My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 28 Informs the Seventh Prince Zhang'er of the Identity of His Biological Father
Inside the Yongxing Marquis's residence, the old Marquis's funeral will be held tomorrow at dawn.

That night, the He family members all stayed in the mourning hall.

Lu Jinshi was also dozing off in the chair in the mourning hall until a maid called him to the backyard.

He Tan stood under the moonlight. When he saw Lu Jinshi approaching, he said in a deep voice, "I heard from your sister that you are pregnant before marriage?"

Lu Jinshi nodded slightly and said, "Mm."

He Tan asked, "Who is the father of the child?"

Lu Jinshi said, "It doesn't matter who the child's biological father is."

He Tan said angrily, "How did your mother raise you? Having a child out of wedlock, aren't you afraid of becoming a laughing stock?"

Lu Jinshi looked up at He Tan and said, "Father, why are you blaming my mother? Didn't I learn to have a child out of wedlock from you? Besides, the reason my mother agreed to let me have a child out of wedlock was because she was afraid that I would end up like her and meet the wrong person."

"Rather than finding a husband like my mother did and then betraying her, it's better to have a child out of wedlock. With a child to rely on, you won't have to serve your mother-in-law, be mistreated by your in-laws, or be bullied by your husband's family."

He Tan's face turned red and then pale, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Lu Jinshi looked at He Tan and said, "If Father has nothing else to say, I will return to the mourning hall first."

He Tan said, "Who is the father of the child? Since you are already carrying his child, how can he not take responsibility for you and marry you?"

Lu Jinshi said slowly, "The child's father is dead, so you don't need to ask any more questions."

After speaking, Lu Jinshi bowed and returned to the mourning hall.

When the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) arrived, the time had come, and the coffin was to be nailed in. In an instant, the entire mourning hall was filled with weeping.

Lu Jinshi also pretended to cry, although he didn't shed a single tear. When the coffin left the Marquis's mansion at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the sky was still very dark.

Lu Jinshi sat in the carriage of the funeral procession, leaning against the carriage to catch up on sleep.

The funeral procession walked for about an hour before reaching a hilltop. There were many rules for the old marquis's burial, and Lu Jinshi couldn't remember how many times he kowtowed or how much incense he burned.

By the time they returned, it was almost noon. Lu Jinshi did not go to the Yongxing Marquis's residence again, but instead had a carriage take him back to East Street.

Lu Jinshi took off his white outer robe and removed the white flower from his head while in the carriage.

As soon as Lu Jinshi got off the carriage, he saw the wet nurse anxiously waiting at the door.

The wet nurse knelt down in front of Lu Jinshi and said, "Miss, yesterday evening, Zhang'er was fussing about going outside for a walk. I saw that the weather was nice yesterday evening, so I took Zhang'er out the door. Who knew that we would run into Young Master Rong."

"While you were away, Young Master Rong snatched Zhang'er away, leaving only the words, 'If you want to see the child, go to the Jade Mountain Villa at the east end of the street. I failed to protect little Zhang'er; please punish me, young lady.'"

Lu Jinshi said, "Nanny, you can get up now."

Caiyun, standing beside Lu Jinshi, said, "That Rong guy is really going too far! How could he take the young master away from us!"

Cai Feng added, "He's such a scoundrel! Not only does he want you as a concubine, but he's now trying to take you by force! I'll gather the guards and go to the Jade Mountain Villa to retrieve the young master."

Lu Jinshi said slowly, "There's no rush to go to Yushan Manor. Rong Yi won't hurt Zhang'er. You all go and boil some water. I'll take a nap first. After I wake up, I'll take a bath and wash up, then go to the palace to ask the Seventh Prince to make a decision and ask Rong Yi to take Zhang'er back."

Lu Jinshi thought to herself that she still had to tell the Seventh Prince that Zhang'er's biological father was Rong Yi.

Since the two are to become husband and wife, and she is to help the Seventh Prince become the future emperor, she must not commit the crime of deceiving the emperor against him.

After all, Rong Yi was indeed a difficult person to deal with. He was so disgusting that he even took advantage of her absence to snatch Zhang'er away. She could only seek help from the Seventh Prince to settle the matter.

If the Seventh Prince cares that Zhang'er's biological father is his cousin, he will not want to marry her.

Even if she and the Seventh Prince couldn't become husband and wife, she could still show her loyalty to him.

Tianzhang Academy is still willing to help the Seventh Prince obtain the position of Crown Prince, as long as the Seventh Prince can keep Rong Yi from bothering him and Zhang'er.
-
Inside Chang Le Palace.

Consort Rong held the soft, chubby, and fair-skinned baby in her arms and said with great delight, "Oh my, my chubby grandson looks just like me."

Emperor Huiyuan initially disliked Rong Yi, his grandson who had risen through the ranks of scholars. However, upon seeing the baby's adorable appearance—chubby, fair-skinned, and soft—even an emperor couldn't resist the affection for his grandson and became quite fond of him.

Emperor Huiyuan asked, "Yi'er, what is this child's name?"

“Zhang’er,” Rong Yi said with a smile, “is the name his mother gave him, which comes from his reputation and renown, like jade and precious stones.” Emperor Huiyuan said, “Qi Zhang, a good name.”

