Chapter 4: Rumors Abound

This rumor quickly spread throughout the Hou residence, and within a couple of days, even other noble families in the capital were aware of it, to the extent that even the Emperor in the palace inquired about it. No one spoke of the peculiarities surrounding Hong Ge'er’s death anymore; instead, they considered it entirely normal and even dignified, as he had received the favor of the late Duke. If he were not the most beloved descendant, how could the old man have chosen him alone among all others, taking only this illegitimate child? Any dissenting opinion from the Qian family would be rebutted, and even Zhao Jing and Aunt Qian did not side with her, leaving her with no choice but to remain silent

The Jiang family has a legitimate eldest son, Zhao Ze, and with strong support from her maternal family, the minor Qian family, despite having a son and a daughter, is far inferior in status. Although Aunt Qian is somewhat relentless, once her son, the Duke of Jiannan, has spoken, she can no longer make a fuss. Jiang was only lightly reprimanded a few times, and her authority to assist in managing the household was not revoked. However, to demonstrate fairness and express her indignation over the death of her illegitimate son, she ordered the wet nurse, who was imprisoned in the back courtyard due to negligence, to be beaten to death and expelled all her family members from the residence.

The wet nurse also became frightened, and the two exchanged a glance, both trembling with fear at the possible truth that might be contained within.

Zhao Yingjun was reminded that the wet nurse of the deceased child truly cannot escape responsibility. If the child died before Zeger entered the room, she bears an inexcusable dereliction of duty; if the child was killed by Zeger, she similarly cannot evade responsibility for having brought the person into the room and then leaving; even if the child simply died of illness, she would still not come out unscathed

Unfortunately, Zhao Yingjun is currently just a one-year-old infant who cannot speak yet, at most she can call out a few times for her parents. There is no way to reason with these two locals, and one can only hope that they are not too ruthless, coming under the cover of night to silence her, which could endanger her fragile little body

Xiao Qian was indignant that the legitimate wife had not received severe punishment, yet there was nothing she could do. She still had other children to consider, so she could only weep and mourn as she prepared her youngest son for burial, placing him alongside the coffin of the Duke in the family temple outside the city

Chun Cao hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She also said, "After all, Hong Ge'er is already dead, and he was born out of wedlock. Even if I were to speak out about this, the Marquis and the Madam would not hold Ze Ge'er accountable for his life. Ze Ge'er is the legitimate eldest son and grandson, very esteemed! If outsiders were to learn that he committed such an act, even if he is young and does not understand, his future would be ruined, and the Marquis would lose face. I believe that even if they found out, they would help Ze Ge'er keep it a secret, right? Why should I suffer for something that cannot be changed?"

The spring grass was indeed startled: "What should we do? Ze Ge'er is the lifeline of the eldest lady. Won't she tear me apart then?"

The crux of the issue lies in when that child died and what the cause of death was. It seems that his biological mother was not always by his side; instead, she was entangled with the legitimate wife, requesting a physician to come and treat him. This indicates that he must have been ill, but not severely so. How then could he have suddenly died?

The spring grass whispered softly: "If that is the case, why did he not inform anyone? Even Hong Ge'er’s wet nurse... I saw her enter the house after Ze Ge'er left. When the old lady and I were leaving that courtyard, I still saw her running over with a pale face to speak quietly with the elder sister beside the young madam... The news of Hong Ge'er’s demise has only just come to light; I returned from that side with the old lady nearly an hour ago!"

Zhao Yingjun listened attentively and naturally began to ponder. Although she did not understand the relationship between the "brother" they were discussing and her own body, they were all children of the Zhao family. A five-year-old child entered another child's room, driving everyone else out, leaving only the two of them alone. Shortly after, he ran out with a look of fright, without telling anyone the reason. The wet nurse then entered the room, also pale-faced, and quietly spoke with the head maid of the mistress. Not long after, that child was found dead, and until the imperial physician arrived to examine the situation, no one "knew" about this matter—Chuncao suspected that the five-year-old child was related to this incident, which was quite logical.

The wet nurse quickly calmed down, gently patting her hand: "It's alright, how old is she? Even if she hears it, she won't understand."

The spring grass had no particular relationship with that wet nurse, and at this moment, she had no mood to sympathize with others. What she was more concerned about was the matter itself: "Good sister-in-law, do you think I should tell the old lady about this? Just now, the old lady was also in that courtyard, and I am afraid they will do something bad and blame it on the old lady."

It seemed that the matter was settled through discussion; the two agreed never to disclose it to a third party. After exchanging vows, they looked up to see Zhao Yingjun sitting on the kang, her eyes wide and staring at them, which startled them both.

However, Niu did not think much of it; she always felt that this matter was rather strange: "How did this rumor spread within the residence? In just two days, it has become known outside, clearly aimed at the old lady. Could it be that the matriarch is behind this scheme?"

The situation had not yet improved, and Zhao Ze had also fallen ill. He developed a high fever and began to speak incoherently. His biological mother, Mrs. Jiang, was concerned that his illness might be a contagion from his younger brother. She ordered that her courtyard be sealed off, instructing her husband to take the young Mrs. Qian and the concubine's children to another courtyard to rest, while sending her legitimate daughter to her mother-in-law's room. She herself stayed by her son's bedside with the maid and the servant, forbidding anyone else from approaching. After two days of such meticulous care, the child's condition finally showed some improvement.

If he died only after that five-year-old boy Zeger left, why did Zeger and the wet nurse appear to be in a state of shock?

