My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

When the soldiers who were raiding the house arrived at the Duke of Wei's mansion, Madam Wang was wiping away tears in the Songhe Hall, while Old Madam Wei was sitting on the chaise longue, holding her forehead.

When Wang heard the news that Wei Mingzhao had miscarried, she almost fainted, but fortunately the old woman beside her caught her in time.

"Madam, you must take good care of yourself, otherwise the Crown Princess will be even more heartbroken if she finds out."

"I want to go to the palace, I want to see Zhao'er."

That was her precious daughter, whom she had pampered and raised, and the hope of the Wei family she was carrying. How could anything happen to her?

Wang Shi wouldn't listen to anyone else's words at all. She had lost her usual composure and pushed them away, trying to walk out while muttering that she wanted to go to the palace to see Zhao'er.

"Madam, you cannot enter the palace without a summons."

This was like a bucket of cold water, instantly waking her up.

Her daughter didn't marry an ordinary person; if she suffered any injustice, she could go to his home to demand an explanation. She married the Crown Prince, and entering the palace was like entering a deep, dark sea. The Crown Prince was the ruler, and she was his subject; even being the Crown Prince's mother-in-law was of no use.

She knew best what kind of shady schemes and plots were going on in the inner quarters of the house; otherwise, how would she have dealt with all of her husband's mistresses?

When my daughter was pregnant at home, the doctor said everything was fine, and with the careful care of the palace maids and nannies, how could anything go wrong?

Someone must have harmed her.

Just as Wang was at a loss and looking distressed, her dowry mother whispered a reminder to her.

"Madam has forgotten that a few days ago, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict summoning that little wretch to the palace."

Only then did Wang suddenly remember that Wei Nanxun had been ordered to enter the palace to accompany the emperor, and that she had received the decree in front of the Wei residence. Before she entered the palace, Wei Mingzhao was perfectly fine, so how could she have lost her child as soon as she entered the palace?

"It's her, it must be her. She's taking revenge on Zhao'er. That vicious little bitch, I'm going to kill her."

"Madam, don't worry. She might still be in the palace right now. We don't know what's going on there. Besides, things are very tense in the city lately. Didn't Master tell us not to leave the manor?"

"They're catching escaped thieves, what does that have to do with us? No, I have to go find my mother. I can't let that little hussy get away with it."

Wang Shi, disregarding her dizziness, led a long line of servants and rushed to Songhe Hall.

Regardless of whether the old lady was still chanting scriptures, he barged in with a stern face.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel?"

As soon as the old lady came out of the small Buddhist hall, she heard a commotion inside. When she saw Wang Shi, she remembered the embarrassing incident a few days ago and felt ashamed. Lately, she felt annoyed whenever she saw her.

These are turbulent times again; does she think things aren't chaotic enough already?

Although Wang was afraid of her mother-in-law, her daughter was her lifeblood, and her eyes welled up with tears when she thought of her daughter's plight.

"Mother, you must stand up for Zhao'er!"

The old lady recited scriptures every morning, and she learned of the news later than Wang Shi. After hearing her story, her expression changed.

The glory of the Wei family was earned by the old master in earlier years. The title of Duke was not inherited by the next generation. Although the eldest son was capable, he was too upright and was not considered outstanding in the court.

His grandsons are all good-for-nothings; they're all just playboys who only know how to enjoy themselves.

That's why she values ​​the status of the Crown Princess so much.

After the second daughter separated from the family with Wei Nanxun, her hopes were entirely placed on Wei Mingzhao. As long as she gave birth to the eldest grandson of the emperor, the future empress and crown prince would both belong to the Wei family.

It can protect the family's honor for generations.

Wei Mingzhao was already out of favor, and now that she has lost her child, it's like adding insult to injury. What will happen if the Crown Prince deposes her?

"It must be that little bitch Wei Nanxun. Our Zhao'er miscarried as soon as she entered the palace. I heard she was pushed off the building. Who else could it be but Wei Nanxun?"

The old lady thought more deeply. Wei Mingzhao was the Crown Princess, and she must have many people around her. How could Wei Nanxun possibly harm her as she pleased?

The Crown Prince has always favored Wei Nanxun; could it be that the Crown Prince was involved in this?

Before she could speak, Madam Wang continued relentlessly, "The second branch of the family is all cunning. They deliberately entered the palace after the family division to harm Zhao'er. Even if Wei Nanxun gains favor, it has nothing to do with our Duke's Mansion anymore. Mother, you are too soft-hearted."

The old lady Wei was so annoyed by her noise that she almost had a headache. She patted the armrest and said, "You better shut up. Look at yourself. You don't look like the mistress of the Duke's mansion at all."

"The Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince are in charge within the palace. Are you suggesting that questioning them is wrong?"

He gritted his teeth and said, "Mother, I want to go to the palace to see Zhao'er. She needs me most right now."

“If you want to go, then go by yourself. What use is it for you to come looking for an old woman like me?”

"Please ask Mother to send a letter to the palace."

She herself didn't have enough influence, so she wanted the old lady to send an invitation. Whether it was the Empress Dowager or the Crown Prince, they would have to consider the old lady's feelings.

