What a truly stubborn guy!
Han Yunxi's shout stopped Han Congan. But when he turned to look at her, he suddenly had a fit of dizziness and fell, paralyzed, on the ground.
"You…" With great alarm, Han Yunxi called for the jailer to open the door. She only released a breath of relief after looking him over. Fortunately, Han Congan's old head was certainly hard enough. He'd only suffered a surface injury, so his fainting wasn't the result of a cerebral concussion. He remained paralyzed on the ground with his eyes closed, but he hadn't really fainted away.
Han Yunxi signaled the jailer to leave as she sat down by his side. In any case, she'd already agreed to his terms, so she'd wait until he rested up before questioning him further. Han Congan might not be in serious condition, but he really was dizzy. After all, he'd suffered mentally in this cell for multiple days and nights.
Han Yunxi waited patiently by his side, trying to figure out the relationship between Lady Tianxin and Han Congan. Who was her real father? Was Lady Tianxin discontent up to the moment she died? Han Yunxi was patient, but Han Congan grew anxious. Even though he was still dizzy, he couldn't help but ask, "Han Yunxi, you've accepted? Really?"
Han Yunxi gave him a cold glance and curled her lips in contempt. "Can you tell me the truth now?"
But Han Congan was in no rush. He merely lowered his head to suck in a breath. "Han Yunxi, I'm old. This time I've lost all standing and reputation and become utterly discredited with no successor to the Han Family medical arts. You know that between the sons I've left behind, none of them will do. Especially the eldest. Only the seventh is worth training, but he's too young to shoulder the task. You absolutely must protect him."
Han Yunxi wasn't in the mood for such matters and urged him on. "I understand. You can speak now."
At this, Han Congan took out a handkerchief from his robes. Han Yunxi saw that it was a woman's handkerchief at a glance, with a very old style and design. Han Congan unfolded the handkerchief to reveal words written in blood. Stunned, Han Yunxi looked closer and discovered that this was an agreement!
Heavens, this was an agreement between Lady Tianxin and Han Congan. They were a contractual couple!
"Han Yunxi. Your mother and I, that is to say Lady Tianxin and I, were only husband and wife in name. When she wedded me, she was already pregnant with you," Han Congan said mildly.
"Why did you marry her?" Han Yunxi blurted out in shock. She thought she'd been conceived after the wedding, not something like this.
"Because…" Han Congan paused, lips curving up as if he was laughing at himself. "Because her medical arts were exquisite enough to help me become a director of the medical academy. What was between us was nothing more than a business deal."
Han Yunxi wouldn't have believed it without this proof of agreement. But even with the evidence, she still felt anxious enough to clench her teeth as she asked, "Why did she marry you? Where's my real father?"
Yet Han Congan only sighed. "I want to know too."
What?
Han Congan didn't know, either?
Han Yunxi couldn't believe her own ears. "You married her without knowing a thing?"
"Girl, I had no idea about your father or even your mother's origins. She was pregnant by a month when she found me and promised to help me become a candidate for the medical academy directors, then a director in under ten years. Her requirements were that I took her as my official wife to give her status and accept you as my child to give you a family."
Han Congan sighed again and again. Faced with such a remarkable, medically skilled woman, how could he be unmoved? Why wouldn't he feel sorry for her? He tried to sound her out a few times in the past, but Lady Tianxin didn't tell him a thing. He once wanted her to have an abortion and start anew with him, but she mercilessly refused.
After 'marrying' Lady Tianxin, he realized again and again how brilliant her medical skills were. When Lady Tianxin cured many hopeless cases and made a name for herself as the Han Family representative in Tianning's capital city, he turned jealous! Regardless of reputation or medical skills, he couldn't tolerate the fact that his own wife was better than himself, even if this woman was a wife in name only. He once deliriously investigated her origins, but found no clues.
Han Yunxi didn't understand, and asked in bewilderment, "Isn't my mother from the Baili Clan in Heze County?"
Han Yunxi had looked this up herself. But Han Congan smiled and shook his head. "That identity was something I crafted for her benefit. I used money to buy off a family of the Baili Clan in Heze County. I've already done investigations but I haven't found a clue. She seemed to have appeared from thin air."
Speaking up to here, Han Congan's eyes couldn't help but show a trace of helplessness and affection. Even if he had been jealous, Han Congan still kept a thread of genuine feeling for Lady Tianxin at the bottom of his heart. Sadly, Lady Tianxin's identity was a mystery, her medical skills consummate. In the end, he still couldn't claim any ties of kinship with her.
Han Yunxi never expected things to turn out like this. What was the mystery of Lady Tianxin's origins? If even Han Congan didn't know, then who would?
Lady Tianxin had been married to Han Congan for less than a year before she died in childbirth. She didn't even have any friends in Tianning's capital city. Her full name was Baili Tianxin, but this was probably a pseudonym.
"So you weren't able to find out who my father was, either?" Han Yunxi murmured to herself.
Han Congan had no choice but to smile. "Just like you, I really want to know, too."
What kind of man could win Lady Tianxin's heart? Not only did she have superb medical skills, but she was wise and intelligent. The previous emperor had only met her once before he praised her highly.
"Then why did she die in labor?!" Han Yunxi suddenly asked. She hadn't forgotten the most crucial question.
