Chapter 102 Xibao is my grandson’s flesh and blood
The carriage stopped in front of the Marquis's Mansion, and Wen Ning lifted the curtain and got out.
Seeing her unsteady steps, Xie Jinglan subconsciously wanted to go forward and help her.
Just as he raised his finger, he saw Ning'er walking towards the cross courtyard step by step without turning her head.
Xie Jinglan followed him to the Moon Gate, but ultimately did not step in.
He instructed Wan Jing and Yun Xiu, "Prepare hot water for the girl to bathe, and then get the best medicine to carefully apply to the wound on her lip."
When Wanjing and Yunxiu heard that the girl had a wound on her lip, they thought that the marquis had done something inappropriate to the girl on the way here.
So I didn't dare ask more questions.
The night came in through the window lattices, and the lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind.
Chun Xing was outside the study, carrying a food tray, and she reported to the Marquis carefully, "My Lord, the dinner that was brought in for the young lady has been taken out intact."
The study was silent for a moment before Xie Jinglan's hoarse voice was heard, "I understand."
The man raised his hand and pressed his brow, regret and anxiety welling up in his eyes.
She must still be blaming him, not caring about her own health.
In the house across the courtyard, Wen Ning sat leaning against the bedpost with her knees hugged, her plain white nightgown draped across the couch, her long black hair scattered over her shoulders, sliding down bit by bit into the shadow of her collar with her trembling breaths.
Her unmade-up little face glowed a fair white in the candlelight, except for a slight swelling at the corner of her eye. The wound on her lip had formed a layer of light red scab, which she was unconsciously pursing.
The moonlight came in through the window, and when it passed by my eyes, the tears flowed down along the corners of my eyes.
Wanqing and Yunxiu didn't know what had happened between the young lady and the Marquis, but seeing the young lady so sad, they felt that this was a serious matter.
Although the girl has a gentle nature, she has never been a pretentious person.
He usually keeps quiet when he is wronged, and even if he feels unwell, he always says "no big deal", never wanting to cause trouble to others.
I'm not the type to cry easily.
Wanqing watched for a long time, finally unable to resist stepping forward and whispering, "Young lady, I see the Marquis has been standing in the yard for half an hour. It's freezing outside, and he's just standing there without even a thick cloak. Young lady, are you really not going to let the Marquis come in and take a look?"
It was a long time after he finished speaking that Wen Ning slowly raised her head. There was a layer of mist in her peach blossom eyes. When she looked out, even the long shadow on the window paper, stretched by the moonlight, was blurred.
After a while, he shook his head very lightly.
She couldn't face him yet, and she didn't know what expression she should use to meet him.
Seeing this, Yunxiu pulled out a boudoir invitation from her sleeve and held it in front of Wen Ning with both hands. "Miss, Princess Chen sent someone to deliver a letter today, wanting you to stay at her house for a few days. She said she wants to talk about some personal matters."
The note arrived at noon, and she kept it in her sleeve for most of the day.
Ever since she came back from outside, the girl has been sitting by the bed with her eyes downcast and silent. She has not dared to speak rashly.
Seeing the girl still like this, I thought that maybe changing the place would make her feel more relaxed.
Yunxiu added, "The princess specifically instructed that if the young master cannot leave you at night, you should just take him with you."
Wen Ning raised her eyes, and a glimmer of light finally appeared in them. She was silent for a moment, and then said in a hoarse voice, "I will report back to the princess tomorrow morning and tell her that I want to talk to her too."
…
Early the next morning, Xie Jinglan came to the old lady's Yi Fu Hall.
The old lady and Xie Wan had just finished breakfast and were sitting in the warm room drinking tea and chatting.
When the old lady heard the servant's report, her eyes suddenly lit up and she put down the teacup in her hand.
He kept muttering, "Finally it's here! Finally it's here!"
Xie Wan was kept aside by the old lady and talked for half the night last night, and she also learned about Xi Bao's child.
At this moment, the anticipation could not be hidden in his eyes.
"Grandson pays his respects to grandmother." Xie Jinglan bowed, his voice sounding a little tired.
After standing up, he turned his gaze to Xie Wan beside him and said with a bow, "Greetings, Sister."
The old lady waved her hand, her eyes fixed on him, "Tell me the truth, is Xibao..."
Before he could finish his words, Xie Wan, who was standing beside him, covered her lips with a handkerchief and laughed out loud.
