200 Confession Offered

all white跟著葉璃從葉家過來的幾個丫頭對這個嬌弱的表小姐也很有意見。四小姐就已經夠楚楚動人了，這一位比她還要弱不禁風。而且王府對這位表小姐的待遇跟葉家的嫡小姐也不差多少了。自家小姐在葉家的時候一個月也才三十兩的例銀，而且在京城裡並冇有這位楊小姐半點名聲，可見這位是從不出門應酬的自然也就冇有什麼花用了。小姐才新婚就跑過來哭窮，實在是太過分了。The maids who had follow...200. Confession

200. Confession

The news of Lady Ding Wang's safe delivery of a son spread quickly throughout Youyang City. Not only were the people of the Ding Wang Estate overjoyed, but the common folk of Youyang also decorated their homes with lanterns and banners as if it were New Year’s Day. Although the commoners had only seen Lady Ding Wang once or twice, her status in the hearts of the northwestern populace was not inferior to that of Ding Wang himself. This was undoubtedly due to the excellent publicity work done by the Ding Wang Estate. Though people outside of the northwest often misunderstood Ding Wang and his wife because of Emperor Mo Jingqi's edicts, the common folk of the northwest knew that when Ding Wang’s wife was pregnant, she led the Black Family Army in resisting the Western Capital invasion, eventually falling into a ravine. If not for Lady Ding Wang, peace and stability would not have been maintained in this part of the country. In this turbulent era, whoever could provide stable living conditions to the common people is like their reborn parents. Therefore, hearing about the safe birth of Ding Wang's son brought joy to the northwestern populace that was no less than during New Year’s celebrations.

In the Ding Wang Estate, the small hall closest to Ye Li's bedroom was packed with people. They all rushed forward when the midwife carried out the baby wrapped in a clean crimson swaddling blanket after washing him. Xu Qingyan bounced around excitedly and shouted, "Quick! Let me see what my little nephew looks like!" The midwife smiled and said, "Surely, Young Master Xiao will grow up to be as magnificent as his father and mother." Xu Qingyan bent down to look at the baby in the midwife’s hands but was immediately stunned. This red-faced, wrinkled little creature is the future dragon among men that the midwife spoke of Although everyone present were outstanding individuals of their generation, few had seen a newborn infant before. Even Xu Qingze and Xu Qingfeng hadn’t seen what Xu Qingyan looked like when he was born; they only took him out to meet people after his full moon, which is why he appeared fair-skinned and plump. Everyone turned to look at Mo Xiuyao sitting beside them but remained silent.

Manager Mo, with a joyful expression on his face, said, "Young Master Xiao really resembles Your Excellency when you were born; the Ding Wang Estate finally has an heir." Even Manager Mo’s usually stern face showed a hint of fondness. Standing nearby, Ah Jin blinked curiously at the small baby in the midwife's hands, whose eyes hadn’t yet opened.

Xu Qingyan asked doubtfully, "Manager Mo, Your Excellency was like this when he was born too... red-faced and wrinkled like a little monkey"

Manager Mo replied matter-of-factly, "All newborns look like this. In a few days, once they open their eyes, they’ll be plump little babies."

Feng Zhiyao looked enviously at the red-faced baby and sighed, "It’s only been two years since Your Excellency was born, and he already has a son. How admirable." Manager Mo chuckled, "Third Young Master Feng is of the same age as Your Excellency. If you had married sooner, perhaps your son would have already run around."

Feng Zhiyao’s expression dimmed slightly but he smiled and said, "How easy is it to find someone suitable like Your Excellency did"

After watching the baby playfully, everyone made way for him and carried him over to Mo Xiuyao. They said with a smile, "Your Excellency, please take a look at Young Master Xiao."

Moh Xiuyao glanced indifferently at the red-faced, wrinkled little creature in the swaddling blanket. From his eyes to his expression, he showed no interest and merely said coldly, "Ugly!" Thus, even though the baby could neither see nor hear nor remember anything, when Ding Wang Estate’s Young Master Xiao grew up, he would still know that his father's first word about him was嫌棄 (disgust). The son-father grudge began at this moment.

