Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 201 - 200. Confession

200. Making a Confession

The news of Princess Consort Ding’s safe delivery of a son spread quickly through the entirety of Ruyang City. The people of Prince Ding’s Mansion were not the only ones overjoyed; the citizens of Ruyang also indulged in as much merriment as if it were the New Year. Though the citizens had only seen Princess Consort Ding once or twice, her status in their minds was not necessarily diminished compared to Prince Ding. This was naturally the result of the exceptional PR work by Prince Ding’s Mansion. Though many citizens outside of the Northwest misunderstood Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding due to Mo Jingqi’s decree, the people in the Northwest knew that Princess Consort Ding, while pregnant, had led the Mo Family Army in resisting the invasion of Xiling, even falling off a cliff. If it hadn’t been for Princess Consort Ding, the Northwest couldn’t have maintained such peace and stability. In this chaotic era, whoever could provide the people with a stable and peaceful life was regarded as their second parents. Therefore, the news of Princess Consort Ding’s safe delivery was, to the citizens of the Northwest, as joyous as the arrival of the New Year.

Within Prince Ding’s Mansion, the reception hall nearest to Ye Li’s bedroom was packed with people. Everyone surged forward when the midwife emerged, holding a clean baby wrapped in a crimson swaddling blanket. Xu Qingyan, who was the most delighted among them, rushed to the front and exclaimed, "Let me see what my little nephew looks like!"

The midwife laughed. "The young heir is naturally very good-looking. He will certainly be as exceptional as the Prince and Princess Consort when he grows up."

Joyfully, Xu Qingyan leaned in, following the midwife’s gesture towards the baby, and peered at him, only to be instantly stunned. Was this red, wrinkly little thing really the fine-looking future dragon amongst men the midwife mentioned? Although most of them were extraordinary young men of their time, very few had actually seen a newborn baby. Even Xu Qingze and Xu Qingfeng hadn’t seen Xu Qingyan shortly after his birth; he was only brought out for people to see when he was almost a month old, by which time he was naturally fair and tender. Everyone turned to look at Mo Xiuyao, who was sitting to one side, silent.

It was Chief Steward Mo who said happily, "The young heir is indeed identical to the Prince when he was just born! Prince Ding’s Mansion finally has a successor!" His usually solemn old face now held a few more traces of smiles and affection. Standing to one side, Ah-Jin blinked, curiously gazing at the little baby in the midwife’s hands, whose eyes were not yet open.

Xu Qingyan asked in disbelief, "Chief Steward Mo, did the Prince also look like this when he was born...?" Red, wrinkled, like a little monkey?

Chief Steward Mo replied as if it were a matter of course, "All newborn children naturally look like this. In a few days, once his features smooth out and his eyes open, he’ll naturally be a fair and tender little baby."

Feng Zhiyao looked enviously at the little red baby, sighing, "It’s only been two years, and the Prince already has a son. It’s truly enviable."

Chief Steward Mo laughed. "Third Young Master Feng, you are the same age as the Prince. If you had married earlier, your own little young master would probably be running around by now."

Feng Zhiyao’s eyes dimmed slightly, but he laughed. "It’s not that easy. Finding someone suitable, as the Prince and Princess Consort did, isn’t easy at all."

After everyone had finished looking at the child amidst laughter and chatter, they made way for the baby to be brought before Mo Xiuyao. "Prince, quickly, take a look at the young heir!" they urged with smiles.

Mo Xiuyao cast a fleeting glance at the red, wrinkly little thing sleeping in the swaddling clothes. From his eyes to his entire expression, nothing but disdain was evident as he uttered a single, faint word: "Ugly!"

And so, even though the baby could neither see nor hear, let alone remember anything, when the Heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion, Little Treasure, grew up, he still learned that the very first word his father ever said to him in this life was one of disgust for his ugliness. The feud between father and son was thus established from this moment.

