SBCEJM -Chapter 51 Nineteen Years of Father–Son Bonding—Was It All a Case of Switched Babies?

On the Golden Luan Hall.

Feng Zexuan’s attention was drawn to a figure in the court ranks who had just finished mourning leave and returned to duty.

It was Grand Marshal Wu. He looked haggard, his entire body noticeably thinner.

【Host, the real drama has just begun! Yesterday on his way back home, Grand Marshal Wu’s carriage was stopped by a gaunt young man!】

【Stopped the carriage to cry out injustice?】Feng Zexuan asked inwardly.

【Yes! He dropped straight to his knees and banged his head against the carriage, claiming he was the biological son of Grand Marshal Wu and Madam Qin!】

As soon as those words fell, Grand Marshal Wu in the ranks trembled uncontrollably.

His face—already sallow from mourning his wife—lost all color in an instant.

Ever since he entered the court today, that strange voice had been singing in his head nonstop.

He had assumed it was just grief messing with his mind.

But now… how did this voice even know about this?

He looked around warily. All the officials stood with eyes forward; even the emperor on the dragon throne looked perfectly normal.

His heart tightened.

Could it be… only he could hear this voice?

【What the hell?! If that man is Grand Marshal Wu’s biological son, then who exactly is that noisy Wu Zhiqian in the Eastern Palace?】

【Host, do you still remember that concubine Liu from eighteen years ago? The one who was jealous, framed Madam Qin, and was sent away to an estate with her child?】

The system continued smoothly:

【Wu Zhiqian is her son. Back then, when she gave birth, she bribed the midwife during the chaos in the estate and secretly swapped the two newborn babies.】

Grand Marshal Wu was shocked.

That secret, sealed for nearly twenty years, had only been confirmed when he interrogated Concubine Liu these past few days.

So how… how did this voice know it so clearly?

Feng Zexuan asked curiously:

【Did Grand Marshal Wu just believe him after hearing one side of the story? After all, Wu Zhiqian was the son he personally raised for nineteen years.】

The system replied:

【Of course not at first.】

【But that young man directly climbed into the carriage. Then he tore open his ragged clothes—oh my god, his entire body was covered in old and new scars, not a single patch of intact skin.】

【He cried that ever since Concubine Liu found out he wasn’t her biological son, she had treated him like an animal, beating him since childhood—just because he was actually Madam Qin’s son!】

Feng Zexuan asked:

【Then how did he find out about his identity?】

The system answered:

【He overheard it. One night, Concubine Liu and her maid were secretly talking, cursing him as Madam Qin’s “evil seed.” He happened to be hiding outside the door and heard everything.】

Grand Marshal Wu clenched his fists tightly inside his sleeves, the sound of bones creaking faintly.

The child he had just recognized, Wu Zhifeng… the injuries on his body were still fresh in his mind.

If Qin had known her biological son had suffered so much…

How heartbroken she would have been!

The system continued:

【Seeing his injuries, Grand Marshal Wu was shaken and brought him back to the mansion.】

【But in the end, he couldn’t resist performing a blood-drop test.】

At these words, many officials in the court exchanged subtle glances.

Blood-drop identification?

Wasn’t that method already proven nonsense by Lord Feng in the past?

Grand Marshal Wu really had been too isolated during mourning.

【Guess what happened next?】

The system’s tone turned dramatic.

【Grand Marshal Wu and Wu Zhifeng’s blood dropped into a bowl of clear water—and instantly merged together!】

【Then he tested Wu Zhiqian. Oh, that blood separated like oil and water—no matter what, it refused to mix!】

Grand Marshal Wu nodded slightly.

Yes, that was exactly what happened.

This “proof,” while not confirming Wu Zhifeng as Madam Qin’s child, did confirm he was his son.

And the son he had raised—Wu Zhiqian—was not his blood at all, and therefore impossible to be Qin’s child either.

By elimination, the conclusion was clear:

Wu Zhifeng was his and Qin’s biological child.

And Wu Zhiqian…

He wasn’t even his child at all.

