Chapter 657: Chapter 264 My Mother-in-law is a Loyal Servant (Part 8)_3
She had already lost a son and couldn’t allow her only remaining son to make any mistakes.
Thinking of her son who had died young, Mrs. Zhang’s thoughts became somewhat chaotic.
Yes, before Feng Yanting, Mrs. Zhang had given birth to another son.
The child was growing up smoothly until he was three, and the Marquis was intending to request the title of Princely Heir for his son.
However, as soon as the petition reached the Capital City, before the Saint could approve it, there were court officials who suggested, "The Southwest is desolate; why not bring the little prince heir to the Capital City to study?"
On the surface, it seemed they were looking out for the heir of Marquis Pingnan’s Mansion—
Dear, the Southwest is a barbaric land; where is it as abundant in goods and talents as the Capital City?
Bring him to the Capital City, where education, medical care, and all kinds of luxurious comforts are available. Isn’t that a thousand times better than living among insects, snakes, and barbarians rampant in the Southwest?
But in reality, Emperor Chengtai, the reigning Emperor, had long intended to consolidate military power.
And the Marquis Pingnan’s Mansion, with its two hundred thousand elite troops in the Southwest, had long been a thorn in the heart of the court and Emperor Chengtai.
The court officials’ suggestion to bring the little prince heir to study in the Capital City was nothing but a way to take the legitimate eldest son of the Marquis as a hostage.
If Marquis Pingnan made any move in the Southwest, the little prince heir would immediately become the "sacrificial chicken used to warn the monkeys!"
Mrs. Zhang knew her husband wouldn’t rebel easily, but the court was full of treacherous people.
Moreover, with the Southwest being a thousand miles away from the Capital City, it was inevitable that messages would be distorted or delayed in transmission.
If a misunderstanding led to the death of the little prince heir, Mrs. Zhang would surely die of heartbreak.
No, my son, absolutely cannot be brought to the Capital City!
As Mrs. Zhang was figuring out how to persuade her husband not to send their son to the Capital City, an epidemic broke out in the Southwest. The child, with low resistance, even though was protected in every possible way, was afflicted.
The child died young, and Mrs. Zhang wept with heartbreaking grief.
Over the turn of the year, Mrs. Zhang became pregnant again. While she was delighted, she felt very conflicted at the same time.
On one hand, Mrs. Zhang hoped to have another son.
For the public, the Marquis Pingnan’s Mansion held a title; only with a son could it be inherited.
For the personal, as a woman, after marriage, a son was her reassurance within her in-laws’ family.
On the other hand, Mrs. Zhang was afraid of giving birth to a son.
Wuu wuu, she did not want her hardly-won son to be sent to the Capital City as a hostage.
When a woman is pregnant, she is naturally sensitive, fragile, and prone to terrible thoughts.
Having learned from her eldest son’s experience, Mrs. Zhang became increasingly frightened.
As Mrs. Zhang’s most trusted confidante, Nanny Zhao noticed her unease right away.
After a heart-to-heart talk between the mistress and servant, Nanny Zhao came up with a solution on the spur of the moment—
"Find a reliable person, and let’s switch the child!"
It just so happened that at that time, Gu Xiuniang was causing trouble. Nanny Zhao noticed and then conducted an investigation.
So, Nanny Zhao laughed.
She ran to Mrs. Zhang and said, "That stupid daughter-in-law of mine seems to be expecting a girl."
"For you, Madam, if you give birth to a young miss, there’s naturally no need to worry."
"If you give birth to a young master, I will find a way to exchange the two children."
In this way, not only did Mrs. Zhang not have to worry about her child being sent to the Capital City as a hostage, but she could also raise her child right under her nose.
After all, with a loyal servant like Nanny Zhao, the child would certainly not be mistreated or wronged.
After hearing Nanny Zhao’s words, Mrs. Zhang pondered deeply for several days and suddenly felt that it was indeed very feasible.
She was bold; she didn’t even discuss it with her parents or husband but secretly agreed to the plan with Nanny Zhao.
A few months later, the child was born, and everything went according to plan, so Nanny Zhao switched the children when the opportunity arose.
This time, with the Marquis Mansion in trouble and the entire family being questioned, Mrs. Zhang was extremely relieved about her past decision.
Especially on the journey to the Capital City, watching the children of the second and third branches suffering hardships, well-to-do young masters and misses all turned into poor little things.
Her precious son Yanting, on the other hand, sat comfortably inside the carriage, away from the wind and rain.
By his side was Gu Xiuniang, a very thoughtful and wholeheartedly devoted servant!
If the Marquis Mansion were truly to be exiled or executed, her Yanting would survive well, and Feng Zhongliang and his wife would do everything they could to cultivate Yanting’s talents.
When Yanting revitalizes Marquis Pingnan’s Mansion, she, Lady Wei Zhang, would be the Outstanding Official of the entire Wei Family!
When the Wei family’s genealogy and family instructions would be compiled, she, Lady Wei Zhang, would also occupy a section.
"Yes! That’s right! Nanny, you have been so thorough. The truth about Yanting’s identity must never be revealed!"
Recalling all this, Mrs. Zhang shivered and, holding Nanny Zhao’s hand gratefully, said, "I’m so lucky to have your reminder. Otherwise, otherwise, I would have caused great disaster!"
Despite Captain Qian’s appearance of being swayed by money, he was actually very astute.
When thought about it, if he lacked ability, he wouldn’t have become a man used by Emperor Chengtai, nor would he have been sent to the Southwest to escort the Marquis Mansion’s family.
If Mrs. Zhang, ignoring her "own dear daughter," defended Feng Yanting, a servant’s child, at every turn, ordinary people would become suspicious, not to mention henchmen like Captain Qian!