Jinyi Spring

Chapter 135 The Net of Heaven is Vast
What Flying Eagle Guard secret investigation, what rebellious king's descendant, what escape to Xiqing...

This whole thing was interconnected, every word was chilling. It wasn't a revelation at all; it was clearly a carefully orchestrated scheme to lure the panicked Aunt Wang into a false sense of security and ultimately force her to reveal the truth.

Let alone ordinary women like Aunt Wang, even seasoned officials who have been in the bureaucracy for many years, how many of them could keep a secret under his power and rhetoric?

Feng Chuchen sat up straight, his fists clenching unconsciously as his mind raced.

It seems I can no longer hide my true identity.

Since a storm is brewing, it's better to plan ahead than to wait passively...

Seeing Feng Chuchen's solemn expression, Aunt Wang panicked even more. "Young lady, I shouldn't have revealed your real birth date. My elder sister repeatedly warned me against it. It's my fault, I deserve to die..."

She cried uncontrollably, "I wouldn't have told anyone even if he beat me to death, but he scared me like that, so I... I was stupid..."

"It's not your fault," Feng Chuchen comforted, her tone calm yet carrying a reassuring strength. "That Yama King deliberately set a trap, pressing forward step by step, and no one could withstand it."

She got up and went to the window, opening it a crack.

The moonlight outside the window was like frost, the flowers and trees were silent, and there was no one around.

Feng Chuchen closed the window, turned around, and sat back down at the table. He leaned close to Aunt Wang's ear and whispered, "Aunt Wang, I actually... already know my true background."

Aunt Wang suddenly covered her mouth, staring at her in horror.

Feng Chuchen continued, "A few days ago, I noticed that Ming Shanyue was secretly investigating an old case. It wasn't about the descendants of a rebellious king, but rather a shocking secret concerning the former Empress Xiao giving birth to 'Red Hare'."

"If I am not mistaken, I should be the baby girl born to Empress Xiao at the hour of Chou on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the fifth year of Jian'an. The old female doctor Cai, who is also Cai Yuxiu's aunt, used a secret method to make me hold my breath and pretend to be dead. Then I was buried in the reed marshland, and then my aunt and you rescued me."

Aunt Wang almost stopped breathing, her whole body frozen, repeatedly muttering, "My God... how could this be..."

Feng Chuchen grasped her hand. "Ming Shanyue has already found the key. Today's scheme is to force you to reveal my true birth date in order to finally confirm my true identity."

“Before, I didn’t know how many clues they had, and I was unwilling to get involved rashly. But now that they’ve found you, it means they have enough evidence. The path ahead is no longer a choice we can make.”

Aunt Wang stared blankly at the girl in front of her.

Such stunning beauty, such an air of elegance—how could she be an ordinary girl? She should have been born into a life of luxury and pampered love, yet she was betrayed by villains and nearly died a silent death in the reed marshes…

"Young lady, what should we do? Who is the bad guy who harmed you?"

“It should be Consort Xue and the Xue family,” Feng Chuchen said calmly. “They wanted to help the Second Prince ascend the throne and plotted to frame Empress Xiao, causing her to be deposed and forced into nunnery… Ming Shanyue will come looking for me next. Let’s deal with whatever they say.”

Feng Chuchen gripped her hand tighter and instructed, "Before everything settles down, apart from Ming Shanyue, my true birth date must be kept strictly secret. Otherwise, it will be a catastrophe for me, for you, and for this family."

Aunt Wang was so frightened she was out of her wits, all she could do was nod repeatedly, "I know, I know, it won't happen again..."

Feng Chuchen released her hand. "Aunt Wang, go back and rest. Don't take on too much responsibility. In my opinion, Ming Shanyue and the Ming family won't harm me."

However, those peaceful days are probably gone forever.

Aunt Wang was soaked to the bone, her legs were weak, and she could only barely stand up by holding onto the edge of the table. "I'm going back to lie down."

Feng Chuchen sat alone under the lamp, unable to sleep all night.

The next day, Aunt Wang fell ill with a persistent high fever and remained in a coma. In her nearly twenty years with the Feng family, this was the first time she had been so seriously ill.

Wang Shuping, Feng Buji, and Banxia were all terrified and cried.

Wang Shuping kept asking, "Will my mother die...?"

Only Feng Chuchen knew that she fell ill from fright, perhaps mixed with deep guilt. She collapsed after letting out a fit of anger.

Feng Chuchen personally prescribed and prepared the medicine for her, and also personally administered acupuncture.

She harbored resentment towards Ming Shanyue. If something really happened to Aunt Wang, how could she live in peace for the rest of her life?
When no one was around, Feng Chuchen gently comforted her, "Aunt Wang, it's alright. Telling you about that matter might actually have helped me..."

Even in her drowsy state, Aunt Wang's tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax a little.

