Chapter 36 The Road to Recognition

Qingyue was slightly surprised, but still did as she was told. She walked down the stone steps and called out, "Wait a minute, young lady!"

Song Lingyi paused, slowly turned around to look at her, with a hint of vigilance in her eyes.

Qingyue walked over gracefully, a faint smile on her lips, "My wife wants to see you, young lady, please follow me."

Song Lingyi didn't respond, and her thin eyebrows on her oval face were furrowed.

Unlike the servants who were arrogant and domineering because they relied on the prominent family background of the Duke's Mansion, the girl in front of her seemed friendly but was actually arrogant and did not take her seriously at all.

That’s right, the Duke’s Mansion is so grand that even the servants are much more knowledgeable than ordinary wealthy people.

After hesitating for a moment, she smiled and said, "Okay."

When the enemy comes, we will fight him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. We have suffered so much, we can't retreat at the last moment.

Song Lingyi followed Qingyue to Wang's side. Facing the naked gaze, she felt more and more uncomfortable.

At first, Wang was a little unsure because they were far away, but now after a closer look, she found that the girl in green was really about 70% similar to her sister-in-law who had been away from home for many years.

She suppressed her excitement and asked softly, "What's your name?"

Song Lingyi remained calm, lowering her eyes and thinking secretly.

The eldest aunt had spent time with Song's mother and should have guessed her identity. She didn't have the original owner's memories, and she hadn't spent much time with Song's mother, so her behavior was too deliberate and easily exposed. The original owner was a young girl in her twenties, an age of innocence and simplicity. She had to exploit this innocence to gain the Duke's trust.

The girl raised her eyes, her dark eyes as clear as water, and her voice was timid: "Excuse me...is this the Duke of Jin's Mansion?"

Wang's eyes changed slightly and she glanced at Qingyue.

"This is the Duke of Jin's Mansion. What brings you here, young lady?"

The girl's eyes, clear as glass, shone with innocence. Her fingers, at a loss, fiddled with her skirt. "My surname is Song. I came here from Huaizhou to seek refuge with relatives... I was just lingering at the door, but the servants chased me away. My two sisters are pretty and kind. Could you please pass on a message for me?"

When Wang heard that her surname was Song and that she came from Huaizhou, she was surprised and her expression was extremely complicated.

"You said you came to seek refuge with your relatives, but do you have any proof?"

Song Lingyi pulled out a jade pendant with a phoenix pattern from her lapel, tears welling in her dark eyes. "This was given to me by my mother before she passed away. She asked me to bring it to Kyoto."

Seeing the green jade pendant with phoenix pattern, Wang's heartbeat suddenly tightened, and the look in her eyes when she looked at the girl became more earnest.

This girl in green not only looks similar, but her age is roughly the same as well. She also has a green jade pendant with a phoenix pattern as a token of trust, so it shouldn't be fake.

"Good boy, follow me into the mansion."

Wang took the initiative to hold Song Lingyi's hand. The touch was warm, and a faint and precious fragrance brushed past her nose, making the girl feel inexplicably sad.

………

The Duke of Jin's mansion was spacious and magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, endless whitewashed walls and black tiles, and pavilions and terraces scattered throughout the courtyard. A variety of flowers and trees were planted in the courtyard, and even when they were out of season, they bloomed brilliantly under the care of the gardener.

Walking into the front hall, the roof ridge soared, the eaves rising high on all four corners. Down the veranda, maids filled the air like clouds, each bowing their heads and lowering their brows, saluting in unison to Wang. Everywhere exuded the majesty of the master of the house.

Wang led the girl to the front hall, asked her to sit for a while, and then led Qingyue to the backyard.

The maid served hot tea and secretly glanced at the girl in green sitting on the chair at the side, "Miss, please have some tea."

"Thank you." Song Lingyi smiled faintly.

The maid slowly retreated, and the girl was the only one left in the huge front hall.

The hall was quiet and silent, with white mist rising from the animal horn Boshan furnace. Priceless antique jade artifacts were placed everywhere, demonstrating the wealth of the owner.

About a quarter of an hour later, accompanied by Wang's gentle greeting, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard in the corridor of the front hall.

The girl in green sitting quietly on the side chair turned her head and looked—

The first person to come in was the middle-aged man who had been seen outside the gate. However, he was not wearing an official robe, but had changed into a casual suit with wide sleeves. His brows and eyes were solemn, and he looked majestic without being angry. It was obvious at a glance that he was a high-ranking duke.

Following closely behind was Wang and a group of maids with serious expressions. As soon as they entered the room, they looked at the girl carefully, afraid of missing an inch of her.

Lu Tanwei walked to the first seat, sat down with his horse and golden sword, and cast a heavy and substantial gaze at the girl.

"Little girl, can you let me see the jade pendant on you?

