Chapter 52

“Your Highness, shall we return to the estate?” a guard asked in a low voice.

The middle-aged man in the brocade robe rubbed the jade archer’s ring on his thumb. He looked up, casting a deep, lingering gaze at the residence behind him, and said coolly to his two guards, “Go to Number 16, Nangu Lane!”

“Yes, sir!”

Before long, a low-profile, simple carriage departed from the residence.

Nangu Lane was a very quiet and elegant street, a gathering place for many literati and refined scholars. The lane was filled mostly with sophisticated establishments for zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and tea. As soon as one entered this lane, the clamor of the bustling city was immediately cut off.

Number 16, Nangu Lane, was a property owned by Prince Rong. He often came here for a short rest during his leisure time, a habit he had maintained for nearly twenty years. It was similar to how the fake Consort of Prince Rong frequented Xiangguo Temple to pray to Buddha, but their purposes were diametrically opposed: one sought tranquility, while the other sought to wash away a lifetime of sins.

The two guards escorted Prince Rong into the residence at Number 16. It was a traditional two-entry courtyard, renovated with great elegance, and its furnishings subtly reflected the integrity and character of a scholar.

A monk dressed in green robes sat alone in the courtyard playing Go, the seat across the board empty. The monk’s expression was exceptionally serene and peaceful. However, upon seeing the visitor, he stopped fiddling with his prayer beads and pressed his palms together.

“Your Highness, you have come.”

Prince Rong nodded slightly and sat in the empty seat, his eyes overflowing with excitement and joy. “Master Huiyuan, Rong Mo is my legitimate eldest son, lost for twenty years.”

The monk in green—Master Huiyuan—was momentarily stunned. The hand moving his prayer beads paused, and he seemed to fall into deep thought, murmuring, “So that’s how it is… so that’s how it is!”

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Prince Rong frowned; Master Huiyuan’s expression was somewhat strange. “Master, do you have doubts?”

Master Huiyuan looked at Prince Rong with a hint of a sigh. “Your Highness, this poor monk met Benefactor Rong Mo before leaving. I discovered that his fate had been tampered with.”

Tampering with one’s fate… this was a most ruthless method.

Prince Rong’s face darkened, and a wave of shock crashed through him. His usually calm eyes flashed with a cold severity. “Master, what happens to someone whose fate has been tampered with?”

“Your Highness, Benefactor Rong Mo was born of noble status and belongs to the Imperial family; he carries a trace of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s fortune. Even if someone tampered with his fate, they would have to pay a tremendous price, yet they still couldn’t turn it into a lowly destiny.”

“When I first saw him, his fate was one of being ‘devoid of the six relations’—destined to live a life of solitary wealth without family. After his fate was altered, all connections to his blood relatives were severed. That is why Your Highness could not find him for so many years; there was an invisible barrier of fate preventing father and son from meeting and recognizing each other.”

“If it weren’t for Benefactor Rong Mo’s engagement to Miss Cheng—who possesses immense merit—the merging of their fortunes caused a subtle shift in his tampered fate. Otherwise, even this poor monk would not have noticed.”

Master Huiyuan finished, pressed his palms together, moved his beads, and chanted, “Amitabha.”

Shortly after he left the capital, he had been found by Prince Rong’s men and ‘invited’ to stay here at Number 16, Nangu Lane, where he had lived until now. This was the guidance of destiny.

It seemed the fusion of fortunes between Rong Mo and Miss Cheng was growing tighter. Rong Mo’s fate was slowly returning to its proper track. He had heard they were to wed in just over a month. After the wedding, he would surely return to his ancestral roots smoothly.

Prince Rong’s expression turned hideously dark, almost as if black ink could drip from his face. No wonder. No wonder he had searched for nearly twenty years without a single lead. It turned out his son’s fate had been manipulated.

Thinking of the information gathered today at the new Tanhua Luo Fei’s courtyard, the veins on the back of his hands pulsed. His Consort was indeed a fake, just as he suspected. The real Consort had died twenty years ago.

