Chapter 101: Impersonation and Retribution, No Peace to Be Found

Chapter 101: Impersonating for Revenge, There Is No Peace

"Jun Moli, you seem to be in an exceptionally good mood!" An Ran looked at the gates of the Prime Minister's residence not far away, speaking with equal cheer. She was not asking, but stating it with absolute certainty.

Ever since they left the Juewei Restaurant, a smile had been plastered on this fellow's face, and he would occasionally let out a silly chuckle. Could it be that he had seen Yu Jinglan and finally quenched his longing?

"Of course! In a little while, when Yu Jinglan finishes his meal and goes to pay the bill, he will regret not letting me treat him!"

He had earned several thousand taels of silver for nothing; how could he not be in a good mood? If Yu Jinglan had agreed to let him host today, the restaurant's net profit for the day would have dropped by two-thirds. Since Yu Jinglan's refusal was exactly what he had expected, his mood could be described in one word: ecstatic!

"Heh... so you swindled him? His anger will probably last for two days!" An Ran glanced at Jun Moli with a hint of disdain. However, being swindled by Jun Moli could be considered a kind of honor, couldn't it? Yu Jinglan had likely never suffered such a setback in his life. Having been dealt such a heavy, silent blow by Jun Moli, he would definitely not be able to swallow this resentment.

"Then I shall await his grand arrival at the Li Prince's mansion!"

As soon as Jun Moli finished speaking, Eunuch Fu, who had been by Jun Dingyue's side, emerged from the Prime Minister's residence. Behind him followed two young eunuchs, and one step behind him was the steward of the Prime Minister's estate.

"Ran'er, what decree did Eunuch Fu come to announce?" What exactly was Jun Dingyue up to? And why was An Ran acting so mysterious?

"Let's go, you'll know in a moment!" An Ran saw Eunuch Fu walking toward them and wore a look of gratitude, tears nearly welling up in her eyes.

An Ran was a skilled actress. Eunuch Fu had spotted her and Jun Moli from a distance, and now that he was close, he took in the look of gratitude on her face. He made a mental note to report this to Jun Dingyue later!

"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Fu!"

"This servant greets the Prince of Li!" Eunuch Fu greeted Jun Moli with great decorum before turning to An Ran. He offered a fawning smile and announced loudly, "Congratulations to the eldest Miss Lu on returning home! This old servant offers his best wishes to the eldest Miss!"

Jun Moli was stunned by Eunuch Fu's words. He looked at An Ran in shock, barely suppressing his curiosity, and refrained from asking in front of the eunuch. She was clearly the eldest daughter of the An family from Yeyue; how did she suddenly become the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's residence in Xuanyue? This was truly absurd!

Had Jun Dingyue misunderstood something? Or... was this all orchestrated by this little girl?

Eunuch Fu naturally did not miss the shock on Jun Moli's face, and he admired An Ran's methods even more. Even with the Prince of Li genuinely in love with her, she had managed to keep her secret. The Emperor was truly right about her!

"Thank you, Eunuch. An Ran is finally able to come home. Please convey my gratitude to the Emperor! This is just a small token of my appreciation; please, I insist you accept it." An Ran pulled a heavy gold ingot from her sleeve and pressed it into Eunuch Fu's hand, hoping he would put in a good word for her before Jun Dingyue.

Eunuch Fu accepted the money, feeling its weight, and was overjoyed. He whispered, "Eldest Miss, please stay comfortably in the Prime Minister's residence and do not fear anyone. Also, this old servant will speak well of you before the Emperor. However, regarding the kowtow of gratitude, it would be best if you did it yourself once you take up your position at the Imperial Academy!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch. We shall go in now! Having been away for too long, the very concept of home has become a bit blurred in my mind." An Ran thanked him, her voice filled with melancholy.

"Then this old servant shall take his leave! Farewell, Your Highness!"

"Hmm."

