The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 221 Changes in the Wang Family

"He must have gone out for a stroll again." Mrs. Wang couldn't help shaking her head when she mentioned her youngest son.

Like Wang Wei, Wang Rui is a gentle and steady person, but this child has one bad thing, which is that he has never liked staying at home since he was a child and likes to run outside.

When he went out, he didn't go out to cause trouble and play around like other young masters. He just focused on going to various scenic spots and historical sites in the capital to study the structure of those buildings.

Then I would go home and start copying and pondering, becoming so absorbed in it that I couldn't help myself. If I was even a little bit short of finishing it, I would have gone crazy.

Mrs. Wang never interfered with her youngest son's freedom of interests and hobbies. She was just afraid that the child would be like this all day long, keeping to himself and not interacting with others, and something really might go wrong in the end.

Wang Wei also shook her head and said, "Mother, after I leave the capital, you must keep a close eye on my brother and don't let him run around."

"Shangjing City has always been turbulent, there is no peace. Not to mention that Zhang Pengliang is backed by the Huai Palace, just based on his own personality, he is not a good person."

"We should be prepared for the worst, so it's better to be cautious."

"My second brother is a simple-minded person. It would be better for him to stay at home and not go anywhere for the time being."

Wang Wei's words were not so direct and clear, but Mrs. Wang got what he wanted to express.

"Mother, I understand. Starting tomorrow, I will keep him under control and not let him go out casually. If he doesn't obey, I will keep him here with me and watch over him personally."

Since the safety of her youngest son was at stake, Mrs. Wang dared not be careless in the slightest. Her Rui'er was kind-hearted and nothing bad could happen to him.

"Mom, brother." The mother and son were talking when Wang Rui came in.

Wang Rui had already heard what his mother and elder brother said outside just now.

Seeing Wang Rui coming in, Wang Wei said, "You heard what I said just now. My elder brother will leave for Quzhou in two days. You are not allowed to go anywhere at home. Stay here obediently."

"When Big Brother comes back from his errand, you can go wherever you want."

The two brothers of the Wang family are only three or four years apart in age, but Wang Wei has an extremely strong filter for his younger brother Wang Rui.

In Wang Wei's heart, his younger brother Wang Rui is a child who will never grow up and needs his protection.

Wang Rui looked up at his brother Wang Wei and said, "Brother, I want to go to Quzhou with you."

"Quzhou suffered a flood, and many buildings and people's homes were destroyed. They need post-disaster reconstruction, and I want to do my part."

Wang Wei and Mrs. Wang both looked up at Wang Rui at the same time, both surprised by what Wang Rui said.

It is really hard to imagine that this child who seems to have no ambitions since childhood would suddenly say such words.

"What's wrong? Don't you believe what I say?" Wang Rui felt very hurt when he saw the way his mother and elder brother looked at him.

From childhood to adulthood, he has been spoiled by Mrs. Wang and protected by Wang Wei, and has never experienced any experience.

As the second son in the family, he did not have the pressure of shouldering the family responsibilities, nor was he placed with high expectations like his elder brother Wang Wei. He had to be cautious and well-behaved since he was young, for fear of being found guilty by others.

Growing up in such an environment, Wang Rui was seen by outsiders as a useless little waste.

But the little waste also has his own ideals and ambitions, and is not willing to live his life in a muddle under the protection of his family.

He has been interested in architecture since he was a child, but as a child of aristocratic family, he was not allowed to study those things and would be ridiculed.

So, after finishing his daily homework, he could only take the opportunity to go out and play, wander around, copy and learn the structure of those ancient buildings, and then after coming back, he would concentrate on studying the relevant books.

After you have acquired some basic knowledge, you can find opportunities to consult and discuss with the masters.

Wang Rui’s biggest ideal was not to create something so great and amazing that people would be amazed by it. His ideal was to build houses for people all over the world that were strong and sturdy and could withstand all kinds of natural disasters.

This will prevent ordinary people from losing their lives due to collapsed houses when encountering natural disasters, and they will not be displaced and have no place to live due to collapsed houses.

Originally, Wang Rui thought that his dream would never come true in this lifetime and could only remain in his heart.

