"Father, did Mother not tell you? The Empress Dowager saw everything she did back then. It's a pity that her daughter couldn't acknowledge her own parents. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager appreciated her and told her the truth when I was six years old. Father, I am your daughter!"
She coughed lightly twice, her face looking somewhat sickly: "Who does that Wei Pingxi think he is? He's tarnished Miss Wei's reputation for no reason..."
"Father, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have fallen into the cold lake of the Grand Tutor's mansion. Father, I want to be your daughter again..."
Wei Hanqing's arm trembled slightly, spilling wine. He forced his trembling hand down, his mind heavy with worry, not daring to reveal a trace of it.
He had actually suspected it for a long time...
He suspected that Pingxi was not his daughter.
With such looks and temperament, to put it bluntly, he couldn't possibly have given birth to such a child.
During her pregnancy, A-Qing stayed with the Empress in the Gan Ning Palace. The two gave birth to children one after the other, leaving plenty of room for maneuver.
She bore him three sons. The eldest son was born without ever drinking a drop of her milk, and the second and youngest sons were the same.
She didn't love his son, but loved this daughter the only one.
Back then, my father pointed out that there was a problem, implying that his daughter-in-law was having an affair and getting pregnant with another man's child, trying to confuse his Wei family bloodline.
He stopped him, forbidding him from conducting a thorough investigation.
Ah Qing treated her daughter exceptionally well, as if her daughter was her lifeblood and her only hope in life.
Son and daughter, both born of the same mother, received vastly different treatment.
Anything that is abnormal is considered a sign of trouble.
Moreover, Her Highness is the only daughter of the Emperor and Empress. If she were not his and A-Qing's biological daughter, why would he risk so much to acknowledge her as his daughter?
Isn't it good to be a daughter of the imperial family?
What could a mere marquis's mansion possibly have that she would even notice?
He had to admit that years of doubt, speculation, and dissatisfaction had led him to believe every word the princess said the moment she called him "father."
The lady is incredibly audacious; when she's insane, she'd actually dare to steal royal bloodlines. She has the ability, and she also has the advantage of being in a waterside pavilion.
Wei Pingxi is not my daughter; Princess Jiaorong is.
Thoughts surged like a tide, and the princess's adoring gaze flashed before his eyes—yes, this was his daughter, the obedient and virtuous daughter he had imagined.
Marquis Yiyang was plunged into immense shock and rage.
He's a man too.
The woman he loved most exchanged his own flesh and blood for the blood of the man she loved, and cherished him for eighteen years. This was undoubtedly a humiliation for him.
She had humiliated him many times. He could overlook the past, but if this matter came to light, it would be a fatal blow to the Wei family.
Most importantly, the Empress Dowager knew everything Ah Qing had done.
Wei Hanqing felt a sense of panic: What did the Empress Dowager want the Wei family to do?
At the end of the banquet, the emperor and his ministers all wore smiles. Some ministers drank too much and became somewhat unruly, but the emperor did not pursue the matter and sent palace servants to escort them home.
The Emperor's grace is boundless; the new year has begun well.
"Aunt and Uncle, Pingxi is going back now."
His Highness the Crown Prince poked his head out: "Cousin, you should come often, so you can keep Mother company."
He was young and kind-hearted, and handsome. Wei Pingxi had a good impression of him.
After learning some of the truth, she felt even closer to him. She smiled, readily agreed, and took Yuzhi's hand, following her mother step by step out of the palace.
The stars twinkled, and the palace path stretched endlessly.
Madam Wei asked, "Where did you go during the banquet? Did you go off to fool around again?"
Wei Pingxi chuckled twice: "I drank too much, Xiao Gong is here."
The fourth young lady was talking nonsense with a straight face. Yu Zhi secretly looked at her and her face turned red.
Seeing Yu Zhi blush, Madam Wei thought to herself, "Sure enough, he was seduced by a woman and went off to have an affair."
She was very satisfied with this daughter after taking care of her for eighteen years. It's better for her to be fickle; she'd rather get tired of her and abandon her than let her become stuck with one person.
Once she falls in love, the person closest to her in this world is no longer her mother.
She glanced at Yuzhi, concealing her dissatisfaction, her face kind.
Upon arriving at Fengyuntai, they boarded the carriage to return to the manor. Yuzhi helped the fourth young lady into the carriage.
As soon as he entered the carriage, Wei Pingxi's smile vanished, replaced by a look that seemed to be both crying and not crying. His palms were open, and his fingers were covered in cold sweat.
"Xi Xi?"
"You heard everything?"
"I heard you."
Such a secret almost terrified her. She barely managed to keep up the act by playing along with this person, and by this point she was also quite exhausted.
She sat down next to Wei Pingxi and took out a handkerchief to wipe her knuckles.
