Fortunately, Yu Yue only suffered minor injuries and was not seriously hurt, but after being hit with more than a dozen lashes, she would inevitably need to rest for a while.
With Zhang Mama and Yu Yue no longer by her side, Qingying felt like a bird with broken wings, lost and bewildered.
Tong Xia suddenly became more composed overnight.
“Miss, I just inquired and found out that the Fourth Young Master and the Second Young Master knew each other before.”
Now that Liu Shushu has returned, the order of the household has changed. She has become the second young lady, Qingying is the third young lady, and Liu Chenglin has naturally been ranked fourth.
Qingying raised her eyes and asked, "Do you know when they met?"
"According to the Fourth Young Master, they met four years ago in Medicine King Valley. The Second Young Lady was unexpectedly saved by Physician Wang and stayed in Medicine King Valley to learn martial arts, which is how they met."
Liu Chenglin was a disciple of the divine physician Wang Hebai, so in a way, the two of them are actually fellow disciples.
Senior brothers become younger brothers, and junior sisters become older sisters—this relationship is really complicated.
"Actually, the Fourth Young Master only found out a year and a half ago that Meng Shushu was actually Liu Shushu. However, by then the Second Young Lady had already left Medicine King Valley, and he had been searching for her whereabouts for more than a year."
Qingying frowned. "How did they determine that she was Liu Shushu?"
"I heard that when the second daughter was born, the master personally made a longevity lock, which is still on her body. She also has a birthmark on her left shoulder and a thumb-sized scar on her ankle from an accidental burn when she was young. All of these match up."
Tong Xia sighed and said, "Besides, the Fourth Young Master is a doctor. He has a way to find out whether the Master and the Second Miss are related by blood."
"I see..." Qingying leaned back on the chaise lounge and closed her eyes.
Since all of this proves Liu Shushu's identity, what can she say? Besides, she is the one with the least say in the mansion now.
She suddenly recalled the past when Liu Chenglin pushed her into the water. At that time, no one stood up for her except Liu Chengfeng. Madam Wang and Madam Pan came to comfort her. Although they seemed very concerned, they told her not to hold it against them.
They're all family, and he didn't do it on purpose. She should be more understanding.
Ha...family? Liu Chenglin is also the legitimate son of the second wife, and all the children and grandchildren of the Liu family are of the direct bloodline, except for her, who is a concubine's daughter. They are the real family, even though she has lived with them in this mansion for more than ten years, she is still an outsider.
How ironic.
...
Soon came the day when the Emperor would lavishly reward military merits. Liu Yu was already the head of the military officers and had no room for further promotion, so the Emperor bestowed upon him a great deal of gold, silver, and land.
It's not surprising that the Grand General is rewarded, but the most unexpected thing this time is that the Prince Yu's son was actually appointed as the General Who Guards the North by the Emperor.
He remained silent until he made a name for himself, and his great achievements became known throughout the capital. He shed his former image as a spoiled brat, and everyone said that the Prince Yu's heir was brave and skilled in battle, having risen through the ranks incognito, truly a prodigy.
Besides this incident, the most talked-about event was the return of the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion. However, the person most discussed in this matter was not Liu Shushu, but Liu Qingying.
She wasn't exactly unknown in the capital; she was the only daughter of a great general, and after coming of age, she was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the capital. She was the center of attention then, and countless people were waiting to see her fail.
See, this has become a joke.
On this day, Liu Yu held a grand banquet in his mansion and publicly asked Liu Shushu to acknowledge her ancestors and return to her clan.
Qingying didn't want to show her face in public, but she couldn't escape it in the end. If she backed down, even more people would laugh at her.
In order to help Liu Shushu integrate into the circle of noble ladies as soon as possible, Madam Pan invited all the prominent daughters of the clans in the capital.
Qingying felt somewhat awkward sitting among them.
"Sigh~ Some sparrows are destined never to become phoenixes." A voice carrying obvious sarcasm came from behind.
