Chapter 279 The uncovered truth
On the left wall, Qi Xuanyu began to comb the girl’s hair, so He Danggui turned to see the right wall. Then she suddenly saw herself at the age of 28. The pregnant woman who was playing on a swing was really Concubine He.
“My Lord, won’t you go in?” Ming Yue asked.
Zhu Quan was watching the woman in the courtyard. He turned his head slowly after a while and asked, “Any messages from Yuelai Inn?”
Ming Yue replied, “Yes. They said that the pregnant woman who booked the room told the shopkeeper to fly the carrier pigeon in the backyard if a man in gray cloth checked in. After that, she paid 10 liang silver as a tip to the shopkeeper for looking after the pigeon and sending messages.”
Zhu Quan frowned and analyzed, “If she is cheating on me, there will be many ways for her to pass on information about their rendezvous location. Why did she choose a strange shopkeeper? This is neither safe nor reliable. What did she want to do?”
Recalling the past, He Danggui couldn’t help being silent. Booking a room at Yuelai Innwas a contact method told by Bai Yangbai. Zhu Quan embarrassed her at her birthday banquet a few days ago by showing indifference to those malicious remarks on her and her child. Those concubines censured her for seizing Zhu Quan after pregnancy. They also said that she was not getting old because she made out with Zhu Quan frequently. As a result, she was upset and felt that Zhu Quan was giving her the cold shoulder. So, she wanted to ask Bai Yangbai for some opinions.
Ming Yue suggested, “You are overthinking, My Lord. This will not help you understand Concubine He’s thoughts. She is not a woman playing by the rules, and no one can guess her thoughts. Maybe you should go and ask her directly.”
“That’s it. Why didn’t you just come in and ask me?” He Danggui thought, “I wasn’t cheating on you! I could confront Bai Yangbai with it.”
Zhu Quan hesitated for a moment and looked at the woman swinging in the courtyard. But he finally left there.
The scene on the wall changed to a time before Concubine He giving birth. At that time, she hadn’t seen Zhu Quan for many days. She was even blocked when she went to Zhu Quan’s study room. She had something assigned by Luo’s Family for Zhu Quan’s help. However, the eunuch at the entrance of Wu Xiang Ge said that the lord had military matters to handle and didn’t want to see anyone.
Looking at her protruding belly, Concubine He didn’t know what to say. Since when did she become one of “anyone”? Didn’t she have a permanent pass to Wu Xiang Ge? Didn’t Zhu Quan often send other people away at night and tell her to go to Wu Xiang Ge to read with him?
A woman’s obscene cry came from the study room, “My Lord. Please be gentle with me. I can’t take your huge strength!”
He Danggui had sensitive ears, and Zhu Quan had even better ones. He must have heard her negotiating with the eunuch, and these sounds were deliberately made for her. He had never let other women in his study room. He also said that it was a secret base for only him and her.
Concubine He immediately left there. Holding her belly, she couldn’t help but cry. When she passed the garden, she was pushed by Concubine Gu. Thanks to her Kungfu foundation, she stabilized after two steps backward. However, Concubine Gu pushed her again. This time, she tripped on a stone and fell heavily to the ground. Then, she was taken away for treatment. Her baby was born prematurely, and she almost died.
Unexpectedly, Lord Ning’s Mansion was beaming with joy. After Zhu Quan heard about the incident, especially after hearing that Concubine Gu had pushed pregnant Concubine Hetwice, he still didn’t even have a hint of anger. He just rebuked Concubine Gu. Even Concubine Gu herself felt incredible about her slight punishment.
As a result, everyone in the mansion felt that something had changed. Concubine He was no longer the lord’s treasure. Everyone was cursing her. “Her era was finally over!” “Go to hell and stop occupying our lord!” “She had too much love!” “Before today, how many beautiful women were turned old because of her!”
And the canny Concubine Zhou even started planning how to kill her “good sister”, Concubine He.
