Chapter 70 There are actually two identical ones in the world...
Caught in the middle, Lü Chong listened to the whole story and looked embarrassed, caught in a dilemma.
He drank too much at the Marquis's residence last night and fell asleep as soon as he was sent back to the Lü family. He only found out this morning that his elder brother and his family of three had arrived in the capital ahead of schedule and might be able to stay and spend the New Year together.
This is the first time my older brother has come home in ten years since he was sent to work away from home, and the whole family can finally be reunited.
The little boy, Lu Jizong, the only son of the eldest brother and sister-in-law, was at the most energetic and mischievous age. He woke up early in the morning and started clamoring to go out and play.
Lu Chong then asked the yamen for another day off. After all, his elder brother and sister-in-law had been gone for ten years, and many aspects of the capital had changed. By accompanying them, he could spend more time with his elder brother and talk about his experiences in office, killing two birds with one stone.
Who would have thought that after wandering around for most of the day without any problems, my nephew would suddenly take a fancy to the fox that Shen Lingyue was raising?
"Please forgive me, sister-in-law. My elder brother and sister-in-law only have one son, so it's understandable that they spoil him a bit..."
Lu Chong acted as a peacemaker in the middle and quietly introduced the identities of the two people opposite him to Lu Lin.
Lu Lin's eyes flickered slightly, but his face remained calm as he gently patted his son, who was crying incessantly in his arms.
"Brother Zong, don't be rude. Quickly greet your two aunts."
Zong Ge'er's crying stopped abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed.
He reluctantly turned around, clasped his two chubby little hands together, and bowed to Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi.
"Hello, Auntie..."
Shen Lingyue nimbly pulled Yan Yi aside and gave a soft hum.
"Didn't you just say you wanted your dad to arrest me and put me in jail? I can't accept being called 'Auntie' like this."
What kind of person is she? She's only being so arrogant and obsequious because she has the Marquis's mansion backing her. If it were an ordinary person without any background, wouldn't they just be bullied for nothing?
After just one meeting, Shen Lingyue lost all goodwill towards Lu Lin and his wife.
She glanced at Lü Chong with some disdain—this is the big brother you admire and respect? Your eyesight is terrible.
Lu Chong was even more embarrassed. He forced a bow to Shen Lingyue and said, "Sister-in-law, please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart. Look, it's the New Year..."
Shen Lingyue stroked Weibo'er's head. "Second Brother Lü, it's not that I want to argue with the child, but he came in shouting for violence right away. What kind of bandit behavior is that? Weibo'er was personally rescued from the mountains by my husband. He's his precious darling. He's even on the list of people in front of His Majesty. Do you think I would just sell him off like that?"
This little fox actually has quite a background?
Lu Chong's attitude became even more serious, and he waved his hands repeatedly, "Of course not, sister-in-law, don't worry, we will definitely educate the child properly when we get back."
He turned back and winked at Lü Lin—even if it was just for show, he should at least teach Zong Ge a lesson.
However, during his trip out today, he also noticed that his older brother and sister-in-law doted on their only son, giving him everything he wanted. No wonder he developed such a domineering personality...
It's strange. He and his older brother grew up under their father's strict discipline, so how come he became so unprincipled after becoming a father himself?
Lu Lin's brows twitched slightly only when he heard Shen Lingyue mention His Majesty's name.
He was born with a dignified and serious appearance, and had been in power in one place for many years. He was quite decisive and ruthless, and when he was expressionless, he was even more imposing and had an intimidating aura.
Lu Lin scrutinized Shen Lingyue, his gaze sharp and full of examination. "Is Madam Shen blaming me for failing to raise my son properly?"
Shen Lingyue met his gaze without fear. "Lord Lü, you misunderstand. I never said that. I was just kindly reminding you out of consideration for my husband's friendship with Second Brother Lü. You are at a crucial moment for your promotion and return to the capital. You wouldn't want to be implicated by your competitors, would you?"
Hmph, who are you trying to scare? She's someone who's been to the palace and met the old emperor. Why would she be afraid of a prefect from out of town?
The saying "Strike the snake at its seven-inch mark" hit Lü Lin's weak spot.
His breathing became slightly heavier, but he quickly calmed it down.
"Brother Zong." This time, the voice was devoid of warmth, yet contained the force of thunder. "Apologize to your aunt and tell her that you shouldn't have offended your elders and forced her to buy your beloved pet."
He put Zongge'er on the ground and pushed him forward a little.
"Madam Shen, I..."
Lu Lin's wife looked reluctant and, without thinking, was about to take the blame for her son.
