The rebellious son Sheng Weirao was talking about was, of course, her child.
He was said to be an adopted son, and was said to be Sheng Weirao, who had been guarding the festival for his fiancé for many years. As his brothers were gradually able to take on the household chores, they adopted an adopted son who "happened" to look a bit like him, started his own family, and separated from the Sheng family.
This move made her reputation, which had been mixed with praise and criticism, suddenly develop in a good direction.
Even the Chastity Arch passed without any controversy: If Sheng Weirao had been controlling the Nanfeng Sheng family, not only would outsiders criticize him, but the key would be the family members, especially the younger brothers and nephews who were growing up. Brother Sheng Weide is so tolerant and kind.
However, by leaving so readily, she transformed her original image of someone who was ambitious and took advantage of the situation into a person who stepped forward in times of crisis and walked away after the difficulties, with a sense of responsibility and knowing how to advance and retreat.
The Sheng family even made an exception and allowed her adopted son to be listed in the family tree, following the male heir order of the Sheng family's generation, and he was called Sheng Ningchang.
Sheng Weirao and Sheng Ningchang maintained the attitude of loving mothers and filial piety in front of everyone, including most people in the Sheng family.
However, only Qingzhi and other close attendants knew that the relationship between mother and son was actually not good.
It is not clear what life Sheng Ningchang lived before being adopted by Sheng Weirao.
The only thing that can be confirmed is that this day will not be a good one.
Because after he became a descendant of the Sheng family, when he first appeared, even if he was dressed in silk and satin, he could not hide his cramped and rough fingers.
After these two years of pampering, he has gradually become a bit like a rich man, but he also has a bit of a habit of eating, drinking and having fun.
Sheng Weirao therefore disliked him very much. She told her neighbors more than once that it wasn't just that the whole family refused to enter the same house. Sheng Ningchang's temperament was exactly like that of his own father, Sheng Lance. I absolutely cannot trust him in this situation, otherwise I will be tricked to death by him sooner or later!
In fact, this is what she did: Although Sheng Ningchang is about to become a grandfather this year, Sheng Weirao has no intention of delegating power.
Not only was power not delegated, the monthly payment was even calculated, and Sheng Ningchang was not allowed to spend it arbitrarily.
At first, Sheng Ningchang dared to make trouble, or even took things out to pawn.
However, when Sheng Weirao found out, he sneered, ordered someone to take the county chief's clothes and put them on, and personally visited the Feng family, Xuanyu family, Sheng family and the Yamen. After that, Sheng Ningchang took the things out to sell and pawned them. Not only did the dealer refuse to accept it, they also seized the person and things on the spot and asked someone to notify Sheng Weirao.
After Sheng Weirao arrived, he didn't hesitate and sent the people and things directly to the Yamen to drum and complain!
Want the Yamen to punish Sheng Ningchang for disrespecting his adoptive mother and selling off his family property without permission!
At that time, Sheng Ningchang was beaten to death in the yamen. After he came out, he behaved for a while. After that, the scars probably healed and he forgot about the pain, so he soon relapsed and got into trouble with Sheng Weirao again over expenses.
This time he went too far, even claiming that he was not Sheng Weirao's adopted son, but his biological son! Otherwise, how could the mother and son have similar facial features, and yet Sheng Weirao had been keeping the festival for so many years, and even though no one else accepted him, he accepted her as his adopted son!
As a biological mother, Sheng Weirao abandoned herself in a remote village and was bullied by the village leader for many years. Because she was always lonely, she was worried that no one would take care of her when she got old, so she found her. What happened to spending some money on her own?
Such an irresponsible mother owes him so much!
Mere money is not enough to make up for it!
As a result, when Sheng Weirao heard the news, not only did she not feel guilty at all, but she even dragged him to the Yamen to confess his blood on the spot to see if the two were biological mother and son!
At the same time, dignitaries from the Sheng family, the Xuan Yu family, and the Feng family all stood up and scolded Sheng Ningchang for talking nonsense and slandering Sheng Weirao's innocent reputation!
