Chapter 5: The legitimate and illegitimate

Mrs. Xu didn't expect this, and her face turned red with anger. "You, how did I give birth to such a foolish daughter!"

The old lady also felt dissatisfied and said coldly, "Jing Moxuan is reserved for Yanjie. She is the eldest daughter of the main branch and should live better than others!"

Without waiting for her son to retort, she waved her hand and called Zhou Mama over, "I remember, there's a garden behind the mansion that has been vacant for two years, right?"

Zhou Mama respectfully replied, "Yes, it's the Rose Garden."

The old lady said, "I think it's suitable. Why not let her move to the Rose Garden?"

Zhao Ziyi immediately frowned, "Mother, I'm afraid it's not appropriate."

The Rose Garden is remote, with abundant vegetation, cold and damp in winter, and infested with mosquitoes in summer. Even the servants don't like to live there, so how could he let his daughter live there?

The old lady sensed her son's partiality and made it clear that she wanted to support her granddaughter, "Why is it not appropriate? The garden is quiet and spacious, with fewer people and fewer rules. Didn't Weijie used to help her mother with gardening? The Rose Garden has a vegetable garden, which is perfect for her to manage."

Mrs. Xu's expression improved a lot and she smiled, "It's the old lady who has thought it through. The Rose Garden is indeed nice, and it's just right for Weijie to live there."

Zhao Ximei listened silently.

The Zhao family is really not simple. The younger sister is scheming, the mother is willful and capricious, and the grandmother is biased and domineering. None of them are easy to get along with.

It seems that in order to survive in this family, confrontation is definitely not an option.

So, with a bow, she said softly, "Father, since the main courtyard is reserved for my sister, how can I, as her elder sister, move in?"

"I'm already grateful to be back by my father's side. There's no need for special treatment in my daily life. I've been through days of hunger and cold, and now that I'm back home, can it be worse than before?"

Zhao Ziyi sighed and said, "I'm glad you think that way."

He glanced at Mrs. Xu and said solemnly, "There are important matters in the court, so I'll take my leave."

With that, he lifted his robe and left without looking back.

Mrs. Xu snorted coldly and followed suit.

The room fell silent once again.

Zhou Mama then introduced several female relatives in the mansion to Zhao Ximei, and she greeted each of them while also noting their appearances and personalities.

One of the second wives showed indifference towards her, while the third wife was more affectionate.

The warmth and coldness of human relationships, the praise and criticism, were already commonplace for Zhao Ximei, so she didn't feel anything special.

It wasn't until Zhou Mama introduced a young girl that something unexpected happened.

"This is your second uncle's daughter, Sister Yu. From now on, you two are sisters..." Zhou Mama's words were interrupted by a sharp voice.

"Who is her sister!" A sharp voice interrupted her, and it was Zhao Chengyu, the daughter of the second wife.

She gave Zhao Ximei a disdainful look and turned her face away, saying, "A wild girl from the countryside dares to call herself my sister, huh!"

"Yu Jie!" The second wife, who had been silent, finally spoke, reprimanding her gently, "How can you speak to your sister like that? Have you forgotten the family rules of the Zhao family?"

Zhao Chengyu sneered, "Mother, brothers are harmonious, and the clan is prosperous. This is the essence of brotherly love."

The old lady suddenly pointed at Zhao Ximei, "You must remember these twelve words."

Zhao Ximei was taken aback. It was Zhao Chengyu who had spoken disrespectfully, but she was the one being reprimanded.

She quickly lowered her eyes and smiled, "Grandmother, I will remember."

"Good, remember it well." The old lady instructed, "Baozhu, after settling things in the Rose Garden, bring the family rules of the Zhao family to Weijie and have her copy them ten times."

"Yes," Zhou Mama replied.

Zhao Ximei could only try to lower her posture and said softly, "Grandmother's teachings are well received."

The old lady nodded, "In a family like ours, rules and etiquette are more important than life itself. Respect is respect, inferiority is inferiority, legitimate is legitimate, and illegitimate is illegitimate. Your father favors you and provides you with the best, but that's just his way of compensating you. It doesn't mean you can sit on an equal footing with the legitimate daughter. Do you understand?"

This was to restore the status of her beloved legitimate granddaughter.

Zhao Ximei understood in her heart, but her face remained calm and she respectfully replied, "I understand, Grandmother. I will be careful in my words and actions in the future, and I will not let you down."

The old lady couldn't help but glance at her.

She didn't expect this young girl to be so gentle at such a young age. She was much better than the arrogant Shen family. Thinking of the Shen family, her expression turned cold.

How could that rebellious woman be capable of managing a family and educating children? Look at the mess she's made now! She's made the Zhao family a laughingstock in the eyes of the world!

She snorted lightly and continued to admonish, "I don't expect you to bring anything to the family, but I have one request—don't hold back your father. He is a prime minister, and you are his daughter. In public and in private, you must always consider your father's reputation. Otherwise, you will be looked down upon and despised, and you may even be impeached by the imperial censor and held accountable by the emperor."

Her expression turned serious as she stared at the child in front of her. "I'm not trying to scare you. The difficulties of a large family are beyond your imagination. The consequences of certain actions are not something you can bear. There are countless eyes watching us, so no matter how much suffering you've endured in the past, you must keep it all to yourself in the future. Remember, not a hint of it can be revealed, understood?"

Zhao Xiwei's heart sank bit by bit, and her longing for family affection faded gradually.

She yearned for a reunion with her family and cherished the bond of blood, while her grandmother only cared about the shame she brought to the family and her father.

A faint pang of pain arose in her heart.

With no hope left, there was no emotion either.

She lowered her eyelids slightly and respectfully replied, "Yes, Grandmother, I understand."

The old lady had nothing more to say to her and waved her hand to dismiss her. "You may go. I'm tired after all the commotion today."

It was as if she had written her weariness on her face.