Injustice
After returning to the Lu residence from the inner city moat, Mu Qing was in a state of turmoil, with a thousand and one thoughts tangled in her mind, but the chilling fear that had gripped her body had dissipated considerably.
She was able to sleep peacefully at night and concentrate on her studies during the day. She was only a little more cautious about her diet, and she lived a comfortable life. She was just waiting to go to the riverbank in three days to find the person hiding in the shadows.
On the third day, Xiao Yu came to the Lu residence, chatted with her for a few words, and then invited her to see a new play.
The prince's carriage was drawn by two snow-white steeds, and was accompanied by personal guards on all sides. The procession was grand and troublesome, but for Mu Qing, who had been afraid to go out lately, it was reassuring.
To watch the play, she couldn't wear a veil, so she wore a face veil instead, her hair styled in a cloud-like bun, and a jade-colored, gold-embroidered, floor-length fairy dress. She looked much more luxurious than usual, but her movements were less convenient, and she had to be careful when boarding the prince's carriage.
Xiao Yu pulled her aside in the carriage, raising an eyebrow and asking, "Are you planning to go see a show, or are you planning to be seen by others?"
Mu Qing looked sullen. "Ning Gu said that when going out with the Prince, we can't embarrass him." She hurriedly redid her makeup and hair, dressing her up elaborately before letting her go out.
Xiao Yu smiled and ordered his men to set off.
Mu Qing turned to look at him, then glanced down at him again. After the young prince pulled her into the carriage, he seemed to have forgotten to let go of her hand, which was clasped together and rested on the yellow satin cushion.
Their hands met, and she could feel his warmth. He must have felt hers too. So, her cheeks burned, and she didn't dare to move. She listened as the young prince casually told her about the plays he had seen in the capital.
Outside the gates of the Lu residence, the ceremonial guard departed in a grand procession, and the onlookers along the roadside gradually dispersed.
Someone noticed that among the departing crowd were women wearing veils. One of them approached and teased, "Where did this young lady come from? Why are you covering your face like everyone else? Let this old man take a look."
Aunt Man stood in front of him with a fierce look on her face. "Where did this good-for-nothing come from? If you dare to cause trouble, I'll kill you even if it costs me my life!"
The man shuddered. "It was just a joke, was it really necessary?" As he walked away, he muttered under his breath, "You fierce woman."
Seeing him run away, Aunt Man pulled Lu Xier away quickly, whispering instructions to her.
"Xi'er, don't think too much. Now that we know the young prince, it's only a matter of time before we get back everything that is rightfully ours."
In recent days, they have met with the young prince several times in the city.
First at Kangping Tower, at the strong request of the Second Young Master Ji, Lu Xier agreed to meet him one last time.
Unexpectedly, during the banquet, the Second Young Master Ji was not as refined as usual. He urged everyone to drink a few cups of wine, saying that he had spent money but had not received what he deserved. While ordering his servant to hold down Madam Man, he disregarded his status, chased after Lu Xier, and tore off her veil.
Lu Xi'er cried out, startling the neighbors next door. The young prince next door was having a meal with Princess Duanjing when he heard the commotion and ordered his guards to break down the door. At that moment, the second young master Ji was tearing off Lu Xi'er's veil and cursing; exposed, he slunk away.
Upon seeing that the woman being bullied was the one he had saved once before, the young prince was stunned for a moment. When he learned that she had once been a musician at Yiyeju, he felt a bit of goodwill towards her.
"Although Ji Er has some talent, his character is despicable. For you to associate with him is truly a disgrace. As for what he said, there is no need to take it to heart. In my opinion, you are a rare beauty with superb musical skills and elegant demeanor."
Lu Xier thanked her with tears in her eyes, and Aunt Man suggested that she play a song to express her gratitude.
The young prince declined, saying he couldn't bear to listen to the music of someone who had recently been bullied.
Afterwards, Aunt Man inquired about the whereabouts of the young prince from various sources. She took Lu Xier to the vicinity and took the opportunity to meet him by chance. They listened to him play music and chatted about music.
