Chapter 364: The Marquis’ Mansion raised you to adulthood, have you ever felt a bit grateful?
"Later, I secretly investigated and found out that your mother often boiled medicine in the yard. However, your mother was pregnant at that time, and those bitter medicines were undoubtedly taboos for her. I asked someone to investigate secretly, and found out that those medicines were not prepared for pregnant women, but were good medicines for treating serious injuries." A trace of pain flashed in Lan Zhenrong's eyes, as if the torment of those days came to his mind again.
Lan Xiyue was shocked when she heard this.
"And..." Lan Zhenrong's voice lowered a few notches, as if recalling a night he didn't want to touch. "One night, I heard a faint cough coming from your mother's room. The sound was mixed with suppressed pain. I quietly approached and found a seriously injured man hiding in your mother's room. Although I didn't see his appearance, I took out a jade pendant. After that, your mother stared at the jade pendant in a daze every time she went to bed."
As he spoke, Lan Zhenrong slowly took out an exquisite jade pendant from his arms. The totem carved on it was complex and mysterious, emitting a faint luster.
Mo Liyuan waved his hand, and the jade pendant fell into his hands. He examined it carefully and whispered to Lan Xiyue, "Yu'er, this jade pendant seems to be the totem of the Western Chu royal family."
Lan Xiyue took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, doubts growing in her heart like weeds. "The totem of the Western Chu royal family? Then why did my mother want to marry Lan Zhenrong? If she really loved the owner of this jade pendant, wouldn't she have just married him?"
Mo Liyuan's eyes were as deep as a pool. "Yu'er, you don't know. The hatred between the royal family of Western Chu and our Dongyao Kingdom is as deep as the sea. During those years of continuous war, countless lives were lost. Several princes of Western Chu were killed by the late emperor and the Duke of Protectorate, and several founding generals of our Dongyao Kingdom were also defeated in Western Chu. The people of both countries suffered terribly during the war. It was not until the late emperor and the emperor of Western Chu reached a tacit understanding and signed a peace agreement that the protracted war finally came to an end. Since then, Western Chu has closed its borders and severed all ties with Dongyao Kingdom."
Lan Xiyue heard this and said, "Then my mother..."
Lan Zhenrong smiled sadly, a smile tinged with endless bitterness. "I've been searching for ages, but I still can't find the origin of this jade pendant. It turns out your mother fell in love with a prince from an enemy kingdom. She even bore him children, unwilling to even look at me. And that man, I'm afraid, has long forgotten her in the dust of time."
Lan Xiyue's slender fingers gently stroked the jade pendant in her hand, "Mother, mother, what kind of woman are you? Why did you fall in love with a prince of an enemy country? If you really loved each other, why didn't you just leave? Instead, why did you marry into the Lan family and become Mrs. Lan in name only?" Lan Xiyue murmured.
Just as she was lost in thought, Mo Liyuan's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yu'er, I remember the Queen Mother mentioning that when I was five months old, my father and the Duke of Protector of the Country were returning from the border when they encountered a sudden assassination attempt. Although they were ultimately saved, my father was still slightly injured, and one of the assassins escaped with serious injuries."
Lan Zhenrong's expression changed upon hearing this, and his memory instantly flooded back. "It's true. The entire city was under martial law, searching for the assassin, but nothing ever came of it." At this point, his eyes suddenly widened, his tone filled with shock. "Could it be... Yun Shanshan actually saved the assassin?"
Upon hearing this, Lan Xiyue couldn't help but roll her eyes at Lan Zhenrong, her tone filled with disdain: "Why are you so excited? It's my mother's freedom to fall in love with whomever she wants."
Lan Zhenrong's face darkened and he snorted a few times, but didn't dare to say anything more.
Mo Liyuan gently stroked Lan Xiyue's head, his eyes filled with affection. "Yu'er, no matter what your status is, my love for you will last until death. As for the matter of your biological father, I will investigate it thoroughly."
Lan Xiyue nodded gently, then turned her gaze to Lan Zhenrong, her tone a bit cold: "As for him, he knows too much. It's better to lock him up first and let him fend for himself."
Mo Liyuan curled the corners of his lips slightly, his eyes deep, "Okay, let's do as Yue'er said, lock him up and let him fend for himself. Come, take Lan Zhenrong to the dungeon of the Regent's Palace and lock him up." His voice was low and powerful, and every word was as piercing as ice.
Lan Zhenrong's heart tightened when he heard this, and his face turned pale as paper in an instant, "Lan Xiyue, are you not keeping your word?"
Lan Xiyue snorted coldly, "My aunt always keeps her word. I'm already doing well by not killing you directly."
A secret guard came in and carried Lan Zhenrong out. Lan Zhenrong's face turned pale in an instant. He struggled and shouted, "No, no, I don't want to be locked up in the dungeon!" Everyone knows that the dungeon in the Regent's Palace is a place where you will be in danger of death once you enter it.
Seeing Lan Zhenrong shouting, the secret guard mercilessly struck Lan Zhenrong on the neck with a palm. The latter instantly fainted on the ground and stopped struggling. The secret guard carried the unconscious Lan Zhenrong away.
Lan Xiyue turned to look at the silent Lan Shenye and called softly, "Brother!"
Lan Shenye seemed to wake up from deep thought, looking at her with lost eyes, his voice low and confused: "Yueyue, I really don't understand why mother did this?"
"Maybe Mother had her own reasons back then, but no matter what, she is still our Mother. No matter what she did, I will never blame her."
Hearing this, Lan Shenye took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He slowly said, "Yes, she is our mother no matter what. I was wrong. I haven't thought it through as clearly as Yue'er."
At this moment, Nanny Li carefully supported the old lady and stepped over the threshold. She saw Mo Liyuan and bowed quickly, "Greetings to the Regent!"
Mo Liyuan stroked his sleeve lightly.
The old lady stood up straight and turned her gaze to Lan Xiyue, "Yueyue, although I don't know what exactly happened, the Marquis' Mansion is already like a candle in the wind. Why do you want to make it worse and continue to destroy it?"
Lan Xiyue looked at the old lady quietly, "Did I destroy the Marquis' Mansion?"
The old lady slammed her cane on the ground, tears welling in her eyes. "Since you came, there has been no peace in the Marquis' Mansion. What else do you want to do to the Marquis' Mansion?"
After a short silence, the old lady asked again, "Where are your father, Aunt Hong, and Yun'er now?"
Lan Xiyue's lips curled up into a cold smile, "They are all gone."
Upon hearing this, the old lady swayed and almost fell: "What did you say? You...what do you mean?"
"Literally."
The old lady's eyes were red as she glared at Lan Xiyue: "The Marquis' Mansion raised you to adulthood, have you ever felt a trace of gratitude?"
In fact, the old lady was not completely ignorant. Back then, the Marquis' Mansion was in turmoil, and it was only thanks to Yun Shanshan's marriage and the support of the Duke of Huguo's Mansion that it was able to revive.
Later, she also discovered some clues. For the reputation of the Marquisate, she also chose to remain silent. Unexpectedly, now, the Marquisate...
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