Chapter 175 - 175: 175. It’s time
Translator: 549690339
Duanmu Chen took a sip of cold tea, and the teacup was placed on the table, making a dull collision sound. His eyes glinted coldly, “Tell me everything you know, grandfather. I can let go of the Xiao family’s past concealments from me.”
Xiao Qi’s face looked terrible, “You have misunderstood, it’s not that we wanted to hide it from you, it’s because…”
Duanmu Chen said coldly, “Grandfather, at this point, I just want to hear something useful. ”
Two years ago, Duanmu Chen respected Xiao Qi, hoping that the Xiao family would fully support him.
But times had changed.
Xiao Mulian was dead, Duanmu Chen’s influence grew, and the Xiao family could only serve him.
This was also the main reason why Xiao Qi no longer dared to conceal the truth from Duanmu Chen in their current situation.
It should be noted that this was not the first time Duanmu Chen had asked Xiao Qi about this matter, but he had always been met with evasion.
Xiao Qi sighed deeply, “I have only you as a grandson. If you were a few years older, I would have arranged for you and Mulian to marry early. As long as the emperor does not object, it is best for the family to have a closer relationship with the royal family.”
Duanmu Chen remained silent, just listening to his words.
After all, he was the legitimate grandson of Xiao Qi, and his greatest support was the Xiao family.
Furthermore, the Xiao family had built ties with the crown prince’s faction through marriage in addition to supporting him.
Duanmu Chen was not foolish enough to think that this was because Xiao
Mulian was older than him and that it was inappropriate for her to marry him. After all, Xiao Mulian could marry someone else, not necessarily a royal family member.
In plain terms, Xiao Qi was cunning and wanted to keep all his options open.
“The crown prince was the first to take an interest in Mulian. We originally thought that he would ask for an imperial decree to grant the marriage, leaving the Xiao family with no choice but to accept. Who would have known that when the imperial matrimonial decree finally came, but it wasn’t for the crown prince, it was for the second prince.”
“Why?” Duanmu Chen asked. At that time, he was in a period of hiding his strength and biding his time, and he did not have much presence in the royal family in order to protect himself. Therefore, he knew what had happened, but he didn’t know the reasons behind it and did not dare to interfere, lest it lead to more problems and harm himself.
Xiao Qi sighed again, ‘Mulian accidentally met the second prince in Changchun Garden. The second prince coveted her beauty and asked the Empress Dowager and the Empress to beg for permission to marry her.”
Xiao Qi shook his head, “Once the imperial matrimonial decree was issued, what could the crown prince do? He couldn’t let the emperor and the people see two brothers fighting over a woman.”
“I remember that after my cousin married Duanmu Ao, she seemed to have been living well,” Duanmu Chen said.
Xiao Qi gave a bitter smile, ‘Mulian actually liked the crown prince in her heart. The second prince’s mansion was full of women, and Mulian’s life wasn’t good, but she just put on a brave face in front of others.”
“What did my cousin do with the crown prince behind Duanmu Ao’s back?”
Duanmu Chen asked.
Xiao Qi’s face looked terrible, “It’s the fault of the Xiao family for not teaching our daughters well. Mulian suffered at Duanmu Ao’s place, and the crown prince went to provoke her, so…sigh! Before Mulian’s marriage, she often went to Changchun Garden to watch performances, and the crown prince arranged to meet her there secretly several times.”
“How did you find out about this, grandfather?” Duanmu Chen found a problem. Xiao Mulian would not have let anyone know about her doing such disgraceful things, including her own family.
Duanmu Cheng used to be a frequent visitor to the Changchun Garden, but he hadn’t been there for the past two years.
He and Xiao Mulian daring to meet secretly in Changchun Garden and commit such an adulterous act sounded unbelievable. However, Duanmu Chen knew that there were many such dirty affairs within the royal family and nobility, all hidden from the light. To satisfy their private desires, some people would resort to any means and completely disregard morality and decency.
