Chapter 167 The Truth About the Woman Swapping! The Midwife Dies!
“Back then, there was a concubine in your household named Zheng who was your father’s most favored concubine. She was pregnant with twins… When she was about to give birth, I obeyed your mother Qu’s orders, took some money, and threw the twins born to your father’s most favored concubine… the illegitimate son, into a pond in the dead of winter!”
“Originally, we just threw it away, but for some reason, your mother suddenly regretted it... She was afraid that we hadn't handled it properly, and that it would float up the next day and your father would find out about it…”
"So, they told us to hurry up and retrieve the body for more proper disposal..."
"But in the middle of the night, where are we going to retrieve a drowned and frozen baby from such a large pool?"
"In the end... all they managed to retrieve was the body of a kitten..."
"So we hastily buried the kitten, just to appease your mother..."
"But I was also afraid that things would come to light the next day... so that night I packed up and planned to run away..."
"But I waited and waited, and I still didn't hear any movement from your general's mansion!"
"Just then... another old woman came to find me..."
"Guess who she works for?"
“It’s an old maidservant from your household’s concubine, Aunt Deng! She told me that she knows what we’ve been doing… and that she knows all the secrets in your household.”
"She wants me to submit and become her person... otherwise, she'll report me to the authorities!"
"In those years, I did help her with some things, and although I earned some money, some of those things could have been fatal!"
"The more I do, the more afraid I become..."
"Later, after your mother became pregnant with you, I suddenly discovered another truth... Guess what I discovered?"
"I've discovered that the two of them were actually in cahoots!!"
"Hahahaha...hahaha..."
"Your mother and she were already connected, but as for what they did, I have no idea..."
"But I'm such a fool, living in fear for so many years, doing so many things for them, only to end up being nothing more than a knife they used and discarded!"
"If this comes to light later, will I even be alive?"
"So, I was filled with resentment and hatred, so I went to confront Aunt Deng. Guess what she said?"
"She said that your mother was stupid. She only used a little trick and your mother went to her for help with the inner quarters' troubles. She was happy to make your general's mansion as chaotic as possible, so she gave your mother some ideas. For example, Zheng's twins were killed because your mother consulted her!"
"It seems she hates your father too... Hahaha!"
"But I've been dragged into this mess of power struggles among the elites, shouldn't I at least leave myself a way out?"
"So, when that old vicious woman Aunt Deng gave me another idea, telling me to keep a backup plan, that is, to switch your general's mansion's child with yours and raise it myself, so that if anything comes out in the future, I can use it to threaten your mother to get away."
"I was just thinking, who should I trade for?"
“My daughter-in-law, Wang, happens to be giving birth a few days earlier than your mother. If my Liu family’s offspring were to grow up in your general’s mansion and become your general’s son or daughter, wouldn’t it be even more wonderful for them to grow up in such a precious and noble environment?”
"Unfortunately, what I got was only a useless girl born to Wang!"
"Never mind, even if it's just a maid, it will be enough for the future!"
"If anything comes up to me in the future, I'll use you to threaten your mother and shield her from disaster. If nothing happens, my entire Liu family can use my granddaughter to rise to prominence! Either way, my Liu family won't suffer any losses!"
“Your general’s mansion has quite a few spies of Aunt Deng, so it was really not difficult for me to switch you on the day your mother gave birth.”
Li Qingluo suddenly interjected, asking, "What about the Qu family? Did they get involved?"
Zhao's eyes were already somewhat unfocused at this moment.
Upon hearing the words "Qu family," she gave a cold laugh: "Them? Your maternal grandmother was by your mother's side on the day you were born. She was also the first person to see you. Do you think she was involved?"
She had seen what she looked like when she was just born, so if she had been switched at birth, there was no way she wouldn't have noticed!
Li Qingluo felt ice-cold all over.
She had suspected it for a while, but she never expected the truth to be so.
"Why? Why would the Qu family do this?"
Zhao shook her head: "I don't know... I really don't know..."
Seeing that she couldn't get any information out of her, and fearing that she would die before she could finish speaking, Li Qingluo had no choice but to urge her to continue what she had been saying.
Zhao was momentarily confused, then suddenly exclaimed, "What a pity... Man proposes, God disposes! The secret I, Zhao Xiuer, have been waiting for has been exposed, but it was your true identity that was revealed first!"
"I am to blame for how I have come to this point, but isn't your mother also partly to blame?"
"If she hadn't forced me to do those things back then, I wouldn't have been so afraid to take such a risky and unorthodox approach... It's just a pity that in the end... it was all a pipe dream, and I gained nothing!"
After Zhao finished speaking, another mouthful of black blood gushed up with a 'gurgling' sound.
"I was wrong……"
"I shouldn't have hurt people..."
"I shouldn't have harmed those twins for the sake of money..."
"Otherwise... I'll still be me..."
"Even if I become a midwife... my whole family can live a good life in Jinling City..."
"Why bother going back to those mountains... hiding in fear all these years..."
In the end, I gained nothing...
"They live a good life... but I'm about to die... and they still want me to die quickly..."
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry!!!"
With a 'thud,' she suddenly widened her eyes, opened her mouth, and stared intently at the dark ceiling of the prison.
