Chapter 116 "Because I believe it's you, and..."

Your household is in such a mess...

Shen Lingyue's pupils dilated, and her mind went blank.

First, there's the suspected unresolved past relationship between the Crown Princess and her brother-in-law, and then there's the ambiguous relationship between the Crown Prince and his stepmother's adopted daughter...

Wait a minute, Wu Qiong is still a young girl!

Ahhh, pedophile, explode on the spot and spiral into the heavens!

Huh? Did Xiao Chuwen push Wu Qiong away?

Shen Lingyue silently withdrew the curse, unsure, should she wait and see?

Xiao Chuwen seemed startled by Wu Qiong's sudden attack. He was even more astonished when she hugged him tightly. Without thinking, he pushed her away and took several steps back, his face showing a complex expression of anger and disgust.

Wu Qiong seemed to be hurt by the emotions in his eyes, and she covered her face and ran away crying.

Xiao Chuwen stood there stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize what was happening. He frantically patted his clothes, then his expression changed, replaced by a worried look. He clenched his fists and angrily strode towards the Crown Princess's courtyard.

"Breathe," Yan Yi whispered beside me.

Shen Lingyue snapped back to reality and gasped for breath several times.

"Oh my god... this plot is so confusing." She patted her chest to calm herself down, her brows furrowed as she looked at Yan Yi: "So it's because Wu Qiong had a crush on Xiao Chuwen and plotted against the Crown Prince's wife out of jealousy?"

But what's so great about Xiao Chuwen? He's at least a dozen years older than Wu Qiong, isn't he?

He's a genuine old man.

Moreover, judging from the situation just now, Xiao Chuwen seemed to have no interest in Wu Qiong at all, and he was also very harsh and stern when faced with her "throwing herself into his arms".

Well... at least he's a normal person with a conscience?

Anyway, human traffickers and perverts will never be able to escape Shen Lingyue's clutches.

She muttered to herself, analyzing the situation, before realizing that Yan Yi had been silent for quite some time.

"...Yan Yan, you saw it again?"

Shen Lingyue then noticed the complex and conflicted emotions on her face, which resembled a pie chart.

Could the Prince Chun's Mansion really be a fascinating juicy gossip spot?

"Okay, we'll talk about it when we get back."

Yan Yi silently took a deep breath, her expression still not very good.

It was truly breathtaking.

...

Back at Jiusi Academy.

Yan Yi waited until Shen Lingyue finished drinking the water before speaking, which still startled her so much that she gasped.

"What? You mean Wu Qiong's real age might be older than the two of us, but she has a strange illness that keeps her looking like a young girl?"

Shen Lingyue couldn't help but recall Wu Qiong, whom she had met twice before. She was fair-skinned, frail, quiet, and well-behaved, with a kind of pitiful charm.

Moreover, setting aside her mature clothing and appearance, a closer look at her facial features reveals a hint of youthfulness; one could easily believe she was eleven or twelve, let alone fourteen.

Girls at this age grow very quickly, and their development varies from person to person, making it difficult to judge from their appearance.

However, because Ah Zhi had mentioned Wu Qiong's age when introducing her to the two, she couldn't help but assume that Wu Qiong was fourteen years old.

“I understand…” Shen Lingyue suddenly realized, “No wonder I felt something was off about her. Fake is fake, and you can’t fake a real girlish charm.”

Wu Qiong may have been good at disguising herself, but if you put her next to Azhi and her friends, you'd see the difference.

Wu Qiong's image in front of Princess Chun was always that of a well-behaved and sensible person. Even if she occasionally seemed a little precocious, she would brush it off with excuses like being precocious, making it hard to notice.

The thought that an adult's soul was hidden inside the body of that well-behaved and quiet girl made Shen Lingyue feel a chill run down her spine, as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

"Because she was ill and unable to enjoy the love and pleasures of an adult woman, and unable to bear her own child, this huge mismatch between body and soul bred jealousy, which is why she targeted the pregnant Crown Princess?"

Shen Lingyue stroked her chin, looking troubled. "Thinking about it this way, it's kind of pitiful... but jealousy and harming others are wrong!"

