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

At this moment, Jiang Huaiyu felt as if a hard stone was stuck in his throat, impossible to swallow.

She had remained calm about everything she had said before, but Wei Fenghui's kneeling caused her emotions to burst forth like a flood. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Jiang Huaiyu trembled, her voice choked with sobs, and her emotions finally broke down, bursting into tears. Years of pent-up grievances were finally released at this moment.

Recalling the day she married the Marquis of Jiaxing twenty years ago, two of her maids gave birth to her eldest son, making her the laughingstock of the whole city. That humiliation is still vivid in her mind.

After that, the Marquis went to the border and did not return for fourteen years, shouldering the burden of the entire Marquis's mansion and raising his children to adulthood all by himself.

Later, the Marquis heroically sacrificed his life at the border, dying for his country. His body was sent back to the Marquis's residence, accompanied by a woman and her fourteen-year-old child.

She had thought that the woman had accompanied the Marquis at the border for sixteen years, but she could not blame him, for he was a great hero who defended the country and sacrificed himself for the people. What did it matter if he had a concubine and a child?

If she refused them entry, she would be branded as jealous. But who could truly understand the pain and grievances she had endured over the years?

She had lived her life in a daze, venting her dissatisfaction with the Marquis of Jiaxing on Wei Ruoyi and her son, and on Qi Ziming and her son, as if only in this way could she regain her dignity as the mistress of the Marquis's mansion.

But reflecting on herself, how could she harbor resentment towards the Marquis of Jiaxing? He was a loyal minister who defended the country and protected the princes. Even when he was stigmatized and humiliated, he still upheld his duties. He was a brave general who maintained peace and tranquility and had a strong sense of righteousness.

She was nothing more than a woman shrouded in the melancholy of her secluded chambers, her heart filled with sorrow that no one could understand.

In the eyes of the world, she was a sharp-tongued and ruthless person, and no one was willing to touch her gentleness.

However, it was through Wei Fenghui's kneeling that someone finally saw through the hard work behind her, understood the bitterness she had hidden, and felt the humiliation she had endured.

When Wei Fenghui saw Jiang Huaiyu's tears flowing like a spring, a flood of guilt surged through him, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

After a long while, Jiang Huaiyu slowly took out a handkerchief, gently wiped away her tears, and said softly, "Mother has never blamed you in the slightest, so why should we talk about forgiveness?" Her words were full of affection, and then she reached out to help Wei Fenghui up.

"Mother, are you really not blaming me?" Wei Fenghui's voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Huaiyu nodded gently, her eyes full of love. "From beginning to end, I have never blamed you. On the contrary, I feel guilty towards you."

Wei Fenghui gently shook his head, his eyes glistening with grateful tears. "No, Mother, it is I who have failed you."

A relieved smile appeared on Jiang Huaiyu's face. Her years of hard work had finally paid off. "Mother has never blamed you. As long as my children and grandchildren are healthy and safe, and our Jiaxing Marquis's Mansion can prosper, I am content to have done right by your father."

Wei Fenghui was deeply moved by Jiang Huaiyu's great and selfless maternal love and sincerely promised: "Mother, I will never mention the matter of dividing the family again. I will stay by your side forever and protect this family."

Touched by Wei Fenghui's sincerity, Jiang Huaiyu said with a smile, "Okay, as long as your mother is alive, you can rely on her."

Wei Fenghui and Jiang Huaiyu embraced tightly, and he made a silent vow: I must support my mother and the Marquis's mansion.

……

In the days that followed, Jiang Huaiyu busied herself with preparations for Wei Fenghui's grand banquet, inviting a large number of guests, including her younger brother's family from as far away as Jiangnan. The banquet was scheduled for ten days from now.

In the past few days, Wei Fengyun ended his month-long vacation and returned to his post at the Fujian Division. Since the last incident, no one in the Fujian Division dared to easily provoke Wei Fengyun, and with the protection of Xie Yukun, a centurion, he was even more at ease.

On that ordinary day, Wei Fengyun performed his duties at the Sword Subduing Division as usual. Xie Yukun took special care of him, assigning him extremely easy tasks, requiring only sitting quietly in the duty room to pass the time.

Rewind to a month ago, when the Fujian Division welcomed a new member—Mai Yuxi, the heir of the Taihou Mansion.

On this day, Wei Fengyun, who had just returned from his vacation, happened to run into Xie Yukun, who was not at his post. Upon seeing this, Mai Yuxi secretly harbored cunning thoughts.

"Hey, are you new here? I've never seen you before."

Mai Yuxi's voice was arrogant and undisguisedly provocative. Wei Fengyun raised his head and stood up to face this unfamiliar commander. He bowed respectfully and said, "Commander, I am not new here. I was on leave for a month before, so we haven't met before."

Mai Yuxi was naturally well aware of Wei Fengyun's past—his cousin had died because of him, yet, if Mai Yufeng hadn't died tragically, how could he have risen to the position of commander? He felt a complex mix of emotions towards Wei Fengyun, a mixture of gratitude and resentment.

However, the feud between Liang Qianhu, the elder brother of the Lady of Jing'an Marquis, and the Jiaxing Marquis's mansion was even more deeply rooted. After all, the disability of Liao Yuteng, the second son of the Marquis of Jing'an, was precisely the work of the Lady of Jiaxing Marquis. Thinking of this, Mai Yuxi couldn't help but sigh, the Jiaxing Marquis's mansion seemed to be at odds with the world, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

"Kid, you're back from your vacation, are you just planning to sit around doing nothing and live off your savings?"

Wei Fengyun nodded, looking completely bewildered, and explained, "It was Commander Xie who instructed me to wait here."

Mai Yuxi's lips curled into a cold smile. "Commander Xie? Do you know which lord I serve? Commander Liang, his rank is above mine. Tell me, between a commander and a centurion, who has more power?"

After a moment's thought, Wei Fengyun decisively replied, "The position of a commander of a thousand households is high and powerful."

Mai Yuxi continued to ask, as if teasing a pet, "So, between a captain and a lieutenant, which rank is higher?"

This time, Wei Fengyun did not hesitate and insisted: "The rank of the General Flag Officer is higher."

Mai Yuxi's lips curled into a satisfied smile, and he let out a cheerful laugh. "Haha, your wisdom is truly astonishing. Then let me ask you again, shouldn't a captain obey the orders of a lieutenant commander?"

Wei Fengyun nodded slightly and replied, "That's true."

"In that case, if I were to order you to clean the latrines, would you comply?"

Wei Fengyun seemed hesitant. His lips twitched slightly, and he hesitated for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Mai Yuxi pondered to himself that this young man wasn't entirely clueless, but rather rather somewhat ignorant. "Shouldn't a captain be obeying a lieutenant? Why is he ignoring my orders?"

Wei Fengyun hesitated before answering, "However, Commander Xie ordered me to stay here, so whose orders should I obey?"

"Fool! Commander Xie isn't here right now. Since he's not here, you should obey my orders."

Wei Fengyun nodded again, indicating his agreement.