The Truth Came Out

Meanwhile, a grave atmosphere hung over the hall of the Chancellor's Residence. Pei Yunluo knelt with her head lowered and her shoulders trembling slightly. Princess Yongle sat in the seat of honor, staring darkly at her daughter. Beside her, Chancellor Pei looked as though he wanted to speak but dared not. He wanted to plead for their daughter, yet could only turn to their son, who sat expressionless, and signal with his eyes for him to intercede.

Pei Xingjian caught his father's signal and said, "Mother, A Luo knows she was wrong. Please just..."

"Xingjian, don't plead for her. What she did this time has truly disappointed me." Princess Yongle cut him off coldly, her voice full of anger and disappointment. Looking at Pei Yunluo kneeling on the floor, she said sternly, "You're a commandery princess, yet you did something as shameless as meeting a man in secret before marriage! Where have all your years of lessons in propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame gone?"

Pei Yunluo raised her head and looked at Princess Yongle through tear-blurred eyes. "Mother, I was wrong," she choked out. "I really know I was wrong. I shouldn't have met Zhang Yu behind our family's backs..."

Chancellor Pei's heart ached as he watched from the side. He wanted to plead for his daughter, but he knew his wife's temper. Once she flew into a rage, no one could calm her down. Speaking up for their daughter would only pour oil on the fire and make his wife angrier.

Besides, he too felt that what their daughter had done this time was truly infuriating. She had secretly met a man outside the family, and that man was no good.

If that man had harbored foul intentions toward her while they were alone together, the consequences would have been unthinkable...

Seeing this, Pei Xingjian pleaded for his younger sister. "Mother, A Luo knows she was wrong. Please forgive her this time."

Hearing her son's words and looking at her daughter, whose tear-streaked face resembled pear blossoms drenched in rain, Princess Yongle's anger gradually subsided a little. She said sternly, "Yunluo, I hope you'll remember this lesson and never do anything like this again. You're a commandery princess. Everyone watches your words and actions. If word got out that you were meeting a man in secret, how would you ever show your face again? How would people ridicule our Chancellor's Residence?"

Her mother's words filled Pei Yunluo with guilt. She felt that she had been far too willful, thinking only of her own happiness without considering her family's dignity. She earnestly promised Princess Yongle, "Mother, I won't do anything like this again."

Seeing the resolve in her daughter's eyes, Princess Yongle's anger finally faded completely. She knew her daughter had truly recognized her mistake, so she nodded and told Pei Yunluo, "Very well. Since you know you were wrong, get up."

Pei Yunluo felt as though she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly stood, went to Princess Yongle's side, and hugged her arm, wheedling, "Thank you, Mother. Don't worry. I won't do anything to upset you again."

Princess Yongle patted her hand and said earnestly, "Yunluo, you're a commandery princess. What fine man couldn't you find? Don't chase after men again. It will only make them think you're worth nothing."

"I understand, Mother." Pei Yunluo nodded obediently.

Seeing the atmosphere ease, Chancellor Pei breathed a sigh of relief.

After admonishing her daughter, Princess Yongle once again ground her teeth with hatred for Zhang Yu. She turned to Pei Xingjian. "Xingjian, have Zhang Yu arrested and banished to some desolate place."

She would not spare a man who had used such vile tricks to approach her daughter and break her heart!

Pei Xingjian nodded in agreement. Zhang Yu had schemed against his younger sister and hurt her. He would not let him off.

At the Duke of Su's Estate, Duchess Su sat in her room with a dark expression. Ning Sang-sang's words at the Flower-Viewing Banquet kept echoing in her mind. Her biological daughter had not been switched by accident after all. Xiu Yu, the maid she trusted, had deliberately swapped her! At the thought, fury surged within Duchess Su.

"Madam, what's wrong?" Nanny Liu, who stood nearby, noticed something amiss and asked with concern.

Ever since returning from the Flower-Viewing Banquet, the duchess had remained in her room, sitting at the table with a dark expression. It had already been more than two hours.