Lu Lin stopped her and gently shook his head, "Zong-ge'er caused the trouble himself, let him bear the consequences."
Zongge looked back at his parents and saw that neither of them intended to stand up for him anymore. His tense little face turned red, and he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
He lowered his head and slowly moved towards Shen Lingyue, squeezing out a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Auntie, I'm sorry, I just really like the little fox you keep, it reminds me of the puppy my father gave me..."
He became more and more aggrieved as he spoke, and even managed to squeeze out two tears at the end, pouting and looking at her pitifully: "Auntie, please forgive Zong-ge'er, okay?"
Shen Lingyue smiled slightly: "Alright, but this won't happen again."
Zong Ge'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ran back to Lü Lin's side, tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.
Lu Lin immediately picked him up and nodded to Shen Lingyue, "Thank you for the reminder, Madam Shen. I will personally visit and greet Marquis Pei another day."
Lu Lin and his wife turned and left. Lu Chong stood there for a moment, then forced a smile at Shen Lingyue: "I'm sorry, sister-in-law. I'll treat Huai Zhou to a meal in a few days to make amends."
Shen Lingyue watched his retreating figure as he strode after her and snorted again.
The little rascal whimpered unhappily in her arms, and she quickly scratched its chin to comfort it: "Baby, don't be angry. I haven't forgiven that brat. I'm just too lazy to argue with him... Come on, let's go home and eat some big chicken legs."
Shen Lingyue looked around and waved to the coachman when she saw him, asking him to bring the carriage over.
"Yan Yan, what are you thinking about?"
Shen Lingyue raised her hand and waved it twice in front of her, "Why have you been so absent-minded since just now?"
Yan Yi snapped out of her daze, grabbed Shen Lingyue's hand, her slightly cool fingertips trembling gently.
"That's so strange... How can there be two people in the world who look exactly alike?"
"Huh?" Shen Lingyue blinked, still not quite understanding. "That's not so strange, is it? What did you see?"
She thought Yan Yi had seen two people who looked alike on the street, so she stood on tiptoe and looked around. "Where are they? Could they be twins wearing different clothes?"
The carriage had already arrived. Yan Yi composed herself and shook her head at her, "Let's talk about it upstairs."
With the doors and windows closed, Yan Yi told Shen Lingyue to put the scarf aside and go get some water. Holding Shen Lingyue's hand, she said softly, "I suspect that this elder brother Lü Chong is an imposter, and the real Lü Lin is long dead."
Shen Lingyue's eyes widened, finally realizing, "Did the Goddess Xuan Nu let you see her again?"
“Yes.” Yan Yi nodded. “I saw it the moment Lü Chong revealed his elder brother’s identity…”
A flash of white light appeared before her eyes, and countless fragmented images flooded into her mind.
"I saw a fierce battle taking place in a deep mountain forest. It looked like government troops were suppressing bandits. The leading official was probably in his twenties, just like the young 'Lü Lin' from earlier."
Yan Yi slowly sorted through her memories, "Later, Lü Lin, dressed in official robes, entered the bandits' lair and found a secret room with hidden mechanisms. There was another 'Lü Lin' in the secret room, but he was wearing hemp clothes, his face was paler, and he seemed to have injuries on his body."
"Two Lü Lins?" Shen Ling took a bite of her pastry, stunned. "Are they really exactly the same?"
I've never heard Lü Chong mention that his older brother is a twin.
Yan Yi nodded affirmatively, "Yes, at least in the footage I saw, it was hard to tell the two apart from their clothes."
"I understand now, this fake Lü Lin is a bandit! He took advantage of the chaos to kill the real Lü Lin, and then impersonated him to become an official, right?"
Shen Lingyue filled in the rest of the story in her mind, then slapped her forehead, "Oh dear, doesn't that mean he also took Lu Lin's newlywed wife and had this brat with her?"
That's outrageous!
Shen Lingyue slammed her hand on the table. "Let's go to the Lü family and expose his true colors!"
He was about to call the driver to change the route.
"Don't be impulsive." Yan Yi quickly pulled him back, saying helplessly, "Without evidence, how can we convince the Lü family?"
Shen Lingyue pondered deeply, "Try to recall again, does Lü Lin have any birthmarks or other distinguishing features?"
Yan Yi shook her head: "The scenes I saw this time were all in segments. I only saw the two Lü Lins meeting, and the next second the real Lü Lin was dead, and the fake Lü Lin was tearing off his clothes and putting them on himself..."
What exactly happened in between, and how Zhen Lülin died, remains a blank.
Shen Lingyue pouted, "Is there any need to guess? It must be the fake one who stabbed the real one in the back when they weren't paying attention."
