Chapter 49
Ye Ziwen had been troubled by the issue of "unlucky wife" for too long, and seeing a chance to get help from the Imperial Guards, he blurted out everything.
"If I'm really unlucky with my wife, I'll accept it. But I've consulted several fortune tellers, and they all say I'm not unlucky with my wife. Instead, I'm destined to have many children and good fortune."
"I also sought out the two abbots of Baiyun Temple and Chongguang Temple who are experts in physiognomy and told them that all three of their wives died in childbirth. However, they still insisted that based on their physiognomy, I wasn't a man who would bring bad luck to his wife."
Fortune tellers are fine, most of them are scammers, but the abbots of Baiyun Temple and Chongguang Temple are famous for their extremely accurate face reading, and people often come to them for fortune reading.
The two hosts also showed it to the current emperor and empress. With their opinions in mind, it was difficult for Pei Mingcheng to insist that his face reading was inaccurate.
Ye Ziwen talked about the past: "My first wife was very frail. She took a lot of medication to keep the baby alive during her pregnancy. The child was born, but my wife died during childbirth."
"The child couldn't be left without a mother to take care of him, so I remarried. Unexpectedly, the new wife soon became pregnant, and the child she left behind died in childbirth."
"I thought giving birth might be too dangerous, so I deliberately remarried a widow who had given birth before. I didn't expect that she would also..."
At this point, the man's face was filled with helplessness and sadness, and he was too bitter to continue.
Pei Mingcheng had a lot of questions in his head. Is this a man who is particularly unlucky in marriage and causes difficult childbirth?
Whose wife is so unlucky? Don't be too ridiculous!
Ye Ziwen took a few deep breaths to calm himself, then continued, "I heard from that nobleman that if you take too many supplements, the baby in your belly will be too big, and you could die in labor."
"I just want to ask you, sir, how much food would cause this? Is it true that their deaths have nothing to do with me?"
It is hard to say whether he is unlucky in marriage or not, but each of his wives left him a child, so he did have many children.
As for that so-called good fortune...it can't be good luck with love, right?
Pei Mingcheng felt that this matter was not simple.
Logically, it should be handled by Shuntian Prefecture, but this matter is currently just a self-report of a man suspected of being unlucky in marriage. There is no property loss and no witnesses or physical evidence.
Shuntian Prefecture is located in the heart of the capital, and there are countless cases to be handled every day. A man's suspicion without any evidence is too light. Even if the case is really taken, it is unknown when it will be investigated.
If this matter were to be brought to the attention of Chu Huan, the system would definitely eat up the melon, but it was uncertain whether it would also bring out the part about the man following the carriage.
If he really brought it out, he didn't know whether Dasheng would be finished, but he himself would definitely be finished.
Pei Mingcheng: "Song Zhi, go check it out."
Song Zhi: "Yes."
This was the first case Song Zhi handled after joining the Pacification Office. Pei Mingcheng was afraid that he would be unable to handle it alone, so he sent an old hand to work with Song Zhi.
I thought a little investigation would yield some results, but after running around for a few days, they found something strange.
Song Zhi summarized what he had learned in the past few days: "The Ye family has some assets, has been doing charity work for many years, has a good reputation, and is a very good person."
"According to the Ye family's servants and neighbors, Ye Ziwen's first wife was his cousin. She was frail and sickly since childhood, and always had medicine with her."
"My first wife had a difficult pregnancy. The fetus was unstable. She vomited everything she ate. She was as thin as a monkey. The child she gave birth to was not healthy either. That's why I was so anxious to find a second wife."
"The second wife is in good health and has a good appetite. Less than two months after she got married, she had good news. The Ye family thought there would be no problems this time, but they didn't expect it to be a difficult birth. However, the baby she gave birth to was quite strong."
"My third wife has given birth before. It was said that the first baby was born quickly and smoothly. I didn't expect that something would go wrong. However, the baby is fine."
Pei Mingcheng couldn't help but feel sympathy for Ye Ziwen. How could it be such a coincidence?
It was somewhat predictable that a lady who had been sick since childhood would have a difficult delivery. How could a lady who was in good health and had given birth before also have an accident, and in the same way?
He could well imagine what kind of reputation Ye Ziwen, who had killed three wives in succession, would have among his neighbors, relatives and friends.
It's nothing more than: He's a good person, but he's unlucky for his wife. What a pity, he's so unlucky. Stay away from him, or he might unlucky you.
It is estimated that friends and relatives will keep their distance from Ye Ziwen in the next few years, so that he will always remember that he is an unlucky person. Otherwise, he would not follow anyone he heard a little news on the street just to get rid of the reputation of being a wife-killer.
