The request for medical treatment was sent to the government, and after being beaten with twenty boards, was brought back by Lord Zhang.

"Are you the most promising person in the entire Capital?"

Lord Zhang was furious, his face livid: "Years ago, it was you who insisted on breaking off the engagement, it was you who insisted on marrying this woman. Now she’s having a difficult childbirth, and you’re out causing trouble for me."

"Is Chunshan Women’s Medical College a place you can slander at will? Didn’t you see the students there are all noble daughters, any one of them has a higher position than your father’s; is your brain full of paste or bean curd?"

"Second Young Master, the Young Madam, she..."

A matron came running, crying to report.

"How is she?"

"She lost too much blood and fainted."

"Ah..."

Upon hearing, Second Young Master Zhang also fainted. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Lord Zhang, even more furious, delivered a kick.

"Truly a useless waste, losing your composure over a woman, you’ll never accomplish anything great."

Second Young Master Zhang, upon regaining consciousness, learned that his beloved woman nonetheless survived.

The good news was that she survived, the bad news was that henceforth she would be unable to bear children.

A skinny little girl was born, almost costing her mother her life; Second Young Master Zhang was so scornful that he didn’t even hold her, leaving the wet nurse to take her away.

"Husband, it’s my fault..."

"It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault."

Blame Xiao Chunnuan, that ruthless woman, for seeking revenge by refusing to attend when summoned and not helping with his wife’s delivery.

This woman...

Second Young Master Zhang ground his teeth in hatred.

Nevertheless, he was warned by his father: he must not offend Xiao Chunnuan again, or else his legs would be broken, and he’d be cast out of the family.

"Calm down, master."

Mrs. Zhang said, "Second Young Master’s just temporarily possessed..."

"It’s all your indulgence," Lord Zhang said. "Back when I warned that the marriage with the the Xiao family shouldn’t be broken, Xiao, Doctor Xiao was a benefactor to me, and we should have accepted this marriage, pinching our noses, for it was all benefit and no harm for us..."

"Master, back then the Xiao family was confiscated and Doctor Xiao was executed. We were afraid too, the entire Zhaang family had hundreds of members..."

"Woman’s folly," Lord Zhang scolded her. "In case of true trouble, could the womenfolk have returned to Shu City? That was someone protected by the Empress Dowager, meaning they had the chance for a comeback. Look at the Xiao family now, can ordinary people even reach them?"

The once jilted Xiao Chunnuan was now a true favorite in the palace.

Even Prince Chu Mansion invited her to attend Princess Hui Ning’s childbirth—she dared to refuse. Their fool of a son thought he was capable, dared to invite her, and when rejected, dared to smear and slander the college—it was quite lenient to only be punished with twenty boards.

If this matter reached the palace and the Empress Dowager blamed them, the entire family would be done for.

How could he have fathered such a fool!

The most critical point was that Xiao Chunnuan could have been the Zhaang family’s daughter-in-law.

What does this say?

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, fortune moves in cycles; the once easily obtainable wealth and honor was squandered by a profligate child.

Not only did he fail to aid the family, but nearly brought them immense disaster.

"Watch over this inept creature, if he causes trouble again don’t blame me for being heartless."

"Master..."

Lord Zhang flicked his sleeves and left.

"Madam, Master went to the Little Fragrance Pavilion."

"Gone to that vixen again," Mrs. Zhang chuckled bitterly. "Tell me, is a man’s affection when deep trustworthy?"

They too had been a young couple, deeply in love.

But later?

One concubine after another was brought to the back yard, he always said his children were disappointing.

But what had he ever done?

Why was it all her responsibility?

Meanwhile, her second son still disappointed.

"Madam, the young mistress can’t bear children, Second Young Master only has a daughter under him..."

Nanny Yuan quietly reminded her: Second Young Master was denied his father’s favor due to the young mistress; she, upon marrying him, brought no prosperity, clearly not a husband-favoring woman.

"Nanny Yuan, have you thought it through? You only have one daughter, Qing’er, are you sure you want her to serve in the inner courtyard?"

Mrs. Zhang couldn’t understand what these people were thinking?

"If you want to arrange a good family for Qing’er, I can preside over it; the shopkeeper’s son, the manor head’s son, are both excellent lads."

Choosing not to become a proper wife, opting to become a concubine?

"Madam, I too wish for such a son-in-law, but it’s a pity Qing’er is unwilling, she’s been serving beside Second Young Master since young, the girl’s heart has long been set on him." Nanny Yuan too was desperate, for her daughter’s future she simply gave it her all, kneeling before the Madam: "Please, make it happen for us."

"You, get up then," said Mrs. Zhang. "We’re all parents, contemplating plans for our children. Fine, Qing’er has grown up under my watching, she has feelings for number two, so let it be."

"Thank you, Madam."

Nanny Yuan knelt again and kowtowed.

"However, there’s one thing, you must never overstep the principal wife, no matter your support, the rules of Zhaang Mansion stand."

"I understand, madam."

Even if the principal wife couldn’t bear children and was not favored, the concubine was still just a concubine, only an object.

Mrs. Zhang would never allow a concubine to surpass the principal wife, such that it would ruin the family’s reputation, making it untenable in the Capital.

In the courtyard of Second Young Master Zhang’s dwelling, the young mistress was dumbstruck.

"Husband, how did this happen? How can Qing’er be taken in?"

She was still in her postpartum confinement, yet her mother-in-law had let the man take a maid as a concubine. Most crucially, the man, who had always shown deep affection for her, left her as the last to know, only finding out when Qing’er came to offer tea.

"Dear, you alone have my heart." Second Young Master Zhang went over and supported her, "But, our household must have someone to carry on the lineage, rest assured, once Qing’er bears a son, he’ll be registered under your name..."

Who would care to raise another’s child?

Looking at the man’s face, the young mistress felt deeply ironic.

Sure enough, if a man’s words were credible, sows could climb trees.

She also understood, henceforth in Zhaang Mansion she lost her greatest support.

"Since Second Young Master has given you status, then care well, strive for Second Young Master’s lineage."

Enduring all sorts of discomfort, the young mistress took the tea and sipped a drop, handing a silver hand bell for her attendant to dismiss them.

"Young Mistress, Qing’er isn’t a content one."

The attendant was very worried as she watched the young mistress’s retreating figure.

"I know, her parents are the Madam’s trusty aides." The young mistress said with bitter hatred: "They want to bear a son, they must have the capability."

For so many years in Zhaang Mansion, she hadn’t been idle!