Chapter 56 – Mourning Announcement

The next day, the two went hunting in the mountains again. Watching Chun Xi follow Xu Chun, carrying his bow and sword and riding alongside him, Xie Yi noticed that whenever prey managed to escape, Chun Xi would raise his arrow and shoot it down with perfect accuracy. He realized that Chun Xi had astonishing arm strength and must have been trained by a master in martial arts.

A servant with such skills staying by Xu Chun’s side was clearly serving as his bodyguard. Additionally, from questioning Qiu Hu the previous day, he learned that the Prince’s daily affairs were managed with extreme caution. Everything was accounted for, and nothing from outside was allowed for the Prince to use. Lady Sheng’s attitude was even more evident; she not only allowed the Prince to purchase properties outside, but also arranged for family guards to protect him at Bamboo Branch Workshop. At the same time, she kept her son’s actions hidden from the elders at home. This clearly indicated that she did not consider the estate entirely safe, hence allowing her son to stay elsewhere.

It seemed that despite being far away in Minzhou, the Sheng family was very concerned about their grandson, the Prince, guarding against any potential harm and did not entirely trust the Xu family.

No wonder Lady Xu had merely resorted to tarnishing the reputation of the Second Branch over the years. The sudden turnaround due to the imperial commendation bestowed upon Lady Sheng and the praise for Duke Jing at the Qionglin Banquet had instantly changed the situation. Who would now mention the old reputation of licentiousness? After all, in the high-ranking families of the capital, which household didn’t have numerous concubines? Since Duke Jing had no record of misconduct, his reputation as a ladies’ man was harmless.

However, this made Lady Xu’s poisoning of Xu Gu’s mother completely illogical. If she wanted to kill her, why wait until now? Now that Xu Gu had grown strong and was beyond control, killing her would only incite his hatred, and framing someone else would be too easily refuted—an overly clumsy plan.

Someone who could patiently plot for twenty years to secure a title would not act so hastily.

If the First Branch intended to secure a title… Xie Yi watched Xu Chun ride his horse towards the pheasant he had just shot, cheering.

From the beginning, recognizing the illegitimate son under the Second Branch had likely been a scheme to ensure that, should the Second Branch have no legitimate son, the eldest illegitimate son could inherit the title. But Lady Sheng, coming from a prominent family, naturally protected her child and gave birth to a legitimate son, while the Second Branch also had several illegitimate children, thanks largely to her efforts. Xu Anlin was promiscuous and prolific, sowing seeds everywhere. With the path of inheritance through the Second Branch blocked, they then began to consider adopting Xu Gu back into the First Branch as the heir.

If she were Lady Xu, after Xu Gu passed the Imperial Examination and was adopted into the First Branch, he could utilize the political resources of the Bai family and easily secure a position in one of the Six Ministries or the Hanlin Academy. Then, arranging a prestigious marriage for Xu Gu, with the support of his mother and wife’s family, would ensure that the title returned to the First Branch.

However, Xu Gu insisted on being stationed outside the capital, taking his biological mother with him, disrupting this crucial plan. Without staying in the capital, without supporting his legitimate mother, and without marrying into a prestigious family, how could he secure a title? Moreover, the Second Branch had been unexpectedly bolstered by his own intervention, with Duke Jing serving the emperor, Lady Xu receiving an imperial commendation, and Xu Chun entering the Imperial College.

Therefore, Xu Gu’s mother must have advised him to remain in the capital. But apparently, Xu Gu had his own ideas and was unwilling to do so.

If Lady Xu wanted Xu Gu to stay, she should have persuaded his mother to threaten suicide, forcing Xu Gu to remain in the capital. That would have been the most stable plan.

But Xu Gu’s mother drank the poison, holding the handkerchief planted by the Prince.

If Xu Gu had seen that Xu Chun had killed his mother, he would have been enraged and returned to the Duke Jing’s residence to demand answers. Under the persuasion of Lady Xu in the Duke’s residence, Xu Chun would be unable to defend himself, leading to a rift between the First and Second Branches. Xu Gu would then have no choice but to rely on the First Branch, and due to his mother’s death, he would remain in the capital as an official, seeking revenge against the Second Branch. This was another approach, still crude and misjudging Xu Gu’s character. However, it would benefit the First Branch.

Thus, this case was probably first conceived by Lady Xu, with interference from the First Branch. Xu Gu did not follow their plan and reported the matter to the authorities, resulting in the current situation.

Having reached this conclusion, Xie Yi had some thoughts. He turned around to find Wufu and gave him some instructions, after which Wufu left.

Xie Yi then joined Xu Chun in shooting pheasants and hares. They returned laden with game and happened to encounter a market day in a nearby town, so they took the opportunity to browse around.

Xu Chun bought fresh bamboo shoots, cured meat, dried bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms, dried fungus, and many other mountain goods. Returning to their villa, he insisted on cooking personally. Chun Xi had no choice but to order the fire to be lit properly, leaving Xu Chun to his own devices.

