Chapter 421: Xie Yuanjiu Is Executed

Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Xie Yuanjiu Is Executed

Second Madam Xie crawled on her knees toward Second Master Xie, her face streaming with tears of regret as she clutched his boots.

"Second Master, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry..."

A vague sense of foreboding crept into Second Master Xie’s heart as he watched her.

"Crown Prince, what in the world is happening?"

Mo Lingwei inclined his head. "To prevent her from being poisoned by Xie Yuanjiu, Shen Ningning asked for my assistance. I had Second Madam Xie moved to a secure location under guard."

"When she arrived, there was still poison in her system, so I summoned an Imperial Physician to examine her thoroughly. The diagnosis led to an unexpected discovery: Second Madam Xie has suffered from a condition for many years that renders her infertile."

"Under questioning, she confessed. As a child, she fell into the water one winter and sustained an injury. A doctor determined long ago that she would be unable to bear children. So, if that is the case, how was Xie Yuanjiu born?"

Mo Lingwei finished with a slight smile. "Could it be a gift from Guanyin, a daughter appearing out of thin air?"

Second Master Xie’s eyes were bloodshot with rage as he glared at Second Madam Xie. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Second Madam Xie shuddered and, through her tears, confessed.

"Yuan Jiu... is a child I had the Divine Woman find for me to adopt."

BOOM—

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Second Master Xie. The blood drained from his face, and his expression froze.

Even Shen Ningning stopped cracking melon seeds. The little girl blinked her big eyes, utterly stunned.

’So this was the "grand gift" Brother mentioned before we came in?’

’Xie Yuanjiu wasn’t Second Uncle’s child at all!’

Everyone in the hall was stunned by Second Madam Xie’s confession, but no one found it harder to accept than Xie Yuanjiu herself.

"Impossible! What did Shen Ningning give you to make you disown your own daughter?! You’re lying!" She grabbed Second Madam Xie’s hair and yanked it violently.

Second Madam Xie screamed in pain.

"Let go of her!" Fang Qingdai immediately intervened, grabbing Xie Yuanjiu and shoving her away.

Xie Yuanjiu’s eyes were bloodshot as she glared venomously at them. "What kind of mother are you? You won’t even acknowledge your own child! You help others harm me! You’re despicable!"

Fang Qingdai’s brow furrowed. "That’s a terrible thing to say. Whether she is your real mother or not, she raised you for nearly nine years. You should have some conscience."

Tears streamed down Second Madam Xie’s face as she clutched her throbbing head.

"I framed Second Master all those years ago because I was infatuated with him. But his love for General Fang was unshakeable, and I could never catch his eye. Then, I went to a temple to have my fortune told. A nun there—the one who later became the Divine Woman—gave me an idea..."

The Divine Woman gave her a secret drug. She told her to find an opportunity to give it to Xie Dizhi and sleep with him. Afterward, how could he possibly refuse to take responsibility?

So, goaded on by the Divine Woman, Second Madam Xie agreed to the plan.

During a hunt organized by the noble families, she saw her chance. She deliberately faked an ankle injury. When Xie Dizhi rode past, he took pity on her and offered to leave her his horse.

But Second Madam Xie claimed she couldn’t ride and asked him to take her to the nearby Waterside Pavilion to rest and wait for her family.

Xie Dizhi suspected nothing. After all, he was confident in his advanced martial arts. Back then, Second Madam Xie seemed to be just a helpless woman. What was there to fear?

But after he brought Second Madam Xie into the pavilion, the Divine Woman, who had been lying in wait behind the door, threw a powdered drug into the air, causing them both to be drugged instantly.

When Xie Dizhi awoke, Second Madam Xie was already lying naked and fast asleep in his arms. Their clothes were in disarray. It was obvious what had transpired.

The very next moment, the anxious voices of young nobles drifted in from outside. It was nearly evening, and they had realized Xie Dizhi was missing and were searching for him everywhere.

Led by Princess Consort Qi’s younger brother, they burst through the door and saw Xie Dizhi lying on the bed with another woman.

And there, in the crowd, was Fang Qingdai.

