Old Lady Zheng doted on Zhao Mingzhu, and her amusements brought her hearty laughter. Every dessert she brought to Zhao Mingzhu was exquisite, and her attire was the finest, with a gold-woven jacket and bracelets inlaid with turquoise and carved gold. She was pampered like a flower. She held Zhao Mingzhu's hand and said, "When you're not home, I'm the most bored. It's a good thing you're back! No one else is as good as you!"
Cheng Lang called out "Grandma." Only then did Old Lady Zheng see him and immediately smiled and asked him to stand up and come over to her.
Cheng Lang was her own son, so naturally she loved him dearly. Furthermore, Cheng Lang had won the third place in the imperial examination last spring and was now a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel. Although his uncle was also a factor, Cheng Lang's prowess was undeniable. Old Madam Zheng knew that many women in the capital admired him, and many wanted to marry him.
"You've come just in time!" said Mrs. Zheng. "Your cousin Mingzhu has just returned. Come over quickly."
Old Lady Zheng wanted to give Zhao Mingzhu everything she could get. Since Cheng Lang was so good, she naturally felt it was best to keep the wealth within her family, and she wanted to bring the two of them together. Cheng Lang was always smiling, and he was always flirtatious and reserved with everyone, so Zhao Mingzhu couldn't tell whether he liked him or not. The old lady was really unsure.
"Cousin Cheng Lang." Zhao Mingzhu stood up and bowed, smiling. "I wonder if Cousin Cheng Lang has bought the pearl flowers I asked him to bring to Mingzhu last time?"
Zhao Mingzhu had been pampered since childhood. Old Madam Zheng, Duke Yingguo, Cheng Lang, and even Lu Jiaxue—none of them had been kind to her. She didn't think it was a big deal to ask Cheng Lang for something. Cheng Lang had recently been to Hangzhou, and she'd heard there was a shop there that made beautiful pearl ornaments, so she asked him to buy some for her.
For this reason, Mrs. Zheng even wrote a letter to remind Cheng Lang.
Cheng Lang smiled slightly, his handsome and elegant profile shone like pearls and jade in the warm yellow light. He said, "Of course I bought it. I'll have someone deliver it to my cousin later."
"You should have delivered it yourself." Old Mrs. Zheng couldn't help but say, "Since Mingzhu likes it, you should have let her see it earlier."
Cheng Lang bowed and said, "Grandson, I understand. I will definitely bring it to my cousin earlier next time."
Zhao Mingzhu sat down, gazing at Cheng Lang's handsome figure. This was the man every woman in the capital wanted to marry; he was indeed exceptional. But so what? Whether or not he would marry depended on her willingness. Even if something others couldn't even dream of was placed before her, she might not even want it. The one she truly loved... was someone else. This man was superior to everyone else, more terrifying than anyone else, and his power was unparalleled. She had watched him grow up since childhood; how could anyone else catch her eye?
"My grandson still has to go to Uncle Wei Ling's place. He said he has something important to discuss with me, so I'm afraid he has to leave first." Cheng Lang said goodbye.
"Come back later and talk to Mingzhu about the Spring and Autumn Annals. She is reading it now." Old Mrs. Zheng instructed.
Cheng Lang smiled and nodded. He looked up at Zhao Mingzhu, his heart sneering. The higher she was praised, the harder she would fall. He had a deep disdain for Zhao Mingzhu. All women in the world were the same to him. Mrs. Zheng wanted Zhao Mingzhu to marry him; she was really flattering her too much.
Zhao Mingzhu, on the other hand, never felt that she was being flattered. He was probably even disdainful of marrying her. Disdain was just the right thing to do. The thought of marrying Zhao Mingzhu made him feel uncomfortable all over.
Cheng Lang left Old Lady Zheng's place and went to the Duke of England.
Duke Wei Ling of England was in his study when his guards handed him a portrait. Wei Ling was tall, with long eyebrows that reached his temples, and a mole on the end of his brow. Although he was old, the mole softened his features, making him look handsome. He held the painting for a long time without saying anything, and finally asked, "Is this really the seventh daughter of the Luo family?"
The guard replied, "I drew this with my own hands, there is absolutely no mistake."
"Is her mother still alive?" Wei Ling asked again immediately.
The guard shook his head and said hesitantly, "I've inquired and found out that Miss Luo Qi's mother... passed away six months after giving birth to her. She did indeed live in that temple before her death."
Wei Ling's expression was complex, as if he were both excited and hiding some pain. He sat on the armchair and waved his hand for the guards to leave first.
Cheng Lang walked in and asked, "Uncle, is there any news about my cousin whom I've never met?"
Wei Ling nodded without saying anything.
A month ago, Lu Jiaxue, inspecting Baoding Prefecture, told him about a girl who looked like him, also with a mole on the tip of her eyebrow, and whose age matched his. Lu Jiaxue, who was about to go inspecting Shanxi Daying, didn't investigate further, but simply told him through someone. Wei Ling's heart raced upon hearing this... Was it her who had been in that accident that year?! This matter had been weighing on his mind for over a decade. If he hadn't been thinking about her, why would he have remained unmarried? He sent people to investigate for a month, hoping to find her, but he was afraid it was just wishful thinking. But when he finally got a reply, he was speechless.
Gu Minglan is dead, but left him a daughter.
The girl was already twelve years old. Seeing the portrait of Minglan's face, which bore a 60% resemblance to his, and the same mole beneath his eyebrow, he felt a sense of intimacy. This was his daughter. Although Minglan had died, he had left her behind. The girl grew up in an ordinary official's family in Baoding, never having met her biological father.
Cheng Lang had also heard from Wei Ling's subordinates that Wei Ling had recently been looking for the girl he had left behind. After hearing what the guard had just said, he had already guessed what was going on. He walked over to look at the person in the portrait and felt that she looked familiar. "Is the cousin uncle was talking about... the seventh daughter of the Luo family?"
When Wei Ling heard him say this, she looked up at him and asked, "Have you...ever seen her?"
"I met her once a few years ago," Cheng Lang said. "This little girl is quite cute. It's a pity that her father favored his concubine over his wife, so she suffered as a result. I heard that her grandmother died and no one took care of her. I wonder how she is doing now. She should have been raised in luxury in the Duke of Ying's mansion... but unfortunately, she was raised in an ordinary official's home, competing with a bunch of sisters."
Wei Ling's face darkened when he heard this. His daughter...she should have been raised in luxury, pampered and spoiled! How could she endure such humiliation in a place like Baoding? He had fought and conquered with Lu Jiaxue his entire life, so how could he not even pamper his own daughter?
Even if Minglan died, he had to take this girl back. This was the daughter Minglan left for him.
Wei Ling stood up suddenly with a sullen face, called his guards in and said, "Go to the Shenji Camp and gather five hundred elite soldiers to go to Baoding with me!"
Cheng Lang was just thinking about this outcome. He didn't care whether this cousin came back or not. But if the real daughter of the Duke of Ying returned, Zhao Mingzhu wouldn't know how to deal with it. However, he didn't expect Wei Ling to be so anxious, and even mobilized 500 elite soldiers from the Shenji Camp. This was too much!
Cheng Lang hurried forward and asked, "Uncle, are you going to Baoding to pick her up now?"
Wei Ling had already taken the scroll of portraits and said calmly, "How can a young lady from the Duke of Ying live out here?"
The servant put a cloak on him and he strode out of the door. The heavily guarded guards of the Duke of England were waiting for him outside.
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