Chapter 123 The Mystery of the Jiang Siblings' Origins
Yao Shisan looked at them warily. "I don't know either of you. If you have anything to say, just talk to my brother."
Guo Ziyu glanced at Guo Fang, and the two exchanged a look.
Then a seemingly benevolent smile appeared on his face.
"Madam, do not be afraid. It seems you have forgotten about us two brothers. I am Guo Ziyu, the chief general of the Northwest Army and the advisor of General Meng, the Duke of Zhenguo."
Guo Fang then cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Guo Fang."
Guo Ziyu continued, "My brother and I do not wish to offend the lady, but the county government is on high alert, and we simply cannot see Lord Jiang."
Yao Shisan became increasingly certain that it was a feud between their fathers, and he would leave once he bypassed them.
"I am not Lord Jiang, you have the wrong person."
Guo Fang reached out to block her path, saying, "Please let us finish what we have to say, madam."
Guo Fang was a big, burly man who was known to cure children's crying.
Now that he was standing so close to Fu'er, even the strongest and most sensible child was frightened and burst into tears.
"Waaah! Mother, I'm scared!—"
Yao Shisan immediately picked up his daughter, glaring at the two men with a face full of anger. "What else is there to say? The grudges between our parents—did my parents owe you money or their lives?"
Guo Fang was stunned for a moment, "No..."
"If you don't agree, then get out of the way!"
The argument grew louder, and the surrounding crowd began to gather to watch.
"You've misunderstood, we're not just..."
Guo Fang grew impatient. "Stop talking nonsense, just use the old method!"
"Huh? No way..."
Before Guo Ziyu could stop him, a pinch of powder was thrown onto Yao Shisan's face.
When Guo Fang reached out to take it, he realized something was wrong.
She's a woman, not as easy to kidnap as Jiang Xingyao.
Yao Shisan loosened his grip on the child, and it looked like Fu'er was about to fall.
Guo Fang reached out and caught the child.
Fu'er immediately began to struggle in his arms, crying out, "Mother! I want my mother!"
A child struggling in the hands of the "evil man," and a young woman who has already fainted.
The bewildered crowd became agitated, shouting, "Kidnapper! Kidnapper!"
Following Yao Shisan, Zhou Congxian's gaze swept over the layers of people and immediately spotted Fu'er struggling and crying.
"Fu'er!"
He pushed through the crowd and lunged at Guo Fang, yelling, "How dare you kidnap my daughter!"
"Father! Waaah!—"
When Fu'er saw her father, she cried even louder.
Guo Ziyu, who was already struggling to explain himself, gave up completely when he saw the two men fighting.
Zhou Congxian snatched his daughter away and his attacks were swift and fierce!
"You dare to kidnap people in the street? Who are you people?!"
Guo Fang: "I am Guo Fang, the deputy general under General Meng!"
"He kidnapped my wife and daughter in the street and even dared to impersonate an official of the imperial court! His crime is doubled!"
Guo Fang was a seasoned general on the battlefield, and his martial arts style differed from Zhou Congxian's; his attacks were always deadly.
I met these two a few days ago and thought they were really under General Meng's command.
I never expected them to kidnap someone right there in the street!
Many kind-hearted citizens had already gone directly to the government to report the case.
When the head constable arrived with his yamen runners, Guo Fang and Zhou Congxian were locked in a fierce battle.
Zhou Congxian seized the opportunity, grabbed his daughter, and leaped out of the encirclement of the yamen runners.
A group of yamen runners drew their swords and surrounded the two Guo families.
Guo Ziyu looked at Guo Fang with utter despair, "Are you a pig-headed idiot?! If I ever go out with you again, I'll give you my surname!"
Guo Fang, “??”
There was a sudden moment of silence.
Both of them share the surname Guo.
The two were taken back to the county government office.
The two, who had been refused entry and unable to even see Jiang Xingyao, returned to the county government office as suspects.
Yao Shisan is still not awake.
Fu'er was frightened and clung to her father's neck, refusing to let go.
Zhou Congxian held his daughter in one arm and gently patted her back with the other to comfort her.
In the front hall, Jiang Xingyao's face was grim. "I've told you before, we were just born into a poor family, not the people you're looking for."
"You dare to kidnap people in the street!"
Guo Ziyu clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My younger brother was reckless; he was in the wrong!"
"But we really are from the Northwest Battalion. Our battalion badges and travel permits are genuine!"
"I did have some doubts about Lord Jiang before, but when we saw this lady, we knew we hadn't made a mistake. She looks six or seven parts like our young lady!"
Guo Fang nodded repeatedly, "I was just doing what I did when I kidnapped Lord Jiang in the capital..."
After Lord Jiang escaped from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion that time, a group of unidentified men in black suddenly appeared.
After he broke free from the men in black, Jiang Xingyao had already disappeared without a trace!
Jiang Xingyao coldly retorted, "There are countless people in the world who are similar. Are you going to take them all away?!"
Guo Fang didn't understand why he reacted this way. "Whether it is or not, you'll know once you come with us."
“Our general has been searching for his relatives for so many years, and every year countless imposters come to our door, all for the sake of wealth and glory.”
"You guys are something else. All the clues are pointing to you, but you keep making excuses."
Guo Ziyu nodded to his simple-minded brother, "Yes! You finally understand!"
They cried out against forced abduction! This only deepened the misunderstanding, making them even more unwilling! The mission was now even more impossible to complete! And there was no hope of returning!
Actually, the Meng family does have descendants, but they are all from collateral branches, each with their own agendas.
