Chapter 63 Pressing down the gourd makes the ladle float up
The so-called "secret" has always been something that travels faster than the wind.
Mu Xi dared not imagine, but then she thought again, if Granny Cao already knew, then why didn't she use this matter to threaten them to rescue her daughter, instead of willingly sacrificing herself to exchange for kindness?
Suddenly recalling Cao Pan'er's gaze earlier, he felt even more uneasy.
Mu Xun noticed Mu Xi's expression: "What's wrong?"
Mu Xi's mind raced, and suddenly another detail came to mind. She turned to Liu Qi and asked, "Lord Liu, does the Court of Justice have any records of prison visits? Before Granny Cao came to turn herself in, did she specifically visit her daughter?"
Ever since Granny Cao turned herself in, Mu Xun had tried to meet with her several times, but was always given the runaround.
In the end, since they couldn't meet, they simply decided to make it a reality.
That's why he was sentenced to immediate execution so quickly.
Now that a verdict has been reached, the Court of Justice is willing to open the "door of convenience."
“The Court of Justice has records of the prison visits.” Liu Qi then turned to the jailer who had brought the case file and said, “Go and retrieve the prison visit records.”
Upon hearing this question, Mu Xun understood immediately.
The two stopped talking.
When the jailer retrieved the records, the two reviewed them and found that Granny Cao had come to visit her daughter the day before she turned herself in.
Therefore, there is no need to dwell on it. What needs to be said, Cao Mama would probably have already explained to her daughter.
The remaining question is how much Cao Pan'er knows and how they should treat her.
Mu Xi and Mu Xun exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat guilty.
She hadn't thought things through; she was only focused on saving the pregnant woman.
Now that things have come to this, we can only wait until we get back to discuss it further.
Liu Qi was in charge of completing the procedures at the prison, while Cao Pan'er was being taken out of the death row.
Mu Xi and Mu Xun led Cao Pan'er away from the Court of Justice.
Mu Xi had Cao Pan'er board the carriage provided by Qi Yingyu, with Tao'er and Bao Fan following along to look after her.
Mu Xun helped Mu Xi into the carriage he had brought, and then said, "Brother, you forcibly brought Cao Pan'er here. Father is unaware of this matter. Now, we don't know if the Cao family mother and daughter know anything. It's not easy to handle. Why don't you go back to the manor first, brother? I'll think of a way to settle Cao Pan'er somewhere, and then we'll devise a plan."
Mu Xi had already made other plans, and suddenly asked, "Who do you think is the father of the child in Cao Pan'er's belly?"
“This…” Mu Xun was clearly unprepared for this question.
Mu Xi lowered her voice further: "I guessed that the child in Cao Pan'er's belly was most likely Mu Chong's, so we absolutely cannot let Cao Pan'er give birth outside the home."
Mu Xun questioned, "Cao Pan'er has never explicitly revealed the child's biological father before, and Mu Xun is still young, perhaps..."
"If that child had nothing to do with Mu Chong, how could Cao Pan'er 'enjoy' a solitary cell and still be alive and well until now?" Mu Xi had been scheming ever since he learned that Cao Pan'er was pregnant.
On the continent of Yansheng, the people believe that there are gods watching over them, and they dare not easily do anything that violates the natural order.
This "father killing son" is one of them.
Regardless of whose child Cao Pan'er is carrying, the fact that she was able to manipulate Mu Chong and survive until now means that Mu Chong is definitely involved in this matter.
Ever since she transmigrated, Mu Xi has been repeatedly controlled by the Gao family. She needs to find a way to counter them, otherwise she will always be tied down. When will she be able to carry out her plan to openly and legitimately reclaim her identity?
Cao Pan'er, or more accurately, the child in Cao Pan'er's belly, was an opportunity.
The prerequisite is that she must ensure Cao Pan'er gives birth to the child safely.
Mu Xi believed that her initial intention in saving the woman was out of "humanitarianism"—she couldn't bear to see a pregnant woman in danger of giving birth while she was imprisoned. However, this did not prevent her from using the incident to manipulate Mu Chong and thus control the Gao family.
“This…” Mu Xun had been insensitive to Cao Pan’er’s premarital pregnancy from the beginning, and now his thoughts were not on the same page as Mu Xi’s. “Cao Pan’er is a hot potato. She cannot be kept in the manor. I will find another place to settle her.”
Handing it over to Mu Xun would be like escaping one tiger's den only to fall into another wolf's mouth.
Mu Xi then came up with another reason: "Since Father is still unaware, isn't that perfect? We should bring him back to the manor first."
"Huh?" Mu Xun thought he had misheard.
Mu Xi explained, "It's darkest under the lamp. Since Father doesn't know, it's safer to keep the person under our noses."
Mu Xun wasn't stupid either: "Today, the Prince of Jinfang came to the Court of Justice to take people away in such a grand manner. Before tomorrow, the whole of Moyang City will know. Father can't keep it from us. The West Courtyard has probably already received the news by now."
"Therefore, we must bring her back to the Jun residence. In Cao Pan'er's current condition, no one can feel at ease leaving her anywhere, so we can only keep her under our noses for now." Mu Xi adopted a desperate and clumsy solution.
“But…” Mu Xun still had some concerns.
"There's no 'buts' about it. Do you think you have a better idea?" Mu Xi said confidently, pulling down the carriage curtain. "Let's go and head back home."
Having no other options, Mu Xun hesitated for a moment before finally relenting and had no choice but to compromise.
Thus, the group, with two carriages and a dozen guards, made a "grand" return.
When Mu Xi arrived, she was full of pride and high spirits; when she left, she seemed to have achieved her goal, but she couldn't shake off her unease.
The saying goes, "Press down one gourd and another floats up," ultimately indicating that she hadn't considered things thoroughly enough.
After returning to the Jun residence, Mu Xun discreetly arranged for Cao Pan'er to stay in a secluded courtyard next to the small kitchen on the east side.
The saying goes, "You can hide it for as long as you can, but it's true that you can't hide it forever."
However, Mu Xi originally intended to "interrogate" Cao Pan'er as soon as she returned to find out if she knew about the woman disguised as a man, but then she thought about it again and it seemed that wasn't the case.
Sometimes, the truth you find out when you ask questions can be completely different from what you actually know.
After much deliberation, Mu Xi was tormented and unable to fall asleep all night.
The next day, before dawn, he sat up and waited until it was fully light before he couldn't wait to find Cao Pan'er and "get her to talk."
After taking Mu Xi's pulse, Doctor Luo personally fed him the medicine and said, "Brother, I will handle the questioning later. You just need to rest well. You were overworked yesterday and should not exert yourself further."
Mu Xi's mind was preoccupied with Cao Pan'er all night, how could she miss this opportunity: "No, bring her here."
Mu Xun opened his mouth to stop her, but when he saw Mu Xi's two big dark circles under her eyes, he sighed and said, "Fine."
Before long, Cao Pan'er was brought into the inner room.
Mu Xi first gestured for her to sit down on the stool.
Cao Pan'er changed back into the white-and-green "upside-down" dress of an ordinary maid in the Jun family. Even so, because she was clean and tidy, and despite the slight swelling on her face due to pregnancy, if it weren't for her protruding belly, she would have been mistaken for a "baby-fat" face, with a dewy and youthful appearance. It was clear how beautiful she must have been before her pregnancy.
Mu Xi glanced at Cao Pan'er's protruding belly again, preparing to probe for information.
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