Chapter 445 A Heinous Act Against Heaven and Morality

Chapter 445 A Heinous Act Against Heaven and Morality

Though she had been gone for less than four months, she claimed it was four months, blurring the exact number of days.

Though she could have conceived the day before she left, she led Lady Lu to believe it happened a month earlier.

Erya sobbed continuously, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head.

Lady Lu, already irrational with rage, wished she could tear Erya apart with her bare hands.

Now, deliberately misled by Fang Jinxiu, she didn't even notice.

"Look at this wretch's belly. How big does it seem?"

The old women, all experienced, agreed that showing at four to five months would be noticeable, but Erya's belly only looked like it was around three months along.

No matter how one looked at it, it wasn't a four to five-month belly.

With time distorted by Fang Jinxiu's manipulation, Lady Lu was convinced that this couldn't possibly be a four to five-month belly.

"Three months? Then the timing doesn't match up. You little wretch, you must have brought back a bastard to deceive us."

"Wuuu..." Erya's mouth was covered, preventing her from speaking, leaving her only to cry and shake her head.

Fang Jinxiu continued to fan the flames beside them.

"Mama, why has our family been plagued with so many misfortunes lately? First, Grandfather passed away, then Father, and now Lu Shen is missing. And now there's this bastard. Could it be that we've been cursed?"

Lady Lu thought about how the old man had died shortly after Erya returned with her swollen belly, followed by her husband's death.

She wondered if this wretch was indeed the source of their family's curse.

Growing angrier, she shouted, "How dare you! You've deceived me. Guards, bring a dose of abortifacient and get rid of this wretch."

Fang Jinxiu wanted Erya dead, not just expelled. Upon hearing that Erya would be given an abortifacient and then expelled, she was not pleased.

"Mama, this wretch came here with a bastard to deceive us. Isn't expelling her too lenient?"

Lady Lu turned to look at Fang Jinxiu, narrowing her eyes.

She thought, no matter what, Erya was still her daughter, born of the same parents. Was she really so heartless as to want her dead?

"What else?" Lady Lu asked coldly. "Lu Shen gave her a release document and registered it with the government. She's now a commoner. If a commoner dies in our household, do you think it will make things any better?"

Fang Jinxiu was momentarily speechless.

She realized she had acted too hastily.

Still, it was for the best. Given Lu Shen's condition, conceiving once was already a stroke of luck.

After the abortion, her body would be ruined. Even if Lu Shen took her back, she doubted a barren field could ever sprout again.

"Mama is right."

Erya, naked and restrained, remained in the room while Lady Lu ordered someone to buy the abortifacient.

The funeral preparations were ongoing, and she was busy.

She had thought it would only take a moment to check on the two pregnant women, but it had turned into a significant delay.

Outside, everything was draped in white mourning clothes. Gradually, Lady Lu's anger subsided, and she sighed sadly.

Even though she didn't want to admit it, she had to face reality.

The Lu family was likely to decline from this point on.

"Lady," a maid rushed in, "the Princess's residence sent a gift."

Lady Lu was taken aback. "From the Empress Dowager's attendant?"

"No, from Consort Chen's attendant."

Consort Chen?

She recalled Zheng Jinyu.

She couldn't help wondering if things would have been better if their plan had succeeded and they had married Zheng Jinyu.

Zheng Jinyu was a legitimate daughter of the Zheng family, with blood from both the Zheng and Cui families.

She had met Zheng Jinyu several times and spoken with her. In terms of demeanor and conduct, Zheng Jinyu was far superior to Fang Jinxiu.

Thinking this, she spat angrily, "A phoenix is a phoenix; no matter how pampered a chicken may be, it can never compare."

The maid looked confused.

"Where is Consort Chen's attendant?"

"They've already left."

Lady Lu was stunned.

Ah, well, gone is gone.

...

Erya cried pitifully, insisting that her child was Lu Shen's and that she had only been with him. However, it made no difference.

Madam Lu attributed all the recent misfortunes in the manor to her bringing in an illegitimate child. She considered it sheer luck that Erya was still alive.

Erya was held down by several elderly women and forcibly fed abortifacient medicine.

After drinking it, they did not let her leave but confined her in a side courtyard, with several servants watching over her.

By nightfall, the effects of the drug kicked in, and Erya writhed on the ground in agony, constantly begging for mercy. Her forehead bled from hitting the ground, yet the elderly women looked at her coldly.

Madam Lu feared that if she died, it would cause trouble, so she ordered someone to give her a bowl of ginseng soup to keep her alive.

The ordeal continued until midnight when the child finally came out.

One of the elderly women saw the dead fetus on the ground and hurried to report to Madam Lu, "Madam, it's come out."

Madam Lu asked, "Is she still alive?"

"Yes, she's still breathing."

Madam Lu’s heart eased, and she waved her hand, "Have someone watch her. Don't let her die. As soon as the curfew is over, send her back immediately."

Lu Shen had previously arranged a residence for their family, which was very close to the Lu Manor. They could quickly reach it through the back door.

At the third watch, before dawn, the Lu family secretly carried a woman in a sack out through the back door and left her in front of a small courtyard.

The leading elderly woman knocked loudly on the door. At first, there was no response, so she knocked a few more times before a young boy's voice came from inside.

"Who is it?"

The elderly woman knocked again and then quickly left with the others.

Sanbao found it strange and yawned as he opened the door.

Seeing nothing at first, he was about to go back to bed when something on the ground moved.

Sanbao rubbed his eyes and saw that something was indeed moving in the sack, which startled him awake.

Gathering his courage, he bent down and carefully lifted the sack, only to find a person inside.

He did not know it was Erya at first, and the sight of a person scared him so much that he sat down on the ground.

At this moment, Erya weakly spoke from inside the sack, "Sanbao, it's me."

"Ah?" Sanbao's voice trembled, "Second Sister?"

"Yes, it's me. Quickly... help me inside."

Sanbao was still in shock, "Second Sister, weren't you supposed to be enjoying yourself at the Lu Manor? How did you end up like this?"

"Don't... don't ask now. Quickly... get me inside."

A twelve-year-old boy managed to drag and pull her into the house.

Sanbao took her out of the sack and helped her onto the bed, using all his strength.

"Second Sister, how did you get into such a state?"

Indeed, she had been stripped naked and struggled on the ground all night.