Perhaps everyone has fantasized about staying young forever, but if Shen Lingyue had to choose, she would definitely choose to stay at eighteen or twenty years old, not twelve or thirteen.

Children don't want to grow up, but didn't Peter Pan regret it too?

"If Wu Qiong were born in our world, everyone would know that it is just an illness, and they would not look at her with prejudice."

Yan Yi calmly reminded her, "But she was born in the wrong era. Here, she would be regarded as a heretic, an evil spirit, or even a monster."

Shen Lingyue exclaimed, "Xiao Chuwen... could he know Wu Qiong's true identity?"

Otherwise, why would he have pushed Wu Qiong away so resolutely and with such disgust just now, and even frantically patted his clothes after she left, as if he had been defiled?

A young boy who dared to push his pregnant stepmother into an icy lake, and an old man who, after growing up and getting married, still indulged in debauchery... was defiled by a "little girl"?

Shen Lingyue snorted coldly: "He's no good either."

A normal adult should not have any improper thoughts about little boys or girls. This is a basic bottom line for being human, but it does not mean that a man who is not a pedophile is a good man.

Otherwise, the standards for a good man would be too low.

etc……

If Xiao Chuwen already knew Wu Qiong's true identity, then how did she end up being adopted by the Princess of Chun County?

This stepmother and son are separated by a deep-seated hatred stemming from the loss of a life.

Shen Lingyue's mind was a bit of a mess, and she grabbed Yan Yi's wrist pleadingly, "Good Yan Yan, why don't you tell me from the beginning? I've given up trying to think, sob sob..."

Yan Yi nodded, organized her thoughts, and said, "Then I'll start from Wu Qiong's real teenage years."

...

The Wu Qiong that Yan Yi saw was born in a small village in the south, and the first twelve years of her life were probably quite smooth.

Although she was born into a poor farming family that was constantly striving to have a son and treating her daughters as dowry money for her future son, Wu Qiong didn't feel there was anything wrong with her life because all the women around her, young and old, had gone through the same thing.

She only felt a little resentful occasionally, and hoped that if she behaved a little more obediently and sensibly, she could get fewer beatings and eat a few more meals. She also hoped that if she could marry a husband who was well-off, gentle, and not like her father who would beat women and children when he was drunk, her life would be complete.

Her looks combined the best of her parents, perhaps with a bit of genetic lottery winnings, making her the most outstanding child in the family. Because she was sweet-talking, perceptive, and good at expressing herself, her parents had high hopes for her, believing she was the one in the family most likely to marry into a wealthy family. From the age of twelve or thirteen, she was rarely beaten or scolded, and was even allowed not to work in the fields. She was only allowed to cook, clean the house, and keep her skin fair and her hands from becoming too rough.

Until Wu Qiong discovered that her body had suddenly stopped growing one day.

Her neighbor's girls, the same age as her, began secretly binding their chests with strips of cloth, exchanging unspoken secrets of adolescence. They would huddle together, whispering, their faces flushed, a mixture of shyness and anticipation for growing up. She had none of these feelings, but she knew she couldn't appear out of place. So she started lying, eavesdropping on their conversations, subtly extracting information from those around her, and then processing it into her own experiences.

She carefully concealed her age until she was fifteen, but her appearance, which remained unchanged for two or three years, betrayed her.

Her parents' gaze shifted from initial worry to fear, and even a hint of annoyance at their inability to marry off this "monster."

Wu Qiong knew that she had become the real "money-losing commodity" in the mouth of the most vicious old woman in the village.

Until one day, she overheard her parents discussing something behind closed doors in their room.

"That master in the prefectural city only likes to buy girls who are twelve or thirteen years old. After a few years, he complains that they've grown up and he doesn't like them anymore. But Qiong'er won't grow up. She'll always look the same. As long as she's smart and obedient, she can stay by the master's side forever and live a life of luxury..."

"Our family can't afford to keep such a monster. Sending her to a wealthy family would be a blessing..."

Wu Qiong understood what these words meant, and after the initial shock, she felt intense anger and hatred.

Is this what she wanted to become? Doesn't she want to find a man, get married, have children, and live a normal life?

All she wanted was a roof over her head to shelter her from the wind and rain, and food to eat. Why did even her own parents, who gave her life and raised her, have to kick her out, and even feel smug about it, thinking she was a rare commodity?

