Chapter 16: Heavy Pupils

  The maid of the Zheng family hurriedly led Zheng Suheng in, saying diligently: "Madam is in the upper house of Xiaoying Xuan in the inner courtyard, and Master is also there."

  Xiao Qing Xuan, the inner courtyard where Zheng Nuo Yan used to live. Although she has passed away, Master Zheng still orders people to clean this courtyard regularly, and the monthly allowance is still allocated to the servants of Xiao Qing Xuan as usual, without any interruption, just like Zheng Nuo Yan was still alive.

  Zheng Suxin burst into tears, choking with sobs: "Sister left so early, no wonder Dad and Mom can't accept it. Every time I think about it, I cry, let alone them?" While speaking, she wiped away her tears and had already gotten into the sedan chair heading towards the second gate.

  Arriving at the inner courtyard of Xiao Qing Xuan, Zheng Su Heng paid her respects to Old Master Zheng and Madame Kang, advising: "Father, mother, you must restrain your grief."

  Mr. Zheng is over fifty years old, but he still looks well-preserved, with a clear and refined face, a pair of large and slender phoenix eyes, and a short beard under his chin, which makes him look more steady and calm.

  Kang was a concubine, ten years younger than Zheng Da Lao Ye. Now she is also over forty, but her charm remains. A pair of peach blossom eyes, white and tender skin, only with some relaxation at the corners of her eyes, already having fish tail wrinkles.

  "Suxin is back." Old Master Zheng said politely, "Sit down."

  Zheng Suxin sat down on a velvet couch beside Old Master Zheng.

  Kang wiped the corner of his eye and said: "I'll go tell the kitchen to prepare Su Xin's favorite dishes."

  Zheng Suxin hastily stood up and said: "Mother, don't worry, I'll just sit for a bit and then I'll be back. The family can't do without me." The family she was referring to was of course the Wu family.

  She is no longer a member of the Zheng family.

  Thinking of her early deceased daughter, Kang was very melancholy. She stroked the embroidered silk pillow on the couch and shook her head, saying: "We thought about it, but we didn't have this blessing."

  Zheng Suxin didn't want her mother to be too heartbroken, so she said: "I just came back from the family temple, I went to pay respects to my sister and saw someone." When she said this, her eyes glanced around.

  Kang waved his hand slightly, and the servants in the house went out.

  Zheng Suxin and others had all gone out before she lowered her voice to say: "...I saw the Second Prince Xia Zhao today. He's back."

  Today, in Zhengjia Temple, the monk who was worshiping Zheng Xiang Rong was actually the Second Prince Xia Zhao.

  As soon as it was mentioned that it was him, Kang's face turned red with anger and he scolded: "He still has the nerve to come back?! It's all because of him that we're in this situation!"

  Zheng Suxin let out a sigh.

  The Great Xia Empire has a family rule: the four major families are not allowed to intermarry with the imperial family.

  The second prince Xia Zhao fell in love with Zheng Xiang Rong at first sight, and they had a passionate romance, but were bound by their ancestral teachings and ultimately could not be together.

  Zheng Xiangrong fell ill and never recovered, passing away just after her 16th birthday.

  The second prince Xia Zhao was accused by the crown prince of violating ancestral teachings and being unfit to be a member of the royal family, and he wanted to expel him.

  Xia Zhao Yi was enraged and heartbroken over Zheng Xiang Rong's death, so he shaved his head to become a monk, left the imperial palace, and went to Da Jue Temple in the south where his mother, Empress Jiang, had taken her vows.

  After he left, Empress Jiang hanged herself in the palace.

  The year Zheng Xiang Rong passed away was also a tumultuous one in the capital, only slightly better than the year the Sheng family was slaughtered.

