Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C008

If the great aunt could still hold back before, she finally couldn't help it when it was mentioned that Wushuang wasn't close to her.

“That child has a bad fate. She lost her parents at a young age and was raised by Qi Pei before she could remember anything. She has been taught and encouraged by you people since she was a child, so naturally she wouldn't like me, her own grandmother.”

The great aunt's voice was hoarse and weak, but her words were quite offensive, almost pointing at someone's nose and cursing them. Since Nanny Zhao was naturally included among "you people," her face looked rather unsightly.

She immediately changed her tone, smiling insincerely and saying, "Great aunt, you can't say that. The reason we didn't tell Third Miss her identity back then was because she was still young. After returning from the border, she also fell seriously ill. The imperial physician said that we should conceal her identity in case she remembered something and was stimulated by it. You agreed to this back then, so why are you dissatisfied now?"

"At that time, I was worried about the child..."

"Besides, when Third Miss grew up a little, if she isn't close to you unless you tell her your identity, you can't blame us servants for that." Nanny Zhao didn't give Great Aunt a chance to speak, and her tongue was as smooth as a reed.

The great aunt knew that there was no point in arguing with Nanny Zhao, because such people only knew how to flatter. So she interrupted her and said, "Alright, you don't have to say any more. I know what Qi Pei is capable of. I just hope that she doesn't forget what she promised me back then."

Nanny Zhao hurriedly said, "As long as you understand, I hope that you won't forget what you promised Old Madam back then either."

The great aunt closed her eyes and said nothing, clearly unwilling to talk to Nanny Zhao any longer.

This made Nanny Zhao a little anxious.

She thought for a moment and forced a smile, saying, "Look at you, why bother getting so worked up over nothing? Since you've called for the household staff, it shows that you've considered it carefully. Those things belong to the Marquis's mansion. It was just that the old Marquis gave them to you before he passed away to keep you safe. Now that you're returning them, it's a win-win situation."

The great aunt raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, sneering, "How come I didn't know that my second branch's family fortune had become the Marquis's mansion's property? The mansion has long since been divided, and there are official documents to prove it. We've divided the family but not the residence, and it's been registered with the government. How is it that the esteemed Marquis Changyang has taken a fancy to our concubine branch's belongings?"

Nanny Zhao laughed dryly: "Why do you have to say that? After all, we all share the surname Mei. As the saying goes, even broken bones are still connected by sinews..."

"Alright, you don't have to say these useless words anymore. When he's useful, my son's military achievements will be the marquis's military achievements, and my son's property will be the marquis's property. But when he's useless, my son will become a lowly bastard, and my granddaughter will become a concubine-born bastard who depends on others for shelter."

The great aunt sneered again and again: "You keep saying that the young ladies in the mansion have it, and so does my Wushuang. But don't you forget, all these years, every bite of food and every piece of clothing Wushuang has had, has been provided by our second house. Every year, I send five thousand taels of silver to the mansion to provide for Wushuang's food and clothing. Five thousand taels is enough to support several young ladies in the Marquis's mansion, isn't it?!"

Nanny Zhao did not expect that she would provoke such an extreme reaction from the great aunt by simply trying to remind her. The great aunt's words made her break out in a cold sweat, and she felt like she could hardly stand.

She could not laugh anymore and said, "Great aunt, why do you have to say these things? These are not things that a servant like me can comment on. It was an agreement between you and the Old Madam. Besides, we are not doing this solely for the Marquis's mansion, but also for the Third Miss."

Nanny Zhao knew that she had to coax the great aunt and get her hands on the things as soon as possible so that she could complete her task. So, she tried to persuade her, "The Third Miss is about to get married. Her husband's family is the royal family. You know the situation in the mansion. If the Third Miss's dowry is too small when she gets married, it will not only embarrass the mansion, but the Third Miss will also be wronged. Think about it carefully. Even if we dared to deceive you, would we dare to deceive the royal family? If the Third Miss becomes successful, it will not only benefit her, but also the Marquis's mansion. Therefore, the mansion will definitely not be careless about her marriage."

She hinted to the great aunt that even for the sake of the Marquis's future, the mansion would not mistreat Wushuang.

But unfortunately, the great aunt still ignored her.

She could only say helplessly, "Think about it carefully. Once you've thought it through, see if what I said is right or not. You're not well, so I won't stay long. I'll come again tomorrow. I hope you'll have figured it out by then."

Nanny Zhao left.

The great aunt lay there with her eyes closed, seemingly only breathing a little more heavily, but her heart was burning with anxiety. 

What should she do?

She had endured for so many years, and now she had long exhausted her energy. But Wushuang was still unmarried, and there were still so many things she couldn't let go of. If she left now, how could she rest in peace? How could she explain herself to her son who had died young?

Could it be that she really had to do as Qi Pei wished?

But if she didn't keep her promise, her Wushuang...

Qi Pei shouldn't dare to do that. She knew Qi Pei too well. Nothing was more important than her son's title. She knew what was important.

Actually, this was also good. That person married Wushuang, so he should not wrong her. Qi Pei took those things, even if she took a part of them, she would still have to leave some for Wushuang...

The great aunt heard the door open.

She thought it was the old woman who served her, but she heard more than one footstep. She opened her eyes subconsciously and saw her Wushuang standing in front of her bed with tears all over her face.

“Grandmother!”

***

In her previous life, Wushuang had never called her great aunt "grandmother."

Whenever she visited, she was always surrounded by countless servants, so she always addressed her as "great aunt" out of respect. Later, when her great aunt passed away, she gradually grew older year by year. Every time she thought of her great aunt, she thought of her as her grandmother, but by then, she no longer had the chance to call her "grandmother."

