The prison door creaked open.

Ding Yi moved a chair inside. Xie Zhifei swept his official robes and sat down.

Yan Sanhe also followed inside, standing behind him.

To intimidate someone like Lai Granny, only Third Master could take the lead personally. Her imposing manner was still lacking.

With the interrogation formation fully arranged, Ding Yi turned and walked out, standing shoulder to shoulder with Young Master Pei and Li Buyan outside the prison door.

They saw Third Master’s hands resting on his legs, his body leaning forward, his sword-like brows pressing down.

“Eighteen years ago, on the fourteenth of the seventh month, the Zheng family gave birth to a pair of twins. Were you the midwife?”

The Zheng family?

Lai Granny’s lips twitched violently several times. She nodded forcefully.

“Regarding this pair of twins, recall the details carefully.”

Xie Zhifei deliberately paused, then said coldly:

“Your daughter is locked up not far away. If you don’t want to hear her screams, tell me everything about the twins, word for word.”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk.”

Lai Granny was scared to death—how could she dare to conceal anything?

But where should she begin?

Ten years ago, the midwifery work in the capital’s high-ranking households was basically monopolized by three people—her, Granny Liu, and Granny Sun.

But the Zheng family’s midwifery work, from their first eldest grandson onward, had always been hers—Lai Granny.

So she was not only familiar with the Zheng household, she knew clearly how many branch madams there were and what sordid affairs existed between the branches.

Lady Zhao was carrying twins, which wouldn’t be easy to deliver. To ensure the safety of mother and children and not ruin her own reputation, when Lady Zhao was five months pregnant, she began frequenting Haitang Courtyard.

First, to instruct Lady Zhao on what to be careful about.

Second, to check on the position of the fetuses.

In their line of work, they held the lives of both adult and children in their hands—not a bit of carelessness could be tolerated.

Especially when delivering for high-ranking households—one small mistake could cost them their lives.

Through these visits back and forth, she learned everything—where Lady Zhao was from, how she entered the family, what troubles there were before entry…

For a woman, there was only one chance in this lifetime to change fate and fortune—marriage.

Lady Zhao had changed her fate in a way that even she envied. Not only did she marry up into the General’s household to eat and drink well, she’d also chosen her husband well.

In Lai Granny’s half-lifetime, she’d never seen a man more doting on his wife than Zheng Huantang.

When Lady Zhao’s belly grew even slightly larger, he’d personally put on her shoes and socks.

Also because of Fifth Master Zheng, although the general didn’t approve of this marriage, after the younger daughter-in-law entered the household, she wasn’t mistreated in the slightest.

Normally, after a young Zheng household master was born crying into the world, there would be one wet nurse and two maids at their side.

Once they reached five years old, two more senior maids and four junior maids would be added.

When Lady Zhao was seven months along, the wet nurses and maids for the two children were already properly arranged.

The clothes for the infants, the beds and bedding—all were first-rate goods.

With the master household being so attentive, she as the midwife dared not be negligent. Ten days before the due date, she moved into Haitang Courtyard.

Besides her as midwife, the Zheng family, to be safe, also invited a familiar imperial physician.

At this moment, everyone in Haitang Courtyard above and below was hoping the two young masters could emerge from the womb safely.

Lady Zhao’s belly began to ache faintly on the evening of the thirteenth of the seventh month.

She arranged for Lady Zhao to bathe, wash her hair, change clothes… everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

After the hour of the rat, Lady Zhao’s pain intensified, the cervix opened. She told Lady Zhao that as long as she endured through this night, mother and children would definitely be safe.

Being from a small household, the woman was not only able to endure pain but also obedient.

On the fourteenth, at the second quarter of the hour of the snake.

With Lady Zhao’s great shout, a male infant fell into her palm. Moments later, the younger sister also landed smoothly.

They were actually dragon-phoenix twins!

Lai Granny couldn’t have been happier, thinking to herself that this time, the Zheng family’s reward would definitely be substantial.

After giving birth, the mother still faced one more hurdle: whether the bleeding could be stopped.

Many mothers died from hemorrhaging.

