Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Huaiyu gently helped Qi Zimo up.

Then, her gaze turned to Wei Fengyao, her eyes filled with tenderness, her voice gentle and concerned: "You are the Marquis's bloodline, and from now on, you will be the third young master of the Marquis's mansion. Before, you lived on the frontier, enduring wind and rain, and you must have experienced countless hardships. From now on, I will treat you as my own son and raise you with all my heart."

Wei Fengyao was taken aback by Jiang Huaiyu's inexplicable approval, but felt incredibly warm by the care she showed him.

He noticed the suggestive look Qi Ziming gave him, and immediately bowed respectfully to Jiang Huaiyu.

"My child greets his mother."

In his previous life, Wei Fengyao had never addressed Jiang Huaiyu in this way, and the two rarely interacted.

At this moment, upon hearing the Seventh Prince address her as Mother, Jiang Huaiyu felt an indescribable sense of unease.

She said, slightly embarrassed, "Oh...good boy."

Wei Fengyao regarded Jiang Huaiyu's reaction as a momentary emotional fluctuation, little did he know that she had already seen through his true identity as a prince.

Jiang Huaiyu gently stroked Wei Fengyao's hand, trying to suppress the turmoil in her heart, and said gently, "You can eat first, and I will send a maid to lead you to the new house later."

Both Wei Fengyao and Qi Ziming had eyes full of gratitude. Despite being betrayed by her husband, she still showed resilience, kindness and generosity.

She truly is an admirable matriarch of a noble family!

……

Meanwhile, in the deserted courtyard where Wei Ruoyi and her son lived.

Wei Fenghui's face was filled with anger, and his tone was fierce: "Mother, please don't eat it! Jiang Huaiyu must think that after Father's death, no one can restrain her, so she put arsenic in the food in an attempt to kill us!"

Wei Ruoyi sighed softly, her tone very calm: "Feng Hui, you're overthinking it. Madam isn't as ruthless as you imagine."

As soon as she finished speaking, she picked up a piece of tender water bamboo shoot and was about to elegantly put it into her mouth.

Upon seeing this, Wei Fenghui hurriedly swung his arm, knocking the water chestnut to the ground, and exclaimed, "Mother, you're playing with your life!"

Wei Ruoyi glanced at him calmly, then slowly put down her chopsticks. "Feng Hui, I really can't understand why you harbor such deep prejudice against Madam?"

Wei Fenghui gazed at his simple yet stubborn mother, his heart filled with worry. "Mother, when will you come to your senses? From the moment I was born, Jiang Huaiyu has been cutting back on our daily expenses. When Father was alive, we could manage, but since he went to the frontier, she has taken over our monthly allowance. If it weren't for your hard work, earning every penny, how could I have persevered in pursuing my studies?"

Having said all he could say, Wei Fenghui could no longer contain his emotions; his voice trembled as he covered his face and sobbed.

Wei Ruoyi understands her son's suffering, but she is equally aware of Jiang Huaiyu's helplessness.

"Fenghui, the Marquis's mansion is no ordinary place; it's a symbol of power and wealth in the capital. Countless people secretly covet it. When the Marquis's wife first entered the household, she didn't throw my son and me out, which already showed immense kindness. Over the years, the Marquis has been guarding the frontier, and all his salary and rewards have gone to military pay. The Marquis's mansion has hundreds of members, and the wife alone has to support them. She not only has to maintain the livelihood of such a large family but also deal with numerous formalities. All these expenses rely on the wife's dowry. Perhaps no one else could have done it."

The lady has already shown us the utmost kindness by not driving us out of the house and leaving us homeless. We should be grateful.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade his mother, Wei Fenghui was puzzled, and tears welled up in his eyes. He suddenly picked up the bowl on the table and devoured the food in a whirlwind, as if trying to swallow all his grievances and helplessness.

Seeing her beloved son's pitiful appearance, Wei Ruoyi's heart was filled with tenderness. She comforted him gently, saying, "My child, I know that you did this out of filial piety. However, life is not always smooth sailing. We cannot complain about the unfairness of fate. Only by being tenacious and adapting when we cannot change our surroundings can we remain invincible."

Upon hearing this, Wei Fenghui paused in his chopsticks and said with a sob in his voice, "I know, I will listen to my mother."

As Jiang Huaiyu stepped into Moyou Hall, the image of the纨绔嫡子 (playboy eldest son) Wei Fengyun suddenly appeared in her mind.

That's strange, she still hasn't seen him.

"Cuiying, where exactly did Fenghui go? Why hasn't he come home yet?" She turned to look at Cuiying and asked.

“Young Master…” Cuiying hesitated, her words stammering, clearly concealing something.

Jiang Huaiyu had already sensed something unusual from Cuiying's hesitant expression.

Looking back to this moment in her previous life, she had indeed not paid any attention to Wei Fengyun's whereabouts.

However, the day after the funeral, Wei Fengyun brought back a woman of the night, claiming that he wanted to take her as his concubine.

This scene unfolded before the many civil and military officials who came to mourn. Jiang Huaiyu could not show his anger on the spot, so he suppressed his displeasure and was forced to agree.

The crowd whispered among themselves, discussing Wei Fengyun's romantic affairs. Unexpectedly, from that day on, Wei Fengyun brought home a beautifully dressed woman every few days, to the point that the Marquis's backyard could hardly accommodate these vulgar women.

Whenever Jiang Huaiyu recalls this shameful incident, she grits her teeth, burning with rage, wishing she could drag him over and beat him up right away.

"Cuiying, quickly invite Steward Zheng over here."

Not long after, a slender man in his thirties with a resolute face and steady steps strode into the lobby.

"Greetings, Madam." He bowed respectfully.

Steward Zheng is a man of great social skills and ability to get along with everyone. In addition, he is also a man of superb martial arts skills. He is a rare talent in the Jiaxing Marquis’s mansion and Jiang Huaiyu’s right-hand man!

In addition, there are nine loyal guards and a senior instructor named Feng Xu in the mansion.

These people were all the Marquis's trusted confidants for many years, and they bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the Marquis's mansion.

Under the strict guidance of his master Feng Xu, Wei Fengyun's martial arts skills have improved considerably, which is the most gratifying thing for Jiang Huaiyu regarding his useless son!

Jiang Huaiyu looked at Steward Zheng and ordered with a stern face, "Steward Zheng, go to the brothel immediately and bring the young master back to the Marquis's mansion. No matter what means you use, even if you have to put him in a sack and knock him unconscious, bring him back to me!"

"Yes, sir." Steward Zheng acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Jiang Huaiyu turned to Cuiying and ordered her to quickly prepare three elegant courtyards. Among them, the Zitan Garden in the backyard was left to Wei Ruoyi, while there were two in the front yard: Wuyang Garden belonged to Wei Fenghui, and Zhiwei Garden belonged to Wei Fengyao.

As for Wei Fengyun, his residence was named Qingjun Garden.

Before long, Steward Zheng brought the battered and bruised Wei Fengyun back to the mansion.

Wei Fengyun's face was covered in bruises, making him look quite miserable.

Seeing her son's miserable state, Jiang Huaiyu felt a pang of sorrow. However, despite her deep heartache, she tried to convince herself that she could never continue to spoil and indulge Wei Fengyun in this lifetime.

As the saying goes: A doting mother often spoils her son!