Upon seeing the jade pendant, the shopkeeper knelt down with a thud. “Greetings to the young mistress.”
Song Yue helped him up. The shopkeeper said, “Young mistress, please wait a moment. I will make the arrangements right away.”
Having traveled for a full day and night, her feet were sore and weak, and she was both exhausted and thirsty. After a satisfying meal arranged by the shopkeeper, she had just rested for a short while when she sensed a murderous aura in the courtyard.
Pushing the door open and stepping out, she saw eight people standing in the courtyard.
“We pay our respects to the young lady.”
The eight of them bowed.
Song Yue looked at the eight of them. They exuded a stern, lethal aura, as if standing on the edge of an extremely dangerous precipice, where a single misstep could lead to a fatal fall.
Snapping back to reality, Song Yue looked at the leader. “Do you all have names?”
“Yes, Ling Yi.”
They were Ling Yi, Ling Er, Ling San… all the way to Ling Ba.
Song Yue’s lips twitched slightly. How perfunctory.
Ling Yi stepped forward. “What are your orders, young lady?”
“I want you to accompany me to Nanjiang. We depart immediately.”
Counting the days, the Emperor of Beichu would soon gather his military forces and march south in one decisive push.
“Young lady wishes to rescue Junzhu?” Ling Yi asked.
Song Yue nodded.
Her mother was trapped in Nanjiang, and she had to rescue her.
“Before Junzhu left, she gave an order: we must never leave Beichu in this lifetime. If the eight of us leave Beichu, the Eldest Young Master will surely die.”
Song Yue was puzzled.
The Eldest Young Master, Song Hengchuan, was her own blood brother.
“Young lady may not know this, but back then, Emperor Taizu, in order to force Junzhu into a marriage alliance, poisoned the Eldest Young Master. The eight of us must take turns every three months to retrieve the antidote.”
Song Yue raised an eyebrow, wishing she could dig Emperor Taizu out of the imperial mausoleum. What a terrible idea.
“Where do you retrieve the antidote?”
“It is distributed by Emperor Taizu’s hidden guards.”
Song Yue’s expression remained calm. Compared to that heartless elder brother, whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.
She still remembered when she first returned to the mansion. After the identity verification, it was Song Hengchuan who nearly beat her to death with a whip, saying it would be better if she died to avoid bringing shame upon them.
She thought that was just Song Hengchuan’s nature.
Yet, Song Hengchuan was extremely protective and indulgent toward Song Yao.
During that year at the Duke of Jing’s Mansion, she was inexplicably beaten by Song Hengchuan every few days. Her wounds would heal only to be reopened, over and over again, until her body was covered in scars, a pitiful sight.
Someone like that would be better off dead.
“With the jade pendant in hand, you must obey my commands!” Song Yue said sternly. “Tonight, everyone will go with me to Nanjiang.”
“Young lady…”
Song Yue’s gaze turned fierce, and the aura she instantly radiated was no less intimidating than Ling Yi’s.
Ling Yi was even more surprised that a young girl of her age could possess such presence, forcing them to lower their heads.
“Yes!”
As night fell,
Song Yue’s thoughts were somewhat scattered. She knew nothing about the situation in Nanjiang and had no idea whether her mother was safe or in danger.
Mother, you must wait for your child.
Suddenly, faint footsteps sounded on the roof. Song Yue tensed, crouched low, and retreated to the side of a pillar, gripping a dagger in her hand.
“Little girl, I’m not here to harm you. I just have some words of caution.”
A gentle voice came from outside the window.
Song Yue frowned.
“I am your Bahuang Shu.”
The visitor pushed the door open, carrying a bundle of food, which he placed on the table. Raising both hands, he said, “Nanjiang—you must not go.”
Hearing “Nanjiang,” Song Yue stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because your mother is no longer in Nanjiang.”
Song Yue’s heart sank upon hearing this.
The man gathered his wide sleeves and sat down in the chair, opening the food containers himself. Instantly, the room was filled with a tantalizing aroma.
Under the candlelight, the man revealed an exceptionally handsome and enchanting face. His slight smile was dazzlingly brilliant.
“Why should I trust you?” Song Yue remained wary.
The man raised an eyebrow. “I am your Eighth Imperial Uncle.”
“We’ve only just met.”
The man was left speechless.
The Eighth Prince, praised by everyone in Jingdu City as a kind-hearted man, was now rendered speechless by a young girl.
“This prince has no grudge against you. Why would I harm you?” the man explained. “My name is Zhao Zhiyan. I’ve also learned that your mother is on her way back to Beichu.”
