The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0566 Even A Tiger Wouldnʼt Eat Its Own Cubs (1)

Yuxi strolled through the vegetable garden, supporting her waist. By this time, most of the vegetables in the garden had been harvested, and only a few were left.

Yuxi sighed and lamented, ”It will soon be winter again.” The most troublesome thing about winter was the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, but everything else was fine.

As she finished speaking, Yuxi heard Zijin cry out in surprise. She turned to see Zaozao rolling like a ball in the dirt.

Zaozao thought this place was new and exciting, so she grabbed a handful of soil and handed it to Yuxi, happily shouting: ”Mom, here...” Zaozao was such a good child that she would give everything she found to her mother.

As soon as they arrived in the garden, Zaozao struggled to get down so that she could walk on her own. Mama Lan, a woman in her fifties, couldnʼt stand the struggle and had to put Zaozao down as she helped her walk instead. But before she knew it, Zaozao let go of her hand and rolled into the dirt.

Yuxi didnʼt blame Mama Lan for not taking good care of Zaozao because the little fellow was too naughty. Yuxi told Mama Lan: ”Please take her back and clean her up.” This child was not a girl but clearly a wild boy. She was just over a year old now; in another three or four years, sheʼd probably be climbing up on the roof and causing trouble.

However, Zaozao wouldnʼt leave, so Zijin had to forcefully pick her up. She could break free from Mama Lanʼs arms but couldnʼt do the same against Zijin. When Zaozao saw that she couldnʼt struggle free, she started to cry loudly: ”Mom, Mom...” Yun Qing would fall for her tricks, but Yuxi wouldnʼt. No matter how pitiful Zaozaoʼs cries were, Yuxi pretended not to hear them and continued walking.

When the cries faded away, Yuxi touched her belly and whispered, ”You must be good; donʼt learn from your sister.” Yuxi also had a headache when it came to Zaozaoʼs temperament. Although she didnʼt want her child to suffer, she couldnʼt let her develop a spoiled personality. Sigh, raising children was indeed a profound knowledge.

Shiliu came over and reported: ”Madam, Er Nainai Zhao is here.” Then, Shi Liu added: ”Madam, Er Nainai Zhaoʼs eyes are red and swollen; it looks like she has been crying.”

Yuxi roughly understood what had happened. Zhao Hao had previously taken a fancy to a girl and wanted to take her as a concubine, but Tu Shi, Madam Zhao, and others were against it. At first, she thought the matter was finally over, but two days later, Zhao Hao brought the woman home. He dared to do so because that woman was pregnant, and he was sure Madam Zhao would relent. As Zhao Hao expected, Madam Zhao kept the woman because of her pregnancy.

Seeing Yuxi, Tu Shi called out: ”Yuxi...”

Having known each other for so many years, Yuxi knew very well that Tu Shi was a person who valued her face. She would never show such an expression unless she had been greatly wronged. Yuxi stepped forward, held Tu Shiʼs hand, and said: ”Did Zhao Hao bully you?”

Hearing this, Tu Shi couldnʼt hold back her tears any longer, and they streamed down her face. Yuxi didnʼt try to comfort her, knowing that Tu Shi needed to vent her emotions and would feel better afterward.

After crying, Tu Shi felt a little embarrassed and said, ”Iʼve made a fool of myself in front of you.”

Yuxi replied, ”Donʼt be so formal with me. Come, wash your face first, and weʼll talk about it later.” Shiliu and Gancao had already prepared water and were waiting nearby.

After Tu Shi washed her face, Yuxi took out rouge and powder to apply to Tu Shiʼs face. Once everything was done, Yuxi asked, ”What happened that made you cry so much?” Yuxi had learned long ago that tears were useless, as they only showed weakness and incompetence.

Speaking of this, Tu Shiʼs tears almost fell again, but she managed to hold them back so as not to ruin her make-up. She replied, ”Today, when You Shi came to pay her respects, I only made her stand for half a shichen, and she started clutching her stomach and crying out in pain...”

Yuxi had heard of such tactics being used to curry favour. But when she heard that You Shi had lost her child as a result, her expression became serious.

Tu Shi continued, crying as she spoke, ”Yuxi, I only made her stand for half a shichen; how could she have miscarried? Yuxi, the Second Master accused me of being vicious and harming his child, and he said he wanted to divorce me.” If the Second Master were to divorce her, she would have no way to survive.

Yuxi asked, ”Did you do anything else besides making her stand for half a shichen?” Standing for that long would be tiring, but it wouldnʼt cause a miscarriage!

Tu Shi hurriedly replied, ”I only made her stand, nothing else.” She was just a little angry and wanted to give You Shi a hard time.

Yuxi said, ”Could it be that You Shiʼs pregnancy was already unstable, and she used this opportunity to frame you?” It wasnʼt impossible, but if that were the case, this woman was very devious, and Tu Shi was no match for her.

Tu Shi looked stunned. After a while, she shook her head and said, ”Two days ago, when the Second Master brought her back, my mother-in-law asked a physician to check her pulse, and the physician said that the fetus was developing well.”

Yuxi also frowned. It seemed unlikely that a woman would harm her own child just to frame Tu Shi. However, just because she wouldnʼt do such a thing didnʼt mean that others wouldnʼt. Yuxi asked, ”How long has You Shi been pregnant?” When Yuxi heard that You Shi had been pregnant for over four months, she scoffed, ”More than four months? Wasnʼt that shortly after Jing Yao was born?” People always praised the Zhao family for their good upbringing, but it seemed that was not the case. 

