Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The Truth

Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The Truth

Suddenly a gust of wind came, blowing the leaves of the phoenix tree down with a rustling sound.

The clouds blocked the sunlight, making Cheng Yian's head feel like it was covered with haze.

She didn't know how she got into the back door of the Cheng Mansion. She just felt her steps were a little unsteady and her head was buzzing. She followed the narrow path into the mansion and walked towards a secluded place. After walking for a while, she looked back again.

Rulan followed her blankly, her eyes filled with disbelief and fear of the unknown.

"Girl...Girl."

Looking at the timid maid, Cheng Yian suddenly calmed down.

She can't mess around.

Cheng Yian thought for a moment, motioned for her to come closer, and gave her a few instructions.

Rulan immediately understood Cheng Yian's plan. Seeing her expression

She was not confused at all, and her heart also settled down. She took a deep breath and said, "Well, I'll go now."

Cheng Yian walked slowly towards the fourth room alone.

Each room in the Nan Mansion is separated by walls, but there are also many small doors for easy access.

The fourth room is the second house southwest of the South Mansion and will be there soon.

We must investigate, but seventeen years have passed, and the witnesses and evidence may have disappeared long ago. The other party has kept it a secret so well, which shows that they have put in a lot of effort. If we investigate secretly, we may alarm the snake and leave no trace. It is better to make a show of force to scare them and make them lose their composure. Then it will be easier to find their true colors.

My grandmother is a shrewd person and you can't pry her open your mouth.

Stepmother Miao was a person who could get angry easily, so Cheng Yian decided to find Miao to provoke her.

The Cheng Mansion is close to the Chengyang Marquis Mansion, and the Cheng family members returned home early to pay their condolences. At this moment, Miao had just come out of the old lady's yard and returned to her own yard for a nap. Suddenly, she heard the maid outside come and report that the second aunt had returned.

Miao was startled and leaned over the window to look out. Sure enough, she saw Cheng Yian walking towards her with graceful steps.

Miao was puzzled, but she sat down on the kang, waiting for Cheng Yian to come in and pay his respects.

Speaking of Cheng Yian's stepmother Miao, she was not from a prominent family. On the contrary, compared with the other wives of the Cheng family, she was of a very humble origin. Twenty years ago, Cheng Mingyou had just passed the imperial examination and was a Jinshi. The late emperor had just led his troops to the north to attack Qi and was recruiting people. Cheng Mingyou and a group of new scholars were promoted to important positions. Cheng Mingyou was one of the grain transport officers. Unexpectedly, the late emperor was defeated in the Battle of Jinshan Fort and committed suicide. Cheng Mingyou was also injured and fled. He fell off a cliff and was saved by the shepherdess Miao. Cheng Mingyou saw that Miao was beautiful and brought her back to the capital.

After all, she came from a poor family. Miao had been working diligently in the Cheng family over the years. She still felt a little inferior when facing Cheng Yian, the eldest daughter.

When Cheng Yian entered the East Side Room, Miao was already smiling.

"An An, why are you back at this hour? Have you had lunch?"

Cheng Yian bowed to her and said he had not eaten yet. Miao immediately sent someone to serve the meal.

"No need. I see there are some snacks on your table. I'll just fill my stomach with them."

Miao did not insist. She saw that Cheng Yian would come to visit her for no reason. She waited patiently for her to have some snacks, then asked her,

"Young lady, you suddenly came back home, is there something? Oh, it's not about the burned yard, right? To tell you the truth, I am discussing with your father to rebuild it, so that we can prepare for your return home."

Cheng Yian asked with a smile, "Where did you get the money?"

This question was a bit inappropriate, but Miao still answered, "First, let's see if the Duke is willing to pay. If not, I and your father will have to make up for it."

Miao was just saying this on the surface. The yard had been haunted recently and she didn't dare to keep it anymore. Since it was given to Cheng Yian to live in, the old lady would have to pay for it.

Cheng Yian smiled and said, "It's expensive to rebuild the house. My father's annual salary is only one hundred taels. You didn't have much dowry when you got married. The annual dividends from the Cheng family don't leave much for you. With the twenty taels of monthly salary, how do you make ends meet?"

Miao was a little embarrassed, her eyes narrowed, her oval face drooped, and she looked fierce, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, did you and father steal my mother's dowry?"

Miao jumped three feet high.

"Nonsense, I haven't even seen your mother's dowry list, how could I covet her things? To tell you the truth, your mother died and I did have the urge to do so, but the old lady kept it a secret and didn't allow anyone to mention it, saying that it was left for you."

At this point, Miao suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"You know, I was born in a poor family. After I married into the Cheng family, I was always looked down upon. The Cheng family is very wealthy, with so many shops, but I don't know a single one of them. I was the last one to know what was going on in the mansion. I wanted to go to the North Mansion to pay my respects to the ancestors, but they all thought I was dirtying her place..."

Miao cried more and more, and insisted on pulling Cheng Yian up.

