Chapter 491: Chapter 490: Phoenix (Qiya and He Shi Bi+)
The members of the second branch entered one after another. Mu Liancheng carried Sister Niang, Jiang Yunuan supported the Lian Family, and they all paid their respects to Madam Wu together with Mu Yuanmou.
Madam Wu waved her hand and said, "There are too many people, and this Warm Pavilion is too cramped, so let’s move to the Flower Hall for now."
When the Old Madam spoke, they all moved neatly to the Flower Hall.
The Flower Hall was burning with silver thread charcoal, warm and cozy.
Mu Lianhui’s gaze fell on Mu Liankang, who had just returned home.
For Mu Liankang to return safely, all Mu Lianhui could say was that it was destiny.
In the previous life, the second branch was too smooth, everything went as they wished; even if Mu Liankang hadn’t died, he didn’t cause them any trouble.
In this life, it’s as if everything they swallowed in the previous life was all vomited out; nothing went smoothly.
Du Yunluo’s rebirth had thrown the entire Dingyuan Marquis Mansion into chaos, and even Mu Liankang had returned alive.
Even now, her parents were still hoping to fight to the end with the eldest branch?
Mu Lianhui sneered.
She called out "Big Brother" and lightly glanced at Zhuang Ke, calling out "Sister-in-law."
There was neither joy nor dislike in her eyes.
After everyone sat down, no one mentioned the previous topic.
The maids set the table, and they quietly had their meal. The Old Madam then let everyone disperse to their respective places.
The Lian Family returned to Fengyu Courtyard, and she lay on the couch, saying, "The Old Madam is just too particular, making us all gather in the Flower Hall just for lunch."
Nanny Zhu came in from outside, her gaze swept over Jiang Yunuan, and she lowered her eyelids.
The Lian Family didn’t notice Nanny Zhu’s expression and asked, "What’s the matter? What did they say at Baijie Hall? How did things go when they entered the palace today?"
A series of questions made Nanny Zhu look troubled, but she still answered with determination, "In Cining Palace, they recognized the Grand Madam, saying she is, she is..."
"What is she?" The Lian Family glanced at the stuttering Nanny Zhu, "Oh, she’s got blue eyes, could they be saying she’s a fairy among the barbarians? A Bodhisattva? A Saintess? Or what was it called... Oh, a true deity?"
Upon hearing the Lian Family’s disdainful tone, Nanny Zhu’s heart started to thump loudly. Telling the truth might choke the Lian Family again, but saying nothing...
Saying nothing wasn’t an option either.
Nanny Zhu closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and said, "The palace said the Grand Madam is the daughter of the Fifth Prince, born of the late Emperor’s Consort Zhuang, Prince Shun."
"What?" The Lian Family suddenly sat up, wide-eyed, their chest heaving. She took a few heavy breaths and grasped Mu Lianhui’s hand tightly, her eyes red, "Look at this mess!
My son died in battle, exchanged his life for rewards. Gold and jewels were used to buy my son’s life; that could be tolerated, but now?
Ah! Just to grant rewards, they’re claiming that barbarian woman is of royal blood?
This royal blood is worthless!
Prince Shun has been away from the Capital City for so many years, not mentioned for decades, and now they’re hauling him out for this!
I remember the late Emperor was very concerned about Consort Zhuang before he passed, right? She’s been dead for so many years, and they’re still posthumously honoring her one layer at a time.
If the late Emperor knew how the Empress Dowager and the Holy Emperor were using Consort Zhuang and Prince Shun like this, hmph!"
Mu Lianhui felt the pain in her hand and broke free after two tries. She ignored the Lian Family and just asked Nanny Zhu, "Explain in detail."
"I heard that the young master had returned to the mansion midway, commanded to retrieve something left by the Grand Madam’s father, send it to the palace for comparison, and it matched something left by Consort Zhuang." Nanny Zhu cleared her throat, hesitated, and then advised, "Considering the royal dignity, if the Grand Madam wasn’t Prince Shun’s descendant, the palace probably wouldn’t want to recognize her just for those blue eyes."
The Lian Family’s breathing hitched, "Impossible!"
Mu Lianhui glanced at the Lian Family, "So that’s what Grandmother meant by another imperial decree, it was about this."
"Hui’er?" The Lian Family turned around, holding Mu Lianhui’s shoulders, "Is it possible that Zhuang Ke really is..."
Mu Lianhui scoffed, "Mother, whether she is or isn’t real, if Cining Palace wants to recognize her, who in the world could say she’s not real?
You say the palace wants to elevate them, just like when I was given the title of Lady.
But why was I just a Lady, and she is the Princess Consort’s daughter?
As long as the Empress Dowager speaks, any noble in the Capital could adopt her as a goddaughter, giving her the title of Lady or even County Princess, why would Cining Palace involve Consort Zhuang and Prince Shun?
There’s only one possibility, she really is Prince Shun’s daughter."
The Lian Family’s eyes suddenly tightened, and she fell back onto the couch, her face pale.
Her chest felt stuffy and hard to breathe, despite rubbing it vigorously, the feeling of suffocation persisted, and Nanny Zhu quickly stepped forward to help.
The Lian Family breathed heavily, her mind exploding like a summer thunderstorm.
They used to say that Mu Liankang, alone outside the pass, with neither status nor position, couldn’t marry a girl of good background.
Even if he returned, with such a wife, he could not participate in the struggle for the title.
Zhuang Ke’s barbarian blood, her eyes, would become a joke in the Capital, causing noblewomen to look down upon her.
They never expected that Zhuang Ke would be Prince Shun’s daughter!
Once she became an imperial scion, a member of the Imperial Family, who would dare look down on her?
In the Capital, aside from the concubines in the harem, apart from the few princesses, princess consorts, and commandery princesses, who had the right to criticize her?
A mottled duck turns into a golden phoenix!
Thinking of this, the Lian Family’s chest ached intensely.
Zhuang Ke’s mother might be a barbarian, but she would become Prince Shun’s barbarian concubine, tied to the Imperial Family, naturally determined by how the palace dictates.
Among the four sons with the "Lian" name, Mu Liankang might become an Imperial Consort, and Mu Lianxiao inherits the title, but only her two sons, one dead, and the other with nothing.
After plotting and scheming so many years, only to end up like this...
The more the Lian Family thought about it, the more unwilling she became, seeing only Zhuang Ke’s smiling figure in her mind, with those nearly suffocating blue eyes.
Nanny Zhu continued to provide her comfort, subtly giving eye signals to Mu Lianhui and Jiang Yunuan.
Mu Lianhui sat there, her heart beating fast, she really hadn’t seen this coming, that Zhuang Ke had such a background.
As for Jiang Yunuan, she had already become dumbfounded.
She didn’t like Zhuang Ke, not her temperament nor her appearance; their stark contrast caused Jiang Yunuan discomfort.
The only solace she found was in her lineage.
No matter how the Jiang Family declined, Jiang Yunuan was still a daughter of an official family in the Capital, far better than the ambiguously bloodlined, barbarian-mixed Zhuang Ke thousands of times over.
Now, the only point she could rely on was gone.
That one’s the daughter of Prince Shun, a Royal Princess, a true treasured daughter.
Mu Liankang indeed married the best one.
It took the Lian Family quite some effort to steady her breath, seeing the disbelief in Mu Lianhui and Jiang Yunuan’s eyes, knowing that even if it’s true, they couldn’t accept it.
Nobody could accept it.