Nanny Zhou's eyes were also filled with smiles, and she kept saying, "Oh my old lady, please let the Marquis have some tea first! The tea hasn't even been served yet, and you're already in a hurry to ask about the young master."
The old lady also sensed something was wrong. She coughed lightly and said to Nanny Zhou, "I was a little impatient. Hurry up and serve tea to the Marquis."
Nanny Zhou held the teacup and handed it to the Marquis. Xie Jinglan, on the contrary, lifted his skirt, knelt solemnly, then took the teacup with both hands and raised it above his eyebrows.
"Grandma," he said in a low voice, each word clear, "Xibao is indeed my grandson's flesh and blood, and is undoubtedly the bloodline of the Xie family."
The old lady's hand, which was about to take the tea, suddenly stopped. A light flashed in her cloudy eyes. After a long pause, she trembled and said, "Are you serious? Xibao is not the child of the Liu family, but the flesh and blood of my Xie family?"
Although the old lady had already confirmed about 70% of it in her heart these days, she still wanted to hear it from her grandson himself.
Xie Jinglan was still kneeling on the ground, his hands holding the teacup above his head. "Grandson, I dare not lie. When Ning'er married into the Liu family, Master Liu was already beyond medical help, hanging on for life. From beginning to end, he never had sex with her."
After hearing this, the old lady's heart, which had been hanging for a long time, suddenly settled down, and the turbidity in her eyes was instantly replaced by a bright light.
She didn't bother to ask anything else. She supported Madam Zhou's hand and went to the Buddhist shrine in the corner of the room, muttering, "Buddha bless you, ancestors bless you..."
When he arrived in front of the cushion, he kowtowed three times respectfully, his forehead resting on the cold ground, but the corners of his mouth were raised high.
Xie Wan and Nanny Zhou also knelt down quickly. When they stood up after bowing their heads, Xie Wan saw that there were still tears in the corners of the old lady's eyes, but her face was full of wrinkles from her smile.
Nanny Zhou helped the old lady sit down on the couch again. Just as she was about to hand her a cup of hot tea, the old lady suddenly frowned and looked at the marquis who was still kneeling on the ground.
The old lady wiped her tears and saw that he had a frown on his face without a trace of joy.
She suppressed her smile and asked in confusion, "Since the Marquis has found out the truth, why is he still so expressionless?"
Hearing the old lady's question, Xie Jinglan closed his eyes, his Adam's apple rolled heavily, and the crow feathers cast a heavy shadow under his eyes.
When he spoke again, his voice was filled with an unresolved bitterness. He didn't want anyone to misunderstand Ning'er anymore, so he said truthfully:
"Grandson did find out, but this child is... it was when I accompanied the emperor on the sacrifice that year, a few days before Ning'er was forced to marry into the Liu family. I... I raped her in the dark of night to detoxify her."
Upon hearing this, the room suddenly fell silent, and the three of them were shocked.
After looking at each other, they both understood clearly that the Marquis must have been forced to do so.
After a long while, the old lady sighed, "Back then, I only knew that this poison was dangerous, but I never knew there was such a hidden story. I also didn't know that the girl, although seemingly calm, was hiding such grievances in her heart."
The old lady slowly sorted out her thoughts and explained the whole story to her grandson.
"That girl had her innocence taken away by the Marquis, then was forced into a marriage of convenience. After losing her husband on her wedding night, she was sold to the Marquis's mansion by her heartless in-laws. Upon entering the mansion, she discovered she was pregnant with that 'strange man's' child. And yet, by entering the mansion, she gained your favor. She dared not reveal the truth, yet she couldn't bear to part with the child. You can imagine the hardship she went through."
Xie Jinglan lowered his head and listened to the old lady's words, which made his heart ache.
The old lady raised her eyes and glared at him, with a hint of resentment, "If the Marquis had investigated this matter earlier, she wouldn't have suffered so much."
She paused, then continued, "This man was bullied by the Marquis. You absolutely must coax him back into good shape. I, an old woman, have been waiting for this great-grandson for so long, and I cannot let him suffer because of your foolish behavior!"
Xie Jinglan's throat rolled over, and he replied solemnly, "Grandson, don't worry about it."
Seeing him like this, the old lady felt distressed and raised her hand quickly, "Hurry up and get up. Don't kneel on the ground anymore."
As the man stood up, a servant's respectful voice came from outside the door: "Madam, the young lady has arrived with the young master."
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