An infant who died twelve years ago, a child whose blood relatives cannot be identified, a child whose own mother cannot recognize.
If we really want to talk about evidence, then the only way is... to dig up graves and examine bones.
You can still feel the difference in bones between a full-term baby and a seven-month-old infant.
Whether in the past or present, digging up graves is a taboo subject, let alone for children who cannot even enter ancestral graves.
After much internal struggle, Madam Jiang gritted her teeth and ordered, "Go and call the Yao family. Siqing and her father will know where that child is buried."
"Madam..." Tan Yue exclaimed in panic, "This is going to offend the Yao family!"
"Go!" Old Madam Jiang said sternly, "Even if it offends the Yao family, I will make Liao realize her mistake, and make her know just how outrageous her mistake was!"
Tan Yue had no choice but to leave in a hurry.
With guards leading her on horseback, they rushed back to Fengjing as quickly as possible.
After countless words were spoken, countless words were worn out, and countless favors between the two families were exhausted, finally, after more than half an hour, commotion was heard outside the temple.
Liao, who was slumped on the ground, also looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Before long, the door to the meditation room was opened, and the head of the Yao family, covered in dust, appeared with Yao Siqing. He was carrying a black box in his arms, and his expression was weary and miserable.
Old Madam Jiang stood up, leaning on her cane, before she could say anything.
Suddenly, Liao stood up and lunged at the box, crying, "I knew it! I knew you would dig out my child! My son is in here, isn't he? My son..."
The guards reacted quickly and stopped her.
"Don't touch me, I want my child, I want to see her, it's been twelve years... I miss her, my child." Liao was in tears.
Madam Jiang suddenly understood.
No wonder the Liao family refused to produce evidence, but instead demanded that the Jiang family produce evidence.
She was certain that Jiang Sheng was a child of the Yao family, and she was also certain that the remains buried in the Yao family were the child she had carried for seven months.
What kind of misunderstanding led Liao to such a firm belief?
And who was it that led her to this point?
A hint of hostility flashed in Madam Jiang's eyes. "Open the box."
“Aunt…” The Yao family head was heartbroken. “Do we really have to open it? Xiao Ruan has been in a deep sleep for twelve years.”
"Open it." This was Jiang Jizu's resounding voice. "Cousin, I will repay what I owe you, but today, I must give Nannan justice."
Yao Siqing also shook her father's arm from the side.
With tears in his eyes, the Yao family patriarch finally opened the box, revealing the small, child-sized skeleton, about the length of an adult's arm.
The cries of the woman beside him grew increasingly heart-wrenching, their grief deeply affecting him.
Tan Yue remembered the crucial point, "Madam, we haven't called a doctor yet."
Even if it's possible to determine whether a baby is full-term by palpating the bones, only highly experienced doctors can do it; ordinary people can't tell the difference.
Madam Jiang didn't speak, but her gaze swept around and landed on the four brothers who were already stunned.
Changyan reacted the fastest, slapping Fourth Brother across the face.
Wen Zhiyun suddenly realized something and said, "I... I know some medical skills, but I'm not very good at bone palpation. Let's ask an experienced senior doctor to come."
"Good child, there's no need to call another doctor," said Madam Jiang gently. "Do you carry any silver needles with you?"
The usually taciturn head of the Yao family shuddered.
"Silver needles? Of course I brought them." Wen Zhiyun took out a small cloth bag from his sleeve, with three silver needles attached to it. "What does the old lady need silver needles for?"
Madam Jiang sighed.
Instead of answering Wen Zhiyun's question, she brought up another tragic incident.
Twelve years ago, Yao Siqing's father was considered one of the few playboys in Fengjing. Although he was married and had a daughter, he still indulged in philandering and had taken two concubines named Chunhua and Qiuyue.
Chunhua is gentle and doesn't like to compete, while Qiuyue is fiery and good at arguing. Relying on her favor, she often clashes with the matriarch of the Yao family, and in the most serious cases, she almost hurts the matriarch.
At that time, Madam Jiang summoned the head of the Yao family and gave him a stern scolding, telling him to properly restrain Qiu Yue and not to let the sordid matter of favoring a concubine over one's wife occur again.
Although the head of the Yao family was a womanizer, he respected his aunt. He immediately reprimanded Qiuyue and confined her to her feet for two months.
He thought that his wives and concubines would live in harmony, but he did not expect that Qiuyue was so vicious that she poisoned the matriarch of the Yao family, causing the originally healthy woman to fall ill and become bedridden.
Later, Qiuyue was punished, and the head of the Yao family felt guilty and cared for his wife. Their life was peaceful and happy.
The tragedy occurred when the matriarch of the Yao family became pregnant again and was about to give birth. Someone poisoned her again, causing the full-term baby to be stillborn.
At this point, the Yao family realized that the real poisoner was Chunhua. Qiuyue died innocently, as did the second daughter of the Yao family. Although the matriarch of the Yao family was saved, she did not live long before passing away.
After the Yao family dealt with Chunhua, the head of the Yao family also changed his temperament and dared not philander again.
But the dead cannot return, and He Mei's home is no longer what it once was.
Even now, hearing these past events still brings tears to the eyes of the Yao family patriarch, fills him with guilt, and makes him regret his past actions.
That's life; a wrong step can lead to disaster.
No matter how much regret and heartbreak one feels, it's all in vain.
"For the sake of the Yao family's reputation, and for the sake of my good-for-nothing nephew, the Yao family has buried this story, only claiming to the outside world that the full-term baby died young." Old Madam Jiang took a deep breath. "But everyone in the Yao family knows that the child died of poisoning."
Even after twelve years, the poisoned remains can still be detected as toxic.
Wen Zhiyun's eyes were bright, and he immediately pulled out a silver needle and carefully probed it.
It turns black upon contact.
Apart from the Yao family father and daughter, everyone present changed their expressions.
"This is impossible!" Liao cried out in anguish. "You're lying to me. You poisoned my child. It's only possible that you poisoned her."
Even when facing death, they still insist on their own way.
They won't shed tears until they see the coffin.
Even the timid and cowardly Wen Zhiyun couldn't help but speak up, "The toxicity of a child's remains is different depending on whether it is poisoned in the womb or given poison after birth."
He picked up the dark silver needle and said, "It changes color when touched, and is as dark as ink, which means that the poison had already seeped into the bone marrow from the womb."
Furthermore, there are many ways to kill an infant; strangling, drowning, or throwing them to death are all easier than poisoning them.
Liao dared not think any further, shaking her head frantically, tears falling to the ground and congealing into small clumps of mud. "It's impossible, Mother would never lie to me. Mother said my child has two moles on the soles of her feet, and Jiang Sheng's skin is smooth and flawless. She can't be my child, it's impossible."
This mother could not possibly be Madam Jiang.
Unexpectedly, the matter has come full circle back to the Liao family.
Jiang Jizu clenched his fist and looked at the guards, "Tie up all the Liao family members in the meditation room, from master to servant, don't leave a single one out."
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