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

Jiang Huaiyu looked at Wei Fenghui with gentle eyes and comforted him gently, "There is no need to worry. Whether you succeed in the imperial examination or not, you are a descendant of the Jiaxing Marquis's family. You are entitled to enjoy the family's glory and wealth. Even if you fail the examination, you will never have to worry about lacking food or clothing."

Upon hearing this, Wei Fenghui felt a sense of surprise.

Over the years, in order to break free from the constraints of the Marquis's mansion, to make a name for himself in the world, and to relieve his mother's burdens, he studied diligently day and night, dreaming of one day passing the imperial examinations with flying colors, entering officialdom, and leading his mother away from the outwardly glamorous but inwardly corrupt Marquis's mansion.

However, Jiang Huaiyu's words struck him like a heavy hammer.

Wei Fenghui couldn't help but wonder to himself if this was just her way of portraying herself as kind and generous in front of so many guests, and how could she possibly entrust a portion of the family's wealth to him?

The banquet soon came to an end, and the guests left one by one, each going their own way.

Exhausted from a long day, Jiang Huaiyu returned to her courtyard and settled down to rest.

When Wei Fenghui returned to the dilapidated courtyard where he used to live, he was shocked to find that all his and his mother's belongings had disappeared.

How could something that was clearly there when I left home in the morning disappear after only one day of vigil?

He hurriedly searched for Wei Ruoyi, but could not find her anywhere.

Just then, a young maidservant gracefully entered the courtyard and softly called out, "Young Master, Consort Wei has sent me here to escort you to the Purple Sandalwood Garden."

Wei Fenghui looked puzzled and muttered to himself, "Aunt Wei? Zitan Garden?" His mind was full of questions. When had his mother been made an aunt? And Zitan Garden was one of the most prestigious courtyards in the Jiaxing Marquis's mansion.

Could it be that Mother went to the Zitan Garden to admire the flowers?

Seeing Wei Fenghui's stunned and puzzled expression, the maidservant smiled and explained, "That's right. This morning, Madam promoted Concubine Wei's rank and granted her the Zitan Garden to live in. Young Master, you have also obtained your own new residence, the Wuyang Garden in the front courtyard."

"Wuyang Garden?" Wei Fenghui repeated the name, feeling both surprised and full of anticipation.

The name Wuyangyuan sounds noble and peaceful, seemingly foreshadowing a new turning point and chapter in his life.

Could it be that Jiang Huaiyu has truly changed her personality after the Marquis's death? Or perhaps I misunderstood her in the past?

This unexpected surprise suddenly flooded Wei Fenghui's mind, making him feel dizzy.

"Young master, please come with me. Madam has been waiting for you for a long time."

Wei Fenghui followed closely behind the maid and arrived at Zitan Garden. What came into view was his mother, Wei Ruoyi, dressed in a magnificent silk robe, her pearl-encrusted hair ornaments gleaming, with two maids attending to her attentively on either side.

This scene was exactly what Wei Fenghui had always dreamed of—to pass the imperial examination with flying colors, to be successful in his official career, and to create a prosperous life for his mother with his own hands.

Unexpectedly, all of this turned into reality without us even realizing it.

Wei Ruoyi and the others waited at the door of the study, then waved to Wei Fenghui, beckoning him over.

Wei Fenghui glanced at Wei Ruoyi with a puzzled look, hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped towards the study door.

He caught a glimpse of the expectation in Wei Ruoyi's eyes and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

When Wei Ruoyi saw Wei Fenghui approaching, she smiled slightly and pointed to a set of exquisite writing implements in the study, saying, "Fenghui, do you know the origin of this set of writing implements? This was specially prepared for you by Madam."

Wei Fenghui's gaze fell on the precious set of the Four Treasures of the Study: pine soot ink, Duan inkstone, and Chengxintang paper, each one of which was extremely valuable!

A hint of surprise flashed in Wei Fenghui's eyes, then he looked away and asked Wei Ruoyi with a puzzled expression, "Mother, why would Madam suddenly send me such a generous gift? Could it be that she wants to win me over?"

Wei Ruoyi frowned and looked at Wei Fenghui with displeasure: "What are you saying? How can you take Madam's appreciation and high regard for you so lightly!"

Wei Fenghui lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "I am indeed a little puzzled. Madam has never shown favoritism towards the three of us brothers, so why does she value me so much?"

Wei Ruoyi sighed, gently patted Wei Fenghui's shoulder, and said slowly, "Fenghui, you are still young and don't understand many things. Madam's actions are an acknowledgment of your knowledge and character. Among the three brothers, she believes you are the most outstanding."

Wei Fenghui raised his head, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "But I always feel that Madam's move is a bit too sudden and hard to accept."

Wei Ruoyi's expression turned serious, and her tone became more serious: "Feng Hui, you should be grateful for Madam's kindness, not doubt and suspicion. Let me tell you something you may not know. Back then, I seduced the Marquis, but Madam did not drive me away because of it. On the contrary, she treated me like family. Her care for you is also from the bottom of her heart."

Wei Fenghui stared wide-eyed at Wei Ruoyi in disbelief: "Are you serious?"

Wei Ruoyi nodded, a hint of emotion flashing in her eyes: "Yes, Madam is a kind person. She has been very good to my son and me. I am grateful for her kindness, which is why I am giving you this set of writing materials. I hope you understand my feelings."

Wei Fenghui remained silent for a moment, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He raised his head, looked at Wei Ruoyi, and a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes: "Mother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have doubted Madam's good intentions. I will cherish this set of writing materials and I will be grateful for Madam's care."

Wei Ruoyi smiled and patted Wei Fenghui on the shoulder: "Good boy, it is a great virtue to admit your mistakes and correct them. From now on, you must study even harder and live up to Madam's expectations."

The study was filled with the scholarly aroma of the Jiaxing Marquis's residence.

Wei Fenghui stood in front of the bookshelf, his fingers gently gliding over the spines of each book, his heart filled with emotion.

He never imagined that the problem would stem from his own mother.

He always thought that Jiang Huaiyu deliberately mistreated him and his mother, and that his mother had raised him under immense pressure and through many hardships.

Jiang Huaiyu is the real culprit who deserves to be torn to pieces.

However, his mother now claims that she was the one who was at fault first, which has left Wei Fenghui deeply confused.

He looked at Wei Ruoyi, who was sobbing softly beside him, and couldn't help but hug her tightly. "Mother, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have had such prejudice against Madam."

Wei Ruoyi raised her head, and faced with her son's sincere apology, her emotions immediately eased. She earnestly advised him, "Hui'er, Madam cares for us so much, you must not harbor any resentment towards her in the future!"

Although it was her mother's momentary lapse of judgment that led to this terrible mistake, the suffering she endured over the years was real and vivid in her memory. Wei Fenghui knew it was impossible for him to pretend to be indifferent and unconcerned about Jiang Huaiyu.

However, to put his mother at ease, Wei Fenghui had no choice but to bite the bullet and say "Okay!"

In this psychological tug-of-war between compromise and grudge, Wei Fenghui's heart was in turmoil. He understood that this mental trial would be an indispensable lesson on his path to growth.