And indeed, Xu Chun managed to cook a bowl of chicken noodle soup using the chicken he had caught himself. He then sliced the dried bamboo shoots and cooked them in the chicken broth, making it look quite presentable.

Xie Yi ate everything, while Xu Chun, as he ate, was rather dissatisfied. “There’s still too much oil. They say dried bamboo shoots absorb oil, yet why is the mountain chicken so fatty? I should have made roasted chicken. It wasn’t stewed enough; they said if it was too soft, the soup wouldn’t taste good… The bamboo shoots weren’t great either.”

Xie Yi simply smiled at him, thinking that Xu Chun’s personality was filled with curiosity and interest in everything. He excelled in various pursuits, from running a bookshop to business, painting, horseback riding, and hunting. Clearly, he was extremely intelligent, but his studies were a mess, and the so-called famous teacher hired for him had significant issues.

Their days together passed quickly, and soon the fifteenth day was almost over. It was time for them to return to the Imperial College. Xu Chun grew increasingly attached to Xie Yi, who earnestly taught him how to write several policy essays and helped him review his lessons. With a clear understanding of the situation, Xie Yi was not worried about He Zhiqiu failing to solve the case. Such a simple case would be a failure if he couldn’t handle it, and he shouldn’t remain in the Ministry of Justice then.

Indeed, the next day, He Zhiqiu acted swiftly, sending over a memorial along with the confessions of the midwife and maidservant involved. It was a well-informed and discreet move, not mentioning the interrogation of the noblewomen involved, but only detaining and interrogating the servants, keeping the whole affair secret from the public.

Xie Yi opened the memorial and was somewhat surprised, but upon reflection, it made sense. He Zhiqiu clearly understood that this emperor disliked unnecessary words and succinctly summarized two main points:

First, after verifying the midwife’s account, the birth records, and the physical features of the deceased Wang Miao Hui’s brother and sister-in-law, it was confirmed that Xu Gu’s birthday was on the eighteenth day of the ninth month of the Geng Yin year. His brother and sister-in-law indeed mentioned that shortly after their aunt returned home, she had a swollen belly, already three months pregnant. After a full term, she gave birth to a child, who was later taken away by the master’s family and generously rewarded with dowry items. Secretly questioning her sister-in-law revealed that her aunt had once said the child was Duke Jing’s posthumous child. Later, due to instructions from a noble person, she dared not publicize this information. After her aunt married far away, she never mentioned it again and, having married far away, she never returned home; her whereabouts are unknown. Based on the pregnancy timeline, it was possible that Xu Gu was indeed the son of the late Duke Jing, Xu Anfeng.

Upon summoning Xu Gu, the aggrieved party, for a private and confidential inquiry and showing him the relevant evidence and confessions, Xu Gu appeared ashamed and admitted that it was arranged by his grandmother. This information was brought to him by his biological mother, who told him that his father was Xu Anfeng. He questioned his grandmother, who then revealed the truth. Due to Bai’s jealousy and the fact that a child born to a maid had flaws, in order to plan for the long term, he was registered under the Second Branch as the eldest illegitimate son. If the Second Branch had no legitimate son, he could inherit the title as the eldest illegitimate son. Because Xu Anlin was consistently foolish and licentious, having involved himself with many maids in the residence, his grandmother insisted that on a certain night, after getting drunk, he flirted with and violated a female servant. After being stationed outside, she gave birth to his eldest son. Because the Xu family’s offspring were dwindling, they wanted to recognize and raise him. Xu Anlin, in a state of confusion, accepted the claim as true since his mother ordered it.

Second, with Xu Gu’s cooperation in identification and with the evidence of the privately made handkerchief, the maidservant Qiao He, who served Lady Xu of the Duke Jing’s residence, Lady Bai of the First Branch, and the personal maidservant Baozhu of Duke Jing’s eldest daughter, Han Xu Shi, were secretly detained and separately interrogated, finally uncovering the truth of that day.

Xu Gu’s mother was Lady Xu’s maid named Miao Hui. Because Xu Gu insisted on being stationed outside and refused to stay in the capital, Lady Xu originally planned to arrange a high-ranking and virtuous wife for him, but her persuasion was unsuccessful. On the fourth day of the fifth month, Lady Xu sent her maid Qiao He with poison to seek out Miao Hui, claiming that Miao Hui had hindered her son’s future and urging her to prevent Xu Gu from being stationed outside. If necessary, she could threaten him with death, as Xu Gu was filial and soft-hearted, and would certainly agree.

On the fifth day of the fifth month, Xu Gu went to visit Miao Hui. According to Xu Gu, Miao Hui indeed tried to persuade him to stay in the capital, marry a high-ranking and virtuous wife, and secure a title. But Xu Gu refuted each point. Firstly, his uncle and cousin were both alive, and there was an imperial commendation; if he sought a title, it would be treason and unacceptable. Secondly, if he married a high-ranking wife and stayed in the capital, he would have his legitimate mother above him and a noble wife below him. Miao Hui, with her humble background, could only hide her identity and would never be able to be recognized and supported. It would be better for him to be stationed outside, where he could earn his achievements and pursue an honest career; secondly, he could support his mother. After hearing this, Miao Hui changed her mind and stopped persuading him. Xu Gu left after giving her gifts.

