Chapter 247 – The Loyal Confidant (1)
Life has an uncanny way of mixing ironies every now and then. When she lived as the n.o.ble Ye Zhen, never once had she set foot in Qianjin despite being its mistress. And here she was, as Lu Yaoyao, visiting a second time and that too as a customer.
Ye Zhen chuckled inwardly as she followed Hong Ling up the stairs and to the second floor. The last time she was here, she had tasked her former maid with establis.h.i.+ng contact with her father’s most trusted confidantes in Jinkou City.
When she found out that there were two bodies less among those executed on Mo Rongzhan’s command, she was hopeful that they were alive. And when she discovered those two belonged to her father and brother, she wanted to find them immediately.
It was her good fortune that she had met her former maid while visiting the charred remains of her former residence. It was then that her hope turned to resolve. She knew then she would be able to track the whereabouts of her father. These were their people, the ones handpicked by her father, who had helped her before … absolutely loyal.
“Young Miss, you are here at last. I have been looking forward to your visit.” Hong Ling got a little excited, she had some much to tell her.
“I couldn’t get away. I finally found time today. When did you come back from Jinkou City?” Ye Zhen asked.
Hong Ling had been to Jinkou City to find Man Qin and Tian Jiu with a letter Ye Zhen had written. Since then she had been anxiously waiting for news. She had not admitted who she was, instead presented herself as the young miss’s younger sister. The challenge was in convincing them, only time would tell if they would believe her.
“Young Miss, this handmaiden came back a few days ago. The letter you asked for me to deliver was already sent to Uncle Man, and he came to the capital with this handmaiden,” Hong Ling said and continued, “Young Miss, please wait for a moment, this handmaiden will invite him here.”
Ye Zhen didn’t expect Man Qin to come to the capital. Did the letter convince him? Or did he just want to confirm if he could trust me?
“Go.” She nodded softly.
No matter what Man Qin would do to probe, she was well prepared.
Hong Ling immediately turned and invited Man Qin into the attic.
Man Qin was her father’s most trusted. When she got married, he was ordered by her father to accompany her to the prince’s residence. However, when her happiness was shattered and the reality of her marriage started to seep in, she decided to send Man Qin and Tian Jiu to Jinkou City. This was how they had evaded Lu Lingzhi’s vicious clutches and the heinous act. Had they insisted on staying with her, or returned to her father they would be dad either way.
From outside the door sounded a few quick steps and a knock. Soon, Hong Ling led Man Qin in.
“… Young … Miss?!” A stunned Man Qin stood stockstill at the door, arrested by the sight of the figure waiting by the window.
“You must be Uncle Man, the one mentioned by my elder sister. I am Lu Yaoyao. I believe you have read my sister’s letter.” Looking at the man in front of her, Ye Zhen could only pretend they met for the first time.
Man Qin was about thirty, of st.u.r.dy build, sported a little beard. He was quite handsome, dignified, looking nothing like a commoner rather a romantic scholar.
After a brief moment of silence, he managed to gather himself. “Are you really … Lu Yaoyao?”
He could not get over his astonishment, looking at the girl before him. At first he felt his eyes were playing tricks on him, he was certain his master had but one daughter. Yet the person before him was a spitting image … So, he looked at her carefully, meticulously trying to seek any difference he could discern between this Lu Yaoyao and their young miss.
Ye Zhen could tell what the man was thinking at the moment, his eyes were suffused with incredulity. And she didn’t blame him. Wasn’t she stunned at first too?
She simply smiled and nodded, trying to rea.s.sure him. “Yes, I learned later that Ye Zhen is my elder sister.”
Man Qin frowned at her and asked suspiciously. “You grew up in the Lu Family, but now you wish to deal with them?”
Although this question was one filled with anger, the answer could determine a lot of things. If she were to say yes, there was a chance she would be termed an ingrate, biting the hand that fed her. If she inclined on the nay side, well, there was no point in being here. Her words needed to be weighed, she had to win his confidence and yet keep her integrity intact.
“No!” Ye Zhen said lightly. “I do not wish to deal with the entire Lu Family. I just want to deal with Lu Lingzhi. He killed my elder sister, also made up evidence to implicate the entire Ye Clan.
Clearly, there were a number of innocents in the Ye Family, but all of them died.” She paused, trying to rein in her emotions and not get carried away before continuing.
“Although I am surnamed Lu now, I have been growing up in the border town since childhood, and share no strong sentiments with the other members of the Lu Family. It was only the Third Household that has been genuinely kind to me. As far as Lu Lingzhi and Lu Wushuang are concerned, they are only enemies.”
Lu s.h.i.+ming and Pei s.h.i.+ had painstainkingly raised her younger sister. They had showered her with nothing but affection and comforts, letting her live a life as she willed unrestrained. Even after she had discovered her true ident.i.ty, their love for her did not diminish.
Even Lu Xiangzhi had been unconditional when it came to her demands, treating her like his biological sister. Even if Ye Zhen hated Lu Lingzhi, she would not hate the Lu Family’s third household.