Chapter 351 True or False
When Guan Yi'an left Princess Qiongxiao's mansion, he had obtained valuables that could fill a thick box. Although he had used some of them, most of them were still hidden in a safe place.
Any single item inside would be far more valuable than this white jade gourd.
When Guan Yi'an impersonated Zheng Qingshan, he wore this string of white jade gourds on his left hand for a period of time so that he could better adapt to his new identity.
Later, when Zheng Qingshan's face was completely damaged and unusable, he took the white jade gourd off. Thinking that it was a dead man's possession and would bring bad luck, he wanted to just throw it away.
Yet he always felt he might need it in the future, so he kept it close to his body. His feeling was right; now was the time for this white jade gourd to come in handy.
Now that Meng Lingge knows he has switched Zheng Qingshan's face, what he did before has nothing to do with the real Zheng Qingshan. Since he has no face now, why not just go back to being Zheng Qingshan?
He could both gain a cheap younger sister to use for his own purposes and start over as a victim.
Anyway, Zheng Qingshan and his sister haven't seen each other for many years. He has Zheng Qingshan's keepsake, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to convince Lushui that he is Zheng Qingshan.
Having made up his mind, Guan Yi'an's hand holding the white jade gourd trembled slightly, and he covered his mouth with his other hand, letting out a shrill and excited wail.
The words "Green Mountains" on the white jade gourd stung the eyes of the green water.
The moment she saw it, she almost forgot her plans and tests, her expression filled with grief, and she grabbed the white jade gourd into her hand.
How did you get this? Where did you get it from?
He not only took away his elder brother's face and his life, but also seized his elder brother's keepsakes.
Seeing her excitement, Guan Yi'an felt even more confident of winning.
He actually removed two masks in front of Lushui, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and said, "Lushui, don't you remember your elder brother? This is mine, I am Zheng Qingshan. Lushui, it's my fault for being useless. Not only did I fail to earn enough money to redeem you, but I also ended up looking like this..."
He was a habitual liar, and having already served as Zheng Qingshan for a period of time, his acting skills were now so superb that even he himself believed it.
“I was wronged so badly that I can’t trust anyone. In the extreme pain and fear, I can’t even remember you clearly. When I heard others call you Green Water, I thought it was just a coincidence. After all, my sister is still far away in Jiangnan waiting for me to rescue her. How could she be here? If I hadn’t heard you talk about the past, I wouldn’t believe it now…”
"Are you my elder brother Zheng Qingshan?" Green Water stared wide-eyed at Guan Yi'an, her gaze lingering on his ghastly face for a moment before she looked away. "But why do the people in the Princess's residence all say you're dead? Why were you unwilling to provide any information when we asked about your identity?"
Guan Yi'an had already prepared an excuse.
"They thought I was dead. The princess and Guan Yi'an peeled off my face, fed me medicine, and, believing I was surely going to die, threw me into a mass grave. Perhaps heaven took pity on me, and I actually came back to life. After being treated like this, I really can't trust anyone else. In this world, the only person I still trust is you, Green Water, my little sister..."
He spoke without a single pause, his eyes filled with sorrow when he mentioned having his face peeled off, as if that cruel scene was right before his eyes, and his eyes were full of brotherly affection when he mentioned that the only person he trusted was Lu Shui.
He was indeed a very good actor. Although Green Water didn't believe it, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her heart when she heard this.
She guessed that this person was Guan Yi'an, and knew that he was impersonating her brother with ill intentions. However, this was exactly the same as the plan that Meng Lingge had told her. If this person wanted to use her, then she would play along and see who was the better strategist.
Green Water stroked the white jade gourd carefully with her hands again and again, her voice choked with sobs, "No wonder I thought of my brother when I saw you, and couldn't help but want to help you. So this is what blood is thicker than water... As long as you are still alive, that's good. Big brother, your being alive is good news. The past is over. I will take good care of you from now on."
Guan Yi'an stepped forward and pulled Lu Shui into his arms, patting her back as he said, "Thank God, we siblings are still able to meet again. Lu Shui not only escaped from prison but also became such a skilled doctor. It doesn't matter how much suffering I endure, brother."
"By the way, tell your elder brother what you saw at Princess Qiongxiao's residence. Were Princess Qiongxiao and Elder Fu arrested? They caused you so much trouble. Were they executed?"
After playing the emotional card, he couldn't wait to get more information out of her.
Although he knew that asking at this time would seem a bit deliberate, he hadn't left the manor these past few days and didn't know the situation at Princess Qiongxiao's residence, so he was indeed a little anxious.
Whether Princess Qiongxiao and Master Fu had been captured or were still alive was of great importance to him, and he would use this as a reference for his next steps.
Green Water wiped away her tears, suppressing her nausea, and did not rush to push him away. Instead, she honestly replied, "Princess Qiongxiao has escaped with Han Cui and Old Master Fu. Miss and the officials of the Censorate suspect that they may have changed their identities, making it very difficult to catch them. Since you are also a victim in this case, we should take the initiative to go to the government to explain the situation and provide evidence. Perhaps this will help them catch the people who hurt you more quickly."
Guan Yi'an breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Since Princess Qiongxiao and Fu Laohancui have both escaped, these three people in the know cannot testify against him, so he can continue to deceive Lushui under the identity of Zheng Qingshan.
But do you want him to be a witness?
joke.
Although he played the victim, he knew better than anyone that the mistakes he made were no less serious than those of Princess Qiongxiao and the other two. How could he possibly walk into the government's trap?
“Green Water, I can’t go. I barely escaped with my life, and I really don’t want to have anything to do with the people from the Princess’s Mansion anymore. We are just ordinary people, and we can’t fight them. The government can’t catch Princess Qiongxiao, and they need a scapegoat to close the case. If my brother goes to testify now, he won’t come back. Can you bear to drive my brother to his death?”
He looked at the green water and said in a serious tone.
"Not only can I not go, but I can't let anyone know my identity either. My brother only trusts you, so you must never tell anyone about my identity, including your young lady. Otherwise, they will all send my brother to the authorities, and then my brother and I will be separated by death."
He could easily fool a naive young girl like Lushu by using Zheng Qingshan's identity again, but Meng Lingge and the government officials were very cunning. If they investigated him carefully, his false identity would be easily exposed.
Guan Yi'an thought his argument was reasonable and well-founded, but little did he know that before he answered, Lu Shui still held onto a last glimmer of hope.
I hope he really is my older brother Zheng Qingshan, I hope what he said is true, I hope my older brother is really still alive in this world...
But as soon as he finished speaking, Green Water's last glimmer of hope was extinguished. She knew with absolute certainty that this person was definitely not her elder brother, Zheng Qingshan.
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