After I awakened my inner voice, I became the treasure of my family.

Chapter 6 Shen Xiuyan questions Master Huiyun

A moment later, the old woman returned, followed by a nun from Xuanji Nunnery—whose Dharma name was Huiyun!

After exchanging greetings, Shen Xiuyan asked, "Master Huiyun, I would like to ask if there was a female pilgrim named Han Lanjiao who gave birth at Xuanji Nunnery today?"

After hearing this, Abbess Huiyun shook her head and said seriously, "No, only your young mistress gave birth here today. I have not heard of any of Han Lanjiao's worshippers giving birth in our nunnery."

Upon hearing Master Huiyun's words, Shen Xiuyan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his wife's childbirth had indeed caused him to hallucinate. He was just about to ask the master to go back!

However, Jiang Mianmian happened to hear this as she came out of the door. She was holding her granddaughter and was planning to have the wet nurse come in to breastfeed the child.

As soon as she stepped outside, Jiang Mianmian heard the nun's words and frowned slightly as she looked at the nun in front of her.

[Hmm, how could there not be? Could this nun have been deliberately brought in by Shen Xiuyan just to fool me?]

Shen Xiuyan sighed and rubbed his forehead: "Mother, this child is also my daughter. Why would I deliberately find someone to deceive you? Besides, Han Lanjiao is already married. If people spread rumors about her, it will be disastrous."

It would be very bad for Han Lanjiao and would damage her reputation. Moreover, she married the son of the Prince of Yong'an, the Prince of Shuo, whose family background is even higher than that of our Marquis of Xuanhua.

Her child, once born, could be granted the title of County Princess, a higher status than my daughter. She's not stupid; why would she trade her own daughter for mine, unless she's insane?

Jiang Mianmian glared at him: "You don't know anything! I've always said you can know a person's face but not their heart. Otherwise, why would you have been with Han Lanjiao in the first place, and why would she have dumped you and been with someone else later!"

"Hmph! Besides, so many years have passed, how could you possibly know what she's thinking now?"

After saying that, Jiang Mianmian lowered her voice and said, "Last year, didn't you and Li Tingxue almost get a divorce because of Han Lanjiao? Do you really think no one knows about this?"

Seeing that his mother still didn't believe him, Shen Xiuyan had no choice but to beckon to his personal attendant, Shen Feng.

He whispered a few words to Shen Feng, who immediately nodded and then left with a serious expression.

Jiang Mianmian was certain that in her dream, her granddaughter was swapped with Han Lanjiao's daughter.

If Han Lanjiao weren't here, then she must have instructed someone else to do this; she wouldn't believe she was innocent.

[Who exactly switched their granddaughter? And what was their purpose? It couldn't be someone who had a grudge against the Yong'an Prince's Mansion and also harbored resentment towards their own Marquis's Mansion. Would that be why they switched the daughter of the Prince of Shuo with their own granddaughter?]

[If that's the case, shouldn't she give both children to that farmer as child brides?]

Upon hearing his mother's voice, Shen Xiuyan continued, "Master Huiyun, are there other women with the surname Han who gave birth at Xuanji Nunnery?"

"No, is it only your lady who is giving birth here today?" Abbess Huiyun shook her head again.

Jiang Mianmian still felt that something was amiss: "Is there anyone with the surname Situ?"

Master Huiyun shook her head again to indicate no.

"Hmm, no one with the surname Han, and no one with the surname Situ either?"

Jiang Mianmian felt as if she was almost touching the truth, but she just couldn't grasp the key. She asked questions several times without success.

As Master Huiyun shook her head, she felt as if her head was about to leave afterimages, and her brain was about to splatter. Sigh, making money is really hard these days!

And so, this important person asked her a bunch of random questions today, and she felt like he was a lunatic.

If it weren't for the fact that the person just gave her so much, who would want to sit here and fawn over her? She would have stormed off in a huff long ago!

"Alright then! Abbess Huiyun, tell me who is currently practicing in your nunnery, or who is practicing while still keeping their hair."

This is just a small token of my appreciation; please take it and buy some tea.

After saying that, Jiang Mianmian handed a purse to Abbess Huiyun!