The young prince also loved music and was delighted to meet a like-minded person. He lent him books from his collection to read and discuss their thoughts.
After a few visits, we met several times.
Lu Xier recalled their interactions over the past few days, walked into the courtyard, entered the room, removed her veil, and said to Aunt Man, "Godmother, the Prince and I are just kindred spirits who appreciate music; we don't talk about anything else besides music."
"A kindred spirit?" Aunt Man smiled and pulled her to sit down. "A kindred spirit is good. Men love a woman who understands them. Judging from how well you two have been communicating lately, it won't be long before you can talk about other things. After a while, you can tell him about your background, and I'm sure you'll gain his trust."
Lu Xier frowned slightly. "I don't want to use him."
Aunt Man patted the back of her hand. “Your godmother knows everything. The young prince’s status, character and appearance are all satisfactory. You used to think you weren’t pretty enough and were unwilling to see people, but lately when you meet the young prince, you are not afraid to show your face. You also spend a lot more time looking in the mirror before and after going out.”
"Godmother," Lu Xi'er called out hurriedly, her voice filled with a mixture of shyness and timidity.
Aunt Man smiled and continued, "You've been wandering with me all these years, don't you know how difficult it is for a woman to live in this world? Even if it's not to regain your identity, but just to find a place to belong, you should take things a step further with him."
Lu Xi'er lowered her head. "But am I really a young lady of the Lu family?"
“Of course. I wouldn’t let you take the risk if I wasn’t sure.” Aunt Man said thoughtfully, “A fake can’t become real. That imposter who impersonated you must have some flaws. I heard she was brought back from Tianci Mountain. If we can find someone who knows about Tianci Mountain, we’ll definitely find some clues.”
“Tianci Mountain?” Lu Xi’er asked in surprise. “I’ve heard Aunt Fang mention that her family used to live at the foot of Tianci Mountain.”
Aunt Fang lives next door. Her family members go to work during the day, leaving Aunt Fang at home to take care of her grandson. She grows some vegetables and flowers in her spare time.
Upon opening the courtyard gate, Fang saw Lu Xier and Aunt Man arriving together, bringing some small gifts and saying they wanted to chat. Fang was quite happy; her grandson had just fallen asleep, she had nothing to do, and having someone to talk to would be a good way to relieve her boredom.
She was a lithe woman who, after a few quick steps, brought out some cool tea from the house and invited the two of them to sit down. “Zixiao hasn’t been coming much lately, Miss Lu. Have you seen her? Last time I saw you two got along quite well.”
When Zixiao was tending to her flowers and plants, she often came to her for advice. It was because of this that she met Lu Xier in the alley a few days ago.
Lu Xier frowned and said, "It seems that Zixiao is being given an important position and is staying by the side of Miss Lu."
Aunt Fang laughed and said, "That's really a blessing."
"Oh?" Aunt Man interjected, "Does Aunt Fang know about that Miss Lu?"
Aunt Fang said, "No, but just thinking about it, you'd know that in a grand mansion, staying close to the master would definitely lead to a brighter future."
Aunt Man stared intently at her and said, "I heard that Miss Lu grew up on Tianci Mountain. Aunt Fang, you also have a deep connection with Tianci Mountain, so you must know more than we do."
"You can't say that," Aunt Fang said, avoiding eye contact and laughing it off.
Aunt Man didn't take it to heart and laughed, "I heard that your grandson is of school age, but he doesn't have enough money to go to a private school."
She took out an indigo purse from her sleeve, untied the drawstring, and revealed the gleaming silver inside.
"If Aunt Fang tells us about Tianci Mountain and Miss Lu, that would be our way of thanking you."
Aunt Fang stared at the silver on the table, swallowed hard, and then looked up at Lu Xier.
Lu Xier had visited her several times. She was pleasant-natured and a patient listener. Sometimes, when she was in a good mood, she would chatter on and on without any restraint, and sometimes she would say things she shouldn't have.
