Fake concubine, real queen

This kind of civet cat exchange for the prince, I saw it in the storybooks in the past, and it was shocking, not to mention that the one who is now beating the drum to sue is actually the prince's son-in-law, the jewel in the palm of the emperor and empress, and the husband-in-law of His Royal Highness the eldest princess ?

And the emperor sent the third prince to supervise the case, which is even more intriguing——

After all, Mr. He and Mrs. Wan are also the father-in-law and mother-in-law of His Highness the Eldest Princess, and the Third Highness is the younger brother of the Eldest Princess, but they want to supervise the case in person?

Even Qi Su couldn't figure it out, the emperor sent the Third Highness down... Is it to persuade the fight, or to fight to the death?

Moreover, since His Majesty has obtained His Majesty's order to supervise the case, in this case, he is an imperial envoy, and all officials and officials should treat him as if His Majesty had come in person. Such a big Buddha is here, but this San His Highness is still coming back from Jinling for the first time, not to mention Qi Su, there are few people in the entire Bianjing city who can understand his temperament, let alone what kind of medicine he sells in his gourd...

This makes people even more flustered.

This kind of family affairs case of noble and wealthy families, one is not good... If you offend these nobles...

Originally, at the end of this year, it was the end of the three-year evaluation by the Ministry of Officials, Qi Su. He was planning on wishing that he had done a good job in the past three years and was waiting for a promotion. Who would have thought that such a case would suddenly come up now? , If you are not careful, if you mess up your future, you will feel uneasy, and now you are waiting for the guards to go to the Changyang Marquis Mansion to pick up someone, so you start to carefully look at him from the corner of your eye. —

The case was opened for trial today, and the Third Highness obviously came prepared. He was dressed in a black dragon robe with four claws and dark gold pattern, wearing small black soap boots, and wearing three tourmaline beads that can only be used by princes. Crown, eyes slightly closed, sitting upright in the hall——

The prince came to supervise in person, Master Qi naturally did not dare to neglect, he asked the government office to carry a ebony bench in the hall early on, and laid out a small case, very carefully.

Although the young Empress Chen was a concubine, she was brought up by Mrs. Chen Jiatai herself. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, she was already famous in Jinghua, and her talent, learning and beauty are second to none in Beijing. There were not a few words spoken in the government office, but he just sat upright in the hall like this, holding the celadon teacup slightly in both hands, closed his eyes and said nothing, his appearance was handsome and picturesque, like a fairy, dignified and noble.

Qi Su quietly sized up the third highness, and then sized up the son-in-law He Xiaohou who was sitting in the hall without saying a word, and secretly made up his mind——

Let's not be too fussy today, let's take a good look at what the Third Highness means...

After all, the meaning of the third highness is probably the meaning of the one above.

Just as he was thinking about it, there was a burst of people's voices and hustle and bustle outside the yamen. Qi Su was slightly taken aback, and turned his eyes to look down the hall. The stepmother, Mrs. Hou, entered the gate of the mansion——

The crowds of people watching the excitement outside were crowded, each with their necks stretched out longer than the other, and there were endless discussions. It can be seen how the couple was visited like monkeys all the way when they were forced to come to the Yamen.

Today's public court interrogation of this case, not avoiding the common people, so not afraid of embarrassing the Changyang Hou Mansion, this is what the son-in-law personally requested...

Qi Su sighed secretly in his heart, thinking that he made such an embarrassment, how much does the son-in-law have to blame the old Hou Ye?

After all, they are also father and son.

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his thoughts, Old Master He was escorted into the yamen. Seeing the concubine under the hall glaring angrily, he scolded: "You scoundrel! If there is anything wrong with the family, It's time for my He family to close the door and make an agreement on our own, you come to the yamen like this, do you think that you only lose your father's face and damage your father's reputation?!"

Qi Su couldn't help feeling a sudden in his heart, secretly thought, and it really started.

He turned his eyes to look at the expression of the son-in-law, and saw that although He Xiaohou was scolded by his own father, he didn't answer a word, but just gave him a cold look without saying a word.

