Splendid Twins

The Duke's wife was stunned when she heard this, but then she reacted and patted Zhou Wan's hand, signaling her to stay calm.

She summoned her personal maid Fuling and ordered:

"Go and give all my belongings to the Queen."

A hint of joy flashed in Zhou Wan's eyes, and she knew that her mother still loved her.

"Just deal with the emergency first. After a while, I will subsidize your two shops privately."

"Thank you, mother. I'll go back first."

"Go ahead, and be careful on the road."

The Duke's wife watched her leave and sighed inwardly. Ever since she knew that the bitch from the third room had replaced her child, she wanted to kill that vicious woman to vent her hatred. Her good daughter was raised to have such a temper...

Turning back to the inner room, the old lady was still unconscious, and everyone was waiting in silence. The wife of the Duke stood aside with her eyes lowered. She was resentful in her heart. It would have been fine if she hadn't found out before, but now she knew it was Wei's doing. Her mother-in-law actually asked her to consider the future of the Duke's Mansion and forced her to swallow this anger!

The Duke of Zhenguo said in a deep voice with a livid face:

"How is it?"

The court doctor replied in a low voice:

"You need to rest after the needle is removed. The old lady's anger caused the qi and blood to flow backwards. You need to be more careful in the future to prevent a sudden heart attack."

The Duke of Zhenguo glanced at the old lady with a gloomy face, and a trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. Then he looked at the Duke's wife not far away and said:

"What did you say?"

The Duke's wife panicked when she heard this and said hurriedly:

"I didn't say anything radical. The Crown Princess and Ying can testify to that."

The Crown Princess paused after hearing this, and then said in a light tone:

"That's what mother said."

Zhou Ying understood that it was not easy for the Crown Prince's Consort to go against her mother-in-law, so she did not have so many concerns. Fortunately, she was smart and noticed the intentions of Zhou Wan and her treacherous cousin. Thinking of tainting or soiling the reputation of her daughter's family, would she marry into that country family due to secular family rules?

It’s just wishful thinking!

She would never be fooled into thinking that she could attract the young lady waiting to be married by reciting a few sour poems and painting a few pictures of beautiful flowers.

Si Yao had his legs broken by her, which was considered a lesson for him. As for Zhou Wan, there is no need to rush, there is still a long way to go!

"Where's Sister Wan? You wouldn't forget your filial piety just because you became a concubine, would you?"

The Duke's wife glared at Zhou Ying sharply. What's wrong with this girl?

The Duke of Zhenguo swept the inner room with his sharp eyes, and indeed did not see Zhou Wan. His eyes were gloomy, and he spoke in a terrifying tone:

"Come here, take my token and go to the palace to invite the imperial physician. I am announcing to the world today that my daughter is unfilial and has refused to change despite repeated admonitions. From today on, the father-daughter relationship is severed, and her honor and disgrace will no longer have anything to do with my mansion. I will keep my word and will never regret it."

As soon as these words came out, before anyone else could speak, the Duke's wife was the first to collapse, her face filled with shock and anger:

"What are you talking about? Wanwan is accompanying His Highness and can't take care of this place, why are you doing this?"

The Duke of Zhenguo looked at his wife coldly, with a dark light flashing in his eyes. Such a woman's kindness would only ruin the entire Duke's Mansion!

After some probing, he found out, as expected, that the note was written by Prince Li. If the Duke's Mansion refused to yield, Prince Li would be desperate and frame the Duke's Mansion for collaborating with the enemy!

"Wanwan has suffered so much, and now... you are tearing my heart out..."

"Just because Wanwan had a quarrel with Ying, you want to kick your daughter out?"

"My poor daughter..."

The Duke's wife knew that the man beside her was a man of his word. Wanwan was not happy now that she had married into the palace. When she thought about her daughter having no support from her parents in the future, tears welled up in her eyes...

"Father, please think twice."

The Crown Prince's Consort spoke softly. She looked down on Zhou Wan, but she couldn't remain indifferent in front of her mother-in-law.

Zhou Ying was secretly happy, but pretended to be worried:

"Uncle, it was Aying who said the wrong thing, please don't punish my sister..."

The Duke of Zhenguo's eyes were as sharp as torches, and he remained unmoved, with an awe-inspiring aura.

The maids and nannies around all bowed their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"How can you be so cruel... She is our daughter... She is now a concubine, and without the support of her family, how can she serve His Royal Highness Prince Li in the future..."

It would have been better if the Duke's wife hadn't said this, but this statement directly made the Duke of Zhenguo angry:

"You are tired, go back and rest first, your mother is being watched by the Crown Prince's Consort."

The Duke of Zhenguo ordered his wife, whose makeup had faded from crying, to be taken away. Once he spoke, no one dared to disobey.

"How dare you! Let me go..."

"Duke, you can't treat Wanwan like this..."

.........

The room was silent for a moment. The Duke of Zhenguo looked at Zhou Ying expressionlessly. His deep eyes seemed to be able to see into people's hearts.

His gaze was cold and sharp, piercing Zhou Ying's heart. Zhou Ying felt her whole body tremble, as if she was frightened by the majesty in that gaze, and she almost knelt down.

An indescribable panic surged in her heart, and it felt like she was enveloped by an invisible pressure, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Zhou Ying lowered her head slightly, not daring to look directly into the eyes of the Duke of Zhenguo. She silently waited for the lecture, feeling uneasy in her heart, not knowing what kind of punishment she would face next.

The Duke of Zhenguo looked at Zhou Ying's lowered head, was silent for a while, and then a cold voice sounded:

"You two take good care of the old lady."

"Yes, father/uncle."

After the Duke of Zhenguo finished speaking, he turned and left. The Crown Princess and Zhou Ying relaxed a little, and they helped the old lady drink her medicine, and no one brought up the topic again.

The news that the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion had severed its relationship with Prince Li's concubine spread quickly, and people were talking about it. The dignitaries in the capital were the first to find out the exact source of the news.

In the magnificent imperial study, the emperor was sitting on the dragon throne, flipping through a mountain of memorials in his hands.

At this moment, a eunuch hurried into the imperial study, walked up to the emperor with a solemn expression, and reported in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, news has come from the Duke's Mansion that the Duke of Zhenguo has severed his relationship with his daughter and Prince Li's concubine."

The emperor paused what he was doing when he heard this, and a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed in his eyes.

He put down the memorial, looked up at the eunuch, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he was smiling, but also as if he was thinking.

"Oh? Is this happening?"

Although the emperor's tone was calm, the meaning behind it was hard to understand.

The eunuch bowed his head and reported respectfully: "It is absolutely true, Your Majesty, the Duke's Mansion has announced it to the world, and the matter has spread throughout the capital."

The emperor nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He knew very well that the feud between the Duke of Zhenguo and Prince Li had been going on for a long time. Now that the Duke of Zhenguo had taken the initiative to sever ties, it was undoubtedly a declaration of war against Prince Li and a gesture of goodwill to him, the emperor.

The emperor was thinking about how to use this opportunity to further control the power in the court, but his face remained calm and he just ordered lightly:

"I already know about this matter, please leave."

The eunuch responded respectfully and quietly left the imperial study.

The emperor was left sitting alone on the dragon throne with a meaningful smile on his face.