lcionline Chapter 41: She really was pregnant again, and she really did miscarry.
Chapter 41: She really was pregnant again, and she really did miscarry.
When Gu Cheng'an and Gu Chengyan arrived, Gu's mother felt more confident. With her sons here, she had someone to rely on.
For the sake of his two sons, the Marquis would not divorce her.
"Father, you can't condemn Mother based on just a few words from a concubine." Gu Chengyan frowned, his gaze fixed firmly on Marquis Anyang.
Father has always been shrewd, so how come he has been so easily bewitched by a woman in his old age?
“The evidence is conclusive; you must not try to defend her any longer.” Marquis Anyang remained unmoved, his face still ashen.
Gu Chengyan was meticulous; he had brought a doctor to examine the pastries before he arrived. The pastries themselves were not poisonous; rather, someone had coated them with powdered safflower.
His mother had been the wife of a marquis for many years and had seen all sorts of private affairs in the inner quarters. She wouldn't be so stupid as to hand over the evidence to someone else.
It could only be that vile maid Baoling, crying wolf.
She deliberately miscarried and framed Gu's mother.
Or maybe she wasn't pregnant at all?
Gu Chengyan's sharp gaze instantly shot towards Bao Ling, and he coldly questioned, "Aunt Bao, since you ate the pastry, why didn't you finish it and instead left a piece?"
Bao Ling felt a sudden panic. How could the Third Young Master be so observant?
She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She couldn't panic at this moment and give herself away, or she would really lose everything and ruin her life.
"I...I was thirsty at the time, so I gave it to Xiaotao."
"Aunt Bao had some snacks at Tingxue Pavilion, but she took them with her when she left. Since she was thirsty, why didn't she drink some tea?"
"Instead of giving the leftover snacks to Xiao Tao to keep? That doesn't make sense at all." Gu Chengyan pressed on, his words like knives.
“I was eating as I walked back.” Fine beads of sweat appeared on Bao Ling’s forehead, and her eyes darted around.
"Is your aunt doing this on purpose?" Gu Chengyan pointed out incisively.
Chu Ruohan spoke up: "What Third Brother said is indeed illogical. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, so how could Baoling bear to harm her own child?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Baoling covered her face and burst into tears, as if she had truly suffered a great injustice and hurt.
He kept shouting, "My lord, what's the point of me living? I might as well die and be done with it, so I won't be slandered and suspected like this."
Upon seeing this, Marquis Anyang felt a pang of pain in his heart. He stretched out his arms and tightly embraced Baoling's trembling body.
At the same time, he suddenly turned his head and glared angrily at Gu Chengyan.
He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Gu Chengyan, have you wasted all your education? You're framing Baoling without any evidence. Do you even respect me as your father?"
Gu Chengyan smiled slightly, remaining calm and composed, and said unhurriedly, "Then let the other doctors examine her together to prove Aunt Bao's innocence."
Baoling panicked instantly. She had taken the medicine given to her by her wet nurse, which caused her to have the symptoms of a false pregnancy and abortion.
Will other doctors be able to detect it?
Chu Ruohan looked at Bao Ling's panicked appearance, then at Gu Chengyan's confident demeanor.
He sneered inwardly: Investigate, investigate all you want...
Gu Chengyan, the result will satisfy you.
In fact, Baoling was indeed pregnant again, but both she and Xiaotao were young and ignorant about medicine, so they had no idea that Baoling was really pregnant again.
During those days, Baoling was constantly tormented by Gu's mother and Wang's nanny. She would fall asleep as soon as she got back to Zizhuxuan and had no time to think about anything else.
This was all thanks to Doctor Qian. On the day Doctor Qian entered the mansion, he brushed past Bao Ling and immediately noticed that she was pregnant.
This gave Chu Ruohan the perfect opportunity to use a real child as a fake one and deliver a heavy blow to Gu's mother.
As for the two bowls of medicine that the wet nurse gave to Baoling, one bowl was sugar water, and the other half was a pregnancy-stabilizing medicine with a small amount of safflower and musk added.
She had disposed of the medicine residue completely, leaving no trace. No matter how many tests were conducted or how many doctors were called, Baoling had miscarried.
And that rose cake was indeed non-toxic; Baoling herself had applied the safflower powder...
Qin Fang did a good job. The doctor he found, Dr. Qian, is truly skilled. Once this is all over, he will definitely be rewarded handsomely.
After examination by several doctors, the results were consistent.
Baoling casually placed one hand on her stomach, secretly wondering: Is this medicine really that effective? It even fooled the imperial physicians in the palace.
Upon learning of this result, Marquis Anyang turned around abruptly, pointed his finger directly at Gu Chengyan's nose, and began to hurl insults.
"You unfilial son, what else do you have to say?"
Gu Chengyan was shocked. He had just asked Granny Wang and confirmed that his mother had not poisoned Baoling.
His gentle gaze instantly turned vicious, shooting towards Baoling like a sharp arrow. Could it be that she really heartlessly abandoned the child in her womb in order to bring down her mother?
With all the evidence laid bare, Gu's mother was speechless with grievances.
Gu Cheng'an, who had been silent all along, suddenly knelt down and pleaded, "Father, although Mother made a mistake, she gave birth to me and my third brother. Even if she didn't do anything great, she still worked hard."
"The princess is currently pregnant. If word gets out that her mother-in-law has been divorced, what will outsiders think of our Marquis of Anyang's mansion?"
Marquis Anyang looked hesitant, his brows furrowed, caught in a dilemma.
He looked at Gu Cheng'an, then at Bao Ling, who looked aggrieved, and his mind drifted back to the moments he shared with Gu's mother when they were young.
A hint of hesitation and longing appeared in his eyes...
Baoling sensed Anyang Hou's wavering and felt anxious, but dared not speak rashly. She could only look at him with a mournful gaze.
Things have come to this point. If she can't get the Marquis to divorce her, will she have any chance of survival once that wicked woman turns the tables?
"Master Hou..."
Bao Ling was interrupted by Chu Ruohan as soon as she opened her mouth, "Father, there is something I am not sure if I should say?"
"Speak." At this moment, Marquis Anyang felt his mind was in turmoil and his chest felt very tight.
“A servant in the village went mad and injured Granny Wang. The old woman ordered him to be beaten to death, but the steward couldn’t bear it and came to me for help.”
"I secretly protected her, but who knew she wasn't really crazy..."
Chu Ruohan slightly raised her eyes and calmly looked at Gu Chengyan's mother behind him. Gu's mother unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, and her heart was filled with panic.
"Let her say the rest herself!" Chu Ruohan said softly.
Everyone's eyes followed the figure that slowly walked in.
The old woman was hunched over, her body stooped, her face aged and haggard, half of her face covered with burn marks, making her unrecognizable.
But the remaining half of his face looked very familiar to Marquis Anyang.
The old woman knelt down with a thud, her forehead hitting the ground heavily with a dull thud.
Marquis Anyang frowned, his eyes filled with doubt, and he hesitated before asking, "Who are you? Chunxi?"
Chunxi raised her head. "Does Your Excellency still remember this servant?" Her voice was hoarse and cold.
His murky eyes looked at Gu's mother, as if they were poisoned, filled with hatred and resentment that kept churning.
"Madam Hou, do you still remember Concubine Sun?"