I looked at the Third Highness again——

This time the Third Highness finally opened his eyes, but he still didn't say a word, he didn't seem to hear the scolding from He Laohou, he just raised the teacup and took a sip.

After a while, seeing Qi Su's delay in responding, he looked sideways at him and said indifferently: "Master Qi, since you're here, why don't you start?"

Qi Su let out a dry cough, and then raised his hand. After thinking for a moment, he didn't dare to slap the gavel lightly, and said, "Ascension! Be quiet!"

The government officials on both sides held water and fire sticks, and when they heard the words, they immediately knocked the tip of the sticks on the ground very rhythmically, saying "mighty" in unison.

He Nanfeng had seen blood on the battlefield and had fought all his life, and now he was filled with anger. Naturally, this kind of majesty could not frighten him. After a month, my heart was worn out by five points, and my figure was even thinner. I was finally released today. I thought it was because Lord Hou had softened his heart. Her Madam Hou's decency led her out of the Hou's mansion under escort.

Before Wan Shu'er could figure out what was going on, she was judged and pointed at all the way, like watching a monkey, with no dignity at all, and when she entered the yamen again, she couldn't bear to see such prestige. Like Old Master He, who believed that he had nothing wrong with him, his legs went limp by three points, his mind went blank, and his breathing became somewhat difficult.

Seeing that his son didn't say a word, Old Master He probably knew that it would be useless to scold his son at this stage of trouble, so he simply turned his head to look at Qi Su, and said coldly: "Even if this rebellious son beats the drum to sue me, This Marquis is also the Marquis of Changyang who was pro-appointed by the imperial court. You don’t have to pay homage when you see the county king. Your lord is so arrogant. The matter is not clear at the moment, and he is indiscriminate. Asking the guards to arrest me and Zhuo Jing like this, isn’t it afraid that this Marquis will arrive In front of Your Majesty, may I read a book for you!"

Qi Su groaned in his heart, and a layer of cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. He thought that I didn't ask someone to take you like this, but he didn't know how to return the scapegoat to the culprit, the Third Highness.

He was distressed, but he heard His Highness the Third Prince say calmly: "Your Majesty, don't worry about Mr. Qi, I issued the arrest order."

He Laohou naturally also noticed the Third Highness who was still sitting in the hall. He also heard that His Majesty personally ordered the Third Prince to supervise the case. Right now, the He family has been lost, and everyone in Bianjing knows that if it was in the past, maybe he He could still be patient and calm down, but today he was so embarrassing that the whole city was escorted to see the bustle, and he was really depressed, so he just snorted coldly and didn't say anything.

Qi Su coughed dryly, and said bravely: "Master He has a title, so you don't have to pay homage when you see an official. Mrs. Hou exchanged the son of the first wife, embezzled the dowry of the original wife, poisoned your little sister... This is all happened many years ago, is there any detailed explanation, where is the witness and material evidence?"

He Gu heard the words, then stood up, bowed to Qi Su, unhurriedly explained the reasons for suing his biological father and stepmother, and finally said: "There are all personal and physical evidence, let the adults interrogate."

Although He Nanfeng had heard the reasons for He Gu's complaint on the way, but at this moment, he was stunned by what he said about Wan Shu'er's change of fetus in detail. Only then frowned and reprimanded: "Such absurd things, how is it possible! For my father, you are really a demon, such an obviously disturbed and well-intentioned person, you actually believe the slander of my He family and my own family!"

After he finished speaking, before He Gu could speak, Pei Zhaoheng held the teacup first, looked up at him and said indifferently: "Is it a slander? It will be clear after witnesses and evidences are passed on. Master Hou, please be calm and don't be impatient." .”

He looked at Qi Su again, and said: "Master Qi, there are many complaints in this case, so let's start with the tire change. Do you have any objections?"

Qi Su hurriedly echoed: "Your Highness, this idea is very good. I also think that the tire change is the most sensational. It is indeed appropriate to ask here."

