Chapter 4: Defamation

The cool breeze of the summer night brushed against the face, alleviating some of the restlessness in the heart. The sky was dotted with stars, and standing on the veranda, one could see the waves of pine trees on the mountain and the flickering fireflies. Madam Er instructed someone to pay attention and not let the children go into the woods, while blushing, she spoke to Madam Fang, "Children are still ignorant, and she is also somewhat pitiful..."

Madam Fang knew why Madam Er said this. The young girls of the Wei family, Wei An, were at an awkward age, not too young and not too old, not receiving much attention.

Their biological parents were far away in Yuzhang, and there were no elders in the fifth house. The old lady of Dingbei Marquis was old and unable to do much. Even if this little girl was well taken care of, she still looked lonely and pitiful.

Madam Fang sighed and held Madam Er's hand, speaking gently and kindly, "Why are you crying with me? There is no reason to make a fuss about this matter. I am not someone who gossips and speaks ill of others. It's just..." Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, genuinely feeling that Wei An's behavior was not good, "It's not a solution to continue like this. The child is still young and needs guidance..."

She then complained, "How can this matter be blamed on you? You are just an aunt, not her birth mother. Speaking of which, why is Changning so heartless? All the other children are treasures, only the eldest daughter is treated like grass?"

Madam Er's eyes welled up, "Exactly, I'm not blaming you, Fifth Sister. There is no one like this. After all, An An is still young." She held Madam Fang's hand and said softly, "Don't think that I scolded her harshly just now. In fact, I also feel sorry for her. In the first few years, this child was not like this. She was well-behaved and could speak. Her eyes were as bright as grapes, and she would smile when she saw people, which was very endearing. But in recent years... there is a gloominess in her eyes, sometimes making people feel uneasy. But it's not the child's fault. I really don't understand what Fifth Sister is thinking. As mothers, we should treat all our children equally. The other children, even the illegitimate ones, are by her side, but An An is all alone. What's the reason for this?"

The more Madam Fang listened, the more she felt sorry for the child. At this point, she tried to persuade Madam Er, "Forget it, don't mention this matter to the old lady when you go back. It's really pitiful as you described."

It was indeed pitiful. Madam Er closed her mouth and didn't want to say anything more. Finally, she thought for a moment and said, "I will ask her to apologize to An Er. When she makes a mistake, it's necessary to apologize, even if it's just for the sake of propriety!"

The word "propriety" had been with Wei An almost her entire life. In her not-so-long life, terms like "thief," "unwanted by parents," and "ill-fated" hung over her like dark clouds, never ceasing to haunt her, making her the subject of disdain wherever she went.

She was never foolish, nor was she a generous person. Her experiences of having to rely on herself since her parents were not around made her sensitive and suspicious. She was unwilling to take an extra step or say an extra word. Her sisters distanced themselves from her and mocked her, and she would not confront them directly, but would always find ways to embarrass and outsmart them in secret. Looking back, in the previous life, Peng Lingwei was not wrong to scold her. She was indeed cunning, malicious, and dark-minded. After she went to Yuzhang at the age of eleven, due to the indifference of the Princess of Changning, her longing for her sister finally dissipated. Since she had given up hope, she became indifferent and unlikable.

Because she was the only daughter in the family, the Princess of Changning was not very good at being a mother when she was born. It was said that when she was young, she cried incessantly and refused to sleep, so the Princess of Changning became irritated and scratched her face, leaving scars.

When the adults in the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion talked about these things, they always used a mocking tone, saying that Wei An was probably born without the blessing of her parents, because after the birth of the second daughter, the Princess of Changning seemed to have changed, becoming gentle and meticulous. Even if her sister Wei Long yawned, the Princess of Changning would stay by her bed, afraid that she would have a high fever at night.

When the adults said these things, they never understood how sensitive and scared the children were, only seeing it as a topic of conversation.

Wei An grew up listening to these words, and when she went to Yuzhang, the Princess of Changning did not treat her as kindly as she did Wei Long, and not even as naturally and casually as she did with the illegitimate Wei Po. Her already wounded heart became even more restless, anxious, and sad. Once, when she went out, the wives of the officials in Jiangxi didn't even know that the Marquis of Dingbei and the Princess of Changning had an eldest daughter. She stood alone in the gaze of the surprised crowd, feeling as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into the street, pierced by a thousand arrows. It was nothing new.

Thinking about the past always made her feel sad. Wei An knelt and leaned on the nanny's arms, not biting her lip as usual.

Tears were the most useless thing. She knew this from the moment her family was destroyed. Since her daughter's death, she had never shed a tear again. She was most concerned about how to get along well with the princess of Jing'an Marquis's mansion, how to maintain a good relationship with the princess as a concubine, and how to send everyone in the Jing'an Marquis's mansion to the underworld step by step. She was too busy to cry.

After experiencing so much, the current matter was simply not worth mentioning.

She just had too many things she couldn't figure out.

Idle talk may sound unpleasant, but it is never groundless. Her mother, Princess Changning, indeed did not behave like a normal mother towards her.

Her siblings were fine, but her mother's deliberate neglect, coldness, and occasional hostility made her childhood extremely difficult.

She didn't understand why Princess Changning disliked her. Was it because of her bad reputation in the capital, which made Princess Changning feel ashamed and embarrassed?

She also didn't understand why, despite Princess Changning's usual coldness, when she actually did something wrong, became a tool in the hands of Peng Caichen, and was influenced by him to steal her father's seal and letters, Princess Changning later found out but let her off the hook.

In the end, Princess Changning jumped off the city wall with Wei Yulong, Wei Yupo, and Wei Min, leaving behind a letter urging her to live, to live as if nothing had happened, and to live well with Peng Caichen.

Those who were once favored have all died, but she, who was the least like a member of the Wei family and the least deserving to live, survived.

Outside, the chirping of cicadas and the calls of birds suddenly ceased, and footsteps mixed with the summer lantern light approached. Wei An looked up.

It's a new book release, and there are various requests for collections and recommendations. I will definitely write well. Love you all. Kisses.