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Chapter 293 The Baby Boy Who Was Bringed Back

After Chu Ruohan returned, she immediately asked Qin Fang to investigate.

"Where did that palace maid named Biyu, who served the Empress back then, go? Is she alive or dead?"

“Also,” she added, “I remember about eight years ago, a group of older palace maids were released from the palace.”

"Go and investigate carefully. Among those people, are there any who once served the Empress?"

“Especially those who served the prince around the time of his birth.”

A few days later, Qin Fang returned in a hurry, his face solemn.

"Young Madam, we've found it."

He lowered his voice and said, "That palace maid named Biyu did indeed get married. She married a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue named Fang Zhiyuan."

A glint of light flashed in Chu Ruohan's eyes as she asked, "Is the person still alive? Where is he?"

"Alive, but the situation is somewhat complicated."

Qin Fang paused, "Fang Zhiyuan passed away three years ago. Biyu lives with her daughter in a small house in the south of the city. However..."

"But what?"

"She never goes out. She keeps two big dogs in the yard, and anyone who gets close will be bitten."

"According to her neighbors, she was eccentric, extremely suspicious, and never spoke to outsiders."

Chu Ruohan frowned slightly, tapped her fingers lightly on the table, and pondered, "This caution seems to be guarding against something."

"Furthermore," Qin Fang added, "among those palace maids who left the palace in their old age, three of them had indeed served the Empress."

"Two of them have passed away, leaving only one, named Liu Mama, who now lives in a Taoist temple in the east of the city and works as a handyman."

Chu Ruohan stood up and said firmly, "Prepare the car. We're going to visit this Mrs. Liu."

A warm breeze blows, gently shaking the new leaves on the trees, which drift leisurely in the air.

The small Taoist temple in the east of the city was deserted, with only a few old Taoist priests and servants busy in the courtyard.

Chu Ruohan changed into a simple and elegant outfit, asked Qin Fang and the others to wait outside, and walked into the courtyard alone.

An old woman with a hunched back was sweeping the corner of the yard. Her gray hair was loosely tied up, and her hands were covered with calluses.

"Aunt Liu?" Chu Ruohan called softly.

The old woman froze, nearly dropping her broom. She slowly turned around, her cloudy eyes scrutinizing Chu Ruohan.

"This old woman's surname isn't Liu; you've mistaken me for someone else, madam." Her voice was hoarse as she made a move to leave.

Chu Ruohan calmly took out a small purse from her sleeve. "Aunt Liu, I'm not here to harm you. I just want to ask a few questions about the year the Crown Prince was born."

The old woman's hand visibly trembled.

"I don't know anything about a prince. I'm just a rough old woman."

She shook her head, but her eyes unconsciously drifted to the purse in Chu Ruohan's hand.

Chu Ruohan gently opened the purse, revealing a gold leaf and a glass bead inside.

Qin Fang discovered that she was very short of money...

“Aunt Liu, this is just a small token of my appreciation. I only want to know the truth and I won’t implicate you.”

A struggle flashed in the old woman's eyes, and she finally sighed softly, gesturing towards a secluded little house nearby.

The room was simply furnished with only a bed, a table, and two chairs.

Liu's mother carefully closed the door and checked again to make sure the windows were tightly closed.

"Who is this lady? Why are you asking about these things?" she asked warily.

Chu Ruohan said frankly, "I am the former wife of the heir of the Marquis of Anyang's mansion, and I now want to find out the truth about the Crown Prince's background."

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Mama's eyes, then she smiled wryly and said, "How did you know that this old servant would know these things, Madam?"

"When Liu Mama served the Empress in the palace, it was around the time the Crown Prince was born."

Chu Ruohan looked directly into her eyes, "If Aunt Liu doesn't know anything, why is she so nervous when I mention this to her?"

After a moment of silence, Madam Liu suddenly asked, "Does Madam know the circumstances surrounding the Empress's difficult childbirth back then?"

Chu Ruohan shook her head.

"It was a stormy night," Liu's mother said in a low voice, as if lost in memories.

"The Empress was in pain for a full day and night, and the imperial physicians all said that it was unlikely that both the mother and child would be safe at the same time."

Chu Ruohan listened intently, not daring to interrupt.

"At that critical moment, Biyu, the Empress's closest maid, suddenly found an excuse to leave the palace."

"At the time, everyone thought she was afraid of taking responsibility, but unexpectedly, a few hours later, Biyu returned, holding a newborn baby boy in her arms..."

Liu's mother's voice grew lower and lower, almost a whisper: "The child was very quiet. The umbilical cord had been cut and bandaged. After a little washing, he was sent to the Empress's bedside."

"When the Empress saw the child, there was surprise and hesitation in her eyes, but she nodded before the Emperor came to see him..."

Chu Ruohan was startled and asked, "Then what about the real imperial heir?"

Mrs. Liu shook her head: "I don't know."

"A few days later, all the palace servants who knew about it were either arranged to leave the palace or transferred to remote palaces, and no one dared to mention the matter again."

"And what about Biyu? Where did she get the child?"

"That's the weirdest thing about it."

A flicker of fear crossed Liu's mother's eyes. "Biyu never said anything, but after that, she often cried at night."

"Until six months later, she was suddenly betrothed and forced to leave the palace, and never returned."

Chu Ruohan was filled with many thoughts, and asked again, "Aunt Liu, why were you released from the palace?"

Madam Liu gave a bitter smile: "This old servant was just an ordinary palace maid at the time, but I happened to be on duty the night Biyu returned to the palace and saw some things I shouldn't have seen..."

"Later, the people around the Empress were replaced, and this old servant was also transferred to a side hall. It was not until I was old and frail that I was released from the palace."

She suddenly grabbed Chu Ruohan's hand and said urgently, "Madam, this old servant has told you everything I know."

"Please, madam, don't tell me you heard this from me. I just want to live out the rest of my days in peace."

"Don't worry, Aunt Liu," Chu Ruohan said softly, placing the purse in her hand. "I won't implicate you."

Leaving the Taoist temple, Chu Ruohan sat in the carriage returning home, her thoughts a jumble of emotions.

If the Crown Prince was indeed not the Empress's biological son, then where did this child come from?

What else does Biyu know?

"Qin Fang," she made up her mind, "after arranging the manpower, I'm going to see that Biyu."

Qin Fang looked troubled: "Madam, Biyu is extremely guarded and I'm afraid she won't be easy to approach."

"There will always be a way." A determined glint flashed in Chu Ruohan's eyes.

The carriage slowly made its way back, and Chu Ruohan leaned against the soft cushions, closing her eyes to rest.

Suddenly, the carriage braked sharply, and Chu Ruohan was almost thrown out, but fortunately Qin Fang caught her in time.

Chu Ruohan clutched her stomach nervously, frowning as she asked, "What happened?"

Qin Fang lifted the curtain, glanced outside, and his expression changed slightly.

"Young Madam, it seems that some people are arresting civilians ahead. Judging from their clothes, they are from the Duke of Wei's mansion."

A hint of wariness flashed in Chu Ruohan's eyes. She propped herself up and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.