When Abbess Huiyun saw the purse, her eyes lit up, and she accepted it with a beaming smile. Her attitude became even more sincere after seeing the hundred-tael silver note inside.

She quickly tucked the purse into her sleeve, her face beaming with smiles, and said, "This humble nun thanks you for the gift, benefactor. Whatever you wish to know, this humble nun will answer to the best of her knowledge and dispel your doubts!"

Then, Abbess Huiyun began to ramble on and on, mentioning more than twenty nuns before… Ma Lingshu…

"Hey, Master Huiyun, wait a minute, the person you just mentioned cursing, was it Ma Lingshu?"

“Yes, benefactor, this is Ma Lingshu, Dharma name Huitong. She practices Buddhism at our Xuanji Nunnery while still keeping her hair, mainly praying for blessings and warding off disasters for her family,” Master Huiyun immediately explained.

My dear son, did you see that? We've found him!

Jiang Mianmian looked at Shen Xiuyan triumphantly and chuckled: "If I remember correctly, Han Lanjiao's cousin from her maternal uncle's family is named Ma Lingshu, right?"

I remember seeing her once at a flower festival held at the Marquis's residence.

Shen Xiuyan: "..."

Should he praise his mother's memory now, saying it's so...good?

Ma Lingshu did indeed visit the Marquis's residence. It was during the period when he and Han Lanjiao were having an ambiguous relationship. The Marquis's residence held a flower viewing party, but at that time, Ma Lingshu was just a child.

Under Jiang Mianmian's gaze, Shen Xiuyan touched his nose and gave an awkward smile: "...Um...right, she does seem to have a cousin named Ma Lingshu?"

"Master Huiyun, when did this Ma Lingshu come to your Xuanji Nunnery?" Shen Xiuyan immediately asked after seeing his mother's unfriendly look!

“Oh! This Huitong was sent to our temple by her family three years ago to pray for their well-being. She is now practicing Buddhism at our Xuanji Temple while still keeping her hair.”

Abbess Huiyun suddenly added, "However, according to the young nun guarding the back gate, a few days ago, a distant relative of hers came to visit her. But that relative was wearing a hat that covered her from head to toe, so no one knows who that person is."

A hint of guilt flashed in Master Huiyun's eyes. After all, she had accepted money from Ma Lingshu and told her not to tell anyone. But who could blame her for not giving as much as this benefactor?

But she knew that once a woman entered a nunnery, she would never leave. On the surface, they were supposed to come to pray for their families, ward off disasters, and ensure their safety. In reality, they were women who had made mistakes and were sent there after being abandoned by their families.

Some women came to the nunnery specifically to avoid trouble at home. Otherwise, what woman would give up a good life to suffer in a nunnery?

Half an hour later, Shen Feng walked over and said to Shen Xiuyan:

"Reporting to the young master, I have just found out that several women did indeed come to Xuanji Nunnery yesterday afternoon, including one who was said to be heavily pregnant. However, there were several other women with her."

They said they were relatives of Ma Lingshu, and came here to offer incense and visit her. However, strangely, they came in through the back door.

Therefore, no one else knew they had been here. I only found out by bribing a nun who shared a room with Ma Lingshu.

Shen Feng continued, "According to her, Ma Lingshu actually gave her ten taels of silver yesterday and told her to share a bed with others for two days, saying that some relatives had come to visit her and there wasn't enough room in the house, and also told her not to tell anyone."

The nun who shared a bunk with her said that when she went back to her room to get something today, she heard Ma Lingshu call one of the women "cousin" as she walked to the door. Although the voice was very soft, she still heard it.

Moreover, when she peeked through the crack in the door, she saw that Ma Lingshu's cousin had taken off her cap and her face was deathly pale, like a ghost.

Moreover, after she entered the house, she seemed to hear two faint cries of a baby.

She mentioned this to Ma Lingshu as she left, saying that Ma Lingshu looked flustered and her eyes darted around, as if she were lying. Ma Lingshu, however, denied it, saying that she must have misheard because she hadn't slept well the night before.

Later, she said she didn't take it seriously, thinking she just hadn't rested well, and didn't mention what happened that morning to anyone.