After a glimpse at his son, Mo Xiuyao noticed his legs had significantly improved, so he stood up and asked, "Is the Princess Consort well?"

The midwife hurriedly replied with a smile, "The young heir’s birth went very smoothly, and the Princess Consort didn’t suffer much. She is resting now."

In the midwife’s view, for the Princess Consort to go from the start of labor pains to delivery in just over four hours for her first child truly wasn’t much suffering. But Mo Xiuyao saw it differently. He only knew that Ah-Li had endured hours of pain to give birth to this ugly little boy. He snorted lightly. "I am going to see the Princess Consort." With these words, he flicked his sleeves and strode towards the room.

Behind him, the midwife couldn’t help but sigh in admiration at how deep the love and affection between the Prince and Princess Consort were. There truly weren’t many men in this world who would rush to check on their wives instead of fawning over their newborn sons.

Once assured that his little nephew wasn’t actually ugly—just typical for a newborn—Xu Qingyan excitedly edged closer again. He carefully extended a finger to lightly poke the baby’s wrinkly little face. "Little nephew, I’m your youngest maternal uncle, you know."

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes. "Can he even understand you now?" Not to be outdone, he also leaned down to stare at the little baby. "Hmm? Did the Prince really look like this when he was little, Chief Steward Mo?"

Chief Steward Mo studied the baby for a moment before replying, "Newborn babies... I suppose they generally all look like this?"

"Make way, make way!" Shen Yang and Doctor Lin arrived side by side, casting a disdainful eye over the onlookers. "I need to examine the heir! All unrelated personnel, step aside."

Though reluctant, the crowd could only watch with longing eyes as Shen Yang skillfully took the child from the midwife’s hands.

Mo Xiuyao re-entered the room, which the maids had already tidied. Ye Li was leaning against soft cushions on the bed; her face was a little pale, but her spirits seemed quite good. Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei were keeping her company and conversing. Nanny Wei sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of porridge, apparently about to feed Ye Li.

Seeing Mo Xiuyao enter, the two nannies quickly rose to pay their respects. Mo Xiuyao waved his hand. "How is Ah-Li?"

Nanny Lin said with a smile, "The Princess Consort is doing well; there’s nothing to worry about. It’s rare to see a woman as energetic as the Princess Consort right after childbirth. The Prince can rest assured."

Mo Xiuyao took the bowl of porridge from Nanny Wei’s hand. "You may both leave. I will stay with Ah-Li."

The two nannies exchanged a smile, glanced at Ye Li, then turned and walked out. The Prince didn’t stay outside to look at the young heir but rushed in to see the Princess Consort; this showed how much he valued her. They were naturally happy for the Princess Consort.

Watching Mo Xiuyao earnestly hold the bowl of porridge, intending to feed her, Ye Li said helplessly, "I can eat it myself." Truthfully, it was just the pain and irritation of childbirth; now that he was born, it was nothing much to her. Why would she still need someone to feed her?

Mo Xiuyao shifted slightly, evading Ye Li’s hand as she reached for the bowl, and carefully brought the spoon with porridge to her lips. Ye Li had no choice but to open her mouth and eat.

As she ate, she asked, "Have you seen the baby yet? Both Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei said he’s as good-looking as I was when I was a child. Although... I don’t see it..." That little red, wrinkled bundle, she really couldn’t see how it resembled her. Perhaps she had looked like that as a baby too? Don’t all infants look more or less the same?

Mo Xiuyao recalled Chief Steward Mo’s words, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He nodded. "I’ve seen him. Very good-looking."

Ye Li looked at him with a smile, her shapely eyebrows raised in suspicion.

Mo Xiuyao said, "As long as it’s Ah-Li’s child, does his appearance really matter?"

By the time Ye Li had finished most of the bowl of porridge, Nanny Lin, who had stepped out, returned carrying the baby. Ye Li had only caught a fleeting glimpse of the child before he was taken away earlier. Seeing the baby again now, a strange feeling welled up in her heart. This child was hers and Mo Xiuyao’s child, her own flesh and blood, and the person closest to her in this world.

