Chapter 199 Tell me, who exactly are you?
"Where is the young lady's body?" Shen Ci'an, who had been silent since entering the East Palace, finally spoke. "She was my lawfully wedded wife, and she should be buried in the Shen family to rest in peace."
"Impossible!" Xiao Xuanyou finally reacted. "She's mine!"
"You've already killed her, do you still want her to die with her eyes wide open in disbelief?" Shen Ci'an's cold voice echoed in the hall, carrying a chilling loneliness. "She was registered in my Shen family's genealogy. Do you want her soul to have nowhere to rest after death?"
Xiao Xuanyou seemed stumped by his question, dejectedly hugging the memorial tablet, only shaking his head repeatedly, "No, it's not..."
Lu Yuan no longer wanted to recall the chaos of that period.
He only remembered that Shen Ci'an forced Jiang Zhi to reveal her burial place, but he never expected that what he found when he led his men to dig it up was an empty coffin.
Jiang Zhi's body has disappeared.
Thinking of this, Lu Yuan suppressed the hidden pain in his heart, forced a bitter smile, and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, he saw the woman who had been wearing a veil earlier.
She hid half of her body behind a girl in pale yellow, her head bowed so her face was obscured. The fingers that were clutching the girl's sleeve were pale and slender, and they seemed strangely familiar.
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and turned to enter the hanging flower gate.
Seeing him approaching her, but his gaze fixed on his cousin Ya Ya behind him, Feng Yuan nervously swallowed, blocked Jiang Zhi behind her, and said in a bluffing tone, "What, what do you want to do?"
“Miss Feng, please don’t be rude. This is Commander Lu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard from the capital. He is on his way south to investigate a case and will be staying in Xuzhou for a while,” Prefect Zhao’s voice rang out at the opportune moment.
"The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" A collective gasp rippled through the room.
The deputy commander was already formidable enough, but now the commander himself has arrived!
Legend has it that this commander is elusive, highly skilled in martial arts, ruthless, and cold-blooded; very few people have ever seen him.
"Are you Miss Feng?" Lu Yuan asked Feng Yuan, but his eyes were fixed on the person behind her.
Jiang Zhi's heart was pounding, and she lowered her head so low it almost reached her chest.
If she had known from the beginning that Lu Yuan was there, she would have turned around and left without hesitation. Now, however, she was in a difficult situation.
"Yes, yes, what brings you here, Commander Lu?" Feng Yuan was so intimidated by the powerful aura emanating from him that her face turned pale.
“And who is this…” he asked.
Feng Yuan said, "This is my cousin, Ji Zhiya, who came to my house to stay half a year ago."
Jiang Zhi endured Lu Yuan's almost tangible gaze and gave him a somewhat awkward bow, "This humble woman, Ji Zhiya, greets Commander."
"Miss Ji, why are you wearing a veil to this banquet?"
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips and remained silent, as if she found it difficult to speak.
Feng Yuan was about to speak when Zhao Anran interrupted, "Lord Lu, you may not know this, but this Miss Ji encountered bandits on her way to visit relatives. In order to protect herself, she scratched her face, which is why she has been wearing a veil all this time."
At first, they also despised Ji Zhiya's pretentious behavior despite her low status, and often mocked her at parties.
He changed his opinion of her after learning the truth.
Although I still can't stand her shabby appearance, I no longer make fun of her about it.
After all, they're already so pitiful.
A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes.
Her voice didn't resemble Jiang Zhi's at all, and the timing didn't match up either.
Why was there a fleeting look of panic in her eyes when she first saw him?
Could it be related to his current case?
It was indeed Yu Jun who came to Xuzhou to investigate the case, but since Yu Jun was getting married soon, I informed the Emperor that I had come in his place.
"I wonder how Madam Feng's health is?" he asked Feng Yuan.
"Grandmother is doing well, thank you for your concern."
"When I have some free time in a couple of days, I will personally pay you a visit."
The Emperor was very satisfied with the Feng family's honest and upright conduct over the years. However, upon hearing that they were not doing well in Xiao County, he specifically instructed him to bring some rewards to the Feng family.
After leaving Prefect Zhao's house, Jiang Zhi realized that her hands and feet were a little sore and weak.
Lu Yuan's imposing presence was so strong that her erratic heartbeat only calmed down after she boarded the carriage.
Fortunately, her identity was not fabricated, but real.
Ji Zhiya was indeed a cousin who came to seek refuge with the Feng family, and she was indeed disfigured by bandits.
However, in order to escape the pursuit of mountain bandits, she stayed in the freezing cold for three days and three nights, and her health was already poor when she came to the Feng family.
He fled to the Feng family after his death, while Ji Zhiya was already on her deathbed.
Her uncle then devised a plan to have her take on Ji Zhiya's identity, and secretly buried the real Ji Zhiya in a propitious burial place after her death.
Only her maternal grandmother, uncle and aunt, and cousin Feng Shaoyuan knew about this. Feng Yuan was lively and outgoing, and since they had never met her, they kept it a secret.
The carriage did not return directly to Xiao County, but stopped in front of a teahouse.
Feng Yuan jumped down from the carriage, turned around and took Jiang Zhi's hand, "Cousin Ya Ya, let's go. I just promised to treat you to chestnut cake."
Jiang Zhi was in a state of utter confusion and had no appetite.
Not wanting to directly refuse Feng Yuan's kindness, she could only lift her skirt, take her hand, and walk down into the teahouse together.
Knowing that she had a sweet tooth, Feng Yuan ordered a lot of her favorite desserts.
But the two had only been seated in the private room for a short time when there was a knock on the door.
Feng Yuan frowned and got up to answer the door, but was stunned by the person in front of her.
"Commander Lu? What's the matter?" she stammered.
"There were too many people and too much chatter just now, so I'd like to ask Miss Ji a few questions." As Lu Yuan spoke, he entered and sat down opposite Ji Zhiya without any hesitation.
When Jiang Zhi saw it was him, she choked on the tea she had just taken a sip and couldn't help but cough.
"Miss Ji seems quite afraid of me?" Lu Yuan's expression was indifferent as he looked down at the pastries on the table.
Unlike Kyoto, southern sweets are known for their intricate and delicate preparation, with complex processes and small, bite-sized pieces.
Lu Yuan discovered that these flavors were all the ones Jiang Zhi used to love.
He subtly shifted his gaze.
"You flatter me, sir. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is renowned for its prestige. I merely admire it and would not dare to act rashly." Jiang Zhi suppressed the itch in her throat.
“Miss Feng, I would like to ask Miss Ji a few questions in private. May I ask you to excuse yourself for the time being?” Lu Yuan asked on the surface, but his attitude was cold and firm.
Feng Yuan looked at Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi nodded to her.
Feng Yuan then said, "Alright, then I'll wait for my cousin in the carriage."
Seeing Feng Yuan leave, Lu Yuan asked her directly, "Tell me, who exactly are you?"
Jiang Zhi's pupils trembled violently, her whole body tensed instantly, and she almost dropped the teacup in her hand!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