Rumors began to circulate in the marquis's residence, suggesting that the marquis was reluctant to part with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and thus wished to take one along for companionship. Initially, he had his eye on the eldest daughter of the Zhao family, followed by the eldest son of the Da family, and now even Ze was suffering from this predicament. Fortunately, the marquis was fond of his descendants and ultimately only took the eldest son of the Da family. This little great-grandson was born after his passing, and the marquis had never seen him, making him quite precious. As for Ze, he needed to be kept to uphold the family name, and the marquis could not bear to part with him.

The wet nurse thought there was indeed a possibility, but she had a different opinion on whether to inform Madam Zhang: "It’s not likely; the old lady hasn’t been close to Hong Ge’er, and there’s no need to harm a illegitimate great-grandson. Even if they wanted to frame him, they wouldn’t succeed. However, given the old lady’s temperament, if she were to learn of this matter, she would definitely let it slip. Killing a brother is no small crime; even if Ze Ge’er is still young and doesn’t understand, he would still face punishment. At that time, the eldest lady would know it was you who reported it!"

The concerns of Zhao Yingjun did not come to pass. The shock brought about by Zhao Hong's death quickly subsided; he was merely a month-old infant, and in this era, it was quite common for children to die young. Only his biological mother, Mrs. Qian, wept and wailed, subtly blaming the legitimate wife, Mrs. Jiang. The child was raised in her courtyard, and the wet nurse was also someone she had appointed. With the child's death, it was naturally her responsibility. Mrs. Jiang straightforwardly acknowledged her negligence in front of her in-laws, but she also defended herself, stating that although the child was raised in her courtyard, he was in Mrs. Qian's room, and all matters of daily care and feeding were handled by Mrs. Qian herself. Even the wet nurse was sent only after Mrs. Qian's approval. While she, as the legitimate mother, had some culpability for negligence, she did not dare to bear the guilt of intentionally causing the death of a child born out of wedlock.

Zhao Yingjun was still deep in thought, while the wet nurse let out a sigh, mourning the deceased child of another wet nurse. Although their respective masters were at odds, their private friendship remained strong, as they had once been close companions before marriage, working together in the same household. She said, "How could she be so unfortunate? Regardless of the truth of the matter, she is already dead. I only hope that the lady will show mercy and not implicate her family; her child is not even half a year old."

The child passed away before reaching one month old, and according to custom, they are not allowed to enter the family graveyard. The Qian family, for the sake of their young son, began to devise ways to persuade the old great-aunt to speak to the Duke of Jiannan, so that the child could have a dignified resting place.

Niu cast a glance at him and straightened his back: "In any case, the matter of the division of the family cannot be delayed any longer. The eldest aunt's family left the capital yesterday, so let us settle this matter tomorrow!"

"With her temperament, how could she possibly do such a thing?" Zhao Jiong said dismissively, "The things that Auntie has done in the past that have brought shame are not limited to this one incident. If only she were a bit smarter, she wouldn't have caused such an uproar in the city!"

As the rumors circulated, they began to take on a different flavor. Some started to say that the Duke was accompanied only by a young child, which seemed rather lonely. Although the child could bring joy to his knees, there was no one to attend to the elder. Shouldn't the Duke take along another close companion who could serve him?

However, Aunt Qian does not think much of it; she has begun to fear the night, unable to sleep well, and has been acting strangely throughout the day. She even secretly sought out monks and nuns to inquire about methods to exorcise ghosts. Upon learning this, Zhao Jiong, the Duke of Jiannan, was nearly infuriated. If such matters were to spread, it would be a disgrace to him! Why can't his biological mother be as uncomplicated as his stepmother?

The wet nurse pondered and said, "Let us first observe the situation. If they frame the old lady, you should inform her of the truth and let her make a decision. If they do not frame her, you can act as if you are unaware of the matter. I have heard that the old lady and the second master plan to separate and leave; you will certainly follow them. At that time, you will no longer be a member of this household, and it will not be too late to inform the old lady then."

How could they know that this elder sister had already changed her core, and understood everything more clearly than anyone else? Zhao Yingjun couldn't help but feel frustrated; what were these two elder sisters thinking? Chun Cao went to that side courtyard and was bumped into by Ze Ge'er, which was not a secret. At the very least, Ze Ge'er and the deceased child's wet nurse were aware of it. If Ze Ge'er really killed his younger brother, as a half-witness, why didn't she tell the master the truth sooner? Was she afraid they would come to silence her? Chun Cao went to that side courtyard and was bumped into by Ze Ge'er, which was not a secret. At the very least, Ze Ge'er and the deceased child's wet nurse were aware of it. If Ze Ge'er really killed his younger brother, as a half-witness, why didn't she tell the master the truth sooner? Was she afraid they would come to silence her? As someone who came from the modern world, I know that such secrets cannot be leaked; why can't these two locals think of that?

If he died before Zeger entered the room, and Zeger was frightened by his death, then why did the nurse, who had been guarding the room, not notice it

The spring grass nervously grasped the nurse's hand: "Sister-in-law, will the elder sister hear us?"

Zhang was naturally dismissive of such rumors, not because she did not believe in ghosts and deities, but because she knew that Duke Zhao Zhu was a truly compassionate person who cared for children. He would never take the lives of his descendants merely for the sake of having someone to accompany him. Zhao Hong's death was simply due to the untimely passing of a young child, and the illnesses of the other children were also due to the circumstances of the season. The so-called rumors were nothing but fabrications.

The wet nurse hurried to the door to look outside, confirming once again that there was no one outside. She then opened the window and glanced out a few times before returning to Chun Cao and saying: "Stop talking nonsense. How old is Ze Ge'er? Just five years old. What could he possibly know? Perhaps Hong Ge'er has been unwell for a long time, and Ze Ge'er just happened to see him and got scared."