Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Jinniang handed Yuyan a glass of water. “Drink a glass of water and speak slowly.”
Yuyan took a sip of water and said, “But Concubine Zheng refused to drink the poisonous wine and knocked it over.
“With the help of her mammy, she got out of Prince Mediocre Mansion from the doghole and escaped all the way to the Duke Mansion.
“She then cried to Madam that she didn’t kill Concubine Jian’s child, and that this was a framed accusation. After Sister Hongling heard it, she asked me to find you.”
Fulu listened with relish and urged Qiao Jinniang. “Come, let’s go to your home to watch this good show.”
Qiao Jinniang, Lu Chen: “…”
Qiao Jinniang didn’t expect that Qiao Ruoshui would dare to escape back to the Duke Mansion.
‘As soon as she and Fulu arrived at the Duke Mansion, they heard Qiao Ruoshui crying bitterly.
“Mother, save me, save me. I was framed by Qiao Jinniang. I am your daughter.”
“I didn’t kill Concubine Jian’s child. How dare I do that!
“It must be Qiao Jinniang! She saw that His Highness didn’t abandon me because of the rumors, so she framed me again!”
Qiao Jinniang: “…”
Fulu said sarcastically, “Oh, Jinniang, I don’t know you’re so powerful! You can even manipulate Prince Mediocre! You’re really awesome!”
Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, “Indeed, I am so powerful that I could even have Old Madam Zheng and Mrs. Zheng replace my sister with someone else as early as sixteen years ago!”
Hearing Qiao Jinniang’s taunting words, Qiao Ruoshui yelled, “Qiao Jinniang, it must be you.”
‘The Duchess said angrily to Qiao Ruoshui, “How could it be Jinniang? Are you so stupid that you haven’t figured it out even now?
“Prince Mediocre just wants to make use of you. Concubine Jian and you have no value for him now, so he certainly can’t let you two still occupy the positions of his concubines.
“Now that you’re accused of killing Concubine Jian’s unborn baby and Concubine Jian failed to protect her child, he can get rid of both of you in one fell swoop!”
Qiao Ruoshui shook her head desperately and said, “No, I don’t believe it. How could His Highness have the heart to kill his own child?”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Because that child is a disgrace to Prince Mediocre.
“Besides, that child hasn’t been born yet. Why doesn’t he have the heart to kill it?”
Qiao Ruoshui pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said, “You fabricated the matter of the Zheng family! I am Mother’s daughter. You fabricated it to make His Highness dislike me.”
Qiao Jinniang was speechless. “Mother, the murdered baby is Prince Mediocre’s child. It would be inappropriate for us to protect Qiao Ruoshui. Why don’t you send her back to Prince Mediocre Mansion?”
Qiao Ruoshui said repeatedly, “No, no, I will die if I go back!”
The Duchess suddenly felt a huge pain in her lower abdomen. She gritted her teeth and said, “Come here, send Concubine Zheng back to Prince Mediocre Mansion.”
Qiao Ruoshui said desperately, “Aunt, even if you are not my mother, you’re still my aunt. How can you have the heart to send me to death? I really didn’t kill that child.”
Qiao Jinniang noticed that something was wrong with the Duchess, and hurriedly had someone call over an imperial physician.
“Blood, blood…”
Amaid exclaimed.
Mammy An supported the Duchess, only to see that her hem of skirt was already dyed red with blood.
“Your Excellency.”
“His Excellency is back.”
‘As the voices of the maids came from the door, Duke Anyuan stepped inside and saw Qiao Ruoshui who was kneeling on the ground and crying desperately and the Duchess who had passed out.
Duke Anyuan strode forward, picked up the Duchess into his arms, walked into her room, and kept calling her, “Xiao’er, Xiao’er…”
Qiao Jinniang glanced coldly at Qiao Ruoshui on the ground and instructed the maids,
“Lock her in the woodshed. If Prince Mediocre sends anyone for her, tell them we didn’t see her.”
Although Qiao Jinniang didn’t like Qiao Ruoshui, she didn’t think she deserved to die. Even if she died, it could not damage the reputation of the Qiao family.
‘As Qiao Jinniang walked into the Duchess’ room, she heard Duke Anyuan ask angrily, “Why did no one report to me that Madam is pregnant?”
Mammy An said, “Your Excellency, it’s our fault.”
Duke Anyuan said anxiously, “Where’s the imperial physician? Why hasn’t an imperial physician come yet?”
“Here I am. Here I am.” An imperial physician hurried in from the door and checked the Duchess’ pulse.
After a pause, he said with a frown, “Your Excellency, Madam has suffered too many blows in the past few days, and she is not very healthy to start with.
“although the child is safe, she’s in pretty bad shape, and she needs a good rest.”
The Duchess slowly woke up, and when she heard the doctor’s words, she thought she had a miscarriage, so she closed her eyes and said,
“Your Excellency, let’s divorce. If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have married you in the first place.”
Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother finally made up her mind. She whispered to Fulu at the door,
“Princess, please help me find a house, preferably one that we can move in right away, closer to the East Palace, and costing less than 100,000 taels of silver.”
Fulu asked in a low voice, “One hundred thousand taels of silver? You can buy my Princess Mansion with so much money! I can sell my Princess Mansion to you.
“It’s right next to my mother’s Princess Mansion, and it’s also close to the East Palace. ”
“Thank you, Princess.”
Inside the room, Duke Anyuan said to the Duchess, “Divorce? Now that the Zheng family is gone, where can you go after divorcing me? If you leave the Duke Mansion, you won’t even have a place to live.”
Qiao Jinniang entered and said to Duke Anyuan, “Although Mother’s natal family is gone, she has me! Mother, I just bought a big house. Let me take you out of the Duke Mansion right away. Mammy An, please pack up!”
Duke Anyuan looked at Qiao Jinniang, “You, you, have you heard that it is better to tear down ten temples than destroy one marriage? How can you try to persuade your mother to divorce your father?”
The Duchess said, “It’s I who wants to divorce you, and it has nothing to do with Jinniang. You already ruined her life. Don’t ruin her reputation.
“have my own house. My grandmother gave me a very generous dowry. There is always a place for me to go.”
Duke Anyuan was anxious. “You are not young anymore, and you even have your grandson. Divorce me? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”
“Whatever. I can’t stay in the Duke Mansion anymore.”
‘The Duchess looked at Duke Anyuan with tears in her eyes. “I should have agreed when you climbed over the wall of my home and came to force me to annul our engagement twenty years ago.”
Then she wouldn’t have been living as a joke for twenty years.
Mammy An was always quick in her job, but now she was very slowly packing up.
Old Madam Qiao hurried in while being supported by maids. Running the Buddha beads through her fingers, she angrily scolded Duke Anyuan, “How can you treat Xiao’er like this? Don’t you feel guilty for her grandfather?!”
Duke Anyuan said helplessly, “Mother, it’s she who wants to divorce.”
Old Madam Qiao asked angrily, “Who is that Qiangian in Furong Garden? If it weren’t for her, Xiao’er wouldn’t have been so angry!”
Duke Anyuan was stunned for a while before remembering there was such a person. “Xiao’er said earlier that she would marry Ruoyi to Zheng Bo, so I just wanted to show my dissatisfaction to her. Later, I was busy with business, so I forgot about this matter.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “But Qiangian is three months pregnant.”
Duke Anyuan frowned. “Do you think the child is mine?”
The women in the room all looked at him silently as if saying “Of course!” with their eyes.
Jinniang said, “She has admitted that the child is yours..”
