Chapter 178: The Young General and the Handsome Emperor (31)

Lord Wei nodded in agreement.

His gaze shifted to Madam Wei, who was sitting to the side.

Madam Wei’s eyes had been fixed on A-Si the entire time, holding her hand and offering gentle instructions.

"Congliu, when you go to the Crown Prince’s Estate, take Xiaorui with you as well. She is also your child, so you must not play favorites."

Madam Wei nodded.

With a slight curve of her lips, she replied, "Since my lord wishes for Xiaorui to go, this concubine will naturally take her. However, to accuse me of favoritism is a grave injustice. When the Crown Prince’s Consort hosts a banquet, the invitations are naturally meant for the legitimate daughters of noble families."

Having said this, Madam Wei pulled A-Si to her feet, curtsied slightly to Lord Wei, and prepared to leave.

"Father, Mother is—"

Wei Xiaorui tugged at Lord Wei’s sleeve, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears.

"Congliu! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! In this household, we have never made any distinction between legitimate and concubine-born children! If you look down on Xiaorui because of this, I will divorce you tomorrow!"

Lord Wei slammed his hand down on the table, stood up, and glared angrily at Madam Wei.

Even in his anger, he did not forget to gently soothe the sobbing concubine Yue by his side.

Madam Wei’s body trembled slightly, and a flash of utter despair crossed her eyes.

It vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

A-Si bit her lip and squeezed her mother’s hand tighter.

"Is there something wrong with what Mother said? Wei Xiaorui was born to a concubine, and the Crown Prince’s Consort did not invite her. Mother is being magnanimous by allowing her to tag along; if it were me, and I had such an ill-mannered concubine-born sister in the house, I would have long since—"

A-Si had originally wanted to say she would beat her to death, but feeling that was perhaps a bit too harsh,

she widened her eyes, clenched her fist, and swung it backward through the air.

A wave of chilling, stern aura emanated from her.

Lord Wei was, after all, a civil official; how could he possibly withstand the battlefield-hardened killing intent that A-Si had carried with her for years?

"You—you unfilial wretch!"

Lord Wei cursed loudly.

"That's enough, my lord." Madam Wei frowned and turned around. The eyes that had once looked upon Lord Wei with lingering affection and reluctance were now entirely hollow. "If the lord wishes to divorce his wife, Congliu would not dare refuse. But A-Si and Jingyu are also the lord's children. They have spent years on the battlefield—has the lord ever cared for them even half a bit? Has the lord ever fulfilled his responsibilities as a father?"

Just as Madam Wei finished speaking, her face turned deathly pale.

Fortunately, A-Si was right beside her, catching the fainting Madam Wei in her arms.

She glared coldly at Lord Wei once before carrying Madam Wei back to her room.

-

"Doctor, what is wrong with my mother? Why did she suddenly faint?"

"Do not fret, young lady. The Madam is suffering from the effects of pent-up rage and prolonged melancholy. Hmm..." The doctor checked Madam Wei's pulse again and said, "Young lady, the Madam suffered a miscarriage in the past, leaving her constitution inherently weak. She must recuperate properly, and you must ensure she is not provoked to anger again."

A-Si exchanged a glance with Wei Jingyu beside her, both of them filled with confusion.

The Lord Wei standing behind them, however, suddenly furrowed his brow.

"A miscarriage?" A-Si asked.

The doctor nodded. "I was the one who attended to the Madam at that time."

"Then, Doctor, what was the cause?"

"A fall."

The expressions of A-Si and Wei Jingyu sank instantly.

After seeing the doctor out, the two of them turned their gazes in unison toward Lord Wei standing behind them.

Wei Jingyu bowed respectfully, addressed him as Father, and asked, "This son does not understand. Mother has always been such a cautious person, exercising the utmost care when she was pregnant with A-Si and myself. How could she suddenly suffer a miscarriage? Does Father know the reason?"

Lord Wei's face paled, and he said coldly, "Hmph, she was careless herself, yet she wants to blame others!"

Seeing that Madam Wei was in no immediate danger, Lord Wei flicked his sleeve and strode away.