This…
In Xue Huaiyuan’s memory, Xue Youli was just a little girl who would pester him for her monthly allowance to buy pretty dresses and jewelry.
But now, his daughter was interrogating Yan Niang with more authority than prisoners were questioned in the great jail.
If he hadn’t personally watched the midwife deliver his wife’s child, he would have suspected whether Xue Youli was even his biological daughter.
Still, he had to thank his daughter for accompanying him to deliver the dress to Xue Qingyao today—otherwise, how would he have ever seen the supposedly frail and helpless Yan Niang reveal such a wanton side?
With Yan Niang being such an actress, there was likely indeed something wrong with Xue Qingyao’s parentage.
Now that his daughter had practically fed him the words, he naturally played along. “Yan Niang, I actually discovered long ago that something was off about you, so I secretly sent people to the Spring Breeze Pavilion to investigate what happened sixteen years ago. Not only did you commit adultery with multiple men, but you also dared to deceive a court official—your crimes are unforgivable! If you still refuse to confess the truth, don’t blame me for resorting to severe torture!”
Xue Huaiyuan clasped his hands behind his back and fixed Yan Niang with a cold stare, his official authority on full display.
Yan Niang finally knew fear. Her legs gave way, and she dropped directly to her knees. “My lord, this concubine had no choice…”
“Father, Auntie had no choice either!”
Just as she was about to embellish her story and make herself sound more pitiful, someone burst in from outside the door, blocking herself in front of her and cutting off her words. “For over a decade, you’ve paid her no mind, and the household servants are accustomed to treating people according to their standing. So even when those beasts humiliated her, she dared not speak up, for fear of tarnishing the Xue family’s reputation. Please, Father, don’t be misled and manipulated by others!”
Xue Youli couldn’t help but admire Xue Qingyao a little. As expected of someone who could become the Empress Dowager—her schemes and cunning were indeed extraordinary.
But she wasn’t someone to be trifled with either. “Father, facts speak louder than words. What kind of woman Yan Niang is, everyone just witnessed with their own eyes. Don’t let these mother and daughter fool you with a few words. If word gets out that you’ve been raising another man’s daughter, that’s what would truly destroy the Xue family’s reputation!”
Xue Qingyao was truly shameless, even daring to bite back and claim she was misleading Xue Huaiyuan.
Hmph, if she provoked her, she’d find she’d kicked an iron plate.
Jiang Ruyun stepped forward, standing firmly on her daughter’s side. “Youli is right.”
Xue Wuyou also quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, yes! Everything my sister says is right!”
Xue Huaiyuan naturally preferred to believe his own wife and the daughter he had doted on since she was little.
His gaze flicked past Xue Qingyao as he said in a deep voice, “The fact that Yan Niang committed adultery is established. According to family rules, she should be beaten to death with clubs!”
Xue Qingyao hadn’t managed to sway him, and panic set in. Her eyes reddening, she said, “Father, Auntie said she was forced. Why would you rather believe others’ baseless accusations than trust Auntie? Or is it that you’ve never favored me, that you’ve always despised me, and so you wish I weren’t your daughter?”
Xue Qingyao had inherited Yan Niang’s beauty, and with her eyes brimming with tears and that aggrieved expression, she was truly a moving sight.
When Xue Youli had read the novel, she had rather admired Xue Qingyao’s resourcefulness. But now that she stood on the opposite side of the novel’s female lead, she deeply realized that if she couldn’t topple Xue Qingyao today, she would suffer endless hardships in the future.
“Xue Qingyao, whose daughter you are, Yan Niang knows very well in her heart. Let’s simply bring He Dayong here to confront your auntie face to face!”
The moment Yan Niang heard the name “He Dayong,” her body involuntarily flinched.
Xue Qingyao took in her reaction and couldn’t help but curse her inwardly.
This useless fool who only held her back!
Thankfully, she had prepared in advance!
Xue Qingyao took a deep breath, then turned back to face Xue Huaiyuan with a firm gaze tinged with hurt. “Since Father and Sister refuse to believe Auntie, I am willing to undergo the blood-drop kinship test to prove Auntie’s innocence!”
With that, she called out toward the courtyard gate, “Cuiru, bring the bowl over!”
