Indeed, in terms of intelligence and information, the Misty Rain Pavilion was professional.
Given Huan Niang’s circumstances, it was impossible for an ordinary person to find out.
It wasn’t that others lacked capability.
It was simply that Huan Niang was too ordinary.
Those in charge of intelligence wouldn’t notice everyone.
After all, many years had passed, and before this, she had shown no signs of anything amiss.
To suddenly notice her without any reason was indeed difficult.
But the Misty Rain Pavilion had managed it.
And it only took ten days. Not only did they uncover Huan Niang’s background, but they also found the unfaithful man she frequently mentioned.
It turned out that Huan Niang was indeed the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prince Xiang’s mansion, formerly the Princess Ping An.
But when she turned fourteen, for some unknown reason, she eloped with Xue Li, her Zither instructor.
They left the capital far behind and went to the region of Bashu.
From then on, she disappeared from the sight of the Prince Xiang’s mansion.
Preventing any possibility of them finding her.
At this time, the Prince Xiang’s mansion and the Prince Ning’s mansion had already arranged a marriage. It was only a matter of waiting for Princess Ping An to come of age before she would marry into the Prince Ning’s household.
But Princess Ping An fled at the last moment. There was nothing they could do, so Prince Xiang had to push his concubine-born Princess Ping Ning forward.
She became the Prince Ning’s Consort.
As for Princess Ping An, she lived a life of hardship and wandering in Bashu with the Zither instructor.
Sometimes, they couldn't even afford three meals a day.
She had no choice but to take out her bottom-drawer savings to supplement their living expenses.
Who would have thought that as soon as she did, the man would snatch the money box?
He abandoned her and went to find fresh wildflowers himself.
Her private treasury, which was originally quite substantial, was completely squandered by him.
To the point that when she later became pregnant and gave birth, she couldn't even afford to hire a midwife.
She could only find a random old woman in the village to help with the delivery.
Unfortunately, she gave birth to a daughter. Before she could even take a good look at her, she heard the man say that she had given birth to a stillborn.
With that, the man left, taking the remaining silver with him to a pleasure house and never returned.
Huan Niang, having just given birth and being weak, coupled with this blow, her mental state deteriorated after searching for her daughter for over a year.
Even so, she relied on the deepest memories in her mind and begged her way back to the capital from Bashu.
This situation surprised Su Xiao Qi.
"Heavens, she managed to do that."
If it were someone who had endured hardship since childhood, Su Xiao Qi wouldn't have been as surprised.
Huan Niang had lived a life of luxury as a princess in the Prince’s mansion since she was young.
Yet, when her mental state deteriorated and she was penniless, she managed to return to the capital by begging or other means.
Su Xiao Qi sighed deeply, "A woman like her truly didn't deserve to suffer such torment."
Zhang Yu was also somewhat disturbed by Huan Niang's ordeal:
"She indeed didn't deserve it; it was because someone deliberately schemed against her."
Su Xiao Qi blinked, instantly understanding: "Are you saying it was Consort Liu, or Princess Ping Ning?"
Although she was a princess in the Prince’s mansion, marrying the Prince Ning’s heir, who held real power and favor with the late Emperor at the time, was a great match.
And judging by Prince Ning's current state, it was evident.
When he was young, he must have been handsome and charming, inspiring admiration.
Furthermore, the old Prince Ning had only this one son, the Prince Ning’s heir.
He was destined to inherit the title.
Whoever married him would become the future Prince Ning’s Consort.
Such temptation was not something everyone could resist.
Let alone someone like Princess Ping Ning, who was so scheming.
Zhang Yu nodded and said that they had already interrogated the man who deceived Huan Niang.
Apart from being somewhat handsome, he was a cowardly man.
He had confessed everything.
The person behind him who instructed him was Consort Liu and her daughter.
With his mediocre Zither skills and character, it was Consort Liu who arranged for him to enter the Prince Xiang’s mansion.
He was originally a dissolute man who played the Zither in pleasure houses.
Specializing in living off women, deceiving young and ignorant girls, and taking advantage of them.