Afterward, wild rumors spread like wildfire through the Capital. Everyone waited to see how the Xie family would handle the situation.

Xie Dizhi and Fang Qingdai had already had their horoscopes matched for marriage. Their wedding was imminent, so how could he possibly marry a woman he didn’t even know?

He argued his case vehemently. Even when Mrs. Xie Sr., who was still alive then, had him whipped until his back was raw, he refused to yield.

Facing pressure from all sides, Xie Dizhi was even prepared to abandon his titles and honors to run away with Fang Qingdai.

When Second Madam Xie realized Xie Dizhi still wouldn’t have her even after being entrapped, she grew frightened. The Divine Woman then proposed another idea: fake a pregnancy. The Divine Woman would provide her with a baby of the appropriate age when the time came.

Second Madam Xie was terrified, but the thought of spending the rest of her life with the magnificent Xie Dizhi gave her resolve. She steeled herself and followed the Divine Woman’s advice.

When news of Second Madam Xie’s pregnancy broke, it sent another shockwave through the Capital.

Gossip about the Xie family swirled through the Capital City like snowflakes in a blizzard.

Unable to withstand the gossip in the Capital and desperate to preserve the Xie family’s reputation, Mrs. Xie Sr. forced Xie Dizhi to marry the woman who would become Second Madam Xie.

And it was at this point that a heartbroken Fang Qingdai left the city.

Hearing the whole story, Second Master Xie gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with fury. "Your selfish desires destroyed my relationship with Qingdai."

No amount of regret from Second Madam Xie could ever undo the harm she had inflicted upon Second Master Xie and Fang Qingdai.

All she could do now was confess everything.

Xie Yuanjiu was the infant brought by the Divine Woman. While faking her pregnancy, Second Madam Xie had used the excuse of returning to her maiden home for quiet convalescence to avoid scrutiny from the Xie family. In reality, she had hidden herself away in a private courtyard she rented.

When the time was right, she summoned Mrs. Xie Sr. to witness her "giving birth."

Her face streaked with tears, Second Madam Xie sobbed, "The Divine Woman didn’t give me a choice; she just gave me a daughter. I decided right then that even though I could never have a child of my own, I would love her as if she were my own flesh and blood. But I never expected..."

The thought that Xie Yuanjiu—the girl she had raised as her own—hated her enough to poison her left Second Madam Xie sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

She may have been a deceitful person, but she had been nothing but a good mother to Xie Yuanjiu.

Deeply shaken, Xie Yuanjiu muttered to herself, "Then whose child am I? Am I the real orphan?"

But Shen Ningning found something odd.

’Second Madam Xie is probably telling the truth now,’ she thought. ’But if the Divine Woman did all this, why didn’t she confess everything when I caught her?’

Suddenly, Shen Ningning remembered the first time she went to the Divine Woman’s house—the woman had tried to kill her.

Second Madam Xie may have been in cahoots with the Divine Woman, but she had only wanted the woman to kidnap Shen Ningning. The Divine Woman, on the other hand, had wanted the little girl dead.

’That means...’

’There was a mastermind behind the Divine Woman, and Second Madam Xie was just another one of their pawns!’

’And this person began laying their plans years ago, with the apparent goal of destroying the Xie family.’

’It’s a shame the Divine Woman is dead. Otherwise, she could have been interrogated further.’

As Shen Ningning was lost in thought, the Emperor slammed his hand on the table in fury.

"The two of you... a mother who is not a mother, and a daughter who is not a daughter. Such identical viciousness and selfishness. We are truly astounded."

With that, the Emperor gave his order. For the unfilial act of attempting to poison her mother, Xie Yuanjiu was sentenced to death.

As for Second Madam Xie, for her malicious scheming and repeated outrageous acts, her prison sentence was set at five years, after which she would be released.

As Xie Yuanjiu was dragged away, she continued to scream hoarsely, "I am a daughter of the Xie family! I’m not some unwanted child! Shen Ningning made all this up to destroy me!"

She was consumed by hatred. She had thought today would be the day she brought Second Master Xie and Fang Qingdai to ruin.

Instead, she had only destroyed herself.