Chapter 126: Infuriating the Imperial Uncle
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“You’re slandering! Utter nonsense!”
“Spreading such lies at a young age! Aren’t you afraid of having your tongue ripped out?” Madam Zheng’s sharp words carried a trace of killing intent.
[This little wench cannot be allowed to live.]
At thirty-something years old, Madam Zheng maintained herself meticulously, exuding an air of grace and nobility. Her head sparkled with pearls and jade, her body draped in luxurious silks, an embodiment of extreme beauty. Her skin was flawless, her features radiant and unmatched. Standing next to the gray-haired Imperial Uncle Xiao, they appeared as father and daughter.
“Father, Mother has been with you since she was sixteen. How could you doubt her? It’s heartbreaking for her. And as for the child, barely two years old, what could she understand? Someone must be trying to sow discord and tear our family apart.” Xiao Ming Yao stepped forward, attempting to pacify his father.
The Imperial Uncle Xiao slapped him hard across the face.
The blow knocked Xiao Ming Yao backward, nearly sending him to the floor.
“What are you doing? Why are you hitting him?” Madam Zheng, her eyes red, rushed forward to support her son, her heart aching.
The Imperial Uncle Xiao’s eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy. His gaze bore into Madam Zheng.
Though the world envied him for his stunning wife, only he knew the truth. As he aged, his vitality waned. Luckily, Madam Zheng always comforted him tenderly, never showing any dissatisfaction.
An older husband with a younger wife—doubt naturally crept into his mind. Now…
He recalled Madam Zheng’s cousin, Chu An Min, a young and handsome man with a silver tongue and exceptional charm. Chu An Min visited the Xiao household every year, always staying for a few days. The Imperial Uncle Xiao personally hosted him, arranging accommodations with the utmost care.
“Bring forth the maids who served him,” he ordered, his expression dark.
Shortly after, several maids were brought into the hall. Sensing the tense atmosphere, they nervously glanced at Madam Zheng.
“Why are you looking at her?” The Imperial Uncle Xiao’s face was stern, his tone ominous. “Does Chu An Min have any birthmarks? Speak truthfully! Anyone who lies or hides the truth will be beaten to death!”
The maids knelt with a thud.
“He does! He has a red birthmark on his right shoulder,” one maid replied, sobbing.
“Nonsense! How would a mere maid know about my cousin’s birthmarks?” Madam Zheng’s voice quivered as she forced composure. Her nanny erupted in fury, scolding the maid.
The maid bit her lip, glancing cautiously at Madam Zheng.
“He… he deceived me and took my body! I not only know about the birthmark on his shoulder, but also the three moles on his right buttock,” she said, face flushed with humiliation. “The moles form a circle, and he boasted that it was a sign of fortune, something all the men in the Chu family bear.”
Madam Zheng’s face paled, her body swaying unsteadily.
The Imperial Uncle Xiao raised a trembling hand, pointing at her. Words failed him as fury consumed him.
“You… you…”
Madam Zheng took a step back.
“Someone, pull down Xiao Ming Yao’s and Xiao Yu Hang’s pants!” the Imperial Uncle Xiao roared, his entire body trembling. He vaguely remembered that both his son and grandson had three moles!
Xiao Ming Yao’s expression turned to one of horror as he looked at his mother.
“Father, you can’t doubt me! I am your legitimate son! Whatever Mother’s mistakes, they have nothing to do with me. And Yu Hang—he’s a bright, studious boy, just like you. We are the blood of the Xiao family…”
The Imperial Uncle Xiao waved his hand, refusing to even look at him.
“Pull down their pants,” he commanded through gritted teeth.
“Grandfather, what are you doing? Don’t pull down my pants—my ears hurt!” Xiao Yu Hang cried, wailing for his grandfather.
“Father, if you doubt your own son and grandson, our family will never recover from this. Would you rather trust outsiders than your own bloodline?” Xiao Ming Yao’s tears flowed freely.
The Imperial Uncle Xiao hesitated, his resolve wavering. He glanced at Lu Chao Chao.
Lu Chao Chao had long since taken some food from the table and was munching away, enjoying the spectacle. When the Imperial Uncle Xiao turned to her, she froze momentarily, then sheepishly hid the food behind her back.
“Wanna go?”
“I won’t tell anyone you’re wearing a green hat.” Her words hit like a hammer, sealing the suspicion.
[It doesn’t matter how she found out.] He only knew one thing: the hat was real.
The Imperial Uncle Xiao’s heart trembled. Seeing her eating happily, he was filled with resentment—resentment toward Lu Chao Chao for shattering his illusion of a perfect family, and toward himself for not repaying his debts. He could no longer tell if Lu Chao Chao had helped him or ruined him.
“Strip them!” he bellowed. “If you are my descendants, we’ll verify it here and now! If not…” His eyes swept menacingly across the three.
The burly servants stepped forward, pressing Xiao Ming Yao and Xiao Yu Hang to the ground.
“Grandfather, Grandfather, I am your grandson! Please, Grandfather…” Xiao Yu Hang sobbed. His curses were directed at the maids and servants, but none dared to respond.
The pants came off.
Three small red moles formed a circle, identical to the description.
“Yes, yes! Cousin Chu’s moles are exactly like this!” the maid shouted, pointing at the two.
Madam Zheng…
The Imperial Uncle Xiao…
“Good! Very good! Zheng Rong Lan, you’ve done well!”
“You’ve tainted the Xiao family’s bloodline! You wretched woman!” The Imperial Uncle Xiao spat blood from sheer fury.
Madam Zheng collapsed to the floor in terror.
“Father, I didn’t know! I didn’t know anything! Father, you’re the only one I acknowledge as my father. You raised me!” Xiao Ming Yao, pulling up his pants, knelt and cried pitifully.
Xiao Yu Hang sobbed with him.
“Father, don’t abandon me. You’ve always loved me the most. I was raised by your hand!”
Tears streamed down the Imperial Uncle Xiao’s weathered face. He had married his first wife at sixteen, a union arranged by their families, but he had little affection for her. The following year, she bore him his eldest son. Dutifully, he raised the boy as the heir but showed no particular fondness. When his first wife passed, he remarried Madam Zheng, a woman younger than his eldest son.
He adored her and doted on the children she bore him. In contrast, his eldest son grew up lonely and silent, like a gourd that never spoke. The younger son, lively and talkative, quickly became his favorite. The Imperial Uncle Xiao even stripped the eldest son of his heir status, forcing him into a low-ranking post in a distant region, where he had not returned for years.
And now, his beloved younger son—an illegitimate spawn!
“Slap!” The Imperial Uncle Xiao struck Xiao Ming Yao across the face.
“Get out!” he roared, his blood boiling with rage.
“You old fool! You’re not allowed to hit my father!” Xiao Yu Hang screamed, his voice shrill with hatred. His face was twisted with malice as he glared at the Imperial Uncle Xiao.
The Imperial Uncle Xiao stared at him, stunned.
“What did you call me? What did you call me?!”
Xiao Yu Hang’s mouth was hastily covered.
“Old fool, old fool! He called you an old fool. Can’t you hear?” Lu Chao Chao helpfully translated, her tone innocent.
[Ah, I’m so kind-hearted.]
Are you deaf???? so ruthless.