Qingying looked at her, not surprised, as Wu Miaoqing had always been a sharp-tongued and mean-spirited person.
“Yes, today’s banquet is much grander than some people’s coming-of-age banquets. It’s true that there is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children.” The one who echoed her was Zhou Yao, the legitimate daughter of the Zhou family and the young mistress of the Pingchang Marquis’s mansion, who was on good terms with her.
Qingying secretly clenched her fists under her sleeves, but still wore a polite smile.
They were telling the truth, and she had nothing to refute.
"Even eating can't shut you up!" Xie Jiaoying slammed her chopsticks heavily on the table.
Wu Miaoqing immediately composed herself.
Qingying scoffed, "I used to learn the phrase 'bullying the weak and fearing the strong' but I didn't quite understand its meaning. Today, I understand it completely."
Having been the "eldest daughter" of the Liu family for so many years, she wouldn't let herself be bullied for no reason. If she could find any weakness in the other party, she would definitely retaliate tenfold.
She glanced at Zhou Yao with disdain and said, "My coming-of-age banquet is being held during a time of war, so it's not appropriate to waste money and resources on the people. Unlike some people who hold a three-day wedding banquet without any regard for national affairs."
At this point, she paused deliberately, a faint smile appearing on her face. "But I can understand. After all, it's not easy to get married until you're eighteen, and to marry into a prestigious family at that. You have to announce it to the world, right?"
“You…” Zhou Yao gritted her teeth and glared at her, looking like she wanted to devour her.
At this moment, Liu Shushu suddenly took her arm and smiled at Zhou Yao, saying, "Madam, don't be angry. My sister is young and doesn't know how to speak properly. Please don't take it to heart."
Today, Liu Shushu is the main character, so naturally no one dares to steal her thunder. If things get too ugly, everyone will lose face. Zhou Yao isn't that stupid.
"It was just a joke between sisters. Since Miss Liu has spoken, why would I take it to heart?" Zhou Yao's smile was forced.
The matter was temporarily put to rest. With Xie Jiaoying backing her up, no one dared to cause trouble for her again.
At the end of the banquet, Xie Jiaoying asked her to see her off before she left.
Qingying was finally able to come out and catch her breath.
"After she returned, was your situation in the manor difficult?" Xie Jiaoying asked with concern as they left the manor.
She lowered her head, her eyes involuntarily becoming moist. She shook her head and remained silent.
Xie Jiaoying approached and gently hugged her, whispering in her ear, "If there's anything you can't handle, just send someone to me. I'll do my best to help. Remember, no matter what, we'll always be friends."
"Thank you..." she began, only to find her voice trembling uncontrollably.
She felt so wronged. These days, apart from Yu Yue and Tong Xia who stayed by her side, no one else cared about her sadness.
Fortunately, she still had Xie Jiaoying as a friend.
The two embraced for a while, and Xie Jiaoying teased softly, "Alright, if you keep hugging, people will misunderstand. I'm not engaged yet."
Qingying smiled and stepped away from her embrace.
"That's more like it. Smile more, don't be so gloomy all the time. If you become ugly, you'll be a disgrace to your title as the most beautiful woman in the capital."
"It's just an empty reputation."
"I want this empty title too, but will anyone else give it to me?" She lightly tapped Qingying's forehead and said, "You should be content. Heaven gave you such a beautiful face, not for you to squander."
"Okay, okay, I won't do it again." Qingying pushed her into the carriage. "Let's go, it'll be dark if we keep talking."
Xie Jiaoying got into the carriage and waved to her from behind the curtain, saying, "You should go back soon too."
"Mm." Qingying waved her hand.
After seeing Xie Jiaoying off, the knot in her heart seemed to have loosened a bit. She turned around and was about to return to her residence when she encountered Liu Shushu leaning against the door.
"So, Third Sister has such close friends." She raised an eyebrow at Qingying with a half-smile.
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