Gently taking the baby from Nanny Lin’s arms, Ye Li tilted her head, a faint smile gracing her lips as she looked at his small, red face and tightly closed eyes. Lovingly, she reached out to poke the baby’s little cheek, then gently squeezed his tiny hand. Just looking at this little being, her heart suddenly overflowed with soft tenderness, love, and joy.

Mo Xiuyao watched the light smile on Ye Li’s face, then glanced down at the small infant sleeping in her arms. He found this little brat incredibly jarring.

"Look, this is our baby. In the future, he’ll call you Father and me Mother. Do you like that?" Ye Li brought the baby closer to Mo Xiuyao and asked with a smile.

Mo Xiuyao nodded, reaching out to take the child. "You’ve just given birth; you mustn’t tire yourself. Let me hold him."

Ye Li looked at him doubtfully. "Do you even know how?" These past few months, Mo Xiuyao had consistently shown little enthusiasm for this child, let alone learned in advance how to hold a baby.

Mo Xiuyao hesitated. Although he felt it didn’t really matter how one held a baby, looking at the little thing wrapped in swaddling clothes, it seemed so fragile, as if the slightest carelessness might break it. While he wasn’t particularly fond of this little fellow who was very likely to compete with him for Ah-Li’s attention in the future, he also knew Ah-Li was very fond of him.

Seeing his hesitant and troubled expression, Ye Li couldn’t help but give a gentle smile. She placed the baby in his hands, saying with a soft laugh, "Hold him like this... gently..." After carefully instructing him for a bit, she finally settled the baby in Mo Xiuyao’s arms.

Mo Xiuyao looked down at the little thing in his embrace and felt utterly ill at ease.

Seeing Mo Xiuyao sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, completely devoid of his usual relaxed and casual demeanor, Ye Li secretly covered her mouth to hide a smile.

The birth of the Heir of Prince Ding, in the eyes of the common folk in the Northwest, was likely no less sensational than the birth of Great Chu’s Crown Prince. Ruyang City was filled with the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers, as if it were the New Year. Furthermore, as soon as the news of the young heir’s birth spread, the Governor of Ruyang announced that various taxes in Ruyang City would be halved for the year. Various other proclamations bestowing favors upon the populace were posted on the public notice board outside the Ruyang Governor’s Mansion. Naturally, the people were even more jubilant, and the sound of firecrackers was so loud it could even be faintly heard in the prison cells.

「In the cold, filthy dungeon」

Su Zuidie, lying on the ground, struggled to move her body. The incessant sound of firecrackers from outside only served to make the entire dungeon feel even bleaker and more sinister, causing her already muddled senses to grow increasingly chaotic.

Is it New Year’s again? I’ve almost forgotten how long I’ve been locked up here. The only thing I can remember is that I must survive. As long as I’m alive, I have a chance to leave this place. Only by living can I obtain everything I want. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder: if I hadn’t desired so much back then, would I now be living comfortably as the Second Young Madam of Prince Ding’s Mansion? Perhaps, with Mo Xiuyao’s military achievements, I might have even become the wife of a Grand General or something similar. But... what I want isn’t just that... I, Su Zuidie, with looks that could topple nations and outstanding talent, hailed as the foremost beauty of Great Chu. Why should I resign myself to being beneath those mediocre women? Survive. Leave this place. Get everything I want.

Every day, Su Zuidie told herself this.

CLANG!

The dungeon door creaked open, and Qin Feng walked in with a cold expression, accompanied by Zhuo Jing and Lin Han. None of the three looked pleased; on the occasion of the young heir’s birth, they had to be here interrogating this woman instead of going to see the Princess Consort’s newborn child, which hardly made them happy.

