Chapter 53

As summer faded and early autumn arrived, the air gradually turned cool.

The Marquis of Changle and Rong Susu watched the receding figures of Cheng Ruyi, Rong Mo, and the young Cheng Yu. Rong Susu knit her brows and let out a light sigh.

“I didn’t expect this seemingly heartless girl to be so sensitive.”

The Marquis smiled and took his beloved wife’s hand. “Don’t think too much. Didn’t our daughter visit us in a dream three nights after she passed? Let’s just consider it as having gained an extra daughter.”

It would be a lie to say they weren’t heartbroken, but no amount of grief could bring her back. This new girl was also simple-minded, possessing a temperament quite similar to their original daughter. Seeing her jumping around full of life made them feel as though their own child was still living by their side.

“That’s true. She said she was sent by the Heavens to save our Marquisate,” Rong Susu said, unable to suppress a chuckle. Clearly, she didn’t take her daughter’s dream-talk literally.

“Well, you never know!”

The Marquis, however, was inclined to believe her. Honestly, he was quite curious about this girl; anyone carrying such immense karmic merit was no ordinary being—perhaps she was the reincarnation of a “Saint of Ten Lifetimes.” Otherwise, why would the estate be flooded with good fortune the moment she arrived?

Especially that “Divine Medicine.” Thinking of its miraculous effects, the Marquis felt a surge of heat; thanks to its nourishment, his wife was looking younger by the day.

Ahem. The Marquis’s thoughts began to drift again. He couldn’t help it; he had spent so much of his life being unconventional that he couldn’t maintain a serious facade for more than three seconds.

Alas!

Cheng Ruyi had no idea that her parents were discussing her soul again. She was currently chattering away with Rong Mo about their wedding arrangements.

“A-Mo, I secretly tried on the wedding dress! It feels amazing. It’s probably because I personally added one stitch at the very end,” Cheng Ruyi bragged excitedly. That crimson wedding dress was truly beautiful.

Unfortunately, she lacked any talent for needlework. However, her zither skills were powerful enough to make poultry lay eggs, and she could accelerate plant growth. Comparing the two, her abilities were far more practical. Cheng Ruyi felt quite pleased with herself.

Rong Mo watched his little fiancée’s triumphant expression with a soft gaze, his lips curving upward. “Mhm, Ruyi is indeed amazing.”

His mind began to wander, slowly sketching an image of her dressed in that brilliant red bridal gown. His heart fluttered.

Behind them, Mo Xiang’s expression was quite strained. When did Miss try on the dress? How come I didn’t know? And the future son-in-law is really spoiling her—he’s just lying through his teeth to agree with her.

Feeling as though the sweet, cloying atmosphere between the two was about to blind her, Mo Xiang made an excuse and slipped away.

“Ruyi,” Rong Mo said suddenly in a casual tone after his reverie. “Once Luo Fei officially acknowledges his kin tomorrow, I will hand over all the Rong family secret guards and properties to him. I will truly have nothing left. I’ll have to rely on you to support me from now on.”

Cheng Ruyi rolled her eyes. “You’ve said that before. I don’t mind. But the situation is different now; I won’t have to support you for long. Once you return to your true family, you won’t be a pauper anymore.”

A flash of regret crossed her beautiful face as she spoke.

Rong Mo sighed and rubbed her head, his eyes filled with helplessness. “True. If it weren’t for revenge, I wouldn’t want to return to that family either.” His little fiancée’s personality wasn’t exactly suited for the Imperial family.

Cheng Ruyi didn’t think much of it. “If you don’t want to, then don’t. It’s not like that’s the only way to get revenge.”

Rong Mo looked thoughtful. “You have a point.”

Then I won’t acknowledge them.

Meanwhile, Prince Rong, who was eagerly waiting for his biological son to return to the fold, suddenly let out a loud sneeze.

Cheng Ruyi gave a cocky grin. “I always have a point.”

Rong Mo looked at her adorable, smug face. “…” Forget it, I won’t burst her bubble.

Cheng Yu followed behind, watching his sister and future brother-in-law laughing and flirting. He slumped his shoulders and grumbled to himself that he needed to find a little wife of his own.

The next day, Luo Fei arrived with gifts.

When Rong Susu saw Luo Fei’s face—which bore a striking resemblance to her elder brother—she couldn’t help but weep with joy.