Seeing that Lu Xier, like Aunt Man, had a look of inquiry in her eyes and face, Aunt Fang asked warily, "Why are you two asking about this?"
Aunt Man said, "We are related to the Lu family and visit each other from time to time. Last time I went to the Lu residence to pay my respects, I mentioned Tianci Mountain. I don't know what I said that offended them, but I was given a cold reception. So I wanted to find out more about it so that I wouldn't be embarrassed again next time."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Fang suddenly realized and laughed, "It's okay to tell you this. However, you mustn't tell anyone after I tell you."
Once she opened her mouth, Aunt Man slowly probed, and before long, she had gotten to the bottom of it.
Aunt Fang was originally a villager from the foot of Tianci Mountain. More than 20 years ago, she married into Weizhou City. When she heard that the Lu family had found their lost daughter on Tianci Mountain, she received a letter from home saying that they had made a fortune. Under the pretext of returning to her hometown to visit relatives, she inquired and learned that the Lu family had given a generous "change of address fee" to several families who frequently went up the mountain to acknowledge that the Lu family's daughter had grown up on the mountain.
“My brother told me that a few years ago when he went hunting in the mountains, he saw an old woman on the mountain. She was slovenly and crazy. Until about…” Aunt Fang counted the time on her fingers before continuing, “If we count it as five years ago, then the old woman had a young girl by her side and finally looked like a normal person.”
Aunt Man frowned. "Five years ago, the eldest daughter?"
“That’s right. Miss Lu is said to be only eighteen years old. Five years ago, she was just a little girl. But my brother saw her with his own eyes. Although he saw her from afar, judging from her figure, she was definitely more than thirteen years old. When he learned that the Lu family had found their daughter, he questioned it. But the Lu family sent people to their door and offered him money to change his story.”
What was the reason for changing the subject?
"When people in the countryside see a large sum of money, they don't care about anything else and agree on the spot. Later, I guessed that it was probably because wealthy families cared about their reputation. If they couldn't find their lost daughter, people would gossip, so they might as well just adopt someone else. I heard that the Miss Lu who was found looked quite alike with Madam Lu."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Man and Lu Xi'er exchanged glances, their faces darkening as they remained silent.
Seeing their reaction, Aunt Fang said, "When you went to the Lu residence last time, didn't you just arouse suspicion?"
Aunt Man nodded slightly and asked, "Aunt Fang, what's your brother's name? Is he still at the foot of Tianci Mountain?"
Aunt Fang became wary. "Why are you asking these questions? If you ask me, it's best not to get any ideas. My brother moved away a long time ago. There isn't a single villager left at the foot of Tianci Mountain now."
Aunt Man asked, "Why is that? Didn't you just say that the Lu family only bribed a few households?"
"Two months ago, the young prince of the Qing Prince's Mansion led a group to Tianci Mountain. Soon after, the local government, citing wild animal attacks, ordered all the villagers to move away, offering resettlement fees to each family to relocate far away. You've heard of the Qing Prince's Mansion, right? The Miss Lu who was found is going to marry into the Qing Prince's Mansion in a few days. The reason for this is obvious."
As Aunt Fang spoke, she rubbed her forehead and said, "Oh dear, I've been risking my life to tell you all this, so I'll accept the money. Just don't spread this around. Since you still want to be related to the Lu family, it's best not to mention these things at all, otherwise, none of us will be able to escape the consequences."
Lu Xier lowered her eyes and remained silent.
She had previously suspected that her godmother had made a mistake, but if the young lady from the Lu family was innocent, why would she need to cover it up afterwards?
Aunt Man's face fell like never before, as if she had aged ten years in an instant. She had been trying to prove that the young lady from the Lu family was an imposter, but it turned out that the Lu family already knew, and the young prince was even helping to cover up the truth.
For the sake of their reputation, the Lu family even accepted a fake prostitute. How could Xi'er, whom she raised and raised in a brothel for many years, be recognized as her own family?
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