The shadows continued to change. Concubine He visited Bai Yangbai for the decoction of agerasia, but she didn’t meet him. When she walked down a path alone in the garden in a bad mood, she met his husband. She was rejoiced and ran to her husband, who was attracted by a “siren” from the south recently. She asked happily, “Why are you walking alone?” And she thought, “Do you feel that the siren is too noisy so you want to be with me?”
Zhu Quan’s hands were overlapped behind him. He turned his side towards Concubine He and half raised his graceful chin as if he didn’t see her. He smiled and said, “You are in a good mood. Are you taking a walk under such a scorching sun?”
Concubine He didn’t get his point. She nodded, “I’m bored after lunch, so I just wander around.”
Zhu Quan said, “Although the scenery in the mansion is gorgeous, it is a bit dull. In my opinion, views outside the mansion will be better. Why don’t you go outside?”
Concubine He was still confused. She only felt that her husband was strange and a little angry today. So, she replied cautiously, “Without the permission of my husband, how can I leave here? In addition, the scenery in the mansion is interesting enough for me.”
Zhu Quan paused and then said, “Well, I hope you enjoy it. Now leave me alone.”
Concubine He was a little disappointed and depressed. She left sorrowfully. After she walked away, Gao Shenjun immediately walked to Zhu Quan and said with a smile, “My Lord, you know she lied to you. We both know that she has just come back from the outside. My Lord, do you remember? She was wearing a light-yellow skirt with a cyan belt when she sneaked out. But she was wearing a dark yellow skirt and a blue belt just now. You are an intelligent man, so you should know why she changed her clothes, right?”
Zhu Quan was silent for a moment and then said, “She must have a reason. She is not such a girl.” His voice was trembling without confidence.
“Ha-ha!” Gao Shenjun laughed out. “You really love to deceive yourself! She is cheating on you unscrupulously! Yet you are still not taking it seriously and are still defending her. Aren’t you obsessed with chastity to women? I haven’t seen you in few years, and you have changed your mind that you are now willing to sharing your woman with other man.”
Just as Zhu Quan was about to get angry, Shangguan Ming Ri appeared and said sternly, “My Lord, I followed her to an inn where she met a man in gray. I know that man. He is the son of your wet nurse.”
Seeing that Zhu Quan was puzzled, Ming Ri explained, “Madam Nanny had a love child, Wang Ke. I have never told you about it because I don’t think it is necessary to reveal it for the sake of her reputation. Madam Nanny relied heavily on Concubine He’s service and asked her to help take care of Mu Yuan Tang. Besides, she let Wang Ke be the shopkeeper of Mu Yuan Tang. Then, it didn’t take long for them to hook up. Madam Nanny had stopped them many times, but they won’t part. They even embezzled a sum of money from the mansion to buy aphrodisiac such as Wushi Powder.”
Zhu Quan stared at Ming Ri like a snake, “How did you know this? Why did you not tell me that until today! You have always been at odds with her. I don’t believe you!”
Ming Ri continued regardless of Zhu Quan’s words, “After Madam Nanny passed away, they went even further. Apart from Mu Yuan Tang, several inns have also become their love nests. They always ate Wushi Powder for fun while making out. Wang Ke always tore Concubine He’s dress into pieces. That’s why Concubine He had to bring spare dresses in advance. Her daughter’s father is Wang Ke. Because of harmful Wushi Powder, that baby girl was born with a congenital deficiency. In addition, the baby girl was born at full term, but Concubine He lied that her daughter was a prematurely born baby. She dared not let the wet nurse take the baby and kept the baby with her all the time.”
Hearing this, Zhu Quan’s eyes turned red. He fiercely picked up Ming Ri’s collar and snarled, “When did you find these? Are you lying to me? Are you!”
Ming Ri continued his bull shit without any shame, “I am not lying. If you don’t believe it, you can send Wuying Tower’s informers for further investigation.” Then he vowed, “If any of my words are not true, I will suffer from the pain of hell forever.”
He Danggui smiled when she heard this. People always liked to cover up lies with vows. What Ming Ri said was not half-truth. In fact, every word of him was not true. Although she worked with Wang Ke, they were clean. Besides, Wang Ke had a wife and children, and he had never taken her seriously. She only learned the thing of love child when Madam Nannywas about to die.