After receiving many benefits from Consort Liu, he was persuaded to deceive Huan Niang and take her away from the capital to Bashu.
So that she would no longer be a hindrance to Consort Liu and her daughter.
But who would have thought that after he squandered Huan Niang's money, he abandoned her?
Yet, she, with her last vestiges of determination, safely returned to the capital.
"I knew it. I knew all of this was plotted by them, the mother and daughter, all for their selfish gain, to harm someone like this!"
Su Xiao Qi was furious, banging on the table and declaring that this matter would not be easily dismissed.
"So, is Little Magpie really Huan Niang's daughter?"
"There is a fifty percent chance, but no evidence," Zhang Yu said.
Su Xiao Qi gritted her teeth: "Then let's go find the village where Huan Niang gave birth.
After more than ten years, perhaps that old woman is still alive.
And that man, question him thoroughly.
Where did he take the healthy Xi'er?"
Zhang Yu acknowledged, saying that the old woman was indeed still alive and was on her way to the capital.
As for the man, he had also been interrogated, and was taken to Dali Temple for Zhang Lei to handle personally.
"He confessed, saying that she gave birth to a daughter, and he didn't want her. His family couldn't afford to raise her.
Coincidentally, his paramour at Chun Hua Lou mentioned that their proprietress intended to raise a group of young girls, whom she could control when they grew up. So he took the newborn Xi'er there…"
Su Xiao Qi's heart was about to explode with anger.
"Beast." To think that such a father existed in this world.
Even if he disliked Huan Niang, he shouldn't have treated his own flesh and blood so cruelly.
Such a person did not deserve to have children.
"The proprietress has been investigated. The letter states that when the child was three years old, one day she walked out the back door and never returned…"
"Three years old, three years old, I remember Little Magpie was around the same age when she came to us," Su Xiao Qi said excitedly.
She now had about seventy percent certainty that Little Magpie was the daughter, Xi'er, whom Huan Niang had given birth to.
If that were the case, it would be wonderful!
But they still had to wait for the most crucial witness to appear.
However, even though Little Magpie's identity had not been confirmed, Huan Niang's was ironclad. She was indeed the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prince Xiang's mansion.
Then it was time to set things right and have her return to the mansion.
Su Xiao Qi immediately summoned Zhang Yu and instructed her to prepare some things.
As for herself, she tidied up, took Little Magpie into the carriage, and headed straight for Chen Jin Ji.
Upon arrival, after she alighted from the carriage,
Shen Ming Zhu was the first to see her and came forward.
She asked if Su Xiao Qi was bringing pastries to someone's house.
Su Xiao Qi shook her head. After thinking about what she had to do, she nodded:
"Pack me some pastries."
Shen Ming Zhu called a shop assistant to pack them.
Meanwhile, Su Xiao Qi had gone to the backyard and found Huan Niang.
She was diligently working on what was in front of her in the courtyard.
Su Xiao Qi stopped a short distance away and watched.
She saw that Huan Niang's hands, though slender-fingered, had cracked skin, with layers of calluses imprinted on them.
It was heartbreaking to see!
"Huan Niang!" Su Xiao Qi called out softly.
Huan Niang turned her head. Seeing it was her, her first reaction was to bow.
But before she could finish her bow, Su Xiao Qi gently supported her shoulder.
"Princess Ping An, there is no need for such formality."
Huan Niang's body trembled, and tears began to fall without warning.
Su Xiao Qi quietly waited for her to cry, and in the meantime, kindly handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
When she had finished crying, she asked, "Doesn't the Princess wish to return to the mansion?"
Huan Niang sobbed, "I was foolish in my youth and committed such unfilial acts, nearly making the mansion a laughingstock in the capital.
How dare I return now?"
"If the Princess did not wish to return, why would you painstakingly travel all the way from Bashu to the capital for two years?
You want to go home!"
Su Xiao Qi's voice was very calm, but Huan Niang heard a hint of temptation in it.
She murmured, "I want to go home, I want to go home."
Su Xiao Qi then moved aside, revealing Little Magpie behind her.