After Imperial Physician Hong finished writing the prescription, he did not leave immediately. Instead, his gaze lingered on Meng Nanzhi’s face several times. Hesitating for a moment, he cupped his hands and asked, “Houye’s wife, there is something… I wonder if I should ask?”
Meng Nanzhi lightly tapped the back of her hand with her fingertips, a smile spreading to the corners of her eyes. “Imperial Physician Hong, if you have any doubts, please speak freely.”
Imperial Physician Hong’s tone was respectful, tinged with just the right amount of admiration. “Houye’s wife possesses an extraordinary grace, and your appearance seems even more youthful than that of a woman in her prime. It is truly remarkable. In my half a lifetime of practicing medicine, I have never seen such a method of preserving one’s looks. I am genuinely curious about how you maintain your complexion.”
If he could obtain this secret, he would no longer have to rack his brains and worry endlessly over the never-ending demands from the imperial harem for beauty-preserving techniques.
Meng Nanzhi quietly raised her hand to touch her cheek, a self-deprecating smile curling at the corners of her lips. “If Imperial Physician Hong hadn’t mentioned it, I truly wouldn’t have noticed. Could it be that after falling into the water and losing my memory, even my age has regressed?”
Shen Yanxiu, no matter how slow-witted, now grasped the underlying meaning. His face darkened immediately, and his gaze sharpened like a blade as he glared at Imperial Physician Hong. “Imperial Physician Hong, I invited you here solely to examine my mother. What is the meaning of your question now? Could it be that you suspect my mother?”
Grand Tutor Meng had already acknowledged her as his daughter, and Shen Shizi addressed her as his mother—how could he dare harbor any suspicions?
Imperial Physician Hong quickly bowed his head in fear and humility. “This humble official would not dare.”
Seeing his submissive attitude, Shen Yanxiu snorted with some satisfaction. “Since my mother has already been examined, I must trouble Imperial Physician Hong to take your leave.”
Meng Nanzhi shot him a displeased glance. “You child, Imperial Physician Hong is merely eager to learn. Hurry and apologize to Imperial Physician Hong.”
Under his mother’s gaze, Shen Yanxiu felt as if he had returned to his childhood days when he made mistakes and was gently and patiently guided by his mother. Immediately, he obediently cupped his hands and bowed to Imperial Physician Hong. “This shizi—ahem, Xiu’er—spoke disrespectfully. I hope Imperial Physician Hong will not take offense.”
The unruly Shen Shizi was actually so obedient.
Could she truly be Houye’s wife?
Imperial Physician Hong felt somewhat reassured and smiled. “Not at all. Shen Shizi’s pure-heartedness stems from his deep concern for his mother.”
At that moment, Fu Bo hurried in and whispered, “Master, young lady, Marquis Zhenbei’s Lady Ping has arrived.”
Sooner or later, she was bound to come. There was no avoiding it.
A trace of mockery flickered in Meng Nanzhi’s eyes. She lightly tapped the back of her hand with her fingertips again and silently nodded to her father.
Meng Zhengde understood. Sitting upright, he calmly uttered a single word: “Invite her in.”
Lin Wanrou had changed into a deep purple jacket embroidered with golden peonies, its collar trimmed with red-gold piping. As she moved, the golden threads shimmered with a dazzling brilliance under the light.
Her face was delicate and beautiful, adorned with exquisite makeup, though faint wrinkles were visible at the corners of her eyes. Her gentle and submissive demeanor carried an almost imperceptible air of a rightful wife.
Upon entering the main hall, Lin Wanrou acted as if she were no stranger. She walked directly to Meng Zhengde and bowed gracefully, her tone warm and familiar, as if speaking to family. “Wanrou pays her respects to Uncle Meng. I heard from Guanqi that Uncle Meng brought Xiu’er back, so I came specifically to see him.”
She then shifted her tone, adopting a motherly concern. “This child is so stubborn. After quarreling with Houye, he insisted on going to the Ming Family to break off the engagement. At the time, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop him. Fortunately, he ran into you on the way, Uncle, and you brought him back. Otherwise, he might have caused a disaster.”
