Chapter 129 All of this

Baozhu walked over and looked at Xie Qingran with some heartache as she helped her sit down.

Xie Qingran shook her head and said calmly, "In the entire Xie family, we don't have any of our own people. You alone are enough."

“But Miss, wouldn’t that be too unfair?” Baozhu knew that there were very few people here who were of one mind with Xie Qingran, but they couldn’t just reject them all, could they?

Before she finished speaking, Aunt Liu led a dozen or so old women and maids over in a grand procession.

She bowed respectfully to Xie Qingran and then said, "Miss, although Madam is still ill, she always thinks of you. These are all capable people from the household who will be your dowry!"

Xie Qingran found these words utterly ridiculous.

It was called a dowry, but it was really just spies kept by her side.

Xie Qingran first smiled with feigned delight, then asked, "Since it's part of my dowry, where's the indenture? Why wasn't it sent along with it?"

Whoever controls the indenture holds the power of life and death over these people, so whoever controls the indenture is of paramount importance.

Aunt Liu clearly hadn't expected that Xie Qingran, a young girl, would immediately inquire about the indenture.

She was taken aback for a moment, then reacted and said, "The indenture is naturally in Madam's hands. Madam is Miss's mother. What, is Miss worried that Madam will harm Miss?"

"That's not what I meant at all. I'm naturally overjoyed that my mother cares about me, but these people followed me into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, yet their indentures are with the Xie family... that..."

What will the Crown Prince think?

"Could it be that Mother thinks she wants to spy on the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"

Xie Qingran slowly sat down, calmly playing with her nails, but her words were somewhat cold.

Originally, Aunt Liu didn't like Xie Qingran very much, and had even suffered a loss because of Xie Qingran before. Now, seeing her like this, Aunt Liu's face became even more gloomy: "Miss, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Don't you know what I mean?" Xie Qingran had completely lost her patience: "Either take these people back, or send over the indentures!"

"You!" Aunt Liu gritted her teeth, her eyebrows furrowed tightly. She really couldn't understand why Xie Qingran, who was originally so weak and easy to manipulate, had become so difficult to deal with now.

Every word hit the nail on the head, leaving a cunning old fox like Aunt Liu speechless.

Left with no other choice, Aunt Liu had to return empty-handed.

Seeing her pathetic state, Madam Wang was furious. She snorted coldly and said irritably, "What can you do, you good-for-nothing? I'll go there myself. I want to see if she thinks she can turn the world upside down!"

“Madam, you are still not fully recovered, and the eldest daughter is about to get married. It would be very unsightly to cause a scene at this time.”

"This marriage was hard-won. Why don't you give her the indenture, Madam? Just keep two important ones hidden away. Surely they won't be discovered?"

Aunt Liu had already thought of a plan on her way back.

There are more than a dozen people in total, and it's impossible for everyone to be useful. Only a few can actually be of use.

Upon hearing this, Wang's previously volatile eyes finally calmed down.

She nodded in satisfaction, then smiled and said, "Good idea, let's do it that way."

Time flies, and the last day is almost here.

Thinking that she was getting married tomorrow, Xie Qingran felt that it was time to make some things clear to Wang Shi.

She smiled gently, stood up, and changed into a simple white dress, which made her look exceptionally serene and aloof, like the moonlight in the sky.

Taking advantage of the darkness, Xie Qingran entered Lianyi Garden and went into Wang's room.

Seeing Xie Qingran approach, Madam Wang gave her a cold look, simply snorting and saying unhappily, "What are you doing here?"

"My daughter is getting married tomorrow, so I came here specifically to see my mother."

Xie Qingran knelt on the ground, bowing respectfully, but did not get up, simply kneeling there quietly.

She looked at Madam Wang coldly and said indifferently, "Mother has always loved Xie Hanyue as her own daughter, but does Mother know who Xie Hanyue's biological parents are?"

"Don't bring Yue'er up. No matter who her biological parents are, she is my daughter!" Wang said coldly, repeating the same sentence again.

In the past, whenever Xie Qingran heard Wang say such things, she would feel as if her heart had been stabbed hard. But now, Xie Qingran found these words utterly ridiculous.

She gave a slight twitch of her lips and said, "Even if she is the child of the Imperial Concubine and the Emperor, is she still your daughter?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Wang gritted her teeth and frowned as she looked at Xie Qingran.

"Why was Mother able to marry Father? Mother herself should know the answer, shouldn't she? If it weren't for the Imperial Concubine entering the palace back then, he probably wouldn't have married you, would he?"

Xie Qingran remained expressionless, simply looking at Wang Shi with indifference.

Wang was stunned for a moment, then she immediately thought of what happened back then. She knew that Xie Yankang's favorite person had always been the Imperial Concubine. It was only because he couldn't marry the Imperial Concubine that he settled for her, a person of equal social standing, as his wife.

However, in a large family, marriage is often a union of interests, and true feelings are the least important thing. Now, the two are considered to be in harmony and have even had children, so their lives are quite stable.

However, Xie Qingran insisted on bringing up these matters at this time, which greatly angered Wang and even made her feel an unspeakable sense of shame.

Her eyebrows furrowed tightly as she looked at Xie Qingran: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Back then, when the Imperial Concubine was pregnant, she replaced her daughter with a baby boy during childbirth in order to gain future favor. She didn't trust outsiders to raise her daughter, so she entrusted the child to her father."

"Over the years, Xie Hanyue has grown to look more and more like the Imperial Concubine, and the Imperial Concubine has also taken extra care of Xie Hanyue. Doesn't Mother feel it?"

"Does Father love Xie Hanyue so much because of Xie Hanyue herself, or because she is the child of the woman he loves?"

Xie Qingran spoke these hurtful words gently, staring calmly into Wang Shi's eyes without revealing any malice, and even with a hint of pity.

"Is the Imperial Concubine a kind and compassionate person? Why would she treat an adopted daughter of the Xie family with such gentle care?"

"Mother, have you ever wondered why all of this happened?"