Chapter 162: Investigating

Chapter 162

Investigating

After hearing the Emperor’s decree that her children were to join the princes for schooling in the palace, Nie Shuang remained calm and indifferent. While this could indeed be seen as a great opportunity for her children, allowing them to build relationships with the royal family from a young age and grew up to have strong connections like their father and Kang Wang, she couldn’t help but worry about them being away from her watchful eye. However, there was no point in stressing about the future just yet. If any problems arose, as their mother, she would be there to guide and protect them.

Nie Shuang spent most of her time at home, preparing for the birth of her next child, with her husband doting on her at every turn. During this stage of her pregnancy, she felt quite heavy, but fortunately, Song Qilin took care of their three mischievous little ones. He even began teaching them to call their soon-to-arrive sibling by pointing at her belly and encouraging them to say the word.

"Little sibling."

Xiao Hua Hua was the first to respond, saying,

"Li’l sib."

Bei Bei didn’t say anything but pressed his cheek against his mother’s rounded belly. When Nie Shuang stroked his head gently, he nestled against her like a kitten. Then, in a soft yet clear voice, Bei Bei uttered, ‘Little sibling.’ This surprised Song Qilin, who wondered if he had misheard. Since when had Bei Bei started speaking so well? Bao Bao opened his mouth wide and mimicked them,

"Aaah..."

"Well done trying, Bao Bao,"

Nie Shuang praised her eldest, even though he was slower to speak than his siblings. She wasn’t worried, knowing that each child developed at their own pace. Bao Bao might be a slower talker, but his physical development was well ahead of others. Their little family life continued like this, with the grandparents regularly coming to take their grandchildren to play with them.

Sometimes, when Song Qilin went out on business, Nie Shuang didn’t ask questions. But one day, Butler Wang sent a servant to inform her that someone from her natal family had come to see her.

Nie Shuang instructed Xiao San to inquire further. She learned that it was a maidservant of Young Miss Nie Qing, the daughter of Gao Shi, who was yet to marry. It was unusual for them to visit each other, so why had they sent someone to see her at the Hou Manor?

When Xiao San brought the maidservant into the room, the woman immediately knelt and spoke anxiously.

"Please, Young Furen, have mercy and help the Elder Furen."

"What do you mean by that? I am married now and have no involvement in my natal family. Why are you asking for my help? Moreover, the Elder Furen is the overseer of the Nie household; shouldn’t this matter be reported to my father?"

The maidservant wept.

"Even Nie Patriarch cannot help her, Young Furen. Only your compassion can save the Elder Furen."

She then proceeded to tell the whole story.

Ever since the imperial opera performance, word had spread about Gao Shi’s slander against Nie Shuang, eventually reaching Nie Ran’s ears. He appointed Fang Yi Niang to manage the household and had confined Gao Shi to her quarters since then. However, just this morning, General Song visited his father-in-law and inquired about Gao Shi. Upon learning of her confinement, General Song seemed surprised and insisted on seeing her. Nie Ran couldn’t refuse, so he sent for Gao Shi. When she saw Song Qilin, she trembled with guilt. The incidents—pinching Xiao Hua Hua and slandering Nie Shuang to Chen Yuelan—were more than enough to provoke General Song’s wrath, enough to make him want to kill her.

Song Qilin clasped his hands in a formal greeting and asked her coldly,

"I heard that the Elder Furen doesn’t get along well with Xiao Hua Hua and even spread rumors that Shuang Shuang was being unfaithful to me?"

Gao Shi trembled uncontrollably, realizing that the real General Song was far more terrifying than the rumors. At that moment, she wished she could faint and escape the situation. But judging by the General’s expression, if she did, she would probably be doused with cold water. It would be better to confess and beg for mercy.

Gao Shi raised her hand and slapped herself multiple times before responding through her tears.

"This old woman has lost her mind. It was all my foolishness. I deeply regret it now. Please, General, have mercy on an old woman like me."

Trying to appeal to the mercy of the Jade-Faced Reaper would yield no results. Song Qilin did not feel an ounce of pity. A person like this would only shed tears when confronted with death. He smiled at her, but the smile sent chills down her spine.

"No need to rush to punish yourself, Mother-in-law..."

He paused, leaving Gao Shi’s heart pounding in terror, unsure of what would come next.

"I heard that Nie Shuang and Xiao Hua Hua were mistreated, so I had someone investigate your past deeds. I wanted to know if my wife had suffered in this household. Fortunately, Father-in-law took good care of her and Xiao Yi Niang, which allowed Shuang Shuang to grow up to be the wonderful woman she is today. But..."

Song Qilin paused, and Gao Shi felt uneasy, like there was an invisible sword hanging over her neck.

"It just so happens that the person I sent to investigate did a very thorough job. Not only did they find that you poisoned the concubines, causing them to miscarry, but they also discovered that Shuang Shuang’s younger brother died at birth, and Xiao Yi Niang was rendered infertile. That, too, seems to be your doing."

As Song Qilin spoke of this, Nie Ran’s face twisted in pain.

"On the day Shuang Shuang married me..."

Gao Shi’s face turned deathly pale, while Nie Ran furrowed his brow, realizing he hadn’t known about this.

