Chapter 266 – Perhaps, there was still something left (1)
Muxu was stunned into silence before an epiphany occurred. “Madam, you’re heartlessly tossing away this servant like this because you think the marquis won’t be willing to see me again?”
The corners of Ji Man’s lips twitched. “How does this count as me heartlessly tossing you away? One, I didn’t know you had a child behind the marquis’s back with Doctor Li. Two, I didn’t know you would leave the estate with Doctor Li today. If you had told me a secret and I turned around and betrayed you by telling someone else, then that would be considered heartlessly tossing you away. Do you understand?”
Muxu’s eyes were filled with hatred. Fu-er, who was being held by Li Zixiu, started to cry miserably.
“Madam, if you think that you’ll be able to sleep without worries after I die, then just wait and see. You’ll regret your decision today,” she said.
Ji Man thought; rather than coming here to listen to Muxu’s threats, it would have been better to go and eavesdrop on Marquis Moyu and that interesting old monk’s talk about Buddhist principles.
—
Ji Man waved her hand to indicate for Dengxin, who was holding Xi-er, to follow her to the western courtyard. Marquis Moyu should have probably calmed down by now and would want to be comforted by the presence of his real son, so she decided to bring Xi-er to him.
While she was there, she could get the old monk to look at Xi-er and maybe get an old question resolved.
Regarding the matter of Liu Hanyun and Wen Wan going into labor at the same time, it had always troubled Ji Man, and she still brooded over this matter even now. She had been financially supporting Midwife Yang in a rural area by giving her fifty silver taels every month. This amount was enough for Midwife Yang’s entire family to live well without having to take a single step out of their home to work. Although Midwife Yang still wasn’t willing to say anything, her heart should have already softened. If a secret existed, when an opportune time came, she would probably be willing to speak.
Although money was a useful thing that would get people to say the truth, it still depended on how you use the money. For example, if she had given Midwife Yang a lump sum of five hundred silver taels at the beginning, Midwife Yang would probably still be worried about her life and wouldn’t be willing to speak. However, Ji Man had sent her and her family to a safe place and given her fifty silver taels every month. A person’s heart wasn’t made of stone. It would take less than ten months before there wasn’t anything that Midwife Yang wouldn’t be willing to say.
When they arrived in the western courtyard, Xuwu and Ning Yuxuan were playing Chinese chess. On the board, the black pieces were already in a messy situation and forced to a dead end.
Marquis Moyu somewhat agitatedly flung down a piece.
“Marquis, you don’t need to feel too troubled. It’s not your fault. It’s only because an evildoer is causing mischief,” Monk Xuwu said.
Holding Xi-er, Ji Man saluted when she was still a distance from them. “Excuse this servant for bothering Great Master Xuwu and the marquis.”
Marquis swept his gaze across to her and somewhat mockingly said, “What now? Did you come here to tell me that Xi-er isn’t my son either?”
It seemed that his anger hadn’t faded yet. Ji Man childishly stuck her tongue out for a moment before saying, “This servant just wanted Great Master Xuwu to tell Xi-er‘s fortune based on physiognomy too. Didn’t Great Master Xuwu tell Fu-er‘s fortune? What will Xi-er‘s be?”
Xuwu glanced at her and suddenly became quite interested. He waved his hand at her and said, “Come here.”
Ji Man approached them with Xi-er and handed Xi-er to Xuwu.
But, surprisingly, Xuwu surveyed her for a long time before his gaze finally fell on Xi-er. After looking at him for a short moment, he smiled and said, “Actually, this old one was just talking nonsense. How could it be possible to know for sure someone’s fate at such a young age? This child’s face looks very fortunate too. He must have been a full-term baby too.”
Ning Yuxuan’s hand paused. There was a trace of red in his eyes as he raised his head and looked at Xuwu. “What did you say?”
Xuwu put his palms together and recited a Buddhist prayer before saying, “Marquis, your aura is too violent. This old one merely said that this child would enjoy good fortune.”
“You said… Xi-er was also a full-term baby?”
Ji Man quietly stood in place and clearly saw the blue veins on Marquis Moyu’s temples becoming more prominent. She hurriedly said, “My lord, don’t get too excited yet. Great Master Xuwu, please wait here. There’s also another child…”
“Nie Sangyu!” Ning Yuxuan flipped over the game board with his hand and glowered at her. “What are you scheming? Do you want to prove that all of the children in this household aren’t mine?”
Startled by his action, she pressed her lips together and said, “I didn’t say that Xi-er isn’t your child. There’s just a matter that had been left unresolved until now. Since Great Master Xuwu happens to have this ability, this servant just wants to investigate what happened back then.”
“What do you want to investigate?” Ning Yuxuan asked with angry red eyes.
Ji Man took a step back and said in a low voice, “This servant thinks there might have been a mistake with Xi-er and Yu-er. If it’s confirmed that Xi-er had been full-term baby and Yun-er had been a premature baby, then that would prove this servant’s guess was right.”
Ning Yuxuan froze in surprise. With his brow furrowed, he looked at her.
“Please wait for a bit.” Then, Ji Man turned her head and ordered Dengxin to call over Liu Hanyun and Wen Wan and to bring Yun-er over here as well.
Having suffered two shocks within the period of one day, Ning Yuxuan rubbed his head and thought that he had never felt such regret before.
Why couldn’t he have welcomed fewer women into his harem?
Once Yun-er was brought over, Monk Xuwu looked at her and said the truth, “This baby girl was a premature baby. Her body is clearly weaker than that boy baby. How could none of you have been unable to tell?”
Wen Wan took a step back and angrily said, “How could a conclusion be made just from this old monk’s words? I clearly gave birth to a son. There were plenty of witnesses.”
Finally given the chance to say these words, Chunpi quickly said, “This servant didn’t see anything. At that time, only the midwife had seen the baby that my master had given birth to. Right afterwards, she took the baby away. This servant wasn’t able to see if my master had given birth to a boy or girl.”
Wen Wan’s face turned red, then white. She turned her head and looked at Ning Yuxuan.
Marquis Moyu buried his face in his hand and didn’t say anything.