“One day, Mulian suddenly returned to her mother’s family, looking very pale. She told her mother she might be pregnant. This should have been a good thing, but Mulian was very scared and wanted to have an abortion behind the second prince’s back. She was afraid of being discovered in the second prince’s mansion, so she had to return to her mother’s family.” Xiao Qi said with a cold face, “Under pressure, she finally admitted that the timing would suggest that the child should be the crown prince’s. If the second prince found out, she would be dead.”
“And so you helped her get rid of the child?” Duanmu Chen asked.
However, Xiao Qi shook his head, “We hadn’t had a chance yet, when the second prince came to take her back home.”
“What happened afterward?” Duanmu Chen asked. He had never known about Xiao Mulian’s previous pregnancy, which had been a secret until now.
Xiao Qi sighed deeply, “We received the news of Mulian’s death the next time we heard from the second prince’s mansion. They said she had contracted a sudden illness, and she was gone. It all happened in the course of just three days. We don’t know what happened during those three days. Because Mulian had wronged the second prince in the first place, the Xiao family felt guilty and didn’t dare to make a scene. We simply accepted it.”
“What about Su Yuanzhou?” Duanmu Chen asked the crucial question.
Xiao Qi frowned and shook his head, saying, “I don’t know why Su Yuanzhou was implicated and lost his entire family. I guess it’s because Mulian had an affair with the crown prince, which was discovered by the second prince. He couldn’t tolerate her but couldn’t let her die in his mansion either, so he made Su Yuanzhou the scapegoat. In such a situation, naturally, the Imperial Physician couldn’t be called. Su Yuanzhou’s medical skills were good and he was well-known, but he was just a commoner, which made it easier to eliminate him.”
Duanmu Chen knew that it was not the case. He learned from Huang Bo that Su Yuanzhou was exterminated because he knew the secret of the nobles.
If Xiao Qi’s words were true, then Su Yuanzhou probably had the misfortune to witness Duanmu Cheng and Xiao Mulian’s secret rendezvous, or even accidentally found out that Xiao Mulian was pregnant with Duanmu Cheng’s child.
As for this, Duanmu Chen had no intention of sharing it with Xiao Qi, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Xiao Qi sighed deeply, “As for Mulian’s affair, that’s all I Imow. Regarding the others, I don’t know and don’t dare to ask the crown prince and the second prince. I didn’t tell you the truth back then, not because I didn’t trust you, but because, one, it’s a scandal that we don’t want to be brought up again. And two, it’s for your protection. At that time, your mother was being marginalized by the Empress Dowager and the Empress in the palace, and the Emperor didn’t esteem you. Even if you knew about those things, what could you do? If you impulsively did something, the crown prince and the second prince wouldn’t let you live.”
“I understand your painstaking efforts, Grandfather.” Duanmu Chen said this, but in his heart, he knew that Xiao Qi was just comforting him.
To Duanmu Chen, the Xiao family was nothing more than a pawn and deserved to be a pawn. There was no real sincerity between them.
Xiao Qi asked solemnly, “Do you really want to win over Su Liang? What do you plan to do?”
“I need to think about it.” Duanmu Chen said, “Regarding Cousin’s pregnancy, who else knows besides you and my uncle and aunt?”
Xiao Qi shook his head, “No one else. All the maids and old women who served Mulian were gone after her death. I guess they were dealt with by the second prince. At first, we were worried that he would target our family, but he didn’t do anything. However, we wouldn’t dare to let such a scandal spread either.”
After leaving the prime minister’s mansion, Duanmu Chen returned to the fourth prince’s residence and asked Chang’an to find out where Su Liang was.
At this time, Su Liang and Ning Jing were together, flipping through the medical books they borrowed from Huguo Temple. They skimmed the contents first to decide if the books were worth copying.
They found five in total – Su Liang examined three, while Ning Jing looked at two.
Both of them felt that these books were treasures and had to be copied so they could study them slowly.
“Let’s each choose one to copy first.” Su Liang said, ‘We’ll decide on the rest later. ”
Ning Jing nodded in agreement.
They each chose one book they thought was most useful at the moment, and set aside the other three for now.
