Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 317 Flesh and Blood
After serving Emperor Tianqi, Wei Zhongxian left the Qianqing Palace.

There was nothing to do in the palace today, so Wei Zhongxian went straight out of the palace and went to his mansion outside the palace. After he changed his clothes in the mansion and hadn't even taken a few sips of the hot tea in his hand, his nephew Wei Liangqing came to find him.

"You are well-informed, little brat. How did you know that we are back?" When he saw Wei Liangqing, Wei Zhongxian happily invited him to sit next to him and joked with a smile.

Wei Liangqing had always respected his uncle, and he was an honest man, so he smiled innocently and bowed to his uncle before sitting down.

"My nephew has been asking people to keep an eye on my uncle these days. I just rushed here after hearing that my uncle has returned." Wei Liangqing told the truth.

"You little brat..." Wei Zhongxian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His nephew was good in every way except that he was too honest. He couldn't even lie. He just said whatever he wanted. If it was someone else, they would definitely not say that to Wei Liangqing. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say something different?
However, he did not blame his nephew Wei Zhongxian at all, but showed more love and affection. Blood is thicker than water. Wei Zhongxian was a eunuch and it was impossible for him to have any offspring in this life. His nephew could be said to be the closest person to Wei Zhongxian. After a hundred years, the only one who could offer sacrifices to him would probably be Wei Liangqing.

Besides, wouldn't it be better if Wei Liangqing was honest? The civil and military officials in the court were all cunning people, and Wei Zhongxian had seen too many of them. On the contrary, he felt more at ease with honest people. Could it be that Wei Liangqing's cunning and insidiousness made him happier? Isn't this nonsense?

Wei Zhongxian valued such an honest and loyal nephew. It didn't matter if he was a little stupid or honest. With such an uncle, Wei Liangqing didn't have to worry about anything in his life. It was no problem for him to find a rich and prosperous life for him.

He scolded Wei Liangqing a few times, but Wei Liangqing didn't take it to heart and continued to smile happily. Seeing him like this, Wei Zhongxian didn't want to scold him anymore and asked him directly if he had eaten. Wei Liangqing said he had already eaten at home. Wei Zhongxian laughed and said that since he had already eaten, it didn't matter. He should drink a few glasses of wine with him. Wei Liangqing nodded and agreed, and helped Wei Zhongxian get up and went to the back.

He asked the servants to serve a table of wine and food. The dishes were not luxurious, but just ordinary. However, the wine they drank was unusual. It was the imperial wine that Wei Zhongxian brought from the palace.

Drinking and talking with Wei Liangqing, he lost his usual concerns and cautions when facing his nephew Wei Zhongxian. He just said whatever he thought. After chatting for a while, Wei Zhongxian asked Wei Liangqing that he had lived in Beijing for a short time, whether he was used to it now, and whether there was anything missing at home. If there was anything he needed, he could tell him.

Wei Liangqing smiled and shook his head. He told Wei Zhongxian that he had everything he needed. Compared with the hard life in his hometown, the life in the capital was just like a dream. He wore silk and satin, ate delicacies from land and sea, and had money in his hands. When outsiders saw him and knew that he was Wei Zhongxian's nephew, they were even more affectionate. This kind of life was unimaginable in the past.

However, Wei Liangqing also said that although life has become much better, sometimes he still misses his hometown and the days of farming there. Although life was harder back then and he often had to worry about food, he didn't have so many worries. Now that life is better, he has a lot more worries, especially now that Wei Zhongxian and the Donglin Party are fighting each other, Wei Liangqing rarely goes out to avoid trouble. Even if he goes out, he often walks around people to avoid being bumped into by the Donglin Party and being scolded for no reason, which makes his originally good mood extremely bad.

"Who? Who has the guts to do this? Tell me, and I'll help you!" Wei Zhongxian was furious when he heard this. The Donglin Party was too filthy. It would have been fine if they had fought against him, but why did they implicate his nephew? Wei Liangqing hadn't provoked them, so why did they scold him?
His nephew has been an honest man since he was young, and he can't do anything in the countryside. As an uncle, he doesn't know this? Bullying people picks on honest people? The Donglin Party is really shameless.

"Forget it, forget it." Wei Liangqing waved his hands and said, "Uncle, you don't have to be angry. I'm not angry myself. It won't hurt to scold you a few times. Just scold me. This matter has already passed."

"Besides, uncle, you are serving the emperor now and are close to him. Your every move is watched by the whole court. If you get into trouble for my little matter, I will feel bad."

"You, you little brat, you really don't look like a member of my Wei family." Wei Zhongxian didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing these words. His nephew was too honest. Scolding him was like slapping himself in the face, but he could still hold it in? Thinking back to when he was in his hometown before entering the palace, he was always fearless. If this happened to him, with his temper, he would roll up his sleeves and slap him on the spot without waiting until tomorrow.

Wei Liangqing is just like his father, honest, timid and afraid of things. He is still like this even after being in the capital for so long, which makes Wei Zhongxian feel sad.

Although Wei Liangqing said that the matter was over, it seemed that Wei Zhongxian would not let it go. He had already made up his mind that this matter had to be investigated carefully to find out who was targeting his nephew and he had to teach the other party a lesson.

Putting this matter aside for the moment, Wei Zhongxian then remembered to ask Wei Liangqing what he wanted to see him about. His nephew was not a man who could keep things to himself. He had not left the palace for the past few days. Wei Liangqing sent someone to wait for him to come back, and he came as soon as he returned home, so there must be something going on.

"Uncle, I have found out where my sister is." Wei Liangqing looked around and then lowered his voice and said to Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian, who was reaching for his chopsticks to pick up food, was stunned, and the chopsticks in his hand stopped in mid-air. After a moment, he stretched out his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat, put it into his mouth, chewed it for a few times, and then picked up the wine glass and swallowed it with the wine.