After finishing speaking, Qi Su suddenly remembered the rightful lord who was sued under the hall, looked down at the thin Mrs. Wan Shi, whose shoulders were shaking slightly, and asked, "Mrs. Is there an argument?"

Since Wan Shu'er just now, He Guqing clearly and clearly described the matter of her changing tires back then, so calmly, and she has been stunned.

She was extremely careful about this matter at the beginning, and she also silenced everyone who should have been silenced afterwards. After so many years, how did He Gu know about it?

Her mind was dizzy, her palms were icy cold, sweating layer upon layer, she was drenched in clammy cold, it took her a long time to come to her senses, she gritted her teeth secretly, knowing that this matter must never be admitted, so she heard Fu Yin asking her , she made a gesture to kneel——

But before she could fully kneel down, her knees softened, the whites of her eyes rolled slightly, and seeing that she was about to fall to the ground, He Nanfeng was startled when he saw this, and hurriedly rushed forward to support her thin arms, saying anxiously. He said urgently, "Shu'er, what's the matter with you?"

Wan Shu'er just fell into his arms, her small face was pale, her eyes were closed tightly, and she looked like she was dying. He Nanfeng raised his hand and pinched her for a long time before she woke up slowly.

Seeing this, He Gu sneered secretly in his heart, but he didn't say anything, just watched with cold eyes.

He Nanfeng turned his head and glared at Mr. Qi in the hall. Seeing that he was about to lose his temper, he was forced back when he was about to close his eyes. After a long while, he restrained himself and said: "... Zhuo Jing is weak, I can't bear to be scared, my lord is going to fight and kill... I have to wait for the case to be clarified, can I give her a seat first, and rest for a while?"

Wan Shu'er seemed to have finally regained her sanity, and began to cry in her husband's arms. She turned her head to look at Mr. Yin Qi, the prefect in the hall, and cried: "What Gu'er said... such a shocking thing, my concubine's life is so terrible. Marrying into the Marquis's Mansion, she is just a small good concubine with a low status, how can she be replaced by the child of the dignified wife? Even if I even thought about it... I never thought about it, my concubine is really wronged, please enlighten me!" After speaking, regardless of He Nanfeng's support, he knelt down under the hall and kowtowed to Qi Su.

Seeing this, He Nanfeng couldn't help but whispered with heartache: "Shu'er! Why do you do this, I know these things, you have never done it, you..."

However, Pei Zhaoheng raised his hand, and put the teacup on the table next to him, and the cover of the cup hit each other, making a crisp "pop", the sound was not light, and Wan Shu'er in the hall suddenly sobbed in fright, congratulations The second half of the sentence that Old Hou Ye didn't say was also choked back.

His Highness the Third Highness said indifferently: "The successor's certificate goes to the hall."

He obviously didn't listen to Mrs. Hou's crying at all.

The mansion guard agreed, and went down to the hall to pass on the witnesses. Qi Su looked at the Changyang Hou couple in the hall, and asked tentatively in a low voice: "This...His Highness...will you give Madam Hou a stool?"

"No need."

"Above the court, with a title, you can only kneel down and worship. The Wan family has no imperial order, and it is not an exception for the emperor to grant a seat at will. Does Mr. Fuyin have any other reasons?"

Qi Su made him choke up when he asked back, but he could only sneer, and said: "Your Highness... What Your Highness said is that the officials wanted to miss it."

However, I gradually felt something in my heart——

He seems to know a little bit about today's case... Which way the wind blows, how should he try it.

Soon the mansion guards came up with two women, both dressed as ordinary village women, about thirty years old, one fat and one thin, the two of them were brought into the hall without panic, they looked very calm, it was obvious that they had done it early Well mentally prepared.

When Wan Shu'er saw the two of them, she was taken aback for a moment, and then her pupils suddenly dilated——

...These two girls?How come he is still alive? !

That lowly maid surnamed Wei took her money and let them go? !

Wan Shu'er was in a daze, and before the two girls could speak, she felt her knees soften——

This time it's not pretending, but really soft.

