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As soon as Xia Jiang entered, he charged straight toward Concubine Xia.
"You poisonous wretch! How dare you harm even your own brother and nephew! Give me back my son's life!!"
No one expected Xia Jiang to harbor such deep hatred for Concubine Xia. Before anyone could react, Xia Jiang lunged forward and grabbed her by the throat.
Concubine Xia had already been kicked several times by Lord Su and was deathly pale. Now, completely powerless, she struggled under Xia Jiang's grip, her eyes rolling back in agony.
Su Yue shouted frantically, "Uncle! That's my mother! Have you gone mad?!" She tried to break free from the maids holding her back.
Lord Su coldly observed the scene without intervening.
"Bro... Brother, let... let go of me!"
Concubine Xia managed to choke out a few words through gritted teeth.
Xia Jiang, now consumed by rage and devoid of reason, only wanted to strangle this venomous woman to avenge his son.
Xia Jiang had been stabbed in the chest earlier, and the strain caused blood to slowly seep out again.
Concubine Xia clawed desperately at the large hand gripping her neck, drawing blood with her nails, but it didn't budge an inch. Her vision began to blur as oxygen deprivation set in.
Just as Concubine Xia felt herself slipping into despair, she noticed the bloodstain on Xia Jiang's chest.
Summoning every ounce of strength, she pressed hard against the wound.
"AHHH!"
Xia Jiang screamed in pain and released Concubine Xia.
The moment she was freed, Concubine Xia collapsed onto the ground, gasping greedily for air.
As Xia Jiang clutched his bleeding chest and prepared to lunge again, Lady Su entered, supported by Su Li.
Lord Su glanced at Lady Su and said, "Madam, why have you come here? It's chaotic. Let Li escort you back."
Lady Su surveyed the scene before her—it truly was chaos.
"I heard shouting and crying from afar. What is so important that I shouldn't know about it?"
Su Li helped Lady Su sit down, flanked protectively by Miao Yan and Miao Yu.
Seeing that Lady Su had no intention of leaving, Lord Su didn't press further.
He turned his icy gaze toward Xia Jiang. "Speak. What evidence do you have for the claims in your letter?"
Lady Su asked, puzzled, "What letter?"
When Lord Su remained silent, Xu Jin stepped forward and handed over the crumpled letter Lord Su had been clutching.
Lady Su unfolded it and read its contents. Her eyes widened more with each word.
Finally, she stared at Concubine Xia in shock, then at Su Yue, and finally at Lord Su, her expression conflicted.
Back then, Concubine Xia had been brought into the household because she was pregnant.
Now, the letter claimed Su Yue wasn't Lord Su's daughter. Could anything be more absurd?
Xia Jiang glared at Concubine Xia, his eyes red with fury. "My dear sister, do you think escaping my wrath means you're safe? Hahaha! Let me tell you—your sins are enough to warrant drowning in the pond!"
Turning to Lord Su, he declared, "Lord Minister, every word in that letter is true! Su Yue isn't your daughter; she's..."
"Brother! What nonsense are you spouting?! Think about Wencai!"
Wencai's medical expenses these past days had all come from this aunt of his.
She cursed those incompetent people who hadn't killed him but instead enraged him to act recklessly.
Xia Jiang roared, "Don't mention Wencai to me! I thought you only hated others, but I never imagined you'd stoop so low as to harm your own family! Wencai is the sole heir of the Xia clan—how dare you lay a hand on him! If you show no mercy, don't blame me for showing none either!"
Confusion flickered in Concubine Xia's eyes.
Could those people have killed the wrong person? Instead of eliminating Xia Jiang, who knew her secret, they mistakenly killed the barely-alive Wencai?
Concubine Xia realized there was only one option left: outright denial.
"Brother, Wencai is my nephew. How could I harm him? There must be some misunderstanding!"
Xia Jiang sneered. "Misunderstanding? Do you dare deny that Yuqi wasn't working for you?"
Concubine Xia grew even more confused. What did Yuqi have to do with this?
Instinctively, she replied, "Yuqi is the eldest young miss's maid. How could she possibly work for me?"
Xia Jiang sneered again. "Heh, you may fool others, but your daughter has already told me everything. Yuqi was bribed by her to do your bidding. Now that someone's dead, you still want to pin the blame on the eldest young miss using old tricks?"
