Chapter 178.2
“My daughter Yanru was fortunate to be pitied by Your Majesty back then. Her marriage was bestowed by His Majesty and she married into the Zhao Family to become the fifth prince’s consort. After the fifth prince was titled as Jin Wang, she followed him to his fief in Jinzhou. Although my daughter was diligent, always carrying out her duty as the consort, her life was hard. She didn’t bear a son or a daughter for His Highness Jin Wang and didn’t reproduce to further the lineage of the imperial family.
“The most important of the seven rules for women, besides being filial to one’s parents, was unfulfilled by my daughter. She is ashamed but brazenly continues to be the main consort. This is also because Your Majesty and His Majesty are merciful and sympathetic to my daughter’s life. This servant is in a state of anxiety day and night, and can only comfort myself with the thought of how benevolent Your Majesty is. Except for failing to fulfil this one duty, for many years, my daughter hasn’t made any mistakes. To the public, she has a good reputation and was even fortunate enough to be complimented as gentle and virtuous by Your Majesty. In the household, the consort is praised for her generosity and for managing the household well with clear rewards and punishments. All these years, there has never been any strife within the backyard of Jin Wang Manor. This is enough to prove that my daughter is a pure and kind-hearted person.”
Duchess Xuguo suddenly stood up and prostrated before the empress.
Her body was thin and weak, and she looked as if she had just recovered from a long period of sickness. Prostrating before the empress was a normal albeit uncommon action, but when she did it, it looked particularly risky and unsafe. However, it served to help people understand that she had reached this stage because she had no other choices left.
Duchess Xuguo was very agitated. Everyone could clearly see how her hands on the ground were trembling, and her voice was also shaking.
“However, my daughter did do one thing wrong. She shouldn’t have attacked another concubine in the manor out of jealousy. This servant is ashamed to admit it, but it was because my daughter Yanru listened to my instigation that she provoked the concubine, committing a big mistake. The affairs of my Xu Family are probably well-known to outsiders. I am a cowardly and incompetent mother causing my daughter to also be implicated. My heart was not at ease and I was greatly worried about my daughter, so I said the foolish words of eliminating the mother and keeping the child. My daughter was also anxious after failing to conceive after many years, so she muddleheadedly carried out my stupid idea.”
Duchess Xuguo’s words were unexpected to everyone present, including Yaoniang. She didn’t realize that Consort Jin had used her childbirth as an opportunity to make a move on her back then. Much less that Duchess Xuguo would announce it to the world in this way.
She was confused, and she couldn’t understand why Duchess Xuguo was making such a fuss. Could it be that she felt sorry for Consort Jin, who was sent to the countryside to recuperate, and wanted to plead on behalf of her daughter? Did she want to claim responsibility for everything?
For some reason, Yaoniang had a very bad premonition in her heart. She had a feeling something bad was about to happen, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
Over there, Duchess Xuguo was still crying. But she had already moved on to talking about how Consort Jin had made such a huge mistake, angering Jin Wang and sending her to the countryside to recuperate.
In fact, everyone already knew of these things, but no one was in a hurry to tear down their masks, so they were all willing to act ignorant. Who didn’t know of that the little censor who tried to impeach Jin Wang and then got in huge trouble? This meant His Majesty knew about it and acquiesced.
They had always been very curious about the reaction of the Xu Family to this matter. Yet who would’ve thought that the Xu Family would have no reaction at all? It seemed as if they didn’t care about this daughter of theirs. They originally thought this matter would be over just like that. No one expected that this matter would be exposed to the public at such a time and place.
Why did Duchess Xuguo do this? Was it simply to get rid of the crime for her daughter and bear all the responsibility herself? But one must be clear that it was Consort Jin who tried to murder the emperor’s grandson. No matter whose instigation she listened to, it was still she who took action and committed such a crime.
It would be too ridiculous if she was able to escape responsibility just by her mother crying pitifully.
Everyone questioned Duchess Xuguo’s intentions. They couldn’t figure out why she was doing this, including Yaoniang. However, Duchess Xuguo did not make them wait too long and soon revealed the real purpose behind her sudden visit today.
“…And there was another reason which caused my daughter Yanru to disregard her husband and wife relationship with His Highness Jin Wang and provoke him. It had to do with a secret from a few years ago.”
Empress Wei took the cup of tea served by her maid. After taking a sip, she said, “Madam, feel free to continue.” Then she asked a maid to help Duchess Xuguo up and return to her seat to talk.
During this period, Yaoniang’s heart was racing. She suddenly understood what Duchess Xuguo wanted to do.
Sure enough, before she even had any chance to react, as soon as Duchess Xuguo returned to her seat, she pointed her finger at Yaoniang. “Does Your Majesty know the origin of this woman?”
“Is it related?”
“Of course, it’s related. There’s a close relationship…” Duchess Xuguo looked at Yaoniang and sneered. Then she recounted how Yaoniang had a child out of wedlock before entering Jin Wang Manor as a servant with the help of Mama Liu. Later, she used the opportunity of serving the little junzhu to seduce Jin Wang.
She spoke so eloquently that people couldn’t help but believe what she said. Following her words, Yaoniang’s face paled and her delicate body couldn’t help shaking.
She felt nothing but shame.
The shame of having her private affairs exposed. That period was the most shameful period throughout both of her lifetimes. Everything that had happened was actually already quite distant to Yaoniang. She hadn’t even thought about the events from her previous life for a long time. However, what Duchess Xuguo said made her recall everything again.
Most importantly, the eyes of almost everyone in the palace were fixated on her face. It was as if they were mocking her for entering the household as a wet nurse, yet ended up seducing the master instead. Look at her sitting here all prim and proper. Wasn’t she just a third-rate slut?
Yaoniang forced herself to calm down, but Duchess Xuguo was relentless, “Side Consort Su, did this old woman speak a single lie?”
Yaoniang took a deep breath and didn’t speak.
She knew there must be a reason for everything. It was impossible for Duchess Xuguo to go to such lengths just to humiliate her. She must have another purpose. Yaoniang couldn’t help but think of Xiaobao. Even though Jin Wang had created an excuse to explain to the outside world, a lie was a lie after all. It could be exposed after careful investigation. It wasn’t a secret that she had gotten pregnant and then had a child out of wedlock.
Not many people knew, but there were definitely people who did know.
Especially since she had entered the household back then through the hands of Consort Jin. This alone was enough for people to take advantage of.
Sure enough, just as Yaoniang expected, Duchess Xuguo mentioned that Yaoniang was pregnant and had a child out of wedlock before entering the household. She talked about how she entered the household, formed a relationship with Jin Wang, and her son Xiaobao was taken into Jin Wang Manor. Then Jin Wang made arrangements, and he suddenly recognized Xiaobao as his own son. Duchess Xuguo exposed everything that was sealed behind the doors of Jin Wang Manor.
She didn’t explicitly say that Xiaobao wasn’t Jin Wang’s real son or that for a woman, Jin Wang was willing to raise him as his son. Although she didn’t directly accuse him of trying to muddle the imperial blood, her meaning was nothing but that.
Attempt to muddle imperial blood? Even if Jin Wang was a prince, this was a serious crime.
“Madam Xu, are you certain of the validity of your words? Matters like this are not to be joked with,” said Empress Wei solemnly.
Duchess Xuguo knelt down again, “This servant guarantees it with her life. Asking Your Majesty to judge clearly. My daughter Yanru was sent to the countryside by His Highness Jin Wang to recuperate because she knew the details of this matter.”
Empress Wei nodded then turned her head to face Yaoniang. “Side Consort Su, what do you have to say?”
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