Unlike how she handled Wang and Qingyue with ease, Song Lingyi felt inexplicably nervous. She took off the jade pendant and handed it to him, keeping her head lowered, not daring to look him in the eye.

Lu Tanwei took the jade pendant and examined it carefully in his palm.

The green jade phoenix pendant was commissioned by the Duke during his lifetime as a token of engagement for his third daughter, Lu Yanxian, and the Pei family. Made of exquisite materials and beautifully carved, it's unmatched in the entire Dayuan.

He looked at it calmly for a while, his eyes calm and steady.

"May I have your name?"

Wang and Lu Tanwei had been married for more than ten years, and she could tell at a glance that his attitude towards the girl had changed.

Seeing the girl lowering her head, he thought she was afraid and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, this is the Duke."

Song Lingyi raised her eyes, her gaze pure: "My name is Song Lingyi."

The moment the girl raised her eyes, Lu Tanwei's stern face moved slightly, and all his suspicions and vigilance were wiped out at this moment.

Not only do they look alike, but even their eyes are very much like the third sister.

As the daughter of a Duke, the third sister grew up in luxury, pampered by her family. Unaware of the dangers of the world, she approached love with an innocent and passionate air. In order to marry a poor scholar, she even severed her relationship with her father.

Furious, my father forbade anyone in the family from contacting my third sister. It wasn't until last winter, when my father passed away and the family finished arranging the funeral, that we heard another piece of tragic news from Huaizhou.

Song Zhao died in battle in Danyang County, and his third sister, a lingering illness, passed away in Huaizhou at the beginning of the year. Upon hearing the news, his mother was so grief-stricken that she fainted for two days.

The Pei family is a family of noble birth, how could a poor scholar be compared to them? If the third sister had obeyed her parents' orders, perhaps she would not have died of illness in a foreign land.

Thinking of the sad past, Lu Tanwei's eyes turned red and his throat choked: "You are so much like your mother."

Before Song Lingyi could say anything, the maids beside her echoed with tears in their voices:

"Yes, yes, my cousin's eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same as the third young lady's."

"When she came in just now, I thought it was the Third Young Lady who had returned..."

“…” Song Lingyi frowned slightly.

These people are exaggerating too much.

Wang wiped her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief and sighed, "More than ten years have passed. Your mother is also very cruel. She has never returned to Kyoto to visit you once."

"Child, where have you been these past few months, and how did you get to Beijing?" Lu Tanwei asked.

Huaizhou City is adjacent to Danyang County and the situation is turbulent. In the past few months, he sent many people to Huaizhou City to pick up his niece, but there has been no news.

Not only was the Song family's house in Huaizhou City deserted, but no one knew where their niece had gone.

When the news reached Kyoto, the old lady who was already bedridden was shocked and her condition worsened. She kept muttering about her granddaughter.

Lu Tanwei and Lu Hanzhi mobilized almost all their connections to find the person, but with little success.

Some time ago, there was news that Song Lingyi had been seen in Xuancheng, and Lu Tanwei had planned to take leave and go to Xuancheng in person. But when Pei Jia Erlang heard the news, he volunteered to go to Xuancheng to look for her.

The Lu family and the Pei family are close friends and have not had any rifts between them because of an unsuccessful marriage. Moreover, Erlang of the Pei family has a gentle temperament and acts cautiously, so Lu Tanwei can rest assured if he lets him go to Xuancheng.

"Before my mother passed away, she asked me to take the jade pendant to Beijing to visit my relatives. However, I had never been to Kyoto, nor had I met my grandparents. I was very confused along the way, and inevitably took the wrong road, so I arrived in Beijing a little late."

Song Lingyi knew it was hard to convince people that an orphan girl would come to the capital alone. She added, "After my father died in battle in Danyang County, the Song family lost its pillar. Besides taking care of my father's funeral, my mother also needed money for medicine. In just two months, our family was unable to make ends meet. Later, my mother dismissed the family servants and only retained three Kunlun slaves to escort me to the capital."

"A few days ago, we encountered robbers at Yunhe Ferry. Kunlun Slave was trying to protect me but unfortunately died..."

Even before she finished hearing about her difficult experiences, Wang was already in tears. Over the years, Old An hadn't said anything, but in fact, he had always thought of Yan Xian and his granddaughter. However, her father-in-law was very stubborn. Not only did he not help the Song family, he even refused to send them a letter.

If she had known about the Song family's predicament earlier, her niece wouldn't have suffered so much.

The others were silent, shocked and sad. Lu Tanwei felt more guilty. If he and his second brother could have persuaded their father more, perhaps the situation would be different today.

"You said you encountered robbers at Yunhe Ferry. Were you injured?" Lu Tanwei asked.

Song Lingyi lowered her eyes and shook her head, feeling quite sad. "They were protected by the Kunlun slaves and never got hurt. It's a pity that they died at such a young age."