"Let's go and see the old lady. I bear the name of your stepmother. People outside think that I coveted your mother's dowry and that I have wronged you. But An An, tell me the truth. In these years, your food, clothing and daily expenses are all the best from the fourth room. Although you don't have a mother, the old lady treats you as her eyeball. The best marriage in the capital is also assigned to you. Which of your sisters doesn't envy you?"

"Now you are still trying to frame me. I can't live like this anymore..." So he dragged Cheng Yian to the upper room with tears and snot.

Cheng Yian's purpose was to make the matter worse, and he walked away angrily.

"Let's go, let's go and talk it out with grandma."

After all, Miao came from the countryside, and was very familiar with this trick. She cried all the way, as if she wanted to tell all the grievances she had suffered in the past years, which naturally shocked the people in each family along the way.

In a short while, the three old masters, wives, young ladies and young masters all gathered at the door of the upper room.

The eldest wife understood the seriousness of the situation and immediately ordered the maids to send the young master's daughter back, and also arranged for people to guard the entrance to the hall to prevent anyone from entering.

The old lady was woken up in a daze. She was supported by someone and sat on the bed, watching the crowd below, and her eyes finally fell on Cheng Yian.

"An An, what's going on?"

Before Cheng Yian could say anything, Miao knelt on the ground and cried, explaining the whole story.

The old lady and others looked at Cheng Yian in shock.

Cheng Mingyou was so angry that his eyebrows were raised, and he pointed at Cheng Yian's nose.

"You are so rebellious. How dare you wrongly accuse your stepmother."

Cheng Yian also replied angrily, "If Madam is wronged, then what about you? As a husband, you know my mother's affairs best. Where is her dowry? Did she leave any words before she died? Did she ask you to take good care of me and leave all her dowry to me..."

Cheng Mingyou didn't react to the first few words, but when he heard the last two sentences, his face suddenly turned extremely pale.

There really is a ghost.

Cheng Yian sneered,

"I also didn't hide it from my grandmother and father. Before I entered the house, I had already told Rulan to inform my aunt. I asked my aunt to go to the government office to report the case. First, how did my mother die? Second, where is my mother's dowry? Either you tell me the truth today, or let the government investigate!"

The old lady was so angry that her face turned purple.

“You you you…”

Things had gotten to this point, and there was no way to stop it. She couldn't just watch the whole family fall apart. The old lady closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Okay, since you want to know, I'll tell you." She waved her hands.

"You all go out, I'll talk to An An."

The third wife and the third master left first, and the eldest wife left afterwards. Miao slowly got up and looked at Cheng Mingyou, who was as motionless as a clay sculpture. Finally, the eldest master pulled him out with force.

Finally, Cheng Yian was the only one left in the room.

Cheng Yian stood in the hall and looked at the old lady.

The old lady held her forehead with her hands, not knowing what she was thinking, and did not speak for a long time.

Finally, the personal nanny went in and motioned Cheng Yian to go in first. Cheng Yian went into the east room, and after a while, the nanny brought the old lady in.

The old nanny stood outside the screen, leaving the grandparents and grandchildren alone.

The old lady staggered towards the north wall where she sat on the couch. Cheng Yian saw that she was having some difficulty walking and hurried over to support her.

When she sat down and looked back, her eyes were full of holes, as if they had been cut by a knife and were cracked.

After all, Cheng Yian was raised by her. Seeing her like this, she must be having a hard time.

"grandmother..."

"Please sit down..."

Cheng Yian found a small stool and sat down next to her knees.

The old lady stroked her smooth forehead and stared at her in amazement. After all, she was the girl she had raised herself, and she had developed feelings for her after raising her for so many years.

"An An, from the time you set fire to the yard last time to today when you deliberately forced Miao to come to me to make trouble, I knew that you must have heard something, right?" The old lady's eyes were sharp as if she could see through everything.

Cheng Yian did not deny it and met her gaze, "Yes."

The old lady closed her eyes and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you."

Cheng Yian frowned and asked, "Why did you hide this from me?"

The old lady suddenly gave a few bitter smiles, and the thin skin on her cheeks was pulled, causing the white hair on her temples to peek out from her oiled bun, making her look even older and more frail.

"Because I want to protect you."

Cheng Yian looked suspicious.

Seeing that she didn't believe it, the old lady shook her head helplessly for a long time.

"I could have confessed the truth in front of everyone just now, but do you know why I left you alone?"

Cheng Yian said nothing.

The old lady said earnestly, "Because, once these things are known to them, it will be bad for you and your mother."

At this point, the old lady looked at her seriously again.

"An An, I'm going to ask you one last time, are you sure you want to know?"

Cheng Yian had a bad feeling in his heart, but he did not hesitate at all.

"Please tell me, or I will be unable to sleep or eat."

"Okay." The old lady took a deep breath, lowered her eyes for a long time, and when she raised her eyes again, she said word by word,

"Because you are not You'er's biological child!"

Cheng Yian stood up suddenly, his heart pounding.

