Chapter 15: Hmph! Losing one of my valuable generals!

Madam Du remained silent.

Falsely claiming a title is a crime of rebellion and punishable by beheading. However, adultery only results in a year and a half of labor (for both men and women), which is half a year less than the sentence for rape. Even a fool knows which one to choose.

Besides…

—She’s the one who cuckolded her husband; what does she have to fear?

The Marquis of Kuaiji was indifferent to the shock of the other ministers.

As long as he could save his life, what did a mere cuckold’s hat matter?

Two hundred years ago, when foreign tribes took over the Central Plains and China was divided with many kingdoms, one emperor trusted only eunuchs. He required anyone who wanted to become an official to be castrated, and despite this, people still lined up to have it done.

It’s said that the kingdom gained 20,000 eunuchs overnight.

All he had to do was wear a cuckold’s hat—and as long as he knew it wasn’t true, it didn’t matter!

Then, the momentum he had built up was shattered by two sentences from Xu Yanmiao.

[Huh? Is that really what happened?]

The university student couldn’t understand all these twists and turns, scratching his cheek in confusion.

[Wasn’t the baby swapping back then done because the old Marquis of Kuaiji refused to appoint him as heir, since he was over thirty and childless, and they preferred to make his younger brother, who already had seven sons, the heir? That’s why Madam Du’s child had to be a boy, right?]

A strange light flashed in the old emperor’s eyes.

A wave of fear suddenly surged in the Marquis of Kuaiji’s heart.

Then he saw the emperor break into a hearty laugh. “Hahaha, Marquis of Kuaiji.”

The Marquis of Kuaiji’s face turned pale.

“I sympathize with your plight.” It would have been more convincing if he weren’t laughing. “Since that’s the case, I’ll give you a son to take care of you in your old age. How about your younger brother’s youngest son? He’s still just a baby, and you can raise him well. I’ll even appoint him as your heir…”

“No!!!” The Marquis of Kuaiji, disregarding the fact that he was still in court and guilty, nearly screamed in his resistance.

The Minister of Works, who had been quietly observing, was stunned, thinking this person must be mad. Even at this point, he still refused to lower himself and was loudly defying the emperor?

The Minister of Rites whispered, “He seems to have been greatly affected?”

Suddenly, a voice cut in, attempting to hide its excitement: “I don’t know what the shock is! If only Xu Yanmiao could tell us!”

The Minister of Works: Wait, why does that voice sound so familiar?

He turned his head and nearly had a heart attack: “Your Highness, what are you doing here?”

Realizing his slip of the tongue, he awkwardly shut up.

Even though the Crown Prince only attended court a few days out of ten, as a subject, he shouldn’t speak like that.

The Crown Prince, with his hands behind his back, smiled brightly: “The court is quite entertaining recently…” Behind him, several Crown Prince’s attendants were frantically trying to pull him away, but dared not use force.

The Crown Prince seemed completely unaware and leaned in between the Minister of Works and the Minister of Rites.

“There’s no real Crown Prince here; I just came to discuss this matter.”

He was excited: “What do you think? Is it possible he resents his younger brother, hates that his brother almost took his position as heir years ago, and has been holding a grudge ever since? That’s why he’s unwilling to accept the death of the old Marquis of Kuaiji, and after inheriting the title, he killed the false heir and adopted his nephew?”

The Minister of Works hesitated to speak.

Instead, the Minister of Rites, interested in gossip, moved closer to the Crown Prince and whispered, “I also think that’s the case. Otherwise, why would he let an illegitimate child take the heir’s position?”

“Yes, yes! The Marquis of Kuaiji doesn’t seem like someone who’s afraid to kill!”

“I regret so much, really regret not paying more attention to the Marquis of Kuaiji’s matters when I was young! Back then, the old Marquis hadn’t yet appointed an heir!”

The Minister of Rites lamented.

What a lost opportunity!

The Crown Prince sighed with regret: “When I was in the military, I wasn’t familiar with the old Marquis of Kuaiji…” Then, with a hint of glee, he excitedly added: “But! Xu Yanmiao definitely knows!”

Xu Yanmiao indeed knew.

He had no interest in the old emperor’s scheme against the Marquis of Kuaiji; he only wanted to enjoy the spectacle.

[Wow! The defenses are down! We’ve got something!]

[Oh, oh! No wonder it’s such a big deal; it turns out he’s always been overshadowed by his twin brother.]

—In ancient times, having more children was considered a blessing. Having twins or more was never seen as an ill omen but as a sign of abundant blessings from ancestors.

