Lady Huan'an alighted from her carriage in front of the screen wall. Upon seeing the old lady who had already greeted her at the hanging flower gate, she hurriedly bowed with a beaming smile and said, "I'm so sorry to have troubled you, elder sister!"
"You're too kind!" The old lady clearly valued Lady Huan'an, and she returned the courtesy, saying, "It is only right."
Behind her was a pretty little girl, who also stepped forward and bowed to the old lady. "May you be blessed with good fortune and longevity, Madam!"
"Good child!" The old lady smiled broadly and quickly had someone help her up. "This must be your Xuan'er! Such a neat and tidy appearance, and such a bright and lovely character. You are truly blessed!"
"You flatter me!" Lady Huan'an said with a smile as she walked and talked with the old lady. "I think your eldest daughter is very good! I imagine the other daughters are no less so."
Lady Huan'an had only ever met Mingqian, the eldest daughter of the first branch of the family. The second branch rarely allowed their illegitimate daughters to go out, and the third and fourth branches could not easily get along with a noblewoman like Lady Huan'an. Today, Lady Huan'an only came because of the old lady's sake.
The old lady intended to mentor her granddaughters, so she had them all summoned.
Mingling was the most proactive; she subtly pushed past Mingwei and the others to stand at the front. Su Xuan stood quietly beside Lady Huan'an, watching the young ladies of the Chengping Marquis's residence.
Mingwei stood at the back, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
She didn't even dare to look up to confirm whether the Lady of Huan'an, who had been promoted to a higher position, was indeed her good friend Cheng Yue from her previous life.
"They are all wonderful! I really don't know how to praise them enough!" Lady Huan'an said with a smile, "They are all beauties that are one in a hundred!"
The moment she spoke, Mingwei's body trembled slightly. Although she quickly stopped, it still betrayed her emotions. Thirty-six years had passed, and her voice was no longer the clear and melodious one of a young girl; it had gained a touch of composure and grace.
It's definitely Sister Cheng!
"Young lady in the pale yellow dress, come here and let me take a look." The voice of Lady Huan'an Marquis rang out again, with a hint of amusement in her tone. "Judging from your height from afar, you look quite familiar."
The girls in the room were all dressed in extremely rich and bright clothes, but she was dressed simply and elegantly, with a touch of liveliness. Moreover, when she stood on the ground with her head slightly lowered, her figure, from a distance, looked very much like that person—in my memory, that flamboyant and proud smiling face. Only she could bear that bright yellow imperial concubine's palace dress... She was originally the most delicate and rare flower in the world, but she was ruined.
When Lady Huan'an called her name, Mingwei felt all the sisters around her looking at her with envy and jealousy. She smiled bitterly to herself; how was she going to face her close friend from thirty-six years ago?
She repeatedly reminded herself that her current identity was merely that of a concubine's daughter in the Chengping Marquis's household. She could feel fear, excitement, and unease, but she could not show the slightest sentimentality.
Mingwei took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward. She looked up, met the gaze of Lady Huan'an, smiled slightly, and appeared calm and composed.
Time has left its mark on her face, but Lady Huan'an, now over fifty, is well-preserved and has not gained weight. Her appearance seems to have changed little, and her demeanor has gained a touch of elegance and nobility, yet she still looks like the sister who dotes on her so much.
Suppressing the tears welling up in her eyes, Mingwei tried her best to maintain a smile on her face.
"Good child, what a beautiful face." After seeing Mingwei's face clearly, Lady Huan'an felt as if she had been bewitched. Mingwei's features did resemble Tang Wan's, but Tang Wan had been dead for thirty-six years!
That somewhat spoiled yet kind girl extended a helping hand when everyone else distanced themselves from her. Only after getting to know her did I realize how soft-hearted she was beneath her arrogant nature.
She is no longer in this world!
Chapter 80
She wasn't afraid at all.
Long ago, she had thought that her face was a curse.
If she were the third or fifth daughter of a noble family, or any legitimate daughter from a high-ranking household, her beauty would be the icing on the cake. But she was a lowly concubine's daughter, her fate at the mercy of others, with no one truly caring for her or thinking of her needs.
Zhao disliked her, but An Ran didn't care. After all, between the legitimate mother and the illegitimate daughter, there was a woman who annoyed Zhao. The Grand Madam probably brought her back because she was calculating how much benefit An Ran could bring to the Marquis's mansion. As for her biological father, the Marquis of Nan'an, he never cared about his daughter at all.
In such a home, her face only puts her in a more passive position.
Therefore, An Ran even had a relieved smile on her face.
It can also protect Jia Niang, so why not?
Seeing this from a distance, Lu Mingxiu immediately dropped the man in black and rushed towards An Ran.
Seeing that An Ran was just standing there blankly, her face upturned without flinching or avoiding him, he thought to himself that the little girl was frightened. Only then did he realize how anxious he was.
The cold dagger had almost touched her cheek when the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the air rang out, and the dagger was deflected. The man in black cried out in pain and dropped the dagger.
It was Chu Tianze who made the move.
He was a free spirit, and even his martial arts were unconventional, with a particular fondness for hidden weapons. His aim was extremely accurate, and he rarely missed.
Before Lu Mingxiu could even breathe a sigh of relief, the man in black made another move.
These men were all assassins; having dared to break into Princess Yunyang's residence, they were already prepared to die. Seeing that the dagger had failed to harm the young girl before him, he swiftly drew a hidden blade, grabbed An Ran, and tried to use the blade to press against her neck.
Lu Mingxiu was still some distance away from them, and in his haste, he had no choice but to throw his sword far away. Because he was afraid of hurting An Ran, he did not draw the sword, but only made the man stagger and release An Ran.
An Ran was thrown to the ground, and her arm was cut by the hidden sword.
Jia Niang, who was standing nearby, was terrified. When she saw An Ran fall to the ground, she came to her senses and rushed to An Ran's side, crying and calling her "sister".
The man in black struggled to get up, but Lu Mingxiu kicked him to the ground. A rare fierce look appeared on Lu Mingxiu's usually stern face. He tightened his grip on the man in black who had injured An Ran, pinning him down until he screamed incoherently.
One person must always be left alive for interrogation.
Seeing that An Ran was injured, Tan Lang and Chu Tianze had already led their men over. Princess Yunyang also led her maids and servants to surround her. San Niang was unaware that An Ran was the one who was injured until she heard someone shouting. She then rushed over as well.
Seeing that he couldn't get involved, Lu Mingxiu had no choice but to hold the man in black under his control and order the Imperial Guards to keep the survivors under guard and carry the corpses out.
He was seething with anger, regretting that he hadn't been able to protect An Jiu, and frustrated that he didn't have a suitable identity to visit her.
"All the survivors will be imprisoned and handed over to Lord Wen for interrogation!"
The Imperial Guards responded and left, while the black-clad men who were still alive and breathing only regretted not dying immediately.
Lord Wen, the official in the imperial prison, was a notorious cruel official whose methods of interrogation were so terrifying that they were comparable to Zhang Tang of the Tang Dynasty.
Take them all!