Afterward, he pulled his son, who was still dazed, into the carriage and left in a hurry, ignoring the wails and pleas of the others.
In the carriage, he looked at his son with lingering annoyance, "They said all that about you, and you didn't even retort?"
"It's the truth, Father. Besides, you told us to keep a low profile outside and not mention your name." Lin Sichen said with a wronged expression.
The Prime Minister looked at his son, who appeared strong in front of outsiders but revealed his childlike nature only to him, and felt a pang of pity.
The two children were innocent and had suffered so much over the years. Any ordinary youth, hearing such things said about them, would have surely erupted or impulsively done something foolish. His calm demeanor showed he had heard such words many times and was long accustomed to them. Although he suspected Consort Liu was employing tactics to enter the mansion, a father's heart ached for his child. He didn't want his son to be looked down upon.
After sending the children back to Xinghua Hutong, he urged the driver to return to the mansion. He thought a great deal on the way, but some things had to be faced.
The Prime Minister's wife looked at the man before her and felt he was a stranger. She unconsciously stood up and looked at him with disbelief, "Are you serious?"
"I've thought a lot on the way back. If you don't want to see her, you can house her in the most remote courtyard and pretend she doesn't exist. But those three children are innocent. I don't want my children to always be accused of being illegitimate and looked down upon," the Prime Minister said, a little guiltily, his gaze flickering.
"How can you pretend a living person doesn't exist? This is self-deception. If you want to bring her back, why couch it in such grand terms? You know Consort Liu is a ruthless character, yet you are placing this venomous snake in our home, jeopardizing the lives of all four of us," the Prime Minister's wife said mournfully. Just last time he told Consort Liu that the master would not allow her and her children to be recognized by the family, and now he had been slapped in the face. It wasn't his face that hurt, but his heart.
"She is not what you think. If you are worried, you can have people keep a close eye on her," the Prime Minister genuinely didn't think Consort Liu was a problem. At most, she enjoyed playing little tricks and schemes on him, which he considered trivial matters.
The Prime Minister's wife looked at him with a sarcastic gaze, her impression of him being refreshed once again.
The Prime Minister rubbed his nose and stammered, "Tomorrow I will prepare to bring them back and record them in the family registry. If you don't wish to participate, you don't have to."
Without daring to look at his wife's expression, he fled in disarray.
Subsequently, sounds of crashing and banging came from the room, causing the maids outside to flinch and unconsciously lighten their footsteps.
Consort Liu, upon receiving the news, personally cooked a lavish banquet that evening and celebrated with her three children.
The next day, after tidying herself up, she stepped across the threshold she had longed for. Looking back on her journey, she felt it was all worth it. Perhaps the road ahead would not be smooth, but she was full of confidence for the future.
The Prime Minister's wife did not appear; she was genuinely ill this time.
Consort Liu knew that life would be difficult after entering the mansion, but she never expected it to be this arduous. She was assigned the most remote and desolate courtyard, with limited ability to leave, which was no different from house arrest. This would not do. She was here to enjoy a life of comfort, not to have her freedom restricted. Moreover, if the Prime Minister ever decided to investigate her past deeds thoroughly, they would surely be exposed. To maintain her life of luxury, she decided to nip all potential threats in the bud.
The Prime Minister, hearing from his servants that the newly arrived Consort Liu was behaving herself and living a quiet life, nodded unconsciously. On the other hand, his wife was causing him much distress, still confined to bed and refusing to see him. He sighed and fretted all day, not knowing what to do.
Thinking that two women who were not easy to handle together would provide some good drama, Wu Caiwei even ate an extra bowl of rice, humming a tune, and happily continued her pursuit of wealth.
Zhou Hanxiao was carried into the Third Prince's mansion in a pink sedan chair. There was no veil, no bright red wedding attire, no celebratory music, no dowry, and no fanfare... She hadn't felt it before, but the moment she sat in the sedan chair, she couldn't help but cry tears of grievance. Others got married with great festivity and openness, while hers was a secret affair, the disparity filling her with a sense of loss. What hurt her even more was that on her wedding day, the Third Prince was captivated by some enchanting woman and did not show his face all night. She sat on the bed, watching the wedding candles, and wept alone until dawn. The next day, with swollen eyes, she went to pay her respects to the Crown Princess and was ridiculed by the other women in the mansion. Being unfavored and having an unhappy life in the mansion made her depressed, and she came to hate Wu Caiwei completely. Over time, she felt this life was hopeless. Why should she always walk in darkness while Wu Caiwei could live so recklessly in the sunlight? A voice kept whispering in her ear, urging her to drag Wu Caiwei down into the mire with her. Thus, she changed her usual颓废 (tuífèi - decadent/listless) demeanor. She dressed meticulously and actively sought out the Third Prince's whereabouts, orchestrating various "chance" encounters. For this, she was often mocked and harassed by his wives and concubines, all of which she silently endured through gritted teeth. The benefit of doing so was that the Third Prince finally remembered her, and the frequency of his visits to her courtyard increased. She also subtly praised her sister to the Third Prince, highlighting her beauty, talent, and ability to earn money. Beautiful and talented women were plentiful, but a woman who could earn money and was the twin of the woman before him was rare. Looking at the results of his attendant's investigation and listening to her legendary stories, the Third Prince became even more curious and desired to bring her into his residence. However, he had not lost his reason. He knew that doing so would not only put him at odds with the Prime Minister's mansion but also that this woman was extraordinary. Forcing her would undoubtedly cause great turmoil in the mansion. Yet, his desire to meet her grew, especially since he heard she possessed many secret recipes that could be of use to him. Being a man of action, he acted quickly and soon appeared before Wu Caiwei. He looked at the face identical to that of his concubine and marveled, "Tsk, tsk." Wu Caiwei frowned unconsciously as the man who suddenly appeared before her looked at her with an eager gaze. Moreover, this man clearly appeared to be overindulgent in wine and women, and outwardly strong but inwardly weak. "Wait, Miss Zhou San, after meeting your brother-in-law, why are you turning to leave? I'm not a fierce beast," the Third Prince called out, stopping her as she tried to depart. "Brother-in-law? Could you be the Third Prince?" Wu Caiwei asked hesitantly after a moment's thought. "You are indeed as smart as your sister said. You guessed my identity as soon as we met," the Third Prince exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands with joy.