Even the notorious and feared Zhenfu Division, he could suppress his fear and come to them for help.
Song Zhi continued, "We visited the Ye family's neighbors, the doctor who treated the third wife, and the midwife who delivered her, but we found nothing else."
The veteran who took Song Zhi also said: "The doctor kept records of every visit, and neither the doctor nor the midwife took any unexpected money."
If this is murder or homicide, the people most likely to meddle are doctors and midwives.
Once this clue is broken, it will be difficult to investigate.
"That's strange," Pei Mingcheng pondered. "No one bribed the doctor or the midwife. Could it be that all three wives died of natural causes?"
Without waiting for others to respond, he had already answered his own question, "No."
Song Zhi and the veteran answered almost at the same time: "No."
Pei Mingcheng looked up suddenly: "What? Did you find any clues?"
Song Zhi: "If Ye Ziwen is the only one like this, then I would definitely believe that he is unlucky in marriage."
Veteran: "During the investigation, we discovered that one of Ye Ziwen's good friends also had two wives who died in childbirth."
One might be a coincidence, but two certainly aren't.
Pei Mingcheng was sure that there was something fishy going on, but based on what he had investigated so far, he couldn't figure out what it was.
"Check again!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the sword in the hands of the emperor. The Pacification Division has talents in all aspects, and naturally there are also talents in investigating cases.
The veteran who led Song Zhi was one of the best investigators in the Zhenfu Division.
They investigated Ye Ziwen and his friends, including all the relationships around them, in the same way as they would for a normal case.
A lot of time, manpower and material resources were spent, and many useful and useless clues were found, but there was no thread to organize them all.
Lin You heard that they were having trouble investigating the case and came to see if there was anything he could do to help. But when he looked at the file, he was like, huh? What?
"Let me take another look."
Pei Mingcheng has read the existing content over and over again, but still hasn't found a breakthrough.
"Why don't we find..."
"You can't look for her." Lin You knew that looking for Chu Huan was the fastest and easiest way, but also the most undesirable.
Pei Mingcheng: "I mean, this case is originally under the jurisdiction of the Shuntian Prefecture. Otherwise, the Dali Temple can also investigate it."
Lin You: “…” Good fellow, he’s trying to shift the blame to someone else.
This trick is a bit bad, but I like it, let’s do it!
Soon, the case and all the clues found by the Jinyiwei were handed over to Shuntian Prefecture, with a special note: related to Chu Huan.
Ye Ziwen’s matter can be ignored, but does Shuntian Prefecture dare not deal with the matter related to Chu Huan urgently?
The governor of Shuntian Prefecture put down everything else he was doing and took a look at the file. That’s it?
It was just that Ye Ziwen heard the noise and wanted to find Chu Huan to ask. Well, he really couldn't let him run to Chu Huan, so they had to solve it secretly.
I had originally thought of spending some time and manpower to resolve the issue quickly, but the more I looked at it, the more confused it became. Then I understood why the Jinyiwei transferred the case - to give them the headache.
treacherous!
Within two days, the Shuntian prefect transferred the case to the Dali Temple.
Dali Temple: "..."
Before the Dali Temple Minister found a way to pass it on to the Ministry of Justice, the Minister of Justice had already received the news and the emperor also knew about it.
After discussion among the king and his ministers, they decided to test the system a second time.
Chu Huan has already been to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, and the next will be the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice. In the process of investigating a case, she will come into contact with all kinds of people. What if she encounters the victim who comes to her door again?
They have to test whether the system can find the source and whether it will care about those small details, which will determine the end of their subsequent work.
In order to avoid being detected by the system, they did not say many things out loud, but communicated with each other through eye contact. If it was difficult to express, they would explain it vaguely.
An hour later, Chu Huan, who was working diligently in the Ministry of Industry, received a message: Jiang invited her to have dinner at Tianxiang Tower after she got off work.
Calculating the time, it has been a week since she last went to Yufu. I guess her scientific weight loss method has taken effect.
Then go.
However, when she got there, Chu Huan discovered that there were quite a lot of people there.
The organizer of the banquet, Jiang, and her close friends, as well as a group of people Chu Huan was very familiar with: the Second Prince's wife, Concubine Wu and others.
The circle in the capital is so small that even if you don't have much contact with some people, you've heard of their reputation. Otherwise, there's also the reputation of your father, husband, or brother, so they are all acquaintances.
The group of people introduced themselves to each other briefly and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
After taking their seats, Jiang offered Chu Huan a glass of wine: "Sir, this is a toast to you."
After draining the wine in her glass in one gulp, she said, "According to the adults' plan, after seven days, my body is stronger and I feel more energetic than before."
"I just can't eat braised pork dim sum or anything like that. The longer I can't eat it, the more I miss it. It's a bit hard to bear."