Luo Fei stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He cast a pleading look at Rong Mo and Cheng Ruyi, only to receive looks of “you’re on your own” in return.

The Marquis stepped in to comfort his wife. “Alright, Susu, don’t cry. Look, you’re scaring Luo Fei.”

Rong Susu wiped her tears, feeling a bit embarrassed, and glared at the Marquis. He felt quite innocent. “Luo Fei, you’ve suffered all these years.”

She gave him a motherly smile. Given her rejuvenated, beautiful face, Luo Fei felt a bit strange. He quickly replied, “Aunt, I haven’t suffered. The Luo family treated me well, and I never lacked for money.”

In truth, after learning he was the legitimate eldest son of the massacred Rong family of Qinghe, Luo Fei’s heart was a whirlpool of emotions. He wasn’t stupid; once Rong Mo’s identity was revealed, he guessed the massacre was likely tied to the fake Consort.

Even though Rong Mo was also a victim, it was impossible to have zero resentment. However, when he thought about how Rong Mo had suffered eight years of torture—enduring a fate worse than death every few weeks and nearly losing his legs—Luo Fei’s resentment evaporated. If Rong Mo hadn’t met a “master,” his legs would have been gone by now.

After the reunion, “Luo Fei” became his given name, but he took back the Rong surname: Rong Luofei . Originally, Rong Susu wanted to change it to just “Rong Fei,” but that sounded too much like “Consort Rong” in the palace, so they settled on Rong Luofei. Being the junior, the name was finalized and entered into the Rong family genealogy of Qinghe.

The Marquis and Rong Susu assigned a courtyard to Luo Fei and had the servants prepare it. However, aside from the Bamboo Garden where Rong Mo lived, every courtyard in the estate was now planted with fruit trees.

“Cousin Luo Fei, isn’t this place great? It’s the third-largest courtyard in the estate. Starting next year, these trees will bear fruit in all four seasons. You can have fresh fruit whenever you want!” Cheng Ruyi led him through the garden with great enthusiasm.

Luo Fei looked at the courtyard full of vibrant fruit trees, his mouth twitching. He glanced at the smiling Rong Mo and gave a somewhat forced compliment. “Yes… it’s quite unique.”

The rumors weren’t lying. His aunt and uncle really had uprooted every flower and ornamental plant, turning the grand Marquisate into an orchard. But considering the Great Disaster predicted by the high monk for the next two years, maybe planting fruit trees wasn’t a bad idea.

Rong Mo’s eyes crinkled with a hidden smile. “Luo Fei, when do you plan to move in?”

Luo Fei thought for a moment. He was currently the new Tanhua but hadn’t been assigned an official post yet. According to Great Zhou law, as the third-place scholar, he didn’t need further evaluation from the Ministry of Personnel; an appointment letter would likely arrive in a few days. Living in the Marquisate might not be appropriate.

He voiced his concerns. Rong Mo nodded. “Your caution is valid. It’s perfect, then—I will hand over all the Rong family assets and personnel to you shortly. With that wealth, you can buy your own estate in the capital.”

Luo Fei looked at Rong Mo in surprise, shocked that he would give up the Rong fortune so readily. His voice was a bit dry. “If you give everything to me, what will you do?”

Rong Mo raised an eyebrow and glanced at his little fiancée, a smile playing on his lips. “I’ll rely on Ruyi to support me!”

Luo Fei: “…”

This future cousin-in-law says that so confidently… so… so shamelessly!

And yet, his cousin looked like she thought it was the most natural thing in the world. It was a bit heart-stifling.

“Don’t give it all to me. Half is enough,” Luo Fei grumbled. A grown man letting his fiancée support him—what kind of talk was that? But then he remembered Rong Mo’s other identity, and his irritation faded.

Rong Mo laughed, his tone firmer than ever. “No need. I’ll keep the portion I earned myself.”

Rong Mo was a man of his word. He took Luo Fei and his fiancée to the Bamboo Garden. After dismissing the servants, he had An Yi bring out all the account books, property deeds, and assets of the Rong family for Luo Fei to check.

Luo Fei was staggered. He had heard that after the massacre, the Rong family assets were immediately carved up by others. Yet here were gold, silver, jewels, antiques, rare books, silks, precious herbs, and shops spanning the entire Great Zhou.

“These are the treasures left by our ancestors for their descendants. Although the Qinghe branch was only one branch, it produced many talented people. After a thousand years of accumulation, how could the wealth only be what was on the surface?” Rong Mo explained.

