tallest building

Chapter 50 The Substitute

“Good sister, don’t be in a hurry, let me tell you in detail.” Madam Ge started from the beginning, “As you know, the Prince and Princess Zhao have two sons. The eldest son was adopted by the Empress and sent to the palace the year before last, and now only the younger son is with them.”

This matter is common knowledge. Since the current emperor has no son, he has selected several intelligent and handsome young men from the royal family to be brought into the palace for education.

Although the purpose was not explicitly stated, everyone knew it.

Princess Zhao was the Empress's younger sister, so it was only natural for the Empress to bring her son into the palace for adoption.

"The prince and princess naturally dote on their youngest son, but this young prince is born weak and often falls ill."

The Prince's Mansion naturally tried every possible method, seeking medical help and consulting divination, leaving no stone unturned.

Over the years, more than one person has said that this child has a karmic connection to Buddhism and that a way must be found to resolve it. So they bought a substitute effigy and sent it to a temple, thinking that would solve the problem.

The so-called "having a connection with Buddhism" is a euphemism, which actually means that a person is destined to be weak and sickly, or to suffer misfortune and hardship. In short, they are not likely to grow up easily, and only becoming a monk or nun can resolve this.

But how many people in this world are willing to become monks or nuns? Especially children from wealthy families.

Thus, the concept of a "substitute" arose, which meant finding someone to become a monk or Taoist priest in one's place. In general, people would spend money to buy children from poor families and send them to temples to become monks or Taoist priests. This was not uncommon.

For example, the eldest master of the Gong family had a stand-in, who was about the same age as him and was already the abbot of the temple.

"But over the years, the Prince's Mansion has bought countless substitutes, yet the young prince remains sickly."

He recently fell seriously ill, a truly perilous illness that terrified both the Prince and Princess.

“I vaguely remember hearing a few days ago that old ailments are prone to flare up in the spring, so we should be careful,” Mrs. Song interjected.

"It just so happened that a master from Zhongnan Mountain came, so the prince invited him into the mansion to inquire about the young prince's illness."

The expert said that finding a substitute to become a monk was a good idea, but the young master of the prince's family was too precious, and an ordinary substitute would not be able to make a difference.

The children must be born on the same day, month, and year, and cannot come from impoverished backgrounds, otherwise the taboo cannot be suppressed.

The prince and princess were also in a dilemma. Who in any family of any status would give up their own child for no reason?
Moreover, even if one were to give up something, it might not necessarily be a good match. As Madam Ge said this, Madam Song had already understood most of what was going on.

“I remember the young master of the Prince’s family was born on the Double Ninth Festival, so he’s a monkey,” said Madam Song. “My sister-in-law’s intention is to let Gong Chang’an…”

"Yeah, girl, listen to what I just said, isn't this just like destiny?"
Looking around, he was the only one there.

If you can give up this child, the prince and princess will definitely do everything they can to protect your husband.

We were the ones begging them before, how much face could we possibly have? We were just being pitiful, like cats and dogs offering charity.

But if we send this child to be a substitute, it will be a different story. That means we have done a favor for the Prince's family, so how could we not do our best?
Furthermore, Her Majesty the Empress adopted the Prince's eldest son; how could she just stand by and watch the younger one grow up? Even His Majesty couldn't bear to see it happen.” Madam Ge's analysis was quite logical.

Just then, the maid who had been sent to the east courtyard returned and reported, "Young Madam, the First Madam said that the Old Madam has taken her medicine and gone to sleep, so she is not in a position to receive guests. Thank you for your kindness, Auntie. She said that you should ask Auntie to stay at our house for a meal before leaving. She is currently busy and will talk to Auntie another day."

"I understand, you may leave," Madam Song replied indifferently.

Madam Ge smiled and said, "Whether we meet or not doesn't matter. The sentiment is there, and it's enough that the old lady knows." "Does my brother know about this?" Madam Song asked urgently, her mind completely focused on this matter.

"How could I not know? He told me! It's just that it wasn't convenient for him to come, so he rushed me here."

The prince said that if a suitable person could be found, a generous reward would be given. "Good sister," said Madam Ge, "you are clever; you surely know what's important and what to do."

After thinking for a moment, Madam Song said, "This matter needs to be considered carefully. After all, he is Wen Mingqian's son. Even if I am willing, she will definitely not be."

"I suppose you can't fight city hall, can you?" Madam Ge laughed. "I won't say more. My little girl is probably awake by now, so I have to go back."

Her youngest daughter was only two months old and at that age, she couldn't bear to be separated from her mother.

"Thank you so much for coming to tell me such an important matter," said Mrs. Song. "I won't keep you any longer."

“We’re all family, why be so polite? Let me remind you again, please take good care of yourself. You’re pregnant now, and if anything happens to you, it will be your own body that suffers,” said Madam Ge.

"I understand, sister-in-law. At least we can see the light now, which is much better than groping around in the dark before." To be honest, Song Shi was indeed much relieved.

"That's good, that's good. It means my trip wasn't in vain." Madam Ge said as she walked out. "You should make good plans as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."

Song personally escorted her sister-in-law out of the house, and upon returning, dismissed all the others, leaving only Granny Yang with her.

“Young Madam, the method your aunt mentioned seems to be the only useful one right now,” Granny Yang urged. “Besides, doing this will only benefit us, not harm us.”

“You’re right. We were originally going to get rid of Wen Mingqian and her son,” Madam Song nodded. “The reason she’s able to stay in this mansion is mainly because she has a son.”

Whether it's the master or the mistress, they should all be lenient with her in this regard.

“That’s right. If we send the Fourth Young Master away, she’ll have no one to rely on. Besides, although she’s despicable, the one we fear most is the Fourth Young Master,” Granny Yang said with a forced smile.

What Song and Wen Mingqian were fighting for was not only Gong Xu's favor, but also the status of the principal wife and the family business.

With Gong Chang'an, the legitimate son, around, one's own son could only be a son born out of wedlock.

Despite Gong Xu's doting affection, he wouldn't even inherit half of this family fortune.

But what if Gong Chang'an were gone?

This is tantamount to cutting off Wen Mingqian's lifeline, so there's no need to worry about her causing any trouble anymore.

"In the end, this is God's will," Madam Song smiled with unusual ease, the most comfortable smile she had ever had since Wen Mingqian and his mother returned. "Master has encountered trouble, and Madam has fallen ill from worry."

At this moment, if Gong Chang'an were to act as a substitute for the heir of the Prince of Zhao's mansion, the calamity could be averted. Isn't this the will of Heaven?

"That's true, but I don't think Wen Mingqian will necessarily give in. She knows that this son is her lifeline. What will she do for the rest of her life if she gives him up?" Granny Yang hesitated, thinking of Wen Mingqian's past actions.

"She has no choice but to comply!" Madam Song sneered. "Unless she wants to become a sinner against the Gong family again!"

(End of this chapter)