Chapter 163 Exposed

Aunt Meng is the personal lady-in-waiting of the eldest princess, and her rank is higher than that of ordinary officials' wives. Lin Hui should call her "Master".

Aunt Meng moved the corners of her mouth with a forced smile:

"Madam Xiao, you really have a short memory. This is the midwife Wang who delivered your twins fourteen years ago. Your Xiao family interrogated her just a few months ago. How could you forget her so quickly?"

Her tone was harsh, and the guests immediately understood the implication, and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

They all knew about the affair involving the two daughters of the Xiao family, and that it was the midwife's negligence due to being drunk that led to the serious mistake. But only a few months had passed, and Madam Xiao couldn't even recognize them anymore; wasn't that far too lenient?

If something like this happened to anyone, wouldn't it be unforgettable, and wouldn't they never forget the instigator for the rest of their lives?

In other words, Madam Xiao was "generous".

Lin Hui's face paled. Of course, she knew what this female official Meng meant. She was simply saying that Lin Hui didn't care about the matter of exchanging daughters. But how could Lin Hui be willing to do that?

She had doted on her daughter for fourteen years, but she wasn't her biological child. Now that her biological child had been found, how could she feel good about it?

"You went to all that trouble to find someone, didn't you, sir, just to tell me this?"

She and Xiao Su had been arguing for a long time because of that mistress, and hadn't sat down to have a proper conversation since, so she was completely confused.

The eldest princess is now making trouble for Xiao Su and sending her female officials to ask him if he recognizes the midwife who delivered him. What exactly is she trying to do?

"Please, this midwife Wang, tell me in great detail, word for word, everything that happened before and after you gave birth, without missing a single detail."

Wang the midwife was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud, kowtowed twice, and then tremblingly tried to speak.

"I……"

"Wait!"

Xiao Su suddenly shouted, interrupting her, then frowned and looked at the Princess:

"Your Highness, today is a special day for you and Yuxuan. What are you trying to do? Our Xiao family has already investigated what happened back then. Why make things difficult for us again?"

The princess watched his anxious expression with amusement, and smiled as she straightened her sleeves.

"Why is Minister Xiao in such a hurry?"

"After much deliberation, I still feel there's no need to cover up the shameful deeds of your Xiao family. Let everyone see what kind of hypocritical and sanctimonious Minister Xiao truly is!"

The words "hypocrite" were sharp and jarring, causing the guests below to exchange bewildered glances before turning to look at Xiao Su, who remained calm and composed in the crowd.

The Xiao family members were shocked, and then looked at Xiao Su with some confusion.

Especially the children, whose eyes were filled with surprise and confusion.

When did Father and the Eldest Princess have a falling out? Why did they have to make such a scene in front of so many people?

“Your Highness, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. But Your Highness harbors resentment towards me, and I have no way to refute it. Whatever I say will be wrong.”

He lifted his robe, straightened his back, and knelt down:

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, I will accept it!"

With just a few words, Xiao Su portrayed the eldest princess as someone who had always disliked him, while he himself was depicted as upright and honorable.

The guests had their own opinions, but most of them remained neutral, keeping to themselves and only glancing back and forth between the Princess, Princess Chang Le, and the Xiao family.

What a lively day!

I thought I was going to attend a banquet for a nobleman to recognize his daughter, but I didn't expect to be presented with a scandalous affair in the Minister's family.

Among the guests, Lin Kuang stared expressionlessly at the impatient Xiao Su, regretting that he could not personally step forward to expose Xiao Su's true colors.

Beside him, Lin Chuanxu looked bewildered and confused, glancing at the Princess, then at Uncle Xiao, and then at his father.

"Father, what's going on? What happened between the Princess and Uncle Xiao? How come I know nothing about it?"

He asked too many questions, and every single one hit a nerve with Lin Kuangzheng, who didn't want to deal with them. He frowned and lightly patted the back of his son's head.

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.

Lin Chuanxu covered his head and dared not speak.

His parents were going through a divorce, and he couldn't get along with either of them. He was constantly being disliked by either his mother or his father; no one cared for him, unlike his cousin who had become a princess—

She's bound to rise to great heights in the future, beyond my reach even if I jump up.

As for his other cousin whom he had once longed for...

Lin Chuanxu glanced cautiously to the side, and was stunned at first glance.

Xiao Yuyao's face held a perfectly timed, flawless smile, her eyebrows curved, and the corners of her mouth curved in a serene and peaceful way.

From Lin Chuanxu's angle, however, he could just see that her handkerchief was almost twisted out of shape by her fingers. Her thin, pale fingers, like chicken claws, were twisted into a strange and terrifying shape, silently proclaiming how restrained and patient her owner was.

Lin Chuanxu felt a chill run down his spine and tried to look away, but it was too late. Xiao Yuyao, noticing his gaze, looked over and met his eyes.

The smile on the thin, pale girl's face grew even wider, but it didn't reach her eyes; it remained on the surface, giving off an eerie and unsettling feeling.

Lin Chuanxu was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head and dared not look over again.

This is terrifying! When did my cousin Yuyao become so thin?

Besides... what is she suppressing and restraining? Isn't today a special day for her cousin Yuxuan?

Lin Chuanxu couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

At this moment, Aunt Meng spoke up again.

"Minister Xiao, there's no need to force the Princess with your words. Since you claim to be upright and have nothing to fear, let this midwife Wang speak her mind."

Having received the order, Wang the midwife glanced at her former employer, whose face was already deathly pale; there was nothing she could do to change the situation.

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and repeated the words she had said a thousand times before.

He was simply referring to what Ren Ze had written on that piece of paper he had given to Qi Yuxuan.

It was probably someone from the Princess's residence who taught her how to respond to a nobleman. Wang the midwife spoke quickly and urgently, yet her words were clear, concise, and to the point.

Even the three- or four-year-old children who had come to the banquet with their elders understood, and looked at Xiao Su kneeling in the center with blank expressions.

The little boy tugged at his mother's hand and asked in a childish voice, "Mother, will Father send me away like this too?"

The lady was so startled that she quickly covered the child's mouth, looked around apologetically, and then lowered her voice to say:

"No! What are you thinking? Don't talk nonsense!"

Children speak without thinking, but their words were a real slap in the face to Xiao Su.

After hearing this, Lin Hui was already swaying unsteadily. Her beautiful eyes were wide open, as if she thought she had misheard.

Xiao Yuyao was even more surprised.

She stood up, trembling. The dignified smile that had been on her face just moments before was now gone, leaving only shock and confusion.

Xiao Yuyao's eyes were filled with disbelief. She took a few steps forward and walked up to the midwife.

She shouted:

"Do you know what you're saying? What mistress? You treacherous villain with ulterior motives, who instructed you to publicly slander the current Minister!"

After saying that, he looked up at the guests around him, his eyes reddening, and said:

"You all must not listen to her side of the story! How could Father possibly do such a thing?!"