Tu Shiʼs expression was sorrowful as she replied: ”Yes. At that time, Second Master was very disappointed when he saw that I had given birth to another girl. He just turned around and left without even holding the child.” Tu Shi knew about Zhao Hao and You Shi three months ago, but she didnʼt realise You Shi was already pregnant then.

At this point, there was no point in dwelling on the past. Yuxi said, ”How could they tell the babyʼs gender at four months? Zhao Hao desperately wants a son. If the baby in You Shiʼs womb is a girl, she wonʼt be valued when sheʼs born. It would benefit her more to use the child to frame you.”

Tu Shi shook her head. ”Second Master knew it was a boy, which is why he was so insistent on giving her an official status.”  Without formal parentsʼs recognition, the child would be considered a child out-of-wedlock, and even if he were later recognised by the family, he would still carry the reputation of being the child out-of-wedlock for life. How could Second Master Zhao allow his eldest son to bear such a status, so when he heard the midwife say that You Shi was pregnant with a boy, he had already made a decision. Who would have thought he would lose the son after only a few days of happiness? How could Zhao Hao not be furious? Not only Zhao Hao but even Madam Zhao blamed Tu Shi for this matter.

Seeing Tu Shiʼs expression, Yuxi understood and asked, ”Is You Shiʼs child really a boy?” The baby had already been born, so it must have already been known whether it was a boy or a girl.

Tu Shi replied sadly: ”Itʼs a boy.” She desperately wanted a son but couldnʼt conceive one. That despicable woman, on the other hand, had conceived a son on her first attempt.

Yuxi thought for a while and inquired, ”What was You Shiʼs expression when she knew it was a boy? Was she particularly sad?” Seeing Tu Shiʼs puzzled expression, Yuxi explained, ”If You Shiʼs expression was particularly sad, it means she thought she was pregnant with a girl, so she would use the child to frame you. But when the child was born, she knew it was a boy, and she must have regretted it.”

Tu Shi opened her mouth but quickly shook her head. ”But didnʼt the physician and the midwife say before that she was pregnant with a boy?”

Yuxi responded: ”In Yu City, even Physician Zeng, the best at gynaecology, would not dare to judge whether it is a boy or a girl at four-month-old.” The most skilled Imperial Physician in the Imperial Medical Institution might be able to tell whether it is a boy or a girl within four months, but others did not have this ability.

Tu Shi finally came to her senses and asked, ”You mean the physician and the midwife who said she was pregnant with a boy were bribed by her?”

Yuxi suggested: ”Just get someone to look into it, and youʼll know.” Fortunately, this woman was from Yu City. In Yuxiʼs eyes, Yu City was very small, and it was very easy to investigate such a matter.

Tu Shi said: ”Yuxi, can you please help me investigate this?” The people of the Zhao family would definitely not investigate this matter. But the people in her natal family were far away in Xinping City, and now the only person she could rely on was Yuxi.

Yuxi naturally would not refuse such a small matter.

A shichen later, the doctor and the midwife who had claimed that You Shi was pregnant with a boy were found. Xu Wuʼs men tied them up and brought them back. 

Xu Wu reported, ”Madam, these two have confessed. They said a woman gave them fifty taels of silver to lie.” 

Yuxi didnʼt meet them but instead instructed Tu Shi: ”Take them to your mother-in-law.” Zhao Hao was on You Shiʼs side; he would only think that Tu Shi had forced them to give false testimony. However, it would be different for Madam Zhao. If Madam Zhao knew that You Shi was a ruthless person who could even harm her own flesh and blood to achieve her goals, she would definitely not tolerate her. In this way, You Shi would be dealt with without Tu Shi having to lift a finger.

Tu Shi had originally come to Yuxi just to vent her grievances and seek temporary refuge, but she hadnʼt expected Yuxi to actually solve the problem. Despite her mother-in-lawʼs attitude, Tu Shi was grateful for Yuxiʼs help. Tu Shi held Yuxiʼs hand, saying, ”Yuxi, thank you.”

Yuxi replied, ”Thereʼs no need for such formalities between us. Go back quickly; itʼs better to resolve this matter sooner.”

After Tu Shi left, Zijin exclaimed, ”What kind of woman has Zhao Hao found? How could she do such a cruel thing?” Even a fierce tiger wouldnʼt eat its cubs, but this woman was willing to sacrifice her own child just to frame Tu Shi. She was truly worse than an animal!

Yuxi said, ”Wu Zetian once strangled her own daughter to death to frame Empress Wang and rise to power. So, there are all kinds of people in this world, and itʼs not surprising that some people would harm their own flesh and blood for profit.”

Zijin looked horrified as she asked, ”Is this recorded in historical records?”

When Yuxi shook her head and said it was just folklore, Zijin then shook her head and stated, ”Then it must be nonsense.”

Yuxi didnʼt argue but simply said, ”Thereʼs no smoke without fire.” Even without the rumours, just looking at Wu Zetianʼs attitude towards her other biological children, Yuxi felt that this matter was probably true.

Zijin shook her head, ”I donʼt believe it.” She felt that there couldnʼt be such a cruel mother in this world.

Yuxi smiled and said, ”Itʼs just idle talk; it doesnʼt matter whether you believe it or not.” It was just a conversation; there was no need to dwell on whether it was true or not.