Duchess Su abruptly raised her head, anger flashing in her eyes. Just as she was about to tell Nanny Liu to summon Xiu Yu, Xiu Yu's voice came from outside. "Madam, I've brought you your Beauty-Nourishing Soup."

Hearing Xiu Yu's voice only intensified Duchess Su's fury. "Come in," she said coldly.

When Xiu Yu entered and saw Duchess Su staring at her darkly, her heart lurched, and a dreadful premonition rose within her. She carefully approached the duchess and was about to set the Beauty-Nourishing Soup on the table when Duchess Su said coldly, "Drink that soup."

Xiu Yu's heart jolted. She looked at Duchess Su and saw eyes blazing with rage, as though she wanted to devour someone. Frightened, her hands trembled, and the Beauty-Nourishing Soup fell to the floor.

A sharp crash rang out. Nanny Liu scolded, "Xiu Yu, how could you be so careless!"

Terrified, Xiu Yu dropped to her knees and repeatedly kowtowed to Duchess Su, begging for mercy. Panic overwhelmed her. She knew Duchess Su had discovered that she had spat into the Beauty-Nourishing Soup. Perhaps the duchess had even learned that she had swapped the children...

As Duchess Su looked at Xiu Yu kneeling on the floor, fury blazed within her. This maid, whom she had trusted for more than ten years, had actually swapped her biological daughter behind her back and spat into the nourishing soup she drank every day. It was utterly vile!

"Xiu Yu, I trusted you so much. I never imagined you would swap my daughter!" Duchess Su's voice was icy, filled with anger and disappointment.

Hearing this, Xiu Yu panicked even more. She knew her deeds had been exposed and could no longer be concealed. She did not want to die. She wanted to live, so she hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, crying over and over, "Spare my life, Madam! Please spare my life!"

Duchess Su had only intended to test her and see whether Ning Sang-sang's words were true. She had not expected Xiu Yu to admit it so quickly. She demanded sharply, "Tell me! Why did you swap my child?"

Overawed by Duchess Su, Xiu Yu was frightened out of her wits. She knew that if she did not confess honestly now, she might truly lose her last chance to survive. Gritting her teeth, she revealed everything: she had wanted to avenge her elder sister, so she had swapped Duchess Su's child to retaliate against her.

After hearing Xiu Yu's confession, Duchess Su trembled with rage. She had never expected everything Ning Sang-sang said to be true. To take revenge on her, Xiu Yu had actually done such a thing! She had been deceived by this little maid for so many years! Her fury was beyond words. "Xiu Yu, you have some nerve!" she said coldly. "How dare you do such a thing!"

At those words, Xiu Yu kept kowtowing and begging for mercy. "Please spare my life, Madam! I know I was wrong!"

"Spare your life? You swapped my child and spat into my nourishing soup, yet you still dream of being spared?" Duchess Su sprang to her feet and strode up to Xiu Yu. She seized her chin and struck her with a vicious slap. "You're so poisonous-hearted. I will never let you off!" she said furiously. Then she turned to Nanny Liu. "Nanny Liu, drag her away and have her beaten to death!"

Nanny Liu immediately stepped forward, grabbed Xiu Yu's arm, and dragged her outside without mercy.

She had never imagined that Xiu Yu, who seemed so honest, would have the audacity to swap the duchess's child.

Xiu Yu screamed in terror, "Spare my life, Madam! Spare my life!"

Duchess Su watched expressionlessly as Nanny Liu dragged her away, utterly unmoved.

Xiu Yu had swapped her child, separating mother and daughter for more than ten years. Her biological daughter had suffered outside for all those years, and Xiu Yu had even spat into her nourishing soup. Such crimes could not be forgiven.

After watching Xiu Yu being dragged away, Duchess Su turned back to the table and sat down, her heart filled with fury.

Thinking of what Ning Sang-sang had said at the Flower-Viewing Banquet made her feel even more stifled.

Ning Sang-sang was right. She had been too foolish, and that was why her biological daughter had suffered so much outside.

If her biological daughter had not been swapped and had grown up by her side, she would not have turned out as utterly useless as she was now...