"Regarding this matter, she hadn't yet decided how to punish the two individuals. However, on the other side, her husband intervened. 'Since Miss Dong so admires Young Master Wang, why not fulfill their wish? It would add a touch of joy to this birthday banquet!'
Upon hearing this, Madam Dong rushed forward and, kneeling on the ground, tearfully pleaded, 'Your Highness, please reconsider. Young Master Wang already has a principal wife, and moreover...'
'Miss Dong's body has been defiled. I, with good intentions, offered to arrange a marriage for her, only to be treated like a meddling matchmaker. Very well, you two families shall handle this yourselves. There's no need to report back to me. Today is my birthday, and I do not wish to be disturbed by such trivial matters. You, the Dong and Wang families, may withdraw!'
Fan Zehao had no intention of listening to Madam Dong. Even though she hadn't finished speaking, he could already guess about eighty percent of what she was about to say!
Anyone who wished to become a concubine for his Consort would never be forgiven by him.
The incident of Miss Dong's illicit affair in the garden was his doing. This was a lesson for her. Since she was so shameless, why not be even more so? Ruining her reputation would suit her image even better!
Xiao Ce, who had just returned to the banquet, grinned at Fan Zehao, who was seated at the head of the table, a look of triumph in his eyes. Fan Zehao lowered his gaze, his mood finally improving somewhat!
The small interlude followed one after another, leaving the audience utterly bewildered. Fortunately, the banquet concluded relatively perfectly in the latter half of the night.
Guests departed in their carriages, with only a few who enjoyed the drama remaining.
As the saying goes, onlookers never tire of a spectacle. These remaining guests were all princes. As for Zong Han and Junjun, their reason for staying was entirely due to a special person residing in the guest room!
Zhao Jiaqi sighed, knowing tonight was destined to be a sleepless one!
In the guest room!
Ying Xiong sat on a chair, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, reminiscing about past events.
When everyone entered the room and saw him calm and quiet, not crying or making a fuss, Zhao Jiaqi breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon seeing his solitary figure and sorrowful expression, they couldn't help but feel pity for him.
'Brother Ying!' Fan Zehao's voice broke his drifting thoughts.
Ying Xiong slowly turned around. Upon seeing the arrivals, he searched through the crowd and found Ren Junying. His eyes lit up with an intense glow, and he spoke indifferently to everyone,
'This room is quite large. Everyone come in and sit. I have a story to tell you all, and it might be a bit long!'
Huangfu Xian, who always enjoyed gossip, found a good spot. He lifted his brocade robe and sat down. Although it was autumn and the warmth had already faded, he ostentatiously fanned himself with a fiery red fan and quipped, 'I just love listening to stories. The longer they are, the better they must be!'
Following closely behind, Huangfu Xu remained silent but sat beside Huangfu Xian. His beautiful eyes swept over Ying Xiong, the unspoken message being that he too was waiting to listen.
Zong Han knew that the man before them had spoken the name of Junjun's mother, which meant that the answer was about to surface. He supported Junjun, found a comfortable spot, and sat down as well.
Ying Xiong paid no attention to anyone else's presence. His eyes were fixed on Junjun. Seeing her seated, he began to tell a tragic story.
The story was indeed long, lasting an hour. When he revealed his wife's name, tears streamed down Junjun's face, like pearls breaking from a string.
Her biological father was the former richest man in Yun country. He hadn't abandoned her mother and left, but was imprisoned by his grandfather and grandmother. By the time he fought for the right to marry Ren Simeng, he discovered her family had already been ruined.
For all these years, he hadn't known that Simeng had given birth to a child for him!
'Junjun, it is your father who has failed your mother and you!'
Junjun, shedding tears silently, bit her lip and spoke with a choked voice, 'Mother gave birth to me out of wedlock and endured the disdain of my maternal uncle's family. Fortunately, my grandmother took pity on us mother and daughter, allowing us to have a place to stay. From childhood, I was called a bastard, a mongrel, everyone mocking my mother for her impropriety. Do you know what it feels like to be mocked like that?'
'Do you know how heartbroken Mother was when she heard these words? I once saw Mother at midnight, touching this amulet and weeping, crying out 'A Xiong!' over and over again!'
'Mother died due to the war. On her deathbed, she entrusted me to the wet nurse and passed this amulet to me, saying it was the betrothal token Father gave Mother. She never once believed Father had betrayed her, yet she died with regret!'
Upon hearing her account, everyone fell silent.
Even Zhao Jiaqi hadn't known that the young girl had experienced such difficult times in her past.
Fan Zehao's birthday was a rare occasion, and this year it was celebrated earlier than usual. The result? It turned into a family reunion!
He tugged at his wife's sleeve and whispered in her ear, 'Ying Xiong has been devoted to his deceased wife all these years and has never remarried. He has maintained his integrity. We all know he was deeply in love with Junjun's mother. However, Junjun's childhood experiences are not something a father can simply mend with his presence. I think it's best if we don't interfere in their father-daughter matters. She's grown up and is married. Let the child handle it herself!'
Zhao Jiaqi strongly agreed. They were outsiders and hadn't personally experienced such pain, so any advice would be inappropriate.
'Let's conclude for today. It's late, everyone should get some rest. We can discuss anything tomorrow!' Zhao Jiaqi finished speaking and then looked at Ying Xiong, continuing, 'Junjun is less than three months pregnant. Let's leave it at that for tonight!'
Ying Xiong, upon hearing that his biological daughter was pregnant, wiped away his tears and stood up. 'Alright, our unexpected meeting is quite awkward. I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. We can talk properly once Junjun's pregnancy is stable. I have the rest of my life to earn Junjun's forgiveness.'
This statement implied that he was determined to win Junjun's affection.
However, Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao had no intention of intervening. Whatever decision Junjun made, they, as a couple, would support it wholeheartedly.
The twists and turns of this day had been too great, and too many shocking events had occurred. Both of them slept poorly that night.
The next day, before dawn, Zhao Jiaqi heard that Ying Xiong had personally cooked breakfast for Junjun!
Upon hearing this news, she couldn't help but sigh with regret. Her sigh drew Fan Zehao's attention.
'What is it? You're sighing so early in the morning!'
Zhao Jiaqi said regretfully, 'I feel sorry for the father and daughter. If Ying Xiong had come to find his wife earlier, the outcome would have been entirely different.'
He glanced at his wife dismissively upon hearing her words, 'If you ask me, Ying Xiong couldn't let go of the Ying family's wealth back then. Otherwise, he would have left the family and gone to find Junjun's mother. He wouldn't have waited until their child was this old to see his father!'
Fan Zehao handed his wife a bowl of lean meat porridge and said, 'Ying Xiong went to find Junjun's mother only after his parents died. Tell me, if he hadn't been reluctant to give up his family property, would he have missed seeing Junjun's mother for the last time?'
He then gave Zhao Jiaqi a look of ambiguous meaning, leaving her to ponder."