Fourth Concubine shrieked hysterically, "You're lying! You're lying!"
Like a madwoman, she pounced on Zhao Ning. "Tell them you're not my son! Hurry up and say it! You have nothing to do with me!"
There was deep sorrow welling up in Zhao Ning's eyes. He reached out and stroked Fourth Concubine's hair. "They've captured Nurse. If I don't do as they say, Nurse will lose her life!"
"Nurse, always Nurse! You only have eyes and a heart for that woman! Where do you put me, your own mother? I've been scheming for twenty years, twenty long years, all for you! Hahaha!"
Betrayed by her own son, Fourth Concubine was hit harder than ever in her life. Finally, she dropped all pretenses.
She slumped to the ground weakly, laughing through her tears.
At this moment, Uncle Sixth spoke up. "The good name of the Fu family cannot be stained in the slightest. Brother Four's body hasn't even grown cold yet. Let's deal with this matter later. Eldest Miss, Seventh Young Master, handle your father's funeral first."
Fourth Concubine wiped away her tears and was carefully helped up by a maid. She said word by word, "Even if I've made mistakes, I've managed the affairs of the Fu family for so many years. Even if I don't deserve credit, I've put in a lot of hard work. I never passed Ning'er off as the master's blood. I served the master diligently and I have a clear conscience."
If Fourth Concubine had continued to act crazy and unreasonable, everyone might have been eager to step on her.
But since she admitted the truth and reasoned objectively.
As long as he wasn't the master's blood, it didn't concern the descendants of the Fu family.
On second thought, Fourth Concubine had indeed contributed a great deal to the family.
Apart from the act of infidelity, she was still the same Fourth Concubine, ruthless and authoritative. No one dared to point out her faults.
Several other elderly clan members also came over.
They whispered to each other for a while and all agreed with Uncle Sixth.
Seeing that they wanted to cover up this matter, Fu Qilang was so angry that he was ready to burst. He had to play his trump card. He shouted, "That's exactly why we need to clarify the truth before my father is buried. Otherwise, even in death, my father won't be able to rest in peace. Uncle Sixth, you're so partial to Fourth Concubine. Could it be that the adulterer has some shady connection with you?"
These words caused quite a stir.
Uncle Sixth's face turned beet - red.
He cursed angrily, "You young rascal! How dare you slander someone without any evidence!"
Fu Shi skimmed the foam off her tea with the tea lid. "Whether it's true or not, Uncle Sixth, you know best in your heart."
She raised her eyes and said sharply, "I came home today and discussed things nicely with you as a sign of respect. If I wanted to slander you, I would have started spreading the news as soon as I entered the city. You, a senior member of the clan, having an affair with your younger brother's concubine. You may not care about your reputation, but the Fu family does!"
Everyone present was sweating nervously.
Master Fu's coffin was right there, and such a drama was unfolding so soon. It was really nothing new in a big family.
The other old men were also stunned.
They looked at Uncle Sixth and then at Zhao Ning. The more they looked, the more they thought they resembled each other.
Although Uncle Sixth was over fifty now, he was only a few years older than Master Fu.
Twenty years ago, Uncle Sixth was quite handsome and had a refined appearance.
At that time, Fourth Concubine was a young and charming concubine. She lived separately on a manor outside the mansion.
The Fu family's clan school was also in that area. Uncle Sixth was knowledgeable and often went there to teach.
Therefore, it was highly possible for them to have an affair.
True to his name, Uncle Sixth quickly regained his composure.
He said, "If you want to frame someone, you'll always find an excuse. Seventh Young Master, Eldest Miss, I've watched you grow up. Everyone knows what kind of person I am. As long as you can produce evidence, I'll accept any punishment. But you can't wrong me!"
Seeing that Uncle Sixth refused to admit it, Fu Qilang asked Zhao Ning to take off the jade plaque around his neck.
The mutton - fat jade was as white as newly cut fang and glowed with a gentle luster. It was clearly a precious item with a long history.
When Fourth Concubine saw the jade plaque, her eyes widened and she snatched it away. "Where did you get this?"
Zhao Ning sneered. "Where did I get it? From this so - called upright uncle!"
Uncle Sixth was a gentleman in public but a beast in private.
He was already married at that time.
But he disliked his wife for being plain - looking. By chance, he saw Fourth Concubine who lived on the Fu family's manor.
Fourth Concubine had recovered from smallpox. Thanks to her good constitution, there were only a few faint marks on her face, which couldn't hide her charm at all.
She was young and lived alone on the manor. Despite having many servants, she still felt lonely.
When she met Uncle Sixth, she found him taller and more handsome than Master Fu. He also had a scholarly air and was gentle in speech. So Fourth Concubine's heart began to flutter.
After seeing each other a few times, on a rainy night, they finally became lovers.
Both of them were very cunning.
They kept their affair secret and were careful not to leave any evidence.
Only Fourth Concubine's confidant knew about it.
After a few more trysts.
Fourth Concubine showed signs of pregnancy.
No matter how muddle - headed she was, she knew she couldn't keep this child.
But man proposes, God disposes. After taking several abortifacients, the child still wouldn't leave.
Fourth Concubine was completely desperate. She had to find her maternal cousin and arrange for a woman who resembled her in appearance and figure to take her place.
After a switch, Fourth Concubine went to her cousin's house to give birth. She raised the child as her nephew from her maternal family.
After returning, she buried this secret deep in her heart and cut off all contact with Uncle Sixth.
It turned out that Ni Er, Fourth Concubine's cousin, was a very shrewd man. He was afraid that Uncle Sixth couldn't keep the secret, so he sent someone to rob him on the road and took his personal jade plaque as a threat.
This jade plaque was later given to Zhao Ning by Ni Er, and even Fourth Concubine didn't know about it.
Since Fourth Concubine stayed on the manor for another half - year, stopped lactating after giving birth, and when she returned to the Fu mansion, Master Fu was busy flirting with the younger concubines. It was a close call, but he didn't notice anything.
This secret had been kept for twenty years. Fourth Concubine thought it would never be discovered.
But there were always traces to follow.
She slumped to the ground dejectedly and closed her eyes.
Seeing his mother in such despair, although Zhao Ning resented her in his heart, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Speaking of resentment, in fact, the person he hated the most was Uncle Sixth.
If it weren't for this man's lust and seduction of his mother, how could such a ridiculous and sad thing have happened?
Zhao Ning stared at Uncle Sixth menacingly and stepped forward aggressively. "Are you a man? Are you even human?"
Zhao Ning's eyes were red. He grabbed Uncle Sixth's lapel and punched him in the face again and again.
Facing his own son's fists, Uncle Sixth felt a pang in his heart. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, allowing Zhao Ning to do as he pleased.
In the crowd, there were also Uncle Sixth's two sons from his wife.
They were a bit younger than Zhao Ning.
Hearing such a bombshell, both of them were stunned.
The younger son was so angry that he was eager to roll up his sleeves and join Zhao Ning.
That old rascal was really hateful! If his mother found out, she might even hang herself!
The elder son was much more rational. He grabbed his younger brother and whispered, "This is not the right time to teach him a lesson. Don't ruin your reputation for filial piety because of a moment's anger."
Filial piety was of utmost importance!
The younger son reluctantly stopped. Such a beast was unworthy of being a husband and a father.
After Zhao Ning landed several solid punches on Uncle Sixth's face, Fu Shi and Fu Qilang put down their tea cups. As if they just realized something was wrong, they quickly ordered the maids to pull Zhao Ning away.