Chapter 5

He could have denied it outright, but if Prince Yi intervened, the matter would inevitably be investigated thoroughly. Once the evidence was uncovered, all that would remain was humiliation and ridicule. “Prince Yi, this woman is indeed the legitimate daughter of the Yuan family who was lost years ago. She was originally supposed to marry the Huo family today. However, an unexpected incident occurred along the way, and we had no choice but to have another daughter, Shu Luan, take her place and marry into the Huo family. This all happened because I failed to manage my household properly. I humbly ask Your Highness to punish me severely.” Yuan Qingyi had already guessed that, with everyone watching, Yuan Zhongyi would have no choice but to acknowledge her identity. “Then may I ask General Huo, why did you fail to recognize your own fiancée?” Yuan Qingyi asked with a cold laugh. Huo Beidong's expression darkened. He immediately dropped to his knees. “It was too dark, so I failed to recognize her. Prince Yi, my Huo family knew nothing about this matter. I beg Your Highness to investigate it thoroughly.” A wave of commotion swept through the crowd. Before marriage, the bride and groom would inevitably have met each other. Yet from the young marquis's reaction just now, it was obvious that he had not recognized the woman standing before him. Regret filled Huo Beidong's expression. Yuan Qingyi truly was an embarrassing woman. Did she really have to make such a scandal known to everyone? A trace of anger flashed across Ling Tianyi's gentle features. He flicked his sleeve and spoke coldly. “Minister Yuan, you must investigate this matter thoroughly. Once you have the results, report them to me.” “Yes, Your Highness.” Yuan Zhongyi lowered his head and accepted the order. Ling Tianyi walked up to Yuan Qingyi. “If you still wish to marry into the Yuan family, I can make the decision and allow you to marry into the marquis's household as his legal wife, while your younger sister becomes his favored concubine. Would you be willing?” Yuan Zhongyi looked up anxiously. “Prince Yi!” With the new emperor recently ascending the throne, the court was unstable and turbulent. That was why he had been so eager to form a marriage alliance and secure the Yuan family's position. Although the Huo family was currently at the height of its power, a tree that grew too tall would inevitably attract the wind. He absolutely could not allow both of his daughters to marry into the Huo family. Doing so would undoubtedly push the Yuan family directly into the center of the storm. The Second Madam's body swayed as well. The Yuan Qingyi before them had already revealed her claws. If she became the legal wife of the Huo family, wouldn't she trample all over Shu Luan and run rampant? Everyone's anxious gazes fell upon Yuan Qingyi. She lowered her head slightly. A struggle could be seen in her delicate features, and her eyes reddened. Yet when she spoke, there was not the slightest hesitation in her voice. “Although Shu Luan is not the legitimate daughter of the Yuan family, she and the heir of the Marquis of Hengyong have grown up together and loved each other since childhood. Now that they are already married, Qingyi has no intention of taking away another person's beloved. I hope Your Highness will make the decision and order the Huo family to destroy the marriage contract between me and the heir.” A gentle breeze swept past, lifting the strands of hair against her cheek. The woman's delicate face was filled with determination. Yuan Zhongyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even though she was clearly unwilling to give up the marriage, she was still willing to let it go. It seemed that Qingyi still had the Yuan family in her heart. Huo Beidong, however, stood frozen in place, his mind exploding with shock. Indeed, once Yuan Qingyi's identity was confirmed, it would be tantamount to announcing before everyone that the dignified heir of the Marquis of Hengyong and the mighty general of the empire had actually married a low-born adopted daughter. Ling Tianyi lowered his gaze toward her, and for a fleeting moment, he seemed to see another figure. “Since you have no intention of entering the Huo family again, then I shall grant your wish. Miss Yuan is unwell, so I will send someone to escort you home first. What do you say?” Yuan Qingyi bowed gracefully. “Thank you, Prince Yi.” Ling Tianyi nodded and glanced to the side. “Since I have come to the Huo residence today, I should naturally pay my respects to the two elders. Young Marquis Huo, lead the way.” There was no time for Huo Beidong to think about anything else. He quickly recovered and bowed with clasped hands. “Your Highness, this way, please.” With that, he led Prince Yi inside. Ling Tianyi moved forward, passing leisurely beside Yuan Qingyi. The wide sleeve of his robe inadvertently brushed lightly against her delicate hand. A trace of coldness flashed through Yuan Qingyi's beautiful eyes before disappearing. “What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and send Qingyi home.” Yuan Zhongyi shot the Second Madam a cold glare before quickly following Prince Yi. The Second Madam suppressed the displeasure in her eyes, staggered to her feet, and hurried after Yuan Qingyi. No matter how dissatisfied she was with Yuan Qingyi, she knew that Yuan Qingyi's status was now completely different from before. If she wanted to make a move against her, she would have to be extremely discreet. The moment Yuan Qingyi stepped into the carriage, she narrowed her eyes and coldly ordered, “What are you waiting for? Move!” The coachman hurriedly lowered his