Ye Jingchuan’s heart skipped a beat at Ye Chutang’s question, and he turned to look at her.
"Chu’er, what do you mean by that?"
Ye Chutang ignored him, recalling the details Jinzhi had shared about the original host’s mother’s childbirth.
Back then, Tang Wanning had slipped and gone into premature labor.
Yu Ye, fearing for her and the baby’s safety, rushed out of the estate to fetch Divine Doctor Xue.
Jinzhi stayed behind, never leaving Tang Wanning’s side.
Tang Wanning suffered a difficult labor with severe bleeding, teetering on the brink of death.
Jinzhi had no choice but to leave briefly, heading to the storeroom to retrieve a century-old ginseng to sustain her until Divine Doctor Xue arrived.
By the time she returned with the ginseng, the eldest son had already been born, and Tang Wanning had collapsed from exhaustion.
The midwife claimed the child had been deprived of air for too long in the womb and was stillborn.
Jinzhi personally confirmed it—the infant was indeed blue all over, with no breath or pulse.
After hearing this, Ye Chutang raised a question.
"Aunt Jin, since you didn’t witness my brother’s birth with your own eyes, how can you be sure he wasn’t smothered to death after being born?"
Hence, her earlier question.
This time, Kong Ru didn’t answer immediately as she had before.
This was her deepest, darkest secret, and she instinctively resisted revealing it!
Ye Chutang saw Kong Ru fighting the effects of the "truth serum" and knew her suspicions were confirmed.
She took out a silver needle and pressed it into Kong Ru’s pain point.
"Tell me—was my brother truly stillborn?"
Agony wracked Kong Ru’s body, shattering her muddled consciousness.
"No… I smothered him. The eldest son could only be born from my womb."
Suppressing the surge of murderous rage, Ye Chutang pressed further.
"Did you kill my mother too?"
"Yes. I laced her food with slow-acting poison, gnawing at her spirit until she withered away."
Kong Ru had administered the poison in minuscule doses, leaving no trace.
Everyone believed Tang Wanning had died young because the traumatic birth had ruined her health, because the loss of her son had broken her heart, because she had exhausted herself caring for her sickly daughter.
In truth, had it not been for Kong Ru, she could have lived at least three to five more years for her daughter.
Ye Chutang stared at Kong Ru, whose lips were now purpled from the poison, her gaze icy.
"The rest of your life will be spent in hell."
Then she turned to Ye Jingchuan, her tone detached and distant.
"Now that you know Kong Ru murdered my mother and brother, and that she repeatedly tried to kill me—do you still insist on dividing my mother’s dowry for Ye Anling?"
Ye Jingchuan faltered.
"Chu’er, Anling is marrying Eunuch De. Her dowry can’t be too meager."
Ye Chutang let out a scornful laugh.
"Her dowry is your and Kong Ru’s responsibility—not my mother’s."
"But everyone knows your mother was kind, treating all children equally. If you take back Anling’s dowry, people will criticize you behind your back."
"Then let the truth be known. I’m sure everyone will understand."
"Family shame must not be aired in public!"
Though Ye Jingchuan grieved the death of his eldest son and longed to kill Kong Ru in retaliation, the dead were gone. The living mattered more.
Ye Chutang’s smile vanished as she coldly regarded the selfish Ye Jingchuan.
"You’ll regret this," she enunciated slowly.
With that, she turned, picked up the teapot from the table, and walked over to the unconscious maids, dousing them awake with tea.
"If you want to save Kong Ru, fetch two buckets of cold water and a ladle."
Chun Tao and Qiu He ached all over, barely able to stand.
They were loyal to Kong Ru, so they immediately gritted their teeth and obeyed. "Yes, Young Miss."
The two quickly fetched two buckets of icy well water from the backyard and placed them beside Kong Ru's bed.
Ye Chutang asked them, "You’re her maids, aren’t you?"
"Answering Young Miss, yes."
"So, when Kong Ru smothered my brother and poisoned my mother, you two were her accomplices?"
Chun Tao and Qiu He were stunned, forgetting even to deny it.
Ye Chutang scooped a ladle of water from the bucket, dragged Kong Ru up from the bed, and forced it down her throat.
Kong Ru choked violently, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
Ye Jingchuan was horrified. "Chu'er, Anling is about to get married! Kong Ru can’t die!"
Ye Chutang remained unmoved and kept pouring.
"Don’t worry. I won’t let her die so easily."
The gates of hell were about to open.
Chun Tao and Qiu He snapped out of their daze, crawling on their knees to Ye Chutang, desperate to take the blame for Kong Ru.
"Young Miss, it was our fault! It had nothing to do with Madam!"
Ye Chutang kicked them aside.
"Don’t rush to beg for death. Your turn will come soon."
Kong Ru gagged and vomited as the water was forced into her.
By the time the first bucket was emptied, her scattered consciousness began to return.
Seeing focus return to Kong Ru’s eyes, Ye Chutang smiled. "Awake now? Then watch closely."
Before Kong Ru could react, Ye Chutang swung the ladle and smashed it against Chun Tao and Qiu He’s heads, killing them instantly.
"What are you doing?!" Her voice was hoarse—even a scream held no threat.
Ye Chutang scooped more water with the bloodied ladle.
The blood mixed with the water, turning it pink.
She gripped Kong Ru’s face and forced the bloody water down her throat again.
The metallic taste made Kong Ru retch violently as she thrashed in resistance.
Ye Jingchuan watched Ye Chutang’s madness, swallowing hard in fear.
I must deal with this demon before Princess An’s birthday banquet!
Otherwise, the Ye family is truly doomed!
"Chu'er, your father has matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave."
If he stayed any longer, he might be the next one with a split skull.
Ye Chutang ignored him, pouring the entire ladle of bloody water into Kong Ru’s mouth before clamping a hand over her nose and lips.
Kong Ru couldn’t breathe. Her pale face flushed red, then turned purple from suffocation.
Her eyes bulged, darkness creeping into her vision as her body temperature plummeted.
The sensation of near-death was like being dragged into an abyss—cold and hopeless.
Just as she thought she would die, Ye Chutang suddenly released her.
Kong Ru gasped desperately, air flooding her lungs, only to cough up more blood.
Once she finally caught her breath, Ye Chutang covered her mouth and nose again.
After several brushes with death, the weakened Kong Ru passed out.
Splash!
A ladle of cold water drenched her face, jolting her awake.
She had been tortured to the point of having no strength left to resist.
"Chu'er, have you lost your mind?"
Ye Chutang tossed the ladle aside and chuckled.
"Not being able to breathe when your mouth and nose are covered—it’s unbearable, isn’t it? My brother felt the same before he died."
The words sent chills down Kong Ru’s spine, her nerves stretched taut.
She stammered, "Your brother suffocated inside your mother’s belly—"
Slap!
Ye Chutang’s palm silenced her.
"Have you forgotten? I told you—I have a medicine that forces people to speak the truth. So I know you smothered my brother and poisoned my mother."
Kong Ru’s face was swollen, her words slurred.
"I didn’t… It wasn’t me."
"It doesn’t matter if you refuse to admit it—it won’t change what I’m about to do."
With those words, Ye Chutang took out a pill from her space and forced it into Kong Ru’s mouth.
"Welcome to hell."
