"Alas!" Mu Shaoling sighed deeply. He announced the death, first to punish that girl, and second because he didnāt want her to keep using the Mu Familyās name to do misdeeds. But who would have thought sheād actually die?
In an instant, he seemed to have aged a lot.
The same went for Commandery Princess Dongyang; among her three children, her attention was most on Huarong, but unfortunately, this child turned out worst.
No matter how bad, she was still her daughter. Now that sheās dead, how could she not be heartbroken?
"Mother, Iām sorry," Mu Huaen said softly. "I didnāt tell you and father about this in time." Yet they proceeded with the wedding at that moment.
"Itās also okay not to say." Commandery Princess Dongyang sighed. "These days, there have been too many rumors in the Capital City about our Mu Family. Though the events on your wedding day were contained within the residence, guests were still suspicious. In such times, mentioning her matters would only add to the gossip about the Mu Family, possibly dragging the Ye Family into it. Better not to speak."
"Sheās gone, that girl is just gone like that, without care for life or blessings."
Seeing that his in-laws seemed to accept the matter with ease, Ye Haoyang started speaking about Mu Yubing.
"Father-in-law, did the Mu Family ever mistreat Mu Yubing?"
"Who would have thought it was her?" Mu Shaoling sighed at mentioning Mu Yubing. "Back then, I said the fire was so sudden and strange; there were many people in the manor, and the fire didnāt start in her room. She had plenty of time to escape. So why did she end up burning to death?"
"Mistreatment?" Mu Shaoling shook his head. "I donāt think we mistreated her at all, but in her mind, she probably felt differently."
"Thereās something you kids donāt know." After a pause, Mu Shaoling continued, "Yubing is actually not my child. My children are only Chengcheng, Huarong, and Huaāen. When Concubine Tong passed away, she sent someone to tell me, hoping Iād consider her selfless motherly love during her short remaining life and record Yubing as a legitimate daughter under your motherās name."
"But I did not agree to this. As a parent, oneās priority is naturally oneās own children, then others. If I had given her the status of a legitimate daughter, what about Huarong and Huaāen? Making Huarong be overshadowed by her, that was clearly intolerable to me. This matter was not hidden from her; if she resents us for this, itās understandable."
"Father-in-law, did Mu Yubing know sheās not your child?"
"Of course she didnāt know." Mu Shaoling sighed. "Even her mother didnāt know."
Now it wasnāt just Ye Haoyang; even Mu Huaen found it strange.
"Dad, how could even her mother not know who her childās father is?"
Mu Shaoling, naturally unwilling to discuss those past matters with the younger generation, simply said, "These are unnecessary for you to know."
Even without elaboration, Ye Haoyang felt he could understand why Mu Yubing targeted the Mu Family.
In aristocratic families, difference between being a legitimate daughter and a foster daughter is just one word, but their futures are worlds apartāespecially since the family heir would never marry a foster daughter.
Mu Yubing probably felt that her father-in-law had no father-daughter affection for her, only caring for the other two daughters, without considering her future, completely ignoring her existence. Then later, being confined to the manor, she perhaps believed the Mu Residence couldnāt tolerate her anymore, eventually choosing to fake her death.