The Fallen Medicine Woman: The Daily Life of Chun Nuan-Chapter 150 - 116: The Reason for Marrying Her

"Mother..."

"If you still consider me your mother, stay away from that woman."

Xia Guangcheng was taken aback, his sharp eyes swept over the old woman and the maid behind Mrs. Xia, and they all shivered and knelt down.

Great heavens, how could they be gossiping?

The portraits of all the noble ladies were worn out from being looked at, and the ladies from fifteen years ago already had children, yet her own son was still single. Mrs. Xia had become obsessed with the idea of marrying off her son. Those serving her also hoped the General would marry soon, so they wouldn’t have to live under Mrs. Xia’s unpredictable temper.

"General, the old madam is concerned for you."

Loyalty felt particularly important at this moment, so even while kneeling, Nanny Xu raised her head to explain for Mrs. Xia.

"Nanny Xu, right? It’s expected for my mother to be concerned about her son, but I wonder if Nanny Xu is concerned about your good eldest son." Xia Guangcheng sternly said, "Someone, give Nanny Xu twenty lashes and send her away."

"Cheng’er, how dare you?"

Mrs. Xia was stunned: "Nanny Xu is an old servant of mine, what are you doing?"

This son really had grown bold, daring to touch the people by her side.

"Mother, it’s precisely because Nanny Xu is old and muddle-headed that she would betray her master for the sake of her good eldest son," Xia Guangcheng said. "Were it not for her long years of service to you, she and her entire family would be sold, not just freed outright."

"Spare me, General, wise madam, this servant has always been loyal, what betrayal are you speaking of?" Nanny Xu sweated profusely and kowtowed constantly, pleading with Mrs. Xia, "Madam, this servant has served you for twenty-eight years..."

"Silence!" Xia Guangcheng couldn’t stand these old servants using their seniority to their advantage, acting rashly as if his mother were senile: "How was your good son’s five hundred tael gambling debt repaid?"

Nanny Xu went limp upon hearing these words!

The General knew, the General...

"Cheng’er, what do you mean?"

"Mother, someone took advantage of your eagerness to marry off a daughter-in-law, setting a trap to pull Nanny Xu’s gambling son out of the pit, buying off Nanny Xu with the intention to insert his daughter into our home as the General’s wife. The plot is not small."

"Miss Tao?"

Mrs. Xia, though aged, was not muddle-headed, and recalled how recently Nanny Xu had frequently and subtly mentioned the fourth Miss Tao while selecting a daughter-in-law.

The Tao family was of decent standing, but their political stance didn’t quite align with the Xia family’s, and the ties between the two families were thin. Mrs. Xia had reservations about discussing marriage alliances, which is why she hadn’t mentioned it to her son.

"Exactly." Xia Guangcheng said. "Mother, when choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. If we were to marry a household wrecker, not only would life be unlivable, but it would also bring disaster for three generations."

"Nanny Xu, do you have anything else to say?"

"Spare me, Madam, this servant was wrong, this servant was desperate to save her son, greed blinded me, madam..."

"Someone, drag her away and give her twenty lashes. Considering her years of service, her contract will be returned. Do you have anything else to say?"

"Madam..."

Nanny Xu indeed had nothing more to say.

The grievances between the Tao and Xia families were not a recent affair. As an old servant by Mrs. Xia’s side, she knew very well that the fourth Miss Tao was not suitable to be the General’s wife. But her son’s life was in the hands of the Tao family, so she forcefully betrayed her master. Who knew it would be discovered by the General before succeeding, ending up with today’s outcome. She truly had nothing to say.

"This servant thanks Madam."

Returning the contract was indeed more merciful than simply being dismissed. Given her conduct, even death would not be unjustified.

The fact that this old life remains is only to clean up her son’s mess afterwards.

Nanny Xu fervently kowtowed, tears falling, and took her punishment by herself.

Xia Guangcheng’s eyes swept over everyone behind Mrs. Xia.

"If anyone else betrays, they’d be beaten to death, and their whole family would be sold."

"This servant (or maid) wouldn’t dare!"

It was truly terrifying; who would expect trusted Nanny Xu to end up like this. What a miserable fate!

"Cheng’er..."

"Mother, your son is unfilial and has worried you." Xia Guangcheng stepped forward to support his elderly mother, "Mother, let us go inside and talk."

In the inner courtyard, pastries were placed in front of Mrs. Xia. They were placed insistently by Xia Guangcheng, who relished them although Mrs. Xia did not eat.

"Cheng’er, why do you bother? There are so many noble daughters in the Capital. With your status, there’s no shortage of eligible maidens. Why must you..."

"Mother, the current emperor is aging, with only a sickly eldest Prince aside from the Princess." Xia Guangcheng could only dissect the state affairs to his mother bit by bit. "My marriage concerns more than just personal matters. They eye more than just me. A slight misstep and we’ll be on the wrong side. Mother, the Xia family’s standing was not easily achieved. I cannot endanger the Xia family due to my carelessness."

The old lady remained silent. These matters were indeed grave, warranting not a hint of carelessness.

So, finding a suitable match for her son was a particularly daunting task.

"Finding a girl from a clear, small family isn’t that difficult. Why must you burden yourself, with that abandoned woman..."

"Mother!"

The term "abandoned woman" deeply pained Xia Guangcheng: "Mother, she merely erred in her choice due to her blindness, not due to other faults."

"Her greatest fault is her inability to bear more children." Mrs. Xia was incensed hearing her son defend that woman: "A virtuous wife prospers three generations, as you rightly said. Yet, marrying her, will the Xia family still have three generations? To her, we end in extinction!"

"Mother..."

"Why did the Wu family abandon her in the first place? Wasn’t it because her body failed to bear children? Wu family intended to take a concubine, she opposed them, they divorced her, and she audaciously sued, sending the entire Wu family to prison. What malice this woman harbors, what is it that endears her so much to you?"

Her son’s indifference to marriage distressed her, yet her son’s affection for this woman distressed her more.

"Mother!" Xia Guangcheng’s heart ached bitterly; she suffered immense injustices with the Wu family, yet the world laid all blame on her; "Mother, truthfully, marrying her offers countless benefits with no harm."

"You..."

It seemed he really intended to anger his mother to death!

"Mother, why has your son remained unmarried for so many years? Do you know why?"

Weren’t circumstances unkind?

Wasn’t it just bad luck?

"Mother, your son was injured in battle, your son..." Xia Guangcheng’s face reddened deeply: "Your son is impotent, unable to have heirs."

What?