Chapter 103 - Mrs. Zheng Admitted It
Chapter 103: Mrs. Zheng Admitted It
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Although Mrs. Zheng didn’t feel a concubine-born girl was not worthy of her son.
Her son had lost his reproductive function due to Princess Fulu, so Qiao Ruoyi was suitable to be his wife now.
Early in the moming, Mrs. Zheng brought a matchmaker to the Duke Mansion with a mingy betrothal gift.
‘When she came to the gate, she was stopped by the guards of the Duke Mansion. “Mrs. Zheng, Madam has ordered us not to allow you to set foot in the Duke Mansion again. Please leave!”
Mrs. Zheng was puzzled and said, “Why? I’m her sister-in-law!”
Qiao Jinniang chuckled at Mrs. Zheng at the gate and said, “So what? The Zheng family murdered my sister and swapped her with your own daughter. We don’t welcome a murderer.
“1m going to sue you to the Chang’an Prefect. You Zheng family must take responsibility for murdering my sister.”
Mrs. Zheng avoided eye contact with her and said, “Nonsense! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “What is done by night appears by day. You know what you have done. My mother had always tried her best to help her natal family, but how did you pay her back?”
Mrs. Zheng snapped, “Qiao Jinniang, where did you hear such nonsense? Ruoshui looks so much like you. How could she not be your sister?”
Qiao Jinniang said, “But I think Qiao Ruoshui’s demeanor is more like yours. Let’s hand over this matter to the government for investigation. Find all the maids who had witnessed this matter. Once we do this, evidence can definitely be found.”
Madam Zheng panicked. She hurriedly said to Qiao Jinniang, “Ruoshui is the daughter of the duke. I know that Ruoshui has offended you before. I apologize to you for her. She is truly your sister!”
However, Qiao Jinniang walked out of the Duke Mansion, ignoring her. Mrs. Zheng hurriedly followed and suddenly got on her knees towards Qiao Jinniang, “Jinniang, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have insulted your adoptive parents, but Ruoshui is truly your sister. You’re connected by blood. How do you have
the heart to make her be laughed at by everyone in Chang’an?”
“You can beat me and scold me again, but you can’t report this to the government!”
“[ didn’t murder your sister…”
Qiao Jinniang was not moved at all. “What are you doing, Mrs. Zheng? I’m helping you reunite with your daughter! I heard that you’re not allowed to go to Prince Mediocre Mansion to visit Qiao Ruoshui now? How can I sit still and watch you separate from your daughter?”
Mrs. Zheng kowtowed to Qiao Jinniang in panic. “Jinniang, Jinniang, it won’t do your and our families any good if you report this matter to the government! If your father knows about it, he may get angry with your mother and divorce her!”
“Lbeg you. Please don’t report this matter to the government. I didn’t kill your sister.
“That was just a mistake, and I didn’t want to be separated from my daughter either!”
Qiao Jinniang didn’t expect Madam Zheng to admit it so quickly. She had thought it would take some work.
It could be seen how aware Mrs. Zheng was of the appalling things she had done.
Mrs. Zheng grabbed Qiao Jinniang’s sleeve and cried bitterly, “That day, a mammy put your sister on the table and wanted to change her diaper, but no one expected her to roll down.
No one would have thought that a one-month-old child would turn over herself. And after she fell, she didn’t wake up no matter what.
Your grandmother and I were afraid that the Qiao family would hold grudges, so we had to swap Ruoshui with that child. That child really fell to her death by herself.”
Qiao Jinniang said coldly, “If it were your own child, would you put her on the table without anyone watching?
“How did you know she couldn’t be saved? Why didn’t you seek medical treatment from an imperial physician?
“But you threw her to a blind servant to bury her overnight, afraid that my sister would wake up and destroy the path you paved for your daughter, right?
“Even if what you said is true that my sister did fall by herself and you were forced to sacrifice your daughter to avoid trouble,
“How can you explain about the mammy the Zheng family arranged for Qiao Ruoyun?
“How can you explain the fact that you make use of the death of that child to arouse my mother’s guilt for you and push her to meet your unreasonable demands?
“Your daughter is living happily in the Qiao family. How can you be so shameless to play victim and seek benefits?
“And why didn’t you even set up a memorial tablet for my sister?
“It only shows that you have no regrets and no shame at all!”
“You are begging me just because you are afraid that your daughter will become a laughing stock and be abandoned by Prince Mediocre. But have you ever thought of my mother? She didn’t even know that her daughter had already died!”
Mrs. Zheng slumped on the ground and said, “I was wrong. I do know I was wrong, but Ruoshui is your cousin after all!”
