, holding Zhou Lansheng’s hand, knelt before Anning, pleading for permission for her and Zhou Lansheng to leave. She wanted to settle in a quiet village and live a life where the man farms and the woman weaves.
Anning, naturally, didn’t make things difficult for these unfortunate yet sensible and shrewd people.
She didn’t arrange for the pair to be settled in Nanyi Prefecture.
Anning was concerned that Xiao Jin might have other ideas, and if the couple were placed in Nanyi Prefecture, Xiao Jin might cause trouble upon finding out.
She instructed her subordinates to settle Yinya and Zhou Lansheng in a relatively affluent village under the jurisdiction of Xifeng Prefecture.
Over the years, Zhou Lansheng had quietly saved so silver while working for the Zhang family, which he brought along when coming to the Southern Yi. Yinya also had so valuable jewelry, and with the An Family’s silver that Anning provided, the two would have enough to build a house, buy land, and support their future life.
Additionally, Zhou Lansheng was hardworking, and Yinya wasn’t delicate. With peace reigning under the counties of Southern Yi, if they were willing to work hard, they should be able to lead a decent life.
After sending them off, it was ti for the yearly festivities. Anning ntioned wanting to properly prepare for the New Year, which led to another incident.
The cause was Dong Da finding Ms. Chen.
Earlier, Xiao Yuan had soone reveal Ms. Chen’s whereabouts to Dong Da, so he asked Xiao Yuan for leave to find Ms. Chen and the children.
He spent quite so ti searching and finally found the Chen Family, naturally eting Ms. Chen.
Dong Da originally thought the Chen family had detained Ms. Chen and the children. He was determined to bring Ms. Chen back. Unexpectedly, upon eting Ms. Chen, he was deeply saddened.
Ms. Chen treated Dong Da coldly, like a stranger.
Even the children pointed at Dong Da, calling him a traitor, saying they didn’t have such a father, and told him to leave them and stay away.
Particularly Dong Da’s daughter, whose gaze was full of contempt, made Dong Da feel like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him in the bitter winter, chilling him from head to toe, nearly taking half his life.
Despite Dong Da’s repeated pleas, Ms. Chen refused to leave with him and insisted on divorcing Dong Da.
The Chen family also pressured Dong Da to write a letter severing ties with the children, demanding he break off father-child relations and regard them as strangers from then on.
Dong Da was heartbroken. He still wanted to salvage his relationship with his wife and children, so he neither wrote any letter nor consented to divorce Ms. Chen at the ti.
He stayed not far from the Chen family, hoping to have a good talk with Ms. Chen after so days.
But after just a few days, his subordinates, who were gathering information everywhere, finally uncovered the reason for Ms. Chen’s aversion to Dong Da.
It turned out Ms. Chen previously had a sweetheart with whom she almost married. However, during one of her trips, she faced trouble, and if Dong Da hadn’t saved her, she wouldn’t have survived.
She married Dong Da just to survive and live a slightly better life.
Nevertheless, she never had Dong Da in her heart.
Even the children, being raised by Ms. Chen while Dong Da was too busy to care, grew up with Ms. Chen instilling contempt for Dong Da in them. She never allowed the children to get close to Dong Da. It’s fair to say the children were utterly brainwashed by her to have no affection for Dong Da.
Dong Da’s subordinates relayed this and ntioned that Ms. Chen’s forr sweetheart’s wife had died during childbirth, leaving behind a sickly little girl. Ms. Chen and that man rekindled their relationship on her return, with her heart set on marrying him, leaving no regard for who Dong Da was.
Only after hearing this did Dong Da lose all hope.
He divorced Ms. Chen, wrote the letter to sever ties with the children, and on his way back, he was ambushed by the Chen family and Ms. Chen’s man, barely escaping death.
Returning to Southern Yi, Dong Da fell gravely ill.
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