Mu Chenshuang did not press Zhang Mama for details, but instead said slowly and in a deep voice, "Zhang Mama has a son."
The moment she finished speaking, Zhang Mama's pupils dilated, and she lowered her head, seemingly afraid that Mu Chenshuang would notice her abnormality.
Even though she quickly calmed down, Mu Chenshuang still noticed the subtle change.
"I don't know where Miss heard this rumor, but I haven't married in fifty years, so where would I get a son?"
Mu Chenshuang took out a scroll from her sleeve and opened it. The scroll was somewhat worn due to its age, with circles of yellow stains, but the person in the portrait was still clearly visible, wearing a jade crown and with a young face.
When Granny Zhang saw the painting, even she, usually so composed, showed a hint of panic.
All that could be heard was Mu Chenshuang saying, "This painting was found in your room. No matter how I look at it, the person in the portrait looks very much like the Sixth Prince, Feng Hao."
Mu Chenshuang's words clearly made Zhang Mama uneasy, and her whole body trembled slightly.
"Granny Zhang, you've been hiding a portrait of the prince. Could it be that you secretly harbor feelings for the Sixth Prince?"
Mu Chenshuang scoffed.
As if she had been stimulated, Zhang Mama stared at Mu Chenshuang with her cloudy eyes wide open, "What the young lady said is too absurd."
Mu Chenshuang chuckled, "This princess also finds it quite absurd, but why did Granny Zhang secretly keep the portrait of the Sixth Prince?"
Granny Zhang frowned, her face growing increasingly flustered. She turned her gaze away, offering no reply and remaining silent.
Mu Chenshuang was not in a hurry and slowly said, "When I saw this portrait, it reminded me of something. At the Summer Lotus Banquet four months ago, Lu Wei brought you into the palace, and you gave a box of peach blossom pastries to the Sixth Prince."
"I happened to see it, but I didn't pay much attention at the time. Now, thinking back on how you looked at the Sixth Prince's departing figure, that lingering, sorrowful look in your eyes really resembled the pain of a mother watching her son leave, wanting to see him but unable to acknowledge him."
Every word Mu Chenshuang uttered was breaking down Zhang Mama's psychological defenses.
"This... is just your wild guess, Miss." Granny Zhang's voice lacked any confidence.
"Is that so? Judging from the yellowed areas on this portrait, they are traces left by the smudging of individual tears. It seems that Granny Zhang shed many tears for this portrait. If it wasn't for her lover, then who would she be longing for to shed so many tears?"
Granny Zhang remained silent.
"I heard that Consort Ling gave birth prematurely, but the son she gave birth to was no different from a full-term baby. In my opinion, this sixth prince may not be His Majesty's son."
"It is no small matter for a servant to keep a prince's painting. Since Zhang Mama is unwilling to explain anything, I, the princess, have no choice but to report to His Majesty and tell him the whole story so that he can investigate it personally."
"Let's see if this Sixth Prince Feng Hao is truly His Majesty's son. A blood test will tell. If it's found that the Sixth Prince isn't His Majesty's son, then his life will likely be in danger."
Blood-drop kinship testing is completely unreliable, but people in ancient times firmly believed in it.
When Mu Chenshuang said the last sentence, her tone became particularly sinister.
Zhang Mama's expression grew increasingly terrified, as the tension in her entire body caused blood to continuously seep from the wound on her arm.
Mu Chenshuang gave a cold laugh and turned away indifferently, "Zhang Mama, you can stay in this prison of the Court of Judicial Review. Perhaps one day you will meet the Sixth Prince here."
After saying that.
Mu Chenshuang strode away.
Just as she walked out of the cell, Zhang Mama's shrill scream came from behind, "What exactly do you want?"
With her back to Zhang Mama, Mu Chenshuang curled her lips into a cold smile and slowly turned her head to the side. "Zhang Mama, do you know what I want? Do you want to protect the Sixth Prince's bright future, or do you want to protect your master?"
Granny Zhang lay on the ground, her hands gripping the straw tightly, her eyes filled with grief and resentment as she stared intently at Mu Chenshuang, as if she wanted to tear Mu Chenshuang to pieces.
How can you guarantee you won't report them?
Mu Chenshuang turned around and looked at Zhang Mama with cold eyes. "The Sixth Prince and I have no grudges against each other, and I have no intention of meddling in this matter. You don't need to worry that Lu Wei will take this opportunity to retaliate against you. Consort Ling only has the Sixth Prince under her care, and she will definitely not allow this to happen."
Granny Zhang hung her head limply, her body trembling violently, whether from pain or something else.
After a while.
An old, weak voice spoke: "I confess."
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