Jun Moli pulled An Ran past Eunuch Fu and headed toward the gates of the Prime Minister's residence. Eunuch Fu opened his wrinkled hand to take a look and was both shocked and delighted: it was a fifty-tael gold ingot. An Ran had actually given him fifty taels of gold!

A display of such wealth was truly befitting of a daughter of the Lu family. As for Lu Xueqing, she was nowhere near this level; the last time he delivered a decree, she had only given him ten taels of silver. Besides, he only cared about silver and gold; who the real eldest daughter of the Lu family was didn't actually matter to him.

"Come on, I'll treat you two to a drink today!" Eunuch Fu felt triumphant, not forgetting the two young eunuchs behind him.

"Thank you, Eunuch!"

The three of them headed toward a restaurant on the main street!

"Ran'er, why didn't you tell me about your plan?" The thought that she had kept something from him left a sour, bitter feeling in Jun Moli's heart.

"If I had told you beforehand, would your performance just now have been so natural as to deceive the eyes of that eunuch and your father, the Emperor?"

Jun Moli suddenly realized, nodding repeatedly and looking at An Ran with admiration. His Ran'er was truly too clever!

"Alright, we're here!"

An Ran arrived at the gates of the Prime Minister's residence, only for the four servants at the entrance to stop her again! She was truly speechless—had these people not learned their lesson from last time?

"Do you people have no memory? I don't want to fight you this time, so you'd better step aside!"

"You witch, the Master said that without his orders, no one is to let you in!" one servant straightened his back and shouted loudly.

"Audacious! How dare you speak to the eldest Miss of the Prime Minister's residence this way! You have a lot of nerve! If the Emperor holds you accountable later, it won't just be you who suffers—even your Prime Minister won't be able to escape the consequences!" Jun Moli suddenly withdrew his demeanor, shielded An Ran behind him, and shouted coldly.

Upon hearing that this was the Emperor's will, the servants were instantly terrified. They had never seen the face of the Son of Heaven, and since the one speaking was the Emperor's most favored Prince, how could his words be false? But how could this girl be the eldest daughter of their Prime Minister's residence?

"Your Highness, it's not that we don't believe you, but our eldest Miss is Lu Xueqing. She only has smallpox, not a different face..."

The servant's voice grew weaker as he spoke, the final words barely audible.

"Go and call your Prime Minister out! I want to ask him to his face why Eunuch Fu just delivered that decree!" Jun Moli carried himself with such princely authority that the servants were even more panic-stricken.

They couldn't see the Master now; he had been hiding in his study for days without leaving. Now that the Prince of Li wanted him to come out, weren't they being put in an impossible position?

"Your Highness, we haven't seen our Master for several days either. How about we invite you to the main hall while I go report this to the Mistress and the Old Madam?" The servant dared not approach Lu Anrong, nor did he dare to offend Jun Moli. Even if they had no love for An Ran, they had to let her enter with Jun Moli.

"Very well, thank you for your trouble, young man!" Jun Moli accepted the advantage and continued to act the part, making the servant's legs tremble.

"This servant dares not, this servant dares not! I will go now! Please, Your Highness and Miss, go to the main hall!" The servant instructed the others and ran off quickly.

This witch and the Prince of Li were up to no good. How had they not known An Ran was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's residence? An Ran was cunning; she must be trying to stir up trouble in the residence again. Why had she brought the Prince of Li along this time?

Wait, didn't the second Miss have a good relationship with the Prince of Li? Wouldn't it be better to invite the second Miss over as well?

The servant stopped in his tracks, grabbed a passing maid, and told her the Prince of Li had arrived, asking her to invite the second Miss to the main hall. After saying this, he hurried toward the Qingbo Garden!

Ever since An Ran had poisoned the koi in the Qingbo Pond, Madam Xu seemed to have aged several years. Those koi had allowed her to feel as if she could see her husband at any moment, easing her longing, but An Ran had destroyed everything. She had poisoned the koi, and not even a single fish bone remained. The entire pond looked as if it had been thoroughly cleared out, not a single fish scale left.