This anger reached its peak when the mother accidentally let slip one day that the wealthy gentleman had reached his 58th birthday.

She fled on a windy night, setting fire to the thatched roof of her house before leaving.

Later, Wu Qiong traveled to many places and discovered that her innocent and harmless face easily aroused the sympathy of kind-hearted people.

She was bought into a wealthy family as a maid, but quickly won the favor of the mistress of the house, who then placed her next to her own daughter so that she could be her dowry in the future.

But Wu Qiong couldn't stay in any one place for long. She was afraid that her secret would be discovered and she would be seen as an immortal monster.

In these repeated escapes and exiles, her heart was gnawed open by jealousy, each hole oozing poison.

I hate them so much.

I hate that they can grow up, I hate that they are tall and slender, I hate that they can dress themselves up as they please, snuggle in the arms of their loved ones, and spend the night with them.

She will never experience true love between a man and a woman, and what kind of man would abandon physical appearance to love only her soul?

They are all a bunch of beasts who lust after the youthful bodies of young girls.

Until she ran away again, she unexpectedly met Xiao Chuwen.

...

"Xiao Chuwen learned of Wu Qiong's secret, disguised her, and sent her to Princess Chun to gain her trust, then secretly poisoned her food?!"

Shen Lingyue suddenly stood up. "No wonder Mother said that the Princess Consort's health has been getting worse and worse in the past two years. It turns out that the ungrateful wretch is right beside her."

"If it weren't for the kind-hearted Princess Consort Chun, who felt that since she had adopted this daughter, she should be responsible for her future and, for the first time ever, swallowed her pride and begged Princess Tong'an to put Wu Qiong into Yun Shao Girls' School, so that she could spend most of her time in the school and would not have the opportunity to make frequent moves."

Yan Yi said softly, "Otherwise, given her physical condition, she wouldn't have made it to today."

It's likely that Wu Qiong made some kind of agreement with Xiao Chuwen in private, which caused her to harbor inappropriate thoughts, become jealous of the Crown Princess, and want to harm her and the child in her womb.

This was something Xiao Chuwen hadn't anticipated, which is why he was so angry and furious when she and Xiao Yueliang witnessed the scene, and slapped Wu Qiong.

"...Does Wu Qiong think that she can rise to power just by killing the Crown Princess?" Shen Lingyue was stunned by her twisted and jealous thought process. "But she will never grow up. How could Xiao Chuwen possibly marry her?"

Besides, these two crazy people should just be locked up, why drag the Crown Princess into being harmed?

"No, we must make Princess Chun see Wu Qiong's true colors as soon as possible. We can't keep this venomous snake by our side."

Shen Lingyue was filled with righteous indignation, "And Xiao Chuwen, how can such trash be allowed to become the crown prince and inherit the throne? If I were Xiao Chuyang, I wouldn't accept it either."

Is it really that great to be born into a good family?

Yan Yi patted the back of her hand to calm her agitated emotions, "There's no other way. Although the primogeniture system has many drawbacks, it is currently the best way to maintain the stability of the regime and the inheritance of etiquette."

Shen Lingyue snorted: "Erfeng doesn't think so, and has sent you an invitation from Xuanwu Gate."

Yan Yi: ...Is now the time to discuss whether it is reasonable for the eldest son to inherit the throne?

Little Moon's talent for going off-topic by a mile is truly unmatched.

"Oh, I get it, I get it. It's just a momentary emotional outburst."

Shen Lingyue tugged at Yan Yi's sleeve and shook it, looking at her expectantly: "Then what do you think we should do now? -- I understand we don't have evidence, but we can find someone to investigate."

Based on what Yan Yi "saw" about Wu Qiong's past, she should be able to find out her true place of origin and background, right?

If we could find Wu Qiong's former neighbors and relatives to testify that she looked like this more than ten years ago and still looks like this more than ten years later, wouldn't the truth be revealed?

"Why don't we ask Lu Xilou for help again?" Shen Lingyue snapped her fingers. "Anyway, we're not strangers with Lu Xilou anymore, he'll definitely be interested in this big scoop about the Prince Chun's Mansion."

However, Yan Yi shook her head.

