Her mind was blank. Although she knew that this matter would eventually be exposed, she also knew that she could not admit it now, especially not under such circumstances. Even if she wanted to admit it in the future, she would have to ask Shen Yu to announce that she and Tao Sheng were twins, and only then could she claim to be the legitimate daughter of the Marquis’s Mansion.

There have been many similar cases of mysterious origins in the capital, and soon people began to carefully speculate based on the strange things they had heard in the past. Could it be that such an upright person like Lord Luo was actually the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis who was stranded outside?

“How is this possible?” Another person firmly denied it, saying, “Look how much she looks like Madam Luo, and she also has some similarities with Old Madam Luo. Even if one of them is an illegitimate daughter, it should be Shen Ruojin, right?”

Another person agreed, “That’s right.”

After all, Tao Sheng’s appearance is distinct, and Madam Luo is a frequent visitor to Ning Garden, and everyone knows her. So if it is said that Tao Sheng is not Madam Luo’s daughter, and Shen Ruojin is Madam Luo’s biological daughter, it is really hard to believe.

Everyone knows that Tao Sheng’s adoptive parents have just returned to Beijing, but we have never heard about her biological parents, so this guess seems valid.

But the only legitimate daughter of the Shen family that is publicly known is Shen Ruojin, and there is no one else. What is going on?

The onlookers held their breath, waiting for what would happen next.

“Sister-in-law, I know that we have long-standing grievances. Now that my brother has gone to the Censorate, you are happy, your back is firm, and you speak more recklessly.” Shen Ruojin burst into tears. “But we are sisters-in-law after all. Even if there were many private grievances in the past, you can’t treat people like this at the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the princess.”

“You know I’m not that kind of person.” Fang looked embarrassed, as if she didn’t know how to continue proving herself.

At this moment, her maid Mu’er suddenly ran out and knelt down, saying to Fang with a serious look on her face: “Grandma, please don’t forget that this matter is not just our family’s business. You promised Auntie something, and you can’t leave it unexplained after so many days. Besides, it’s obviously the Young Madam’s fault. If you drag it on like this, what will happen if the entire Duke’s Mansion is implicated?”

Mrs. Guan had already guessed that Shen Ruojin was probably the illegitimate daughter of the Shen family, but for some reason, she was mistakenly recorded as a legitimate daughter. Although this matter was embarrassing, it was not a big deal. However, the maid’s claim that Shen Ruojin had committed a crime, which could drag down the Duke’s Mansion, made Mrs. Guan’s heart race.

“What’s going on? Why is your aunt involved again?”

Princess He’en also saw that Fang not only knew the truth but also had at least one witness and physical evidence, so she could speak out so boldly. If this matter was not clarified today, everyone would be in suspense. She urged Fang, “Don’t keep us in suspense; tell us everything you know. What’s the point of pretending?”

In order to prepare for today’s gathering, Fang had done three days of preparation, so she was well-prepared.

“Yes… My uncle’s nephew runs an escort company. When he was delivering goods that day, he encountered a chase, so he helped out. Unexpectedly, he injured someone and lost the goods. He was in a very embarrassing situation. Later, they found out that the young man who was rescued was actually a servant of the prince in our mansion, who was sent to Fujian by my brother and sister-in-law to do business.”

“After hearing about it, my aunt immediately asked someone to contact me and then interrogated the two lone assassins at night. Both of them said they were paid to help others get rid of troubles, and the money they took was exactly my sister-in-law’s money. When the servant heard that my sister-in-law hired someone to kill him, he explained that it was because he had helped the prince investigate the young lady’s background in the past, that he was attacked.”

“Please explain clearly,” Princess He’en asked. “What is your background?”

“That’s right. When Madam Luo gave birth, the maid in the mansion accidentally lost the mansion’s legitimate daughter, Master Luo Taosheng. My sister-in-law, Shen Ruojin, is the child that the maid bought locally because she was worried the master would blame her. When my aunt heard about this, she asked me to confirm with my sister-in-law whether it was true. After all, the local government is investigating closely, and it’s better to have an explanation.”

After Fang finished explaining, she was covered in cold sweat. Now that everything was said and done, she felt relieved. She started to distance herself from the matter again: “I have always been forgetful. I haven’t had time to confirm this with my sister-in-law these days. I only remembered this when I saw Lord Luo today. I hope you won’t blame me for disturbing the princess’s banquet and everyone’s fun.”

Fang’s words contained a lot of information.

The secrets in just a few sentences included family conflicts, financial disputes, real and fake daughters, and hiring killers. Just one of these topics could spark conversations for days, and no one expected them all to be revealed in the same incident.

Those who came to the banquet were all relatives and noble families in Beijing, so they were used to seeing many things. 

However, this news was too shocking. Despite being such explosive information, no one spoke for a long time after Fang finished.

Finally, Princess Heqing, who had experienced many things in court, spoke first: “Is what the grandmother of the Guan family said true?”

Fang glanced at Mu’er, who understood and presented two signed testimonies: one was Xu Xiang’s statement, and the other was the killer’s testimony after the trial.

“This was sent by my aunt from four hundred miles away. I and the eldest lady dare not hide it from the princess anymore.”

With that, the matter was settled.

A famous talented woman in the capital, the former companion of the Princess of the Eastern Palace, and the usually gentle and lovely wife of the Prince of Lingguo Mansion, not only has no blood relation to the Shen family but also deceives people by claiming to be the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion. Moreover, she was a cruel woman who hired a killer to kill people.

Shen Ruojin was popular in the capital. At first, when Fang attacked Shen Ruojin, people felt sympathy for her, but now they looked down on her.

Although Shen Ruojin had a hard time fighting in the family over the years, she had a smooth journey and never faced major setbacks.

Seeing that everyone had made up their minds, Shen Ruojin was powerless to defend herself. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.

Princess Heqing noticed that the Marquis’s wives, Luo Xin and Tao Sheng, were very calm, indicating that everyone in the Shen family had already known and accepted this matter.

But why did Tao Sheng give up being the legitimate daughter of a marquisate and insist on staying in the Luo family instead of returning?

Shen Ruojin, a fake, was showing off and even took the position of the wife of the Prince of Lingguo Mansion.

Amid the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Princess Heqing spoke to Tao Sheng: “Since you have such a good family background, why didn’t you return to the Marquis’ Mansion earlier?”