"What use are you if you just cause trouble? Things are tense lately. The boss has already instructed that no one is allowed to run around. We'll talk about it when the boss comes back from court."

Wang was instantly deflated by the shout; in the past, she certainly wouldn't have dared to talk back to her mother-in-law.

But today, for the sake of her daughter, she still refused to leave, and stood in the hall wiping away tears in front of the servants: "Please have pity on me, Mother."

"Hurry up and invite the lady away."

"Mother, your daughter-in-law won't leave."

She really refused to leave, staying by the old lady's side no matter what she did, showing no sign of being determined to stay there.

Madam Wei didn't tolerate her and was determined to let her eldest son teach his wife a lesson when he returned.

But before Wei Rongxuan could return, officials arrived to search the premises.

"Madam, Madam, something has happened! A lot of soldiers have surrounded our mansion."

When the gatekeeper came to report, Old Madam Wei thought she had misheard. She stood up but fell back down. It took two or three people to help her up.

Leaning on her cane, she led all the servants of the household to the gate of the mansion. "Which government do you belong to? Do you even know where you are? How dare you cause such a disturbance at the Duke's mansion? Have you gone too far?"

The leader was an unfamiliar official. He had a stern, expressionless face, but upon hearing this, he gave a mocking smile.

"So this is your Duke's mansion! Men, raid it!"

"What right do you have to ransack my house? Stop right there!"

"Did you see that? His Majesty's imperial edict and the Dali Temple's approval document: the evidence of the Crown Prince's treason is conclusive, and he has been captured by the Regent. Do you think you are still the wife of the Duke's mansion? You are nothing but a group of rebels, what is there to say? All the men have been captured, and all other valuables have been confiscated and turned over to the national treasury."

Madam Wei and Madam Wang were struck dumb: "How could the Crown Prince possibly plot a rebellion? This is impossible... impossible."

But the officials wouldn't listen to reason. In this world, it's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. Now that the wall is falling, everyone is pushing it down, wishing they could all kick them while they're down.

"Where is the master? Where is our master?!"

Old Madam Wei, being of advanced age, could not withstand the blow and fainted. Wang Shi was still asking about Wei Rongxuan's whereabouts, unwilling to give up.

An official who had previously dealt with Wei Rongxuan whispered a reminder to her: "The Duke has been imprisoned in the Dali Temple, but his life is not in danger. Please take care of yourself, Madam."

Wang Shi looked at the officials carrying things all over the courtyard and the servants crying in a panic, then her vision went black and she fainted.

Once they accept reality, the question they will face is: what to do next?

The emperor was merciful and spared their lives, but the Wei family had four branches plus an old lady, totaling fifteen female relatives.

The servants in the mansion no longer cared about any indentures; they scattered like monkeys when the tree fell, leaving only a group of women behind.

The Dali Temple gave them three days to move out, and they could only take some personal clothes with them. All their valuables had been confiscated. Looking at the empty mansion, they wondered how they would survive.

Just then, a timid voice said, "We can still go find our second uncle."

The speaker was Wei Siyuan, the youngest daughter of Wei Rongmao, the fourth son of the family. She had an older sister who was already married. The fourth son's family had no male heirs, only her and her mother, Madam Wen.

She just turned eleven this year. Because she looks very ordinary like her mother and is a daughter, even though she is the youngest granddaughter, the mother and daughter are not valued in the family.

His father was serving as an official in Suzhou, and after two more years he would be able to go to the capital to report on his work. Who would have thought that at this critical juncture he would be implicated and thrown into prison.

The mother and daughter from the third wife complained after the incident, saying that they should have agreed when the Crown Prince came to annul the engagement.

The eldest son's family absolutely refused, and then came Wei Mingzhao, who was so shameless that she got pregnant before marriage and insisted on marrying the crown prince.

Now look what's happened, his whole family has been dragged down with him.

Hearing this, the old lady became even angrier and almost died of anger.

Wang was utterly useless. Already heartbroken, her husband was imprisoned, and she was no longer the Duchess of the State. All she could do was cry when mocked like this, crying endlessly until she fell ill.

The fourth daughter and her mother were quiet and didn't complain. They worked diligently to take care of the old lady.

Wei Siyuan thought of her second uncle because she was one of the few people in the family who wouldn't look down on the second branch of the family.

However, she couldn't fit into her older cousin's circle, didn't like to talk much, and didn't interact much with her sisters.

However, she still had a good impression of her second uncle and her seventh sister. When the second branch of the family divided the property, she secretly gave Wei Nanxun a purse containing her savings.

When she mentioned her second uncle, everyone's eyes lit up.

Especially Li, the third wife, was the daughter of the Minister of Rites. Her family suffered as a result of the purge, and she blamed her resentment on the eldest son's family.

At first, he was delighted, but then he thought about it again and said, "We just chased them away. If we go to beg them now, they definitely won't listen to us. Some people are just too ruthless. If it were me, I wouldn't bother to help either."

These words were a sarcastic jab at Wang Shi, but Wang Shi didn't even have the strength to argue with her.