In the next room, Nian Jincheng was eating the vegetarian dishes brought back by Yang Yu from Huguo Temple.
Nian Jincheng knew that it wasn’t Su Liang and Ning Jing who thought of him but must have been Yang Yu’s doing, so he thanked her.
“There’s no need to be polite. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Yang Yu smiled.
Nian Jincheng nodded earnestly, “Yes.”
“Once I learn the disguise technique, you can go out freely. Su Liang said he would teach me self-defense techniques, so I’ll have to trouble you to teach me martial arts later. I may not be able to master them, but I’ll do my best.” Yang Yu said.
“I’ll do my best as well.” Nian Jincheng said with a half-smile.
As Nian Jincheng ate his meal, Yang Yu was trying to think of something to talk about to break the silence, so she mentioned the new friends they met today and praised the two young masters of the Lin family for their outstanding appearances.
“Miss Qin and Second Master Lin are truly a match made in heaven.” Yang Yu sighed sincerely.
Nian Jincheng agreed, “Indeed.”
In reality, Yang Yu couldn’t hide her envy for Lin Xueqing and Qin Yujin. If she had a choice, she wouldn’t want to be a lonely person, fighting with her relatives, stewards, and those with ill intentions. She always had to be on guard against people trying to deceive or harm her.
Yang Yu felt that Qin Yujin and Lin Xueqing were the ones really enjoying life, while she just wanted to live life as best as she could.
But envy aside, Yang Yu also knew that everyone has their own fate. The person she truly admired was Su Liang, her role model.
Hearing Su Liang calling them, Yang Yu and Nian Jincheng went over.
Ning Jing went to the study to copy the book, and Su Liang taught Yang Yu and Nian Jincheng the disguise technique, first demonstrating it on Nian Jincheng’s face.
Originally, Nian Jincheng had a handsome and rugged appearance, but after Su Liang’s disguise, he became plain and ordinary.
Yang Yu took a look and offered an opinion, “I think it’s a bit strange. His appearance doesn’t quite match his temperament.”
Su Liang nodded, “Indeed. You try.”
Yang Yu was stunned, “I don’t know how to do it yet.”
“I mean, you do it.” Su Liang encouraged Yang Yu to take the initiative, “Don’t be polite, his face is thick-skinned, it won’t be ruined.”
Nian Jincheng: …Is Su Liang sure she’s not insulting me?
So, Su Liang told Yang Yu how to do it, and Yang Yu learned Su Liang’s techniques to disguise Nian Jincheng. In the process, there were a few mishaps, which made Nian Jincheng’s face asymmetrical and looked funny. She and Su Liang laughed, while Nian Jincheng silently sat, treating himself as a sculpture…
Finally, after Yang Yu finished, she was very satisfied, and Su Liang also thought it was not bad.
She brought a bronze mirror for Nian Jincheng to look at himself, “What do you think?”
Nian Jincheng looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror, a handsome man with a refreshing temperament, very different from his original appearance, but somewhat familiar.
“Doesn’t this face seem familiar?” Su Liang asked with a smile.
Nian Jincheng nodded, “It seems familiar, but I can’t remember.”
Su Liang pulled Yang Yu over and stood side by side with the mirror, “Do you see it? Isn’t it similar?”
Yang Yu and Nian Jincheng looked at each other and were both stunned.
“Is it like me?” Yang Yu was also surprised, “I didn’t deliberately imitate my own face.”
“People tend to like faces similar to their own.” Su Liang chuckled, “It’s normal, this is the most familiar and comfortable face for you. I think it’s good-looking, Xiaonian, you can use this face temporarily.”
Yang Yu also laughed, “It’s really unintentional. If you don’t like it, you can disguise yourself.”
Nian Jincheng looked at the face in the bronze mirror again and shook his head, “There’s nothing I don’t like, just like this.”
“Then can I tell others that he is my long-lost half-brother from the same father? Give him a new identity?” Yang Yu asked.
Su Liang thought it was okay.
Who knew Nian Jincheng would oppose, “I don’t want to be anyone’s brother anymore.”