Madam Nannyasked her to take care of her love child’s family. Therefore, after Madam Nanny died, He Danggui immediately guessed that Madam Nanny wanted to give her son money when she heard that Madam Nanny had allocated a large sum of money to Mu Yuan Tang before her death.
Although she was called “Madam” with a transcendent status in the mansion, she was only Zhu Quan’s wet nurse and had no financial rights. It was reasonable for a mother to leave money for her son by taking advantage. When people are about to die, their selfishness would stand out. Transferring some money from the “rich son” Zhu Quan to the “poor son” Wang Ke was Madam Nanny’s selfishness. Maybe she was a bit guilty to the “poor son” because she had never raised him. Madam Nanny had devoted all her time to the “rich son” in exchange for the rest of her extravagant life.
He Danggui figured out all about this. She didn’t say anything when she discovered that there was a problem with the accounts of Mu Yuan Tang because Madam Nanny was good to her. Later, when Concubine Zhou sent Xu Siniang to ask her about the problem with the accounts of the mansion, she also said nothing. She was even grateful for Concubine Zhou when she heard that Concubine Zhou was willing to cover it up for Madam Nanny as well. Therefore, she promised to be the scapegoat in consideration of protecting Madam Nanny’s reputation.
It turned out that this was the truth of her death… He Danggui smiled dumbly. Should she blame herself for being kind and losing her life because of helping a dead old lady? Should she blame Zhu Quan for not asking her if she betrayed him? Should she blame Shangguan Ming Ri and Gao Shenjun for being too vicious and set her up with such a poisonous scheme?
No wonder there was a fresh inkstone on the door of Bai Yangbai’s house, which had been left unoccupied for a long time, so that her skirt was disdained by ink when she opened the door. It turned out that Ming Ri did this. It was her fault to place some of her dresses in the closet at Bai Yangbai’s house for replacement because she used to take a bath for agerasia in Bai Yangbai’s house.
Was that also infidelity for a woman to put her dress in another man’s house? If she hadn’t changed her dress that day and worn the one with ink to meet Zhu Quan, would they have made up other lies? For example, they would have made up a story that Wang Ke and she were making out in the study room, so that there was ink on her dress.
It was impossible to prevent. If two lovers didn’t trust each other, their relationship would be easily shaken by provocation from others.
Apart from that, her relationship with Zhu Quan was not that simple. Zhu Quan valued her ability and loyalty. Once she lost one of them, she would be useless for Zhu Quan. As for her “love at first sight” for Zhu Quan, that was just because he was her husband and she had no other choices. Even if Zhu Quan were an ugly and mediocre old man, she would also beautify him in her heart.
Apart from planning for herself, the most important reason why she fought for favor was Luo’s Family,which had kept forcing her. She couldn’t give what they wanted, but Zhu Quan could. So, she had to make Zhu Quan love her more than others so that she could give those bastard relatives what they wanted. Therefore, Zhu Quan and she were only utilizing each other.
Moreover, her death was formed by Shangguan Ming Ri and Gao Shenjun. Zhu Quan was not a participator but a deceived fool. From this point of view, she had made a mistake for blaming Zhu Quan. He was not one of her enemies but a breaking partner and a stranger who had long been irrelevant to her.
Zhu Quan grabbed Ming Ri and yelled, “You are a liar! Bring Wang Ke to me! I want to ask him!” He Danggui thought, “Concubine Hewas in front of you just now. Why didn’t you ask her directly? Why didn’t you listen to her?”
Ming Ri calmly answered, “Wang Ke rushed into the street and was hit to death by a galloping carriage because of an overdose of Wushi Powder. If you don’t believe me, you can let Wuying Tower lead the investigation. You will find out whether I am lying to you.”
Ridiculous! He Danggui laughed out. What a rascally excuse! The entire Wuying Tower was under the control of Shangguan Ming Ri, and more than 10,000 informers were at his beck and call. How could they come out with a different result!