"The Gugu you sent to prepare her for the wedding night applied something to her skin, didn’t she? She told Shuang Shuang that it was a remedy to help her through the night without suffering. Fortunately, Shuang Shuang must have wiped it off, or I would have found my bride dead on our wedding night. Back then, everyone knew I wasn’t happy about the marriage. If anything had happened to the bride, people would have suspected it was the work of Yong An Hou Manor. Who would have suspected the Elder Furen of the Nie family? Such a clever and cruel plan."

Though Song Qilin’s tone was calm, the chilling coldness made everyone’s skin crawl. Nie Ran, hearing this, immediately stepped forward and slapped Gao Shi across the face.

"Despicable wretch! You still wouldn’t leave those two alone? After my son with Xiao Yi Niang died, you promised never to harm them again. I kept you as the Elder furen all these years out of respect for your father. I never thought you would be this heartless. Even after Shuang Shuang was married, you still didn’t spare her."

Gao Shi, slapped and in pain, cried bitterly. Although she feared Song Qilin, her resentment toward Nie Ran was greater, leading her to spill everything in a fit of desperation.

“It’s all because of you! You’ve been biased all along! Even though you made me the principal wife, you never loved me. If I hadn’t used that medicine on you the night you visited my quarters, how would I ever have had son and daughter like the others?! And worse, my own daughters, a principal wife, had to marry a merchant’s son, while a concubine’s daughter got to marry the General. Don’t you feel any shame?!"

“Rubbish! Your daughters are narrow-minded just like you. Marrying into a wealthy merchant’s family at least keeps them alive, even if they do something foolish. Aren’t they living well today? If they’d married into a noble family, they would’ve been destroyed. Reaching too high with no ability! It’s all because you raised them to be thoughtless!”

Song Qilin, unwilling to be dragged into his father-in-law’s family issues, intervened.

“Mother-in-law, the scheming within the Nie family household is none of my business. But the wrongs you’ve committed against my wife and daughter—I’ve already taken those to the authorities. There is clear evidence, and the Gugu you hired has confessed everything, including the poisonous ointment. Your maidservant has also given a consistent statement. Her testimony has been documented and stamped her fingerprints at the court.”

Gao Shi, hearing this, collapsed to the ground, drained of all strength.

“Don’t worry, Mother-in-law. My wife is still safe, so your punishment won’t be as severe as execution. But you likely don’t know that Xiao Hua Hua is the goddaughter of Kang Wang, with a status equivalent to that of Junzhu[1]. By harming her, you are guilty of a crime equivalent to attacking royalty. If Kang Wang hears of this...”

At this point, Gao Shi’s daughter, Nie Qing, who had been secretly listening, hurriedly sent a servant to plead with Nie Shuang for help.

When Nie Shuang learned the full story, she reflected on the events of her wedding night. At that time, she had suddenly awakened in this body, which now made her wonder—had the original owner of this body died from the poison? Or perhaps the souls of this body had been switched with her somehow. But that was a mystery beyond her understanding, and for now, she needed to handle the situation at hand.

“What did my father say?”

She asked the tearful maidservant.

“I don’t know, Young Furen, but I imagine with the General involved, the Patriarch will likely not intervene. Besides, what the Elder Furen did to you...it was truly terrible.”

Nie Shuang sighed, feeling sympathy for Nie Ran. He had always been a good father who loved her and her mother, but it was unfortunate that the inner household was in chaos. Normally, it was easy enough for a husband and wife to have disagreements. With multiple wives, jealousy and rivalry were bound to happen. She had heard that when Nie Ran was young, he married Gao Shi out of gratitude, as her father had helped him in business when he was starting out. Even though Gao Shi had committed many wrongs over the years, her father had kept her in the position of principal wife out of old debts. But this time, it seemed his patience had finally run out.

“If I go, it will only make things more difficult for my father. Besides, I’m heavily pregnant now and can’t travel.”

The maidservant glanced at Nie Shuang’s pregnant belly and could only nod in resignation. The Elder Furen had never treated her well, and now that things had come to this, it was too late for any reconciliation.

Nie Shuang did not wish to interfere with her husband’s decision. He had been investigating and gathering evidence for some time, and anyone who harmed her or their children would face his full retribution. However, out of consideration for Nie Qing, who remained dutiful to her mother, Nie Shuang decided to write a short letter to her husband, saying:

"Qilin, thank you very much. Leave the rest to the authorities."

If Song Qilin took charge personally, she feared that he would even accused Gao Shi of rebellion just for pinching Xiao Hua Hua. Gao Shi was already old; merely being imprisoned might be too much for her, and she might not survive to ever be released. The charges of attempted murder and defamation were already more than enough.

“I can’t do much, only ensure she faces the consequences of her actions,”

Nie Shuang said as she handed the letter to Xiao San. Xiao San then passed it to Nie Qing’s maid. The maid, wiping away her tears, gratefully accepted the letter and kowtowed repeatedly.

“Thank you so much, Young Furen. I will deliver this letter to the General right away.”

With that, the maid quickly left.

[1] Junzhu (郡主), translated as "Princess of a Commandery" or "Princess of the Third Rank", was granted to the daughter of a Prince of the First Rank born to his Princess Consort.