Chapter 692 Tattling

Chapter 692: Telling Tales

Xingxing didn’t dare say a word.

Gui Geer didn’t dare say a word either.

Fortunately, Bai Xiaofeng had only mentioned Gui Geer’s injury because Yu Chongen’s wound reminded her of it, and she didn’t suspect anything. They quickly moved on.

Everyone sighed for a while, then seized the chance to lecture the unmarried boys in the family, telling them not to be as irresponsible as Yu Chongen when it came time for them to marry.

After the lecture, they sighed in relief looking at Xingxing, glad that their Xingxing would never be as foolish as that Second Miss Wei.

Then, they all came up with ways to raise Miaomiao properly, just as they had raised Xingxing, making sure she wouldn’t turn out wrong.

—And it wasn’t just the Yu family. The scandal between Yu Chongen and Wei Shuangyan was a harsh wake-up call for noble families across the capital.

Even Emperor Jiazheng and Empress Nie in the palace heard about it.

Emperor Jiazheng summoned the Heir Apparent of the Duke of Xinguo and the Jiping Commandery Prince to the palace, giving them an earful and ordering them to return home and reflect on their actions.

With the Duke of Xinguo’s household facing one misfortune after another, even Third Aunt Jiao was wearing a worried frown.

She went out and returned with a mysterious air, went to find Jiao Shi. “...Don’t you think your household has been plagued by too much bad luck lately? Could something evil be at play?”

Jiao Shi’s heart lurched.

This wasn’t the first time she’d heard such talk.

Third Aunt Jiao gestured toward Yu Mingzhu’s courtyard. “...Today, I went out for tea and heard a storyteller recount a tale. It was about two families in the countryside—one moderately wealthy, the other so poor they could barely eat. The poor family’s wife worked as a wet nurse for the wealthy family. She gave in to greed, and she swapped her own son with the wealthy family’s newborn heir!”

Jiao Shi’s heart pounded wildly. “Why are you telling me this—”

But Third Aunt Jiao pressed on. “Let me finish. The wealthy family raised the poor woman’s son as their own, showering him with love and luxury, while the poor family worked the wealthy family’s true heir like a slave. Guess what happened? On her deathbed, the poor woman’s conscience tormented her, and she confessed the truth to the wealthy family’s real son. The real son then went to his birth parents to reveal the truth, but after years of backbreaking labor, malnutrition, and neglect, he was skinny, sunburnt, and stunted. How could the wealthy family recognize him as their own?”

“The wealthy family turned their real son away at the door. Instead, they spent a fortune to secure a minor official post for the poor woman’s son. But once the imposter became an official, he abused his power to have the real son killed—and even left his corpse exposed in the wilderness! How cruel!”

“As fate would have it, the wealthy family eventually learned the truth about their real son’s tragic death. Any normal person would seek vengeance, right? But no—the wealthy family thought, ‘Our real son is already dead, and now we only have this official son left to depend on for our old age.’ So they continued doting on the imposter. And guess what? That official son got involved in a rebellion! When the plot failed, the entire family was sentenced to execution in the autumn!”

Third Aunt Jiao told the story with vivid detail, and Jiao Shi listened intently, her blood running cold at the mention of “execution.”

Her heart raced uncontrollably.

But Third Aunt Jiao wasn’t done. Lowering her voice, she continued, “There’s more. As the wealthy family was being carted to the execution grounds, an old Taoist priest happened to pass by. He took one look at the wealthy man’s face and cried out, ‘This shouldn’t be!’ He said the man’s fortune should have been one of prosperity, with many descendants and a peaceful old age—how had it come to this? The priest then cast a divination and grew even more puzzled. He asked the wealthy man, ‘You were destined to have a son descended from the Star of Literature, ensuring a life blessed by your descendants. What happened?’”

“The wealthy man broke down in tears and confessed the child-swapping. The priest recalculated but shook his head. ‘No, if you had reclaimed your real son and restored the Star of Literature to his rightful place, you could still have enjoyed those blessings. But by allowing an unworthy impostor to prosper—even helping him secure an official position—you signed your family’s death warrant with your own hands!’”

After this long tale, Third Aunt Jiao paused to sip her tea, her throat dry. Then she looked at Jiao Shi, who’d gone pale as a ghost.

