Chapter 134 Father Xi knows the truth
Seeing Concubine Liu like this, Xi Jianan's uneasiness in his heart became even worse, but he was the husband and had to calm his mind. He stood up and went to greet her, asking in a gentle voice, "Why are you so flustered?"
Concubine Liu calmed down, but didn't know what to say. She could only present the letter with both hands: "This is... This is a letter written by Qingmian to me... My Lord, you will know it at a glance..."
Glancing at Aunt Liu who had a grim expression on her face, Xi Jianan took the letter, lowered his head to read it carefully, and saw the familiar handwriting. Qingmian's handwriting was always so neat, and the ending of each word was carefully rounded.
But as his eyes moved down, the neat words made his pupils shrink.
Did Qingtong and Qingwu actually swap identities? Did Zheng condone this? Is Qingwu suffering in the palace? Is Qingtong a concubine of the Song family?
He could hardly believe his eyes. The letter in his hand rustled because of his shaking arms.
What was written in the letter was too absurd—he couldn't help but glance sideways at Aunt Liu, "Is this really from Qingmian? Could she have read it wrongly?"
"It's absolutely true. This letter was successfully delivered to me by Qingmian, who hid it in the embroidered shoes she made for me. When Madam Qingwu was still in the boudoir, the two girls often slept in the same bed and were very close. How could they have made a mistake?"
Aunt Liu lowered her head, seeming a little hesitant, but finally gritted her teeth and said, "This is the agreement I made with Qingmian before I left. If you encounter any difficulties at home, you will send me a pair of shoes. This matter is known only to the two of us, mother and daughter. Qingmian will never make trouble about it."
The implication was that she was also worried about the mistress of the house. Xi Jianan looked at her and was a little surprised.
After all, Aunt Liu was Zheng's personal maid, and it was Zheng who took the initiative to make her his concubine. Shouldn't the two of them trust each other?
Aunt Liu understood the meaning of this look. She lowered her head and smiled helplessly, "Is there any unchanging friendship in this world?"
Ever since Mrs. Zheng gave her a bowl of contraceptive soup after she gave birth to Qingmian, their friendship had been shattered.
Seeing Xi Jianan stunned, Aunt Liu changed the subject and urged, "Master, please think about how to resolve this matter."
Hearing this, Xi Jianan reacted and couldn't help but read the letter again from beginning to end.
If the first time was shocking, the second time was terrified and heartbroken. Fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and his fingers tightened unconsciously, causing wrinkles on the letter paper.
"No……"
Xi Jianan wanted to say it was impossible, but was it really impossible?
Although both daughters were his wife's biological children, one of them had been missing for ten years. That was ten years of time. Even Xi Jianan himself knew that his feelings for his two daughters were different.
Qingtong grew up under his lap, a bond of affection for him that was nurtured over time, a love that he cherished. Qingwu had been missing for years, and he felt more distressed and guilty, which prompted him to treat his two daughters equally.
It was not until later, after Qingwu had lived at home for several years, that the love he felt for her slowly developed.
How could he be sure that his wife would be fair and just, especially since he had witnessed her being unfair to the two girls at home?
He had seen his daughter being wronged, and although he would intervene and mediate whenever he encountered her, he had government affairs to attend to, spending most of his time at the government office. How could he possibly be so attentive? He simply considered it a minor conflict between mother and daughter, something that would be resolved over time.
But Xi Jianan never expected that the mother-daughter conflict, which he thought was not a big deal, and the sister dispute would now cause her such a big trouble.
Even if the youngest daughter had not written a letter directly stating that Qingwu was threatened and forced to be exchanged by the two, Xi Jianan himself would have guessed in this direction.
But once he thought this way, Xi Jianan's impression of his wife and daughter over the years was completely shattered.
Qingtong is aloof and spoiled, but how can she feel comfortable exchanging with someone? That's her own sister!
His wife usually attaches great importance to rules and decency, and keeps the home in order. Xi Jianan always thought that she was a good wife, but... after doing this, how could she deserve that word?
And how heartbroken must his daughter be, who had been missing for many years and was finally found, being oppressed by her biological mother and sisters? Is she doing well in the palace?
Aunt Liu watched Xi Jianan's face turn from red to white, then from white to blue, and finally with tears in his eyes. She knew that her master believed it.
She couldn't help but touch her belly with her hand hidden under her skirt, and said with a sweat on her face, fanning the flames: "Madam is partial... You know that..."
"Madam Qingwu has suffered for many years outside, and I cannot bear to see her suffer such injustice now."
This was the first time in so many years that Concubine Liu had spoken ill of Madam Zheng in front of Xi Jianan. It wasn't just because she truly felt some sympathy for Qingwu, but also because of her selfish motives.
She is now just over thirty years old and her period has always been regular, but now it has been delayed for a month and a half. As a woman who has given birth, she already understands this.
Concubine Liu had given up the idea of having another child before. The master was kind and the lady was not too harsh on her. She knew that having Qingmian as her daughter would give her someone to rely on when she got old. But who could have made her pregnant now?
People's desires change with the changing circumstances. She is now pregnant with another child, and although she doesn't know whether it is a boy or a girl, she has to make plans.
The Xi family's wealth is fixed, and Madam Zheng, as the principal wife, will always get the lion's share. But if the madam's weight in the master's heart declines, then there will be more for her children.
Thinking of this, Aunt Liu added anxiously, "It's not a big deal to wrong Madam Qingwu. The most important thing is that this is a crime of deceiving the emperor!"
This really concerns the safety of the Xi family. If the Xi family falls, she and her children will not have a good life, so when Aunt Liu saw the letter, she took it without much hesitation.
The last sentence finally woke Xi Jianan up from his emotions. He had actually believed what was said in the letter a long time ago, but he just didn't dare to believe it. How could he not think of something that Concubine Liu had thought of?
Thinking of this audacious plan and the danger behind it, Xi Jianan slammed the table so hard that the pen holder shook violently.
"Prepare the horses!" he shouted subconsciously, "Set off for the capital immediately!"
Aunt Liu hurriedly grabbed Xi Jianan's clothes and said, "Master! You are the governor of a state, how can you leave your post without permission?"
Xi Jianan froze in place, his chest heaving violently. Finally, he slumped back into his chair, covering his face with his hands and closing his eyes, forcing down the panic and anger within him. "I was just too anxious..."
But when he thought of what happened to his daughter Qingwu, he felt ashamed.
"They are so reckless and audacious!"
"Master, please don't be impatient. Even if Qingmian wouldn't lie, there might be a misunderstanding. Why not send a trusted aide back to the capital to investigate? If the situation is true, it won't be too late to make plans..."
Aunt Liu still left a little wiggle room for her daughter and gave cautious advice.
What she said made sense. After a few breaths, Xi Jianan let go of her hand and raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Go call Xi Zhong."
The cicadas outside the window were still chirping, but the air in the study was so stagnant that it was suffocating.
Xi Jianan stared at the letter in his hand, and the image of Qingwu timidly calling him "father" on the day he returned home kept appearing in his mind.
"If this is true..." He gritted his teeth, "I will definitely stand up for Qingwu."
Cultivate oneself, manage the family, govern the country and bring peace to the world. If his family is not in order, how can he have the face to govern the country?
Moreover, if the family is not united, disaster will surely occur.
Now, isn’t this a huge disaster?
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