The daughter looked rosy-cheeked and had a faint smile on her lips.
It seems that from the moment she got married, Liu Qingmei was no longer the willful and spoiled girl she used to be. She began to become more composed, except for the day she returned to her parents' home after marriage.
She never returned home again. All told, this was the first time Liu Ru'an had seen Liu Qingmei in the months following her return visit to her parents' home on the third day after her wedding.
Jiang Yuanlang blocked Lord Liu's gaze as he scrutinized his daughter. "Father-in-law said he had something to ask you, but you flatter me. You were an absolute genius in the Liu family back then. In any case, it should be me learning from you."
Liu Ruan's eyes flickered slightly; yesterday's letter still left him with a faint sense of doubt.
Now, seeing the Third Prince's actions, one is even more suspicious that Liu Qingmei's calm demeanor is an act. After all, no matter how much a person changes, they cannot become someone else entirely.
"Learning has no end. I am getting old, and the future belongs to young people like you, Third Prince." He calmly sat down behind the Third Prince. "I came today to discuss an old matter. Does the Third Prince still remember the young master of the Duke of Cheng's mansion?"
Jiang Yuanlang was taken aback.
The young master of the Duke of Cheng's mansion?
He thought for a long time before finally pulling a memory of someone from his mind. He was very young then, no more than a year old.
I did occasionally see that person enter the palace a few times. He looked exactly like the Empress, and I managed to coax him away many times.
“That’s not Her Majesty the Empress’s younger brother. I met him when I was young, but I don’t remember him very well.” He chuckled as he spoke. “It’s quite amusing. Every time he appears, he seems to be with a child who looks a lot like the Crown Prince. I always mistake him for Her Majesty the Empress.”
"With a child?!"
How is this possible?!
Liu Ruan exclaimed in surprise, her eyes darkening. Even if the child wasn't dead, it was impossible for him to be kept by her side so openly!
Jiang Yuanlang was even more puzzled. "Indeed, does Father-in-law have any questions?"
"No, it's just that the Duke of Cheng was eager for a son, so he asked me to inquire about his son's whereabouts."
Suppressing her suspicions, Liu Ru'an had a feeling that this matter was not simple. After fiddling with the beads in her hand for a few moments, she changed the subject to the real purpose of her trip.
"Your Highness, I have something I'd like to discuss with Qingmei privately. It was her mother who begged me to bring it to her, so I ask that Your Highness grant me permission."
Jiang Yuanlang instinctively wanted to refuse; Liu Ru'an's expression and words today were both strange. If he were alone with Liu Qingmei, what might she discover?
How can he then carry out his grand plan?!
But remembering his advisors' repeated instructions yesterday, he hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. He glanced at Liu Qingmei with a warning look that was almost imperceptible.
Then he smiled and walked out.
This subtle movement, though seemingly stealthy, did not escape Liu Ru'an's notice. He noticed that his daughter trembled slightly as the Third Prince passed by.
His obvious fear made his heart sink again.
Suddenly I realized that everything in yesterday's letter might be true, without a single lie!
"Your mother asked me to ask you how you've been lately."
Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Liu Qingmei's eyes, but she forced herself not to cry, afraid that the Third Prince's men would see.
Liu Ruan stepped forward, looking at her daughter's aggrieved yet silent expression, and wondered what she didn't understand.
She reached out and touched her daughter's arm as if adjusting her clothes. The pain instantly made Liu Qingmei's face turn pale, and she let out a soft cry of pain.
Lord Liu felt as if his heart was being squeezed in someone's hand, throbbing with intense pain.
He tried to push the clothes away, but his daughter dodged him.
Her eyes were fixed on the doorway. "Please tell Mother that I am doing well, Father. Thank you both for your concern."
Lord Liu, who was burning with rage, finally regained some of his composure, lowered his hands, and searched his daughter's face with his eyes.
It wasn't noticeable from a distance, but now that we're closer, we can see that Liu Qingmei's face is covered in a thick layer of powder, making her expression look stiff.
It's obvious what lies beneath this smooth, calm surface.
What's being hidden is definitely a scar, just like the one on my arm, that hurts terribly to the touch!
He couldn't see it, but that didn't mean his heart didn't ache. Even though he was usually strict with Liu Qingmei, she was still his and his wife's daughter; how could he not love and protect her?!
If her mother finds out about what happened today, she'll probably fight tooth and nail to take her daughter back from the mansion.
"Your mother misses you. This is a talisman and some tonics she asked me to bring you for your health."
After a few more words, Jiang Yuanlang, who was waiting outside, grew impatient and pushed open the door to come in. Liu Ruan looked at him coldly, but he always looked at everyone like that, so Jiang Yuanlang didn't suspect anything.
However, it was the tear stains at the corners of Liu Qingmei's eyes that caught his attention. "What's wrong, Mei'er? It's a good thing that your father is here today, why are you crying? Your father doesn't know, he might think I bullied you."
"How could that be? I just haven't seen my parents for a long time, and I got a little excited." Sensing the threat in the Third Prince's tone, Liu Qingmei quickly tried to smooth things over, "Husband, please don't misunderstand."
Feeling utterly bored, Xu Nian, who was using the Water Element to observe what was happening at the Third Prince's residence, nestled in Gu Zhan's arms.
Hearing this, he grinned, "Liu Qingmei is pitiful, marrying the wrong person. That Jiang Yuanlang is a real idiot, actually beating his wife, he's shameless!"
"If such a person were to become emperor, it would be the greatest misfortune for the Xuan Dynasty!"
Having long been accustomed to her outrageous remarks, Gu Zhan wasn't surprised. He simply smiled and said, "Hitting a woman is cowardly. Let's see if Lord Liu can take her away. Otherwise, who knows when Miss Liu might die in the Third Prince's residence."
Xu Nian: "What, are you feeling sorry for him?"
[The smell of vinegar is so strong, can you all smell it?]
I can smell it; I can smell it even in modern times.
Ignoring the teasing in the comments, the person who had just felt sorry for Miss Liu stared intently at her husband.
Gu Zhan chuckled and shook his head, ruffling her hair. "What are you thinking? I just feel sorry for Lord Liu, who has lived a life of integrity, yet his daughter has ended up like this."
Having received a satisfactory answer, Xu Nian turned around and said, "I hope Jiang Yuanqing can be a good emperor. But I guess every emperor is probably like his father, willing to make his ministers do anything to consolidate his throne."
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