After glancing at his son, Mo Xiuyao noticed that his legs had healed considerably and stood up to ask, "How is the Lady" The midwife hurriedly smiled and said, "Young Master Xiao was born smoothly; the Lady didn’t suffer much. She’s resting now." In the midwife's view, it wasn't painful for a first-time mother like Lady Ding Wang, who went through labor for less than three hours before giving birth. However, Mo Xiuyao had a different perspective. He only knew that Ye Li endured several hours of pain to give birth to this ugly-looking child. With a light snort, he said, "I’ll go see the Lady." Then he swept his sleeve and walked into the room. The midwife couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply the couple cared for each other; it was rare for men to rush to their wives after seeing their newborns.

Xu Qingyan, upon confirming that her little nephew wasn't ugly at all, happily leaned closer. She carefully extended a finger to gently poke the baby's wrinkled face and said, "Little nephew, I'm your little uncle." Feng Zhiyao rolled her eyes and asked, "Does he understand what we're saying" Then she couldn't help but bend down beside the baby as well, staring at him intently. She said with a frown, “Hmm Is that how Your Highness looked when you were young Grand Steward Mo” Grand Steward Mo scrutinized for a moment and replied, "Newborn babies generally look like this."

"Make way! Make way!" Shen Yang and Dr. Lin arrived side by side, glancing at the crowd gathered around them. "This old man needs to check on Young Master’s health, so everyone else should give us some space." Though unwilling, the people could only watch as Shen Yang took the baby from the midwife.

Mos Yao entered the room once more; the maids had already tidied up. Ye Li sat by a cushion in bed; her complexion was somewhat pale but she looked well-rested. Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei were conversing with her, while Nanny Wei held a bowl of porridge to feed Ye Li. Seeing Mos Yao enter, the two nannies immediately stood and greeted him formally. Mos Yao waved them off before asking, "How’s A-li" Nanny Lin smiled and replied, "The Duchess is fine; she’ll be all right. Few women are as spirited after giving birth like her. You can rest assured." Mos Yao took the bowl of porridge from Nanny Wei's hand and said, “You two may leave now. I'll stay with A-li.” Both nannies smiled and turned to exit. His Majesty didn’t watch outside when the little young master was born but rushed in to see the Duchess; that indicated how important he found her. They were naturally pleased on the Duchess’s behalf.

Seeing Mos Yao seriously holding a bowl of porridge, intending to feed it to her, Ye Li said helplessly, "I can eat by myself." Actually, she wasn’t irritated about giving birth—it was just that, now that the baby was born, there was no need for someone else to feed her. She could manage on her own. Mos Yao moved aside when she tried to take the bowl from him and carefully placed it near her lips with a spoon. Ye Li couldn't help but open her mouth and eat. As she asked, “Have you seen the baby Nannies Lin and Wei said he looks like I did when I was young. Although… I can’t see any resemblance…” She simply couldn’t tell how this tiny, red-faced infant could look like her in any way. Perhaps she had also looked that way back then Didn’t all newborns resemble each other Mos Yao remembered Grand Steward Mo’s words and nodded as he said with a slight smile, "He looks good." Ye Li smiled at him skeptically.

Mos Yao replied, “As long as it's your child, who cares how beautiful or ugly it is.”

After finishing most of her porridge, Nanny Lin returned with the baby in her arms. When she had first seen the baby, he was immediately taken away by someone else. Now that Ye Li saw him again, an inexplicable feeling surged within her heart. This child was hers and Mos Yao’s; it was her flesh and blood, also the person closest to her in this world. She gently took the infant from Nanny Lin's arms and looked at his rosy face and closed eyes, unable to help but smile softly.

With affectionate hands, she poked and squeezed the baby’s little cheeks and tiny fists as a sense of tenderness and joy filled her heart. Mos Yao saw Ye Li smiling slightly and looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms; he felt uncomfortable seeing this sight before him.

"Look," Ye Li said with a smile, "this is our baby. In time, he’ll call you Papa and me Mama. Do you like it"

Mos Yao nodded and reached out to take the child from her. “You’ve just given birth; don’t tire yourself. Let me hold him.” Ye Li looked at him skeptically, "Can you do that" During these months, Mos Yao had never shown much interest in the baby; he hadn't even taken the time to learn how to properly hold an infant. Mos Yao hesitated for a moment, though he felt it didn’t matter how he held the child—cradled tightly as he was, the little one looked fragile and seemed like he might be damaged if not handled carefully.

Although he disliked this potential future rival, knowing that Ye Li loved him so much made Mos Yao feel conflicted. Seeing his hesitation, Ye Li couldn’t help but smile; she handed over the baby to him with a gentle reminder, "Hold him lightly…" She carefully guided him before placing the child in Mos Yao’s arms. Looking down at the bundle of joy in his embrace, Mos Yao felt awkward all over.

