She was too lazy to clean up after dressing up as a villain heroine

"It was me who let Lan Xin take charge of the affairs of the first house, and Suiyuan was naturally included! Now that the old lady is still alive and the four houses have not been divided, how can Suiyuan be an exception? Even if I say this in front of the emperor, I am right!" Duke Dingguo slammed the table and stood up.

"In that case," Han Zheng said calmly, "why don't I go back and discuss with Fuhui about moving to the Princess's Mansion permanently? That way I don't have to stay in this mansion and depend on a concubine for my life."

"When have I ever let you see my aunt's expression!" Duke Dingguo's tone became anxious.

He was really panicking.

If his son goes back and exaggerates things in front of the princess, and the princess then files a complaint before the emperor...

Even the previously legitimate mother-in-law, Mrs. Lin, did not end up well. His Majesty would probably deal with a concubine at will.

He waved his hand irritably: "Forget it, go away."

Han Zheng turned and left.

Just as he took two steps, Duke Dingguo couldn't help but call him back: "Remember, don't let Fuhui talk nonsense in front of His Majesty."

Han Zheng didn't stop, just said lightly: "Fuhui has always been the most sensible."

The figure walked away and the study became quiet.

Only then did Aunt Lan come out from behind the screen, and gently poured a cup of tea for Duke Dingguo, saying softly, "Husband, calm down."

Duke Dingguo sat back heavily in the armchair, feeling somewhat ashamed and dejected.

He took the teacup offered by Aunt Lan, took a sip, and sighed, "My father is becoming increasingly uncontrollable... He's even learned to use His Majesty to pressure me. If I had known this would happen, I really shouldn't have entered into this marriage."

On the surface, this marriage with the Mo family was a match made in heaven.

In fact, after the drowning incident, His Majesty summoned him and Mo Qingyang for questioning separately. It was only after both families agreed that the decree of marriage was issued. It was not Emperor Kangde's arbitrary decision.

Aunt Lan lowered her head and said nothing, covering her face with her sleeves.

He looked like he was secretly shedding tears, and I felt sorry for him.

Although he is over 30 years old, this attitude does not seem out of place.

Duke Dingguo always fell for this kind of trick, so his tone softened:

"Don't be sad. I will protect Rong'er. Even if I'm not around in the future... I know Han Zheng well. Although he may be tough on the outside, he will eventually take responsibility for his younger brother and sister-in-law."

Although he quarreled with his son, he always believed in the character of his eldest son in his heart.

Aunt Lan wiped her eyes gently and said, "Brother Rong...it's all my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have given birth to him."

"How can I blame you?" Han Qi sighed, "If I had brought you into the mansion earlier, you wouldn't have given birth to a child outside of your home, and now you've become a target of gossip."

In fact, the way Duke Dingguo treated her was no different from how other men kept women - he just wanted something new, kept her outside the mansion, and sent her away when he got tired of her.

If she hadn't gotten pregnant by chance and given birth to a son, how would she have had the chance to step into the gate of the Duke's Mansion?

Over the years, she has been cautious and law-abiding.

But from what I just heard about that conversation, this was the first time that the Duke said he wanted to abolish the Crown Prince's position.

A thought that had never occurred to me before grew wildly like weeds.

If Han Zheng was really abandoned...

Does her brother Rong have a chance to become the crown prince?

They are both descendants of Duke Dingguo, so why is her son destined to be inferior?

The saying that a son of a commoner cannot inherit a title is nothing but empty words.

She knew that several noble families in the capital would eventually register their illegitimate sons under the name of their legitimate mothers, and His Majesty would turn a blind eye and acquiesce in this.

Now it’s the Duke’s Mansion’s turn, how can it fail?

As long as the Duke insists, there is no reason for His Majesty to refuse, for the sake of the glory of his ancestors.

-

Suiyuan, study.

Qiao Zhenzhen put down her teacup, raised her eyes and asked, "Aunt Lu is here again? And there's an old maid beside her?"

Xia Xiang nodded. "Yes, she usually keeps to herself, but today she's with a maid. She's dressed like she's from a marquis's mansion, but the way she looks around doesn't seem like she's seen much of the world."

"Have someone keep an eye on us," Qiao Zhenzhen said softly, "don't alert the enemy."

Before he finished speaking, Han Zheng walked in from outside with a slightly gloomy expression.

Qiao Zhenzhen gave a wink, and Xia Xiang understood and stepped back.

She stood up and took off his outer robe, then asked softly, "Did you have another disagreement with your father?"

Han Zheng pulled the corner of his mouth: "I'm used to it."

Qiao Zhenzhen didn't try to persuade her much.

With Aunt Lan meddling in the relationship, the relationship between father and son will only become more strained.

As the saying goes, if you have a stepmother, you will have a stepfather. Although Aunt Lan is not a stepmother, she is worse than a stepmother.

Han Zheng stretched his shoulders and neck, sat down beside the couch, and pulled Qiao Zhenzhen to his side. His tone was now more relaxed: "From now on, Aunt Lan won't bother you anymore."

Qiao Zhenzhen chuckled: "When have you ever seen me afraid of her?"

She didn't even take Lin seriously. She thought she was a concubine of humble origin and could be killed with just a wave of her hand. She was just considering their father-son relationship.

"Father is sometimes confused, so don't bother with him." Han Zheng whispered.

Qiao Zhenzhen naturally understood that Aunt Lan dared to jump in front of her only because she relied on Duke Dingguo's support behind her.

She covered her mouth and smiled: "Father will be angry if he knows you said that."

Han Zheng seems to have recently turned from a taciturn person to a sharp-tongued one, and he quickly responded: "Seeing him unhappy makes me happy."

He had been holding these words in his heart for who knows how many years, and now he could finally say them out loud.

It was great to be married. He finally had someone he could talk to in confidence, a family that truly belonged to him.

Qiao Zhenzhen gently patted the back of his hand and joked, "Be careful, there are ears on the other side of the wall. If your father really hears this, be careful that he will depose you from your position as Crown Prince."

Han Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly. "He wanted to find someone who suited his taste, but unfortunately... he didn't work hard enough when he was young, and now he only has me as his legitimate son."

"Why, father really wants to change the prince?"

Qiao Zhenzhen's face darkened slightly.

"It's just angry words," Han Zheng chuckled, "He has no choice."

Qiao Zhenzhen raised her face and pecked him lightly on the lips. Her almond-shaped eyes curved like a crescent moon, and a cunning light flashed in her eyes:

"So what if you have a choice? You still have me. Even if you really lose your position as Crown Prince, you are still my Marquis. Let's just move to the Princess's Mansion. I'll have Dad go to the Emperor and ask for a high-ranking official position for you."

Han Zheng's Adam's apple moved slightly, and his voice dropped low and deep. He gently held the back of her neck with his palm, pulled her closer, and his breath brushed against her cheek:

"Okay, it's a deal."

Han Zheng is naturally not a man who is willing to rely on his wife's family.

What Qiao Zhenzhen said just now was just to tease him, trying to relieve the subtle depression between his brows.

Don't be fooled by his nonchalant appearance.

But in this world, which son is really willing to be at odds with his father?

Qiao Zhenzhen, who grew up in a divorced family, has a deep understanding of this.

But many things in this world cannot be achieved just by hard work.

Parental love, especially.

The longer you live, the more you have to learn to accept reality.

Some parents are not naturally that loving towards their children.