Tampering with fate was no small matter; it required an altar ritual lasting forty-nine days and, crucially, the blood of a close relative. Prince Rong knew a bit about this. He remembered that after the Consort’s “sister,” Lin Minran, supposedly passed away, the Lin family hired a wandering Taoist for a forty-nine-day ritual. It was claimed to be for Lin Minran’s pure reincarnation. In great families, a woman who lost her purity before marriage could not be buried in the ancestral tomb or receive offerings.

To think… to think…

At this thought, Prince Rong’s hands trembled violently. His eyes were bloodshot with rage as he ground his teeth and hissed, “The Lin family… the Lin family…”

Master Huiyuan looked at the nearly maddened Prince and sighed quietly. A hint of regret appeared in his usually calm eyes. Prince Rong’s son of twenty years was found, but the Master himself had once broken his vows, and someone had borne him a son. However, that son had somehow been discovered by the Consort of Prince Rong, who ordered him taken away to blackmail the Master into doing three things for her. The woman who bore his child had long since been forced by her family to marry someone else.

The reason he stayed here willingly was because Prince Rong promised to help him find his son. This stolen child was his only obsession. This was why his Buddhist cultivation had never reached completion. He had intended to wander as an ascetic monk, holding onto a sliver of hope.

After venting his fury, Prince Rong finally calmed down. He closed his eyes and asked bitterly, “Master, if Rong Mo hadn’t become engaged to Miss Cheng, would I have never found him in my entire life?”

Master Huiyuan nodded. “Yes. Miss Cheng is the greatest benefactor in Benefactor Rong Mo’s life.”

Hearing this, Prince Rong felt a weight lift from his heart, feeling a secret surge of gratitude toward this future daughter-in-law. Although they had not yet met, Cheng Ruyi had already earned a massive wave of favor in Prince Rong’s heart.

Originally, Prince Rong had planned to divorce the fake Consort, Lin Minran, once he found his eldest son. Now, he had changed his mind. He would make this woman wish she were dead. He would make her pay for the blood debt! Thinking of that counterfeit occupying Minzhen’s place in the estate, his eyes filled with overwhelming hatred and murderous intent!

Cheng Ruyi and Rong Mo had no idea that “the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.” Everything they said had been overheard. In fact, Cheng Ruyi had sensed something, but she assumed it was Rong Mo’s secret guards and paid it no mind.

“A-Mo, after Cousin Luo Fei and Mom recognize each other, Mom will be so happy.” Cheng Ruyi looked up, her smile brilliant. Having a Tanhua for a cousin made her quite pleased.

Walking beside her, Rong Mo smiled back, but his smile was tinged with guilt and self-reproach. “Yes, Aunt will be very happy. It’s just that I’ve occupied his identity for so many years; I owe him too much. I might never be able to pay it back in this lifetime.”

Just as Luo Fei was used to calling Nanny Luo “Mom,” Rong Mo was used to calling Rong Susu “Aunt.” Since guessing the massacre of the Rong family was related to him, his heart had been heavy. He owed the Rongs; he owed Luo Fei. Even if Luo Fei had lived as a young master because of the money sent by the Rongs and never suffered, Rong Mo could not forgive himself. If it weren’t for him, Luo Fei would still be the legitimate eldest young master of the Rong family in Qinghe County.

The massacre in Qinghe County only affected one branch of the family; it didn’t mean all Rongs were gone. Back then, the reason Rong Mo sought refuge with the Marquis was simply because other Rong branches feared that taking him in would bring disaster upon their own heads.

“A-Mo, none of this was your fault. You don’t have to take all the blame. Even if Cousin Luo Fei holds a grudge, you shouldn’t take it to heart.” Cheng Ruyi frowned unhappily. Even if Luo Fei was her biological cousin, she was a biased person, and her heart was firmly with Rong Mo.

Rong Mo looked at his protective little fiancée, his heart feeling warm as his eyes crinkled. “Yes, I understand.”

