SBCEJM -Chapter 155 The Truth About the Fake Grandson! Liu Hong Only Has Eyes for Birds

Chu Tiankuo handed the baby in his arms to the Grand Chancellor Lin.

“Lord Lin, this is your real grandson.”

Grand Chancellor Lin took the child with trembling hands.

“What? Y-you’re sure?”

His suspicion was finally confirmed, and even his voice shook.

Chu Tiankuo nodded firmly. “I bought him for fifty taels of silver. The seller was your household nursemaid, Chun Tao. At the time, I already thought the child looked familiar. Now it seems… blood ties really can’t be fooled.”

The moment those words fell, the entire courtyard exploded.

“Fifty taels? That’s too cheap!”

“So… General Chu just casually bought the Grand Chancellor’s real grandson?”

“That nursemaid is bold enough to sell the master’s bloodline?!”

Grand Chancellor Lin held the child tightly, carefully studying that exquisitely delicate little face.

Round bright eyes, a slightly upturned nose, and familiar facial contours—

This was clearly a Lin family child!

The old man’s eyes turned red instantly. “My dear grandson! It’s all my fault for not protecting you!”

“Then this child I’m holding…” Lin’s eldest son looked at the child in his arms, then at the real grandson in his father’s arms, completely stunned.

【Do you even need to ask? It’s definitely that nursemaid Chun Tao’s child!】

Feng Zhaoxuan’s voice echoed in everyone’s minds.

【Host, Chun Tao was already arrested yesterday! She’s now reunited with Qi Mingde in prison!】

The system added at the right time.

Lin’s eldest son’s face turned ashen.

So the “son” he had doted on for an entire year was actually the nursemaid’s illegitimate child!

He didn’t know whether to hold him or throw him away—he was completely frozen in place.

Monk Tongtian saw the situation turning bad and quickly steadied himself.

He put his palms together, putting on a慈悲 expression.

“Amitabha. This poor monk is here only to resolve the child’s misfortune. Bloodline or not, all beings are equal before the Buddha.”

Shentong immediately echoed him.

“All officials here are compassionate people. Even if the child is not blood-related, how can you abandon him? He is innocent!”

Yuantong nodded as well.

“Saving a life is better than building seven levels of a pagoda! This child lived in the Chancellor’s residence for a year—this is fate! How can he be abandoned because of bloodline?”

Feng Zhaoxuan almost rolled her eyes.

【Here comes the moral blackmail, huh?】

【System, dig up their backgrounds!】

The system immediately began spilling secrets:

【Host, this group of monks is basically an all-star lineup of con artists!】

【Yuantong mostly scams money, but occasionally stumbles into actually helping people—he’s the closest to “having conscience” among them.】

【Shentong is different—greedy and lustful. He’ll do anything for money.】

【Youzheng specifically targets the elderly, tricking them into buying talismans for longevity and draining their savings.】

【Zhongtong poisons children and then sells expensive antidotes. Countless innocent kids suffered because of him…】

【Tongtian is the leader, mastermind of all scams. The rest were trained by him—basically a fraud academy principal!】

The entire court’s officials changed expression.

These weren’t enlightened monks at all—

They were a nest of snakes and rats!

Chu Tiankuo sneered. “I, Chu, have a hard life. I’m not afraid of any curse! I’ll take the child back and raise him!”

Raising one is raising, raising two is no different.

He directly took the child from Lin’s eldest son, his movements gentle.

The baby calmed down in his arms, seemingly sensing kindness.

Lin’s eldest son stood frozen, unable to speak.

Though the child wasn’t his blood, he had raised him for a year—there was still attachment.

Watching Chu Tiankuo take him away, he actually felt reluctant.

Just as Tongtian saw things were not going his way and prepared to retreat:

“If benefactors do not need our help, then we shall take our leave.”

The seven turned to leave in haste.

But just as they reached the gate, they were blocked by a group of constables.

“Everyone, please stop!”

Li Yong led more than ten officers, sealing off the entrance completely.

Tongtian forced calmness. “Officer, we are monks. What crime have we committed?”

“Child trafficking, fraud, and also…”

Li Yong paused.

“Pretending to be divine beings and misleading the public!”

“Jingzhao Prefecture is handling the case. Please cooperate!”

He spoke coldly and officially.

Feng Zhaoxuan felt a surge of satisfaction.

【I went to Jingzhao Prefecture myself earlier just for this moment!】

【Try acting like gods now, huh?】

The seven monks were swiftly restrained.

At that moment, an excited voice rang out:

“Stop! All of you, stop!”

Everyone turned around—it was Liu Hong, former Minister of Rites and now Assistant Director of the Court of Agriculture.

He strode forward, eyes locked intensely on the red-bellied pheasants on the monks’ shoulders.

“Arrest the people, leave the birds! I’m taking them back for research!”

His voice trembled with excitement.

Since transferring to the Ministry of Agriculture, his obsession with rare species had only grown stronger—almost to the point of madness.

【Host, these red-bellied pheasants are extremely rare in the Great Xia—only seven exist! Perfect for breeding!】

【Right! I almost forgot—he’s basically a hatching maniac!】

Liu Hong’s eyes lit up even more.

Only seven in the world?

Even more reason to save them!

Ever since the monks arrived, his entire attention had been on the birds.

Tongtian panicked. “These… these are our ritual artifacts! You can’t—”

“Nonsense!”

Liu Hong exploded.

“These are red-bellied pheasants! You dyed them with rouge! This is outright abuse!”

He examined them closely, heart aching.

“Look at what you’ve done to them! The feathers are damaged by dye!”

“And these wires—so tight! Are you trying to cripple them?”

He carefully untied them, his movements gentle as if handling priceless treasures.

Once freed, the seven pheasants flapped their wings and chirped loudly.

“Don’t be afraid. Uncle will take you home.”

He completely ignored everyone else, eyes only on the birds.

The crowd looked at him speechlessly.

His care for birds clearly exceeded his concern for humans.

In the corner, Xiao Juechen nodded slightly in approval.

Though Liu Hong was eccentric, entrusting him with breeding rare birds was indeed putting talent to use.

Li Yong waved his hand.

“Take them away!”

The officers swarmed forward again, binding the seven fake monks.

“We’re innocent!”

“We are real monks!”

“These birds are divine beasts!”

Liu Hong walked away holding the pheasants without looking back.

“Divine beasts my foot. These are red-bellied pheasants—you know nothing!”

He muttered as he walked.

“I’ll need to give them a proper bath when I get back… that dye smell is too strong…”

The crowd watched his departing figure and shook their heads with amused smiles.

This man’s love for birds truly had no equal in the world.