—Furthermore, having more children could also earn rewards from the court, such as rice and cash.

[He can’t compete in literary skills, can’t compete in martial prowess, and relies on his title to live. His younger brother has already climbed to the position of Tongzhi in Jiaxing Prefecture.]

“So pitiful, tsk, the Marquis of Kuaiji’s face has turned completely pale.”

“That’s right, it hit him where it hurts.”

“According to the news leaked by Bai Ze, if it weren’t for the Marquis of Kuaiji seizing the opportunity to make Madam Du give birth to a son while the old Marquis was still alive, the heir’s position might not have gone to him?”

“Ah, the old Marquis of Kuaiji was too focused on the eldest son. In the end, seeing that he had a son, he decided to give him a chance, thinking he could uphold the family’s reputation.”

The onlookers whispered and muttered among themselves…

[But it’s no wonder; one person wakes up at dawn to study until late into the night, while you’re busy choosing which clothes look best and will get you the most compliments. After going out, you’re praised as ‘having a noble demeanor’.]

[One person diligently studies the six arts of a gentleman, not fearing the cold in winter or the heat in summer, while you’re hosting banquets with friends, flattering each other and boosting reputations.]

“His face has turned from white to green!!!”

“Wow! His chest is heaving so violently; will he be so angry he might die?”

“What did Xu Yanmiao say? Break…”

[Even the number of children he has can’t compare. The only thing he can surpass is having a title, while his twin brother, being born a bit later, is forced to remain below him.]

[In this situation, how could he ever consider adopting his nephew? To him, that’s the child of his enemy. Even if the child were to call him ‘father’ in the future, he would never want the enemy’s son to inherit his title. He might even develop PTSD and refuse to consider any other siblings’ or cousins’ children.]

The officials exclaimed: “Wow!”

So that’s the case!

The Marquis of Kuaiji shouted: “Enough!!!”

The Crown Prince clapped: “The defenses are down!”

The old emperor: “…”

The head eunuch whispered, “Your Majesty, His Highness…”

The old emperor, unsure of what expression to show, rubbed his forehead: “Let it be.”

[Hmm!]

The old emperor suddenly looked up.

His intuition told him that Xu Yanmiao had found something significant!

Other officials thought the same, unable to suppress their smiles.

Although it wasn’t very kind, watching others’ misfortunes was indeed quite enjoyable!

Look at the Marquis of Kuaiji; his entire body was trembling, and he was severely shaken.

[Wow! Xu Yanmiao thought with a mental whistle, I didn’t realize before that the old Marquis of Kuaiji and his brothers, nephews, and nieces, as well as Xie Luoshui, all had six toes! It turns out the false heir’s toes were completely normal.]

[Polydactyly is a dominant autosomal genetic disorder, with a 50% chance of occurrence regardless of the child’s sex. This family, whether by luck or misfortune, all seem to have it!]

The Marquis of Kuaiji reflexively looked at his feet, his pupils suddenly contracting.

It turns out the biggest flaw was in himself.

—While the others might not understand chromosomes or genetics, they roughly understood that the people from the Wei family mostly had six toes.

Having six toes alone cannot completely prove that Xie Luoshui is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Kuaiji, but if we add the resemblance in appearance and the fact that there is a basin in the house that the Marquis of Kuaiji’s wife used, it is enough to convince the world, rather than mistakenly thinking that the emperor is a tyrant who falsely accuses his ministers.

The old emperor decided to take back his comment that Xu Yanmiao was a “big-mouthed” person. This person is so clever and sensible! Knowing what it means to share the worries for the ruler! “Wei Jin,” not even addressing the title, “The Imperial Guards have already investigated…

” Revealing all the decisive evidence from Xu Yanmiao’s heart. Then looking at Xie Luoshui, “Xie, are you willing to follow the palace attendants to the inner chamber to remove your shoes and socks?”

Xie Luoshui was already overwhelmed by this huge gossip, her thoughts in disarray, standing still, unable to even remember if she was being questioned or doubted, her mind a blank. Instead, the fake heir collapsed,

“How is this possible!

How could I not be from the Wei family!

 Xie Luoshui is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis!

How is this possible!” She was not a poor commoner, left defenseless against his abuse! Wasn’t it up to him to do as he pleased?

The fake heir suddenly rushed to Madam Du, grabbing her shoulders and shaking, “Mother! Say something, mother, I am the real one! I am!” His mother slapped him with a crisp and loud sound.

