Chapter 503: Slander (2)

Chu Lian kept her head down. She didn't meet the eyes of anyone in the parlour. With Xiyan supporting her, she took a few steps forward and bent her knees to greet her elders.

Although her complexion was bad, her posture remained upright. Before anyone could question her, she looked up and fired off a blunt question, "Grandmother, Mother, do you actually believe that I'm the culprit behind this?"

The overbearing attitude Chu Lian showed was a complete opposite to the frail woman who had walked in with the aid of her handmaid. This sudden turnaround caught both Matriarch He and Countess Jing'an by surprise and frightened Madam Zou.

After Chu Lian's straightforward question, she looked directly into the eyes of the matriarch and her mother-in-law. She could see that her question had shaken them from their original beliefs.

Without giving them any chance to reply, she continued, "Have you considered what I would actually gain from doing such a thing? This may be a pompous thing for me to say, but my husband is already a marquis. A marquis is a whole rank above a count. In the future, my husband and I will have to move away from this estate and my husband's title will be passed down to his children. Eldest Brother doesn't have any male heirs now, but even if Miaozhen doesn't have a child, who is to say that he can't take another concubine in a few more years? Why worry about lacking a heir?"

Chu Lian's words were like a thunderbolt, shaking Countess Jing'an out of the fog she had been in.

That was true! If this had all happened before He Changdi had earned his noble title, then there might have been some benefit for Chu Lian in doing so, but now it didn't make sense at all!

What good would it even do for her if the child died?

The title of Count Jing'an wouldn't be passed down to her child anyway! Besides, there was still her second brother-in-law, He Changjue, in the way!

When it came down to the family's problem of not having any little young masters in the next generation, how could an illegitimate son from a servant-born concubine compare to the legitimate son of a noble wife?

She and the matriarch had been so engrossed with losing a male heir that they weren't thinking clearly.

However, even though Countess Jing'an had managed to think things through, it didn't mean that the others had been enlightened too.

Matriarch He's eyes were still clouded. She was already old and her eldest grandson was still without an heir. Although she didn't voice her worries, it had been weighing on her heavily.

Matriarch He's eyes were cast downwards and she remained silent. Chu Lian had been observing her expression all the while and was able to tell that the matriarch didn't actually agree with what she just said.

Madam Zou didn't speak either, but her tension could be seen from how tightly she was grasping her handkerchief. She lowered her head as she didn't dare to look at Chu Lian, enduring the jealousy and hatred she held inside. Madam Zou was afraid that someone would notice something if she looked up, or she might reveal some clues if she argued with Chu Lian.

With everyone's attention turned elsewhere, she let out a crafty smirk on her face.

Even if she kept silent, there was someone else who would speak out!

As expected, that person didn't let her down!

"Miss Chu, did you really think that we'd believe you just like that? Quit dreaming, how do you explain the hawthorns that you sent then!?" The cowardly He Ying put on a fierce performance and acted as if she was an extremely upright individual!

Pan Nianzhen was seated obediently beside her mother with a timid expression. She looked around constantly following the drama. While there was a sympathetic expression on her face, she was actually utterly delighted within.

Out of everyone in House Jing'an, she envied Chu Lian the most.

She wasn't just jealous of the restaurant that Chu Lian had opened which made thousands of taels every month. There was also the fact that Princess Wei had taken a liking to Chu Lian, that Royal Princess Duanjia was her good friend, but most importantly, she had taken the position of He Changdi's wife!

Chu Lian was just a nobody from a third-rate noble family 'renowned' for its fertile young misses. How was that any better than her?

As for her silly noble title? Hah, even an honoured lady was at a loss for words in the face of the interrogation from the elders in the family!

What a joke!

Chu Lian's clear eyes met with He Ying's smug look. For some reason, the confidence that He Ying had in her accusation deflated under the full attention of those limpid eyes.

The corner of Chu Lian's lips curved upwards.