"How is it possible..."

“

"Maybe..." Before she could finish her words, she thought of her father's indifference to her and how in her previous life Miao had insisted that she had snatched her step-sister's marriage away. Suddenly, a chill ran through her body. If she really wasn't her father's child, then everything would make sense.

The old lady's eyes were filled with sorrow and pity. "Are you going to continue asking?"

Cheng Yian's throat was sticky, and she sat down slowly. She was still a little slow to react. After a while, she murmured,

"Go on, tell me what's going on."

"Twenty years ago, the late emperor went on a northern expedition. Your father was sent as a temporary grain supervisor and followed the army northward. Later, the late emperor was defeated and committed suicide in Jinshan Fort. Hundreds of thousands of troops were annihilated, and your father also passed away. I was so worried that my hair turned white overnight, and your mother was also deeply shocked..."

At this point, the old lady burst into tears, "He is my most beloved child, the only Jinshi in our fourth branch. I can't bear to see his branch die out, so I discussed with your mother and let her..." Tears welled up in the old lady's eyes, her dry lips moved, and she couldn't say anything.

Cheng Yian looked at her steadily, holding his breath, and said anxiously,

"Let her what..."

"Jian Ti!"

After saying these two words, the old lady took a deep breath, as if she had used up all her life's strength.

According to ancient customs, if one brother dies without a son, the other brothers will take over the family line to continue the family line.

Cheng Yian's mind went blank for a moment, as if countless crows were swaying in front of her head, and her vision became blurred.

"Go on," she said, her voice trembling.

The old lady sniffed and continued,

"I decided on this idea after your mother had been in mourning for your father for a year. Your mother was reluctant at first, but later she gritted her teeth and agreed, thinking that having a child would keep her company for the rest of her life..."

As for what happened with the joint succession, the old lady did not say anything and Cheng Yian did not ask.

Everyone knows it.

It's just a matter of choosing which man to choose.

The old lady took a few breaths and said,

"A year later, your mother gave birth to you. I saw that you were a girl and cried all night in disappointment. When you were six months old, I got excited again and hoped that your mother would give birth to another son to carry on the family line for your father. But your mother..." The old lady was so emotional that she couldn't catch her breath for a moment.

When Cheng Yian heard this, he was so angry that his face turned blue.

"So, she couldn't bear the humiliation and jumped off the cliff to die, right?"

The old lady nodded heavily with tears in her eyes, "One day, she used the excuse of going out of town to burn incense, and then... just jumped off the cliff..."

At this point, the old lady burst into tears.

Cheng Yian's body swayed, his face turned pale, two lines of tears fell silently, and he sat stiffly without moving.

The old lady was still crying, pulling her hand,

"An An, if you want to blame someone, blame me. Blame me for not taking good care of your mother. It was me who harmed your mother. It was me who forced her to do that. If I wasn't so anxious and waited a little longer, until your father returned to Beijing, everything would be perfect..."

Cheng Yian guessed what happened next. Cheng Mingyou was not dead. He was saved by Miao and finally brought Miao back to Beijing. Unfortunately, when he returned, her mother had already died.

Cheng Yian closed his eyes and asked her,

"What about my mother's body? Have you found it?"

The old lady raised her tears from her handkerchief and shook her head,

"The Cheng family sent out several hundred servants to search the mountain. There was a dense forest under the cliff, and no body was found."

When Cheng Yian thought about the possibility that his mother might be eaten by a beast, his heart suddenly ached. He grabbed the old lady's arm and cried,

"You found nothing at all? Not even a scrap of clothing?"

Of course, she found a piece of clothing, but it was in that person's hand. The old lady could only say,

"No, there were only some bloodstains found at the scene, no other traces."

Cheng Yian suddenly thought naively that since she could live again, there was a chance that her mother could be rescued and still be alive. However, when she thought that seventeen years had passed and her mother would have been found if she was really alive, she felt hopeless again.

"So, I felt guilty and kept thinking about how to make it up to you, so I carefully raised you up."

This explains why she was favored over her other sisters.

The room suddenly became extremely quiet. The grandfather and grandson sat on the couch, one of them was staring blankly into the void in front of him, and they were speechless for a long time.

Cheng Yian didn't want to ask who that person was, so he stood up and walked to the door, but eventually turned back and spoke against the light.

"Who is he? Is he the eldest uncle or the third uncle?"

The one who would naturally be the heir apparent would be Cheng Mingyou's brother.

No wonder the old lady didn't dare to make it public. Once this matter gets out, the fourth room will be in chaos.

This time the old lady stared at her with dry eyes, pleading in her eyes.

"Child, don't ask. It's not good for anyone."

"You must always remember that you are the eldest daughter of the second house, the daughter of your father and mother. This is recognized by the clan law and is recognized by the elders of the clan. It doesn't matter who your biological father is. The practice of concurrent descent has existed since ancient times. Even Cheng Mingyou cannot deny your identity. Do you understand?"