The legitimate daughter was reborn, and the emperor’s little Jiaojiao went crazy.

Seeing that her mother-in-law was having a hard time explaining herself, Cen Yuan spoke for her, "Are you afraid that I will rescue the two girls from their family and bring them to my house?"

Tang Chujun's thoughts were exposed, his face turned red, and he said stubbornly, "That's not the case."

Isn't she just worrying and imagining things? Xia'er is lying there and never wakes up. What if the son-in-law softens his heart and wants to accumulate blessings for Xia'er, so he takes the two girls from the Chen family who have committed crimes back to the young master's house to raise them? Wouldn't that be annoying?

Cen Yuan smiled faintly, "Mother, don't worry. I feel upset when I see them. No matter how long Xia'er lies in bed, I will stay with her." He paused, and then said, "And I have a feeling that Xia'er should wake up in the next few days."

Tang Chujun nodded in response, thinking that you had said "just these few days" earlier. However, she couldn't refute her son-in-law's words of encouragement, so she reminded him, "Wear something warmer when you go out, it's going to snow soon."

"I understand, mother." Cen Yuan responded, bowed and took her leave, changed into a thick brocade jacket, got on the carriage, and followed Ma Chuyi to the Dongyuwei's cell.

It turned out that the judgment on the Chen family had been handed down that day. The Chen family's property was confiscated, and Chen Jikang, Yao Fen, and Chen Mengjiao were beheaded for participating in treason.

As for the fourth girl, Chen Mengran, she was sentenced to exile in Mozhou because she did not participate much.

Their family was originally imprisoned in the same cell. After the official read out the sentence, Chen Jikang was the first to burst into tears, "Unjust! I am wronged! Official, I want to see the prince consort! Please tell the prince consort a message..."

Yao Fen's eyes also became distracted. "Yes, yes, yes, find Yuan'er! He won't ignore us! Find Yuan'er!"

Chen Mengjiao leaned against a corner, her expression dull, muttering to herself, "What about the promise that I should serve Brother Yuan? It was promised that Brother Yuan would become paralyzed, and I would take care of him for the rest of his life... well, for the rest of his life..."

Ma Chuyi, the chief of the Dongyu Guard, came to the young master's residence in person and reported Chen Jikang's words to Cen Yuan.

In prison, when Chen Jikang saw Cen Yuan, he burst into tears.

After a year, no, more than half a year, he fell from the clouds to the ground, landing on his head first.

He cried with tears and snot streaming down his face, "Yuan'er, I was wrong! Please save me, save our Chen family! Yuan'er..."

Chen Jikang regretted so much that his intestines were broken.

He was fine, why did he become a traitor overnight because of the Li family?

He started out as a merchant, why would he rebel?

He just wanted to cling to the powerful and aristocratic families and gain a foothold in the capital. He never thought of treason!

When Yao Fen, Chen Mengjiao, Chen Mengran and others saw Cen Yuan coming, they all put their heads on the prison bars and looked out.

For a moment, I was filled with mixed feelings.

For a moment, it seemed like a dream.

Cen Yuan looked at Chen Jikang with a cold expression, "Harboring a traitor, kidnapping the mother of an official appointed by the court, and threatening and bribing an official appointed by the court. Which of these do you think is unjust? Which of these is not a serious crime?"

Chen Jikang had figured this out a long time ago. "Did Lord Lu pretend to compromise that day? Yuan'er, why didn't you tell me at that time? If you told me, I would turn back in time. I really would turn back in time."

Cen Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. "You are seeking death, why should I tell you?" He approached Chen Jikang and said through the wooden fence in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I have people in your Chen family all the time. I know everything you do."

Chen Jikang's entire body seemed to be drained of strength in an instant, "So you just watch me die?"

Cen Yuan thought for a moment, "There was a moment when I wanted to treat you well. Let me think, when was it?" He was silent for a moment, and then he remembered, "When you first came to the capital, you listened to me very much. I remember that you did a good job in handling the letters sent by the Huang family."

Chen Jikang also remembered that day when Huang Wanqian's great-granddaughter Huang Si Ning asked her mother to send a letter to Chen's house, and he really sought to consult his adopted son on everything.

Cen Yuan continued, "Later, I got engaged to my little girl, and I needed you to come out and support us..."

Cen Yuan had people carry the betrothal gifts to Chen's house in advance, and asked Chen Jikang to help deliver them to the Marquis's mansion.

The betrothal gift from the Luo family, plus the betrothal gift from the Chen family, showed how much importance he attached to this marriage.

He just wanted to do his girl's best to look good, so that anyone who interferes with her marriage will have to think twice.

Later, when Cen Yuan asked Shi Anxia to count the betrothal gifts, she found that there were several extra boxes in the Chen family's betrothal gifts, which were added by the Chen family themselves.

Although the things were not much and he was not interested in them, they were a token of the Chen family's love after all. He gladly accepted them and also forgave Chen Jikang for keeping him as his "adopted son".

And he does need to carry on with this identity sometimes.

Cen Yuan thought that as long as Chen Jikang could keep his mind clear of other thoughts, he would be able to ensure that the Chen family lived a comfortable life in the capital.

Later, because he and Shi Anxia got engaged and everything went smoothly, he was too happy. His mind was dizzy, and he even thought about asking the Chen family to help with the wedding because they were close and convenient.

He went to Chen's house at that time, and those words were all on the tip of his tongue. Unexpectedly, Chen Mengjiao's appearance suddenly poured a basin of cold water on him, sobering him up.

Chen Jikang listened to Cen Yuan's plain narration, feeling filled with regret.

It turns out that the adopted son had planned to have him arrange his marriage that day!

If Chen Mengjiao had not appeared that day, he would have arranged the marriage of his adopted son, and the relationship would have been very different. How could he have fallen to the point of being involved with the Li family and embarking on a path of no return?

Cen Yuan shook her head, "Actually, that was just the beginning of your mistake..."

He reminded Chen Jikang to be a sensible person.

As a result, Chen Jikang turned around and sent his two daughters away, and when something went wrong, they blamed him for it.

Before he got married, Yao Fen went to disgust Shi Anxia and asked her to take the girl from the Chen family as her concubine.

This is what Cen Yuan cannot tolerate! It is also the root cause of the complete falling out with the Chen family.

Chen Jikang fell to the ground, remembering the past vividly. He remembered it, and after Cen Yuan's reminder, he really remembered it.

He had always felt that Cen Yuan was responsible for what happened to his two daughters, so he naturally thought it was reasonable to let his two daughters go as concubines.

As long as his daughter became a concubine, he would change from being a nominal "adoptive father" to a "father-in-law", and he could naturally take the money that Cen Yuan deposited in the Chen family for himself.

He is greedy! He has always been greedy!

Cen Yuan said calmly, "Also, my surname is Cen, which has nothing to do with your surname Chen."

Yao Fen suddenly went crazy and shook the cell door vigorously, "Yuan'er, you are so cruel! Don't you forget..."

Cen Yuan turned his head and looked at her as if she were a dead object, "I can't forget that bowl of sugar-water eggs that I didn't eat a single bite of!" He seemed to remember something very small and said lightly, "To thank you for that bowl of sugar-water eggs, I'd better tell you. The title of Baron Fuguo was given to Uncle Chen San, so don't worry, the title still belongs to the Chen family."

In an instant, the entire cell could hear a pin drop.

Yao Fen screamed, "No! No no no! No way! Impossible, impossible!"