One is the son of a high-ranking official with impeccable family background, a county magistrate; the other is a notorious bandit, murderer and robber, about to be wiped out by government troops. Coincidentally, the two look exactly alike, so the fake one is bound to want to take his place.
"No wonder he's been away for ten years. I bet he's too afraid to go home, afraid that the Lü family will recognize him."
Shen Lingyue stroked her chin. "Does he think that after ten years, Lu Lin's memories of his relatives have become blurred, so he can swagger back home in glory?"
That's all Yan Yi saw. Shen Lingyue remembered that she didn't know about Lü Lin's situation over the years, so she quickly recalled and repeated what Lü Chong had said at the dinner table yesterday.
Shen Lingyue sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "Lu Chong really idolizes his older brother. If he knew that the real Lu Lin died ten years ago and that this one is an imposter, he would be heartbroken."
After saying that, he angrily slammed his fist on the cushion, "This is a big bandit fathering a little bandit, no wonder his son is such a troublemaker!"
"Chirp!"
The scarf lifted its head from its special little water basin and loudly echoed as if it understood.
Shen Lingyue waved her fist at it, "Just you wait and see, I will definitely avenge you."
Yan Yi held the teacup, her eyes lowered in thought. "If Lü Lin was replaced ten years ago, then how come he has achieved such outstanding political achievements and a distinguished reputation over the past decade?"
Can a bandit be a good official? Can he truly restrain his plundering nature and diligently govern and care for the people?
Shen Lingyue was stumped by the question. She bit her lip and reluctantly said, "Perhaps he was so eager to clear his name that he didn't dare to expose himself and just honestly became a good official."
Yan Yi asked her, "If a bad person suddenly wants to be a good person, and he actually pretends to be one his whole life, would he be considered a good person or a bad person?"
Shen Lingyue couldn't answer, but her eyes darted around, and she said confidently, "What about the innocent Zhen Lülin who died unjustly? His life and everything he had were taken away, and his wife became someone else's wife. Isn't he pitiful?"
She grabbed Yan Yi's hand. "Think about it, Zhen Lülin's remains might still be buried in a mass grave with those damned bandits. He'll be a wandering ghost, with no one to burn paper money for him during festivals..."
It's so tragic, the more she talked about it, the more tragic it became, and Shen Lingyue's nose started to sting with tears.
Yan Yi patted her back and gently comforted her, "I didn't say I wouldn't care. But like I said, we have no evidence."
Shen Lingyue instantly regained her composure, clenching her fist confidently, "If there's no evidence, then go find it! There's definitely a way!"
...
When Pei Jingyi returned from his shift, Si Xiang said, "The young mistress is in the study."
He turned a corner on his way to the bedroom.
Pei Jingyi gently pushed open the door and looked around. His desk, which had been piled with official documents and was somewhat messy, was now neatly tidied up. Yan Yi was sitting in his usual work position, looking down intently at a map.
He went around behind the desk, naturally squeezed into the chair, and loosely wrapped his arms around Yan Yi's waist.
Why are you suddenly interested in maps?
Pei Jingyi glanced casually at the top of the drawing. "The Northwest? Is something wrong with my maternal grandparents' family?"
Yan Yi was originally studying the terrain around Xichuan County, and when Pei Jingyi returned, she naturally brought up the topic.
But his casual guess gave her a great deal of inspiration—
The Bai family has been trading along the route from the Northwest to the capital for many years, so perhaps they have some recollection of the bandits who occupied Xichuan ten years ago...
Pei Jingyi was still waiting for her answer when he saw Yan Yi's clear eyes suddenly light up, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, looking very happy.
He was a little confused and asked in an even softer voice, "What's wrong?"
Yan Yi smiled and shook her head, pursed her lips, and blurted out, "I just suddenly think you're so smart."
Pei Jingyi raised an eyebrow slightly, his handsome face revealing a youthful air rarely seen on him, exuding a dashing and romantic air.
"Is this the first day you've married me, madam? You're only noticing this obvious trait today."
Yan Yi was amused by him, but still had to explain seriously: "I know you've always been smart, but today... you're especially smart."
Pei Jingyi's long, slender fingers, which were resting on her waist, slowly tightened, adjusting her to a more comfortable sitting position so that Yan Yi could fit snugly against him.
He traced circles on the embroidered pattern on the hem of her skirt, his low voice gentle and smiling.
"Madam is being so generous today, could it be that you need something from me?"
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.” Yan Yi looked intently into his eyes. “Do you know Lü Lin, the eldest son of the former Minister of Justice, Lü? It seems he’s being transferred back to the capital soon.”
