CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 240: PEI YUNZHI’S ORIGINS

"You... you... you... Stop spouting nonsense."

Mrs. Pei’s face drastically changed, she scolded, "Yu Nianzhao, are you trying to slander me?"

Ms Lien felt dizzy for a moment and asked in confusion, "Zhaozhao, what do you mean by this? How are Yunzhi and Grandmother connected by blood?"

Pei Yuanzheng sternly rebuked, "In front of the Emperor and Empress, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"It’s your Pei Family that isn’t afraid of dying!"

Xie Jiuxiao’s eyes hardened like frost, speaking coldly, "Who doesn’t know that Mrs. Pei was the second wife of the old Marquis? When she entered the marquessate, you were still young, treating her as your biological mother."

Pei Yuanzheng’s face turned red, defending, "That’s because we were raised by our mother from a young age. Even though none of us brothers are her real children, she treated us well. Isn’t that what she’s supposed to do?"

Yu Nianzhao laughed, "Yes, yes, indeed! After all, someone as foolish as you, being manipulated yet still counting money for them."

Pei Yuanzheng widened his eyes, discontented, "Do you talk to your biological father like this?"

Yu Nianzhao touched her chin and said, "When you are first brought back, from your appearance, I thought you were all smart, yet it was all just superficial."

She stood up, unceremoniously kicking Mrs. Pei aside, and said coldly, "I didn’t originally intend to expose you. After all, I am estranged from the Pei Family, and their matters have nothing to do with me. But you shouldn’t keep appearing before me, provoking me over and over again. It’s truly annoying, you know?"

"Oh dear, oh dear! Yu Nianzhao, you even dare to kick your own grandmother."

Mrs. Pei wailed with feigned sadness.

Pei Yuanzheng hurriedly ran over to help her up and reprimanded, "Yu Nianzhao, this is your grandmother, apologize to her."

"Apologize... my foot!"

Yu Nianzhao rolled her eyes, "Do you really think it was that foolish nanny who deliberately swapped me with Pei Yunzhi? After finding me back, the nanny conveniently died without any evidence, and you all didn’t suspect anything?"

Ms Lien was shocked, "Zhaozhao, are you saying that the nanny was also instructed by someone?"

Yu Nianzhao said, "Nonsense, do you think Pei Yunzhi was born by that nanny? Yeah, your saintly hearts overflowed, even keeping the child of a woman who did such things, proving how truly stupid you are."

Xie Jiuxiao tapped his finger on the table, speaking indifferently, "The Prince had someone look into it; that midwife had a husband and children back home. The local villagers attested that she gave birth only to boys, not girls."

Pei Yuanzheng’s heart sank, he stuttered, "Does the Prince mean that this matter is related to my mother?"

"Oh, not foolish anymore?"

Yu Nianzhao crossed her arms, scoffing coldly, "Your dear mother, indeed did not give birth after marrying into the marquessate, but she did have a daughter before that!"

A shocking thunderbolt struck everyone in the Pei Family.

"What? Is this true? Grandmother remarried?" Pei Yunqing said incredulously.

Pei Yuanzheng, hands powerless, watching Mrs. Pei fall to the ground did not matter anymore, mumbling to himself, "No way, how could it be?"

"Mrs. Pei concealed this matter when marrying into the marquessate, naturally leaving you in the dark."

Xie Jiuxiao’s voice turned even colder, "And Pei Yunzhi is undoubtedly her granddaughter; she paid the nanny to swap the two children back then!"

Ms Lien collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down, she incredulously questioned, "Mother, is this true? Did you have someone take my Zhaozhao away? Knowing all these years yet never revealing the truth?"

Pei Yunqing said in a daze, "No wonder you never got close to any of the young ones in the Pei Family, but cherished Pei Yunzhi alone. We always thought Yunzhi was lovable, but now... thinking deeper is truly terrifying."

"No, it’s not like that."

Mrs. Pei flustered, she shook her head, "They must be slandering me, I never had children, I entered the marquessate with a clean slate."

"Such a clean slate."

Xie Jiuxiao coldly clapped his hands, "Holding onto false hopes until the very end huh, bring them in."

"Yes, Prince!"

The Dragon Shadow Guards quickly brought in several individuals, both men and women.

"Isn’t this... the housekeeper’s wife?"

One person looked familiar, Ms Lien pointed to the middle-aged woman, recognizing her at a glance.

"The housekeeper’s wife is just one of her identities; in fact, she is Pei Yunzhi’s biological mother!"

Yu Nianzhao continued throwing thunderbolts, "Of course, because her previous husband died, as she sought refuge, Mrs. Pei arranged a marriage for her with the housekeeper—lacking any special status, but at least she could keep her daughter nearby and care for her closely."

Ms Lien looked disoriented, "Yes, I remember now, every time she went out to pray, she would definitely bring the housekeeper’s wife along; turns out it’s due to this connection."

"I don’t know anything, I really don’t know anything."

The housekeeper’s wife’s face bore a resemblance to Mrs. Pei, sharing four or five similar features, living well-fed and clothed, looking quite prosperous.

"Presumptuous, you stand before the Emperor and Empress, dare to claim ’my’?" Mr. Wang kicked her impolitely, causing her to howl in pain.

"Mother, save me, please save me, mother!"

The housekeeper’s wife was too scared; she finally couldn’t resist shouting.

Mrs. Pei trembled, despite feeling unwilling, she stubbornly argued, "What mother? You must be muddled by fear, daring to wrongly accuse me, the old lady of the marquessate, as your mother?"

"It was her back then who took the child out and gave it to a commoner, asking the commoner to dispose of the child, to throw her anywhere in the wilderness."

The rural villager following along pointed at the housekeeper’s wife saying, "That child was fair and jade-like, I too have children and couldn’t bear to leave her in the wild, it would be condemning her to death, so I traveled far and wide, leaving the child at someone’s door, only leaving after seeing her taken in."

"This man is the deceased nanny’s husband." Xie Jiuxiao’s eyes were filled with Evil Qi, staring intently at the villager, speaking coldly, "Tell everything you know."

"Yes, yes, yes."

The villager trembled and said, "It was my deceased wife who couldn’t resist the temptation of money that agreed to swap the children; I only learned later. At the time, our youngest son was critically ill, needing urgent money for treatment; we had no choice. But to our surprise, when everything was eventually revealed, fearing my wife would expose them all, they killed her. I had no power to fight against them, so I took the child and fled overnight, enduring hardship until we returned to my hometown, only then finding peace."