To divorce his wife, the top scholar preferred being cuckolded to wearing a red hat.

Since entering the manor, Liu Yiyi has never dared to face Su Guanzheng directly.

Especially after Nguyen learned about this, she felt even more uneasy.

It wasn't that she didn't want Zheng'er to acknowledge her, she just didn't want to put him in a difficult position.

On one side is her biological mother, and on the other is her adoptive mother.

No matter what choice he makes, she will feel terrible.

Therefore, as long as Madam Ruan doesn't make things difficult for her, she can live in the mansion like she's invisible, and she'll be content if she sees him occasionally.

Starting in the afternoon, Zheng'er not only became close to her, but also brought her bird's nest soup in the evening.

She accepted the bird's nest, tears streaming down her face.

“Young master, you don’t need to do this. As long as you don’t despise me and don’t send me away, just let me watch over you from afar in the manor. You should go back quickly. If Madam finds out, she will be unhappy. It wasn’t easy for her to raise you; you can’t break her heart.” Aunt Liu said, pushing Su Guanzheng away.

“Aunt, you don’t need to worry. It was Mother who sent me. She said that blood relatives are the most precious relationship in the world and cannot be abandoned casually. She said that for my sake, she will not make things difficult for you, nor will she stop me from being close to you.”

"Please, for my sake, don't fight between you. Believe me, as long as I study hard and satisfy Father, I will be able to support both of you." Su Guanzheng said confidently.

He was the only legitimate son in the Su family, so he was naturally the heir.

As long as he becomes the head of the Su family, he will raise both his adoptive mother and his biological mother.

Hearing his words, Aunt Liu understood perfectly well that this silly boy wanted to prove to his father that he was qualified to be the heir. Later, when he became the head of the Su family, he would be raised by both mothers.

The starting point is good.

But can the human heart truly be satisfied?

"Alright. I believe the young master can do it." Aunt Liu looked at her youngest son and couldn't help but think of her eldest son.

As long as they are alright, she's fine with anything.

"Drink it while it's hot, it won't taste good when it's cold."

"Have you had any? You study hard, so you should have some."

"I just drank a bowl. This bowl was prepared by my mother; she told me to bring it to you."

When Que Ling heard that it was brought by Madam Ruan, she was about to take the bird's nest away when Aunt Liu took it from her: "This is the first time the young master has brought me bird's nest, so of course I have to drink it."

“Madam.” Que Ling frowned.

"It's delicious." Aunt Liu finished the whole bowl in one go. "Please thank Madam for me. Thank her for making me who I am, and also thank her for raising you all these years."

“She is a very good mother.” Su Guanzheng watched as Aunt Liu finished eating and was pleased. “Then Aunt, please rest early. I will go back now.”

"Sparrow Spirit, see the young master off."

When Que Ling returned, she saw the madam sitting to one side with a pale face and was shocked: "Madam, are you feeling unwell? I'll go and call the eldest young lady over."

"Don't make a fuss," Aunt Liu told her not to go. "It's nothing, I'm just happy."

“You shouldn’t have drunk that. How could Madam be so kind as to have the young master deliver things? She probably wants to use him to get rid of you. Tell me, if the bird’s nest was really poisoned, how heartbroken the young master would be if he found out.”

“Ruan wouldn’t be so stupid as to poison me at this time. Even if she were to poison me, she would only dare to use a slow-acting method, not a direct one.” Aunt Liu smiled and said, “Even if there really is poison in it, this is the first time Zheng’er has thought of caring about me and bringing me something to eat. I can’t let him down.”

I wasn't by his side when he was young, and I feel so guilty towards him. How could I dare to ask for anything more?

"If the young master knew your difficulties, he would surely understand you."

“As long as he’s alright, I don’t care what happens to him. You just saw it yourself, he doesn’t reject me, and he even said he’d study hard to pass the imperial examinations so he can support me and Ruan Shi together. What a good child. Even knowing the truth, he didn’t blame me or his father. Instead, he’s thinking about taking over the Su family as soon as possible.”

Hearing Aunt Liu's words, Que Ling smiled and said, "The young master is indeed quite good, and Madam Ruan has raised him well. But Madam, even if the young master wants to be close to you, you can't disregard your own life. You are not only the young master's mother, but also the eldest young master's mother. As for the eldest young master, you still need to arrange things for him. Nothing can go wrong."

"I understand."

"You don't look too good. How about I call the young lady over to take a look at you?"

"No need, I believe that Madam Ruan wouldn't be so stupid as to get rid of me in one go." Aunt Liu waved her hand.

"I'll bring you the Jiebai Dan. Your safety is tied to the young master's, and I don't trust that Ruan Shi."

"Go and get it."

……

The poison that Madam Ruan gave to Aunt Liu was not a potent poison, but a slow-acting one. Taking it once or twice wouldn't cause any problems, but if it was taken repeatedly, something bad would naturally happen.

She wasn't foolish enough to let Su Guanzheng get rid of Aunt Liu in one go.

There should always be opportunities for Zheng'er to get close to her.

"Mother, Zhennu is back." Su Ziyu led Zhennu in from outside.

“Zhennu, have you found out where they sent my child?”

“Madam, this old servant has found out. Concubine Liu has lived on Huazhi Road for less than five years; she appeared suddenly five years ago.”

"Impossible. How could she have suddenly appeared five years ago? Zheng'er is sixteen this year. She gave birth with me and has been with Master for at least sixteen years."

"Perhaps they didn't live on Huazhi Road before, but somewhere else."

"Where did she live before?"

Zhennu heard a rumor and didn't know whether she should say it or not, so she whispered to Ruan Shi, "I heard that this Aunt Liu comes from an extremely noble family, unlike a girl from an ordinary family. Some people have seen her using things from the palace and guess that she may have served in the palace before."

"Who told you these things? Did she really say them to you?"

“She was a friend of mine before. She had delivered things to Aunt Liu a few times and we had dealings with each other. This time I needed her help, so I came to her for help, and she told me this. She used to serve in the palace, and she can recognize things from the palace at a glance. What she says is most likely true.”

"From the palace?" Madam Ruan frowned. "None of the princesses in the palace have such a person. She couldn't possibly be a close aunt of some noble lady, could she?" Madam Ruan couldn't think of anyone for a moment.

Su Ziyu went through the names of the people she knew in the palace, and her brows furrowed as she thought of Consort Mei, who had died of a cold five years ago.

It can't be her.

My father wouldn't be so bold as to hide the imperial concubines outside the palace. If the emperor finds out, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family.

If Aunt Liu suddenly appeared on Xuezhi Road five years ago, this would match up.