Consort Rong gently pinched the smiling baby face with her fingers and said, "This child is well raised. Where is his mother? Why didn't she come to the palace with you?"

Rong Yi said, "Her mother and grandfather passed away, and they went to the funeral."

Consort Rong raised her eyes and looked at Rong Yi, saying, "Are you destined to bring misfortune to your wife? How come the grandfather of the eldest daughter of the He family, with whom you were betrothed, has passed away, and the grandfather of your child's mother has also passed away?"

Rong Yi touched his nose. "It was just a coincidence."

Emperor Huiyuan looked at Rong Yi and said, "This child is so adorable, no wonder you like him so much. But he is your eldest son after all. You must not let Zhang'er harbor any delusions about a position that he should not have."

Rong Yi replied, "Mm."

Emperor Huiyuan continued, "The He family has just lost its old Marquis, and the funeral has just ended. We cannot hold a wedding immediately afterward. Your marriage to Jinshi can only be arranged at the end of the year at the earliest. You are not young anymore, so let's take a concubine into the household first. I have already selected two candidates for you. One is Sun Xian, the daughter of Minister Sun, and the other is..."

Rong Yi interrupted Emperor Huiyuan, saying, "Father, I have already promised the eldest daughter of the He family that I will not take a concubine, much less have a secondary wife."

Consort Rong raised her eyes to look at Rong Yi, and then at Emperor Huiyuan.

Emperor Huiyuan's expression changed, and he said, "Qi Yi, as a member of the royal family, is it proper for you not to take concubines or marry secondary wives?"

Emperor Huiyuan was furious, and Zhang'er, who was in Consort Rong's arms, immediately burst into tears.

The Imperial Noble Consort hurriedly comforted the baby in her arms, "Your Majesty, you've frightened Xiao Zhang'er. Be good, Xiao Zhang'er, don't be afraid, Grandmother is here."

Rong Yi said, "Father, I have promised Lu Jinshi that I will never take a concubine, and I cannot go back on my word."

Emperor Huiyuan frowned and said, "You must understand your own position. Sooner or later, I will give you this position. Your role in the harem is as important as the affairs of the court, ensuring the continuation of the royal family's lineage. You cannot refuse to take concubines."

Rong Yi slowly said, "Father, there is only one throne. Rather than watching your brothers fight each other openly and secretly, killing each other with their own blood, it is better to have fewer children. Otherwise, when you are old, you will have to watch your own sons fight to the death for the throne."

Emperor Huiyuan took a deep breath and said, "I told you from the beginning that I would only give you the throne. The reason I allowed Prince Jin to form cliques and engage in corruption in court was simply to give you experience in the court. A sword is sharpened by tempering, and your elder brother is just a whetstone on your path to becoming an emperor."

Rong Yi said, "But for my elder brother, how is this a tragedy?"

"Qi Yi!" Emperor Huiyuan roared, "I did all this for you!"

Seeing Emperor Huiyuan's anger, Rong Yi knelt on the ground and said, "Father, I have sworn a solemn oath that I will only marry Lu Jinshi as my principal wife. I hope that Father will grant my wish."

Consort Rong, holding little Zhang'er in her arms, asked, "Where is Zhang'er's mother?"

Rong Yi said, "I will take good care of Zhang'er's mother."

Consort Rong looked at Emperor Huiyuan and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Mingzhu was intolerant of any wrongdoing back then, and her daughter must also be unable to tolerate her husband having a concubine. Since Yi'er is also willing not to take a concubine, you should grant them their wish."

Emperor Huiyuan, his face dark, turned and left.

Rong Yi got up after Emperor Huiyuan had walked away.

The Imperial Noble Consort held Zhang'er in one arm and tapped Rong Yi's forehead with the other, saying, "You, your father allowed your eldest brother to enter the court first, just to give you a chance to gain experience. But you, instead of being grateful, are standing up for your eldest brother."

“Father has always been too biased towards me,” Rong Yi said. “This is unfair to my eldest brother.”

The Imperial Noble Consort said, "You're acting innocent after getting the benefit. You're standing up for your eldest brother, but he might not appreciate it."

At the palace gate, the Imperial Noble Consort's trusted nanny came in to report: "Seventh Prince, your palace servants have come to report that the eldest daughter of the He family is requesting an audience with you outside the palace gate."

The Imperial Noble Consort smiled and said, "Jinshi is here? Let her come to Chang Le Palace."

"Yes."

The Imperial Noble Consort looked at Rong Yi and said, "Lu Jinshi may not be able to tolerate you having concubines, but she cannot be unable to tolerate Zhang'er. Zhang'er has already been born. If she cannot tolerate this eldest son born out of wedlock, that will not do."

Rong Yi stopped the palace servant who was delivering the message and said, "Tell Miss He to go to Yu Liu Palace, and do not let her come to Chang Le Palace."

The Imperial Noble Consort looked at Rong Yi and said, "Why not? Let Jinshi come to Chang Le Palace and let her see Zhang'er first. After all, Zhang'er will have to call her Mother Consort in the future. Let them meet first."

(End of this chapter)