But when she thought about completing the phased plan and having snacks and desserts that Dasheng didn’t have, she became motivated again.
Among those present, Chu Huan was the youngest and not suitable for drinking. There was no wine in her glass, but a fruit drink given to her by her sisters.
In recognition of Jiang's generosity, Chu Huan also proudly gulped down the fruit drink and praised, "With Madam's strong willpower, I'm sure you'll see results soon."
In just one week, there was not much effect on the weight, but Jiang's spirit and energy had changed. This could be observed directly with the naked eye and was difficult to fake.
The most direct result is: a week ago, Chu Huan could still see a few red and swollen pimples on Jiang's chin, but today there are no traces.
At this time, Jiang's handkerchief handed over the words: "Yes, I have also read the scientific weight loss plan formulated by Mr. Chu."
"I wanted to follow the recipe and lose weight, but when I saw there were so many things I couldn't eat, I just couldn't bear to give up those snacks, so I had to give them up with great reluctance."
Another friend said, "If she can give up her favorite braised pork and dim sum and run every day, she will definitely lose weight."
Concubine Wu had also heard the gossip about Jiang's several failed attempts at weight loss, so she chimed in: "What do you mean by scientific weight loss?"
Seeing that Chu Huan had no objection, Jiang told her about the day when Chu Huan came to her specifically to make a weight loss plan tailored for her.
We are all women. Whether it is to capture a man's heart or to make ourselves happy, we all want to maintain a figure that is slightly plump but not fat, which is what people like most.
I heard that Chu Huan's weight loss plan is pretty good. Everyone is so engrossed in it that they even forget to eat.
Chu Huan was the only one who slowly enjoyed the delicious food on the table. She could even take a break to chat with the system.
This warm-up part lasted until everyone got Chu Huan's consent, wrote down the scientific weight loss plan with pen and paper, put it away one by one, and prepared to go back and try it out.
After everyone ate for a while, Concubine Wu said, "I originally thought that you had been at the Ministry of Works for quite a while, and I didn't know how you were doing. I wanted to have a meal with you and chat. It just so happened that she invited you to dinner, so why not go together?"
Chu Huan finally understood the real purpose of this meal.
The system also understood: [Hey, these people really love to eat melons. They even set up a banquet just for eating melons. The cost of eating melons is quite high.]
More dedicated than this melon-eating system.
Chu Huan didn't mind. No matter what method was used, as long as it could maintain the personal relationships between the two parties, it would be fine.
【Start work.】
System: [Okay.]
"It seems that the sisters have heard something interesting." Chu Huan cooperated with a smile.
【Tong'er.】
System: [Here we come!]
Everyone immediately smiled and started eating!
Concubine Wu: "There's a man in the capital named Ye Ziwen. His three wives all died in childbirth. His reputation as a wife killer has spread throughout the capital."
Chu Huan was shocked when she heard this for the first time: "Is there such a thing?"
System: [I'll go take a look. This is too weird.]
"Isn't it?" Jiang continued, "What's even more bizarre is that his good friend also killed two wives. Now everyone is saying that killing wives is contagious."
Chu Huan: "...This is a bit too much."
Whether it is a case of being unlucky in marriage or unlucky in wife, it is just something that people impose on widows at will.
It's not an infectious disease. It doesn't exist in the first place, so how can it be transmitted?
"Yeah, we don't believe it either."
"If it really was contagious, how come the neighbors around here are all alright?"
"The Ye family isn't just Ye Ziwen."
Everyone was talking at once until the system came back, and then they started eating - if they kept talking they wouldn't be able to enjoy the melon properly!
System: [Ye Ziwen's first wife was his cousin. She was born with a weak constitution and was often sickly. After her parents passed away, she was raised by the Ye family and had to take a lot of tonics every month.]
Her health was deteriorating, and the doctor said she only had a few years left to live, even with careful care. She wanted to repay the Ye family for their years of nurturing and care, and continue the family line.
However, it was too risky for her frail body to carry a child. She had severe pregnancy reactions and struggled to give birth. She only took one look at the child before passing away. She was truly weak and died from a difficult labor.
Um?
Chu Huan heard the hidden meaning: [You mean the other two ladies? ]
[Of course not!] The system raised its decibels. [The probability of difficult labor for pregnant women in ancient times was very high, but it wouldn't be concentrated around Ye Ziwen alone.]
The female members present and the Jinyiwei outside nodded secretly. Yes, that was the truth.
What about the other two ladies? Oh, yes, there's also the wife of Ye Ziwen's friend.
System: [My cousin was born with a deficiency. She vomited everything she ate during pregnancy. The baby didn't absorb any nutrients. How could it possibly be sufficient?]
