Volume One, Chapter Nine: Confessions Extracted Under Duress

“Nurse Liu? Weren’t you missing?” Jiang Rui followed the direction of Marquis Anle’s finger and seemed to just notice Nurse Liu bound and gagged, her expression filled with shock.

Cuiliu also turned to look at Nurse Liu, gasping sharply, exclaiming, “It really is Nurse Liu! How did you get tied up like this? Your face is swollen—were you beaten after being kidnapped by villains?”

She hurried a few steps forward, trying to approach Nurse Liu, but was blocked by the guards.

Unable to get closer, Cuiliu shouted, “Nurse Liu, ever since you suddenly disappeared from the mansion yesterday, the young lady has been very worried. She even troubled Steward Zhao to search the entire estate late at night. Please, don’t let anything happen to you!”

Nurse Liu struggled to lift her head, her cloudy old eyes showing a hint of surprise as she looked at Cuiliu, then glanced at Jiang Rui with a complex expression. She opened her mouth but said nothing.

Jiang Rui’s heart tightened instantly. She immediately realized Nurse Liu must have been threatened by Jiang Yao and was likely injured. Whatever testimony Nurse Liu gave would surely not be in her favor.

Turning around, Jiang Rui faced Marquis Anle. “Father, Nurse Liu is the nurse of my household. Whether you detained or punished her, you should have informed me. When I learned of her disappearance yesterday, I asked Steward Zhao to search everywhere and even reported to you. Were you unaware?”

Marquis Anle pondered for a moment. It seemed that was the case.

Last night, after collecting ten thousand taels of silver from Madam Shen, he was in high spirits and hadn’t paid much attention to other matters.

“I didn’t detain her,” Marquis Anle denied. “When I brought her back today, she was already in this state.”

Jiang Rui probed, “Nurse Liu disappeared from the mansion yesterday and no one saw her leave, yet today you brought her back from outside? How is that possible?”

“What’s impossible about it?” Madam Shen interjected. “Nurse Liu came back with Yao’er. She was brought back to prove that you are an impostor!”

Jiang Rui ignored Madam Shen and looked straight at Jiang Yao.

“May I ask, Miss Yao, is it true that you abducted Nurse Liu from my Marquis Anle’s mansion, subjected her to all sorts of torment, and coerced her into fabricating slander against my identity?”

“That’s not true, I…” Jiang Yao’s eyes flickered with guilt, unable to come up with any excuse.

She didn’t understand how Jiang Rui had so quickly uncovered her actions.

“Don’t try to deny it!” Jiang Rui cut her off and turned to Marquis Anle.

“Father, since the witnesses were brought back by Miss Yao, perhaps they have already conspired to discredit me. You must stand up for your daughter!”

As she spoke, Jiang Rui knelt before Marquis Anle to show her resolve.

Seeing this, Jiang Yao quickly dropped to her knees before Marquis Anle.

“Father, I am your true daughter, the one who was swapped out by villains sixteen years ago—the real biological child!”

Madam Shen joined in, tugging at Marquis Anle’s sleeve, whining and acting pitiful.

“Marquis, I believe Yao’er is our true daughter. Look at her—doesn’t she resemble me when I was young?”

Jiang Rui pinched her own thigh and began to cry out.

“Father, someone is trying to sully the bloodline of the Marquisate. Please, you must stand up for your daughter!”

Jiang Yao twisted her body, shoving Jiang Rui to the ground, then clung to Marquis Anle’s leg, calling him “Father” repeatedly.

Marquis Anle, utterly annoyed, slammed the table with a loud bang.

“Enough of this noise! Everyone, shut up!”

Silence filled the room.

His head was buzzing, and he was so irritated he wanted to leave this troublesome place and retreat into the warmth of his beloved concubine.

He glared at Jiang Yao in frustration. If not for this suddenly appearing daughter blocking his way, he would already be embracing his beautiful lady by now.

But the bloodline of the Marquisate must not be mistaken, he sighed irritably.

“Sixteen years ago, the Rebel King’s uprising threw the capital into chaos. Our whole family fled the city, but my wife went into labor on the road. We sought shelter in a dilapidated temple nearby. At that time, another pregnant woman carrying a child was also there, about to give birth.

“The old madam felt pity for that woman and had the midwife assist with both births. Both babies were girls, born almost simultaneously. The temple was dimly lit, so it was not impossible for the babies to be switched.”

Everything Marquis Anle said was information Jiang Rui had not known in her previous life.

So, she had been born in that broken temple while the family fled the mansion.

The Rebel King’s rebellion sixteen years ago remains a royal scar the capital forbids anyone to mention.

“Waaah…” Madam Shen cried again, clutching Jiang Yao and wailing, “My poor daughter!”

Jiang Yao hugged Madam Shen back, lamenting, “It’s a pity grandmother’s kindness saved a white-eyed wolf, swapping the identities of her own granddaughter.”

Jiang Rui, snapping out of her shock, seized upon the flaw in Jiang Yao’s words to strike back.

“Miss Yao, you said just now that Nurse Liu swapped me and you, and now you claim it was that other woman at the birth who switched us. Even liars don’t contradict themselves so blatantly.”

“I didn’t lie. Nurse Liu and your mother are in cahoots!” Jiang Yao released Madam Shen and stepped forward, confronting Jiang Rui.

“Nurse Liu and your mother are sisters. You’re Nurse Liu’s niece. You’re all born slaves of the Marquisate. She switched our identities to make you the mistress!”

Jiang Rui’s heart raced—Jiang Yao was deliberately trying to demean her as a slave once more!

This time, she would not allow Jiang Yao to humiliate her again!

Jiang Rui retorted, “Miss Yao, even lies must have limits! Nurse Liu has long had no relatives; she certainly has no sister or niece. You can verify this with the official household registry. You’re fabricating things out of thin air, utterly baseless.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Yao snorted coldly, pointing at Nurse Liu. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Everyone’s eyes in the room focused on Nurse Liu.

“Look at her face—you think she’d dare to answer anything but what you tell her?”

Jiang Rui spoke with sarcasm, stepping closer to Nurse Liu and warning her with a sharp gaze.

“Nurse Liu, think carefully before you speak. Betraying your master means death by cane according to the household law!”

“You’re threatening her!” Jiang Yao rushed forward, pushing Jiang Rui aside.

Her strength was great, nearly knocking Jiang Rui to the ground. Fortunately, Xing’er caught her in time, allowing Jiang Rui to barely stay on her feet.

“You abducted her yesterday and threatened her all night—what right do you have to accuse me?” Jiang Rui stood her ground without yielding.

She knew well that if she took even one step back today, she would fall into an abyss with no hope of rising again.

Jiang Rui approached Marquis Anle and respectfully bowed.

“Father, there are many doubts surrounding this matter. Nurse Liu’s testimony is no longer credible. Perhaps we should send people to thoroughly investigate what happened back then and find the woman who gave birth alongside my mother in the temple. The truth may yet be revealed.”

Marquis Anle neither agreed nor disagreed, about to speak, when Jiang Yao grabbed Nurse Liu by the collar and dragged her forward.

“Father, since we have a witness, why look any further? Nurse Liu can testify right now!”

Jiang Yao released her grip, dropping Nurse Liu to the ground.

Nurse Liu trembled as she crawled on the floor, clearly terrified of Jiang Yao. Her round, plump figure instinctively shrank toward Jiang Rui.

“I am guilty!” Nurse Liu’s head hit the ground, her voice hoarse and quivering.

“I did indeed hide something from the Marquis and Madam all those years ago…”