Yet Han Congan's smile only turned disdainful. "Han Yunxi, what do you think? Let me tell you, your mother's wisdom far surpassed yours. She didn't even have to worry about any the concubines in my house. More than that, do you think I'd want her dead?" Han Congan could tell that Han Yunxi suspected him, but he thought this kind of suspicion was extremely laughable.
"Han Yunxi, I had the least motive to murder your mother," he said clearly, word by word.
Although he had been jealous, although he hated the child with no relations to him in her womb, Han Congan wasn't so cruel and ruthless as to kill her. Moreover, Lady Tianxin had agreed to make him a director of the medical academy. If she died, he and the Han Family would be most affected.
"I refuse to believe she died from difficulties during labor! There has to be a problem in here somewhere! My mother was a doctor, so wouldn't she be clearest about her own body?" Han Yunxi asked angrily.
Han Congan had no reason to kill her mother, but she couldn't accept her cause of death as childbirth. From what she understood, Lady Tianxin hadn't discovered anything wrong before she gave birth. There were no hurdles with her body, so if it was a difficult labor, the baby was to blame. Han Congan looked at Han Yunxi for a long time before opening his mouth.
"Han Yunxi, you were born as a baby with your feet on the lotus flower. For you to survive is already your fortune."
These words verified Han Yunxi's guesses. 'Feet on the lotus flower' sounded pleasant to the ears, but it was very horrific. It was another name for the so-called "breech position," when a baby was right-side-up in the womb so its feet came out first. In this situation, it was very easy for the child to die from lack of oxygen and the mother from bloodloss. In modern times, a Caesarean section was mandatory for hospitals to accept such mothers. In ancient times, medical treatments were vastly limited. Aside from special cases, the midwife would typically ask one question: do you want to save the big one, or the little one?
"My mother didn't say anything before she went to give birth?" Han Yunix asked.
Although feet on the lotus flower was a very dangerous situation, Lady Tianxin was already a special case herself. With her medical skills, she should've been able to feel out the position of the baby with her hands. Once she realized the baby's position, she could adjust things with acupuncture and moxibustion. Even if the baby hadn't shifted by then, she should have told the midwife before labor and made preparations.
But Lady Tianxin never spoke up. Giving birth was a monumental task, so why would she allow herself to fall into danger? Han Yunxi's suspicions were exactly what Han Congan hadn't been able to figure out.
He shook his head. "No. I asked multiple times, but she said things were very well."
Han Congan remembered that the palace had sent a midwife over ahead of time, but he didn't hear the midwife say anything either. When the midwife discovered that the baby had her feet on the lotus flower, she was frightened as well.
Han Yunxi firmly shook her head. "Something must have gone wrong!"
"Perhaps the problem came from your mother, but…" Han Congan sighed. She'd been dead for so many years that the truth to the riddle might forever be a stone sunk in the sea.
"Then what about the poisonous scar on my face?" Han Yunxi asked again. If she remembered correctly, this wound had existed since she was born. That was poison, so how could it exist as soon as she was born? Did someone drug Lady Tianxin? To kill her? Wouldn't that place her daughter in danger as well?
This was the only clue left. Han Yunxi anxiously looked towards Han Congan, but he only lowered his head.
"What's the matter?" Han Yunxi grew restless.
Han Congan kept silent for awhile before raising his head again. "The poison scar on your face didn't exist when you were born. It…it was I who poisoned you."
"What?!" Han Yunxi was enraged. She didn't expect this either!
Han Congan looked away from her angry eyes. "Your mother was dead, so what was the use of keeping you?"
To him, Han Yunxi was simply someone else's flesh and blood. She had no relation with him. But even a child like this had been decided on as the Qin Wangfei, so not only did he have to raise her, but dote and favor her like some sort of revered ancestor. If Lady Tianxin was still around, perhaps Han Congan could endure it. But Lady Tianxin had suddenly left just like that. How could Han Congan take it?
He couldn't, and he even hated Han Yunxi. If it wasn't for this child, Lady Tianxin wouldn't have died! He could neither kill her or throw her away, so his only option was to destroy her. Ruin her looks and refuse to teach her medicine so the empress dowager would give up. Sure enough, when the empress dowager realized she was an ugly girl, she merely observed from the sidelines. After determining that Han Yunxi had no medical talents, she didn't renounce the betrothal, but basically despaired of anything. After all, the empress dowager had anticipated Lady Tianxin to birth a daughter as remarkable as herself.
Because her wedding had been arranged, Han Congan kept raising Han Yunxi, but like a servant more than anything else. He even hoped that one of the daughters in the Han household could take her place in marriage. Sadly, he later accepted the thorny task of treating the crown prince's illness and earned the empress dowager's grudge. From then on, he didn't dare to mention anything about the arranged marriage ever again.
Han Yunxi finally saw through Han Congan, her smile cold. "Han Congan, what was the use of keeping me? You dare say that your position as a director of the medical academy had none of my mother's hard work? You're a hypocrite who bit the hand that fed you!"
Lady Tianxin might have died, but she still fulfilled her promise to let Han Congan become a medical academy director. Wasn't it just because of this title that the Han Family gained great benefits these past years? Otherwise, why would the Han Family stand out amongst all the medical families in Tianning?
Han Yunxi stood up. She believed what Han Congan said today, but she still looked down on him. A doctor valued medical ethics. If a person didn't have even basic decency, how could he speak of professional ethics?
Seeing Han Yunxi's reaction, Han Congan stood up in alarm. "Han Yunxi, I've told you all I know. Are you going to go back on your promise?"