Seeing Mos Yao sitting stiffly by the bed, completely unlike his usual relaxed demeanor, Ye Li suppressed a smile behind her hand.

The birth of the Prince of Ding Kingdom’s son would not be far from how the emperor's heir was received in the capital. The city of Ruyang was alive with drum beats and firecrackers, as if it were New Year’s Day already. And when news of the little prince’s arrival spread, the governor of Ruyang announced a 50% reduction in taxes for the year. Various benevolent proclamations were also put up outside the governor's residence. The people rejoiced even more; the sound of firecrackers could be heard faintly even within prison cells.

In the cold, dirty dungeon below, Su Zuodie moved with great difficulty on the ground. Outside, the sounds of firecrackers made the already gloomy dungeon seem even more desolate and eerie, driving her already confused mind into a frenzy. Was it New Year again She had almost forgotten how long she’d been trapped here. The only thing she could remember was that she must live. As long as she survived, there would be a chance for her to escape. Only by surviving could she attain everything she desired. Occasionally, she couldn’t help but wonder if, without all these aspirations, she might now be living peacefully as the Second Lady of Ding Kingdom Manor, perhaps even the wife of a general due to Mos Yao’s military achievements. But… what she wanted was more than that… She, Su Zuodie, was renowned for her beauty and talent, called the First Beauty of Chu. Why should she settle for being beneath those ordinary women Survive, leave this place, get everything you want. This was how Su Zuodie kept herself going every day.

Clunk—

The dungeon door was opened, and Qin Feng entered with a cold expression, accompanied by Zhuo Jing and Lin Han. The expressions of the three people were not pleasant; they could not go to see the new child born to the queen consort but had to interrogate this woman instead, which did not make them feel happy at all. Hearing footsteps, Su Zuidie got up from where she was lying and sat on the ground, turning around to look at the three of them with a smile that said, "Is it starting again" A mocking and proud expression flickered across her face, most of which was covered in stains. Even if these people tortured her every day, what difference did it make Every time she saw their frustrated and furious expressions, an odd pleasure would well up inside her.

Qin Feng casually kicked aside the clutter at his feet and looked at her with cold eyes as he sneered, "Do you really think we have only those means to deal with you I’ll tell you a piece of good news: The queen consort just gave birth to a new prince. Right now, everyone in Ruyang City is celebrating."

A trace of jealousy and hatred flashed across Su Zuidie’s eyes as she remained silent. Qin Feng didn’t mind; he said indifferently, "There’s also some not-so-good news: The king has already given an order that we must have the truth by today." Su Zuidie sneered coldly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Qin Feng nodded without surprise and said, “I knew you’d say this. That’s why the king gave instructions to kill you if you can’t be made to talk.”

"What did you say" Su Zuidie was stunned as she stared at Qin Feng in disbelief.

Qin Feng sneered at her with contempt and said coldly, "I forgot to tell you. Two months ago, we captured the vice-commander of the Imperial Guard, Xue Chengliang. You should know him, right Nothing is airtight; if we can’t get any information from you, won’t we be able to get it from someone else"

“Xue Chengliang” Su Zuidie was confused and clearly had no recollection of this name. Qin Feng lowered his head for a moment and then understood that ten years ago, Xue Chengliang was just an attendant at Prince Jingshi’s side. Su Zuidie might not remember him, so he said, “Ten years ago, what did you take from the Ding王府 to give to the current emperor You were supposed to hand it over to this vice-commander, Xue; surely you can’t have forgotten”

Su Zuidie’s eyes suddenly widened in shock as she quickly dragged herself with one leg that was a bit inconvenient and hid against the wall corner. She screamed, “I don’t know what you mean! What thing I never took anything from Ding王府!” Qin Feng turned his head to look at Zhuo Jing and Lin Han; all three of them naturally saw how Su Zuidie trembled in fear. Zhuo Jing curled his lip and said, “Bring her out and punish her with torture. There’s no need to be gentle with her—today or tomorrow, she will die.” Two guards obeyed orders and came in without hesitation, pulling up the trembling Su Zuidie from the ground and dragging her to an outer cell.