Yan Niang had no idea what scheme Xue Qingyao was cooking up, but Cuiru was a maidservant she had brought back from the Spring Breeze Pavilion, and Xue Qingyao had been raised by Cuiru since childhood. The two of them being so calm and unhurried meant they must have devised a plan to deceive everyone.
Cuiru had been waiting outside the gate all along. Upon hearing the call, she immediately walked in carrying a tray.
When Cuiru stopped before Xue Qingyao, Xue Qingyao acted without hesitation—she pulled the hairpin from her head, pricked her fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall into the bowl of water.
Then, holding the bowl, she walked up to Xue Huaiyuan. “Father, they say blood that mingles means kin. I need a drop of your blood.”
Xue Huaiyuan, without a word, pricked his own finger and squeezed a drop of blood into the bowl.
Seeing this, Jiang Ruyun and Xue Wuyou hurried over to examine the situation.
The two drops of blood in the bowl slowly merged together.
Xue Qingyao watched this scene, a smug smile curling at the corner of her lips.
This little trick of the blood-drop kinship test—she had already played it in the palace in her previous life. Even the Emperor and all his consorts had been utterly convinced of her son’s legitimacy. Using this trick to fool these fools of the Xue family was more than enough.
Xue Youli caught the triumphant expression in Xue Qingyao’s eyes and consulted the Book of Heavenly Secrets: [Is there something wrong with the water in this bowl?]
[Host, you have used up your query quota for today. Please ask again tomorrow.]
The Book of Heavenly Secrets displayed this message and then went offline.
Xue Youli: “!!!” As expected, when it truly mattered, no one could be relied upon—she had to depend on herself.
The blood-drop kinship test had no scientific basis to begin with. If two drops of blood could merge, either they shared the same blood type, or there was something wrong with the water.
She didn’t hesitate. Reaching out, she dipped her finger into the water in the bowl and brought it to her lips to taste.
Just as she suspected!
“Father, Mother, this water tastes sour and astringent—it’s clearly been laced with alum. I’ve read in medical texts before that if you add alum to water, even unrelated blood will merge!”
Xue Youli had studied medicine. There was no way Xue Qingyao could pull the wool over her eyes!
Xue Wuyou also imitated Xue Youli and tasted the water in the bowl. “Little Sister is right! This water definitely tastes off!”
Meanwhile, while everyone was distracted, Xue Youli grabbed Cuiru’s hand, cut it with the hairpin, and let her blood drip into the bowl as well.
“Everyone, look—Cuiru’s blood also merges with Father’s blood. Could it be that this old woman in her thirties is also Father’s daughter?”
Xue Wuyou immediately jumped up. “Well, well, Xue Qingyao! How dare you play tricks on us! Father, her tampering with the water is clear proof of her guilty conscience. Why don’t we just beat her and Yan Niang to death right now! Guards, tie them all up!”
Xue Qingyao watched the household servants approaching her, her face turning pale as she stumbled backward.
No! She couldn’t die!
Her great revenge from her previous life had yet to be carried out—she refused to die here!
With a glance, she suddenly thought of something and raised her hand to point directly at Xue Youli, shouting loudly, “She is not Xue Youli! The real Xue Youli was already dead when she hanged herself. She is a wandering ghost that has forcibly taken over Xue Youli’s body. Don’t be fooled by her!”
That’s right!
Xue Youli simply didn’t have such abilities, so the Xue Youli before them must be a fake.
If she herself could be reborn, then it was only reasonable that someone else could undergo soul-transmigration, right?
Even if Xue Youli were real, she would make her out to be fake!
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.
Recalling the series of changes in Xue Youli after she was rescued from hanging, the looks directed at Xue Youli gradually grew more uncertain.
Seizing the opportunity, Xue Qingyao continued to expose Xue Youli’s secrets, “Father, sister Li’er was innocent and naive, unable to bear even stepping on an ant in the past! But this person before us just now wanted to subject my aunt to severe torture. Tell me, when did the real Li’er ever come into contact with such terrifying punishments? She must be a fake!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the backyard fell silent.
Xue Qingyao’s words were well-founded and forceful. Xue Huaiyuan and the other two, thinking of Xue Youli’s unusual behavior after hanging herself, couldn’t help but turn their gazes toward Xue Youli, seemingly doubting her identity, yet also seemingly waiting for her explanation.