Onlookers: “Wow!” A hard slap, with a swollen face and blood marks from the scratched nails, disfigured— it was a done deal! This was definitely not her real son! Madam Du rushed to Xie Luoshui, clearing her throat, “Luoshui… such a nice name. Luoshui, I am your mother!

That damned Wei Jin, actually exchanged you for the title— you must have suffered all these years, my heart aches for you…” Xie Luoshui snapped out of it, amidst the barrage of voices, looking at Madam Du in front of her, her face unusually pale, “When the fake heir… no, when Wei Min tricked me into returning home, at first, Madam Du was very angry, thinking I seduced Wei Min.

 The day her attitude truly changed was when, during my bath, regardless of the servants’ attempts to stop her, arrogantly barged in… it must have been then, seeing my feet, that Madam Du changed, she was very kind to me, even saying she saw me as a daughter many times…”

Xie Luoshui stared at Madam Du, her eyes shining as if on fire, “Did you see me as a daughter, or am I your daughter!” A cold wind blew by, Madam Du shivered, hugging her arms, speechless in the face of Xie Luoshui’s questioning. Xie Luoshui asked loudly, “Later, when you wanted to present me as the Princess Concubine, were you afraid of the royal family finding out, so you locked me up, and the beasts you raised drunkenly violated me—” She did not consider this a matter to avoid discussing, nor did she feel the need to carefully protect her chastity and dignity.

That was something the privileged upper class thought about after they were well-fed and had nothing else to ponder. When she ran barefoot in the fields, no one criticized her for lacking self-respect; when she wore short sleeves and exposed arms and legs to plant crops in the fields, no one gasped at her lack of chastity.

A girl who had never been constrained by rules and regulations resembled a resilient tree, growing vigorously and defiantly, always glaring at those who harmed her. “Madam Du, when I was pregnant, you were so happy, was it because you were eyeing the Marquis of Kuaiji title and returning it to your lineage?

But then you wanted the Princess Concubine— if indeed favored by His Majesty, were you planning to wait for the princess to give birth, then swap the child again?” Xie Luoshui should have responded to the emperor’s question immediately, but her thoughts were so chaotic that she couldn’t focus on all aspects.

The old emperor didn’t mind this. His focus was more on… this family of scoundrels actually dared to think about our family in Xiangyang?! They even wanted the Princess Concubine? Am I that unselective! Xie Luoshui’s words were like dropping a bomb among the officials. Everyone was greatly shocked.

This family really had no fear of death! Prime Minister Dou: “…why are the young people nowadays becoming bolder.” “The last time I saw someone so fearless was when Princess Wanshou’s husband threatened to beat her to death.

” You guys are really something else. Thank you to the nine clans. …Oh, maybe the Marquis of Kuaiji intended to drag the nine clans down with him, playing the card of “I don’t want to live, what about you.”

The Crown Prince continued to stroll leisurely, hands in his pockets, walking around, approaching Prime Minister Dou, just hearing that, his eyes lit up, “Beating to death? What beating to death?” … The Crown Prince went over to Prime Minister Dou. The Minister of Works then said to his friend, “Why were you discussing those… matters with the Crown Prince just now?

 He is the Crown Prince! Instead of advising him to improve, you are indulging him, how can a subject do such a thing.” Most importantly, if the emperor found out that his friend was leading the Crown Prince astray— even if it was the Crown Prince’s initiative, the father would think all the blame lay with others. The Minister of the Ministry of Rites, on the other hand, was very relaxed, waving his hand,

 “If the Crown Prince enjoys talking about these anecdotes, then let him talk, they are all trivial matters, no need to be so cautious.” He looked in the direction of Xie Luoshui, somewhat surprised, “Oh, I thought she wanted an answer, didn’t expect, after asking, she went with the attendants to check her toes.”

 “What?”

The Minister of Works immediately turned to search, “She really left.” After a while, Xie Luoshui returned— she didn’t mind taking off her shoes and revealing her feet in public, but she guessed the court officials would mind, so she went to the inner chamber. The palace attendant who checked her toes bowed to the emperor, saying, “Indeed, six toes.”

With irrefutable evidence, the Marquis of Kuaiji had no chance of turning the tables. Xie Luoshui walked up to him, staring at him. Impatiently, the Marquis of Kuaiji asked, “What is it?” Xie Luoshui admitted that she was somewhat unwilling. Not towards the Marquis of Kuaiji and Madam Du, but towards the symbols of “biological father” and “biological mother”… a natural resentment— why treat me like this?