Back then, he had suspected Concubine Liu of adultery but had no evidence. After she gave birth to this “bastard,” he hadn’t even looked at the child.

Feng Zexuan sighed softly:

【What a pity Grand Marshal Wu doesn’t know that blood-drop testing is completely unreliable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such an absolute decision.】

【Ah, the tragedy of underdeveloped biology. Poor Wu Zhiqian—raised for nineteen years and then discarded just like that?】

“Useless…?”

Those four words struck Grand Marshal Wu like four thunderclaps exploding in his mind.

His bloodshot eyes filled with shock, doubt, and panic.

Fake?

He had seen it with his own eyes—how could the ancestral blood-test method be false?

He started questioning everything.

But… this mysterious voice had accurately described real events before.

Fear crept into him.

Fear that he had made the wrong choice.

That child he had raised since childhood, loved deeply…

He had already been driven out of the mansion…

What if the test was wrong? What if Wu Zhiqian was his and Qin’s child?

Had he thrown away the true heir?

Even Emperor Xiao Juechen, who had watched Wu Zhiqian grow up, disapproved of Grand Marshal Wu’s actions.

Even if he wasn’t his biological child, he was still the child he raised.

The child was innocent.

Of course, he was only watching from a high place, unaffected.

【So what’s happening in Grand Marshal Wu’s household now?】Feng Zexuan asked.

【Wu Zhiqian has already been expelled.】

The system’s tone grew heavier.

【At first he refused to leave. After all, he had been raised by Grand Marshal Wu and had deep emotional ties.】

【But Wu Zhifeng, the newly recognized son, kept whispering in his father’s ear, saying Wu Zhiqian was a usurper, an evil impostor who made Madam Qin restless in her grave. He even hired a Taoist priest to perform rituals, claiming Madam Qin’s resentment prevented her reincarnation!】

【When Grand Marshal Wu heard his deceased wife mentioned, he snapped. He had Wu Zhiqian beaten and thrown out!】

Grand Marshal Wu’s lips trembled, his face pale as paper.

Yes… Wu Zhifeng did say that. And it was because of Qin that he made that cruel decision.

He suddenly remembered the look in Wu Zhiqian’s eyes when he was dragged away by servants—disbelief and heartbreak.

His heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand.

【But the worst is still coming!】

The system suddenly changed tone.

【That Wu Zhifeng—he looks weak and harmless, but in truth he hates Wu Zhiqian for stealing nineteen years of his wealth and status. He has already bribed assassins from the “Blood Blade Hall” to ambush and kill him.】

This final bombshell completely shattered Grand Marshal Wu’s nerves.

He could no longer hold on.

His vision went black, and he collapsed straight forward!

“Grand Marshal Wu!”

“Quick! Summon the imperial physician!”

The nearest officials rushed to support him as the entire Golden Luan Hall descended into chaos.

Emperor Xiao Juechen’s expression darkened instantly.

“Summon the physician immediately! Take him to the side hall to rest!”

【What the hell! Why did he suddenly faint?!】Feng Zexuan was startled.

The system replied:

【Mourning duty is harsh. Standing for hours in court every day—an old man can’t handle it.】

【Wait! Host, Wu Zhiqian is in the Eastern Palace right now… then the assassins—】

Feng Zexuan’s expression changed.

The system confirmed:

【Correct. Wu Zhifeng found out he ran to the Eastern Palace and thinks he went to get reinforcements. He panicked.】

【The Blood Blade Hall assassins are already lying in wait at Longle Lane—the only route between the Eastern Palace and Grand Marshal Wu’s residence. The moment Wu Zhiqian comes out… they’ll send him straight to hell.】

Inside the modern apartment, Feng Zekai unconsciously moved his wheelchair back and forth across the smooth wooden floor.

He knew Wu Zhiqian well—simple, honest, kind-hearted.

Now that his life was in danger…

Was he just supposed to watch helplessly?

“Xuan’er.”

He murmured her name toward the screen without realizing it.