EMHTC -Chapter 14 Shocking! Marquis actually admitted in public that he is cuckolded!

Xie Luoshui suddenly felt countless gazes converge on her, making her extremely uncomfortable.

What are they looking at? Are they mocking me?

She wiped the bloodstains off her face, stubbornly meeting the stares with a resolute gaze, her lips tightly pressed together.

And then she heard…

“Madam Du,” the emperor’s tone was calm and even. “This business of swapping the dragon for the phoenix—was it your idea, or Marquis Kuaji’s?”

Madam Du seemed stunned, immediately turning her head to glare at Marquis Kuaji, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed: “Swapping the dragon for the phoenix? Wei Jin! You tell me clearly—what is this nonsense about swapping the dragon for the phoenix? Did you replace my child?!”

Next to her, the Kuaji heir swayed his head, wearing a “you must be joking” expression: “Mother! What are you saying? What swapping? Father, there must be some misunderstanding! Your Majesty, surely someone is mistaken?”

Marquis Kuaji protested: “This… this is slander by the Jin Yiwei! My eldest son is my son! How could I do something as heinous as swapping the dragon for the phoenix! I even petitioned for him to inherit the title of heir! Such a thing would be treason—a capital offense!”

Three voices rang out, sharp, urgent, and defensive, blending into chaotic noise.

Oh, and there was a fourth voice.

【Tsk tsk, birds of a feather flock together. This Madam Du managed to absolve herself in just a few words, even though this was clearly a joint effort with her husband. She’s making it sound like she had no clue.】

【And Marquis Kuaji? What a piece of work. Back when Madam Du was pregnant, he subtly pressured her, making her worry about not bearing a son to inherit the marquisate. After the birth, he sighed constantly and hinted about some “mistress” who had supposedly borne him a son, suggesting he’d bring them into the family. Hah! A weak seed like him? If he really had a son, he’d have paraded him around already.】

【He manipulated Madam Du into proposing the swapping the dragon for the phoenix idea herself, and then played the part of the helpless husband, puffing on his pipe and pretending to be overpowered by her stubbornness. What a master manipulator.】

Xu Yanmiao’s exposé gave the court a feast of juicy gossip.

Everyone was astounded.

What kind of den of snakes and rats was the Kuaji household? Even their so-called heir—oh no, their fake heir—was capable of imprisoning an innocent woman.

One official murmured, “Are they really not related by blood?”

The resemblance was uncanny!

“It’s a pity for the legitimate daughter… As the daughter of the main wife, with the emperor’s fondness for rewarding meritorious officials and their descendants, she would have easily secured a noble title. But her parents ruined her future.”

“Yes, truly tragic.”

“Honestly, Marquis Kuaji isn’t even human. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs.”

Marquis Kuaji, however, had a thick skin.

Say what you want—I’ll just keep denying it!

Turning to the emperor, he staunchly declared: “Your Majesty! This matter requires proof. How could I possibly commit such an act of confusing bloodlines? If it were true, why wouldn’t I have kept my daughter and pretended she was a twin? Why would I abandon her? This is clearly an attempt to slander me! Please, Your Majesty, discern the truth!”

Everyone knew that what Xu Yanmiao revealed was true.

And everyone knew that Marquis Kuaji was betting everything on the lack of evidence.

Even an emperor as decisive as this one couldn’t convict the Kuaji household solely based on Xu Yanmiao’s inner monologue. Accusations like “using a fake heir to deceive the court” might seem baseless to the public without solid proof.

The court fell into an eerie silence.

When the emperor didn’t immediately respond, nor did Xu Yanmiao’s mind voice provide new insights, Marquis Kuaji’s lips subtly curled into a satisfied smirk.

He had won his gamble.

For the emperor to be seen as a just ruler, he couldn’t rely solely on Xu Yanmiao’s revelations to convict anyone.

And Xu Yanmiao… what could he do? Knowing the truth meant nothing. Even if the entire court knew, without evidence, it was all meaningless.

What annoyed Marquis Kuaji most was…

He discreetly observed the now-grown Xie Luoshui.

Didn’t he suggest back then that they kill the baby girl to eliminate any loose ends? Could it be that Madam Du had gone soft-hearted and spared her? Hmph! Foolish woman—she nearly brought ruin upon the marquisate!

—Being caught for fabricating an heir to deceive the court would be considered treason, a grave offense punishable by death.

Just then, the Minister of Justice spoke up leisurely: “Since Your Majesty has mentioned swapping the dragon for the phoenix, you must know where the true phoenix is. Why not summon her and perform a blood test with Marquis Kuaji?”

The emperor smiled. “Excellent suggestion, Minister.”

Marquis Kuaji’s expression turned grim.

He had overlooked the possibility of a blood test!

Still, all was not lost. He knew a little secret: vinegar could prevent blood from mixing, even if the individuals were related. As long as he could arrange…

【Huh? A blood test?】

Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice resurfaced.