“Why didn’t you claim from the start that it was a pair of dragon and phoenix twins?”

The Kuaiji Marquis found this idea absurd: “Twins would naturally look alike. If they didn’t, wouldn’t that attract attention? It would make people suspect the heir wasn’t my biological child, and all our previous efforts would be in vain.”

—He didn’t know about identical versus fraternal twins; he was just making judgments based on his own experience and what he thought was common knowledge.

“So you decided to kill me?!”

“Otherwise? If not for your vile servant’s mercy, taking the liberty to push you and the basin into the Luoshui River, this wouldn’t have happened today!”

The Kuaiji Marquis spoke coldly.

Xie Luoshui’s pupils slightly constricted.

The guards came over, pushing the Kuaiji Marquis and his family out of the palace, with another wave of people to be executed soon.

Xu Yanmiao peered out and saw the girl standing emotionless amidst the reflections and dust, her lips pressed together, looking lost as to what to do now that everything had come to a dramatic conclusion.

【Poor thing.】

【In a short period of time, she’s experienced miscarriage, imprisonment, filed a petition to the emperor, and then suddenly learned her true identity, only to discover her biological parents are scum. Now, she’s left in confusion about the future…】

The old Emperor suppressed a smile.

It turned out Xu was quite sentimental.

【Ah, if only the old Emperor noticed how exceptional Xie Luoshui’s physical resilience is.】

【To have a body that can ride a horse forty miles the day after a miscarriage, still bleeding from severe injuries, first ringing the Drum of Appeals by herself, speaking without even the slightest sign of weakness, and showing no sign of physical discomfort even after nearly half an hour…】

【Such patience and pain tolerance should be put to use on the high seas! To the Americas! With Daxia’s naval technology, it’s entirely feasible; just lacking maps and suitable candidates!】

【There’s something called corn over there, which has high yields and low costs, and is the best for dry farming. It can even enrich the soil! One season of corn yields the equivalent of two kilogram of millet per acres!】

The officials: “!!!”

Why didn’t you say this earlier!

The Minister of Works clutched the arm of the Minister of Rites tightly, his lips trembling: “I can’t believe it…”

“I can’t believe in falling pies from the sky.”

“Xu Yanmiao must be teasing us!”

How could such good fortune exist in the world!

If such good fortune truly existed, why is it only appearing now! Why only now!

The Minister of Rites’ arm was also trembling, his mind in a frenzy, unable to calm down.

But he still managed to shout: “Get paper and ink, while memory is still fresh, write it down! Make sure to write it down!”

【There’s also something called potatoes, which can be eaten as food, can be planted in high mountains and old forests, with a yield of over ten kilogram per acres!】

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, his face growing serious.

Where the Americas are and how to get there could be extracted from Xu Yanmiao’s mind sooner or later. What’s urgent now is…

He turned to the Crown Prince’s attendants.

“How many treasure ships can set sail now? How long will it take to gather experienced helmsmen from various regions to come to the capital? Is there enough grain in the capital’s granaries for this voyage, or does it need to be transported from elsewhere? Prepare a memorial with these details as quickly as possible and present it to me.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

【There’s also something called sweet potatoes, which are not afraid of locusts, can regenerate after locust infestations, with a yield of ten shi per mu, and can be rotated with wheat and rice!】

Not afraid of locusts?!

The Minister of War nearly turned into a screeching chicken, pinching his own thigh to avoid losing his composure.

But! This is about locusts!

The old Emperor sprang up, walked briskly to the Kuaiji Marquis and Madam Du, and swung a powerful slap, sending the Marquis flying, with blood and shattered teeth falling to the ground.

Just thinking about Xie Luoshui, who Xu Yanmiao had deemed most suitable for going to the Americas, nearly being ruined by them, the Emperor immediately swung his other arm, creating a loud thud.

“Poisonous man and foolish woman!”

The old Emperor’s eyes were red with anger.

“You almost ruined one of my great generals!”

After hitting them, he turned and took Xie Luoshui’s hand, his eyes filled with deep emotion, making Xie Luoshui feel a shiver down her spine, instinctively stepping back a half-step.

The old Emperor’s gaze became even more affectionate: “Xie Luoshui.”

In his eyes, the woman before him wasn’t just a woman; she had the words “corn” floating in front of her head, and the words “potato” swirling around her body. Her legs were not just legs but had “sweet potato is not afraid of locusts” on the left and “sweet potato yield ten shi per mu” on the right.

“Have you ever thought about… becoming a marquis?”

—