“But my own sister died lonely and miserably in the bamboo forest sixteen years ago, but no one knows it and no one has ever gone to see her!” Qiao Jinniang sneered. “If you want to apologize, you should go to the underworld and apologize to her yourself.”
With that, ignoring Mrs. Zheng’s pleas, Qiao Jinniang went to the Chang’an Prefect to file a suit.
Although it was the busy farming season of the year, there were many leisure people in Chang’an who didn’t do agricultural work and idled around.
Seeing the gorgeously dressed Qiao Jinniang entering, many people said, “That girl is so beautiful. She looks like a fairy, and the golden hairpin on her head is so beautiful.”
“You don’t know her? She is Qiao Jinniang, the famous long-lost daughter of Duke Anyuan who was swapped when she was born!”
“Oh, you mean that woman who abandoned her husband and son to find a richer husband?”
“Yes, is she here today to sue the Pinshu performers?”
Hearing that County Mistress Jia’an came, Chang’an Prefect hurriedly came out and said, “County Mistress Jia’an, who do you want to sue? Do you have a plaint?”
Hongling handed the plaint to Chang’an Prefect.
Qiao Jinniang said, “My lord, I want to sue the Zheng family for murdering my one-month-old biological sister and swapped her with Mrs. Zheng’s half-year-old daughter, who is Prince Mediocre’s concubine, Qiao Ruoshui! The Zheng family has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor.”
Qiao Ruoshui is now Prince Mediocre’s concubine. The Zheng family concealed Qiao Ruoshui’s true identity and deceived the royal family.
As Prince Mediocre’s concubine, Qiao Ruoshui has been recorded in the royal family’s genealogy, so the Zheng family has even deceived the ancestors of the royal family.
Hearing that, Mrs. Zheng, who had caught up, passed out.
Chang’an Prefect was shocked and said, “Have both of Duchess Anyuan’’s daughters been replaced?”
That’s ridiculous! How can the Duke Mansion be so careless about their offspring?
The onlookers all pushed forward for fear of missing any single word they said. Even people who wanted to go to the bathroom tried to hold back for fear of missing this shocking news.
Chang’an Prefect had the coffin containing the baby girl’s corpse brought over. He looked at the golden thread-embroidered swaddle wrapped on the corpse and said, “This golden thread embroidery is not something an ordinary family can afford, and this looks like a baby girl about one month old indeed.
“Come, go to Earl Zheng Mansion and bring over Earl Zheng, Mrs. Zheng, and Old Madam Zheng! Then go to Prince Mediocre Mansion and invite Concubine Qiao over.”
‘An ordinary prefect couldn’t interrogate an earl, but Chang’an Prefect could.
Qiao Jinniang could have filed the suit to the Ministry of Public Security, but she didn’t think the Zheng family was worthy of being trialed there, nor were they worthy of staying in the prison of the Ministry of Public Security.
‘When the police went to bring the Zheng family over, the onlookers all went to call for their neighbors and acquaintances to come over and watch the fun.
‘When the Zheng family arrived, there was already a densely packed crowd of people outside.
Mrs. Zheng was sent back to the Zheng family after she passed out, but soon the police arrived and she was carried to Chang’an Yamen again while she was still fainted.
Chang’an Prefect ordered someone to pour a ladle of ice water on her face, and she woke up slowly.
Old Madam Zheng sneered coldly. “How dare you be so rude to us?! I have a first-class honorary title conferred by His Majesty, and I am the grandmother of Prince Mediocre’s first concubine. How dare you take me here?”
Chang’an Prefect patted the table with the gavel and said, “County Mistress Jia’an sued the Zheng family for murdering her sister, swapping her with Mrs. Zheng’s daughter, and committing the crime of deceiving the emperor. Do you plead guilty?”
Madam Zheng was startled and glared at Madam Zheng. “Of course not.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Old Madam, I advise you to admit what you’ve done as soon as possible. If not, I am afraid it is not only the crime of deceiving the Emperor, but also the crime of despising the court.”
Earl Zheng scolded Qiao Jinniang angrily. “This is your biological grandmother. How can you say such unfilial words?”
Qiao Ruoshui was invited to Chang’an Yamen and was confused. When she saw Qiao Jinniang here and heard the words of Earl Zheng, she said complacently,
“Qiao Jinniang, I knew it! Sooner or later, your true color will be exposed! Being unfilial is a serious crime. You’ll be thrown in jail!
“Lord Prefect, just punish Qiao Jinniang according to law. I won’t stop you..”