Lady Su finally understood. Furious, she slammed her fist on the table and glared at Concubine Xia. "How dare you! Your hands reach far indeed—to bribe someone close to Li and frame my daughter!"
Su Li gently calmed her mother, saying, "Mother, please don't get upset. Father is here. He will ensure justice for us."
Lady Su huffed and sat back down, casting a glance at Lord Su.
Lord Su's voice cut through the room like ice. "Enough! Set aside talk of Xia Wencai and Yuqi. Tell me—IS Su Yue MY DAUGHTER OR NOT?!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
Concubine Xia and Xia Jiang spoke simultaneously.
Even if Su Yue were foolish (which she wasn't), she would've understood the situation by now.
"Father! I've called you 'father' for twelve years! How can I not be your daughter? How can you suspect Auntie Xia? This is clearly Xia Jiang seeking revenge by slandering me and my mother!"
Xia Jiang sneered. "True, I seek revenge—but I'm not lying about your mother. Because I knew this secret, she repeatedly sent me money. And because of this secret, she hired people to silence me. Fortunately, I survived. But Wencai wasn't so lucky—he died because of her!"
Fear gripped Su Yue's heart. Her mother had sent money to the Xia family multiple times, despite her apparent reluctance. Such behavior hinted at a damning secret.
Xia Jiang grinned maliciously. "You aren't Lord Su's daughter. You're the illegitimate child your mother conceived with a neighbor before marriage. My parents disapproved of his poverty and rejected the match. Coincidentally, officials were selecting 'adopted daughters' at the time—though calling them that is just sugarcoating their role as tools for promotion."
"Your clever mother deceived Lord Su, turning you from a commoner's daughter into the esteemed daughter of a minister."
"Your biological father loved my dear sister sincerely. Even after being abandoned, he tearfully blessed her. Yet grief consumed him, and he died on the day you were born."
Su Yue's face turned ashen. Shaking her head, she muttered, "No, no, this isn't true. It can't be!"
Though dissatisfied with being a concubine-born daughter, compared to commoners, the status of a minister's illegitimate child was infinitely superior.
At this moment, Su Li softly remarked, "So Sister isn't Father's daughter? No wonder Master Kongjian said she brings misfortune to her kin. I thought he was mistaken since Father remains unharmed, and Auntie Xia is alive and well. But now... it makes sense."
Lord Su's eyes narrowed sharply.
Master Kongjian's predictions had always proven accurate.
The day Su Yue was born marked the death of her biological father. Now, due to her actions, Concubine Xia faced certain doom. Wasn't this proof of her ill-fated nature?
Su Yue glared fiercely at Su Li. "Shut up! I AM Father's daughter! I WAS BORN INTO THE MINISTER'S FAMILY!"
Turning to Concubine Xia, she screamed, "Say something! Are you just going to let them slander me like this?! Tell them my father is the Minister of Revenue of Tianqi! Not some common peasant!"
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Concubine Xia approached Lord Su with a pitiful expression. "My lord, you can accuse me however you wish, but Yue is your child! How can you hurt her like this? Yes, I've deceived you many times—I'm not as selfless as I seem—but I would never commit such a crime!"
Lord Su stared at her coldly. In the past, her sincerity might have swayed him slightly. But the countless crimes uncovered by Xu Jin proved beyond doubt—this woman's heart was black!
Su Li calmly interjected, "Whether Su Yue is Father's daughter isn't something we can decide with empty words. To resolve this matter, there's a simple solution: A BLOOD TEST FOR KINSHIP!"
Lady Su nodded. This was the most direct method.
Concubine Xia rushed forward, pulling Su Yue into her arms. Desperately shaking her head, she screamed at Lord Su, "We can't perform the blood test! WE CAN'T!!"
Her violent reaction darkened Lord Su's expression further.
Su Yue's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.
Concubine Xia's reaction spoke volumes.
Xia Jiang burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Xia Qingzhi, are you feeling guilty? Serves you right!"
Concubine Xia shot Xia Jiang a venomous glare. It was all HIS fault! If not for him, she and her daughter wouldn't be in this predicament!
She should've never shown mercy. She should've killed him long ago!