Hearing the footsteps, Su Zuidie struggled to sit up on the ground. She turned to look at the three men and said with a smirk, "Are we starting again?" Her face, mostly obscured by filth, glinted with mocking laughter and a triumphant look. So what if these men torture me every day? They still can’t do anything to me, can they? Every time I see their frustrated and angry expressions, a strange sense of gratification wells up inside me.

Qin Feng casually kicked aside some debris in front of him. Looking at Su Zuidie with cold eyes, he sneered, "Do you really think these are the only methods we have to deal with you? Let me tell you some good news: the Princess Consort just gave birth to the young heir. Ruyang City is quite bustling right now."

A flicker of jealous hatred flashed in Su Zuidie’s eyes, but she remained silent.

Qin Feng paid it no mind and continued nonchalantly, "There’s also some not-so-good news. The Prince has given an order: we must have the answer by the end of today."

Su Zuidie scoffed, "I don’t know what you’re talking about." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Qin Feng nodded, not at all surprised. "I knew you’d say that. That’s why the Prince also instructed that if we can’t get the information out of you, then you can go die."

"What did you say?" Su Zuidie was stunned, staring at Qin Feng in disbelief, her voice trembling.

Qin Feng gazed mockingly at the woman on the ground and sneered indifferently, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Two months ago, we captured Xue Chengliang, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army. You should know him, right? Nothing in this world can be kept secret forever. If we can’t get answers from you, do you think we can’t get them from others?"

"Xue Chengliang?" Su Zuidie looked somewhat bewildered, clearly having no recollection of the name.

Qin Feng lowered his head in thought for a moment, then understood. Ten years ago, Xue Chengliang was merely a personal guard by Mo Jingqi’s side; Su Zuidie might not remember him. So, he said, "Ten years ago, what was it that you took from Prince Ding’s Mansion and gave to the current Emperor? It was handed over to this very Commander Xue at the time. Surely you haven’t forgotten that, have you?"

Su Zuidie’s eyes suddenly widened. Dragging her somewhat impaired leg, she quickly scrambled to the corner of the wall and shrieked, "I don’t know what you’re saying! What thing? I never took anything from Prince Ding’s Mansion!"

Qin Feng glanced sideways at Zhuo Jing and Lin Han beside him. All three naturally saw Su Zuidie’s subtle trembling. Zhuo Jing curled his lip. "Drag her out and begin the torture. No need to be gentle with a beauty; after today, she’ll be a dead woman anyway."

Two guards entered upon hearing the order and unceremoniously hauled Su Zuidie up from the ground, dragging her to the outer section of the dungeon.

The outer cell was much cleaner and drier than the inner one. It was furnished with a row of desks and chairs. Nearby, someone sat grinding an ink stick, evidently preparing to record the confession. Qin Feng and the other two sat down and opened the case file on the table. In front of them, Su Zuidie had already been tied to a wooden stake.

Qin Feng looked coldly at the filthy woman before him, who bore not the slightest resemblance to the famed ’Number One Beauty Under Heaven’ of yesteryear. "Well, Miss Su? Will you confess on your own, or shall we slowly apply the tortures and see how many types you can withstand?"

Su Zuidie clenched her teeth and remained silent.

Qin Feng leaned back lazily in his chair and said with a smile, "I’m not in a hurry today. Anyway, if I can’t get the information before midnight, killing you will still allow me to report to the Prince. As for whether you’ll be missing an arm or a leg by then, I trust Miss Su herself won’t mind, will she?"

Tilting his head, Qin Feng sized Su Zuidie up for a long moment, then gestured to the two men standing nearby. "They all say Miss Su is hailed as the Number One Beauty Under Heaven. If we were to make a few slashes on this face, would anyone still find it beautiful?"

Zhuo Jing pursed his lips and said impatiently, "With the way she looks now, how can she still resemble the Number One Beauty Under Heaven? Even without any cuts, she’s already unbearably ugly!"

Qin Feng chuckled. "How could that be? We haven’t skimped on Miss Su’s meals these past six months. We definitely wouldn’t let her become pale and emaciated. I dare bet this face is still quite fine."

