After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 283 Survivors

Hai Jiao and Zhou Yijun went to the school playground to play as originally planned.

But because their attention was attracted by the sudden appearance of Du Qi and the three people in the mysterious carriage today, they were both a little absent-minded today and couldn't enjoy themselves while playing, so they simply separated early and went back to their respective homes.

After arriving home, Hai Jiao learned from his younger sister Haitang who the young man and the mother and daughter in the mysterious carriage were.

Haitang actually knew about it by accident.

Today, my cousin Xie Wenzai was suddenly invited away by people from the Zhenguo Palace. When he came back more than an hour later, he took his cousin Hai Xiya into the upper room of the main house to talk. At that time, Mrs. Ma had just come out of the upper room with Aunt Cui and Aunt Ma, and planned to go to the front yard to see the newly purchased ingredients. There was no conversation between the two parties, so both Xie Wenzai and Hai Xiya thought that no one was in the house. In fact, Haitang was still on the kang in the inner room, very quietly and carefully helping their grandmother Ma to iron the pleated skirt that she would wear as a guest tomorrow.

So she listened clearly to the conversation between the two elders outside.

Xie Wenzai was obviously in a state of shock at that time, and did not bother to check if there was anyone in the back room. He entered the door and said to Hai Xiya: "Cousin, teacher... Mr. Wu Wen'an... he still has blood to survive!"

Hai Xiya was startled, and then said: "In the two years after the Wu family's accident, there were indeed such rumors. It was said that the Wu family was not dead, but there was no news afterwards. Didn't we all conclude that it was just a rumor? Why did my cousin suddenly mention this matter today?"

Xie Wenzai sat down at the table, obviously feeling a little excited: "Because I saw... the child's facial features somewhat resembled the teacher, and with the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion as guarantor, his identity is unquestionable! It turns out that these Years ago, the Queen Mother and the Marquis of Chengen have been protecting these two children..."

"Two children?" Hai Xiya was a little confused. "You mean, two children from the Wu family survived?!"

Xie Wenzai calmed down a little: "Yes, a boy and a girl. They are the youngest daughter of the teacher's second son and the only son of the youngest son."

He told his cousin that today, Mrs. Cheng'en Hou Shizi returned to Chang'an from the capital with her two children to visit relatives. On the surface, she only brought Du Qi with her. In fact, she also brought with her three other people, namely Wu Wen'an's second daughter-in-law. surname, the second son's youngest daughter Wu Qiong, and the youngest son's only son Wu Ke.

When there was a fire in Kunning Palace, a fire broke out in the Wu family on the same day. It was rumored that all the Wu family members died in the fire, but in fact some people survived.

A few days before the accident, the second young wife of the Wu family, Gui Shi, had a quarrel with her husband. She ran back to her parents' home angrily, accidentally had fetal gas, and gave birth to a baby girl at her parents' home. When the news came back to the Wu family, the second young master of the Wu family hurriedly went to apologize to his wife, but Gui insisted on finishing the confinement period at his parents' house, so the Wu family had no choice but to acquiesce.

Wu Ke, the only son of the third young master of the Wu family, was originally the youngest among his peers. When he learned that he had a younger sister, he wanted to see her, so he hid it from his family and secretly ran home with only an entourage. It was getting late at that time, so Gui asked his brother and sister-in-law to stay with his nephew for the night, and sent his eldest son back to the Wu family to report the news. Unexpectedly, there was a fire in the Wu family that night, and Gui's mother and daughter and Wu Ke became the only survivors among the more than 100 members of the Wu family.

After the Wu family's accident, the emperor seemed indifferent. He neither ordered the Jingzhao Mansion to find out the truth about the fire, nor did he pursue or grant any favor to Wu Wen'an. There was a lot of discussion between the government and the public. The Sun family also secretly sent many people to the capital to search for and escape. Rumors spread among the Wu family or relatives and friends of the Wu family. When they returned home, they knew that it was the Sun family that had harmed the Wu family, but judging from the emperor's attitude, they did not dare to complain on behalf of their in-laws. As in-laws of the Wu family, they were also targeted by the Sun family. It was already very difficult to protect themselves. They did not immediately hand over Gui Shi who was in confinement and Gui's daughter for the sake of blood ties. . But many relatives and friends knew that Gui gave birth at her parents' home. How long could such a thing be kept secret?

