Chapter 37: Origins Revealed

Sheng Mingyue was taken aback, then gave a dismissive, lighthearted smile. "What is so difficult about that? The Prince never finishes the medicinal tonic brewed for him each day; what harm is there in sharing some with the Princess?"

With those words, she smiled at Jia'an. "I shall go serve a bowl right away."

"I will go with you," Jia'an chimed in hurriedly, her hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides as she followed Sheng Mingyue into the small kitchen.

Inside, the fragrance of the broth was even more intense, and the room was warm and cozy. Sheng Mingyue lifted the lid of the earthenware pot, stirred the contents gently with a ladle, and murmured, "It still needs a bit more time..."

"Mingyue, where is Mingyue?"

"Brother Yunlai?" Song Guo stopped sweeping and pointed toward the small kitchen. "The young lady is inside."

Yunlai offered a thin smile, walked briskly to the kitchen entrance, and upon seeing the two women, immediately bowed. "I did not know the Princess was here as well. Please forgive my intrusion."

Jia'an nodded, still unaccustomed to the Chu people’s tendency to bow at every turn. "It is fine."

Yunlai straightened up and looked at Sheng Mingyue. "Mingyue, the Prince is asking for you; he says it is urgent."

Hearing this, Sheng Mingyue quickly covered the pot, saying softly, "I will go at once."

She paused, looking at the simmering broth with a hint of hesitation.

"Go ahead, I will watch it for you," Jia'an said, her lips curving into a natural, easy smile. "Song Guo is still outside; she should know when the broth is ready, shouldn't she? Or what, do you not trust me?"

Sheng Mingyue felt reassured and shook her head with a light laugh. "Since we are friends, how could I not trust you? I will leave this to you, Princess."

With that, she hurried off with Yunlai, never noticing Jia'an’s rigid posture.

*Friends...*

Jia'an stared at the fragrant, bubbling broth, her mind echoing with the words of Ana.

*"This thing won't kill anyone. As long as you do as you're told, Mother will surely cherish you."*

Jia'an stood in silence, the hand clutching the paper packet trembling uncontrollably. A moment later, steeling her resolve, she unwrapped the paper.

***

In the front hall, Rong Zhao sat at the head of the room, draped in a white robe and thick blankets. A cup of tea rested in his slender, distinctively jointed hands, and half of his handsome face was veiled in rising steam.

"Your Highness."

Sheng Mingyue walked quickly into the hall and looked at the man above. "Brother Yunlai said you were looking for me."

Seeing her, the coldness on Rong Zhao's face dissipated. His lips curled upward involuntarily, and his voice softened. "Has my benefactor not always been suspicious of her own origins?"

Sheng Mingyue froze for a moment, then collected herself, a flash of urgency appearing on her face. "Has the Prince discovered something?"

Rong Zhao bowed his head and coughed twice, setting the teacup aside. "Yunlai, bring them in."

Moments later, there was movement at the entrance. Sheng Mingyue looked back and saw two stout, short-statured women being brought into the hall, their hands bound.

Sheng Mingyue recognized the woman on the left immediately.

As the woman struggled, she caught sight of Sheng Mingyue and began to curse furiously, "You wretched girl, why don't you come over and save me!"

"How bold!" Yunlai kicked her in the knee, forcing her to kneel. "In the presence of the Prince, what right do you have to shout?"

Sheng Mingyue stood frozen, unable to move. Seeing the woman's face, her thoughts were violently pulled back ten years. In her childhood, aside from Liu Cuixi and Sheng Li, the person she loathed and feared the most was her maternal grandmother, Pang Xiuzhen.

Pang Xiuzhen had despised her, wishing for her early demise, often calling her a good-for-nothing "money-losing commodity," and had even considered marrying her off as a second wife to an old widower in the village. Now that this person she detested stood before her, Sheng Mingyue could not stop herself from trembling.

"Benefactor."

Rong Zhao’s voice pulled her from the past. Sheng Mingyue looked up blankly, meeting his smiling eyes.

"Do not fear; no one can bully you," Rong Zhao said calmly, though his voice betrayed a trace of weakness. "These two are your maternal grandmother and the midwife who delivered you for Wang Jinlan."

"If we are to investigate your background, we must start with them."

Hearing this, Pang Xiuzhen’s eyes widened. She glared at Sheng Mingyue with venomous intensity, gnashing her teeth. "You wretched girl... how can you suspect your own mother? After we fed you for all these years, are you going to tear this family apart?"

At Pang Xiuzhen’s roar, Sheng Mingyue trembled slightly. She forced herself to regain her composure and met her gaze directly. "How you treated me, you know well in your own hearts. Rather than reflecting on yourselves, you turn around and question why I would suspect you?"

"Bah!" Pang Xiuzhen was livid, her clouded eyes bulging as if they were leaking poison. "You were always a useless girl. Were you dreaming of being treated the same as my golden grandson?"

"Liu Cuixi is your daughter; why didn't you beat her?" Sheng Mingyue’s eyes filled with tears, though she tried to keep her voice level. "Why didn't you make your own biological daughter marry that old widower?"

"How dare you mention Cuixi! I will beat you to death for this..."

Pang Xiuzhen thrashed wildly, but Yunlai stepped firmly onto her back, pinning her down. She could only let out a series of shrill screams.

"Noisy." Rong Zhao lowered his eyes, his fingertips brushing the fox-fur blanket on his knees. "Yunlai, cut out her tongue."

Yunlai felt a shiver of disbelief and glanced at Sheng Mingyue. They hadn't even begun the interrogation, yet because she had cursed the girl, the Prince ordered her tongue removed. This wasn't an inquiry; it was clearly the Prince exacting revenge on the girl's behalf.

Pang Xiuzhen finally felt true terror. She looked up and begged, "Your Highness... I am this wretched girl's grandmother, she saved..."

Before she could finish, she was dragged away by two servants. Yunlai drew a dagger from his belt, toyed with it, and followed them out. Shortly after, a piercing, pig-like scream echoed from the front yard. Only the first cry was clear; after that, there was only a muffled, choked sound.

Sheng Mingyue shuddered violently, shocked that Yunlai had carried out the act right in the front courtyard without a shred of fear for the consequences.

The midwife kneeling nearby was terrified, drenched in sweat, her tears splashing onto the floor.

"Liu Juan, are you willing to confess the truth of what happened back then?" Rong Zhao looked down at her, his thin lips moving to decide a person's fate. "If you cooperate, I will spare your life."

"I will speak... I will speak!" Liu Juan’s face was deathly pale, trembling like chaff in the wind, her eyes filled with desperation. "Prince Jiu, I will tell you everything, please let me go, I have a son and a daughter..."

Rong Zhao slowly sat upright, his phoenix eyes fixed on her as if to pierce through to her soul. "Tell me: when Wang Jinlan gave birth, was it a boy, or a girl?"