"I didn't remember asking you to look into this."

"Uncle did not ask me to check. I wanted to help him check." Wei Liangqing said frankly and sincerely, "I just thought that you must be worried about me after so many years of separation. In the past, my uncle had an ordinary position in the palace and could not take care of this matter, but now he is different. Since my uncle was favored by the emperor, my Wei family has made great progress with his support. Even a peasant like me can have a good life today."

"When you drink the water, you should remember its source. Uncle has helped me a lot in the past two years. Why can't I do something for you? But I am incompetent and can't do anything big. After thinking about it, I suddenly thought of my sister, so I asked someone to investigate carefully. I didn't think that I could really find out my sister's whereabouts, but God opened my eyes and I really found it. After receiving the news, I came to tell you, but you haven't returned home in the past few days. I haven't seen you until today..." "You..." Wei Zhongxian didn't know what to say for a moment. His expression lost its usual majesty, and it was a bit softer and sighing.

The sister that Wei Liangqing was talking about was none other than Wei Zhongxian's biological daughter. Wei Zhongxian had been married before entering the palace and had a daughter. But this daughter and Wei Zhongxian had been separated for more than 20 years. It was Wei Zhongxian who sold this daughter himself because at that time Wei Zhongxian owed a large gambling debt and was unable to repay it. He was desperate and thought of a way, which was to enter the palace with a castrated body.

But it is not so easy to enter the palace after castration. Not to mention that you need to find someone to do the castration, you also need connections to enter the palace. Otherwise, it is impossible for an adult eunuch who castrated himself to enter the palace.

Wei Zhongxian begged for help and finally found a way, but the price offered was twenty taels of silver. Wei Zhongxian was penniless and in debt at that time, so where did he get the twenty taels of silver?

Wei Zhongxian made up his mind and sold his four-year-old daughter to the market. In exchange for the twenty taels of silver, he was able to enter the palace. He spent twenty years in the palace before he was able to rise to the status and power he has today.

Looking back, it is impossible to say that Wei Zhongxian did not miss his daughter, after all, she was his own flesh and blood. But things had changed, and Wei Zhongxian had no idea where his daughter was. So many years had passed, and Wei Zhongxian felt ashamed and sorry for his daughter, so he never thought of looking for her again.

But Wei Zhongxian never expected that Wei Liangqing would actually do this. Today, Wei Liangqing suddenly told him that his daughter, who had been lost for more than 20 years, had been found. Wei Zhongxian didn't know what to feel for a moment, and he was not prepared to face it.

Wei Zhongxian calmed himself down and couldn't help asking Wei Liangqing about his daughter's current condition.

Wei Liangqing told Wei Zhongxian that his sister was sold in the market and then sold to a family surnamed Yang by a broker, where she became a child bride.

This child bride was kept as such for more than ten years. She officially got married when she was eighteen years old. After marriage, she and her husband gave birth to three children, two daughters and a son.

The conditions of the Yang family were not good, but not bad either, just average. My sister did not live a rich life in the Yang family. In addition, there had been many disasters in recent years, the land had not produced much, and the children were young. It was very hard for her to raise the old and the young in the family.

"How did the Yang family... treat her?" Wei Zhongxian felt a little pain in his heart. Although he and his daughter had been separated for more than 20 years and he could not even remember what his daughter looked like, he still remembered the scene when his daughter was sold and cried while being carried away.

If he had not been desperate back then, how could he have sold his own daughter? He thought this memory had long gone away, but who would have thought that it was dug out from the depths of his heart by Wei Liangqing today. Wei Zhongxian couldn't help feeling sad.

"The Yang family treated my sister well. Although life was hard, the couple still loved each other very much. Moreover, although the old man of the Yang family bought my sister, he did not abuse her. I was lucky."

"Okay... That's good..." Wei Zhongxian sighed and nodded, feeling much better.

"Uncle, now that my sister has been found, how about I send someone to bring my sister and her family to the capital to settle them down? After all, they are your flesh and blood. It has been so many years since what happened. It would not be a happy thing for your uncle to be able to reunite with his family." Wei Liangqing advised.

"You are so thoughtful..." Wei Zhongxian patted the back of Wei Liangqing's hand and said with great satisfaction. His nephew was indeed a good one and lived up to his care for him. He did not forget his duty even though he was rich and powerful, and he was able to help him find his daughter. It was obvious that Wei Liangqing was sincere.

However, Wei Zhongxian still did not agree with Wei Liangqing's suggestion. He shook his head and rejected Wei Liangqing's idea. When he learned that his daughter and son-in-law were not aware of their identities, Wei Zhongxian felt relieved.

Wei Zhongxian told Wei Liangqing that he should pretend he didn't know about this matter and never tell anyone about it, let alone bring his daughter and her family to the capital. Since his daughter had already started a family and had children, and the couple had a good relationship, that was enough. It would be better for them to continue their ordinary life. If possible, they could be given some conveniences in the local area, but not too much. As long as they could help the Yang family live a better life, nothing else would be done.

After hearing what Wei Zhongxian said, Wei Liangqing was puzzled and wanted to persuade him again, but was severely stopped by Wei Zhongxian, who also warned him not to tell anyone about his daughter. Although he didn't understand why Wei Zhongxian did this, Wei Liangqing, who always respected Wei Zhongxian, finally agreed to Wei Zhongxian's request.

Originally, he planned to have a nice drink with Wei Liangqing, but after hearing about this, Wei Zhongxian lost interest in drinking. He quickly drank a few cups and sent Wei Liangqing back. After Wei Liangqing left, Wei Zhongxian stared at his reflection in the cup in a daze, and sighed for a long time.

(End of this chapter)