The outer cells were much cleaner and drier than those inside. A row of tables and chairs was placed there as well, with someone seated next to them grinding ink, clearly planning to record her confession. Qin Feng and his companions sat down; they had already bound Su Zuidie to a wooden post in front of the table. Qin Feng looked coldly at this filthy woman who didn’t resemble a former beauty at all, “How about it Miss Su, do you want to confess or shall we start with torture and see how many types you can endure”

Su Zuidie bit her lip but remained silent. Qin Feng leaned back in his chair lazily as he said with a smile, "Today I’m not in any rush; anyway, if I don’t find out by the end of today’s night watch, killing you will still satisfy my report to the king. As for whether or not you’ll be missing an arm or leg at that point, I believe Miss Su won’t mind either." After looking at her for a while with his head tilted, Qin Feng pointed to two people standing beside him and said, “They say Miss Su is called the most beautiful woman in the world. If we cut a few slashes on this face, will anyone still think it’s beautiful” Zhuo Jing curled his lip impatiently and said, "She looks like that now; how can she be considered the most beautiful woman Even without cutting her, she’ll look hideous!" Qin Feng laughed and said, “How could there not be We haven’t been overly harsh on Miss Su’s diet in the past half a year. I dare to bet this face is still very good.”

Lin Han frowned and said, "Then let’s get started; we can finish up quickly so we can go back."

Qin Feng nodded his chin. The guard standing by understood and withdrew a dagger, walking towards Su Zuidie with it. Seeing the glint of light reflected off the blade, fear filled Su Zuidie’s eyes. She was proud to be called the most beautiful woman in the world; if her face were ruined… “No! You dare… The king will never forgive you! How can you treat me like this…”

Qin Feng sneered coldly, "Foolish woman."

The person carrying out the punishment clearly had no chivalrous traits towards women. With a single slash of his dagger, two silver flowers appeared on Su Zuidie's face, making her scream in horror as she felt an icy chill, “No... Ah! My face!” Two perfect crosses were now perfectly etched onto both sides of her cheeks, with blood gushing out from the wounds. Only then did Su Zuidie feel a chill in her heart, realizing that Qin Feng wasn’t bluffing; her face was truly ruined. She screamed, "Ah ah... my face! My face, I’m going to kill you all! Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, you deserve to die!"

The man standing before her did not hesitate to give her two hard slaps across the face, causing the newly injured cheeks to swell up instantly with blood dripping from them in a terrifying manner.

Being disfigured was clearly more of a psychological blow for Su Zuidie than having her legs crippled or being tortured daily. She continued to curse and resist despite further torture, as if the harsh punishments did not even exist for her. Even Zhuo Jing couldn’t help but sigh that such a woman would be an excellent spy if properly trained; she wouldn't betray them no matter how severe the torture was.

Eventually, Qin Feng had run out of patience and, although he still had some tortures left to administer, he didn’t want to go overboard with them since the young master had just been born. When midnight arrived, Qin Feng’s patience finally snapped, and he ordered, "Let's finish this. Let her see herself die slowly. Wasting my time is a serious matter. Arrange for an immediate secret arrest of all those who were close to Mo Jingqi ten years ago in the Capital of Chu, as well as Tan Jizhi, based on Sch Chengliang’s confession."

"Yes, Commander!"

Su Zuidie's hands were tied behind her back on a wooden post, with one wrist deeply slashed. The bright red blood dripped steadily onto the ground, but the prison cell was eerily silent and empty. As she watched the steady stream of blood, all she could hear was its dripping sound. Gradually, Su Zuidie heard something buzzing in her ears as Qin Feng’s cold voice echoed in her mind, "The Consort has just given birth to a son; the city is abuzz with excitement." The city was abuzz... Why couldn’t she hear anything As the blood on the ground grew thicker, she felt her body growing weak, almost feeling the blood flowing out of her veins. She even thought that she would only die once the last drop of blood left her.

"No… I don't want to die..."

"Help me... I want to see Mo Xiuyao! I’ll talk, I'll say everything!" Outside was silent and empty; Su Zuidie realized with terror that she would truly die here, fear making her more desperate. She felt the blood flowing faster from her body as she screamed, "I’ll talk! I’ll say everything! Help me... I don't want to die!"

Outside the cell, Qin Feng curled his lips into a cold smile. “Why didn’t you just admit it earlier I thought she would hold out until the end.”

Lin Han said, "Perhaps this time she realized there was no way out for her. Even if she doesn't talk, Sch Chengliang will. She only relied on nobody else knowing before."

"Report to his Highness then."e that the previous attempts of assassins could have been carried out without assessing Prince Dingtang’s mansion's strength beforehand. To knowingly attempt something impossible This can only mean on...