  For a thousand years, the four families of Zhou, Wu, Zheng and Sheng had never married their daughters into the imperial family, nor had any princess ever been married off to one of these four families. This created a good balance. There was never an external relative who could pose a threat to the emperor's power, but at the same time, the four families were able to survive until the generation of Emperor Xiaoming, when Old Master Sheng lost control and severely injured the emperor, angering the empress dowager, resulting in the downfall of his family.

  Fortunately, it has not been exterminated yet, otherwise the other three major families will not sit idly by.

  Zheng Da sighed and said, "Don't blame him. As a prince, he can give up his royal status for the sake of thinking about Rong'er, this kind of human feeling is enough."

  Kang's crying gradually subsided.

  Zheng Suxin couldn't sit still anymore, stood up and said: "This news, the two of you knowing is enough. The Crown Prince... if he finds out, it'll be terrible."

  Mr. Zheng nodded in agreement.

  At first, the Crown Prince actually deliberately grasped this pretext and squeezed out the Second Prince.

  Because Emperor Xiaoming had only two sons, one was Crown Prince Xia Qi born to Empress Zhao, and the other was Second Prince Xia Zhao born to Consort Jiang.

  Originally as the empress's eldest son and crown prince, he didn't need to squeeze his only younger brother like this.

  However, the second prince Xia Zhao was deeply loved by Empress Dowager and had been raised in her palace since birth, personally taught and nurtured by her, much closer than the Crown Prince.

  Later, Emperor Xiaoming suddenly fell ill in bed, unable to see, speak or move. For the past ten years, Empress Dowager had been in charge of state affairs and her power grew daily, which also elevated the status of the two princes. The empress and crown prince were finally getting anxious.

  If it weren't for the Zheng Xiang Rong incident, the Crown Prince really had no way to drive the Second Prince out of the capital.

  "Don't worry, we won't mention this matter. Besides, the second prince is also here to pay respects to Xiang Rong, and we're not even done rejoicing yet, how could we possibly go cause trouble for him? You're worrying too much." Zheng Da Lao Ye said with a warm tone, and went to pat Kang Shi's shoulder, softly comforting her.

  Zheng Suxin sighed in her heart. Father is such a good man, it's just that her mother didn't have the fortune...

  "Mother, please grieve no more. Your daughter has been gone for so long, and if you continue to be so heartbroken, she won't even rest in peace under the nine springs." Zheng Suhui tried to persuade Kangshi, personally handing her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

  Kang said with emotion: "I understand. But today is her memorial day, I feel sad in my heart, and crying for a while will be okay."

  Zheng Suxin chatted a few more sentences before returning to the Wu residence.

  She was really tired and went to arrange dinner, then she went back to her room to rest.

  "Mother, mother, you're back!" A little girl like a fairy sprang out of her room and said with a smile.

  "Juan'er, you're being naughty again." Zheng Suxin felt all her fatigue disappear as soon as she saw her daughter, and couldn't help but smile as the little girl climbed onto her lap, hugging her neck and acting coquettishly.

  Zheng Suxin's daughter, Wu Yujiao, is only seven years old this year. She was born to be very beautiful, with a snowy white complexion, emerald green eyebrows, a small and high nose, moist lips, especially a pair of lively big eyes, which are even more extraordinary.

  Zheng Suxin looked at her daughter's eyes with satisfaction, her heart full of pride.

  This daughter, when she was first born, was both blind and foolish. At that time, she felt as if the sky was going to collapse, unable to understand why she had always been kind to others yet couldn't even give birth to a healthy child!

  But she didn't give up. She carefully studied the medical prescriptions of the Sheng family and finally found a useful prescription that cured her daughter's eyes.

  The day her daughter opened her eyes left everyone in awe.

  Because those were not ordinary eyes, but a pair of heterochromia iridum!

  The Double Pupil Theory was something people of the Great Xia Empire had only heard of in ancient texts, but never actually seen.

  It is said that only saints are born with double pupils, and they can see all kinds of changes in the world, and everything is revealed under their gaze.

  Wu Juanjuan, a girl who was born blind, surprisingly had double pupils!

  ……