Lin Han frowned. "Then let’s get on with it. Let’s finish quickly so we can go back."

Qin Feng jerked his chin. A guard standing to the side understood, drew a dagger, and walked towards Su Zuidie.

Seeing the cold, glinting dagger, Su Zuidie’s eyes filled with terror. She prided herself on being the Number One Beauty Under Heaven; if her face were ruined... "No! You dare... The Prince will not forgive you! How dare you treat me like this—"

Qin Feng sneered disdainfully. "Foolish woman."

The man making the move clearly possessed no inclination to be gentle with a beauty. The dagger in his hand flashed twice like silver flowers. Su Zuidie felt a cold sensation on her face and couldn’t help but let out a bloodcurdling scream, "No... Ah, my face!"

Two perfect cross-shaped cuts appeared on her left and right cheeks. Fresh blood burst from the wounds and gushed out. A chill shot through Su Zuidie’s heart; only then did she realize Qin Feng hadn’t just been intimidating her. Her face was truly ruined. "Aaargh... My face! My face! I’ll kill you all! Mo Xiuyao! Ye Li! You all deserve to die!"

The man standing before her slapped her twice across the face without hesitation. Her newly injured cheeks, struck hard again, immediately became red and swollen. Dripping with blood, her face looked utterly gruesome and terrifying.

The destruction of her looks was clearly a far greater shock to Su Zuidie than her crippled leg and the daily severe interrogations. Afterward, as the tortures continued, Su Zuidie kept cursing incessantly, as if the severe punishments meant nothing to her.

Even Zhuo Jing couldn’t help but sigh. If a woman like this were properly trained as a spy, she would be truly outstanding. At the very least, one would never have to worry about her betraying secrets under duress.

In the end, Qin Feng truly lost his patience. Although he still had some methods of torture he hadn’t used on Su Zuidie, they were excessively bloody. With the young heir having just been born, he didn’t want to make things too gruesome.

Once midnight passed, Qin Feng’s patience completely ran out. He rose and ordered, "Do it. Let her watch herself slowly die. She’s wasting this Commander’s time. Issue the order: based on Xue Chengliang’s testimony, depart immediately for the Capital of Great Chu to secretly arrest all of Mo Jingqi’s close confidants from ten years ago, as well as Tan Jizhi."

"Yes, Commander!"

Su Zuidie’s hands were bound to the wooden stake. A deep gash had been cut across one of her wrists. Bright red blood dripped steadily onto the ground—TAP, TAP, TAP. The dungeon cell was deathly quiet, now devoid of anyone else.

Tilting her head, she watched the blood drip out unceasingly from her wrist. The only sound she could hear was that of her blood falling. Gradually, Su Zuidie felt a buzzing in her ears, and Qin Feng’s cold voice suddenly echoed beside them: "The Princess Consort just gave birth to a son; Ruyang City is quite bustling right now."

Bustling... Why can’t I hear anything? Looking at the ever-increasing pool of blood on the ground, she clearly felt her body starting to weaken, as if she could sense the very lifeblood draining from her veins. She even felt that she would bleed out to the very last drop before slowly dying.

"No... I don’t want to die..."

"Help me... I want to see Mo Xiuyao! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!"

Outside the door, it was utterly silent; no one was there. Su Zuidie, terrified, realized she was truly going to die here. This realization threw her into an even greater panic, and she even felt her blood flowing faster. "I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! Help me... I don’t want to die!"

「Outside the door」

A cold smirk touched Qin Feng’s lips. "Wouldn’t it have been better if she’d just said so earlier? I really thought she’d hold out and refuse to speak, even to death."

Lin Han said, "Perhaps this time she knew she had no other way out. If she didn’t talk, Xue Chengliang would. Previously, she was merely relying on the fact that no one else knew the truth."

Qin Feng then said, "Go and report to the Prince."