“The Prince Chun’s Mansion is a member of the royal family, and Xiao Chuwen has been the heir apparent for twenty years. If we rashly expose his true colors, it will be a matter of changing the title of Prince, and we need to report it to the Imperial Clan Court. It is very likely that we will alarm the old emperor.”

She calmly reminded Shen Lingyue, "This time, there's no serious charge like Prince An's treason to divert our attention."

The closer they are to the center of royal power, the greater their chances of being exposed.

The peaceful days they have now are hard-won, and they must be very careful with every step they take from now on. They can no longer act recklessly like they did when they first arrived last year.

Shen Lingyue pouted, a little unconvinced, but she knew in her heart that Yan Yi was right.

"These days, you have to do good deeds secretly... Why? Why?!"

Shen Lingyue: Diagnosed with the "Why?" personality disorder.

Yan Yi chuckled and soothed her, "Because our little moon is just so upright, brave, and kind, this little bit of grievance is acceptable, right?"

Shen Lingyue plopped into her arms, rested her head on Yan Yi's lap, and winked at her, "So what should we do this time? Should we write anonymous letters again, or play tricks?"

Yan Yi shook her head, suppressing a laugh. "Neither."

She looked out the window, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

"The Xiao family's affairs should naturally be resolved by the Xiao family themselves."

...

A few days later.

Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi were still a little disoriented as they walked through Princess Tong'an's residence.

She caught up with Yan Yi with quick, quick steps, lowering her voice: "Didn't you say that the Xiao family's affairs should be resolved by the Xiao family? I thought you were talking about Xiao Chuyang..."

Yan Yi glanced at her helplessly, "We have no dealings with Xiao Chuyang. How are we supposed to talk to him? Say, 'I know you like your sister-in-law. Now there's an opportunity to remove your brother from the position of heir apparent. Do you want to cooperate with us?'"

Xiao Chuyang would probably just think they're crazy.

"Given Princess Tong'an's status and position, it is only natural for her to step forward."

"But……"

Before Shen Lingyue could say anything more, Princess Tong'an's enthusiastic greeting drifted from afar, "Have the two strategists come to offer their advice again?"

Strategist? Shen Lingyue chuckled; she inexplicably liked this title.

...

Princess Tong'an thought they had come for the Min'en Temple.

The establishment of the Royal Min'en Temple has been approved by the court assembly—those who disagreed were scolded on the spot by Princess Tong'an, who seemed to be saying that if anyone dared to oppose her, she would carry all the old, young, orphaned, and disabled people from Jishantang to their homes the next day.

In short, she doesn't need government funding or the officials' help. As a daughter of the Xiao family, she is responsible for comforting the people of Daye. Who would dare to object?

The officials also acted according to Emperor Qingxi's wishes. Previously, the Jishantang was too closely tied to Prince An, which resulted in the creation of a traitor. Now, the charitable relief work has been brought under the control of the royal family, with power distributed among the princesses and consorts. In addition, a "mini-censorate" composed of the wives and concubines of officials in the court oversees the use of funds.

These ladies, upon returning home, were jokingly referred to as "female censors" by their husbands, which made them quite proud in front of their colleagues.

After all, not every lady can receive such an honor and be trusted and valued by princesses and queens.

Besides, before the establishment of the Jishantang, these wealthy families would also distribute porridge and medicine to relieve the people every winter. It was organized by the women of each family. Now it's just a matter of changing the name and unifying them.

It's not a big problem.

...

Princess Tong'an had no idea why Yan Yi had come.

Shen Lingyue was even more surprised that Yan Yi would choose to reveal Wu Qiong's background and her conspiracy with Xiao Chuwen, and she made no attempt to hide anything from Princess Tong'an.

She stood to the side, her eyes almost twitching from blinking. She tried several times to tug at Yan Yi's clothes to interrupt her, but Yan Yi ignored her without batting an eye. Finally, she simply grabbed her hand and held it firmly in her palm.

Shen Lingyue was powerless to look up at the sky.

She always thought she was bold enough, but compared to Yan Yan, she seemed too conservative.

So, you just told the princess everything like that? Shouldn't you have come up with some excuse like "a dream" or "divine revelation"?