Qi Su said: "Who is in the hall? Report your name."

The fat woman kowtowed and said, "My maidservant, Mrs. Qiu, was originally a son of the Hou's family. She used to be called Ruxiang."

The thin woman kowtowed and said, "The slave girl Zhou Li is also a son of the Hou family, and she used to be called Yunqian."

He Gudao: "Back when my mother gave birth to her second child, due to heavy bleeding during childbirth, her body was weak, and the yard couldn't spare people to take care of the child for a while, so Wei Wu'er, my mother's personal maid, picked her up from the outer courtyard. Two, come in and help the young master."

Qi Su said: "Oh? If that's the case, the son-in-law sued for changing the tire, but these two girls did it?"

As soon as he said this, the faces of the two women in the hall turned pale with fright, and the fat woman repeatedly kowtowed and said, "My lord, the little woman and sister Yunqian just got involved, but they didn't do such a thing. !"

Qi Su said: "Since this is the case, tell me in detail, what was the situation that day?"

The fat woman is obviously more courageous than the thin one, and her mouth is also sharp. Although she was a little nervous, she cleared her throat and said, "Back then... Sister Yunqian and I were originally maidservants in the outer courtyard, and we didn't know what to do. I was not qualified to serve my wife personally. At that time, the young master was still young. Because the two of us had done sewing for the young master a few times, our hands and feet were fairly delicate. On the night my wife gave birth, there were not enough people in the main hospital, so I sent the two of us together. I brought it into the main courtyard and asked us to help. Later, when the child was born, my wife bled profusely, and half of her foot entered the gate of hell. My wife’s natal family and the sisters who came to take care of me were all guarding my wife in the main house. Only Yun and I were there. Two shallow, follow Wei Wu'er in the East Wing, and take care of the young master."

Qi Su said: "Who is Wei Wu'er?"

The fat woman said kindly: "Responding to my lord, Wei Wu'er was originally a dowry girl who followed Madam and married into the Marquis Mansion from the General's Mansion, because she is Madam's personal confidant and her rank is higher than me and Yun Qian's rough envoys from the outer courtyard. Both listen to her."

Qi Su nodded and said, "What happened next?"

The fat woman said humanely: "Because the young master has just been born, we didn't dare to slack off in the first half of the night, and kept staring at the young master. At that time, Wei Wu'er kept asking Yun Qian and me if we were tired or sleepy. The two of you are sleepy, so let's rest for a while, the young master has her watching, and although Yunqian and I have been busy all day, but after all, it's the first time we have such an important matter, and we still dare not relax. I only said that I was not sleepy, and tried to support myself, but Wei Wu'er asked me several times, at that time I still had a vague feeling that this elder sister was too caring, to be so kind, and it was only later that I realized that something was wrong."

Qi Su said: "What's wrong?"

The fat woman said humanely: "Because my wife is in the main room, not far from the east wing, so we can hear the doctors coming in and out of the main room, those carrying the water basin, and sending messages back and forth. Knowing that the madam is in dire straits, I'm afraid it's not very good, but the master ordered that the three of us only need to keep an eye on the young master, so even though we were worried, we never left our posts without permission. Later in the middle of the night, a girl suddenly came and called I took Wei Wu'er out and had a chat, and when he came back, Wei Wu'er said that someone from the main room came, saying that Madam wanted to see the young master, and told him to take the young master into the main room to have a look."

"Yunqian and I stayed together for a whole day, and my mind was confused. I still thought, why is it not my wife? This is why I have to see the child, and we have to follow, but Wei Wu'er said, there is no room in the wife's room." The rough envoys came in, just asked me two to stay in the east wing and wait, she was close to her, and we were rough envoys, so naturally we listened to her, and Wei Wu'er took the young master out."

"Within about half a cup of tea, Wei Wu'er came back again, saying that Madam was too tired, before she saw the young master, she rested again, and she brought the child back."

"At that time, it was already late and the lights were dim. Yunqian and I didn't think much about it at all. Seeing that she brought the child back, we felt relieved."