Her gaze swept across the hall, and when it landed on Meng Nanzhi, who sat upright with beauty unchanged, as delicate as she had been ten years ago, her heart skipped a beat.
Steadying herself, she quickly stepped forward, her smile radiant as she appraised, "This must be Xiu'er's beloved, I presume? Truly a fine appearance. Looking at her now, she even bears some resemblance to Nanzhi from back then. No wonder Xiu'er was so determined to break off the engagement with the Ming Family—it turns out he met such a lovely young lady."
With just one sentence, she positioned her as merely a look-alike.
Meng Nanzhi never expected that the friend she had always regarded as gentle, delicate, and as close as a sister would possess such a talent for turning things upside down.
"Xiu'er has always been of a reserved nature. After Nanzhi passed, he grew distant from Houye and became even more reluctant to speak with either of us. Since Uncle already knows the reason behind his determination to break off the engagement, you could have simply sent word to Houye. Why let matters escalate to such an awkward and unpleasant state between Houye and Xiu'er?"
Meng Zhengde: ?
With just these few words, she had completely absolved Marquis Zhenbei of any fault, shifting the blame instead onto him, an outsider.
Not giving Meng Zhengde a chance to speak, Lin Wanrou's eyes reddened once more, tears falling in streams. "In his anger, Houye even said he would plead with His Majesty to strip Xiu'er of his title… If I hadn't knelt and stopped him, Uncle, what would have become of us?"
Seeing his grandfather and mother's expressions grow increasingly grim, Shen Yanxiu flushed with embarrassment and stopped her, saying, "Aunt Wan, please don't say any more. If he wants to go, let him. I don't care for that title anyway. Besides, this isn't my beloved—this is my mother. Grandfather has brought my mother back."
"Mother?"
Lin Wanrou's heart jolted, and she hurriedly denied it, "How could that be? Xiu'er, Aunt Wan knows you've always missed your mother, but you must understand—your mother has been gone for ten years. I thought you had long since moved on. Could it be… you still resent me?"
Lin Wanrou examined Meng Nanzhi more closely, growing increasingly alarmed the more she looked. Especially those eyes—clear and bright like glass immersed in a stream, seemingly able to pierce straight into the depths of one's heart.
Panicked, Lin Wanrou turned to the side, her tone carrying a hint of urgency, "Besides, even if your mother were still alive, she should be the same age as me. How could she look so young? Isn't that right, Imperial Physician Hong?"
Imperial Physician Hong: ?
He never expected that just wanting to watch the drama would land him in trouble without even moving.
He knew all too well that the affairs of noble households weren't something he could simply observe as he pleased.
He quickly bowed to Meng Zhengde and Meng Nanzhi in turn, saying, "Grand Tutor Meng, Hou Furen, this humble official recalls there is an important patient awaiting my diagnosis. I must take my leave now."
Trying to deny her identity?
Meng Nanzhi stared at the gold-and-kingfisher-feather hairpin shaped like a pheasant in Lin Wanrou's hair, stood up, and asked with a smile, "You are Lin Wanrou? How could that be?"
"Lin Wanrou and I were as close as sisters. When we were drowning, I risked my life to push her to safety. If she were truly Lin Wanrou, how could she have married my husband as a ping wife after I left?! She should know how much I detest such a thing. If she married my husband, even as a ghost, I would never let her go."
Taking advantage of her distraction, Meng Nanzhi snatched the gold-and-kingfisher-feather pheasant hairpin from her hair. "Moreover, Lin Wanrou was always gentle, obedient, and well-mannered. How could she wear hair accessories reserved only for the principal wife?"
Looking for faults in her and making her prove herself—what right did she have?
She, Meng Nanzhi, was simply Meng Nanzhi—why should she need to prove herself?
Whoever doubted her should be the one to provide proof.
Meng Nanzhi watched as Lin Wanrou’s face grew increasingly pale, then suddenly pressed the tip of the hairpin against her throat. “Imperial Physician Hong, is it possible that she is possessed by evil spirits, or perhaps she has been replaced by someone else entirely—that she is not Lin Wanrou at all?”