After a long period of contemplation, Lu Qiqi pondered the memories stored in her brain.

It actually reminded her.

When she was in the border town, she chatted with Song Yanqing about how, on their way to escape famine, all the horses of the Tartars were stolen by bandits.

That was the first time she had heard the name Marquis of Anyang.

At that time, she even scoffed at the Marquis of Anyang for his lack of martial ethics and his utter shamelessness in taking all the credit for himself.

It turns out that this scoundrel was the one who proposed to Chen and caused her to fall from the mountaintop.

Thinking about it this way, Lu Qiqi felt a pang of sympathy for Zeng Shi for praising the heir of the Marquis of Lin'an earlier.

Zeng's high fever had just subsided, and she was still very weak. She cried sadly for a long time.

She was already an elderly mother, and it had only been a few months since she gave birth. Her condition had not yet fully recovered, and she couldn't keep up for long. She fell asleep from exhaustion with tears still on her face.

Upon suddenly learning about Chen's background and her past, Lu Qiqi felt a pang of sadness.

She had Li take Lu Yao back to her room, while she herself summoned An Shi.

She was unclear about the situation in the Great Jin Dynasty, and since it concerned officials, asking the Shadow Guard would surely be more effective.

When An Shi arrived, Lu Qiqi was sitting in the courtyard waiting.

She was dressed in a simple blue robe, and the tea on the stone table was still steaming.

"Greetings, Lord of the Village."

Upon seeing the person arrive, Lu Qiqi cut to the chase, "An Shi, do you know about the marriage alliance between the Marquis of Lin'an and the Marquis of Anyang more than ten years ago?"

More than a decade has passed. Back then, Dark Ten had not yet joined the Shadow Guard, so Lu Qiqi wasn't sure if he knew.

Until she heard An Shi's deep voice, "Reporting to the village lord, this subordinate has heard something about it."

It seems that what happened back then caused quite a stir, otherwise the Shadow Guards wouldn't have been able to answer the question so easily.

"Tell me about it quickly."

An Shi said, "The day after the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Lin'an got married, she was ambushed and killed by bandits."

Upon learning the news, the Marquis of Lin'an led his troops to suppress the bandits. Several surrounding hills were wiped out, but the Marquis's daughter was still not found.

However, this spring, news spread from the Marquis of Lin'an's residence that they had found the orphaned daughter left behind by the Marquis's daughter, and that she had been brought back to the residence.

Wait, what do you mean by finding the orphaned girl left behind by the Chen family?

Lu Qiqi frowned. She and Lu Yao were both in Luzhou Prefecture. Who was the orphan girl who was found and taken back by the Marquis of Lin'an?

Realizing that this matter was unusual, Lu Qiqi looked up at An Shi and said, "The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Lin'an is my mother. She was being chased and fell into the mountains when my father rescued her."

Upon hearing this, even An Shi, who was well-trained, showed a hint of surprise on his face.

Lu Qiqi continued, "As far as I know, my mother did not give birth to any children other than me and Ayao."

Dark Ten, go to the new capital city and investigate to see who is impersonating me.

Also, investigate the Marquis of Anyang's residence.

Things that happened more than a decade ago are not easy to bring up now.

But there are still many unanswered questions regarding the suffering my mother endured, and I must find out the truth no matter what.

Lu Qiqi thought that since she had taken over the original owner's body, she had to find out the truth for the Chen family, settle scores, and not let anyone get away with it.

Under the pavilion, An Shi and Shi Jiu were both stunned when they heard this shocking news.

The two exchanged glances, and An Shi then accepted the order.

"Yes, Your Excellency. I will take men to the new capital to investigate immediately."

"Wait," Lu Qiqi called out to An Shi, who was about to leave, "when will your young master be able to return to the capital in triumph?"

According to the original plan, the Tatars sent people to negotiate peace, and Song Yanqing only needed to wait for the court to send someone to take over the border city before he could lead his army back to the capital.

An Shi stopped in his tracks. "With the heavy snow in winter, our return to the capital now will not be enough to deter the Tartars, and I fear something untoward may happen."

It seems the Crown Prince won't be able to return to the new capital until after the New Year.

After the New Year, wouldn't we have to wait until spring?

Before returning, Song Yanqing told her that after the great victory, the imperial court would send someone to take over the position of commander-in-chief and then guard the border.

It now appears that the two will not be able to spend New Year's Eve together again this year.

Lu Qiqi nodded and said, "I understand, go ahead."

Having said that, An Shi withdrew.

After everyone left, Nineteen approached and asked, "Princess, is what you said true? The Marquis of Lin'an's residence is actually your maternal grandfather's family?"

Lu Qiqi wasn't in the mood for much talk. She responded with a sound of agreement and swallowed the cooled tea in one gulp.

The following day, the imperial court was bustling with activity.

As the year draws to a close, the court officials report on their achievements.

The emperor sat high on the dragon throne, listening to his courtiers recount their great achievements and praise for his effective governance.

After a great victory at the border, the Tatars negotiated peace. With Da Yu as guarantor, the Tatars would also have to pay a large sum of money.

People are in high spirits when they have good news. The emperor has been in a good mood these past few days and finds everyone pleasing to the eye.

Even though the Empress Dowager's palace gates remained tightly shut for him, it couldn't hide his recent good mood.

After the court officials finished their report, the emperor had a rare smile on his lips and said, "My dear ministers, the soldiers on the border deserve great credit for this great victory."

Although they are far away on the border, rewards are still necessary, lest they stir up the hearts of the soldiers.

Upon hearing this, the court officials all echoed, "Your Majesty is wise."

The emperor looked at the assembled civil and military officials and said, "The position of commander of the Eastern Camp is vacant. In this border battle, Deputy General Lu Dalu has made invaluable contributions."

He specially appointed Deputy General Lu as the Grand General of the Eastern Camp, awarded him 500 taels of silver, and bestowed upon him a mansion.

Qin Shiyu, the commander of the Western Camp, had beheaded Kedar before the New Year, which boosted the morale of the border soldiers in recapturing the city, but he has not yet been rewarded.

Let's bestow this title upon her together, and let her take over as the commander of the main camp, guard the border, and bring happiness to the people of our Great Jin.

A special reward of three thousand taels of silver was bestowed upon him.

Upon hearing this, the court officials below began to look at each other and whisper among themselves.

The emperor pretended not to hear or see anything.

He continued, "The Lady of Kangle Township has rendered invaluable service in treating the wounded soldiers. She is hereby granted the title of Lady of Kangle County, awarded three thousand taels of silver, and granted one hundred acres of fertile land."

When the emperor learned of Lu Qiqi, he actually killed Tadar.

This remarkable act of women proving themselves to be just as capable as men pleased him for several days.

However, it is not appropriate to discuss the matter of a marriage alliance with the Tatars now, and to do so after the New Year.

To avoid leaking the word and giving the Tatars something to hold against them, which would make negotiations difficult when it came time to demand compensation.

To his surprise, the moment the title of Princess Kang Le was announced, it sparked protests from a group of civil officials.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

The generous rewards bestowed by the Lord of Kang Le Township may cause discontent among the soldiers!