Chapter 131

The two had been frightened out of their wits by the earlier questioning and hurriedly kowtowed.

"I—I'm willing to confess, my lord. I only ask for leniency. Sixteen years ago, Madam Li, a concubine of the Zheng Family, gave birth to a daughter..."

Zheng Yuanqing shot to his feet, slamming the table. "Are you certain it was a daughter?!"

The midwife shrank back. "I'm certain, my lord."

Everyone's expression turned strange. Madam Li hastened to defend herself. "My lord, you mustn't listen to her nonsense—"

"Silence. It isn't your turn to speak. Or would you rather we take this to the magistrate's office?"

Xie Heng gave her a cold look. Meeting his intimidating gaze, Madam Li started and sat down without thinking.

"Continue."

The midwife went on. "Madam Li told me to keep quiet and bought a baby boy that someone else didn't want..."

Zheng Yuanqing sprang up again.

Xie Heng said, "Sit down!"

"..." Zheng Yuanqing forced down his anger and disbelief and sat back down.

"Madam Li told me to take good care of her daughter. A few days later, Madam Zheng gave birth to a son. Madam Li told me to bring him to her, then take her own child to Madam Zheng's birthing room. Babies don't change much in a few days, and Madam Zheng had fainted from severe bleeding after the birth. Everyone was busy caring for her, so no one looked closely at the baby."

"Afterward, I secretly carried the baby boy Madam Li had been keeping in her room out of the Residence. That completed the whole switch."

"No, that's impossible..." Madam Zheng was stunned, the words coming out in a murmur.

Xie Heng felt for his relative by marriage, but this was not yet the moment to seek justice for her.

"The