But now God gave him a great opportunity. The queen sent his brother Wang Wei to Quzhou, which was hit by the flood, to provide disaster relief.

In this way, if he could go with them, he would definitely have the opportunity to display his talents and do something for the people affected by the disaster in Quzhou.

He took action to prove his own strength to those who laughed at him that a small loser could also become a man who stood tall and proud.

"I'm not disbelieving you." Wang Wei was the first to react, and quickly found an excuse to protect his brother's self-esteem. "It's just that this matter is not up to you and me. If you want to follow me to Quzhou, it requires the Queen Mother's approval. It's not up to her to decide."

"Yes, yes, if the Queen doesn't agree to this matter, you won't be able to do anything even if you go to Quzhou."

Mrs. Wang also quickly followed suit and said that her heart was beating wildly with nervousness. She was already extremely worried about her eldest son going to Quzhou, and now her youngest son wanted to go with him. This was almost killing her.

It’s not that Mrs. Wang doted on her youngest son Wang Rui too much, but that Wang Rui had been a child with an unfortunate fate since he was even born.

When Lady Wang was pregnant with Wang Rui, something unexpected happened in the palace. Wang Yunzhi was falsely accused of participating in a factional struggle, and the Wang family was in dire straits.

Mrs. Wang, with a big belly, still had to run around and work hard to find evidence to clear Wang Yunzhi's charges.

In the end, Wang Yunzhi was safe and sound, but Mrs. Wang gave birth prematurely due to overwork.

When Wang Rui was born, he didn't even have the strength to cry, and the midwife said he couldn't survive.

But Mrs. Wang loved her son so much that she refused to give up. Regardless of her own frail body after giving birth, she held Wang Rui in her arms for three days and three nights, taking good care of him and bringing the child back from the brink of death.

From then on, Wang Rui became weak and sickly. If he ate the wrong food, had a minor cold or cough, or even a slight change in temperature during the change of seasons, he would get sick.

It was only in recent years, as Wang Rui grew older and with Mrs. Wang's careful care over the years, that his health gradually improved.

That's why Mrs. Wang doted on Wang Rui so much. She didn't ask him to become a successful person or do anything great, but only hoped that Wang Rui could live in peace and safety until he was old.

"Then, mother, can you please go to the palace and ask the Empress for this grace for your son?"

Wang Rui looked at Mrs. Wang with bright eyes. The expectation and pleading in his eyes made people unable to refuse.

"Rui'er, it's not that I don't want to go, but..." Mrs. Wang hesitated to speak. It didn't matter whether her son would become a successful person or not. What mattered most was her son's safety.

"Mother, I know you can do it. Please, go to the Empress and ask for help on my behalf, okay?"

When Wang Ruilian's own mother hesitated, he pulled Mrs. Wang's sleeve and shook her and started to act coquettishly. He looked like a child who had not grown up, and did not behave like an adult at all.

Wang Rui knew that as long as his mother was willing to go to the palace to ask the Queen for this grace, this matter would be a sure thing.

In the past, when Lady Wang came to the palace to ask to see the Empress, she not only had to hand in a visiting card, but also had to see if the Empress had the time and was willing to meet her.

But now it’s different. Mrs. Wang is invited to the palace every few days. Now it’s easy for her to go to the palace to see the Queen.

Although Wang Rui seems to care about nothing on weekdays, he still knows everything he needs to know about family matters.

The key now lies in my mother. As long as she is willing, everything will be easy.

Moreover, Wang Rui was also confident that Mrs. Wang would definitely agree to his request. After all, from childhood to adulthood, as long as he wanted something and acted coquettishly, there was nothing he couldn't do.

Mrs. Wang really had no resistance to Wang Ruide's coquettishness, and she looked at her eldest son Wang Wei for help.

Wang Wei remained silent for a long time, staring at her brother who was acting like a spoiled child to his mother. After a while, as if making up her mind, she said, "Mother, I'll trouble you to go to the palace tomorrow to see the Empress and explain this matter to her. Let's see what she means."