"I was tossing and tossing for a whole day, and I was so tired that I couldn't help falling asleep for a while, but I was woken up by Yunqian and Wei Wu'er before dawn. I heard what they said, Only then did I know that Yunqian got up at night and glanced at the young master, but saw that the child's face was already purple, and when she looked around, she found that the child's body was cold."

After she finished speaking, Qi Su stroked his beard, pondered for a while, and said, "That's just it. Although Wei Wu'er acted suspiciously, it can't prove...the child was changed, and it was ordered by Wan Shi?"

As soon as his words fell, the thin woman who hadn't spoken all this time said: "What Yun Xiang said was just the story, she was careless and didn't pay attention to the details, but the concubine remembered it all."

Qi Su said: "Oh? Then tell me."

The thin woman kowtowed and said: "That night, the girl who came to call Wei Wu'er from the main room, even though she was a rough envoy, went in and out of the main courtyard all day long. Seeing her, she still felt strange, as if she had never been in the main courtyard. The courtyard saw the same thing before, until later... the girl left the Hou's mansion, and one day when she dreamed back at midnight, she suddenly came back to her senses. people."

Wan Shu'er heard that her face turned red and white, white and green, and said angrily: "You lowly maidservant! Don't be so bloody!"

But the thin woman ignored her and continued: "Besides, Wei Wuer's behavior was quite suspicious that day. If it is said that the madam couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to see the child before she died, at the most dangerous time in the first half of the night, in the main room Why didn't you send someone? Rue Xiang and I listened in the middle of the night, and it was clear that the main room had quieted down. I think the madam had also recovered and rested. The madam had been tossing around for a day, so dangerous, it was clear that she had stopped Now, why did you suddenly sleep until midnight and get up again to see the child?"

"It's a little more strange. The young master was born at night, wrinkled and as small as a cat. At that time, Yunxiang and I were both unmarried girls and had no children. Although I couldn't recognize the face of such a small child, I still remembered The young master was born stretching out his arms and legs, moving from time to time, but Wei Wu'er took him out once, and when he came back, the young master suddenly fell asleep obediently in his swaddling baby. At that time, I thought he was really asleep , said he wanted to take a look, but Wei Wu'er refused to let him, and said that it was windy at night, so he opened it to look around, fearing that the young master would catch a cold, so I didn't check it for a while, but I believed it."

"Thinking about it now, what happened that night seems to be nothing strange, but when you think about it carefully, it's all suspicious."

"If it's just these things, the women wouldn't dare to say that there is something wrong with Wei Wu'er, but later the steward Wang of the mansion investigated the faults of me and Ruxiang, and wanted to beat us to death, but she stopped me."

"For some reason, she bought the staff of Xingzhang, let me and Yunxiang live, and gave us a sum of money, telling us to leave the capital, go far away, and never come back. Before leaving, I He Yunxiang asked her why she saved us. After all, logically speaking, she should have been beaten to death, but because she was close to the lady, she escaped. Kind of weird."

"It's just that she seemed to be in a trance at that time, and she didn't answer us. She just muttered strange words like 'I can't do any more crimes' and 'I'm sorry Miss'. Although I felt strange in my heart, I was thinking about running for my life. I also thank her for saving me, I didn't investigate further, I just ran away with Yunxiang, and once I ran away, I never returned to the capital."

Qi Su nodded, and said: "I have already understood what you said, is there anything else that you haven't finished?"

The thin woman shook her head and said, "It's gone."

When she said this, Wan Shu'er listened, and the heart that was hanging high was instantly let go. If it wasn't for the court, she would have been greatly relieved. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief , tremblingly said: "In the final analysis, these two people are just fugitive slaves of the Marquis Mansion. What can they say? Relying on the fact that the servant girl is from my yard, does that mean that I sent someone to change the fetus? I don’t know if there is such a servant girl that night. "

From the beginning to the end, He Nanfeng never believed the nonsense of changing fetuses and stealing dragons and phoenixes. Therefore, at this moment, he only supported Wan Shu'er's shoulders, and said righteously: "Shu'er is right. The two sinful slaves, who were not able to take care of their master, should have been beaten to death, but now they have run away, so it’s fine if they don’t hide well, but they dare to come back and bite the master’s house, these kind of slaves deserve to be shot!"

