Chapter 28: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 28

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 28

"Song Yuxi’s grandmother has been so proactive. Husband, have you ever suspected that she was the one who administered the poison?"

’The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.’

Xiao Shen had initially found it unthinkable, but upon reflection, it wasn’t impossible.

"Husband, think about it. For a poison to achieve its intended effect, it must have been tested extensively. Anyone in long-term contact with it would inevitably be poisoned themselves. The Song Family was once large and thriving—Song Yuxi’s grandmother alone had five sons. Yet, in Song Yuxi’s generation, he is the only one."

"None of Song Yuxi’s five uncles ever took a concubine, and his grandmother and grandfather were devoted only to each other their entire lives. But if they were all poisoned, that would explain it."

"Husband, are you going to investigate this further?"

"After I was poisoned, His Majesty and I looked into it. At first, we both thought it was retaliation from another country. However, if a Prince or a noble family of our own country had secretly colluded with a foreign power, that would make sense. After all, it’s not as if the Second Prince hasn’t done such things before."

The more Ji Xiaosong thought about it, the angrier she became. "Why are they targeting you like this? The Xiao family has guarded Chen Country for generations. If you are doing well, wouldn’t the Second Prince, as a member of the Royal Family, also benefit?"

Seeing his young wife’s cheeks puff out in anger, Xiao Shen’s heart softened. He reached out, gently poked her puffed-up cheek, and chuckled. "Look at you, all puffed up with anger. You look like a little pufferfish."

Ji Xiaosong swatted his hand away and pouted, "How can you still be in the mood to tease me at a time like this?"

Xiao Shen smoothly caught her hand, pulled her into his arms, and whispered in her ear, "Don’t be angry, now. Be careful you don’t harm your health. It would break my heart."

Ji Xiaosong’s face instantly turned red. She tried to squirm away, but he only held her tighter.

Seeing her shy expression, the smile on Xiao Shen’s lips deepened. He said, "My dear wife, that you worry so much for me fills my heart with joy. The matter is actually quite simple. The Xiao family has always remained neutral, and all the military generals in the court look to us for leadership. If the Second Prince wants the support of the military faction, he must either win me over or eliminate me."

"So, are we just supposed to sit here and wait for our doom?"

"Of course not."

Xiao Shen gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Ji Xiaosong’s ear and said softly, "Don’t worry, my lady. Your husband has a plan. You just need to stay by my side and not fret so much that you harm your health. It would break my heart."

Ji Xiaosong looked up, her eyes filled with worry. "But how can I not worry?"

Xiao Shen affectionately tapped her on the nose. "My wife is so clever and brave. I believe that as long as we face this together, we can overcome this challenge. Come now, give your husband a smile."

Amused by his antics, Ji Xiaosong couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She chided, "How can you still be in the mood to coax me at a time like this?"

Xiao Shen pulled her into a tight embrace and said, "No matter what’s happening, making my wife happy is the most important thing."

Now that they understood the full story, all that was left was to prove it.

And Xiao Shen’s method of proving it was quite unique: he set out to find whether the child in Yue Niang’s belly was truly Song Yuxi’s.

The Emperor had previously bestowed a hundred concubines upon Song Yuxi, but several months had passed and not one of them had become pregnant.

A Princely Heir like Song Yuxi, so obsessed with carrying on the Song Family line, couldn’t possibly have touched none of them. So there was only one explanation: his body was truly failing him.

If that was the case, then the child in Yue Niang’s belly wasn’t necessarily his.

That very night, Xiao Shen dispatched a trusted aide to Yue Niang’s hometown.

He calculated that, barring any major incidents, the aide should be able to return within ten days.

After the Spring Festival Banquet, Ji Xiaosong once again went into seclusion. Mother Ji came to see her several times to ask about the sachet, but each time, Ji Xiaosong managed to put her off with a flimsy excuse.

In any case, she was not going to admit that she was the one who had swapped it. Otherwise, she would have to come up with even more lies to cover her tracks.

Imperial Concubine Song was definitely involved in what happened at the Spring Festival Banquet. Otherwise, Li Wanyu wouldn’t have deliberately dragged her over to look at the Purple Condensation Flower.

But it didn’t matter. The child in her womb would be safe and sound, no matter what.

Ten days later, Xiao Shen’s trusted aide returned. Ji Xiaosong, wanting to be in on the action, went to sit in on the meeting.

"General, I have successfully completed my task," the trusted aide said, clasping his hands.

Xiao Shen asked eagerly, "Quick, tell me what you found."

"Yue Niang is actually a courtesan who was groomed by a wealthy local merchant. The merchant is extremely secretive, and Young Master Song was so completely smitten with her that he never investigated her background thoroughly. Furthermore, after she became intimate with Young Master Song, the merchant arranged for many other men to be with Yue Niang that very same month. As a result, it’s truly impossible to say whose child she is carrying."

’This... this is...’

’Good heavens! To secure her position with a child, she was truly shameless and audacious!’

"Didn’t Song Yuxi ever walk in on them or have any suspicions?"

Ji Xiaosong was shocked beyond belief.

The trusted aide also found the matter utterly absurd. He tried his best to hold back his laughter, but his body still shook with suppressed chuckles.

"The men were disguised as either maids or guards in the mansion... It was impossible to guard against."

’Song Yuxi has been thoroughly cuckolded. Why do I find this so strangely satisfying?’

Ji Xiaosong’s eyes lit up. She looked at Xiao Shen and asked, "Did you ever investigate your poisoning? Was it related to their matriarch?"

"My lady, after extensive investigation, my poisoning is indeed inextricably linked to their matriarch."

"Then when are you going to expose this? I can just imagine Song Yuxi’s face turning green. He and the Second Prince colluded to swap out your weapons and supplies before. If they had succeeded, you and the Crown Prince would have most likely died in the Northern Land. His Majesty has only two sons. If the Crown Prince dies, the Second Prince will inherit the throne. Every time I think about it, I want to tear them to pieces!"

"Don’t worry, my lady. I will handle this as soon as possible. Don’t go out for the next few days, lest you get caught up in the foulness."

"Husband, you must be extremely careful with this. Don’t let them find out."

"Rest assured. I know what I’m doing."

When Xiao Shen handled things, Ji Xiaosong was completely at ease.

Not long after, Song Yuxi began to notice that whenever Yue Niang went out, there were always different men staring at her belly.

He didn’t pay it much mind at first. Then one day, while he was having tea in a teahouse, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from the private room next door. It was Yue Niang.

He heard Yue Niang say with a hint of petulance, "Stop pestering me. I don’t even know which one of you is the father of this child."

Hearing this, Song Yuxi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The teacup nearly fell from his hand.

His face instantly turned ashen, veins popping on his forehead. He stood up, ready to storm into the next room.

But at the last moment, he forced himself to hold back.

’Wait,’ he thought. ’This isn’t the Song Family’s estate. If I cause a scene here, no matter the outcome, it will be the Song Mansion that loses face.’