It was Wen, the fourth wife, who gently persuaded them: "We are family after all. Now that we are in trouble, Second Brother will definitely help us. We are able-bodied and can earn some money by making handkerchiefs. Mother is getting old, so it would be enough if we could take her to live with us and take care of her."

Although Li was angry with Wang, she was still a filial person at heart.

Everyone was afraid that something might happen to the old lady, otherwise the family would really fall apart.

"Then who will go find Second Brother and the others?"

"The one who tied the knot must untie it. I think it's still necessary for my sister-in-law to make a trip and properly resolve the previous misunderstanding with my second brother."

Wang refused to go. Deep down, she still felt that Wei Nanxun had harmed Wei Mingzhao. Moreover, she had arrogantly driven them away back then, and now she had to humble herself and beg them, having to watch other people's faces. She really didn't want to.

If she doesn't go, everyone will not only lack a place to stay, but they might also lack food to fill their stomachs.

Old Madam Wei, leaning against the wall, sat up and said, "Let this old woman go! I'll risk my reputation to make him forgive me."

When Wei Rongde opened the door, he saw Madam Wen supporting the unconscious Old Madam Wei, with Wei Siyuan standing beside her.

All three were dressed in the most ordinary cloth clothes. The old lady woke up overnight with gray hair and a thin face, and had long lost the noble air and composure she had as the head of the Duke's mansion.

When she came to ask for a favor, Ms. Wen made sure to wear her best clothes and tidy herself up a bit before she arrived.

Even though the other person was only wearing the most ordinary silks from the Duke's mansion, they were now extremely wealthy, while she looked far too shabby.

Wen was born into an official family; she had never done anything so humiliating and disgraceful.

Her eyes stung, but thinking of her husband in prison and her other daughter who was starving, she had to give in to life.

"Second Master."

She choked up as soon as she uttered those two words, not to mention the old lady who was in a coma.

Wei Rongde was not one to kick someone when they were down. Seeing his fourth brother's wife and niece in such a sorry state, having been the matriarch of the family her whole life, now looking like an ordinary old village woman, he felt a pang of sadness.

"There's no need to say anything more, Fourth Sister-in-law, Yuan'er. Let Mother go inside and rest for a while. I'll go and call the doctor."

Seeing how easy he was to talk to, Ms. Wen was filled with mixed feelings.

Her family was not in the capital, but it was a famous clan, and her elders served as officials in the court. However, the Wen family had always adhered to the principle of not participating in court disputes. They chose to marry their daughter to the Duke of Wei because they valued the Duke's family for its integrity and incorruptibility.

Who would have thought that the Crown Prince's rebellion would implicate the entire Wei family?

Fortunately, this purge did not affect the Wen family.

After the incident, Ms. Wen contacted her uncles and brothers, but they all refused to let her in, fearing that she would implicate the Wen family.

Everyone was minding their own business and dared not offend the emperor, so they kept their distance from him.

Unexpectedly, the second master, who had been kicked out of the mansion by his mother, did not ridicule them upon meeting them. Instead, she felt a strong sense of unease and self-blame.

"Second Master, now in the whole capital, only you dare to open the door for us. I... I really don't know what to say."

"Thank you, Second Uncle."

When Wei Siyuan was still growing, she went hungry for several days and her face became thin and sallow, making her look extremely pitiful.

She was also grateful, and when her second uncle was willing to let them into the house, she sincerely expressed her gratitude and even wanted to kneel down and kowtow.

Wei Rongde watched with envy and sighed softly, "Are you starving? Let your cousin take you to get something to eat first."

Wei Nanxun and her brother followed behind. They didn't dislike their younger sister. Seeing that she wasn't the ungrateful person like Wang Shi, they felt sorry for her. Wei Heyu took the initiative to go forward and hold her hand.

"Eighth sister, come with me."

"Thank you, Ninth Brother, thank you, Seventh Sister."

After the children had gone far away, Wei Rongde continued, "No matter what, my mother raised me, and I should repay that kindness."

Only after settling Madam Wei in the side room could he free up his hands to ask them about their current situation.

Madam Wen explained clearly, “My master, along with my eldest and third brothers and all the nephews in the family, have been arrested and will be exiled in a couple of days along with other families in the capital. Our three families, including my mother, total fifteen people. We are still living in the mansion, but all our belongings have been taken away. The officials told us that we must leave by tomorrow at the latest. All the house deeds and land deeds we have have been confiscated. We don’t know where we can go.”

Wei Rongde was heartbroken to hear this, especially when he learned that his eldest brother, third brother, fourth brother, and nephews were all going to be exiled. He wanted to visit them in prison.

She was starting to lose control of her emotions, but thankfully Wei Nanxun was listening nearby.

She knew her father was soft-hearted and would definitely help, but how to help was a big question.

They separated from the family and didn't receive much property. They could manage to support such a large family, but how could they support fifteen people?

If everyone were as grateful as Fourth Aunt and Eighth Sister, that would be fine, but as for Eldest Aunt's family and Grandmother, she didn't care about their lives at all.

It's obvious that once they take on this, they'll be entangled with them for life.

Seeing this, he immediately spoke up: "Fourth Aunt, my mother left me a dowry, which includes a house that can accommodate all of you, but..."