Song Yue didn’t believe it. Her mother had never set foot on Beichu’s soil again until her death.
Seeing no trace of belief on Song Yue’s face, Zhao Zhiyan couldn’t help but feel somewhat discouraged. “Every word I speak is true. Calculating the travel time, she should return within two months.”
Finally out of options, he took out a letter from his robe and handed it to Song Yue.
She accepted it with half-belief, comparing it with the letter she had obtained from the Old Monk. The handwriting was indeed identical!
“Why has Mother suddenly returned?” Song Yue wondered.
Zhao Zhiyan said, “It was the Emperor of Nanjiang who personally escorted your mother away. As for the reason, this prince does not know.”
He had only received the news three days ago. The letter also pleaded with him to go to Xingshan Village to protect Song Yue. By the time he rushed to Xingshan Village on horseback, Song Yue was long gone.
The servants at the villa said Song Yue had been burned to death.
Zhao Zhiyan opened the coffin for inspection and found that the remains were not those of a teenager. Realizing Song Yue was still alive, he searched for three days before finding her.
This young girl was quite clever.
After carefully reading the letter, a bold speculation suddenly formed in Song Yue’s mind.
Could it be that Mother had also been reborn?
Otherwise, how would she know she was being raised at the villa in Xingshan Village?
Realizing this, Song Yue felt both shock and joy. Her attitude toward Zhao Zhiyan softened, and she respectfully poured a cup of tea, offering it to him with both hands as an apology.
Zhao Zhiyan found it both amusing and exasperating, though his eyes held more admiration. He graciously accepted the teacup and brought it to his lips to drink.
“Do you know that the Duke of Jing’s Mansion is preparing to hold a funeral for you?”
Song Yue was astonished.
“This prince visited the villa. Those people used an old maidservant’s body to impersonate you, burying it under your name. Moreover, rumors are now spreading everywhere, saying you’ve already been…”
Zhao Zhiyan cleared his throat, finding it difficult to utter such vulgar words in front of a young girl. Song Yue’s face tightened, naturally understanding what would come next.
“Thank you for the reminder, Eighth Imperial Uncle. I know how to handle this.”
Seeing her confident demeanor, Zhao Zhiyan knew the young girl had her own methods and didn’t need his help.
Since there was no need to go to Nanjiang, Song Yue’s next step was inevitably to return to the Duke of Jing’s Mansion. Everything that belonged to her mother and her—not a single thing could be missing!
The next day
A carriage stopped at the entrance of the Duke of Jing’s Mansion. Inside the carriage was a pitch-black coffin, and someone at the front held a spirit-summoning banner.
Passersby on the street curiously gathered to look.
“Who died?”
“It seems to be a girl raised outside the Duke of Jing’s Mansion. I heard she’s the legitimate daughter of the eldest branch.”
Several elders inside the Duke of Jing’s Mansion, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, came forward to meet the carriage. Some wept bitterly.
Others quietly wiped away tears.
“How did she die?”
“They say bandits broke into the villa, violated the legitimate daughter, and set the villa on fire before leaving. By the time the Duke of Jing’s Mansion sent people, it had already become a pile of ruins.”
“How tragic…”
“How could someone like that be worthy of holding a funeral in the Duke’s Mansion? Isn’t it inauspicious?”
Everyone whispered among themselves.
Yuan Fuling curled her lips into a smug smile. With everyone in the villa dead, no one would ever know about the Duke of Jing’s Mansion mistreating Song Yue.
Even if Song Yue returned someday, she would be a fool who couldn’t complain.
With the little fool dead, the marriage alliance with Zhennanwangfu would belong to Yao’er.
Thinking this, Yuan Fuling couldn’t suppress the smile on her lips.
“Duke!”
A sharp cry from Jingzhao Yin in the crowd instantly drew everyone’s attention.
The Duke of Jing looked toward the source of the voice.
Jingzhao Yin, panting heavily, pointed at the coffin: “There must be a mistake here. Your daughter isn’t dead yet.”
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Jing’s expression changed slightly: “Sir, I know you mean well to comfort us, but she is indeed dead. There’s absolutely no mistake.”
“That’s right. The villa was attacked, and no one survived. Song Yue did die in the fire,” Yuan Fuling chimed in.
Seeing that he couldn’t make himself understood, Jingzhao Yin quickly stepped aside, revealing Song Yue behind him.
Song Yue lifted her head, revealing a delicate face the size of a palm. Just by looking at that face, the Duke of Jing was certain it was Song Yue.
Because this face bore a seventy percent resemblance to Princess Jiahua.