Quick Transmigration: The Mad Beauty Refuses to Be the Scapegoat!-Chapter 414 - 36: The General Mansion’s Cast-Off Cannon Fodder Wife

Chapter 414: Chapter 36: The General Mansion’s Cast-Off Cannon Fodder Wife

Madam Zhao was still standing there, at a loss for what to do, when a concubine next to her reminded her.

"Why are you still standing there? Waiting for those people to come back and arrest you too? You should run while this matter hasn’t escalated to implicate us yet.

You’re lucky, Jiang Lai is married into the General Mansion, even if she left the Marquis Mansion, she could still live a good life, but we would be miserable. Once we leave here, who knows where we can settle down."

The Marquis had plenty of women in his inner courtyard and quite a few children, but this time it was clear that only the legitimate son and daughter were implicated due to Madam’s matter.

Madam Zhao stood at the doorway, panic-stricken, watching people carrying large bags run out, her eyes empty, staring into the sky like a walking corpse.

"Oh heavens... how could this happen, why is heaven treating me this way?"

Originally, she thought her daughter could become the legitimate daughter in the Marquis Mansion, enjoying wealth and glory for a lifetime. Unexpectedly, the Marquis Mansion has fallen bit by bit, and her child was implicated and sent to the Ministry of Justice.

What should she do now?

What exactly happened?

The only person Madam Zhao could think of now was Jiang Lai.

That’s right, no matter what, she was still Jiang Lai’s nominal mother; she could still go find Jiang Lai for a clear explanation.

At the General Mansion, Chun Yue came to report.

"Madam, just as you thought, Madam Zhao has come to see you."

Jiang Lai was eating snacks and basking in the sun, the early spring sunlight was very pleasant, making her drowsy. The pastries Tie Yi had bought for her were sweet and delicious, she had eaten several pieces and finally awaited Madam Zhao’s arrival.

"Mother, you’re finally here."

"You, you knew I was coming?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Madam Zhao stared at the luxuriously exquisite reclining chair underneath Jiang Lai, thinking about how her daughter was suffering in prison while this little wretch lounged comfortably sipping tea and resting. She was so angry that she ground her teeth, her eyes turning red with hatred.

"Of course, the General told me, they found evidence of Madam’s family treason at a temple, you probably didn’t know, Jiang Yu’s uncle turns out to be an official of the Chu Country. You know our Da Wei and the Chu Country are sworn enemies, yet Madam had correspondence with Chu Country a long time ago.

Our Majesty despises these things the most, with these discoveries, how could my father and Madam end up well?

However, His Majesty is wise, never implicating the innocent. It’s Madam who committed the crimes, only her children were implicated, so you concubines and we illegitimate are not to worry.

Mother, why are you still standing? Have a seat, there’s no need to think about going back, the Marquis Mansion is finished for good this time. From now on, you can stay at the General Mansion."

"Are you, are you telling the truth?!"

Jiang Lai replied with certainty.

"How could what the General told me be false? It’s unfortunate, Jiang Yu still owes me so much money, now if she loses her head, who will I ask for repayment?

Luckily, you are my mother, otherwise, it’d be me suffering misfortune now."

Saying so, Jiang Lai picked up another piece of pastry to savor, with a hint of schadenfreude on her face, inciting a burst of intense hatred in Madam Zhao’s eyes.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I’m going to the Marquis Mansion, to pack my things."

"No need to pack, the General Mansion has everything, lacking just your food and clothing? Settle down and live at ease."

Madam Zhao sat frozen on the chair, unable to recover for a long time, and after a while managed to ask dryly.

"Is it really a capital offense?"

"What else? It’s suspicions of treason and selling out the country! Losing their heads is a certainty."

The words "losing their heads" kept echoing in Madam Zhao’s mind.

Her biological daughter was about to die, implicated by that worthless Madam!

By evening, Jiang Lai was about to wash up when Little Buding told her.

"Madam Zhao sneaked out, from the direction, she’s certainly headed to the Ministry of Justice."

Jiang Lai smiled.

"Ah, a nice little family reunion."

"You really did it, Jiang Lai, forcing Madam Zhao to expose herself with that move. But there’s one thing I’m very curious about, how did you know there would be something found in that temple?"

Jiang Lai replied leisurely.

"Madam’s two children were both born in that temple. The Marquis returns every year to offer incense, spending a large sum of money in that temple yearly; surely you wouldn’t believe the Marquis and Madam were genuinely devout Buddhists?

The Marquis colluded with those literati to write proclamations condemning the opposing party, many pieces of evidence have never been uncovered, where could he hide those things?"

"In that temple!"

Jiang Lai nodded.

"Then how did you know Madam’s treason evidence would also be in there?"

"Oh, I didn’t know that, I fabricated that evidence."

"..."

Such a shameless person.

If that evidence were real, the Marquis and Madam could hardly escape death.

Jiang Lai did not intend to take their lives; living is fine too. A lifetime of poverty and humiliation would be more unbearable than death for them.

Fake evidence can’t withstand scrutiny, but it’s sufficient.

For instance, now, in her anxiety to save her daughter, Madam Zhao would definitely reveal the truth from back then to protect Jiang Yu’s life.

Inside the Ministry of Justice, as a witness with crucial evidence, Madam Zhao had gained access to the place where the entire family of the Marquis was detained.

It was dark inside, not even a window, oppressive and cold, with decay permeating everywhere.

Madam Zhao knelt sobbing at the feet of the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, loudly confessing the truth from years ago.

"I bribed the abbot of the temple to arrange for us to give birth in the same room. After childbirth, I swapped the babies under the cover of darkness!

So, Jiang Yu is my biological child, and Jiang Lai is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion. My lord, please release Jiang Yu; she has nothing to do with Madam, it was me, it was me who, in a moment of madness, harmed her! It’s my fault!"

Her voice was so loud it spread throughout the prison, even more clearly to the Marquis and Madam not far away.

"How can you prove that what you’re saying is true?"

"I can, back then, the monks in the temple, and the doctor who treated Jiang Yu’s illness every month can testify. Jiang Yu’s lung disease was caused by the medicine I secretly gave her, so Madam would not suspect; the doctor was bribed by me to cover it up every time.

You can send someone to investigate these, I absolutely dare not deceive you, my lord, the one who truly deserves death is Jiang Lai, not my daughter Jiang Yu!!"

These words rang clearly in Madam’s ears, one second, she was comforting Jiang Yu, telling her not to be afraid; the next, she heard this shocking news. The comfort stuck in her throat now seemed so ridiculous. She looked incredulously at Jiang Yu beside her, the daughter she had cherished for ten-plus years, all of a sudden, her world collapsed.

She stared at Jiang Yu, as if trying to see through her, while Madam Zhao’s words echoed in her ear.