"That rascal..." Lady Bai sighed, clearly looking worried.
Chen Xuan wasn't bothered by this. He poured a cup of hot tea for Lady Bai and told her to hold it to warm her hands. "We've always been open - minded. Even if Zhenzhen is really the daughter of my younger sister, if he likes her, we won't object. Even if the children they have in the future aren't very healthy, in a family like ours, we can raise them well and let them grow up. It's just that he can't think it through himself."
In order to continue the family bloodline and make the family prosperous, many families would choose to inter - marry within the clan. Marriages between cousins were quite common. However, the hidden dangers were also very obvious. Eight out of ten such couples would have children who weren't healthy, and some children were even prone to early death.
The fall of the previous dynasty's royal family was partly due to such reasons.
Therefore, some aristocratic families would choose cousins who were distantly related to get married. With the diluted blood relationship, the children born would be stronger and more lively.
"Our son is so stubborn. You know that," Chen Xuan whispered to Lady Bai. "More than a decade ago, the Dai family was close to our mansion. Didn't Dai Hui's son marry his cousin? Later, his daughter - in - law got pregnant, but every child she gave birth to died prematurely. Unable to bear the blow, his daughter - in - law committed suicide following her dead son. Shaochuan was listening when we were chatting about it. He was young and intelligent. Maybe it was that time that he remembered this matter firmly."
"He's always been kind to those he cares about," Chen Xuan shook his head and sighed softly. "When I hurt my hand back then, he wouldn't let me enter the court no matter what. He even went directly to the old Duke. That old fox wouldn't do anything without benefits. It was just that Shaochuan was so intelligent that he made the old Duke see that our son was more useful than me, so the old Duke agreed."
As for Fu Zhen, she was someone that Chen Tingfeng couldn't get close to but also couldn't let go of.
He wouldn't and definitely didn't want the same thing that happened to the Dai family to happen to his precious cousin.
So whether there was a blood relationship between the two of them was extremely important to him.
What he cared about was never the so - called worldly eyes and prejudices. To him, the only important thing in this matter was Fu Zhen herself.
Lady Bai's eyes suddenly turned red. "Why is his mind so complicated!"
When they accidentally noticed his affection for Fu Zhen, they were happy about it. After all, for them, the blood relationship didn't matter at all. Not to mention that Fu Zhen wasn't from the Marquis's Mansion by blood. Even if she was, since Zhenzhen had a weak body, if they were really worried about this, they could just not have children after marriage and adopt a well - behaved child from a side branch.
They never cared about the inheritance of descendants.
But unfortunately, Chen Tingfeng just got stuck in this mindset.
"Since you've guessed it, why were you so harsh when you used the family law just now?" Lady Bai looked at him with red eyes. "Giving him a lesson is enough. Why make it so hard on him?"
Chen Xuan snorted. "Do you think I'm angry about this?"
Lady Bai was about to say something but suddenly remembered something and fell silent.
Right, what she was originally angry about wasn't this either.
"Arrogant!" Lady Bai pointed at Chen Tingfeng who was kneeling on the ground and scolded. "Everything you said was just your own thought. Have you ever considered others? Have you ever considered Zhenzhen?!"
Chen Tingfeng frowned slightly. "I'll explain these things to her in the future."
Lady Bai was so angry that she laughed. "You good - for - nothing! What do you take Zhenzhen for? Your accessory or a bird you play with at will?"
"I never had such thoughts," Chen Tingfeng suddenly looked up and stared at her directly. "She's always been delicate and over - thinking. It'll be all good if I solve these things. Why bother her when there's no result yet?"
Lady Bai's fingertips trembled as she pointed at him. She couldn't say a word for a long time.
Chen Tingfeng pursed his lips. "So, Aunt and Father aren't blood - related, right?"
Lady Bai came back to her senses. She was both heart - ache and headache. "Shaochuan is such a stubborn fool!"
It wasn't wrong for him to want to protect Fu Zhen. But this kind of self - assertive protection without discussing with Fu Zhen was also a kind of concealment and deception to her.
Chen Xuan sneered. "I've been waiting to see his joke since this thing started showing signs. Now I've seen it, haven't I? If his temper isn't tempered well, he'll never figure it out."
"Don't worry. He's a man who can go to the battlefield and kill enemies. Kneeling in the ancestral hall for two days won't kill him."
Chen Xuan ordered that no doctor should be called for him today. Even though Yuanbao felt so bad, he could only wait outside.
The room was completely quiet, only the sound of wind and snow could be heard. Yuanbao felt cold even standing outside in his cotton - padded clothes. But Chen Tingfeng was only wearing a thin single - layer robe, and it had been whipped to pieces in many places. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. He stamped his feet anxiously at the door.
Qian Tong stood there motionless. Yuanbao glanced at him and complained. "Aren't you worried?"
"Worried about what?" Qian Tong squinted at him and calmly retorted.
Yuanbao pointed at him in disbelief. "The young master is so badly injured. Aren't you worried at all?"
Qian Tong was silent. The twenty whips from Chen Xuan looked terrifyingly bloody, but in fact, the strength was well - controlled. They only hurt the skin and flesh but not the bones. With Chen Tingfeng's internal strength to protect his body, he wouldn't be seriously injured.
It was just that the weather was tough. Maybe he would have a fever later.
He said helplessly, "Are you so obedient? If you're not allowed to enter the door, can't you climb in through the window?"
Yuanbao said, "You've thought of this for a long time, but just watched me get worried!"
Then he was about to rush back to Baiqu Courtyard to get Chen Tingfeng's clothes. But just as he turned a corner, his vision blurred and he almost bumped into someone.
He quickly said, "Sorry, sorry."
Fu Zhen frowned. "Yuanbao? Why are you in such a hurry? What are you going to do?"
At this moment, this voice sounded like music to Yuanbao's ears.
A sudden light flashed in Yuanbao's eyes. "Great, Miss Second! Are you going to see the young master?"
Fu Zhen pursed her lips. "I'm going to see Uncle and Aunt."
Bi Yu behind her eyes moved slightly but then wisely closed her mouth.
Yuanbao paused. The light in his eyes dimmed a little. He sighed and said, "The young master was whipped to the bone by the master. The master even won't allow the young master to see a doctor. Now he's kneeling alone in the dark and damp ancestral hall in a single - layer robe... The young master has never suffered like this since he was a child. Seriously speaking, this is the first time the master has used the family law on the young master. Sigh."
Fu Zhen tightened her hand hidden in her sleeve. "What... What did he do? Why did the master use the family law?"
Yuanbao glanced at her and hesitated.
Fu Zhen frowned tightly. "Speak!"
Yuanbao lowered his head. "I don't know clearly. I only vaguely... only vaguely know that it's related to Miss Second!"