head. “Miss, the Second Madam hasn't gotten into the carriage yet. Please wait a moment.” But when he turned his head, he saw blood streaking down the woman's delicate face, while her beautiful eyes were filled with bone-chilling coldness. The coachman dared not say another word. With a sharp crack, the whip struck the horse's back. Startled, the fine steed raised its hooves and charged forward, disappearing into the distance in an instant. The Second Madam could only watch helplessly as the carriage sped away. She stomped her foot in fury. This Yuan Qingyi was becoming more and more brazen. How dare she leave without her? Just wait until they returned home. She would show her exactly how she dealt with unruly daughters! Inside the carriage, Yuan Qingyi closed her eyes and rested. It took her quite some time to finally calm down. Ever since her rebirth, events had been changing at an astonishing pace. She could not afford to relax for even a moment, constantly afraid that the slightest oversight would ruin everything. The strain had left both her body and mind exhausted. Still, now that Yuan Zhongyi had officially acknowledged her identity, many things would become much easier from this point onward. Sitting inside the carriage, Yuan Qingyi slowly raised her delicate hand. She pulled a small round object from inside her sleeve. It was something Prince Yi had secretly slipped to her moments ago. With a slight pressure from her fingertips, the sphere opened, revealing a small strip of paper inside. She lowered her eyes and glanced at it. Written on the paper was a request for a method to treat an illness. In the eyes of outsiders, Imperial Consort Yu was an exalted and noble woman. Yet no one knew that she had been afflicted with a strange poison for years, one that no medicine could cure. Coincidentally, the poison was exactly the same as the one afflicting the tyrannical emperor. To increase her chances of surviving in the imperial palace, Yuan Qingyi had once taken the Imperial Physician as her master and devoted herself to studying medicine. Unfortunately, just as she had begun to make progress in finding a cure, her master had been poisoned to death by a palace concubine. With her slender fingers, she gently twisted three strands of hair and wrapped them around the note, signifying that they would meet three days later. When the carriage reached a bookstore, she waited for the right moment before raising her hand and tossing the note out of the carriage. Sure enough, someone immediately emerged from the roadside, picked up the note, and disappeared into the crowd. Yuan Qingyi closed her eyes and rested. Once she returned home, a bloody storm was bound to erupt. For now, she needed to return as quickly as possible, take good care of herself, and recover her strength. At that moment, the main hall of the imperial palace was brightly illuminated. Ling Mochen lounged lazily upon the golden throne. Dressed in a bright yellow imperial robe, his eyes were slightly narrowed. His cold smile did not reach his eyes, while the oppressive aura surrounding him was enough to make anyone tremble with fear. “Your Majesty, we have confirmed that the woman encountered along the way was the legitimate daughter of the Minister of War. She was switched at birth and was only recently found. Today was supposed to be the day she married the heir of the Huo family. However, she encountered an unexpected incident on the way and was replaced by another daughter of the Yuan family, who was then sent to the Huo residence to complete the wedding.” Eunuch De lowered his head as he reported the matter. His Majesty had countless women in his harem, yet he had never shown any interest in them. When had he ever taken an interest in a mere legitimate daughter? “Prince Yi is handling the matter. The woman has already returned home.” Ling Mochen gave a cold laugh. “That old man Huo is becoming more and more foolish. His own family's wedding was so easily manipulated, and they didn't even realize that the bride had been switched. Truly laughable.” From the looks of it, this woman could not possibly be her. After all, that woman was as cunning as a fox. There was no way she would allow herself to be bullied to such an extent. Just then, Zhang Qi's loud voice came from outside. “Your Majesty, Xu Xiqing, the second daughter of the Xu family of Beiling, has arrived.” Ling Mochen's previously relaxed body suddenly straightened. The killing intent in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, burning gaze that shot directly toward the entrance of the hall. A woman wearing a pale yellow dress slowly walked toward him, the hem of her skirt swaying gently with every step. She was as delicate and lovely as a flower blooming in spring. Her beautiful face and enchanting figure, so deeply etched into his dreams, instantly came into view. When the woman reached him, she bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Your Majesty.” Ling Mochen rose from his throne and strode toward her. A flash of panic crossed the woman's eyes, and she instinctively tried to move aside. Unexpectedly, Ling Mochen suddenly reached out with his large hand and seized her chin, forcing her to raise her head and look directly at him. His gaze burned like fire as his thin lips parted. “Are you afraid of Me?” The woman before him had a face identical to hers, yet her bearing and aura were completely different. She was not “her.” Xu Xiqing's delicate body trembled. She struggled to suppress her fear and was about to explain herself. But before she could say a word, Ling Mochen suddenly swung his arm and violently tore open the fabric covering her back.