"I vaguely remember, but we are too far apart in age and don't have much interaction."
Pei Jingyi nodded slightly, then gestured for Yan Yi to continue, "Minister Lü retired last year due to illness. His retirement gave his eldest son the opportunity to return to the capital. What's wrong?"
"Today, I went out shopping with my younger brother and sister-in-law and ran into the Lü family. A little... minor friction occurred."
Yan Yi deliberately remained vague, "I heard that Lord Lü served as the magistrate of Xichuan ten years ago and was meritorious in suppressing bandits. I wonder if your Ministry of War has any relevant documents or records?"
Minor friction?
A dark glint flashed in Pei Jingyi's eyes, which he quietly noted down.
When he looked up again, he had returned to normal. "Yes. When local troops are dispatched to suppress bandits, they must report to the Ministry of War afterwards, explaining the specific details, casualties, and follow-up, and the report must be copied, sealed, and filed."
He noticed Yan Yi hesitated, "You want to see this document?"
Yan Yi's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded hesitantly, "If it won't affect your official duties... could I borrow it to take a look?"
"It's alright, I'll go to the archives tomorrow and copy a copy to bring back."
Pei Jingyi spoke lightly, referring to it as just an old document from ten years ago.
He held Yan Yi's fingertips, feeling both helpless and a little sorry for her cautious manner. "Madam, next time, just tell me what you want directly. You don't need to go through all this trouble."
Yan Yi's eyelashes trembled as she explained softly, "Other things are fine, but this is your official business after all, I'm afraid..."
He swallowed the unfinished words and gently kissed the corner of her lips.
"What's there to be afraid of? Does Madam intend to whisper in my ear and make me make things difficult for others, or to accept bribes and sell official positions?"
Pei Jingyi chuckled softly, his cheek close to hers. "Luckily, I'm just a minor official, otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to resist the charms of a beautiful woman."
Yan Yi pinched his soft waist lightly, annoyed. "I'm not that kind of person."
"No, it's not you, Madam; it's me."
Pei Jingyi seemed to be captivated by the delicate fragrance lingering in her hair. His tense brows relaxed after a long day, and he quietly enjoyed this peaceful moment.
"So A-Tan must keep a close eye on me and make sure I don't make any mistakes."
Pei Jingyi closed his eyes and said in a calm voice, "If one day you are no longer by my side, I really don't know what I would do."
...
Pei Jinghuai went hunting out of town with some friends today.
Since getting a scarf, he solemnly vowed never to hunt foxes again.
But Pei Jinghuai still felt a little itchy to give up this hobby completely.
It just so happened that someone had invited him out today, and he had informed Shen Lingyue before leaving home this morning that he was going to hunt a few pheasants and rabbits to give Weibo a taste of meat.
By evening, he returned to Dan Yue Xuan with a bountiful harvest, ready to boast to her. But as soon as he entered the bedroom, he heard soft sobbing coming from inside the bed curtains.
Pei Jinghuai panicked, strode into the room, and flung open the curtains, demanding, "Who bullied you?"
Shen Lingyue hugged her scarf and looked over with red eyes: "If you had come back any later, you wouldn't have been able to see us again."
She stroked the scarf's fur again and again, her voice plaintive: "Someone wants to take the scarf away, pull out its teeth and claws, and even lock me in jail."
The scarf's tail drooped, and it lay listlessly in her arms, whimpering softly to Pei Jinghuai, looking as if it had suffered a great injustice.
Pei Jinghuai rolled up his sleeves. "Who did this? Tell me, and I'll come over right now and pull his teeth out!"
Shen Lingyue blinked, "It's your good brother Lü Chong..."
Pei Jinghuai: ? ? ?
“...the eldest brother’s son.” Shen Lingyue added the second half of the sentence.
The amount of information was overwhelming, and Pei Jinghuai was stunned for a moment before he reacted, "Lu Lin's son? Huh, when did he come back?"
"It was last night."
Shen Lingyue asked him to sit down and talk. Pei Jinghuai looked down at his dusty clothes from running around all day and sat down on the footstool without any hesitation. "Did you two run into each other outside today?"
"Yeah, Lü Lin's son is so naughty, he tried to snatch our scarves right away!"
Shen Lingyue embellished her account of what happened during the day, and Pei Jinghuai frowned more and more as he listened, letting out a hiss.
“Brother Lü used to be known as a virtuous gentleman, how could he be so indulgent and doting on his son?”
"You also find this very unusual, don't you?" Shen Lingyue subtly hinted at him, "Isn't he completely different from the Brother Lü you remember?"
