Chapter 362 Two Sides
"We thought we were wearing fake masks, but after drinking the water the girl handed us, we lost consciousness. When we woke up, our faces were in excruciating pain, and our entire faces had changed. The older sister's face had become that of the young girl who bought us, and my face had become a completely unfamiliar face. The girl with the hoarse voice changed the mask and said that we were wearing fake skins. As long as we served our master well, we could wash them with a potion and turn back into our original faces."
“We sold ourselves, our lives belong to our master, what else could we do but accept this reality? But we never even saw our master’s face. The girl with the hoarse voice told us to stay here and not to go anywhere before she left. We waited for two days, but our master still didn’t return. Then we met you, sir.”
Another girl, her voice a bit more mature, nodded in agreement, saying, "I'm almost forty years old, and it's really hard to get used to having such a young face. If the official can find the person who bought us, I will definitely beg her to give me the medicine to wash my face as soon as possible, so I can get my own face back."
Lord Liu stepped forward and carefully examined the two men.
“You say you are selling yourselves, then what are your names, where do you live, are your parents alive, do you have siblings, please report the names of your parents and siblings truthfully.”
The two answered truthfully without any hesitation or guilt.
Lord Liu listened carefully and instructed Zhang, the clerk, to write everything down for later verification.
The guards who were searching inside made a new discovery and ran out excitedly, saying, "Sir, there is no one else in this mansion, but there is a secret passage under the bed in the room, and we don't know where it leads."
Lord Liu said, "Go in and search. If you find anyone, arrest them immediately."
Just when Master Zhang thought he was about to catch the main culprit, he arrived too late and couldn't help but feel annoyed.
If the two girls are telling the truth, Princess Qiongxiao and Master Fu have already been gone for two days, and if they search the tunnel now, they certainly won't find anything.
He couldn't help but remind them, "Princess Qiongxiao and Elder Fu must have left wearing the faces of these two girls. We still need to have someone draw out the original appearances of these two girls and then search the whole city. Also, there is a fourth address that we need to check as soon as possible; perhaps they are hiding there."
Lord Liu remained calm and said indifferently, "Don't rush. Take these two back first and investigate whether what they said is true. As for the main culprit, although we haven't caught him, Her Majesty the Empress's people are nearby, and they may have already made a move."
"Empress has arrived too?"
Master Zhang was slightly startled. Although this case was indeed extraordinary, it shouldn't have warranted the presence of the pregnant Empress herself. Although the maid named Lushui by the Empress's side had relatives involved in the case, it was truly rare to see a master go to such lengths for his servants.
Moreover, the main culprit has been gone for two days. What could the Empress possibly find if she leads people to search this area?
On the other side, about half a mile away from the house, two women dressed as peasant women, one carrying a basket and the other carrying a bag, strolled leisurely out of the path and turned onto the main road.
The person behind her was noticeably clumsy, and the person in front deliberately slowed down, but still had to wait for her every now and then.
As they reached the official road, the woman in front quickened her pace, but then a soft call came from behind.
"Princess Qiongxiao".
Upon hearing this address, the woman instinctively stopped, but immediately regained her senses and continued walking forward without looking back.
"Princess Qiongxiao, Princess Qiongxiao..."
The voice behind him still lingered, like a persistent ghost.
The woman wanted to continue walking, but two black-clad guards appeared in front of her, holding knives and blocking the road. Their cold eyes stared at her, forcing her to stop and turn around to look behind her.
Meng Lingge, along with Lu Shui and the others, stood not far behind her, looking at her calmly, clearly having come specifically for her.
The woman raised the basket in her hand, lowered her eyes, and said humbly, "Sir, have you mistaken me for someone else? I am a peasant girl from this village, and this is the eldest sister in my family. We are in a hurry to get to work in the fields and do not know the Princess Qiongxiao that you mentioned."
She spoke calmly and composedly, though she was deliberately mimicking the way a peasant girl from a mountain village would speak. However, a real peasant girl suddenly surrounded by guards should not have been so calm.
Upon hearing this, Meng Lingge became even more certain of the woman's identity, and her gaze swept sharply towards the basket in the woman's hand.
"A peasant girl? If I'm not mistaken, your basket isn't filled with farm tools and seeds, but with gold and silver jewelry. And the bag your elder sister carries isn't filled with vegetables and fruits either, but with all sorts of peeling tools. Princess Qiongxiao, a person's face can be changed, but their experiences and temperament cannot. The domineering arrogance you've cultivated since childhood, and the bloodthirsty aura emanating from Old Master Fu, cannot be concealed by simply changing into peasant clothes."
The woman's breath hitched.
Knowing that the other party had seen through her, there was no point in continuing to pretend.
She was indeed Princess Qiongxiao, and the person following behind her was none other than Elder Fu.
Their baskets and bags contained only a small top layer of farm tools and fruits; the bottom layer was filled with knives and valuables. This trick might have fooled the careless soldiers, but it couldn't deceive Meng Lingge, who had already confirmed her identity.
Princess Qiongxiao and Meng Lingge had met several times before, all at gatherings in the palace. They knew each other but were not close.
After all, Princess Qiongxiao had a notorious reputation for promiscuity, and no respectable young lady dared to approach her, fearing that even speaking to her would earn them a reputation for debauchery. In addition, she was aloof and spoiled, so no noble lady in the capital was familiar with her.
Among the daughters of officials in the capital, very few could be named Princess Qiongxiao.
Meng Lingge is one of them, for two reasons.
Firstly, Meng Lingge's breakup with her fiancé and subsequent remarriage caused quite a stir, and secondly, Guan Yi'an had mentioned her name several times in front of her.
She admired Meng Lingge to some extent, believing that she was decisive and never dragged things out when it came to relationships.
When Guan Yi'an came to her door asking Princess Qiongxiao to help her deal with the Meng family, the main reason she resolutely refused was, of course, because of her conflict with the former emperor. She hoped that someone could avenge her and seize power.
A secondary reason was admiration for Meng Lingge's courage and clarity of mind, and disdain for helping Guan Yi'an do such a despicable thing as destroying someone's life if he couldn't win their love.
But everything has two sides.
Now that Wen Zhiming has indeed succeeded in his rebellion and become the new emperor, her enemies have finally become victims of his blade. However, her peaceful life has also come to an end, and even her desire to change her face and live a second life is fraught with difficulties.
Meng Lingge, whom she had once helped, has become the biggest obstacle on her road to rebirth.
Princess Qiongxiao smiled slightly, her delicate and shy face reflecting the joys and sorrows of half a lifetime.
"Meng Lingge, or perhaps I should address you as Your Majesty the Empress. Now that you're Empress, favored by Wen Zhiming, and without those vixens to annoy you, aren't you a bit too bored?"
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