【But… blood tests are fake.】

【As long as vinegar isn’t added beforehand, anyone’s blood will mix in water.】

The emperor’s expression darkened.

Marquis Kuaji smirked.

The court… descended into chaos.

“Blood tests don’t work?!” an official stammered. “But during the chaos of the civil war, I relied on a blood test to find my father…”

If blood tests were fake…

Then… who had he been calling “Father” for over twenty years?!

An official’s face turned green as he muttered, “My wife told me our child was mine, and I even performed a blood-test ritual with that bastard.”

The official next to him tried to comfort him, “Maybe the child is yours…”

The green-faced official cut him off, his expression filled with grief and indignation: “I was posted away for two years, and when I returned, there was a one-year-old child in the house. She told me it was conceived when we… met in a dream!”

The comforting official: “…”

Uh… well…

That’s… probably not your child.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice, who had triggered this courtroom storm by suggesting the blood-test ritual, looked visibly relieved: “Thankfully, I don’t have children, and my father was never lost.”

Other officials: “…”

Can you hear yourself right now?

The Minister of Justice cleared his throat, attempting to salvage the situation: “Your Majesty, there’s also the bone-test ritual. The blood of a true father and daughter will always be absorbed into the other’s bones…”

【Fake.】

“I’ve heard that the urine of parents and children can recognize each other…”

【Fake.】

“And that a mother and daughter’s, uh… certain features must be similar…”

【Fake.】

The Minister of Justice: “…”

【Fake… wait? Why is it so quiet now? Is that all he had to say?】

【Yep, that’s it. This Minister of Justice doesn’t seem very competent after all.】

The Minister of Justice couldn’t hold it together anymore. Gritting his teeth, he raised his voice: “Your Majesty, after careful consideration, I believe these are all folk remedies and cannot be relied upon. My knowledge is shallow, and it was reckless of me to bring them up. I was mistaken.”

Even the old emperor couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

These so-called verification methods had been handed down over centuries, yet Xu Yanmiao was debunking them one by one. No wonder the Minister’s confidence had crumbled.

“Beloved Minister,” the emperor said sincerely, “this is not your fault.”

It was all because of Xu Yanmiao’s unforgiving tongue!

【So, is this where the Jin Yiwei steps in with the definitive evidence?】

Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice remained as eager as ever.

【Xie Luoshui’s family has a washbasin—it’s the one she was placed in as a baby when she floated down the Luo River. It was also used as a washbasin in Madam Du’s room. At the time, things were rushed. Madam Du had her maid smuggle Xie Luoshui out of the manor to dispose of her quietly, but since they couldn’t be seen, they placed her in that basin.】

【The bottom of the basin still has the craftsman’s mark engraved on it, along with the date it was made. The craftsman’s ledger contains records, as does the Kuaji Marquisate’s household accounts. Cross-referencing them would confirm everything.】

Marquis Kuaji clenched his jaw and had already crafted a defense: he would claim that Madam Du simply wanted a new washbasin and discarded the old one long ago.

【Oh, and there’s more! In the nearby Luoyang County, court records from eighteen years ago mention a household fire that killed a couple. Strangely, though, only two corpses were found. The male infant who should have been in the house had mysteriously disappeared.】

A faint sweat appeared on Marquis Kuaji’s neck.

Still, he had prepared another excuse in his mind.

It was nothing more than an unsolved case. Claiming the missing infant was now the Marquisate’s heir would be a stretch.

【Oh, that’s right! The Jin Yiwei must also have Luoyang County’s household registration records. These are updated every twenty years and include names, genders, ages, land holdings, residences, taxes owed, and even portraits—both drawings and descriptions.】

【What an unfortunate coincidence!】

【The Luo River fisher girl bears some resemblance to Madam Du, and the Marquisate heir bears a striking similarity to a farmer from Luoyang County.】

【Tsk tsk.】

【The evidence is ironclad~】

Nonsense!

How was this ironclad evidence?!

Marquis Kuaji’s eyes hardened. “Your Majesty!”

He shouted, “At this point, I must confess!”

The emperor reflexively asked, “Confess what?”

“My wife! Twenty years ago, she had an affair with a farmer in Luoyang County! The affair lasted two years!”

His words were resolute, spoken with the weight of undeniable truth.

“I did not understand why Your Majesty accused me of swapping the dragon for the phoenix, so I firmly denied it. But now I see—Your Majesty suspected me because the heir does not resemble me or my wife. Today’s events have made me question everything as well.”

“Now it’s clear—I have been a cuckold for twenty years and raised another man’s son for eighteen!”

As he spoke, the “cuckold” even seemed to tear up, using the corner of his sleeve to dab at his eyes.

The court officials were utterly dumbfounded.

To avoid being accused of fabricating an heir to steal a title, Marquis Kuaji had gone all out.