Her usually warm hands were sweaty and cold. She looked up uneasily, but Wei Pingxi was completely unaware.
Her mind was in a mess.
The relaxed and carefree demeanor she displayed at the banquet vanished; her body went limp, her usually spirited eyebrows drooped, and she appeared quite fragile.
Even if we deduced part of the original appearance from clues before, it was just an unconfirmed guess.
Since it's just a guess, it shouldn't be taken seriously.
But in the end, it turned out to be true.
Fate plays tricks on people.
The thought that she had the chance to have a happy and fulfilling family made Wei Pingxi feel a pang of bittersweetness well up in her heart.
Why?
Why did they have to switch children?
Why would you want to alter her life?
She was indignant, resentful, unwilling to bear it, and didn't want to understand!
Yu Zhi's heart ached terribly: "Xi Xi..."
"Why me..." Wei Pingxi hesitated for a second before hugging her back, his voice low, suppressing an unspeakable sorrow: "Why does it always have to be her..."
If the speculations that had arisen around the Grand Tutor's mansion had made her hesitant and fearful, then today's reunion of father and daughter, separated by only a wall—the truth suddenly crashed into her ears, and she was like a defenseless person pushed onto a turbulent battlefield.
There is no way to avoid it, no way to escape it.
The question "Why?" lingered on his lips, light and airy.
Yu Zhi felt a lump in her throat: "Xi Xi, if you're too sad, just cry. There's nothing shameful about crying."
Wei Pingxi slowly stepped out of her arms, his back gradually straightening.
She sat there silently without crying or making a fuss. Yu Zhi thought for a moment and then held her hand tightly so as not to let her feel too lonely.
If she were in this situation, she would be extremely flustered. It seems that the Fourth Miss is indeed different from ordinary people.
The carriage drove into the Marquis's residence and into the Jingzhe Courtyard. When Wei Pingxi got out of the carriage, she didn't seem very sad, but her expression was a little pale. Madam Wei assumed that she had been arguing with Yu Zhi for the short time she hadn't seen her.
She didn't take it to heart.
My daughter's moods are unpredictable, sometimes good and sometimes bad. After seeing it so often, I've gotten used to it.
"Mother, I'm going back to my room now."
Madam Wei smiled and stroked her face: "Go then."
Yu Zhi bowed to her and took her leave, then entered the house one after the other with the Fourth Miss.
Upon entering the room, Wei Pingxi collapsed onto the bed without even taking off his clothes, closing his eyes and ignoring everything else.
She was an awkward and short-tempered person, but she had genuine respect for Madam Wei. Yu Zhi recalled the scene when the Fourth Miss introduced her mother to her before she entered the mansion. At that time, Madam Wei's eyes were shining, and her smile was a heartfelt one.
It's only been a short time...
The light was already flickering and dimming.
It must be that resentment has arisen.
How could I not resent it?
Given the Wei family's circumstances, who would want to be born into such a family with weak family ties?
Without comparison, it would have been better. But with comparison, we have witnessed the emperor and empress's dedication to cultivating the crown prince and their pampering and tolerance of the princess. It is said that the imperial family is the most ruthless, but the emperor is deeply affectionate towards the empress and treats his children well.
Compared to the royal family, the scheming and despicable Wei family is nothing short of a quagmire.
Born separated from loved ones, and living eighteen years in a daze, even the most magnanimous person would harbor resentment.
Yuzhi took off her boots and socks, wrung out a towel, and wiped her face.
The fourth young lady is usually very particular; she can't sleep next to anyone who hasn't bathed. But tonight, she came back from outside and was lying on the bed covered in snow and frost.
Yu Zhi couldn't tell if she was really sleeping or just pretending.
This person is very cunning; even when heartbroken, they can hide their true feelings from everyone without revealing a single flaw.
Let alone pretending to be asleep.
Yu Zhi took off her outer clothes, wiped her hands and feet, and then went to the bathhouse to take a bath.
After she left, Wei Pingxi lay quietly in bed, opened his eyes, and a storm was raging in them.
It's so cold.
She turned over, her slender body curled up.
Yu Zhi came out of the bathroom, dried her hair, lifted a corner of the quilt, and lay down next to her.
Her body was warm, and her skin was as smooth as the finest silk. In her sleep, Wei Pingxi followed the source of warmth. Yu Zhi held her head and placed her on her favorite soft, fragrant spot.
The nights in the capital during the first month of the lunar calendar still retained the festive atmosphere of the day, but no red lanterns, which the couple had tacitly agreed upon, were hung at the entrance of Liulan Courtyard.
Marquis Yiyang stood outside the door for a long time before finally making up his mind to step inside.
Li Le, a trusted maidservant of Madam Wei, calmly stepped in front of the Marquis, saying, "My lord, Madam does not wish to—"