She had no intention of telling others about her beggar appearance. The Duke of Jin's family was wealthy and powerful, and everyone was rich and powerful. If they knew that she had been a beggar, they might despise her and laugh at her in private.

Living under someone else's roof is already a disadvantageous situation, and if she is laughed at by the people in the mansion, her future life will definitely be even more difficult.

"This robber is really despicable. The Duke must avenge our cousin." said one of the maids.

Lu Tanwei didn't say anything, his eyes were calm and sharp, as if he was planning something.

After two breaths of silence, he said, "My child, you've had a hard time on this journey. Your grandmother had people clean out Zhilan Garden a long time ago. That was the courtyard your mother lived in before she got married. I'll ask your aunt to take you there later. If you need anything, just tell us. Don't be polite with us."

Just when Song Lingyi was feeling at a loss for what to do with this sudden warmth, a warm hand fell on her shoulder.

"Good boy, your grandmother has been talking about you all the time." Wang's eyes were red, and she smiled gently. "Come with me to pay my respects to her later. Old An will surely be happy to see you, and her condition may even improve."

"Grandma is sick. Is it serious?" Song Lingyi frowned and spoke in a nervous tone.

She had never met her grandmother, nor was she the real Song Lingyi, but that did not stop her from pretending to be concerned and worried in order to gain the favor of the Song family.

Wang sighed, "Your grandmother has always been in poor health. When she heard that your mother had passed away, she was so grief-stricken that she fainted for several days..."

The front hall was filled with sadness.

Suddenly, brisk footsteps were heard in the corridor, and through the projection of the window, a young woman with double buns could be vaguely seen.

"Father and Mother, I heard that my sister has been found. Let me see her!"

The girl had a clear voice and a pretty face. She lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold. Her eyes wandered among the people and finally fell on the girl in green. A hint of surprise flashed in her almond-shaped eyes.

"Is this my cousin?"

Song Lingyi looked at the young lady who had come later without leaving any trace. She was wearing a lotus-colored dress with butterfly patterns on it. Her double spiral bun was decorated with intricate pearls and jade. Her earlobes, neck, and wrists were all adorned with brilliant jewelry. It was obvious at a glance that she was of extraordinary status.

If you call her 'cousin', she should be a little younger.

Wang introduced her gently, "Lingyi, this is your cousin Ayu. She knows your family is looking for you, and she's been missing you."

Lu Yu smiled brightly, "Cousin, you're so beautiful. I heard from Mother that you're half a year younger than your brother. You must be sixteen this year, right?"

The girl was too enthusiastic, but there was no malice in her enthusiasm, so Song Lingyi didn't mind it.

She smiled slightly: "Exactly sixteen."

"I just came of age this year. It's great that my cousin is here. From now on, I will have someone to play with me in the mansion." Lu Yu's eyes were curved, and she looked playful and cute.

Girls in Dayuan reach the age of 14. In modern times, this is the age of starting high school. Not to mention getting married, even holding hands with the opposite sex requires caution.

Song Lingyi paused and asked softly, "Don't you have a cousin? Why doesn't he play with you?"

Lu Yu pursed her lips slightly: "He is very bad and never plays with me."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and took Song Lingyi's hand. Song Lingyi shrank back when she touched the wound on the palm of her hand.

"Huh?" Lu Yu held up Song Lingyi's hand, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "How did your hand get injured, cousin?"

It was just a minor injury, and Song Lingyi didn't want to make a big deal out of it. "I accidentally bumped into it, it's no big deal."

Wang gave Qingyue a look, signaling her to prepare some medicine for the wound. Then, she interrupted the two sisters' chatter and asked, "Ayu, is Grandmother awake?"

The old lady was bedridden, sleeping most of the time, rarely waking up, and every time she woke up, she would talk about Lu Yanxian and her granddaughter. Now that the person had been found, it was natural to bring him to the old lady as soon as possible.

Lu Yu shook her head and said with a bitter face: "Grandmother woke up once at 7:00 am, took medicine, and is now asleep again."

Song Lingyi's eyes moved slightly.

She had thought that recognizing her as a relative would be very troublesome, at least when she first arrived, she felt unsure. Unexpectedly, the Song family not only accepted her quickly, but also seemed to value her as their niece.

Among them, the one who changed his attitude the most was the Duke of Jin.

Lu Tanwei slowly stood up, his majestic demeanor retreating, his expression relaxed and gentle. "In that case, let's take Lingyi to Zhilan Garden to rest. She must have been traveling so hard. Ask the kitchen to prepare hot water for bathing and food."

Wang nodded in agreement, ordered the maid to arrange hot water and food, and personally led Song Lingyi to Zhilan Garden.

Pass through the second door of the Chuizhu Gate Tower and enter the backyard of the mansion.

The courtyard is lush and green, with layers of buildings and pavilions, and is several levels more luxurious than Mr. Chai's manor.