After a day of treatment, Aunt Wang's fever subsided by nightfall, but she was still weak all over and didn't even have the strength to get up.

Fearing the illness might spread, Xiao Shuping was arranged to sleep in the west room of the main house.

The little guy refused, saying, "I want to take care of my sick mother."

After much persuasion, he left in tears.

The next day, the weather suddenly turned scorching, with the sun blazing like fire, as if overnight we had jumped into the sweltering heat of midsummer.

The plants in the courtyard were all wilted and drooping in the sun, and almost everyone was drenched in sweat, but Feng Chuchen's face remained clean, without a single drop of sweat.

While examining patients in the clinic, she would also take a break to visit Aunt Wang in her room.

Aunt Wang still had a slight fever and was mostly drowsy, but she was mostly awake. Fortunately, she was out of danger.

At the end of noon, Guo Hei arrived.

With red eyes, Peony told him, "Aunt Wang is dying."

It's rare to see someone as strong as her so vulnerable.

Guo Hei was startled. "Do you need my help? Or should I have my master invite an imperial physician?"

He was busy with his master all day yesterday and didn't have time to come here.

Peony shook her head, "My daughter is far better than the imperial physician."

Guo Hei reassured him, "In that case, don't worry too much. Miss Feng will heal you. Oh, is Miss Feng here?"

Upon hearing the sound, Feng Chuchen walked out of Aunt Wang's room with a sullen face.

She was waiting for Ming Shanyue's men to come find her.

Guo Hei bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Miss Feng, my master has asked you to take a look at a patient."

Feng Chuchen noticed that Guo Hei's bow was deeper than usual.

Without the slightest hesitation, she said, "Okay, Peony, come with me."

She first explained a few things about the clinic to Banxia, ​​then went inside and put the jade bead pendant necklace around her neck, and then wrapped the tattered cloth in a cloth and held it in her hand.

Guo Hei drove the car himself, his straw hat pulled low over his shoulders.

This time, we are even more cautious than last time.

The carriage made several turns, first entering a shop, then changing to another carriage. Guo Hei changed his clothes and exited through the back door.

Peony cleverly whispered, "Miss, the person we saved today must be of high status."

Feng Chuchen gave a soft "hmm". After wandering around the alley for another quarter of an hour, the carriage finally entered a secluded house.

The courtyard was quiet, with only a few bamboo stalks, their leaves shimmering with golden light.

The group got off the car and passed through the hanging flower gate.

The second courtyard was large, but it was completely bare, without a single tree, and the chirping of cicadas was also absent.

We walked along the veranda to the main room.

Guo Hei stopped. "Miss Feng, please come in." He then turned to Shaoyao. "Miss Shaoyao, please come with me to the west wing to rest."

Peony refused, saying, "Where is this? I won't leave my daughter."

Feng Chuchen said softly, "I'll follow Master Guo's arrangements."

After saying that, he lifted his foot and walked towards the half-open door.

The small windows in the room were tightly closed, making the light dim. Despite the many bowls of ice placed around, it still felt heavy and stuffy, with a suffocating, sticky feeling.

Ming Shanyue sat on the right side of the octagonal table, with Song Xian standing behind him.

Feng Chuchen entered the room gracefully, her expression inscrutable, her eyes devoid of emotion.

Ming Shanyue stood up, raised her hand and pointed to the left, "Miss Feng, please sit down."

The eight-immortal table is spacious, with ample space to the left and right.

The left is considered superior.

Feng Chuchen did not refuse and sat down calmly.

Song Xian bowed and poured tea, then quietly withdrew and gently closed the door behind him.

The dim light enveloped the two figures. One wore a black robe, his posture as upright as a pine tree. The other wore a green shirt and white skirt, his back as straight as bamboo.

Feng Chuchen looked at him, her voice cold, "Aunt Wang was sick, she almost died. She's not your prisoner, and she's never committed any crime. How could you scare her like that?"

Ming Shanyue pursed her thin lips, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes, "It was my oversight; I didn't expect Aunt Wang to be so frightened."

"What kind of people do you usually interrogate? Aunt Wang is just an ordinary woman; she has never experienced anything like this before."

Ming Shanyue clasped his hands in a fist and said solemnly, "It was my fault for frightening Aunt Wang. I will have Guo Hei visit on my behalf another day to formally apologize."

Feng Chuchen remained silent, simply watching him and waiting for him to speak.

Ming Shanyue understood; she had indeed guessed it.

Ming Shanyue remained silent for a moment before speaking, "The net of Heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. Does Miss Feng know that the two people you rescued from the imperial prison are both closely related to you?"

He didn't address her directly as "Princess," but instead used a clear honorific—"you."

Feng Chuchen continued to look at him, waiting for him to provide further evidence.

