Did Ah Yan really have a child?

As the prefect of a prefecture, Xu Hongkuo was able to handle the people's affairs rationally.

But this happened to him, and it happened without his knowledge, leaving him completely bewildered.

"Of course I want to give birth to the master's child, but you, in order to let the master marry his legal wife first and not want the illegitimate son to surpass the legitimate son, you had my child aborted."

If it weren't for the fact that I have no chance of having children, would you have let me do all this for you all these years?

Everything you've done is just out of guilt towards me, just to make amends.

Since you've wronged me so much, of course I'll find a way to get revenge. I want to watch you die, and I'll sprinkle black dog blood on your memorial tablet every day.

After hearing Ayan's insane words, everyone present felt a chill run down their spines. She poisoned people while they were alive, and she didn't want to let them go even after they were dead.

Granny Yu remembered that Ayan had kept a black dog in the backyard. So that's what she was planning to do with it. It's a good thing the old lady was worried that she would be lonely and let her have her way.

But she didn't even consider that the maids and servants in any large courtyard could keep dogs. She didn't remember the old lady's kindness to her, and instead came to harm the old lady.

"How could you be so vicious?"

Xu Hongkuo sat back in the main seat, his face no longer showing the pity he had shown at the beginning.

Madam Xu was saddened for a long time; there were some things she planned to keep to herself for the rest of her life.

“Ayan, is your child Kuo’er’s? As a woman myself, I know the bitterness of widowhood. If Kuo’er has a legal wife, you will hardly see him again. I understand all of this. I pity you.”

A bolt of lightning struck everyone, and even Su Luo felt that this matter was becoming more and more outrageous.

If this happened in this era and it wasn't Xu Hongkuo's child, he would be drowned in a pig cage.

Madam Xu forbade Ayan from giving birth and even helped her keep it a secret from everyone, all so that Ayan could live.

Even though Ayan clearly knew the child's origins, she still sought revenge against the old lady. Su Luo really couldn't understand it anymore.

"If the child isn't the master's, whose is it? Even now, you're still making up such a lame excuse and trying to frame me. What evidence do you have to say that my child isn't the master's?"

The heart-wrenching accusations made it hard not to believe Ayan's words.

“Alas, I am old. This matter was meant to be taken to my grave, but you insisted on humiliating yourself. So I will let Kuo’er handle this matter himself.”

"Mother!"

Xu Hongkuo also sensed something was wrong.

"Kuo'er, I've been keeping this from you all along, but I never expected it to cause such trouble."

That year you came to Anchangzhou to be appointed prefect, we originally wanted to wait until you were settled before coming over. It was also around that time that Ayan became pregnant.

This should have been a joyous occasion, but the child's father turned out to be someone else—the son of the former steward of our capital. After I discovered this, I sold off the entire family.

Ayan also lost her baby around that time. The doctor used inappropriate medication, which caused her to be infertile for life, and she was ignored by you for many years.

You had just taken office at the time, and there was no room for even the slightest mistake in officialdom. How could such a disgraceful thing be spread? So I didn't tell you.

However, I heard that the steward and his family were bought by someone else to look after the estate, and his son fell seriously ill and died a few years ago.

The old lady spoke earnestly about what happened back then, and Ayan seemed to have been touched on a sore spot, suddenly running towards the old lady.

Although her upper body was bound, her menacing appearance, as if she wanted to take the old lady down with her, frightened the group.

Xu Hongkuo immediately shielded the old lady with his body. Ayan bumped into Xu Hongkuo's back and bit him two or three times before Su Luo pulled her down.

"It was you, it was you who killed my Dong Lang. If you hadn't sold Dong Lang's family, he wouldn't have died."

As she spoke, Ayan slumped to the ground and began to cry.

"Dong Lang is the only person in this world who truly cares for me. Without him, I don't want to live, but I can't die. I still have to avenge him. If anyone's going to die, it'll be you all first, hahaha..."

Su Luo shook her head. The old lady had clearly given her a smooth and comfortable path, but she was unwilling to walk it. What man who truly cared for her was nothing but a con artist to a lonely woman like her.

If he truly loved her, he shouldn't have had any relationship with her after knowing she was Xu Hongkuo's concubine. If he were discovered, Ayan would only face death.

Xu Hongkuo's fists clenched until they turned blue. Besides harming the old lady, Ayan had also betrayed him. He was also grateful that he had Wei Anjun all these years and had never touched this maid again.

"Guards, take this woman to prison and execute her."

Two soldiers came in and dragged Ayan out. Ayan did not resist, but just laughed wildly like a madwoman.

"Hahaha... Xu Hongkuo, even if I die, someone will still deal with you, hahahaha..."

"Shut her mouth, or she'll start spreading alarmist rumors."

Wei Anjun was also filled with extreme anger, and her gaze toward wanting to kill Ayan was no less intense than Xu Hongkuo's.

Xu Hongkuo had never been so humiliated in his life. He had originally wanted to ask Su Luo and Du Xiuyuan to help him find out the truth, but he never expected that it was the truth that he had been cuckolded.

"Madam Su, this is a family scandal, please excuse our embarrassment."

Old Madam Xu slowly got up and went to Su Luo and Du Xiuyuan's side. Her eyes were clear, and she was ready to do some ideological work with Su Luo and Du Xiuyuan.

"Madam, we are only here to treat your illness. All the private matters of a patient's family are the patient's privacy. Protecting the patient's privacy is the most basic professional ethics of a doctor."

This woman was intelligent and quick to understand, which won the old lady's heart.

"Madam Su, I'm relieved that you understand. But can the poison in my body be cured?"

Although Xu Hongkuo was angry, he was also worried about his mother's health.

"Don't worry, Madam. Now that we know it's the poison of the Bloodwort, I will work with Doctor Du to develop a new antidote. As long as you take care of yourself, you will get better."

"Madam Su, Doctor Du, I'm so sorry to trouble you. Please make sure my aunt is cured."

Wei Anjun explained the matter carefully.

The two nodded and went back to their room. Having caught Ayan, they didn't know if they would be able to get a good night's sleep.

After tidying herself up, Su Luo's door was knocked on.

Who is it?

"It's me, Madam Su. I've come to see you about something." The voice sounded like Wei Anjun's.

Su Luo opened the door, and Wei Anjun rushed into Su Luo's room with a bundle in her hand.

"Madam Su, these are some things I've collected over the years, and I'm giving them all to you now."

When Su Luo opened the bundle, she saw that it was full of jewelry, including gold hairpins, jade bracelets, earrings, and other accessories.

These items are exquisitely crafted, and if you do a rough calculation, they would be worth around one hundred taels.

"What does Aunt Wei mean by this? Is she trying to bribe me, or is it hush money?"