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

"Madam, the young master has been brought back to the manor." Steward Zheng led the unconscious Wei Fengyun to the center of the courtyard of Moyou Hall.

Wei Fengyun knelt on the ground, reeking of alcohol, his body swaying and his consciousness blurred.

Jiang Huaiyu coldly ordered Steward Zheng: "Activate the family rules and punishments."

Steward Zheng was quite surprised to hear this. He never expected that the Lady of the Marquis, who had always doted on the young master, would bring up the severe punishment of the family rules.

Jiang Huaiyu then ordered Cuiying, who was standing nearby, "Quickly fetch a basin of ice water from the well."

Steward Zheng then bound Wei Fengyun to the tiger bench and handed Jiang Huaiyu a carefully selected willow whip.

This willow whip, used to enforce family discipline, was taken from a hundred-year-old willow tree. Its length, flexibility, and thickness were just right. It was soaked in a special medicinal solution for forty-nine days and nights to make.

The willow whip is tough and unyielding, never easily broken. Wielding it causes excruciating pain, leaving only a bright red mark on the skin, while the flesh beneath is already mangled and bloody.

As autumn deepened, a warbler deftly drew a bucket of icy water from the well. The night was as dark as ink, and the well water, reflected in the darkness, appeared even more chilling.

Jiang Huaiyu took the basin filled with well water, and with a wave of his arm, the cool water in the basin poured down like a waterfall, directly splashing onto the drunken Wei Fengyun.

Wei Fengyun was suddenly awakened by the icy water in his dream. He opened his mouth wide and gasped for breath, as if he had been robbed of his breath.

Ice water slid down his cheeks. Wei Fengyun squinted, trying to keep the water from getting into his eyes, attempting to make out the figure of the person who splashed the water.

In a fit of violent struggle, he discovered that he was bound like a dumpling. A surge of anger rose from the bottom of his heart, and he immediately cursed angrily, "Who! What kind of bastard dares to tie me up!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiyu flew into a rage and shouted, "I am your mother!"

Wei Fengyun's head was spinning, and he mumbled back, "I'm still your father!"

Jiang Huaiyu was so angry that she was practically fuming. She gripped the willow branch tightly, and with a flick of her arm, the branch rained down on every inch of Wei Fengyun's skin.

"Wow!"

The sudden pain caused Wei Fengyun to scream, a scream that completely jolted him out of his daze.

His eyes widened, and he realized that the person who hit him with the willow branch was indeed his own mother!

Thinking he was dreaming, Wei Fengyun rubbed his eyes again, but nothing had changed.

He came to his senses and called out with a slight tremor, "Mother."

Jiang Huaiyu's gaze was fixed on Wei Fengyun's disheveled appearance. "Are you awake now?"

Wei Fengyun nodded vigorously, his body swaying awkwardly a few times under the restraint of the ropes. "Mother, why are you doing this? Please untie me quickly."

However, Jiang Huaiyu made no move and said calmly, "Today is your father's funeral. Instead of keeping vigil in the mourning hall, where have you been gallivanting off to?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Fengyun stopped struggling, his face filled with undisguised resentment: "I have no father!"

Jiang Huaiyu frowned, then suddenly raised the whip in her hand and struck him twice hard.

"I'll teach you to talk nonsense!"

Wei Fengyun winced in pain, but stubbornly endured it. Suddenly, he raised his head, his eyes flashing with anger, and asked, "Mother, why are you doing this to me? Is it just because of that man who betrayed his wife and children?"

Jiang Huaiyu stared at Wei Fengyun's stubborn expression, as if her deceased husband had been reborn.

“Your father,” she said slowly, her tone full of reverence, “was the shield of the nation, the guardian of Western Wei, and the pride of our family.”

Ignoring the wounds all over his body, Wei Fengyun felt an endless surge of emotions rising in his throat as he angrily protested, "But he was not a good father. I would rather I had never had such a father."

Jiang Huaiyu understood that Wei Fengyun had lacked paternal love since childhood, and there was very little communication between father and son.

Wei Fengyun spared no effort in following Instructor Feng to practice martial arts, his only dream being to one day follow in his father's footsteps and join forces with him on the battlefield to kill enemies.

However, Wei Dinglian has passed away.

Before Wei Fengyun had a chance to go to the front lines, he fell forever in the flames of war.

What angered Wei Fengyun the most was that Wei Dinglian had taken a concubine on the frontier and brought back a fourteen-year-old illegitimate son!

This means that the fatherly love that Wei Fengyun lost over the years was monopolized by Wei Fengyao alone.

Wei Fengyun's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Jiang Huaiyu, his voice trembling: "Mother, I feel wronged for you!"

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Jiang Huaiyu threw down the willow branch in her hand, rushed forward, and tightly embraced Wei Fengyun, who was bound to the stool.

"Good child." Her voice was choked and low, and tears streamed down her cheeks like a spring.

Witnessing the profound emotional exchange between the mother and son, Butler Zheng couldn't help but quietly wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Jiang Huaiyu gently cupped Wei Fengyun's tender face, gazed into his tear-filled eyes, and forced out a gentle smile.

"Your mother has never blamed your father. Ever since I married him, I have been prepared to live a solitary life. Your mother hopes that you will not hold any resentment towards him. Your father was an extraordinary general who sacrificed his family for the greater good of the country. I hope you can be proud of him, okay?"

Looking at his mother's sorrowful face, Wei Fengyun felt an indescribable pang of sadness. After a long while, he nodded forcefully.

Jiang Huaiyu knew that Wei Fengyun would find it hard to accept the fact that Wei Dinglian had raised his concubine's child on the frontier for fourteen years.

However, she knew that in just four more years, the misunderstanding would disappear. As long as they could weather those four years of trials, everything would return to normal.

Jiang Huaiyu gently untied the ropes binding Wei Fengyun, and then signaled Steward Zheng to help him back to his room to rest.

Next, she carefully applied ointment to the wounds on Wei Fengyun's body caused by the whipping, her movements gentle as if she were handling a fragile treasure.

Jiang Huaiyu said softly, "This ointment is your father's precious keepsake. Every time it is used, its remaining amount decreases by one."

Wei Fengyun turned his face away, seemingly indifferent to all of this.

Jiang Huaiyu was not discouraged and continued, "Actually, your father's contributions to the family are far greater than you imagine. Steward Zheng, Instructor Feng, and those nine loyal guards were all carefully selected by your father to protect us."

Upon hearing this for the first time, Wei Fengyun asked in confusion, "Why does Father want them to protect us? Is there any danger in our Jiaxing Marquis's residence?"

Jiang Huaiyu explained with a serious expression, "Yun'er, you must know that the capital is a place of constant change and danger."

Wei Fengyun paused for a moment, then asked, "Could it be that the struggle for the throne among the nine princes will lead to chaos in the capital?"

Jiang Huaiyu gazed intently at her son, her brow furrowing at his sudden question: "Why do you think that?"