According to professional practice, Lai Granny needed to watch over Lady Zhao for another three to five hours.

Lady Zhao slept soundly after giving birth, without a trace of trouble. Seeing her condition, Lai Granny knew this delivery was completely stable.

Not having returned home for several days, she was concerned about the old and young at home, thinking she’d return home at dawn the next day.

Who could have known that the next day she couldn’t even leave the Zheng household’s gates—the entire capital was under martial law.

Only then did she learn that the crown prince had actually raised troops in rebellion the previous night. After his defeat, he’d committed suicide.

She also heard that many people had died in the capital that night—blood had practically flowed like rivers.

Looking at the torrential rain outside, Lai Granny’s heart pounded, grateful that she’d been so exhausted yesterday that she’d collapsed and slept, knowing nothing and thus not being frightened.

That day’s weather was also terrifying—thunder and lightning, that thunder booming as if exploding right overhead.

Unable to return home, she could only stay at the Zheng household.

Everyone in the household above and below was discussing the crown prince’s rebellion. Lai Granny thought to herself that she truly couldn’t understand these nobles—perfectly good peaceful days, why rebel?

Look, they’d rebelled their life away, and harmed her so she couldn’t go home.

Who knew that after two hours, the Zheng household’s steward came to Haitang Courtyard, telling her to pack her things—she could leave.

Lai Granny was overjoyed, thinking the Zheng family really had power—Imperial Guards, Imperial Army, none of them needed to be taken seriously.

What made Lai Granny even more delighted was that the Zheng family even sent a carriage to take her home.

Halfway there, when they encountered people conducting inspections, the driver pulled out the Zheng family’s waist token and those people obediently let them pass.

This was the first time Lai Granny had enjoyed such treatment. She felt so pleased with herself, thinking she’d have something to boast about in the future.

Who could have known that extreme joy would bring sorrow?

After the crown prince’s rebellion was settled and the capital returned to normal, Lai Granny carried two old hens to visit Lady Zhao. They wouldn’t even let her through Haitang Courtyard’s gate.

Upon asking, she learned that Lady Zhao had given birth to demon fetuses that brought misfortune to people.

Lai Granny thought to herself—I’ve delivered so many children, quite a few born on the fourteenth of the seventh month, and I’ve never heard of them bringing misfortune to people!

Unable to see anyone, she could only turn back. All along the way, she felt indescribable emotions.

In the midwife profession, for every infant that fell into her hands, she hoped they could grow up smoothly and safely.

In the future, if they became accomplished, she’d have something to boast about—look, such an important personage was delivered by me!

How could dragon-phoenix twins be demon fetuses?

No matter how Lai Granny thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.

In the end, she could only say that Lady Zhao’s fate was too thin—she couldn’t support this heaven-sent tremendous fortune that fell from the sky. The heavens couldn’t bear to see her prosper, so they brought the calamity down on her pair of children.

Lai Granny had originally been sympathizing with Lady Zhao, but who knew that before long, she herself would be implicated.

Xie Zhifei frowned. “What do you mean by this?”

“The Zheng family considered me unlucky and stopped using me for deliveries, hiring Granny Sun from the south side of the city instead.”

Lai Granny still felt greatly wronged thinking about it.

“These supernatural and ghostly matters—you really can’t have even the slightest connection to them. Once you’re connected, you’re in for terrible luck. When others inquired and learned that I, Lai Granny, had delivered a pair of demon fetuses, who would dare hire me?

If not for the fact that I had some real skill and had never had anyone die on my hands, those demon fetuses would have smashed my rice bowl.

Later I discovered that I wasn’t the only unlucky one in this matter. Everyone connected to the demon fetuses was unlucky.”

Yan Sanhe’s palm pressed heavily on Xie Zhifei’s shoulder.

Xie Zhifei immediately asked: “How were they unlucky?”

“They were all driven out of the Zheng household.”

Lai Granny counted on her fingers: “The wet nurse—driven out. The maids—driven out. Even those who served Lady Zhao were…”

“Crack—”

A tremendous sound.

Lai Granny’s words cut off abruptly.