He has no talent, but he's a master at flattery!
If both of them are the young lady's children, then they are promising descendants.
He sighed, "Back then, the young lady had a fight with the general and left, never to return. That parting was forever."
"The general has been searching for so many years, and now he is all white-haired. Whether you are or not, you should be moved by his dedication and go see him."
Jiang Xingyao's expression remained unmoved. "I have a father and mother, and I belong to the Jiang family of Chuzhou. I am definitely not a descendant of General Meng."
"We have no intention of currying favor with the powerful and wealthy. There are many matters to attend to in the county, and I do not have the time to accompany you two on another futile trip."
Guo Ziyu and Guo Fang exchanged a glance.
The Jiang siblings were not as happy as they usually were when they found someone; instead, they kept their distance.
Guo Ziyu clasped his hands and knelt on one knee. "Lord Jiang, please forgive my impetuousness. Old Master Meng's only wish in life is to make amends for the mistakes of the past!"
"My brother and I have been searching for so long, and only Lord Jiang is the most suitable candidate. We beg you to take pity on us, an old man in his twilight years, and make a trip."
Guo Fang couldn't help but glance at Guo Ziyu. When did the general become so pitiful? He was indeed old, but he really couldn't be considered an old man!
Whose elderly person can jump three feet high and slap someone half to death!
Guo Ziyu ignored him and continued to play the victim, "Now the Meng family has no successor, and Old Master Meng can only sigh every day, regretting his past mistakes."
"Even if you are not a descendant of a young lady, you can still help Old Master Meng put his mind at ease."
Guo Ziyu tried his best to persuade them, but the hall remained silent except for the faint breathing sounds of a few knives.
He cautiously looked up. But he saw that Jiang Xingyao's eyes remained unchanged, and he was just looking at the two brothers indifferently.
What happened?
In the past few days, he had been investigating in the city and found that Jiang Xingyao had a good reputation among the people. He was kind and fair and never complained about doing things for the people.
He tried his best to persuade them, but it was no use at all!
Jiang Xingyao slowly stood up. "Are you finished?"
"Someone, see the guest out."
"Master Jiang!"
He stopped looking at the two of them, turned and left, his eyes filled with an indifference unlike anything he had ever shown before.
He spouts nothing but absurd nonsense.
Did they take advantage of his young age and ignorance back then?
Why does Yao'er have no memories of her life before the age of six? Isn't it because that was her darkest period?
Why did my mother die so tragically? Wasn't it because the Meng family wanted to clean house to save face?
Is there no one to carry on the legacy?
Oh.
retribution.
Jiang Xingyao stood at the door, gazing at his sleeping sister's face, who was still asleep.
In fact, the younger sister's profile is almost exactly the same as her mother's.
He would never forget the resentment in his mother's eyes before she died.
He and his sister can have any surname, except Meng.
The two people in the front hall were once again "asked" to leave, and silence returned.
Fu'er had fallen asleep on Zhou Congxian's shoulder.
He was so shocked that he couldn't recover for a long time.
He suddenly remembered that last year His Majesty had asked him to attribute the identity of General Meng's granddaughter to Jiang Shiyao.
The intention was to drag the Meng family into the power struggle among the aristocratic families of the capital.
He couldn't openly protect a concubine because he was only superficially friendly with the Song family, so he thought that if Jiang Shiyao were to assume the title of the Meng family's heir, the Song family and Song Jiyun would be wary, and so he readily agreed to His Majesty's request.
I never imagined she really was General Meng's granddaughter!
Zhou Congxian hugged his daughter tightly, when suddenly a thought flashed through his mind.
Your Majesty knows everything!
Now that the Meng family has no heir, introducing Jiang Shiyao can bind the Meng and Zhou families together; she is their most useful weapon.
What powerful figure in the court can't be felled?!
The Meng family only wants Jiang Xingyao, someone who can truly inherit the title of Duke of Zhenguo!
Zhou Congxian frowned, and his heart suddenly tightened!
Jiang Shiyao was his concubine, so no one could covet her.
But she is no longer Jiang Shiyao. Once she is taken back by the Meng family, she will regain her Meng family identity.
Countless young men in the capital would be eager to marry her, their doors practically lining up to be adored by her!
Especially Xiao Shu!
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears.
Two days later, around noon, Zhou Congxian had just accompanied Yao Shisan back from the rented land.
As soon as I got off the bus, I saw the carriage of Prince Cheng's Mansion parked in front of the county government office.
Yao Shisan knows nothing about this. Her brother won't tell her, and Zhou Congxian certainly won't.
As soon as she saw Xiao Shu's carriage, she felt that this man was interfering with her business again.
Wenxi, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, was waiting in the carriage.
"Wenxi, what are you doing here? Come inside."
Wenxi looked up at her, then said softly, "Greetings, Madam Yao."
"His Highness instructed me to wait here, and I dare not act rashly."
Yao Shisan felt that Wen Xi seemed different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
“His Highness Prince Cheng has never mistreated you, so why are you being punished here today?”
Although there were cushions on the carriage, kneeling to serve was still quite uncomfortable.
Wenxi said, "It was the servant who made a mistake and should be punished."
Zhou Congxian glanced at her briefly, then said, "Why are you so concerned about the affairs of the Prince Cheng's residence?"
Yao Shisan walked in and then realized, "Xiao Shu has become more generous, and Wen Xi's clothes and jewelry are much better than before!"
She turned her head to speak, not noticing the person coming from around the corner.
"If Yao'er likes any of the clothing and jewelry, I can offer them all to her."
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