The Sheng family also said that if Sheng Ningchang continued to behave like this, they would persuade Sheng Weirao to terminate the mother-son relationship with his adopted son and drive him out of the house!
... This incident ended with Sheng Ningchang kneeling outside the gate for three days and three nights. He confessed that he was confused for a moment and heard the wet nurse next to him joking that he looked similar to Sheng Weirao. Maybe they were actually the biological mother and child. However, Sheng Weirao gave birth to a child out of wedlock and it was not nice to hear. , so he was fostered outside. Now that the news has passed, he recognized her and started to think about making trouble.
The wet nurse was beaten to death with a stick as a matter of course, and she was beaten to death in front of Sheng Ningchang.
From then on, Sheng Ningchang knew that he couldn't handle this mother at all, and he truly became honest.
But he was so honest, that is, he never disobeyed Sheng Weirao easily or flirted with women.
Sheng Weirao looked at this with cold eyes, the disgust in his eyes becoming more and more profound, and he even considered passing the family property to his nephews instead of this son.
Most people in the Sheng family did not object to this situation. After all, when Sheng Weirao separated from the Sheng family and lived alone, she was not empty-handed: she just didn't want it. With her contribution to saving the Sheng family's property, the Sheng family was embarrassed to let her go empty-handed. Come out
What's more, Sheng Weirao had lived in Chang'an for a period of time with the Empress Dowager earlier, and her marriage was also settled in Chang'an.
The dowry that Mr. Sheng and Mrs. Ming personally finalized for her at that time was very generous. Although it was not comparable to that of Queen Mother Sheng, for ordinary people, it was still beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Such a sum of extra money might be nothing to Duke Kui and his wife, but to the declining Sheng family, it would be tempting no matter what.
What's more, they weren't the ones scheming against Sheng Weirao. How could Sheng Ningchang fail to live up to his expectations and make his mother think she couldn't count on him
The only person who objected was Sheng Weide.
He knew the inside story and knew that what Sheng Ningchang said during the previous commotion was actually correct: Sheng Ningchang was Sheng Weirao's biological son.
Sheng Weirao was accidentally pregnant due to various circumstances. Her mother, Bai, had just passed away at that time. According to the wishes of her aunt, Mrs. Kui Guo, she had an abortion quietly, pretending that nothing had happened.
However, the head of Fuchang County at that time was still young and vigorous, and he did not dare to hope for marriage after such an incident, so he was determined to keep the child, and if the marriage did not go well in the future, he would still have a biological child. To place feelings on and rely on in old age.
With her insistence, the child was finally born, and was arranged by Duke Kui and his wife to be raised by people in a village in the countryside.
Everything was going well at first, but when Empress Dowager Sheng was still the princess of Mi Zhen County, Sheng Lanling, the youngest daughter of the Sheng family who had been kicked out by Mrs. Sheng, did something to avenge a favor, and she was actually killed by Empress Dowager Sheng's mother-in-law, the then Gao Mi. In front of the princess, she slandered the reputation of Queen Mother Sheng!
This incident aroused the anger of Mrs. Sheng and Duke Kui. Although Sheng Lanling did not end well, the second and third bedrooms of the Sheng family, who were married to Mrs. Ming with her, were also greatly affected.
Therefore, Duke Kui and his wife moved Sheng Ningchang to the deep mountains and old forests to raise him, so as not to be exposed and implicate the Queen Mother Sheng.
After staying away from the Sheng family, although Sheng Ningchang's existence was tightly concealed, he was mistreated by his caregivers, who beat and scolded him and suffered a lot.
Some people in this world will grow up in suffering and even hone their brilliance, for example, the Supreme Emperor, the former Zhenqing Emperor.
But more people are wasting their time in misery and falling.
Sheng Ningchang happens to be the latter.
He suddenly entered wealth from a difficult environment. When he was surprised, he felt more angry than happy!
Why do some people live such a luxurious life while I live a life of fear and fear? !
Especially after knowing that he was actually Sheng Weirao's biological son, and that his biological mother was actually the county head officially canonized by the imperial court, this anger and grievance reached its peak!
He had such a mentality, but Sheng Weirao had no intention of coaxing him.