Luo Fei looked at the composed Rong Mo with a complicated gaze. He hadn’t expected him to discard such a massive fortune without a second thought. If it were him, he might not have been able to let go so easily.

“Rong Mo… do you really not regret it?”

Rong Mo replied candidly, “What is there to regret? If money is gone, it can be earned again. Besides, I kept the part I earned myself. It’s small compared to the Rong fortune, but it’s enough for me.”

Cheng Ruyi chimed in from the side: “Cousin Luo Fei, I have the Divine Medicine! One pill sells for 10,000 taels of silver. Don’t worry, we aren’t short on cash.”

Luo Fei was speechless. “…” Can we please stop talking about the Divine Medicine?

Having handed everything over, Rong Mo felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He felt much lighter.

“Cousin Luo Fei,” Cheng Ruyi said, “you’re the only one left of the Qinghe Rong family. Remember, the duty of carrying on the lineage falls on you! Do you have a girl you like? If so, let Mom play matchmaker for you.”

“Once you get married, I’ll give you Divine Medicine for free!” she added expectantly.

Luo Fei didn’t know how to respond to his little cousin. Rong Mo found it hilarious and chimed in mischievously, “Ruyi, don’t worry about Luo Fei’s marriage. Countless noble ladies are dying to marry him. He’s going to be very busy in a few days.”

Cheng Ruyi thought about it and nodded. Looking at her cousin—who, despite growing up in the Luo family, was peerlessly handsome and elegant—she teased, “A-Mo is right. Cousin Luo Fei is so outstanding, maybe he’ll marry a Commandery Princess or a Royal Princess.”

Luo Fei: “…”

Once Luo Fei left the Marquisate, news of his true identity spread like wildfire. The capital was in an uproar. No one expected the new Tanhua to be the legitimate eldest son of the massacred Rong family, or that the “Rong Mo” living at the Marquisate was an impostor.

As Rong Mo’s fiancée, Cheng Ruyi suddenly received a wave of sympathy, pity, and malicious glee. Previously, even if Rong Mo was a dependent, he at least had the prestige of being a Rong heir. But now… who knew if this impostor came from a lowly background?

At the neighboring Jian’an Marquisate, Cheng Qingyao was stunned by the twists and turns. She didn’t know whether to gloat or stay quiet. What if there was another reversal? Thinking about how she had vomited blood from anger several times—her doctor said her constitution was weakened—she cursed Cheng Ruyi as a jinx. She had become much more cautious regarding rumors about her cousin.

Meanwhile, at the Prince Rong Estate, things had reached a breaking point. The woman could no longer be called the “Consort of Prince Rong.” She was now simply “Madame Lin.” Prince Rong had submitted a memorial to the Emperor, stripping her of her title and demoting her to a concubine. Her son, Chu Ran, was also stripped of his title as Heir.

It was said that Old Lady Lin fainted on the spot upon hearing the news.

When Rong Mo, Cheng Ruyi, and Luo Fei heard this sudden news, they looked at each other in shock. What was going on? Why did Prince Rong strike so suddenly?

Lady Yirou and her mother, who were just about to launch their revenge plot, were dumbfounded. Before they could even move, the fake Consort and her son had been cast into the dirt by the Prince himself.

Madame Lin and Chu Ran were now being held in a cold, secluded courtyard under heavy guard, living a life worse than death. After Old Lady Lin woke up, she repeatedly sent people to beg for mercy, but they were all turned away. Finally, she tried to get Old Master Lin to intervene, but he only said coldly, “This is the retribution she deserves!”

Old Lady Lin was furious, calling him cold-blooded and accusing him of abandoning his own child. Old Master Lin remained unmoved, looking at his wife with indifference. The secret plot his wife and elder daughter had carried out behind his back twenty years ago remained a thorn in his heart. By the time he learned the truth, it was too late; everything was a fait accompli . He had ended up helping them scrub the traces clean under their crying and pleading, but he had grown cold toward them since then.

As for that grandson of his… perhaps staying at the Marquis of Changle’s estate was the best choice for him.

Seeing the coldness in her husband’s eyes, Old Lady Lin’s heart hammered. But for the sake of her daughter, she suddenly remembered the grandson she had once abandoned. Now, it seemed he was the only one who could save her daughter.

With that thought, Old Lady Lin hurried out of the study and rushed toward the Marquis of Changle’s estate.

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