Chapter 428: Never Admit It Even If I Die
Hongji's father, at this moment, decided to insist that this child was his own flesh and blood and couldn't allow his son to be taken by someone else.
Could the old housekeeper admit defeat in the face of Hongji's father's tense and angry expression?
The child of the former master was right in front of him; how could he not persist?
The loyal old housekeeper, suppressing his anger, took out a portrait from his bosom, as well as the confession and signed paper pressed by the midwife.
"When we say the young Master is from our family, of course, we have proof. This is an inn and the documents signed by the midwife who delivered the two mothers those years ago.
They are legally binding. If I take these things and report them to the officials, could you still firmly insist in front of the authorities that the young Master is your son?"
Hongji looked on with trepidation as the old housekeeper approached step by step, holding a portrait of his spouse and the portrait of the midwife from the inn years ago.
At this moment, he deeply regretted why he merely plotted and only caused the midwife's family to be destroyed, wishing he had the midwife killed to prevent today's identification.
Hongji's father had also thought about dealing with the inn's Shopkeeper back then, but it was unfortunate that the inn was a store opened by the Tang Family; he was chased as he was about to set it on fire.
Moreover, afterwards, the Government Officials in the county kept a close watch, and at that time, he was just a peasant who had a bit of skill to make some money. It had cost him a great deal to ruin the midwife's family.
If the other side could find out all these things, they must already know about the things he had done back then.
Yet he stubbornly wanted to hold his ground, deciding not to admit to what he had done.
"What inn? What midwife? I don't know anything you are talking about, nor do I recognize them; my wife gave birth at home. I see now; you're fabricating evidence to steal my son!"
The old housekeeper had anticipated this, knowing someone who could do so many things wouldn't foolishly confess to his scheming deeds of the past!
The man in front of him appeared to be very honest, but in fact, he was very cunning and ruthless at heart.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have caused the innocent midwife's family to be destroyed just to replace his own son!
Such people, if not for the current matter of handing over, he wouldn't even want to speak to him.
"Don't you ever think about it, your daughter whom you haven't seen for decades? She looks just like your wife!"
In fact, Hongji's father, when waking up in the middle of the night with his wife, would sometimes miss the daughter they had given away at birth.
Later on, not having borne a son, they longed for their daughter while also punishing their son in various ways!
They claimed to outsiders that it was strict discipline, training him to be an obedient person.
In the past twenty-plus years, he and his wife had been very successful.
However, everything began to change!
"What daughter? My eldest daughter to my third daughter, they all resemble my wife, don't they?"
The old housekeeper shook his head, the other party was stubborn, and he wasn't in a hurry to make him admit all at once, as the young Master had not yet returned.
"Our concubine said her cousin was her childhood sweetheart, and that one time, when a little incident happened at home, she rushed back to her hometown to see her family and her cousin even though she was close to childbirth. However, she didn't expect that when she regained consciousness, her cousin and his wife had already returned.
She asked her family to visit her, but not a single family member came to see her again; she thought her own family was heartless, not realizing it was her cousin who was heartless."
The old housekeeper seemed to be muttering to himself.
Hongji's father, with his head bowed low, didn't dare to look up at the old housekeeper. If it weren't for this man buying his cousin, he would have married her; instead, he waited heartbroken and disappointed for several years.
Eventually, under his family's insistence, he married his wife. When the letters from his cousin came, he didn't know she had become someone else's concubine.
He visited with a glimmer of hope to rekindle the romance, only to find a pregnant cousin upon arrival.
Although my cousin looked well-dressed and much prettier, at that moment, she made his heart break even more.
The young man's dream was completely shattered!
Then, as his wife rushed in, and the two heavily pregnant women fought, shoving each other, he was held back and did not help his wife or his cousin.
Later, as both women went into labor, when his wife suggested switching the babies, a sense of revenge began to simmer in him.
His feelings for his cousin turned to hate, planning to raise his own child by his side and separate them by blood, and then to take his revenge when the opportunity arose.
This revenge, of course, was to be inflicted upon the child.
But he never expected that his cousin would disappear without a word for over 30 years, believing that no further complications would ever arise.
Now old, with a successful son, and granddaughters each as beautiful as flowers, people came to snatch away his son, grandson, and granddaughters!
Hongji seemed not to hear the old housekeeper's words; all he could think of was that it was over, his son was going to be taken away, his granddaughters, and grandson were no longer his.
As long as he adamantly denied recognition, no matter what the other party claimed, he would not acknowledge it!
The old housekeeper saw the other party start to change tactics, but he was not in a hurry. There was plenty of time, and he could wait for lunchtime to lay all his cards on the table.
The old housekeeper was not worried about what this commoner could do to him, nor was he concerned that he would deny the young master was theirs.
Even if he was not, he was still a Young Master. The old master had not returned, and there was no rush to acknowledge the young master's ancestry all at once.
His visit this time was to investigate this matter.
Many events had transpired in the Capital City during these past days, and he had received information about them.
Admiring in his heart that it must be the old master's genes that the granddaughters, when facing the powerful, did not flinch.
He even heard that the team representing the Thirteenth Prince only brought supplies and money.
He greatly admired the young ladies' wit and tactics!
Over the years, the General and his soldiers had endured such hardships in the desert, and he was fortunate to have some supporters of the General helping them in secret.
The movement of the Prince's team indicated that the Emperor's order to confine the General and prevent him from returning to the Capital City was soon to crumble.
As the General's eyes in the Capital City, he had already understood and investigated the actions of some Princes, which were even better than those of the Emperor.
If there came a day when a Prince ascended the throne, they would need the support of their group.
This would also depend on the individual's capabilities and character, and whether they were worth the risk for their family.
The young ladies currently in contact with the Thirteenth Prince seemed to be of decent character.
However, after so many elites from the Capital City visited, he grew even more concerned about the young ladies' safety in the Capital City.
Thinking this, the old housekeeper decided that he would return to the Capital City in the next two days, regardless of whether he could force this man to admit the truth.
As long as the person was still alive, there would always be time to acknowledge kinship later.
A few days ago, during his visit to the county, he had not noticed many strangers from various places.
Yet, this morning, the spy he had left in the county arrived to report that many suspicious individuals had appeared in the county, and even the traces they had investigated days before seemed to have been discovered by others.
The old housekeeper grew even more anxious, knowing that the identity of the young master had become known to various parties.
Despite knowing that it would bring danger to the young master's family, he could not avoid confirming whether the Young Master was indeed from their Tang Family.
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