Chapter 14: Eccentric Father

She really didn't want to give birth to this child, didn't want him to suffer with them. This was an unwanted child.

At this point, Shangguan Yun had already changed his mind, and had taken several concubines who had given birth to a bunch of children. His mother was thoroughly disappointed in him. She had originally wanted to drink medicine and use safflower to induce a miscarriage, but when she brought the medicine to her lips, her seven-year-old daughter, Liuyue, looked at her with teary eyes and said, "Mother, he is also a life. Can you give birth to him to accompany us?"

Seeing Liuyue's teary eyes, her mother softened and decided to give birth to the child, no matter how difficult it would be. After she became pregnant, Shangguan Yun went to fight outside and had no idea that his wife was pregnant.

At that time, the grandmother had also been deceived by the lady to recuperate at the suburban villa. The news of her mother's pregnancy had been kept secret by the lady, and no one except her knew about it.

After enduring nine months of pain, her mother gave birth to a baby boy at the cost of her life. But as soon as the baby was born, her mother heard the sound of the lady's henchmen approaching from a distance.

At that moment, she saw her mother holding the baby boy tightly, with tears of sorrow and despair in her eyes.

Suddenly, her mother grabbed the baby boy's right arm and fiercely bit a tooth mark on it. Her mother bit hard, but tears of pain had already welled up in her eyes. She bit a deep row of bloody tooth marks on the baby's right arm, and the baby immediately cried loudly.

At that time, Liuyue was still young and did not understand the meaning of her mother's actions. After biting the baby's arm, her mother said to her, "Liuyue, remember, I bit a row of tooth marks on your brother's right arm. These tooth marks are deep and will not fade for ten or twenty years. If your brother is taken away, you must remember these tooth marks and find him in the future."

Before her mother finished speaking, the lady and her men burst into the room and ordered the men to take Liuyue away.

The lady brutally beat her mother and ruthlessly snatched the child away.

Liuyue wanted to stop the lady, but she was dragged into the woodshed by the lady's henchwoman, Wang Po, and locked up for a month. When she was released, she heard the news of her mother's suicide by jumping into the well.

Her mother was dead, her brother was taken away, and as the witness to her mother's childbirth, she went to question the lady and demand that she return her brother. However, the lady denied the incident and had her beaten severely, warning her not to speak out.

Even if she did speak out, no one would believe her. Her father and grandmother had not seen her mother pregnant, so naturally they would not believe her words.

The lady also said that if it weren't for her engagement to the crown prince, she would have dealt with her long ago.

Thinking about this, Liuyue's scalp tingled and her heart grew cold. If it weren't for her status as the crown prince's fiancée, the lady, fearing the royal family's investigation, would have already harmed her.

From this perspective, she should be grateful that the crown prince did not withdraw the engagement early.

This long-buried secret was so unbelievable to Liuyue. Before her mother's death, she had her mother's protection and was quite bold. After her mother's death, she had no one to protect her and became a target of bullying, and her character gradually became weak and fearful.

As she thought about this, their group had already passed through several corridors and arrived at the main courtyard of the old lady. After Zhang Mama went to announce their arrival, they were called in.

Liuyue carefully observed the main courtyard of the old lady's Fu Yun courtyard. The interior was decorated in an ancient and elegant style, solemn and luxurious. The floor was paved with golden bricks imprinted with auspicious cloud patterns, and the furniture in the room was all made of redwood and poplar wood. The redwood shelves were filled with various precious antiques, presenting a grand and majestic atmosphere.

Comparing it to her own shabby house, it was like night and day.

Upon entering the room, Liuyue quickly scanned everyone.

She first saw her grandmother, Madam Chen, sitting in the main seat. Madam Chen was respectfully addressed as the old lady by everyone. She was wearing a blue brocade robe embroidered with peonies and flying birds, and had a simple yet dignified jade hairpin on her head. Her hair was slightly graying at the temples, indicating her advanced age.

Although she was old, her hair was meticulously arranged, and her clothes were clean and elegant. She held a string of brown prayer beads and sat there calmly, exuding a mysterious and dignified aura. Just by looking at her noble and elegant demeanor, one could tell that she came from an extremely noble background.

Glancing to the side, Liuyue saw Shangguan Yun, her father.

Shangguan Yun was tall, with jet-black hair and a slight stubble at the corners of his mouth. He was wearing a green brocade robe and sitting on a rosewood Taishi chair beside the old lady. His eyes were cold and narrowed, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

Standing beside him were Madam Su Yingxue and the second young lady, Shangguan Yuqing, who had returned early in a carriage. Madam Su Yingxue was wearing a gorgeous red brocade robe embroidered with bright pink peonies, and she wore valuable pearl hairpins. Her skin was so tender that one could almost squeeze water out of it, and she had a faint and gentle demeanor, indicating that she also came from a very noble family.

Seeing Madam Su's self-important appearance, Liuyue thought of her deceased mother and the brother who had been cruelly taken away. Perhaps her brother had already been killed by Madam Su. How could she allow the legitimate son born to her mother to exist and threaten the position of her son as the legitimate eldest son?

Thinking of this, a chill ran through Liuyue's heart. As she looked at Madam Su's icy gaze, a deep hatred welled up in her heart, accumulating for many years without dissipating.

Standing opposite the main wife was a woman with a soft and delicate appearance, who was the second concubine, Lady Gao. Her skin was even fairer than the main wife's, and she stood there like a snake, with a faintly seductive posture as if she couldn't stand still and wanted to fall into the arms of Lord Shangguan Yun. She lightly raised her eyelids, displaying an air of laziness and disdain, clearly a woman who was skilled at pleasing men.

Lady Gao had been married to Lord Shangguan Yun for many years and had only given birth to one daughter, Miss Shangguan Dong'er, who was currently studying medicine under a renowned physician.

There was also a mother and daughter standing in the corner, unnoticed by others. They were the third concubine, Lady Feng Wan, and her daughter, Miss Shangguan Yuyan.

In the memory of Liuyue, their impression was not deep because they were very low-key. Lady Feng Wan was gentle and courteous, while Miss Shangguan Yuyan was very sensible and kind, a girl who couldn't bear to even step on an ant.

As Liuyue and the others entered the room, Lord Shangguan Yun suddenly sat up straight, slammed the teacup in his hand onto the table, and looked at Liuyue with a cold face, "You audacious wretch, do you know what crime you have committed? Kneel down before me!"

As Lord Shangguan Yun questioned her, almost everyone in the room looked at Liuyue with glee. The satisfaction in the eyes of Lord Shangguan Qiuyue and Lord Shangguan Di ran even deeper. However, Lord Shangguan Di had a wound on his mouth and was afraid of being discovered by his father, so he occasionally covered his mouth with his sleeve.

Liuyue looked at Lord Shangguan Yun, who always had a stern face, and raised her head proudly, a touch of elegance flashing across her face, "May I ask, Father, why should your daughter kneel? What crime has your daughter committed?"