It wasn't just the fish; even the other living creatures in the water had disappeared without a trace. Now, no matter what living thing was put into the pond, it would vanish in moments. The water in the pond had become dead water; even with the wind, not a single ripple stirred.

"Nurse Bi, Nurse Bi..."

"Presumptuous! What is all this shouting and clamoring? It would be bad if you disturbed the Old Madam!" Bi Qing turned back to look inside the room, and hearing no sound from Madam Xu, she sternly reprimanded the servant who had come to report.

"No... Nurse Bi... I..."

"Speak slowly, what has happened?"

Bi Qing felt that there must be something unclean in the Prime Minister's residence; otherwise, why would everyone in the once-prosperous estate be in such a state of panic? The second young master had met with disaster, the fish in Qingbo Garden were all dead, the eldest Miss had suddenly contracted smallpox, the Master's skin was festering... in short, everything was going wrong! Seeing the servant's state, could something else have happened?

"That witch has come again, and the Prince of Li is with her. The Prince of Li says she is the eldest Miss of our Prime Minister's residence, and that the Emperor even sent a decree. I don't know if what the Prince of Li says is true, so I've come to report to the Old Madam to let her decide!"

The servant caught his breath and recounted the whole story in one go, panting as he looked at Bi Qing!

"What? That witch is the eldest Miss of the Lu family? How is that possible?" Bi Qing was stunned. How could this be? Without realizing it, her voice rose, waking Madam Xu, who had been taking a nap!

"It's what the Prince of Li said, and Eunuch Fu from the palace just left. I am half-doubting it myself. Nurse Bi, please quickly report this to the Old Madam! The Prince of Li and that witch are waiting in the main hall!"

An Ran was like a plague god; whenever she came to the Prime Minister's residence, it was sure to be turned upside down, with no peace to be found! If it were truly as the Prince of Li said, and she was the real eldest daughter of the Lu family, and she moved in to replace Lu Xueqing, would anyone in the residence be able to live a normal life?

"Ah—"

Madam Xu suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked around the room, not seeing Bi Qing, so she called out!

"Coming!" Bi Qing heard the call, answered immediately, and then said cautiously, "Quickly go and ask the Mistress to come along as well; I will go and tell the Old Madam!"

Bi Qing actually didn't want to tell Madam Xu at all, but she had no choice. The Master was seriously ill and had locked himself in his study, refusing to see anyone, so she dared not ask him. And the Mistress had suffered a series of blows recently and was also feeling helpless. Except for the Old Madam, truly no one could handle that witch!

"Bi Qing!" Madam Xu, not seeing Bi Qing, couldn't help but call out again. Bi Qing hurried into the room.

"Where did you go? Why didn't you come when I called for so long?"

Madam Xu climbed down from the couch, her complexion not looking well. She had just had a nightmare where all the koi were eaten by insects. Those insects slowly crawled onto her feet, her legs, her hands, her neck, and finally covered her face before crawling into her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose...

"Old Madam, the servant watching the gate just came to report, saying... saying that..."

"Why are you stuttering? What did he say?" Madam Xu rubbed her temples and scolded lightly.

Nurse Bi Qing took a few deep breaths, sighed, and looked at Madam Xu for a long time before saying: "Old Madam, the servant said that the witch has entered our Prime Minister's residence again..."

"Drive that witch out! Drive her out!" Before Nurse Bi could finish, Madam Xu flew into a rage, sweeping a teacup off the table, where it shattered on the floor.

What was that witch doing here? She dared to come back? She would kill her, kill her...

"Old Madam, that witch came with the Prince of Li, and the Prince of Li said that the witch is... is... our eldest Miss. Even the Emperor issued an imperial decree, and Eunuch Fu came to read it!"