Pei Jinghuai thought about it seriously for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, I'm almost twenty years younger than him. How could I possibly remember him? I've only heard Lu Chong talk about him every day these past few years. I'm not familiar with him at all."
Shen Lingyue secretly rolled her eyes. What a useless man!
She cleared her throat, then changed her approach, grabbing his arm and shaking it unreasonably. "I don't care, you're the head of the household, you can't just stand by and watch me and Weibo get bullied, can you?"
As she spoke, she secretly pinched her thigh and started squeezing out tears.
The scarf joined in, and for a moment the room was filled with a duet of whimpering and chirping, which made Pei Jinghuai's head spin.
He covered his ears and begged for mercy, "Okay, okay, I'll definitely help you fight back!"
Shen Lingyue immediately fell silent, simultaneously pinching the fox-shaped muzzle: "Who do you want to hit?"
Pei Jinghuai stroked his chin thoughtfully: "I can't hit the child, and I can't hit Lü Lin... So how about I invite Lü Chong out and beat him up?"
Shen Lingyue glared at him: "...What mistake did Lü Chong make?"
“Wasn’t he there today too?” Pei Jinghuai said matter-of-factly. “It’s his fault for not being able to pull the brat away immediately.”
Shen Lingyue was almost amused by his words. "One thing at a time! If Lü Lin doesn't know how to raise his son, we should teach him a lesson."
She pulled Pei Jinghuai aside and asked, "Think carefully about what Lü Chong told you about Lü Lin. Was there any weakness you could exploit? For example, does he have any birthmarks or other marks on his body? Did he have any scars from injuries he sustained as a child?"
Shen Lingyue was talking enthusiastically when she suddenly noticed that Pei Jinghuai was looking at her strangely.
She paused, blinking awkwardly, "Why are you looking at me?"
Pei Jinghuai's expression was strange: "Why are you asking about these things? Is this how you retaliate against someone?"
He lowered his head and muttered under his breath, "Asking other men if they have scars in front of your husband..."
Shen Lingyue pushed him, "What are you thinking? What I'm doing is... knowing yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated!"
Pei Jinghuai remained silent, but he was clearly skeptical of her fallacious reasoning.
"Brother Xiaozhou, please!" Shen Lingyue used her ultimate move, pleading in a high-pitched voice, "Please help me think of something, I... I'm going to make a voodoo doll to curse him!"
Pei Jinghuai was defeated. He pondered for a while and said uncertainly, "I remember Lü Chong said that when he was a child, he was naughty and climbed a tree. He climbed too high and couldn't get down. His older brother climbed up to save him. When he was going down, he accidentally lost his footing. Luckily, his older brother was below him to protect him so that he was not injured. But Lü Lin himself fractured his calf and it took him several months to recover... Does this count?"
He shrugged. "That's all I remember. You'll have to ask him for the rest yourself."
Zhen Lülin fractured his shinbone... but so many years have passed, it should have healed long ago, right? It's probably hard to tell from the outside.
However, Pei Jinghuai's words reminded her that no one knew more about the past interactions between the brothers than Lü Chong.
As long as we can find a way to arouse Lu Chong's suspicion, the counterfeit goods will definitely not stand up to scrutiny.
Shen Lingyue's expression changed instantly, she burst into laughter through her tears, hooked her arm around Pei Jinghuai's neck and gave him a big kiss, "Brother Xiaozhou is so smart!"
In the middle of the night, the two were sleeping soundly when Shen Lingyue suddenly screamed and sat up.
Pei Jinghuai was startled awake and instinctively hugged the person and patted them twice. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Shen Lingyue trembled against his chest, "How terrifying, I dreamt of Lü Lin..."
Pei Jinghuai: ...?
He gritted his teeth, held back for a moment, and asked in a gentle voice, "What did you dream about him about?"
Shen Lingyue looked up at him. In the dark bed curtains, her voice was faint and eerie.
"I dreamt that Lü Lin was covered in blood, begging me to seek justice for him... He said he was already dead, and the current Lü Lin was an imposter..."
Pei Jinghuai shivered and grabbed the blanket to cover the two of them tightly.
Ugh, don't say things like that in the middle of the night!
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Author's Note: [Moon Child: (Thinking) I think I have the potential to be a femme fatale who brings ruin to a country! I'm a master of pillow talk! [cheering][cheering]]
My period came on really hard this time [crying emoji]. I don't know if it's because I ate too many cold drinks, lol. I'll keep paying off my cravings once I'm a bit more clear-headed! [throwing flowers emojis]
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