Madam Wang and Wang Rui looked up at Wang Wei at the same time, neither of them could believe that these words came out of his mouth.

Mrs. Wang didn't believe it because her eldest son had always been steady and measured in his actions. He would never act impulsively like her younger son. What he said just now was indeed a bit too unexpected.

Wang Rui didn't believe it because, although his elder brother doted on him endlessly, he would not let him do whatever he wanted.

Although he had his reasons for wanting to go to Quzhou, his eldest brother thought those reasons were nothing more than nonsense.

How could his elder brother agree before his mother agreed?

Either there is something wrong with his ears and he is hallucinating, or he just banged his head against the door and is now unconscious.

Wang Wei glared at Wang Rui in dissatisfaction. As his brother, he knew exactly what this kid was thinking.

"Why, you don't want me to go to the palace to ask the Queen for mercy? Fine then, I won't let you go."

"No, don't, don't, brother, I was wrong, really wrong." Wang Rui bowed to Wang Wei and started begging for mercy.

Wang Wei snorted arrogantly and completely ignored his funny brother.

"Mother, please have dinner. Your son is starving." Wang Wei stepped forward to support Mrs. Wang and shook his head gently at her.

Mrs. Wang understood and no longer felt conflicted. She stood up and said, "Okay, let's eat. Today we have dishes that you two like. Eat more later."

The mother and her two sons were sitting at the table, preparing to eat, when suddenly a servant came to report that Prime Minister Wang wanted to ask Wang Wei to come over.

The good mood of the mother and her two children was ruined in an instant. In this family, Wang Yunzhi was not only a taboo that Mrs. Wang was reluctant to mention, but also a person that Wang Wei and Wang Rui were reluctant to mention or face.

After all, what they have seen the most since they were young is how cruel their father is to their mother.

My mother takes care of household affairs at home all day long and also helps my father deal with some difficult and annoying things.

Because of this, my mother suffered a lot of grievances and humiliations, but my father never protected or felt sorry for her, as if everything her mother had was her due.

The father enjoyed the mother's care with peace of mind, but never thought about repaying the mother's efforts or even a little bit of love.

Therefore, Wang Yunzhi, who appears to be a humble and upright gentleman in public, has a very low status in the eyes of both his wife and son at home.

"Let him wait. Go over after you finish your meal." Mrs. Wang said with a sullen face and an unhappy tone.

"Mom, you and my second brother should eat first. I'll be back soon." Wang Wei smiled and comforted his mother softly.

When he stood up, he patted Wang Rui on the shoulder and said, "Eat more. If you are too thin and your physique is weak, you can't withstand the hardship of a long journey."

Wang Wei walked to the door of Wang Yunzhi's study, took a deep breath, and after some ideological struggle, he raised his hand, pushed open the door of the study and went in.

Seeing Wang Yunzhi sitting at the desk, Wang Wei walked over and called out, "Father."

"Well, you're here, please sit down." Wang Yunzhi nodded and motioned Wang Wei to sit next to him.

Wang Wei hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over and sitting down.

Wang Yunzhi looked at his son who was so reserved in front of him, and he suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness and sadness in his heart.

In his early years, his career was not smooth and he spent all his time on officialdom. In recent years, he has been the prime minister and has been busy with government affairs, and has neglected to discipline his two sons.

Now he has the time and energy to get closer to his two sons, but he finds that the relationship between them is as distant as that between strangers.

"Wei'er, I asked you to come here because you are going to Quzhou in two days."

"Father is a little worried, and has something to tell you."

"Quzhou is the hometown of the King of Huainan. The Zheng family is very powerful there. You must not be careless when you go there. Try not to clash with the Zheng family if you can."

"Just do your own job and don't worry about anything else."

"Father will take care of those things for you."

"Although you are going to Quzhou this time under the Emperor's order and are accompanied by guards for protection, there is no guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen along the way."

"That's why father asked Luan Ping to go with you. She is skilled in martial arts and can protect you if anything happens."

Luan Ping is Wang Yunzhi's personal bodyguard. In addition to being responsible for Wang Yunzhi's daily life, he is also responsible for protecting Wang Yunzhi's safety.