That one word, "grandmother," had been brewing for two lifetimes, and finally, at this moment, it was uttered. She threw herself in front of her great aunt and wept uncontrollably.

In truth, she did not know what she was crying about. She just cried instinctively, as if she were crying out all the grievances and frustrations of two lifetimes.

“My child, don’t cry. You’re breaking your grandmother’s heart…” Supported by Meifang, the great aunt sat up and held Wushuang in her arms, unable to stop her own tears from flowing.

“I’m sorry, grandmother.”

"Don't say sorry. You have nothing to apologize to grandmother for. On the contrary, it is I who should apologize to you. Your father left you alone, but I failed to protect you. I could only let you suffer grievances in that mansion."

The great aunt had a keen eye. Although her granddaughter seemed normal every time she came, she spoke little and was silent. She also dressed in a somewhat dull manner, unlike a young girl.

But these things were not excessive on the surface. Every time the manor sent something to the mansion, she would have someone inquire about it. The Third Miss was very favored in the mansion, but her personality was timid and taciturn.

So even if she knew there was some discord in the middle, she could only do this.

To put it bluntly, she could make Qi Pei fearful because Qi Pei had something to ask of her. After all, she was also afraid that if she really pushed Qi Pei too far, her granddaughter would be hurt.

Sometimes, the great aunt also thought that it would be better this way. No matter how greedy Qi Pei was, she would always have to consider what people would say. After she died, Qi Pei would have no one to hate, so she wouldn't hate a child.

If the child was timid and cowardly, then so be it. Everyone had their own fortune. Perhaps timidity was also a blessing. If one did not fight or compete, they would not attract attention and could live in peace.

The great aunt thought so much so much. These things tangled in her heart, and no matter how she thought about them, she could not be sure. She could not put her mind at ease. Her heart was burning with anxiety, but she was powerless to do anything. She could only drag her dilapidated body along, enduring each day until she could endure no longer. Only then did she call for someone from the Marquis's mansion.

But she never expected that her granddaughter would appear before her at this time.

The great aunt was both excited and sentimental in her heart, and for a while, she felt a mixture of emotions. And Wushuang cried for a while, and also realized that if she cried again, it would make her great aunt sad, so she could only force herself to stop.

“Grandmother, what exactly is going on? I just overheard what Nanny Zhao said outside.”

The great aunt sighed.

In fact, she had never thought of concealing anything from her granddaughter. It was just that her granddaughter was in someone else's hands, and she was powerless to do anything about it. In the past, Wushuang had not been close to her. Every time she came, she was surrounded by many servants, so she had no chance to tell her granddaughter these things.

“Back then, Qi Pei used her family background to force herself to marry your grandfather. Your great-grandmother considered that the title of Marquis Changyang would end with your grandfather's generation, so she wanted to find a way out for the Marquis's mansion and a future support for your grandfather, so she agreed to the marriage."

“At that time, my parents had both passed away, and I was living in the Marquis’s mansion, which could be considered as living under someone else’s roof. I had originally thought that after I married your grandfather, I would have a legitimate status. Who would have thought that such a thing would happen…”

“…Your great-grandmother begged me with tears. I should actually call her aunt. The marriage contract between your grandfather and me was arranged by her back then. Then, she was the one who wanted to annul it. I also knew that this matter could not be forced, so I thought that if the marriage contract was annulled, it would be annulled. I asked your great-grandmother to help me find a marriage partner. After I got married, I would cut off my own thoughts and your grandfather’s thoughts. Who would have thought that your grandfather would insist on not letting me go? Some things happened in the middle, and in the end, she became the wife, and I became the concubine.”

When speaking of the late Marquis Changyang, great aunt's face unconsciously bore a smile, it was obvious that the two had a very good relationship.

“Just like that, your father gradually grew up. He was not like the son raised by Qi Pei, who was useless. He also knew that I had suffered countless grievances in this family, so he made a great vow to earn a reputation, to make a name for himself, and to fight for me. He practiced martial arts, trained hard, and studied military books. He suffered countless hardships as a child, but later these all became his skills…"

“He went to the border, hoping to make a name for himself… Later, he really did make a lot of contributions, and even made a name for himself with the Emperor…"

“Although he was a concubine-born son, he was the eldest son. The Emperor appreciated him, and your grandfather valued him. Your grandfather once told me in private that, given your father’s momentum, our family’s title would definitely continue. The Emperor also valued the descendants of capable marquises. The reason why he was strict with the marquises was that he didn’t want their descendants to only know how to rely on the grace of their ancestors to live. As long as they had the heart and momentum to make contributions to the court, the Emperor was willing to give them a chance. In this way, although your father was not the legitimate son, he was undoubtedly treated like the heir.”

“Qi Pei already hated our mother and son, so that naturally deepened her hatred, but she was powerless to do anything about it. In fact, your father was right when he said that instead of fighting with these people in this mansion, it is better to go out and make a name for yourself, so that they will have nowhere to vent their hatred. That's what your father did. Later, your father married your mother and had you...”

At this point, the great aunt's emotions were already starting to become unstable.

Wushuang hurriedly asked her to stop and catch her breath. When the great aunt recovered, her voice became even weaker, but she continued to speak.

“No one expected things to happen so suddenly. When the news of your father’s death in battle came, your grandfather couldn’t bear the terrible news and collapsed on the spot. The doctor said it was a stroke. Your grandfather was bedridden and couldn’t move or even speak. He only lasted two days before he passed away."

“Within a few days, I lost my son, daughter-in-law, and husband. If it weren’t for you, I would have wanted to follow them. However, our family’s disaster has become Qi Pei’s opportunity. The Emperor, in consideration of your father’s great contributions, and the fact that your grandfather passed away at this time, has extended the title of Marquis Changyang for another generation. Naturally, this title fell upon Qi Pei’s son.”