Qi Su paused for a moment, then turned his head to glance at the third prince who had his eyes slightly closed, and asked in a low voice: "This...what the old master and Mrs. Hou said makes sense..."

He Xiaohou has never said a word from just now until now, and even the confessions of Yunxiang and Yunqian did not disturb his emotions at all. From the beginning to the end, he just watched a person's reaction with cold eyes——

Congratulations to Mr. Hou.

But at this moment, he finally saw that He Nanfeng had a heart and had already trusted Wan Shu'er without reservation.

His eyes paused for a moment on the hand of Old Master He holding Wan Shu'er's shoulder, and he was silent for a while before he suddenly sneered.

He Nanfeng was slightly taken aback when he heard his son's creepy sneer, and turned to look at him, only to find that He Gu was also staring at him, his eyes didn't look like he was looking at his relatives, or even at people.

His eyes seemed to be looking at an object.

Indifferent without a trace of emotion.

He Nanfeng was stunned for a moment, then frowned for a while, and said in a low voice, "Gu'er, I don't know who you have listened to as a father, but you and I are father and son after all, you..."

He Gu ignored him, and suddenly lowered his face and said, "Bring Wei Shi up."

All the people present, except Pei Zhaoheng, who sat on the head, closed his eyes all the time, calmed down, everyone else was slightly taken aback.

Qi Su asked doubtfully, "Wei family? Is that Wei Wu'er?"

Sure enough, an old lady was brought up from the hall, with gray temples and gray hair, obviously she was not young.

The old woman kowtowed and said, "My concubine belongs to the Wei Wang family and is the mother of Wei Wu'er."

Qi Su asked: "Then Wei Wu'er, is he still alive?"

The old woman shook her head and said, "Wu'er was murdered a few years ago."

Qi Su said: "Who hurt her?"

The old woman said: "Wu'er has reached the age of the Hou's mansion, and was sent back home, but she refused to marry. Her sisters were all married away, and she was the only one who stayed with me. Later, one day, the Hou's mansion suddenly came The person in charge said that there was a reward for Wu'er, and Wu'er saw the man and contracted malaria a few days after he came back, and he just disappeared."

She sighed as she spoke, and took out a golden Buyao and a thin letter from her bosom, and said, "Before Wu'er died, he left me this Buyao and 500 taels of silver, I left a letter and said that I would burn it for her, but she went, and I was not willing to pawn the walking stick. I wanted to burn the letter, but I only had this one daughter to accompany me in my later years, and finally the white-haired person gave it to me. Black-haired person, although I can't read... But what she left behind, I can't bear to burn... Just put it today."

After the old lady finished speaking, Qi Su was still doing well, but He Nanfeng stared at the Bu Yao but was stunned, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses, his face was violently twitching on his old, rugged face.

He Nanfeng rushed forward in two steps, snatched the golden walking stick, turned it over again, and looked for it carefully with his cloudy old eyes. After a while, he saw some familiar handwriting. in small print——

Forever.

He Nanfeng's eyes paused on those four words for half a cup of tea, the whole yamen was silent, and a needle could be heard, even He Gu just watched him coldly and didn't speak.

It was with great difficulty that Old Master He moved his gaze away from that step. He looked up at Wan Shu'er, with a bit of bewilderment and disbelief in his tone, and after a while he said with difficulty: "This step , didn't I give it to you after you became pregnant with Cheng'er?"

"Why is it in the hands of others now?"

"You... why do you want to give her such a big benefit? What do you want her to do?"

Master He asked three consecutive questions, Wan Shu'er's face was pale when she asked directly, she felt her legs were soft, her body was almost tottering, her lips trembled for a long time, but she didn't answer a word.