His two sisters had left him with a deep psychological shadow.
Knowing this, Yang Yu just said she was joking.
“In that case, you and I, like Ning Jing, will be sworn siblings.” Su Liang suggested.
Yang Yu blinked, “But he doesn’t want to be a brother, so, sworn sisters and brothers? I’m willing to be a sister.”
Nian Jincheng looked somewhat embarrassed, “You’re both younger than me.”
“That’s not important.” Su Liang shook her head, “If you don’t object, let’s decide on that.”
Yang Yu smiled, “To be honest, I don’t want to have a brother anymore either.” Her own brother Yang Feng was a bad person, and her half-brother from a different mother _
Yang Yu’s relatives of trying to seize the Yang Family’s property. After helping Yang Yu get the Yang Family business back on track, he no longer interfered with the Yang Family’s affairs and went to live his own life. “Xiaonian, call me sister.” Su Liang joked half-heartedly.
Nian Jincheng shook his head, “I can’t say it.”
“It doesn’t matter. You can think of a pseudonym for yourself.” Yang Yu said. Nian Jincheng frowned, “I can’t think of anything suitable for now.”
“Then let’s call you Ya Yan.” Su Liang said. It’s just the reverse pronunciation of Yang Yu’s name, so it’s more convenient.
Su Liang taught the two disguise techniques and let them practice using each other’s faces.
Yang Yu was very generous, while Nian Jincheng felt a little embarrassed, and didn’t dare to get started at first. It took yang Yu to urge him, saying it’s alright, they’re friends, and not to think too much about it for the sake of the task at hand.
Su Liang was just about to prepare more disguise medicine when she heard Chang’an’s voice outside.
Nian Jincheng immediately got up and hid behind the screen.
Su Liang went out and saw Chang’an standing in the courtyard, “Miss Su is at home, that’s great. My master would like to invite Miss Su to our mansion for a chat.”
Su Liang had a thought, “Has the Fourth Prince visited Prime Minister Xiao’s home today?”
Chang’an nodded, “Yes, he has been to the Xiao family.”
“Alright. I’ll go there tonight.” Su Liang thought that matter must have made some progress.
When it was quiet late at night, Su Liang entered the Fourth Prince’s mansion as though she knew the way well.
She knew that Ning Jing was secretly following, but did not show up.
When she met with Duanmu Chen, there was a pot and two cups in front of him.
“Your Highness the Fourth Prince, it seems that there is progress in the matter?” Su Liang went straight to the point.
Duanmu Chen poured two glasses of wine and handed one to her.
Su Liang took it and put it down again, “I don’t like to drink.”
Duanmu Chen smiled, “Are you afraid I’ll poison you?”
Su Liang shook her head, “I just don’t like it, it doesn’t taste good.”
“Then forget it.” Duanmu Chen remembered that he had known Su Liang for so long, she seldom drank wine. After drinking a glass, he spoke again, telling Su Liang the information he had obtained from Xiao Qi today.
The two had been working together for a long time and communication was essentially free of nonsense.
In the end, Su Liang’s face darkened, “The royal family has committed unsightly misdeeds, and to cover up, innocent people must be buried with them?”
Duanmu Chen sighed, “At this point, my grandfather should no longer dare to deceive me. Although I still don’t know how your grandfather got involved, I sympathize with him and your other wrongly killed family members. What do you plan to do?”
Su Liang’s eyes were icy, “How does Your Highness the Fourth Prince hope I
will act?”
Duanmu Chen focused on the pouring wine, “What I want, you naturally understand without me saying it. But how you do it, I don’t care, just don’t involve me.”
After leaving the Fourth Prince’s mansion, Su Liang returned home, entered from the back door, stopped in the garden, and called for Ning Jing.
Ning Jing appeared behind her.
Su Liang turned and looked at him, “Do I have a dark cloud on my brow?”
Ning Jing shook his head, “Do you want to kill?”
Su Liang nodded, “It seems that heaven does not want you to stop, that’s great. I want to see what Duanmu Ao has to say, it’s about time..”
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