"Bullshit!" Madam Xu, consumed by rage, lost all capacity to consider the "Emperor's decree" and spat out the insult without restraint. How could that witch be the eldest daughter of the Lu family? Had the Emperor gone senile?

Upon hearing Madam Xu's words, Bi Qing's face turned pale with fear. These words must not be said; if heard by someone with malicious intent and reported to the Emperor, the entire Prime Minister's residence would suffer. "Old Madam, you mustn't say that, you mustn't... It is an imperial decree from the Emperor. The Prince of Li also sternly reprimanded the servant for being disrespectful to the witch, so they didn't dare make any decisions and asked you and the Mistress to go to the main hall!"

"Old Madam, don't worry. The eldest Miss of the Lu family is Miss Xueqing. How could it be that village girl, An Ran? It's possible An Ran used some methods to deceive the Emperor's eyes, and the Emperor listened to slander and issued the decree! As long as we produce evidence to prove that the witch is not of the Lu bloodline, all the rumors will fall apart!"

Bi Qing thought carefully, smoothing Madam Xu's chest and saying words of comfort. If An Ran wanted to be the eldest daughter of the Lu family, her blood would have to be compatible with the Lu family's!

"Old Madam, let's do this..." Bi Qing laid out her plan, her eyes filled with hatred!

Madam Xu nodded repeatedly, her aged, wrinkled face full of deep hatred. Gritting her teeth, she said venomously, "Go, come with me to meet that witch. If she wants to take Qing'er's position as the legitimate daughter, see if I don't sweep her out with a broom!"

"Old Madam, slow down, slow down..."

Madam Xu was quick-tempered. After hearing Bi Qing's analysis, she grabbed her cane and hurried toward the main hall. Seeing her figure swaying unsteadily, Nurse Bi felt her heart tremble. If she fell, it would be a disaster!

In the main hall, An Ran and Jun Moli sat on either side, looking at each other and smiling. They hadn't even made a move yet, and the Prime Minister's residence was already in chaos. If she moved in, no one in this residence would have a moment of peace!

"Ran'er, the people in the Prime Minister's residence won't believe you are their eldest Miss. They will surely demand a blood test to confirm the relationship. Are you really sure you won't be exposed?" Jun Moli moved from the chair opposite and leaned over to whisper in An Ran's ear.

An Ran smiled faintly, lifted her eyelids, and whispered, "Whatever they can think of, I have already thought of long ago. I'm actually worried that she won't ask for a blood test!"

"Oh? Then..."

"This old woman greets the Prince of Li. I wonder what wind blew you here?" Nurse Bi Qing supported Madam Xu as they stepped into the hall. Madam Xu wore a gloomy face, feigning respect as she bowed to Jun Moli, though there was no genuine respect in her expression.

Jun Moli stood up, turned toward Madam Xu, and a faint smile played on his lips. His voice was as gentle as jade: "Old Madam Lu, please rise. I have come to accompany Miss An Ran to acknowledge her ancestors and return to her clan. I wonder where Prime Minister Lu is?"

Jun Moli knew perfectly well that Lu Anrong was suffering from poison, yet he deliberately brought it up, undoubtedly sticking needles into Madam Xu's heart.

As Jun Moli finished speaking, Madam Xu's face changed, and she gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. This gentle-looking Prince of Li was no easy person to deal with!

"Acknowledge her ancestors? Anrong is a man of integrity and self-discipline; he would never leave behind any shameful wild seeds in the outside world. The descendants of the Lu family all have status and position; not just anyone can impersonate them!"

Madam Xu found the phrase "acknowledge her ancestors" truly ridiculous. Even if An Ran weren't a fake, even if she truly were the child of Lu Anrong and some other woman, given everything An Ran had done to the residence, she would never let her live there!

"Old Madam, do you really believe I would trouble the Lu family for no reason? Don't you want to know the reason? Do you think I really want to acknowledge my ancestors? I just don't want the Lu family's bloodline to be mixed with commoners and become impure!"