In fact, as an adult, Sheng Weirao, especially the head of Fuchang County who grew up rapidly after taking charge of the Sheng family, had long regretted his insistence on giving birth to Sheng Ningchang when he was a boy.
Because she has become her own support and does not need to rely on this son at all.
Then, the existence of this child will only constantly remind her of her embarrassing past.
If Sheng Ningchang was an outstanding and filial child, she might be able to overcome this hurdle.
But he is not.
For Sheng Ningchang, if Sheng Weirao was a gentle, considerate and coaxing mother, maybe he would be willing to learn from her.
But Sheng Weirao, neither.
Both mother and son are dissatisfied with each other, but neither is willing to make efforts to change the other. How can such a relationship be successful
Not only do they not get along well, but the gaps are getting bigger and bigger due to the long-term mutual resentment.
So much so that although Sheng Weirao did not drive Sheng Ningchang out of the house and sever the relationship between mother and son, he would rather leave the family property to his nephew than to his son.
Sheng Weide knew these inside stories and felt pity for Sheng Ningchang, his nephew. Although his biological father was not a good person, Sheng Ningchang himself was innocent after all.
If it weren't for his special life experience that caused him to be fostered outside since childhood and reunited with Sheng Weirao's mother and son when he grew up, Sheng Weide believed that he would never be like this.
So these days, Sheng Weide has visited several times in order to persuade his sister to change her mind and stop confronting her only son.
But Sheng Weirao never agreed, and this time was no exception.
After the brother and sister met in the flower hall, they exchanged greetings for a while before Sheng Weide said: "You only have so much flesh and blood..."
"I don't live on this little bit of flesh and blood!" After hearing this, Sheng Weirao's original pleasant expression disappeared without a trace in an instant, and he snorted coldly, "Every time I think about those years, I regret what I did in the past to be so stupid and not listen to the big talk. Auntie’s words? Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such troubles!”
Sheng Weide said helplessly: "In that case, your knees will be empty, and you will definitely regret it!"
"That's not necessarily the case!" Sheng Weirao sneered, "If I hadn't given birth to such an evil obstacle, wouldn't it be difficult to adopt an heir? It's you, eldest brother. If I have no children, and I want you to adopt a child to support me until I die, you Will you agree? Now that all the brothers in the family have more than one or two male heirs, I will be able to pick and choose! No, as our children are sensible, even if we choose one at random with our eyes closed, it will be better than this one!"
"That's because he didn't grow up in front of you." Sheng Weide smiled bitterly, "Leave it in the hands of outsiders and just care about what he eats and drinks! There is no education to speak of, and haven't we found out? Uncle and aunt When I entrusted him to that family, I originally gave him a large sum of money and promised to take good care of him and not treat him badly. But in the years that followed, many things happened to our family, and even the uncle and his family moved to Chang'an. I'm afraid I won't come back to live... I saw that no one there had ever cared about this situation, so I got bold enough to use him as a slave!"
"You said that in this situation, can the child not feel aggrieved?"
"Now that I know that you are his biological mother, how can I not feel that you have been enjoying a good life all these years, but you have taught him to be punished at the hands of outsiders? He is older now, so you should tell him carefully and let go of your heart. If you untie it, can he still not understand you?"
Sheng Weirao just shook his head: "Brother, this is just your wishful thinking! In fact, as you said, he is older now, which is not to say that he was young and ignorant before. Knowing that I am his biological mother, how can I not Do you know the reason why I let him grow up outside?! I still have the reputation of being unmarried! I am also the county head granted by the imperial court, and the Queen Mother's direct cousin!"
"In this situation, can I keep him by my side all the time?!"
"In that case, can the Sheng family tolerate me?! How can the Queen Mother not be affected?!"
"After I established my own business, I immediately took him back to have a good family. Where is he? He opposed me at all times and refused to tell me anything. He also publicized the story of his life story told to him by his subordinates in order to persuade him to respect me, with the intention of forcing me to submit... Just for this matter, I can’t count on him!”
Sheng Weide thought she was harboring a grudge, so he advised her: "He was a child at that time and was ignorant. You should consider the relationship between mother and son and don't argue with him!"
