The Prince's heir was stunned. The Prince's estate was vast, with many descendants. Qin Xuan alone belonged to the twelfth generation, and only four of them were married. This left eight unmarried.
If the Marquis's estate were to completely fall apart, the impact on the Prince's estate would be even greater.
After all, if the legitimate son committed such a disgraceful act, it was hard to guarantee that the younger ones wouldn't follow suit.
When people spoke of the Prince's estate, the first impression would be that the men were seducing young ladies, ruining their reputations. The young ladies themselves were not self-respecting, becoming involved with others before marriage.
Qi Tianming glanced at the people from the Prince's estate and then gave Madam Qin a look. "Let's go. Why are we still lingering here? Don't you see your father's, mother's, and elder brother's attitudes? Xuan'er, your uncle-in-law doesn't blame you. Your uncle-in-law knows you are a responsible person, but parental commands are difficult to disobey. You have no fate with Mingzhu, nor do you have fate with the child in her belly. However, one thing is certain: although your uncle-in-law knows you are a good child, he cannot let Mingzhu suffer this injustice. Your uncle-in-law must report this to the authorities."
After speaking, Qi Tianming cupped his hands towards the Prince and Princess and strode out.
Madam Qin first looked at Qi Tianming, then cast a cryptic, unreadable glance at her own family members. She stamped her foot and followed Qi Tianming.
This was also what the couple had discussed on the way. This matter required time for digestion.
After the Qi Tianming couple left, the Prince's estate erupted. The Prince's heir brought out the family law to beat Qin Xuan. Qin Xuan endured several blows before the heir's wife could not bear to watch.
The Princess also doted on her grandson and stopped the beating.
"Xuan'er, you handled this matter foolishly," the Prince sighed.
"Grandfather, your grandson truly loves his cousin. Didn't you always praise my cousin and invite her to stay at the estate for a while? Your grandson thought that once my cousin came of age, he could marry her. It was my mother who arranged my marriage to the Lu氏 without even consulting me!" Cheng Xuan complained. "Mother, marriage is about living together with my wife. You liked her, so you brought her back, but did you ever consider my feelings?"
The heir's wife was angered by her son's resentment.
"What's wrong with the Lu氏? Why do you look down on her? The Lu氏 comes from a Grand Scholar's household and is learned and virtuous. How is she not good enough for you? On the other hand, your cousin first stole her half-sister's betrothal. Even if she stole it, she couldn't hold onto it and was actually jilted. Such a person is only good in your eyes," the heir's wife said furiously. "In any case, I disagree with letting Qi Mingzhu enter the household. If such a troublemaker enters, can the household still be peaceful?"
"Then does Mother want my aunt and uncle to report their son to the yamen? If I get a stain on my record, I won't be able to participate in the imperial examinations, even if I study. Mother, you must think carefully."
The heir's wife clutched her chest, crying out in pain. She had always believed her son was a scholar and expected him to achieve fame through his own abilities. If he were truly unable to participate in the examinations, it would be like taking his life.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess had also reached a conclusion in their whispered discussion.
The child could not be aborted.
The granddaughter-in-law was frail. Although it was not said that she could not bear children, the imperial physician who examined her stated that she needed careful conditioning and that they should let nature take its course.
This basically confirmed that bearing children would be difficult.
Therefore, Xuan'er would definitely have to take concubines in the future.
Furthermore, there was the status of the Marquis's estate.
Although the Princess looked down on the Marquis's estate, she also knew that it was not an estate that could be easily dismissed.
At present, whether the daughter-in-law agreed or not was secondary. The key was to figure out how to speak to the granddaughter-in-law and the Grand Scholar's household.