Chapter 38: Swapped Lives

The man’s voice echoed through the hall, while outside, the sound of constant, shrill screams pierced the air.

Liu Juan hesitated for a moment, her eyes squeezed shut in terror. "Your Highness, Wang Jinlan did indeed give birth to a son back then. With so many eyes on her, there was no room for error."

"Is that so?" Rong Zhao chuckled softly. He leaned back in his chair, his fingertips drumming rhythmically against the tabletop. "I have discovered that after you delivered Wang Jinlan’s child, you stopped working as a midwife entirely. You moved your whole family to the next town and cut all ties with your former acquaintances."

"If your conscience is clear, why go to such great lengths to hide?"

A chill ran from the top of Liu Juan’s head to her toes, and her body began to tremble even more violently. "I... I only moved out of the village because of my son's business!"

Rong Zhao squinted at her, his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe. A faint, mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "It seems you are quite stubborn. In that case, don't blame me for what comes next."

"Under the weight of severe punishment, there is no mouth that cannot be pried open." Rong Zhao’s eyes were cold, his tone laced with sarcasm. "If you refuse to confess the truth, it will not just be you who suffers; your son, who runs the wine shop, and your five-year-old grandson might well be implicated as well."

Liu Juan looked up in shock, her clothes soaked through with cold sweat. Terror flickered in her eyes as she shrieked, her voice echoing through the hall, "Your Highness, take it out on me if you must, but my son and his family are innocent!"

Rong Zhao looked at her with a look that was not quite a smile. "Does that mean you are not innocent?"

Liu Juan’s psychological defenses crumbled completely. Her strength vanished in an instant, and she collapsed to the floor. "I... I remembered wrong... Wang Jinlan gave birth to... she gave birth to a girl."

Sheng Mingyue bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled. The moment the words left Liu Juan’s lips, she lunged forward, grabbing the woman by the collar. Her expression was one of helpless, burning hatred. "It was you who swapped her child... It was you who stole my life!"

Liu Juan bowed her head, not daring to look at her. With her hands bound by ropes, she could not move and could only endure Sheng Mingyue’s desperate shoving.

"Benefactor..."

Seeing Sheng Mingyue’s agitation, Rong Zhao frowned slightly. He rose, walked over to her, and took hold of her slender wrist, pulling the young woman toward him. "Don't cry," he soothed gently. "Evil will surely meet its due reward."

Sheng Mingyue turned, her mind in a daze. Her apricot-shaped eyes, which usually carried a smile for everyone, were now filled with tears. "Your Highness... everyone says heaven has eyes, but why... why did heaven turn a blind eye when I was suffering?"

Her tears fell like pearls from a broken string, splashing onto the floor. "Why? Why did it have to be me? Why am I the only one who had to live such a miserable life?"

Sheng Mingyue sobbed uncontrollably, her body losing strength as she slumped forward, her forehead resting gently against Rong Zhao’s chest.

At that moment, Rong Zhao felt his own heartbeat, deafening and thunderous.

It was an act of great disrespect, yet Rong Zhao felt not a shred of aversion; instead, he felt a strange sense of relief. He was relieved that his benefactor was not currently by Rong Yan’s side.

Rong Zhao lowered his eyes to look at Sheng Mingyue, who was already a tear-stained mess. When he looked back at Liu Juan, his eyes were filled with murderous intent. "You truly deserve to die."

Liu Juan shrank back, her teeth chattering with fear. She could only manage to squeeze out a single plea: "Your Highness, spare my life..."

Rong Zhao placed a hand on Sheng Mingyue’s shoulder to steady her, his phoenix-like eyes locked onto Liu Juan. He said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, your time to die has not yet come."

***

In a corner of the western capital, in Tongzhen Alley, the last house at the end of the lane sent curls of smoke into the sky, accompanied by the faint sound of laughter.

A woman, wearing an apron, leaned against the stove, half-stooped to stir-fry vegetables. Beside her sat a clay pot of lard and a bowl of freshly beaten eggs.

"Jinlan, you don't have to bring such good things every time you come over. I’m just one person, I can’t eat it all," Sheng Qiming said, sitting on a small wooden stool and scrubbing clothes in a basin with vigor.

"I didn't spend money on these anyway." Wang Jinlan wiped the grease from her hands with a rag, her mood quite bright. "Mingyue found me a job at a restaurant in the East Market called 'Hundred Guests Welcome.' I just clear tables and sweep the floor; it’s quite leisurely."

"The proprietress is a young woman. Seeing that I’m all alone, she takes pity on me. Whenever there’s leftover food at the restaurant, she lets me bring it home."

At the mention of his daughter, a smile appeared on Sheng Qiming’s face. "You care for Mingyue, and she thinks of you in return. That is a wonderful thing."

Wang Jinlan placed a dish of stir-fried greens on the table, her tone filled with relief. "The child is truly capable. I originally thought I would give her all my savings and go back to the village to embroider handkerchiefs, but I never expected her to find me work."

"Now I can earn more than half of my living expenses each month, and with the embroidery I sell on the side, life is finally starting to look up."

Just as the two were chatting, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?"

Wang Jinlan called out, but there was no response. The knocking continued.

Sheng Qiming rose as well, his brow furrowed. "We don't know anyone here. Who would come looking for us?"

Wang Jinlan wiped her hands and walked forward, full of suspicion. She reached out and pulled the door open.

Before she could see who was standing there, a heavy foot kicked her, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Ah!" Wang Jinlan collapsed, clutching her stomach, her face turning pale in an instant.

"Jinlan!" Panicked, Sheng Qiming rushed forward to help her up.

When he saw the visitor, Sheng Qiming’s body stiffened, his voice lost in horror. "Liu Cuixi..."

"Hmph! A pair of adulterers!" Liu Cuixi’s eyes blazed with fury, her gaze like a blade, as if she wished to carve the two people before her alive. "Sheng Qiming, you really are something. You thought if you moved away in secret, I wouldn't find you? Bah! Keep dreaming!"

The color drained from Sheng Qiming’s face, and he instinctively stepped in front of Wang Jinlan to protect her.

Liu Cuixi narrowed her eyes at them, a raging fire burning in her gaze. "Sheng Qiming, I had barely been in jail for half a month, and you couldn't wait to get together with this slut? Do you think I’m dead?"

Sheng Qiming’s face darkened. Unwilling to listen to her foul language any longer, he said in a low voice, "Jinlan and I are innocent. It was you who sent letters to the village, and she came to the capital out of concern for Mingyue."

"Innocent? Sheng Qiming, do you take me for a three-year-old?" Liu Cuixi laughed out of pure rage, pointing at him. "No wonder you haven't touched me for all these years! So it was because you were still thinking of this slut!"

Sheng Qiming’s face remained grim as he shouted, "Liu Cuixi, watch your mouth!"

"Oh, so you’re feeling bold enough to talk back to me now?" Liu Cuixi sneered. She threw open the door behind her, sat down on the threshold, and began to slap her thighs, wailing at the top of her lungs, "Come and see! These two adulterers are trying to drive his original wife to her death!"

It was the lunch hour, and with people home in every household, they began to poke their heads out upon hearing the woman’s screams in the alley.

"I can't go on living!" Liu Cuixi clutched her chest, sobbing as if her heart were breaking. "My husband brought his little mistress here to carry on, and he even sent his lawful wife to prison! There’s truly no way for me to survive!"