An Ran opened her eyes wide and stared at Madam Xu, tears welling up, yet her gaze carried a faint smile. Madam Xu, didn't expect this, did you? I'm back. Don't you hate me? The more you hate me, the more I will deliberately appear before you, letting you see me at every moment—letting you see me by day and dream of me at night...

"Presumptuous! You witch, with your vicious methods and wicked heart, how could you be a descendant of my Lu family? The children of my Lu family are all kind-hearted, especially Xueqing—so bright and kind that she can't even bear to step on an ant. A character like hers is what makes our Lu family's legitimate eldest daughter. As for you wanting to climb high into the Lu family, keep dreaming in your next life!" Madam Xu could not tolerate An Ran accusing the Lu bloodline of impurity, yet in her heart, she felt a sliver of doubt due to An Ran's rumors last time.

Madam Xu actually understood very well that An Ran's words made sense. Who would trouble the Prime Minister's residence for no reason? There must be some trickery involved; otherwise, nothing could be explained. At the time, she had only suspected Lu Xuexiang, never Lu Xueqing. Today, An Ran was coming for the identity of the eldest Miss of the Lu family—could Xueqing also be...

Impossible, she had witnessed Xueqing's birth with her own eyes, which was why she loved her so much. Thus, Madam Xu refused to believe Lu Xueqing was a fake! She secretly resented An Ran for coming so close to successfully driving a wedge between her and Lu Xueqing.

"Old Madam, the truth cannot be hidden, and a fake cannot become real! Why not invite the Prime Minister and the Mistress out for a confrontation? Let's see if I am the real eldest Miss of the Lu family or a fake. How about it? Wouldn't that be fair?"

An Ran was not angry at all. Once the "truth" was presented before them, even if they didn't want to believe it, they would have to. She was determined to stay in the Prime Minister's residence today!

Seeing An Ran's calm demeanor, her firm eyes, and her resolute appearance, Madam Xu became increasingly nervous. She was truly afraid that everything An Ran said was true!

"Anrong is busy with official business recently and has no time to deal with such groundless matters!"

"Is he busy, or is he afraid? Or is he hiding something he can't show?"

An Ran was aggressive. She was determined to force Lu Anrong to reveal himself, to let everyone see that the Prime Minister of Xuanyue was covered in festering skin, looking neither human nor ghost! A hypocrite like Lu Anrong should have his mask of false kindness torn off for the world to see his ugly face!

"Witch, this is outrageous! How dare you slander the Prime Minister of Xuanyue!" Madam Xu, panicked, slammed her cane against the marble floor, producing a sharp "bang, bang" sound.

"Old Madam, when verifying his biological bloodline, how can Prime Minister Lu not be present? Shouldn't he see whether the daughter he has painstakingly raised for years is actually someone else's wild seed?"

"Shut up! An Ran, get out, get out of the Prime Minister's residence..."

Madam Xu's eyes turned red with rage as she glared at An Ran. How had her Lu family become tainted by such a plague god that she couldn't shake off?

"Old Madam, I returned to acknowledge my family by imperial decree. If I leave now, I would be defying the decree. You keep telling me to get out, which means you are questioning my identity and the Emperor's judgment. You have a lot of nerve! Saying it inside the residence is one thing, but if it spreads, the entire Prime Minister's residence will suffer because of your words. Are you perhaps so old and senile that you don't know what should and shouldn't be said?" An Ran shouted, bringing up Jun Dingyue's decree. Madam Xu wanting her to leave was a pipe dream!

"Nurse Bi Qing, you must look after the Old Madam's health well. It's not every time she faints that I happen to have a priceless, life-saving pill on me. It doesn't matter if you don't accept my identity, but if you get so angry that you drop dead, I wouldn't want to be burdened with the crime of unfilial behavior!"