Princess Tong'an listened attentively, showing no sign of doubt throughout, and finally let out a long sigh.

"Is there really such a strange disease in the world that can make people look young forever? I've really had my eyes opened today."

"Yes, Your Highness. Wu Qiong has only contracted a rare and strange illness, not some evil or heretical thing, but being sick is by no means a reason for her to be twisted and harm people's lives."

Yan Yi said earnestly, "I only remember that there is a 'yao river' near Wu Qiong's hometown, and the village where Wu's family lives is called 'wuyang village.' The climate should be in the Jiangnan to Yangtze River area. I don't know much more."

“That’s enough.” Princess Tong’an nodded firmly. “I have a map in my residence, as well as the female officials who were sent to the south to recruit students. If we call them over and have them recall the map one by one, we can determine the approximate area of ​​Wu Qiong’s hometown.”

She then said to Yan Yi, "You don't need to worry about Princess Chun. I will have Physician Wen take her pulse tomorrow. If we can find any problems in her daily diet, that will be a good starting point."

“And Xiao Chuyang…” Princess Tong’an shook her head with a smile, “I didn’t expect him to be such a romantic. Don’t worry, I’ll find time to talk to him.”

He'd be a fool to turn down the position of heir apparent offered to him.

Princess Tong'an easily resolved the two's biggest concerns with just a few words.

Yan Yi's tense back relaxed slightly, revealing a faint smile. "Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

Princess Tong'an walked up to Yan Yi, took her and Shen Lingyue's hands, and said meaningfully, "How can this be considered a trouble? I should be thanking you for giving me this opportunity."

The old-fashioned uncles and elders of the Xiao family were still watching from the sidelines, placing their bets and choosing the princes they favored.

She never intended to win them over in the first place.

What she wanted was to pull them down from their high thrones and replace them with her own people.

Just like how, besides her, who else could understand Xiao Chuyang's unrequited love for his sister-in-law?

As long as he's smart enough, she's willing to give him a chance and help him achieve his wish.

...

Shen Lingyue seemed to be out of touch with reality, blinking as she watched Princess Tong'an and Yan Yi talking in riddles.

No, Yan Yan has so easily turned Princess Tong'an into one of her own?

This is much better than Lu Xilou's!

They no longer need to rack their brains for excuses to openly follow the princess around and enjoy the gossip.

Yay!

Princess Tong'an chuckled at her bewildered expression, flicking Shen Lingyue's forehead with her finger. "Little A-Yue, are you already acting silly? Where's that fearless spirit you had back then, daring to drug everyone in my villa?"

Shen Lingyue seemed to have been struck on the head, instantly sobering up. "You, you knew all along?"

"Otherwise what? Who do you think cleaned up the mess for you and wiped away all traces?"

Princess Tong'an raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a deeper meaning: "Back then, I felt that the two of you were no ordinary people, and you certainly gave me a wonderful surprise."

She then looked at Yan Yi, her face showing an unusual seriousness.

"Actually, there's something I've always wanted to ask—why did you come to find me?"

Yan Yi took two steps back, raised his hands, and performed a standard court etiquette to Princess Tong'an.

Her posture was elegant and graceful, her movements fluid and graceful, her sleeves fluttering like a wild goose spreading its wings, its dark feathers like a fan.

"Your Highness, because I believe it is you, and it can only be you."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Yan Yan: A strategist chooses a wise ruler [Good Luck Lianlian]

Moon Child: Yay! From now on, I can eat melons with the princess! [cheering emoji]

Pei Da and Pei Er: Our wives all ran off with the princess, are we useless now? [crying emoji]

//[Let me see][Let me see] I see some clever readers in the comments have already guessed Wu Qiong's identity~ Oh, by the way, because I personally don't like the traditional ancient romance novel setting of getting married at fifteen or sixteen, I specifically mentioned at the beginning that this book is set in an alternate universe, and made all the characters look a bit older (what's wrong with being in your early twenties? [crying]) Anyway, everyone can get the general idea [sprinkling flowers]

//And it's that time of the month again for our giveaway! [doge] I'm not sure if this will be the last giveaway for this book, so let's have a fun, random draw! Haha, remember to show off your good luck in the comments! [pat on the head]