Chapter 91: Big Brother Knows the Truth

Chapter 91: Big Brother Knows the Truth

Zheng Jinxiu wept bitterly, her heart torn asunder. Zheng Hongqi and Zheng Hongxu felt both anger and distress.

They tried to pull the exhausted Zheng Jinxiu up from the ground, but to no avail.

Zheng Jinxiu persisted in kneeling and pleading with Zheng Hongyan.

Zheng Hongxu was furious. "Big Brother, do you also think we should send Jinxiu away? Don't forget who has lived with us for over a decade. Is blood really that significant?"

Zheng Hongyan looked down at his younger siblings and sighed deeply.

He bent down to help Zheng Jinxiu up, whispering, "Jinxiu, you really misunderstand Mother. In many families, daughters are married far away, but that doesn't mean they're disowned. No matter how far Mother arranges for you to marry, it's not because she wants nothing to do with you."

Zheng Hongxu scoffed coldly, "Pathetic. Isn't Mother's intention clear enough? Last year, she sent Jinxiu back to our hometown in Xingyang. You dare say it wasn't related to Zheng Jinyu and Prince Chen?"

"Th-this... It was indeed because of Prince Chen and Jinyu, but..."

"Don't 'but' anymore. Aren't you embarrassed by all these excuses?" Zheng Hongxu taunted, "Big brother, I originally thought you would stand up for Jinxiu when you returned. Never did I expect you to be just like Father and Mother, biased towards Jinyu while ignoring Jinxiu. Hah, what about doing what's best for Jinxiu, or finding her a good match? The Cui family is prestigious, but Cui Yongnian is from a side branch. He isn't even an educated scholar, just a shallow fool with a pretty face. How can he compare to the nobles in the capital?"

Zheng Hongyan pressed his lips tightly together, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Meanwhile, Zheng Hongxu continued, "Your so-called kindness is merely using the pretext of a prestigious family to send Jinxiu far away. She did all this for Zheng Jinyu."

"Third Brother," Zheng Hongyan rebuked him, his voice stern. "How can you misunderstand Mother like that?"

"Am I misunderstanding? If not to get rid of Jinxiu, why must she be married so far away?"

"How far is it? Look at Mother. Didn't she also marry from Qing River to the capital? Do you think Grandfather and Grandmother abandoned her, so they sent her off that far? When our family had that incident, do you think Father could have regained his position without the efforts of Grandfather and our uncles?"

Zheng Hongyan's outburst startled Zheng Hongxu and the others, obscuring their judgment. Zheng Hongxu had previously been following Zheng Jinxiu's line of thought, believing that their mother merely wanted to send Jinxiu far away, fearing that she might interfere with Zheng Jinyu's life.

For a moment, he was utterly taken aback.

Indeed, Mother also came from afar to marry into this family.

Zheng Hongyan continued, "If Mother truly didn't favor Jinxiu, why would she have sought out the Cui family? Wouldn't it have been easier to send her off to a more distant household? Third Brother, Mother wanted to arrange for Jinxiu with the Cuis because they are all Mother's kin. She believes that her own family wouldn't treat Jinxiu poorly; do you understand that? And yet, you all have so utterly misunderstood Mother."

Zheng Hongxu hesitated, "I... Big Brother, I might have misunderstood Mother."

Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Zheng Jinxiu hastily added, "Big Brother, I'm sorry. I know I wasn't born to our parents, and that's why I'm especially scared. I often dream that Father and Mother abandon me, and my brothers ignore me. I'm so frightened, and I don't want to marry far away."

Looking at Zheng Jinxiu's tearful face, Zheng Hongyan felt a headache coming on.

In fact, he understood his parents' arrangement. The whispers and gossip in the capital were a constant irritant.

No, they weren't just rumors – they were the truth.

Secrets could only be kept for so long before they were exposed. Unless the fire was extinguished or moved elsewhere, the truth would eventually come to light.

When it did, neither Jinxiu nor the Zheng family would fare well.

Sending her to the Cui family was the best protection they could offer her.

But she was too scared. Being an adopted child, she always feared being discarded by her parents.

The more she feared, the more desperately she clung on, leading her to make mistakes.

All three of them turned to Zheng Hongyan, awaiting his judgment.

He fell silent for a long while, causing everyone to feel anxious.

At this moment, Zheng Hongqi spoke again, "Big Brother, I understand Jinxiu's actions. If someone suddenly told me that I wasn't my parents' biological child, I'd be terrified too. It would be unimaginable how to accept such a truth."

Indeed, if one put themselves in her shoes, could they accept it if a stranger appeared, claiming to be the real child while they were switched at birth? Zheng Hongyan himself felt like he would crumble under such circumstances.

Thus, he sighed deeply once more, patting Zheng Jinxiu's shoulder. "Jinxiu, don't overthink it. No matter what, Big Brother will always be your Big Brother. But you must promise me, no matter how scared or uneasy you are, never forget that you're our innocent and lovable sister. Don't do anything wrong. If things go beyond redemption, even Big Brother won't be able to save you."

Zheng Jinxiu's face was pale. In these few short sentences, she felt that her brother was not on her side, but rather, warning her.

But what if she didn't fight?

Zheng Jinyu could afford not to fight because she was the family's biological daughter. With her bloodline, she had an unassailable position.

If she didn't fight for her parents' affection or her brothers' support, she might end up with nothing.

Zheng Jinxiu revealed her well-practiced smile, responding gently, "Don't worry, Jinxiu will always be Jinxiu, unchanged."

Zheng Hongyan was pleased and offered her some encouraging words with a smile, assuring her that he wouldn't betray her secret. He then proceeded to warn Zheng Hongxu.

"Deal with your own actions, and as for the trouble you've caused Yongning, I trust you know how to make amends without my guidance," Zheng Hongyan instructed sternly.

The three of them heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing his leniency.

"Don't worry, Big Brother. We'll visit Cousin Cui tomorrow."

"Very well. I hope you handle it properly. Otherwise, even if I'm not occupied with military affairs, I'll return to personally discipline you all."

Zheng Hongyan had been swamped lately. After the expedition, there were numerous matters to attend to.

Initially, it was supposed to be a joint responsibility between him and Prince Chen. However, the prince had been preoccupied with personal affairs, sometimes disappearing for an entire day.

With the prince's workload decreasing, Zheng Hongyan naturally took on more tasks.

Ironically, he couldn't even voice his grievances, for whenever he went to check on the prince, he found him engaged in pursuits that appealed to young women.

Their household servant even mentioned that Prince Chen frequently visited their residence.

So, he was busy trying to win over his younger sister?

A man of his stature would actually set aside official duties to win a maiden's favor.

...

Zheng Hongxu secretly met with Lu Shen and confided that his mother had begun suspecting that the person who attacked Cui Yongnian was envious of his good looks, believing it to be a conflict rooted in rivalry over a lady's affection.

Henceforth, if any young noble dared to show kindness to Jinxiu or even send a matchmaker to propose marriage, his mother would likely suspect them to be the one behind Cui Yongnian's assault.

That was why he came to inform Lu Shen to avoid the Zheng residence for the time being, let alone engage a matchmaker to approach them with a marriage proposal.

Lu Shen was stunned. "She can deduce that?"

"Of course, my mother holds sway in the Zheng household; even my father defers to her. Do you think she relies solely on her family's influence?"