“Sister-in-law, though this was just a storyteller’s tale, he claimed it was based on true events from the previous dynasty—not something he made up.” Third Aunt Jiao spoke earnestly. “Mother has also written back, saying that since your and the Heir Apparent’s daughter is still missing, you should send people to search for her and set things right as soon as possible.”

Jiao Shi’s thoughts were in turmoil. “But... Mingzhu would be devastated...”

Third Aunt Jiao couldn’t help raising her voice. “Sister-in-law, you’re out of your mind! Mingzhu has lived in luxury all these years in the Duke of Xinguo’s household, while your real daughter is out there somewhere—who knows whether she’s alive or dead, or what kind of suffering she’s endured? How can you bear it?!... Even if Mingzhu is upset, how could it compare to the misery your real daughter must have faced?”

Every word hit Jiao Shi like a punch, her face growing paler.

She wrung her hands, her gaze flustered. “...I know. Don’t worry, Mother and Father-in-law must have already sent people to search...”

Third Aunt Jiao was speechless. “Don’t worry”? What kind of nonsense is that?!

That’s her birth daughter, not mine—I’m just the aunt!

Third Sister-in-law Jiao was absolutely furious!

She couldn't help but let her expression darken and said coldly, "Little Sister, let me be blunt. Haven’t you noticed? So many misfortunes have befallen the Duke of Xinguo's residence these past two years—perhaps precisely because you all know Ming Zhu isn’t your own flesh and blood, yet refuse to correct the situation, thus sapping the household’s luck!"

Jiao Shi's face grew even paler.

She’d heard this before.

In the dead of night, she couldn’t help but dwell on the same idea.

It was all too coincidental—the string of misfortunes in the Duke’s residence seemed to have started around the time Ming Zhu’s true parentage came to light…

Could it really be because of this?

"But…" Jiao Shi hesitated, "Zhu Zhu has already been engaged to become the Fourth Prince Consort. In at most two years, she’ll be married. I thought… at the very least, let her leave the Duke’s residence as a bride, to maintain appearances…"

"After all, our birth daughter hasn’t been found yet," Jiao Shi mumbled. "Once she’s found, I’ll surely give her the honor and love she deserves—unlike in those tales…"

Third Sister-in-law was even more exasperated.

She didn’t want to persuade anymore.

No use wasting breath on the willfully blind.

If this weren’t her husband’s sister, she wouldn’t bother at all!

"Still, Third Sister-in-law, what you said makes some sense. Maybe our family’s misfortunes are due to some ill omen." Jiao Shi fretted. "What if… I invite the monks from White Horse Temple to chant sutras and hold a purification ceremony?"

Third Sister-in-law sighed. "I suppose. Better than sitting idle… Alright, I haven’t visited Chong En today. I’ll check on him before heading back."

Jiao Shi nodded and escorted her out.

Sitting back in her chair, Jiao Shi couldn’t help but see Xingxing’s face in her mind.

Though she told Third Sister-in-law it was just a coincidence…

From the very first moment she saw Xingxing, Jiao Shi had felt a strange pull between them.

It was a feeling difficult to articulate.

Though she wouldn’t say it aloud, deep down, in her subconscious, she had already accepted that Xingxing was her lost daughter.

Without proof, Jiao Shi could still tell herself it was because there was no evidence. She couldn’t just storm into the Yu family and declare, "The child you’ve raised as your own for years is actually my stolen daughter!"—she’d surely be thrown out.

Jiao Shi consoled herself—Xingxing was living well with the Yu family, doted on by every member, just as well as in the Duke’s household.

…There was no rush to reclaim her.

With that thought, Jiao Shi finally let out a shaky breath.

But the more she chewed over Third Sister-in-law’s accusations, the more uneasy she grew.

Jiao Shi abruptly went to seek out Yu Mingzhu.

Yu Mingzhu was in her room, painting.

The painting depicted a handsome, refined young man, hands behind his back, turning with a luminous smile under the glow of lanterns.

Admittedly, Yu Mingzhu painted exceptionally well, with the portrait so lifelike—who else could it be but the Fourth Prince?

Seeing Jiao Shi enter, Yu Mingzhu blushed and murmured, "Mother."

The ink on the painting was still wet; she couldn’t hide it even if she tried.

At the sight of Yu Mingzhu, Jiao Shi's tangled thoughts settled slightly.

No matter what, this was the little girl she had genuinely doted on for over a decade—from when she was just a tiny thing to now, old enough to be betrothed...

"Zhu Zhu, is this the Fourth Prince?" Jiao Shi asked gently with a smile.