"What kid is so ignorant!" Sheng Weirao sneered and said, "He is just stupid! He didn't even think about what kind of life he lived before I brought him back?! He knew that I had a chastity arch established by the imperial court. , she is the sister of the Queen Mother, and she actually dares to tell the truth about me having a child out of wedlock!"
"The Queen Mother is also kind-hearted. She has been receiving rewards all these years. Let the Feng family and the Xuanyu family know that she still has me as a sister and us people in her heart!"
"Otherwise, let me tell you, even if our family doesn't clean up the family and get rid of such idiots, given the status of the Queen Mother in the Feng family and the Xuan Yu family, we will definitely not tolerate such a person who is harmful to the Queen Mother to continue to live. Get down!!!”
She said, sighing deeply, "Dragon gives birth to dragon and phoenix gives birth to phoenix. It's true. This traitor... shouldn't have been born in the first place!"
"... You have always thought so, but how can he be close to you and how can he become a filial child?" Sheng Weide is not a person who is good at verbal arguments. After hearing these words, he was silent for a while before sighing, "And children don't necessarily follow their parents. Now we brothers and sisters are talking privately behind closed doors. Let me say this: Isn't today's life far worse than the Supreme Emperor?"
Sheng Weirao immediately said: "We brothers and sisters talk privately behind closed doors. Let me also say this: Maybe the emperor is not talking about the emperor?"
Sheng Weide's face froze when he heard this, and he quickly recalled the behavior of his cousin Queen Mother Sheng when she was at her parents' home, and said with a little lack of confidence: "The Queen Mother... Although she has a shallower city, she is mainly protected very well! In terms of intelligence, , but it’s not bad either!”
"...I'm talking about the former Supreme Emperor, the biological father of the current Supreme Emperor!" Sheng Weirao said with a cunning look in his eyes, "Isn't that also very stupid? With such an outstanding heir like the current Supreme Emperor, I don't know To win over and support, but instead try every means to suppress... I really don’t know what such people think?!"
"Third sister, you are teasing me again!" Sheng Weide said, dumbfounded, "You are so old, but you are still like a child!"
Sheng Weirao smiled and said, "What's wrong with the kid? Anyway, now I'm behind closed doors and living my own life as the master of the house. Who else am I willing to be like? No one in this house can say anything to me!"
When I say this, I sigh with emotion, "When I was young, my knowledge was really too shallow. I always thought that I would not be able to survive without a husband or heirs! Only when I really started to live my life did I realize that in fact, relying on anyone is empty. In the final analysis, You still have to live up to your own expectations!”
He also talked about his dissatisfaction with his son Sheng Ningchang, "After he came back to me, I asked many teachers to teach him, and also called the accountant for guidance, all hoping that he could inherit my family business well in the future! As a result! What about him? He spends all his time teasing maids and going in and out of brothels, but he has never done anything serious!"
"I warned him more than once at that time that if he didn't study hard, he would regret it later!"
"He didn't listen and ended up in this situation. Didn't he ask for it?"
Suddenly he sneered, "Speaking of misfortune, can he still be more unlucky than me?! I have survived it. If he continues to be confused... it only means that he can't hold up the wall with mud, and he deserves to lose his inheritance." Opportunity for my industry!”
Waving his hand, Sheng Weirao signaled Sheng Weide not to say any more, "I know, brother, you have come to me many times to tell me about this rebellious son. In addition to feeling sorry for him, the main reason is that you are afraid that he will not be devoted to me when I get older! But this matter Son, I have also thought about it: first of all, I may not live long enough to be able to see things clearly and have him make the decision for me in everything!"
"Secondly, even if there is such a day... I am the county head, what is he? I am the mother, he is the adopted son! I am the elder, he is the junior!"
"Such a status gap is left here... I scolded him, of course!"
"He dares to be unfilial to me. It's because he has the ability to hide the news so tightly!"
"Otherwise, what will happen to him?!"
"After all, apart from him, I am not alone!"
