Chapter 163: Black and White of the World

Chapter 163: The Black and White of the World

Qin Jiao's question was like a stone dropped into an abyss—it went unanswered for a long time.

From start to finish, Hu Yuyun just held her child and wept in silence. Her hair was a mess, her eyes blank as she stared ahead, like a puppet with its strings cut.

Finally, Zhang Fei couldn't take it anymore and spoke up for her: "Yuyun and Wang Ge also have a thirteen-year-old son named Wang Lin. Wang Lin is really sick and needs a ton of money, so..."

"So to save my oldest boy's life, I had no choice but to keep having kids for other people to make money..."

Hu Yuyun's voice was cracking. "I had no other choice. I couldn't just sit there and watch him die. I'm just a woman—where the hell was I supposed to earn that kind of money..." She hunched over, trying to kiss the little girl in her arms. "The only thing I had left to sell was myself."

The sun was slowly going down, and the dark of dusk settled over Hu Yuyun. With the light behind her, Qin Jiao could barely see her face.

He Zhao and Xiao Baiyu listened, their feelings all over the place, but Shen Fuqing stayed sharp as a tack. Years of hearing cases at the Grand Court had taught him to see right through the surface to what was really going on.

So he called out Hu Yuyun's self-deception without pulling any punches: "You think you're some great mother, but your son is alive because three daughters bled for him."

Then Shen Fuqing turned to Wang Ge. "And anyway, raising a kid shouldn't just fall on the mother. Since Wang Lin is your son too, what part did you play in all this?"

"He played the pimp."

Old memories slowly came back to Hu Yuyun: "Actually, the whole idea of having kids for money was Wang Ge's to begin with. I said no at first, but he—he just locked me in a room with Master Qian...

To this day, I still remember that night—the fighting, the confusion, and those heavy five hundred taels in my hands... My conscience and reality were tearing me apart. Lin'er's life or my future—how was I supposed to pick?"

She didn't need to say the rest. The three dead baby girls and the one she was holding right now already told everyone everything they needed to know.

"Everyone in the neighborhood knows about Yuyun," Zhang Fei sighed. "At first we thought it was messed up too, but then we saw how pathetic her situation was, so we'd lend a hand when we could."

Shen Fuqing raised an eyebrow, not agreeing or disagreeing with Zhang Fei. Next to him, Xie Nai frowned a little, his face heavy with worry.

Hu Yuyun continued: "Later, since the first baby I had was a girl, Master Qian was disgusted, and since Ni'er didn't get picked as the 'Xiaoxiang Divine Maiden,' Wang Ge waited till I wasn't looking and threw her into the baby tower.

After that, people in the neighborhood talked shit about him, saying he was pimping out his own wife. I guess he suddenly wanted to save face, so he stopped making me have kids for other people.

But I was willing to do whatever it took. Every time I saw Lin'er smile at me, I figured the crap I went through wasn't so bad. Ain't everyone born to suffer? Face is just a thin skin—keeping it or not, I don't give a damn..."

Wang Ge was the one who got dosed with the numbing powder, but right now, Hu Yuyun seemed more out of it. Her gaze was dull, her voice a murmur: "Later, I hid it from Wang Ge and found Master Li, Master Zheng, and Master Liu on my own. And so, year after year, I listened to Wang Ge curse me as a slut, a sow...

Wang Ge is a ruthless man. When he saw that Lin'er had become simple-minded, he tried several times to throw him into the baby tower too. I was afraid Wang Ge would truly lose all conscience and harm his own son, so half of the money I earned went to Lin'er's treatment, and the other half supported Wang Ge. I didn't want to swallow my anger with him either... but I had no choice. Lin'er is my life, and my daughters—I wanted them to live too!"

The evening glow on the horizon was gradually devoured by the blue-black of night. A long, gentle breeze rustled the locust tree leaves, and the soft rustling mingled with Hu Yuyun's choked sobs, stirring a complex mix of emotions in everyone present.

Was Hu Yuyun a good mother?

Yes, and no.

In his early years, Qin Jiao had once read a passage in a book: "The hardest things to understand in this world are the human heart and human nature. Radiant brilliance is the human heart, and pitch-black darkness is also the human heart. Light and darkness intertwine and clash—this is the mortal world we cling to yet feel powerless against."

Now, those words described Hu Yuyun and Wang Ge perfectly.

The story came to an end. The adorable child had already fallen asleep under her mother's gentle coaxing. She was so small, utterly unaware of the black and white of the world or the complexity of the human heart.

Xiao Baiyu was a healer with a kind heart. He pitied Hu Yuyun's plight and, after a moment's thought, said: "If Madam Hu is willing, you may take us to your home. I would like to examine Wang Lin."

The moment Xiao Baiyu finished speaking, before Hu Yuyun could even respond, the urgent sound of horse hooves came from not far away!

"Clatter-clatter-clatter—!! Giddyup!"

From the sound of it, at least several hundred people were heading their way.

Qin Jiao's first thought was that Luo Yue had returned. When the horses drew near, he saw that it was indeed Luo Yue bringing Guan Jiu back—but accompanying them were unexpectedly Fifth Prince Xie Ji'an and Li Nanli.

"What an odd combination?"

Qin Jiao glanced at Xie Nai, trying to read some surprise in his eyes, but the man stood tall with a stern bearing, his expression unchanged.

Xie Ji'an spotted Xie Nai from afar, standing in the crowd in his deep blue robe embroidered with bamboo patterns. He stood out like a polished jade, exuding extraordinary presence.

Especially those deep, cold eyes, seemingly capable of seeing through all the chaos of the world. The moment their gazes met, Xie Ji'an froze for an instant, then quickly steadied himself and put on an excited expression.

"Sixth Brother!" Xie Ji'an dismounted nimbly in his riding attire, strode over to Xie Nai in a few steps, and bowed to him.

"Mm." Xie Nai nodded, about to ask why Xie Ji'an had come here, when Guan Jiu hurried up from behind and dropped to both knees with a loud thud, kowtowing to Xie Nai with great ceremony:

"Your Servant Guan Jiu, welcoming His Highness the Prince of Lingnan to Xiaoxiang Commandery! That I failed to receive Your Highness in time upon your arrival is a dereliction of duty. And hearing that Your Highness personally ventured into the snake den at great risk, Your Servant was even more terrified! Fortunately, Your Highness's noble person is unharmed—otherwise, even a thousand deaths would not atone for my crime!"

Behind Guan Jiu, the officials of Xiaoxiang Commandery and several hundred constables knelt in a wave, a truly spectacular sight.

"Rise, all of you."

Xie Nai swept a calm gaze over Guan Jiu, unmoved by his "heartfelt" confession of guilt.

Xiao Baiyu and He Zhao, being half-martial artists who rarely involved themselves in court affairs, had already retreated far to the side. Qin Jiao thought he should probably keep his distance as well, but the moment he took a step, Xie Nai grabbed his hand.

Xie Nai didn't even look at Qin Jiao—he caught him purely by instinct. And having caught him, he continued speaking with Guan Jiu as if nothing had happened. Seeing this, Qin Jiao didn't struggle further and simply stood beside him, pretending to be an inconsequential Qinjiao flower.

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