An Ran spoke rapidly, her words ringing out clearly, each one striking deep into the hearts of Madam Xu and Nurse Bi Qing. Madam Xu trembled with rage, barely supporting herself with her cane, her chest heaving violently as if she were about to collapse any second!

Bi Qing supported Madam Xu, shaken by An Ran's words. This witch was truly sharp-tongued; she had left the Old Madam unable to counter. Now, only one method remained!

An Ran looked triumphantly at Madam Xu and snorted coldly. Suddenly catching sight of a figure in a green dress entering the door, the corner of her mouth curled into a cold smirk!

"Madam Lu, you've arrived! I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Before Leng Yiyun could even step into the hall, An Ran's voice had already passed by Madam Xu and Nurse Bi to reach Leng Yiyun's ears.

Leng Yiyun stood fixed at the doorway, her expression calm, but deep in her eyes lurked a profound hatred! An Ran, it was An Ran again. Ever since she appeared in Yue City, the name An Ran had been a nightmare in her life, impossible to shake off!

"You actually want to impersonate Qing'er and become the eldest Miss of the Prime Minister's residence? Have you gone mad?" Leng Yiyun's voice was soft, yet clear enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

An Ran blinked, looking at Leng Yiyun with fearless, smiling eyes. She parted her red lips, her voice filled with sadness and grief: "Qing'er? Have you forgotten the Qing'er who was kidnapped by human traffickers during an outing?"

What outing? What kidnapped Qing'er? What was An Ran talking about?

Madam Xu suddenly felt as if she had been struck by a heavy blow, unable to recover!

"What nonsense are you spouting? There was no such outing, no such thing!" Upon hearing An Ran's fabrication, Leng Yiyun immediately revealed her fierce, ugly face and shouted sharply.

Seeing her true colors emerging, An Ran snorted coldly in her heart and curled the corners of her mouth so faintly that no one noticed she was smiling. Leng Yiyun, you don't believe it now, but in a while, you'll wish you could gouge out your own eyes!

"You really don't remember. You always used to say that Qing'er should have been named Xin'er, that she was your heart's treasure..."

"An Ran, shut up! What are you spouting? When have I ever said such things? Don't you dare try to frame me; your schemes will not succeed!" Upon hearing the word "Xin'er," Leng Yiyun's legs couldn't help but tremble, as if a chilling wind were blowing against her spine!

"Why are you letting someone who isn't your daughter occupy the position of the eldest Miss of the Lu family? Why?" An Ran shrieked, tears falling from her eyes like rain. "I traveled thousands of miles from the Yeyue Kingdom back to Yue City just to see my family. Why are you so cruel to me? For the sake of that hypocritical eldest Miss, you are willing to let me remain outside, continuing to wander?"

Jun Moli had been drinking tea on the side, silently watching the show, but seeing An Ran actually shed tears, he almost dropped his cup. He had watched the show for long enough; it was time for him to shout a few lines to add to the drama. It would be best to push the play to its climax, otherwise, if An Ran was crying, it was his heart that would ache!

"Ran'er, why are you crying? Don't cry, don't cry..." Jun Moli stood with his back to Madam Xu and Leng Yiyun, gently wiping the tears from the corners of An Ran's eyes and lightly flicking her nose, his lips moving silently: *You're being naughty again!*

An Ran revealed a smile in her eyes, then quickly suppressed it.

Jun Moli wiped away her tears, turned to face Madam Xu and Leng Yiyun, and immediately darkened his expression. A powerful aura radiated from him, his eyes filled with anger.

"Old Madam Lu, Madam Lu, the Emperor's decree has long since arrived at the Prime Minister's residence. Since you still don't believe An Ran is the eldest Miss of the Lu family, why don't we see for ourselves and let you be convinced?"

PS: Dear readers, please leave comments and give me your votes! The weekend review process is really slow, so I'll just post one update today~ I had intended to post another after my checkup... Sigh!!!