The Gui family and their daughter are just female relatives, but Wu Ke is the male member of the Wu family, and their weight is different. If the Sun family knew that he was not dead, they would never let him go! When he returned home, he didn't want to get into trouble, so he persuaded his daughter to hand Wu Ke over. By handing over Wu Ke, Gui's mother and daughter might be able to save their lives. When I return home, I am so ruthless for the sake of my own flesh and blood.

However, Gui couldn't bear to do this.

She was still in her confinement at the time. She was saddened by the tragic death of her husband's eldest son, and was shocked by the injustice done to the Wu family by the royal family. She was scared and confused, and she didn't understand how the wealthy and prosperous father-in-law's family could be together overnight. They were all reduced to ashes, and even the queen and the legitimate prince died in mysterious circumstances. She was unwilling to accept this fact and wanted to stand up, hoping that her husband's eldest son's grievances would be vindicated. She felt that her father-in-law had so many old disciples, and sooner or later he would die in mourning. If she handed Wu Ke over, wouldn't it mean that she had betrayed her husband's family and cut off the Wu family's future? Even if she saves her and her daughter's lives, outsiders will think she is too cruel and heartless. Her daughter will be unable to hold her head up for the rest of her life if she has such a bad-reputed mother!

Gui gritted her teeth and protected Wu Ke, taking him with her and taking care of him with her daughter. No matter who tried to persuade her, she refused to hand him over.

Gui's family is very helpless and cannot force it. Because their family was targeted by the Sun family, the head of the family was quickly demoted and would soon be leaving Beijing to take up a local post. Even if the house in Beijing is your own property and the mainstay of the family as officials has left, who can protect the female family members? Therefore, Gui's family planned to go to work together as a family, leaving only one room of family members to look after the house. They were willing to take Gui's mother and daughter who were not yet pregnant, but they didn't want to take the risk of taking Wu Ke away. If the Sun family knew that they had not only taken in their daughter and granddaughter, but also protected a Wu family heir, they didn't know what kind of attacks and frame-ups they would face!

At this time, Empress Dowager Zhou's envoy found his way home.

Empress Dowager Zhou and Wu Zhou, the wife of Duke Wu Wen'an, are full-blood sisters. The latter was the eldest sister, who had just passed away. The one daughter and three sons she left behind, including Empress Wu, are all close nephews of Empress Dowager Zhou. After the Empress Dowager Zhou learned that Gui had given birth to a daughter in her natal family, she kept thinking about it. Seeing that Gui was demoted from the capital, she sent someone to take Gui's mother and daughter into the palace. No matter how arrogant the Sun family is, there is no way they can break into Cining Palace and kill people, right?

The confidants sent by the Empress Dowager Zhou did not know until they arrived at Guijia that there were not only Gui's mother and daughter, but also a little Wu Ke.

The palace man made a prompt decision and brought the three of them into the palace. He also dressed up Xiao Wu Ke as a little maid, thinking that he was a follower of Gui's mother and daughter. The Empress Dowager Zhou was very surprised to see the person. Not only did she keep the person in Cining Palace, but she also immediately ordered the palace to be closed to foreign visitors.

On the surface, Empress Dowager Zhou closed the palace on her own because she was dissatisfied with the emperor's indifferent attitude towards the tragic deaths of Empress Wu, her son and the Wu family, and her partial favor and protection of Concubine Sun. She refused to see any concubines in the harem, royal relatives and A foreigner's wife.

But in fact, Queen Mother Zhou wanted to prevent the outside world from knowing that she was raising two orphans of the Wu family in Cining Palace, and she did not want Concubine Sun to hurt them.

The three survivors of the Wu family lived in Cining Palace for several years. Concubine Sun dominates the harem, but she has no idea about it. But then the sixth prince died suddenly. Concubine Sun suspected that her son had been murdered and that the murderer came from Cining Palace, so she led the palace guards to make a fuss and broke into Cining Palace to search.

Although the incident was later stopped by the emperor who arrived and Concubine Sun was comforted and left, Empress Dowager Zhou still felt that it was too dangerous. In order to save the three Wu family members, she asked Mrs. Chengenhou to cooperate in sending them out of the palace and quietly placed them in Chengenhou's mansion.

The three Wu family members lived in Chengenhou Mansion for several years. But recently, the Queen Mother Zhou felt unwell and worried that her life would not last long. She was afraid that after her death, the Marquis of Chengen would lose her shelter and the safety of the three Wu family members would not be guaranteed, so she decided to send her to Chang'an.

(End of this chapter)