Yu Mingzhu nodded shyly. "I missed the Fourth Prince's birthday earlier, so I wanted to gift him this painting."

Since they were already engaged, Jiao Shi didn’t press further.

After a few compliments, Jiao Shi changed the subject. "Zhu Zhu, in a few days, I want to burn incense at White Horse Temple outside the city. Will you accompany me?"

Yu Mingzhu hesitated briefly before readily agreeing, "Of course, Mother. Actually, I’d like to get a protective charm for Second Brother as well." Then, as if casually, she asked, "But what brought this on?"

Jiao Shi couldn’t possibly tell Yu Mingzhu that her Third Aunt claimed the recent misfortunes in the household were due to her—a fake daughter stealing the real one’s place.

Instead, Jiao Shi gave a vague smile. "When your second brother was injured, I prayed to the Bodhisattva for his recovery. Now that his condition has stabilized, it’s time to fulfill my vow."

Reassured, she didn’t question it, nodding. "Then I’ll gladly go with you, Mother."

Jiao Shi gazed at Yu Mingzhu tenderly, sighing with emotion. "Having a daughter truly is a blessing. Look—your eldest brother drifts around in a daze, devoid of spirit; your second brother is reckless and just got himself into serious trouble; and your third brother, though no trouble at all, is off traveling and didn’t even return for the New Year. In the end, it’s only you, Zhu Zhu, who stays by my side."

Yu Mingzhu leaned against Jiao Shi’s shoulder. "Mother, Mingzhu will never leave your side. Whenever you need me, I’ll be here."

Deeply moved, Jiao Shi thought, *Can you blame me for clinging to her?*

Look at her Zhu Zhu—so sweet and devoted! And then there was Xingxing, who, despite being her flesh and blood, kept her at arm’s length, treating others better than her own mother!

Even when Jiao Shi had gone to plead with her last time, Xingxing had remained unmoved!

They weren’t just estranged—they might as well be strangers!

Bitterness welled up in Jiao Shi. If the Dowager Duchess of Xin were present and knew her thoughts, she would likely point at Jiao Shi’s nose in fury and scold:

*How dare you complain that Xingxing treats others better than you, her own mother? Look at how you’ve treated her!*

*Day after day, you put on airs in front of her, showering Yu Mingzhu with affection right before her eyes, putting on a mother-daughter act that would put an opera to shame! And you still expect Xingxing to treat you well?!*

*You—!*

...

When Wei Shuangyan stabbed Yu Chongen, an innocent life was initially involved as well.

Though Fang Ai was a chaste courtesan, her contract still belonged to the brothel madam. The Jiping Commandery Prince paid the madam two thousand taels of silver, and with a beaming smile, she surrendered Fang Ai’s contract—effectively selling off her life.

No one regarded a brothel woman’s life as valuable.

—Except for Fang Ai’s childhood sweetheart.

Defying all expectations, Fang Ai’s sweetheart gritted his teeth and went to strike the Heaven-Drum to demand justice.

He took twenty brutal lashes, and filed a lawsuit with the imperial court regarding Fang Ai's death.

He was determined to make those who drove Fang Ai to her death pay the price.

The Jiping Commandery Prince and his wife personally sought out Fang Ai’s childhood friend, offering thousands in silver in exchange for his withdrawal of the accusation.

The man’s face bore severe burn scars, severely disfigured, yet his eyes burned with a fierce determination, making them unnervingly bright.

He coughed up blood: "I want nothing. I’m terminally ill and won’t live much longer! But I will make you nobles pay the price you deserve!"

The Jiping Commandery Prince’s household tried every means—both threats and bribes—but Fang Ai’s friend stubbornly refused to withdraw the lawsuit, determined to seek final justice for her.

Though Fang Ai’s contract bound her to the brothel, making her not a free woman, even the lowborn could not be killed without consequence.

This was the kind of case that would go unnoticed if no one raised it.

Yet Fang Ai’s friend alone exposed the truth.

Emperor Jiazheng personally issued an edict ordering the Dali Temple to oversee the case.

Wei Shuangyan was ultimately arrested and imprisoned in the royal prison.

Having endured so much in recent days, and with the Jiping Commandery Prince adamant about not letting her keep the child… in the end, she lost the baby.

Wei Shuangyan, weakened from the recent miscarriage, lay on the prison’s straw bedding, her face ghostly pale, a single tear slipping from the corner of her eye.