Chapter 293 The baby boy brought back
After Chu Ruohan returned, she immediately asked Qin Fang to investigate.
"Where did the maid named Biyu who was by the Queen's side marry? Is she alive or dead?"
"Also," she added, "I remember that about eight years ago, a group of elderly maids were released from the palace."
"Go and check carefully. Is there anyone among those people who has ever served the Queen?"
"Especially... those who served the prince during the period before and after his birth."
A few days later, Qin Fang hurried back with a serious expression.
"Young Madam, I found it."
He lowered his voice and said, "That palace maid named Biyu is indeed married. She married a minor official named Fang Zhiyuan from the Ministry of Revenue."
A gleam of light flashed in Chu Ruohan's eyes, and she asked, "Is he still alive? Where is he?"
"Alive, but the situation is a little complicated."
Qin Fang paused, "Fang Zhiyuan passed away three years ago. Biyu and her daughter are now living in a small house in the south of the city. However..."
"But what?"
"She never goes out. She has two big dogs in the yard. Anyone who gets close will be bitten."
"According to neighbors, she has a strange personality, is extremely suspicious, and never talks to outsiders."
Chu Ruohan frowned slightly, tapping the table with her fingers, and thought, "Being so cautious, it seems like he's on guard against something."
"Also," Qin Fang added, "among those maids who left the palace due to old age, three of them had served the Queen."
"Two of them have passed away, leaving only one, Mama Liu. She currently lives in a Taoist temple in the east of the city and works as a handyman."
Chu Ruohan stood up and said firmly, "Prepare the car, let's go visit this Mrs. Liu."
The warm wind blows, gently shaking the new leaves on the trees, and they float slowly in the air.
The small Taoist temple in the east of the city is deserted, with only a few old Taoists and servants busy in the courtyard.
Chu Ruohan changed into simple and elegant clothes, asked Qin Fang and others to wait outside, and walked into the yard alone.
An old woman with a hunched back was sweeping the floor in the corner of the yard. Her gray hair was loosely tied up and her hands were covered with calluses.
"Mother Liu?" Chu Ruohan called softly.
The old woman froze, nearly dropping her broom. She slowly turned around, her cloudy eyes gazing at Chu Ruohan.
"My surname is not Liu. Madam, you have recognized the wrong person." Her voice was hoarse and she made a gesture to leave.
Chu Ruohan calmly took out a small purse from her sleeve and said, "Mother Liu, I'm not here to harm you. I just want to ask a few questions about the year the prince was born."
The old woman's hands trembled noticeably.
"I don't know what a prince is. I'm just a rough person."
She shook her head, but her eyes unconsciously glanced at the purse in Chu Ruohan's hand.
Chu Ruohan gently opened her purse, revealing the gold leaves and a glass bead inside.
Qin Fang found out that she was short of money...
"Mother Liu, this is just a small token of my appreciation. I just want to know the truth and won't implicate you."
A struggle flashed in the old woman's eyes, and finally she sighed slightly and gestured to a remote little house nearby.
The room was simply furnished with only a bed, a table and two chairs.
Mother Liu closed the door carefully and checked again to see if the windows were closed.
"Who is Madam? Why are you asking these questions?" she asked warily.
Chu Ruohan said frankly: "I am the wife of the former prince of Anyang Marquis Mansion. Now I want to find out the truth about the prince's life experience."
A hint of surprise flashed across Madam Liu's eyes, and then she smiled bitterly and said, "Madam, how could you have known that this old servant would know these things?"
"Mother Liu served the Queen in the palace when the Crown Prince was born."
Chu Ruohan looked her straight in the eyes. "If Madam Liu didn't know anything, why was she so nervous about mentioning this to me?"
Mother Liu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Madam, do you know what happened when the Queen had a difficult childbirth?"
Chu Ruohan shook her head.
"It was a stormy night." Mother Liu's voice was low, as if she was lost in memories.
"The Queen was in pain for a whole day and night. The imperial doctors said it was difficult to ensure the safety of both the adult and the child."
Chu Ruohan listened with bated breath, not daring to interrupt.
"At that critical moment, Biyu, the Queen's closest maid, suddenly found an excuse to leave the palace."
"Everyone thought she was afraid of taking responsibility, but unexpectedly, a few hours later, Biyu returned with a newborn baby boy in her arms..."
Mother Liu's voice gradually lowered, almost to a whisper: "The child is very quiet. The umbilical cord has been cut and bandaged. After a brief washing, he was sent to the Queen's bed."
"When the Queen saw the child, there was surprise and hesitation in her eyes, but before the Emperor came to see her, she nodded..."
Chu Ruohan was shocked and asked, "What about the real heir to the throne?"
Mother Liu shook her head: "I don't know."
"A few days later, all the palace servants who knew about the incident were either expelled from the palace or transferred to remote palaces. No one dared to mention the matter again."
"What about Jasper? Where did she get the child?"
“That’s the weirdest part.”
A trace of fear flashed in Mother Liu's eyes. "Biyu never said anything, but after that, she often cried at night."
"Until half a year later, she was suddenly married and expelled from the palace, and she never returned."
Chu Ruohan's mind was full of thoughts, and she asked again: "Mother Liu, why were you released from the palace?"
Mother Liu smiled bitterly: "I was just an ordinary palace maid at the time, but I happened to be on duty the night Biyu returned to the palace, and I saw some things I shouldn't have seen..."
"Later, the people around the queen were replaced, and the old slave was transferred to a side hall. He was not released from the palace until he was old and frail."
She suddenly grabbed Chu Ruohan's hand and said anxiously: "Madam, this old servant has told you everything I know."
"Please, Madam, don't tell me you heard it from me. I want to live out the rest of my days in peace and quiet."
"Don't worry, Madam Liu." Chu Ruohan placed the purse in her hand and said softly, "I won't implicate you."
After leaving the Taoist temple, Chu Ruohan sat in the carriage back home, with a lot of thoughts in her mind.
The prince is indeed not the queen's biological son, so where did this child come from?
What does Biyu know?
"Qin Fang," she made up her mind, "arrange the staff. I want to go meet that Biyu."
Qin Fang looked troubled. "Madam, Biyu is very defensive. I'm afraid it will be difficult to approach her."
"There will always be a way." A hint of determination flashed in Chu Ruohan's eyes.
The carriage was moving slowly on the way back. Chu Ruohan leaned against the cushion and closed her eyes to rest.
Suddenly, the carriage braked suddenly and Chu Ruohan was almost thrown out. Fortunately, Qin Fang was quick to catch her.
Chu Ruohan nervously covered her stomach and asked with a frown, "What's going on?"
Qin Fang lifted the curtain, looked outside, and his expression changed slightly.
"Young Madam, there seems to be someone arresting civilians up ahead. Judging from their attire, they look like they're from the Duke of Wei's residence."
A hint of alertness flashed in Chu Ruohan's eyes. She propped herself up and sat up, lifting a corner of the car curtain.
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