The two returned intimately to the Marquis of Changle’s estate and told Rong Susu about Luo Fei coming to recognize his kin tomorrow. Rong Susu was incredibly excited, and the Marquis was delighted as well. Cheng Yu’s eyes sparkled; he had heard this cousin was very easy to get along with and was a new Tanhua . For Cheng Yu, who had few close friends, he couldn’t help but feel expectant.

However, everyone gasped when Cheng Ruyi spoke of the fake Consort and revealed that Rong Mo was the Prince’s lost eldest son.

“What a vicious woman!” Rong Susu’s eyes widened and she shuddered. She never expected the truth beneath the surface to be so cruel.

“No wonder throughout history the Imperial family would only keep one if twins were born, regardless of gender—it was to avoid such a switch,” the Marquis said. “Though that only applies to the Royals; commoners usually have no such taboo, though some great families might only keep one male twin.” After the shock, the Marquis broke into a cold sweat. “The most poisonous thing is a woman’s heart!” The fake Consort was the perfect personification of that phrase. Poor Prince Rong!

Cheng Ruyi muttered, “A-Mo was a twin, too.”

Rong Susu, with sharp ears, glared at her daughter. “…Those were fake twins, it’s not the same!”

“Susu, do you think that old man of the Lin family knows the current Consort is a fake?” The Marquis narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin curiously.

At the mention of the Lin family, Rong Mo’s gaze turned icy.

Rong Susu sneered mockingly. “How could he not? Even if they look identical, habits are always different. Old Lady Lin pampered those two daughters so much; how could she not tell? It’s said Old Lady Lin favored the elder sister the most. The elder was lively and bold, while the younger was gentle and submissive. When they first swapped, there would have been flaws even with a disguise. Not to mention, after the sister supposedly died, the ‘Consort’ stayed at the Lin manor for over half a month. How could the Old Lady not know?”

Rong Mo’s impression of the Lin family plummeted even further.

Cheng Ruyi nodded in agreement, though she didn’t dare look at Rong Susu. “Mom is right!” Inside, she felt a bit guilty. Has Mom already realized I’m a counterfeit too?

Rong Susu and the Marquis exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly.

“Daughter, you will always be our daughter,” the Marquis said, patting her shoulder.

“Yes, daughter, don’t think too much.” Rong Susu gave her a loving hug.

Cheng Ruyi was stunned and asked in disbelief, “Dad, Mom… you’ve known all along? You don’t mind?”

Rong Susu chuckled. “Yes, we knew the very day you arrived. Your father and I were sad for a whole night, but after seeing the things you were secretly doing, we came to terms with it.”

Cheng Ruyi finally felt completely at ease and happily hugged them both. As for the “secret things” her parents mentioned, it was actually the fact that after transmigrating, Cheng Ruyi had burned paper money and chanted sutras for the original soul of the body.

“Dad, Mom, thank you!”

The Marquis and Rong Susu smiled at their spirited daughter, silently praying for the daughter who had passed away, hoping she had been reborn into a good family.

Rong Mo frowned slightly. What were Aunt and Uncle talking about? He didn’t understand. Weren’t they just talking about the Lin sisters? Perhaps because Rong Mo had rarely interacted with the original Cheng Ruyi, he hadn’t noticed that the “core” had been swapped.

“Aunt, Uncle, what are you talking about?”

Rong Susu and the Marquis smiled. Rong Susu looked at Rong Mo with satisfaction. “Nothing. Rong Mo, in just over a month, you’ll be marrying our daughter. When do you plan to acknowledge Prince Rong?”

Hearing Aunt mention the reunion, Rong Mo put his previous question aside and replied seriously, “Let’s wait until after Ruyi and I are married.”

He didn’t want any variables affecting his wedding.

Sansukini: I think this is the only cnovel I’ve read where the parents immediately noticed that their daughter is not the original daughter and were able to accept it immediately. Even the way they treat their daughter is so wholehearted.

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