"Not to mention the Queen Mother, let's just talk about you, brother, and your nephews. When I get old, will you not care about me at all and not come to visit me during the holidays? When you find something is wrong, you will be embarrassed. Forget it, let me be mistreated by him?!"
Sheng Weirao breathed out and said solemnly, "I've thought about it a long time ago! I don't need to rely on this son in my life. Even his current existence is holding me back! It's him who left me, What is it?!”
"After so many years, he still can't understand this truth clearly. He still dares to continue to make trouble with me, and he still dares to continue to be a dandy and debauched... Then don't be so cruel!"
"Anyway, the things I have saved in my life can be given to anyone, but I will not give them to this kind of waste!"
She laughed coldly, "Because of his virtue, when I see it, I think of our father... The wealth I have worked so hard to accumulate is not just to fill the holes of those whores!!!"
"But in this case you..." Sheng Weide said disapprovingly, "It's too lonely here! At our age, don't we just want our children and grandchildren to be happy?"
Sheng Weirao glanced sideways at his brother: "Brother, what you said is wrong! The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have traveled all over the country over the years. When have the Emperor and King Lingqiu ever served them? The Emperor has to go to court and can't leave. It’s just a matter of repayment! King Lingqiu is just an idle prince. The emperor tried to get him to join the court several times, but he refused with all kinds of excuses! It was said before that in order to avoid trouble, King Lingqiu specially pretended to be filial to the Supreme Emperor and the Emperor. The Empress Dowager took the flag and ran to Shuzhong to accompany her, but within three days she was driven away by the Supreme Emperor. She said it was because she and the Emperor had been worrying about him for so many years, and now she was finally clean. Who wanted the children to make noises in front of them?! "
"Do you also know that those are the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?" Sheng Weide quickly asked back this time, "The couple happened to have a companion, so it makes sense that they would find the child troublesome. But what about you? If you are not alone... Why should I bother? Are you so tirelessly urging you to get closer to your nephew?"
After hesitating for a moment, he whispered, "Actually, it's not impossible for you to marry again at your age! Even if the government builds a chastity memorial arch for you, don't we still have the Queen Mother? Otherwise, can I help you tell the Queen Mother? The Queen Mother should Will be willing to help.”
"It's better not to cause trouble for the Queen Mother." Hearing this, Sheng Weirao pursed her lips, shook her head, and reminded in a low voice, "The Queen Mother is easy to talk to! But the Supreme Emperor and our uncles and aunts may not be happy to see us do this. I’m going to trouble the Queen Mother again and again!”
"Over the years, the Queen Mother has repeatedly rewarded me for sending her greetings through letters and sending her handmade embroidery work."
"Thanks to this reward, our Sheng family has the climate we have today."
"Otherwise, brother, you don't know how much the Xuan Yu family and the Feng family don't want a third powerful family to appear in Nanfeng County? We have personally experienced the Sheng family's situation from being a powerful family to the present situation. !”
"As you said, the Queen Mother is just soft-hearted, not confused."
"She sees very clearly my little intentions, she is just willing to help me out of sisterly love!"
"The Supreme Emperor and his uncle and aunt tolerated this and allowed my letters and things to be delivered to the Queen Mother all the time. However, I never made any demands. I just wanted to benefit from the Queen Mother's glory and let those outside Don’t go too far!”
"This is still within their tolerance!"
"If you are ignorant and make all kinds of requests..."
Her face became solemn, and she looked deeply at Sheng Weide, "Brother, have you forgotten how we became estranged from Dafang in the first place? In the final analysis, there are too many things that trouble Dafang! When nothing big happens, That’s all. The love of blood can even offset the dissatisfaction and boredom of Dafang!”
"But something big happened later. The reason why the big house's attitude toward us plummeted in a short period of time... Is it because they fell out so quickly? It's not because they have accumulated a lot that is hard to come back from!!!"
"Look at the Feng family and the Xuan Yu family. If they suddenly do something that offends Dafang, Dafang will never leave and have little contact with him!"
"After all, they were never as greedy as we were with the big house!"
"On the contrary, he has been helping Dafang!"
"We didn't understand this back then... After so many years, don't we still understand it now?!"