Granny Deng pulled Li Qingluo away from the place quickly.
Li Qingluo kept turning back to watch Zhao Shi die in agony.
Outside the prison, Sha Lei was left behind, still waiting for them.
Upon seeing her emerge, he immediately held up the umbrella that Prince Su had specially left behind: "Miss Li, curfew has arrived. Let me escort you back to your residence."
Since it was already this late, Li Qingluo didn't hesitate and readily accepted the favor: "Then thank you, young guard."
The carriage slowly made its way back to the general's mansion. Although there were patrols blocking the road along the way, each time Sha Lei flashed his waist token, he was able to pass through without any hindrance.
Li Qingluo went straight back to the Red Maple Pavilion.
But the news of her leaving and returning to the mansion quickly spread throughout all the courtyards of the General's Mansion.
The people in the second and third houses were all surprised. Why would she run outside in the heavy snow?
And it's already curfew time, how could she have returned unharmed?
Li Chaohuai: "It seems this brat actually has some skills!"
Li Chaoan, from the third branch of the family, was currently in the second branch of the family, drinking with his half-brother.
Hearing his brother say this, he also sneered: "Otherwise, how do you think our mother was forced to go to that nunnery? I think it was all this wretched girl's doing!"
Li Chaohuai clenched his fists as he thought of his mother suffering in the nunnery.
"No, third brother! We have to rescue Mother. All these years, Mother has done everything for us brothers! Even back then, after that incident, Mother did it for us!"
"We cannot be disobedient and unfilial children who watch their mothers suffer while they enjoy a life of luxury!"
Li Chaoan chuckled dryly, "But what can we do now that things have come to this? The old lady is now guarding the entire mansion, inside and out, and we are powerless to do anything about it!"
Li Chaohuai: "Before Mother left, she left a letter saying that although she had been away from the General's Mansion for many years, she still had many people and spies planted there. As long as we find these people, what's there to be afraid of?"
Li Chaoan's heart skipped a beat.
"Second brother, this is no joke. Although the General's Mansion appears to be in your hands, it has actually been completely controlled by that old lady for a long time."
"Even if Mother planted spies before, how many are left now? How can they possibly succeed?"
"Besides, you know how ruthless, selfish, and heartless my elder brother is. Otherwise, he wouldn't have driven our whole family away back then!"
"I felt something was off when the old lady called all of us from the second and third branches of the family back... We've only been back for a few days, and now our own mother has been locked up in a nunnery?"
"Now I understand. The old lady came down the mountain specifically to deal with our mother and all of us, her children!"
"I think it's best if we hold back for now, otherwise we'll be caught red-handed again, and then we'll be completely finished..."
Li Chaohuai specially prepared fine wine and dishes to invite his younger brother over today, intending to discuss with him how to save their mother.
To my surprise, he turned out to be such a cowardly and timid person!
Li Chaohuai got up abruptly in anger and grabbed his younger brother.
"Since you're so afraid of trouble, then get out of here!"
Li Chaoan was pulled and pushed out by Li Chaohuai.
Although Li Chaoan rolled on the ground, he wasn't angry after getting up. Instead, he sighed and advised, "Second brother, you should think it over carefully before you act! Can't we discuss this further in a year or two?"
I hope my aunt dies in a year or two.
Maybe once the old lady calms down, she won't hold a grudge against her illegitimate son?
The three families were finally at peace.
Anyway, after Li Chaoan returned to the general's mansion and resumed his life of wealth and comfort, he never wanted to go back to the manor.
Although he now lives a carefree life on the estate, no one calls him Third Master when he goes out!
The General's Mansion's name is still the most useful; it gives him more prestige wherever he goes.
Moreover, now that the affair between Aunt and Li Yunchu has been exposed, even if they return to the estate, will they still be able to live the same good life as before?
That second brother is really muddle-headed!
"Second brother, if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about your wife and children. If you're worried about your aunt, you should send her more money and nice things. Don't think about anything else for now..."
Li Chaoan wanted to offer some earnest advice, but Li Chaohuai's thoughts were completely different from his.
He was furious that Li Chaoan was a cowardly, selfish, and rebellious son, so he took off his shoe and threw it at his younger brother.
"Get out! From now on, I will never think of you first, care for you, or give in to you in everything again—! I'll just consider it a waste of my time giving birth to you!"
Li Chaoan patted his clothes, seemingly unconcerned.
"I've given you my best advice, but you won't listen! Just don't drag me into this if anything happens in the future!"
Li Chaohuai was trembling with anger. He took off his other shoe, but before he could throw it at Li Chaoan, he ran away.
As soon as Li Chaoan left, Li Qingya took her youngest brother's hand and turned to hide in the corner.
Li Qingya's eyes were filled with tears as she clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
Father is so foolish!
Auntie has indeed made mistakes and done wrong things over the years, but locking her up in a nunnery for spiritual practice is already considered a mercy from Sister Luo'er and her grandmother!
If she behaves herself, she won't suffer much in the nunnery for the rest of her life and can live out her days peacefully.
But if Father insists on going to save Aunt and does something terrible...
Li Qingya shivered violently.
No, if Father does anything that harms Sister Luo'er and the General's Mansion, the entire second branch of the family will suffer!
But she can't abandon her father. What should she do?
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