The child was born as small as a kitten, and the doctor said it would be difficult to raise. The Ye family searched for a wet nurse and a doctor, and eventually met a fortune teller who said the child needed a mother with a compatible horoscope to be cared for.
Another fortune teller? Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Chu Huan's eyebrows jumped: [Liar?]
System: [It's a liar! ]
The Ye family desperately tried every possible means to save the child. They married a new wife just three months after my cousin passed away. Unexpectedly, the child's health actually improved.
Because of this incident, the Ye family believed the fortune teller's words very much. They paid him a large sum of money and even asked for his address. They would go to him whenever they had any problems.
Chu Huan was speechless: [You're just asking for trouble.]
System: [The new wife's horoscope was carefully chosen, and she is a completely different type of healthy person than the previous, sickly wife. The Ye family is relieved.]
The new wife got pregnant within two months of her marriage. Compared to the previous wife, who only got pregnant once every three years, what a strong comparison group! The Ye family felt even more relieved.
Therefore, they would eat whatever the fortune teller said they should eat.
After hearing this, everyone had a bad feeling.
The fortune teller is a liar, so can we trust his words? Absolutely not!
System: [The fortune teller said the child should be born on a certain day and at a certain time, and they believed it, but that time was actually ten days past the full-term date, which was too much.]
How can anyone control the timing of childbirth? To ensure a delayed birth, the new wife barely left her bed for the last month, sleeping as much as possible and minimizing activity.
[If you eat a lot and don't move, how can you not be weak? If you can use anesthesia for a cesarean section in modern times, how could that technology exist in ancient times? The mother has no strength to give birth, so wouldn't it be a difficult birth?]
[The new wife was able to give birth to the child because of her overflowing maternal love. She fought tooth and nail for the child and suffered a hemorrhage after giving birth. After learning that the child was fine, she passed away with a smile.]
Chu Huan's fists hardened: "Tell me where that fortune teller is later. I won't be able to vent my anger unless I beat him up!"
System: [Alright, let Cai Gang beat him up, he's very strong.]
Chu Hua: [Jia Yi is a doctor. He knows the weak spots of the human body, so beating him will hurt more.]
System: [Then it's Jia Yi! ]
Cai Gang gave Jia Yi a look: Add my share.
Jia Yi nodded: No problem!
The system continued: [After the new wife died, the Ye family hurriedly went to ask for information, and the fortune teller said: The child had a heavy fate, and it was the Wenquxing from heaven that had descended to earth. The new wife couldn't suppress it, so she died.]
[Fuck!] Chu Huan couldn't stand it any longer. [This girl really just opens her mouth and says things!]
After reading the entire story, the system was even more angry than Chu Huan: [There are even more infuriating things.]
He also said that Wen Quxing and Wu Quxing had descended to the mortal world together, and that one day in heaven would last one year on earth. If the Ye family wanted Wu Quxing, they would have to marry a woman with a compatible horoscope as soon as possible. The Ye family believed him again!
Chu Huan: “…”
Others: “…”
System: [This time, it's a widow who has given birth to a child. The Ye family is somewhat concerned about Ye Ziwen's reputation as a wife-killer, so they're looking for a widow who can also bring bad luck to her husband. This should be okay, right?]
[It's the same old story from last time, about giving birth to a Wu Qu Xing at a fixed time. But since I've already given birth once, I know what's best for myself and my child, so I don't really want to listen to them.]
The Ye family and the fortune teller took turns brainwashing the new wife, saying that only at that time could a true Wu Qu Xing be born. If you don't wait until that day to give birth, you will only give birth to a useless child, and the child will hate you in the future.
The new wife's previous child was a bit silly, and she was worried that if she gave birth to another child with problems, she would not be able to survive, and she also had a difficult birth.
After hearing this, everyone present felt heavy in their hearts and very uncomfortable.
Do you think these three ladies are wrong?
The first is to repay the kindness of raising me, the second is to obey my husband's family, and the third is for the good of my children and myself.
This is how people educated girls at that time. What's wrong with them doing it?
The mistake was taking what others said too seriously, without noticing the various unreasonable aspects of the matter, and not taking one's own life seriously enough.
Chu Huan sighed deeply: "If these three ladies had been a little more selfish, had known a little more about pregnancy, knew that fortune tellers are mostly scammers, and had resisted a little more, they wouldn't have ended up like this."
Some of the women present agreed with what Chu Huan said, while others disagreed.
Not everyone has the courage to resist their husbands and parents-in-law, and most women are submissive.
The system also disagreed: [Resistance is useless, the Ye family is just a den of scammers.]
Chu Hua's pupils trembled: [What did you say? ]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
