The Pingning Earl's manor was without a successor, and the noble title naturally could not be passed down. That plaque had long since been replaced with the ordinary characters "Zeng Residence."
Zeng Weiyang lay on the bed, staring blankly at the canopy above.
From the moment she learned she had given birth to a daughter, despair and resentment filled her heart.
She resented fate for being too unfair to her. She had gambled again and again, but never won. She wasn't unprepared; before giving birth, she had instructed Yin Zhu to buy a newborn boy from a recently delivered mother. If she herself gave birth to a girl, she would immediately swap them.
But who knew that as soon as she felt the first pangs of labor, someone from the palace arrived.
Midwives, imperial physicians, and even a grand imperial physician were present to ensure she delivered her child safely. As a result, she was out of danger, but she also lost the opportunity to switch the babies. Was she truly going to remain a widow for the rest of her life, guarding this daughter?
No, how could she be reconciled?
Zeng Weiyang was filled with regret. If she had listened to Lu Nianfu earlier and aborted the child, would she have already recovered her health and chosen a new suitor by now? She swore that she had changed; she would never again compete with Lu Nianfu over their husbands.
This time, she would obediently find a man from an ordinary family, live in harmony, and grow old together.
Wait, it wasn't too late. If that child died, wouldn't she be free?
No, how could she have such a terrifying thought? That was her child, whom she had carried for ten months and given birth to with such hardship. Zeng Weiyang's heart wrestled within her, thoughts flooding her mind one after another, lingering for a long time.
"Weiyang, stop thinking. Have some chicken soup first." Madam Ban entered the room with chicken soup, gently trying to persuade her to drink. Of course, she did not know the many terrible thoughts that had crossed Zeng Weiyang's mind. In her eyes, Zeng Weiyang was merely sad and disappointed, lost in thought.
Zeng Weiyang slowly turned her head. "Where is the child?"
"The child is fine. She fell asleep after nursing earlier. Rest assured, those sent by the Noble Consort are experienced and handle things reliably."
Zeng Weiyang instantly went mad, screaming hysterically, "Who wants them to be reliable? Who wants that good-for-nothing to be well? What will happen to me if she is well? What will happen to me? Do I have to live with a good-for-nothing for the rest of my life?"
"Clang."
The soup bowl in Madam Ban's hand shattered completely. Chicken soup splashed onto her shoes, but she felt nothing. She stared incredulously at the monstrously contorted Zeng Weiyang and asked with a trembling voice, "Do you... do you know what you're saying? How could you have such a terrifying thought? That is your own flesh and blood."
Zeng Weiyang, however, looked at her own hands. "Flesh and blood? I am her mother, how can she harm me like this? Mother, I am still so young. I don't want to be a widow for life. Help me, please, won't you help me?"
"How can I help?"
"Help me strangle her. If you strangle her, I will be free. Mother, I beg you. Only you can help me. Help me strangle her."
Madam Ban was stunned. Her body softened, and she collapsed directly onto the ground. She didn't even react when Zeng Weiyang called her mother.
In her youth, she had sacrificed love for her family, and for her family, she had not dared to resist Zeng Guangyi's cruelty. But for her daughter, she had endured her fear and disobeyed Zeng Guangyi's orders for the first time. She was a timid, weak woman, but maternal love made her strong.
How could such a person understand Zeng Weiyang's thoughts? She actually wanted her to kill her own newborn daughter.
"How could you say such things?"
"Mother."
"Don't call me mother. You are too terrifying." Madam Ban hurriedly got up and stumbled out of Zeng Weiyang's room. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its cubs. How could Zeng Weiyang think this way?
No, not only did she think this way, she was truly acting on it.
Returning to the Fragrant Sand Courtyard, Ziwei asked, "Madam has returned. How is Concubine Zeng?"
Madam Ban replied with difficulty, "She's alright."
Qiangwei, who had always disliked Zeng Weiyang, clicked her tongue and muttered, "She desperately wanted to give birth to a young heir to elevate her status through her son. Now that her hope is dashed, how could she be alright?"
Madam Ban sat in the room to calm herself for a while. "Qiangwei, where is the child?"
"The wet nurse carried her into the palace. They said she needed to be shown to the Noble Consort. Madam, please don't worry. Since the young lady has been born safely, our humble abode can no longer accommodate these two eminent figures. It is likely that before long, Concubine Zeng and the child will both return to the Rui Royal Manor."
Previously, she was worried that Princess Ning's jealousy would harm her unborn child, so she had let Zeng Weiyang stay at her maternal home for her pregnancy and delivery. Now that the girl posed no threat to the Princess, she would naturally be sent back to the manor sooner rather than later. Even if it was a girl, the royal bloodline could not be left outside.
Madam Ban breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that the child was with people from the royal family.
As for Zeng Weiyang, let her calm down first. Perhaps by the time she thought things through, she would have abandoned this terrible idea.