A helpless smile appeared on Ming Shanyue's lips as he placed the jade bead in his hand on the table and slowly pushed it towards the center. As his hand reached the center of the table, he suddenly felt dizzy and his legs went weak, quickly withdrawing his hand.

This distance is their limit.

Fortunately, he was sitting, so things didn't get any worse.

After regaining his composure, he asked, "Does Miss Feng recognize this item?"

The beads are emerald green, clear, and perfectly round, a little larger than a pea.

The bead has been located.

Feng Chuchen paused for a moment, then said softly, "It looks somewhat like one of my beads."

As she spoke, she took off the necklace from her neck, pushed it toward the jade beads, and then quickly withdrew her hand.

Just as her fingertips brushed across the center of the table, Ming Shanyue's body swayed almost imperceptibly.

Although the necklace pendant is tightly wrapped with gold wire, you can still see the size and color of the bead inside, which is almost identical to the other one.

Ming Shanyue's heart was racing. The bead had indeed been taken by Doctor Cai, and it was left to accompany the little princess as she grew up.

Feng Chuchen opened the package again, and inside was a dirty, faded old cloth.

She said softly, "According to Aunt Wang, this piece of cloth was used to wrap me up, and this bead was also in the package. My aunt was afraid that someone with ulterior motives would find it, so she took it to a jewelry store and made it into a necklace."

Ming Shanyue let out a long sigh and said softly, "Female Physician Cai is very wise. She not only saved you, but also used this bead as proof. Doctor Feng was also very thoughtful. He hid both your birth date and the bead very well. And you grew up peacefully among the common people."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion finally appeared in Feng Chuchen's eyes.

Ming Shanyue remained silent for a moment before continuing, "If it weren't for Wen Qian, who knows how long this major case would have remained buried. You brought Wen Qian back to his senses for a short while, and in that brief moment, he told me a shocking secret: When Empress Xiao gave birth to a princess, she was replaced with 'Red Hare,' and the child was abandoned in the Bai Cang River."

"Afterwards, I found out that the midwife was Dr. Cai; her uncle Wang Tu drowned in the Baicang River on July 14, but his body was never found; Miss Feng's appearance was quite similar to that of the nun Qingxin when she was young; and Dr. Cai was acquainted with the Li ethnic elder who was skilled in the secret art of 'holding breath'."

His gaze fell on the jade bead on the table. "On the day Empress Xiao gave birth, she broke off a jade bracelet from her wrist. It was supposed to have thirteen beads, but only twelve have been found. The missing bead is now in the young lady's hands..."

He looked up at Feng Chuchen, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Besides, there's another strange phenomenon. Every time I get close to a girl, I feel inexplicably uncomfortable. And this mole on my face..."

He ran his index finger across the area under his left eye, "It changed from jet black to dark red, then to cherry red..."

Feng Chuchen's eyes narrowed. His mole had turned red because of her? Then, her own mole had become brighter because of him?
Previously, she had always believed that the change was due to her role in delivering the wolf's baby, and she also knew that she was an extremely yin person, capable of overwhelming Ming Shanyue. She never imagined that he could also change her in the same way…

Ming Shanyue gave a wry smile, as if he found it difficult to say, "Miss Feng has probably heard about my destiny."

I never had the nerve to say the words "my destined one".

"Therefore, I deduce that Miss Feng's true birth date is definitely not the sixth day of the eighth month. Yesterday, I tested Aunt Wang, and just as I expected, the girl was born on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the fifth year of Jian'an, at the beginning of the hour of Chou. At this point, it can be concluded that the girl is the daughter born to Empress Xiao that year."

After speaking, he looked at Feng Chuchen with clear and calm eyes.

Feng Chuchen suddenly leaned forward, as if to examine the mole under his eyelid more closely. Ming Shanyue instinctively turned slightly to the side, avoiding the spot.

Feng Chuchen sat up straight again, pondered for a moment, and then calmly said, "The clues presented by Lord Ming sound interconnected and the cause and effect are clear. However, the most peculiar clue is the unusual phenomena in our bodies, which is difficult to use as evidence in court."
"These two beads, even if the other side insists that you and I colluded to forge them, would hardly serve as conclusive evidence. Does Lord Ming think that these alone are enough to convince the Emperor and the court?"

Ming Shanyue felt a pang of sadness.

This girl was far too calm, more like an outsider who had weathered half a lifetime of storms than a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. Even someone with ample life experience would find it difficult to remain so composed upon suddenly hearing such a background.

Especially when she mentioned the word "Emperor," she was as calm as if she were talking about a complete stranger. It was as if that blood relation, those past injustices, were nothing more than a game of chess that needed to be calmly deciphered.

He said in a deep voice, "To be honest, young lady, we have another crucial witness, Dr. Cai's uncle, Wang Tu, whom we are currently searching for with all our might. The reason we are being so frank with you now is to protect you as much as possible, and you must fully cooperate with us."