Unexpectedly, that day, Xu’s eldest legitimate daughter, Han Xu Shi, after visiting a medical clinic, saw her adoptive brother’s figure darting into an alleyway and suspected that her adoptive brother was keeping a mistress outside. She quietly followed with her maidservant Baozhu and eavesdropped outside the window, learning this information. After Xu Gu left, Xu Shi burst into the room, scolding Miao Hui and threatening that she was loose and confused the bloodline, scheming for the title and wealth of the duke’s residence. She would return to the residence to inform her mother and aunt that her adoptive brother refused to support his legitimate mother and instead took his biological mother to be stationed outside, being unfilial and disrespectful. Reporting this to the Ministry of Rites would certainly result in the revocation of Xu Gu’s title, expulsion from the clan, and imprisonment for plotting to seize family property.

Miao Hui felt remorseful and panicked, believing the threat to be true. Afraid that Xu Shi would indeed go back and report it, affecting her son’s future, she knelt down and begged for mercy, then took the poison, requesting that her life be exchanged for not pursuing Xu Gu’s crime.

The poison was extremely potent, and after Miao Hui died from the poison, Xu Shi panicked and hurried back to the Duke Jing’s residence with her maidservant to secretly report to her mother, Bai. She also suggested framing the Second Branch. If Xu Gu discovered that his mother had been killed and assumed it was the work of the Second Branch, knowing the flaw in his origins, he would surely feel guilty. At that time, Lady Xu could take charge and smooth things over.

Bai ordered her maidservant and Baozhu to retrieve a handkerchief that had been prepared but not yet delivered and return to the scene to place it in Miao Hui’s hand before leaving.

All the confessions were submitted with signatures along with the memorial, presented to the Emperor for judgment on how to sentence them.

It turned out that Xu Chun’s older sister, Xu Kui, had meddled, concocting such a vicious scheme. If Xu Gu had truly been driven by greed and believed that the Second Branch had killed his mother, he might have covered up the incident at the Duke’s residence, leaving no one aware of the murder. Perhaps the matter would have ended there, and the Second Branch, having been manipulated for twenty years, would end up with their adopted son becoming their enemy.

Xie Yi sighed inwardly, ordering Liushun to prepare writing materials and wrote down the disposition of the case:

Xu Shi, frivolous and domineering, forced her adoptive brother’s mother to death for her own selfish gain. Although Miao Hui took the poison herself, the root cause was Xu Shi’s coercion, insults, and threats, causing her to panic and take poison to save her son’s future, not thinking to report the crime to the authorities. Instead, she falsely accused her cousin, revealing how greedy and cruel her heart was. She shall receive one hundred slaps and be strictly disciplined by her husband’s family, never to leave the family temple for the rest of her life, and be fined ten thousand taels to compensate her adoptive brother.

Lady Bai failed to educate her daughter properly. Knowing that her daughter forced her adoptive son’s mother to take poison and die, she indulged and covered up the crime, forging evidence and instructing false accusations against her nephew of the Second Branch, violating the Seven Divorce Laws. She should have been divorced and banished, but considering that she has mourned for her husband’s family for many years and that she has already alienated her adoptive son, it would be futile to keep her. Therefore, she is sentenced to severance of ties, stripped of her noblewoman’s commendation, secretly reprimanded by imperial decree, shall receive forty slaps, and be strictly disciplined by the Bai family upon her return. Her dowry, including houses, gardens, fields, and mountains, shall be seized to compensate the Duke Jing’s residence.

Lady Wang, the Grand Lady Xu, is ruthless and greedy. Favoring her eldest son and defaming her youngest son’s reputation is unrighteous; plotting a title for a child of uncertain lineage and confusing the bloodline is unfilial; usurping the nest to secure the dowry of her second daughter-in-law for support is unjust; pampering and ruining her legitimate grandson is unkind; forcing her illegitimate grandson to stay in the capital and providing poison to instigate the death of an innocent person is the source of family turmoil. Considering her advanced age and widowhood for many years, her noblewoman’s commendation shall be revoked, and she shall be secretly reprimanded by imperial decree. She shall never leave the Duke Jing’s family temple for the rest of her life.

Additionally, Xu Gu is reprimanded. Despite the years of nurturing and great kindness from his uncle and aunt, enabling him to pass the Imperial Examination and become an official, he still deceived his adoptive parents, ignored his cousin, and studied the classics without preserving any sense of righteousness or filial piety. What was the purpose of his education? In the privacy of his heart, what peace does he have? Since he has already inherited and established a separate household, he is demoted to a county magistrate in Lingnan to observe his future conduct.

Xie Yi sealed the letter and had Liushun deliver it to Su Kai, also instructing him on what to say. That night, Su Kai entered the Duke Jing’s residence with the secret imperial decree.

The next day, a servant from the Duke Jing’s residence came to the villa to announce the death of the Grand Lady. She had suddenly passed away due to illness and requested that the Prince return to the residence immediately to mourn.