The cramped and quiet environment inside the carriage allowed Yuqing to hear her own heartbeat.
She was already unsettled and didn't know what to do. Now, her five senses were heightened, making her unable to help but look up at Yulu as if she had done something wrong.
Yu Lu went straight to the point, "Yu Qing, do you know what the fourth young mistress of the Marquis of Anchang did before she got married?"
Fourth Young Mistress?
The fact that this address came from Yu Lu's mouth left Yu Qing stunned for a moment.
She couldn't help but wonder, had the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion stopped recognizing Miss Lin'an?
Yu Lu noticed that something was wrong with her expression and asked, "The events happened so suddenly that day that there wasn't time to think about many things. What might you be recalling now?"
Yuqing felt anxious for a moment, but finally considered Lu Changping. After all, she was a cousin of the Marquis of Lin'an. If she really knew her true situation, she probably wouldn't stand idly by.
Having found the answer in her heart, she gritted her teeth and told him what she knew.
“Sister Yulu, I really don’t know when Miss started having an affair with the young master.”
All we know is that after the young lady was allowed to leave the manor, she always carried silver with her, but it would all disappear when she returned.
The important thing is that I've never seen them buy anything expensive.
She originally wanted to tell the First Madam about this, but Lu Changping was really not a good mistress; she didn't hold back in beating and scolding the servants behind their backs.
She had been slapped on the palm before, so she really didn't dare to do it again.
But who would have thought that such a huge scandal would occur not long afterward.
The fact that the old lady and the first lady didn't buy her away is already more than enough kindness they've shown her.
Thinking of this, Yuqing couldn't help but shed tears.
Yu Lu gently patted her back, pondering to herself that the money had disappeared without a trace and that she needed to report this matter to the First Madam.
After she calmed down a bit, she said, "Sister Yulu, Miss... she's not pregnant at all."
Yu Lu listened calmly to what Yu Qing had said earlier, since those words had already been revealed during the old lady's interrogation on New Year's Eve, so there was nothing more to ask.
Upon hearing this, she couldn't sit still. "Are you telling the truth?"
With tears welling up in her eyes, Yuqing said, "It's absolutely true. Miss has been lying in bed for several days. She was menstruating and looked pale. She wouldn't let me go to the doctor no matter what."
Now Yu Lu is certain that Lu Changping has long been colluding with the Anchang Marquis's mansion in order to swindle money and dowry.
Seeing Yuqing crying so sadly, Yulu felt sorry for her situation, but for the sake of the bigger picture, she still said according to the original plan, "The fourth young mistress of the Marquis of Anchang is not a cousin of our family."
This bombshell news completely stunned Yuqing.
What happened?
Why isn't Lu Changping a cousin? It can't be that if one person comes back, this one is completely abandoned and banished, right?
After Yu Lu's explanation, Yu Qing finally understood.
She completely disregarded what Lady Anchang had instructed her to say and instead revealed Lu Changping's current situation in the mansion.
They even revealed private matters, such as Qu Zikun not entering the house at night.
Finally, she grabbed Yulu's hand and said, "Sister Yulu, she's actually a liar. She not only deceived everyone in the Marquis's mansion, but she also beat and scolded us servants."
Please help me get back to the Marquis's residence.
Yu Lu comforted her, "Once this matter is resolved, the First Madam will take you back to the Marquis's residence."
For now, you still need to act as our inside man. We'll make further plans after I return and report back.
During this time, you must not reveal yourself. Otherwise, even if the Marquis of Anchang's mansion doesn't have your indenture, they probably won't treat you well.
This matter has far-reaching implications. Yuqing was chosen and assigned to serve Lu Changping because of her cleverness.
She understood this, so she nodded and replied, "Okay."
The carriage of the Marquis of Lin'an slowly came to a stop at the Marquis of Anchang's residence. Yuqing, with red and swollen eyes from crying, got off the carriage and returned to the Marquis of Anchang's residence.
After returning to her room, she mentally prepared herself.
Therefore, when she saw Lu Changping, she still respectfully greeted her, "Young Madam."
Lu Changping was completely unfamiliar with this form of address and looked at Yuqing suspiciously, "Who did you go to see today?"
His eyes looked like he had been crying, and his cheeks and the tip of his nose were red.
Yuqing naturally couldn't reveal the manor's name, so she used a shield, saying, "Madam summoned me to the main courtyard and asked me to be careful about how I address her."
When Lu Changping heard that it was from the main courtyard, her heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, immediately settled down.
She said, "In that case, the way we address each other should also be changed."
After saying that, Lu Changping went back to her room to rest.
......
As night fell, everyone had dinner.
Lu Qiqi was then summoned to Xuan Wenying's room. The two exchanged only a glance, yet they knew perfectly well what they were discussing.
As they sat in the armchairs, Yulu recounted everything she had learned from Yuqing that day.
Upon hearing that the Anchang Marquis's residence had already set its sights on the Lin'an Marquis's residence, Xuan Wenying slammed her hand heavily on the table, making a loud noise.
She came from a military family and had a more fiery personality than the average woman.
Lu Qiqi looked at her hand, which was slowly turning red, and pursed her lips without saying anything to comfort her.
Because at this moment, she was also very angry.
However, she quickly noticed something was wrong. "Something's not right."
This sentence came as abruptly as both men turned to look at her.
Lu Qiqi then explained, "Lu Changping was once married to a scoundrel. After that, she committed murder and arson. After mistakenly marrying the wrong person, she used a scheme to escape from Luzhou Prefecture."
Such a person may still have fantasies about love, but will not give themselves completely away.
Moreover, at that time, no one knew that her identity was fake.
Lu Changping didn't spend Qu Zikun's money, and even frequently gave him silver to help and subsidize him, which was really too abnormal.
Even so, it cannot be denied that the two may have been working together from the inside to plot against the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion.
However, this matter will be resolved soon.
Since Lu Changping is not pregnant, if the Anchang Marquis's family is sensible and hands over the dowry and its members, everything will be fine.
If the Marquis of Anchang insists on protecting Lu Changping and refuses to return the money, then the Marquis of Lin'an will not mind confronting the Marquis of Anchang before the Emperor.
Xuan Wenying said, "Yulu, these days, go to the Anchang Marquis's residence more often and ask Yuqing about what's going on there."
After Yu Lu left, Xuan Wenying turned her head to look at Lu Qiqi.
She asked, "Should we tell the old lady about this?"
If the old lady finds out that the pregnancy was a lie, she'll be furious.
Even though Lu Changping was an imposter, she was well taken care of in the mansion, with good food, drink, clothes, and other necessities.
I never imagined that someone would even come up with something like getting pregnant to trick someone into marriage.
Lu Qiqi said, "Let's keep it a secret for now. Old people can't take anger out on others. It's not worth getting upset over someone like that."
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