In contrast to Qin Ming’s drastic fall, Leng Shuang was personally received by Lin Qingge, who even presented two sets of the newly acquired hair accessories for the day.
After Lin Qingge finished her arrangements and returned to her room, she found Leng Ningyue waiting with a furrowed brow.
“You don’t need to do this.”
After mulling over these words, Lin Qingge smiled dismissively, “We are all family. These things are only natural.”
Seeing the other woman’s brows knit even deeper, Lin Qingge quickly changed the subject:
“By the way, Ningyue sister, now that we are in the capital, with all our comings and goings, it’s hard to guarantee we won’t run into Prime Minister Shangguan one day.
It’s fine that Ningyue sister always wears a veil, but Elder Leng’s temperament and appearance are far too striking, so…”
“It’s fine.”
Still just two concise words, but meeting Lin Qingge’s curious and probing gaze, Leng Ningyue sighed with a hint of helplessness:
“Actually, it doesn’t matter if Shangguan Hong recognizes me.
Because I have long abandoned the name Shangguan Wan’er, nor will I ever return to the Shangguan family to acknowledge him.”
“Ningyue sister, just because you won’t, doesn’t mean they think that way either!
Although I haven’t met Prime Minister Shangguan, according to Mrs. Yan and others’ descriptions, that Prime Minister Shangguan is both scummy and wicked. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the worst among scumbags, or the most scummy among villains!”
As if amused by Lin Qingge’s words, Leng Ningyue’s tightly knit brows finally relaxed. She then nodded in agreement:
“Indeed, as Mrs. Yan and others have said, Shangguan Hong is a true scumbag.
He feigned closeness with my mother for my maternal grandfather’s connections. After marrying my mother, he also secretly kept a mistress outside.
The most laughable part is that the mistress also had a daughter, and that mistress’s daughter is the same age as me.”
“Then that means Prime Minister Shangguan was already involved with another woman when he married your mother?!”
“No, according to the mistress, she and Shangguan Hong grew up together in a small mountain village at the border of Great Xia. They were childhood sweethearts.
Shangguan Hong, in order to establish himself in the capital, gain high office and a prosperous future, and live a life above others, was forced to marry my mother.”
“Go to hell with ‘forced’!”
They were both sons-in-law, yet Shangguan Hong was worlds apart from Yan Xiuping, the old master Yan!
Lin Qingge was so angry she swore, but Leng Ningyue continued with a calm expression:
“Not only that, but it is said that the two of them were already married before Shangguan Hong even entered the capital. As soon as Shangguan Hong began to make a name for himself in the capital, he eagerly brought the mistress over.
Furthermore, by the months, the mistress’s daughter is half a year older than me.”
“Damn it!”
Lin Qingge, feeling that it was even more melodramatic than the soap operas of her past life, couldn’t help but raise her middle finger.
She finally understood why Mrs. Yan, the Empress Dowager, and others gritted their teeth in hatred whenever Shangguan Hong was mentioned.
Beating him up was too light a punishment!
He deserved to be put in a sack!
Even once would be a disrespect to the sack!
Leng Ningyue reached out and poked at Lin Qingge’s brows, which were furrowed with excessive anger, and said faintly:
“My mother didn’t know about any of this initially. But after my maternal grandfather passed away, the mistress started making trouble.
My mother discovered the clues and confronted the mistress, who then revealed all this herself.
My mother, being a strong-willed person, couldn’t stomach this indignity and went to confront Shangguan Hong. After being told she was ‘making a fuss,’ she angrily proposed a divorce.
Who knew Shangguan Hong would use me as a bargaining chip to force my mother to comply.
My mother became despondent and withered away not long after.”
“Wait!
According to the plot, Ningyue sister’s mother wasn’t murdered by Prime Minister Shangguan, was she?”
Lin Qingge widened her eyes, guessing boldly.
But Leng Ningyue shook her head, “When the Empress Dowager learned of my mother’s death, she sent imperial physicians from the palace to conduct an autopsy. It was confirmed that my mother had indeed died from illness.
Later, the late Emperor arranged a marriage between me and the Crown Prince. I refused, so Shangguan Hong brought back the mistress’s daughter and substituted her in my place.”
“So, the one who married the Crown Prince, who is now the new Emperor, wasn’t you, but the mistress’s daughter?
But that’s not right.
Ningyue sister, you aren’t like my brother and I who are twins. Even if you looked alike, you couldn’t be identical.”
“I don’t know what means she used, but she managed to transform into my likeness and then marry into the Eastern Palace in my stead.”
Lin Qingge’s confusion was cleared, but her brow furrowed even tighter, “Then what about Ningyue sister?”
“I don’t remember much of what happened afterwards. Anyway, when I regained consciousness, I met you.”
???
What did she mean by “don’t remember much”?
What did she mean by “when I regained consciousness, I met her”?
As far as she knew, the Crown Prince, the current Emperor, had been married for several years. Did that mean she didn’t remember anything from those years?
How could someone not remember what they had gone through?
Unless…
While Lin Qingge was filled with suspicion, Leng Ningyue said softly:
“The past was merely a fleeting glimpse to me. The present moments are what truly hold precious value.”
However, Lin Qingge, who was meticulous and held grudges, could not accept this answer. Thinking of something, she suddenly slapped the table:
“Ningyue sister, your face… was it also disfigured by that mistress’s daughter?”
“You could say that.”
“What do you mean, ‘you could say that’?”
“Perhaps so?”
…
Feeling that she wouldn’t be killed but easily angered to death by the person before her, Lin Qingge stood up and turned around twice. After taking several deep breaths, she said word by word:
“Ningyue sister, we can give up the identity of the Prime Minister’s daughter, as we don’t care for it.
But what rightfully belongs to you, and the debts that must be paid, we must reclaim every last bit!
To put it bluntly, Ningyue sister, you are emboldening that mistress and her daughter!
Such twisted and evil tendencies must be curbed. Not only must they be curbed, but the grievances suffered by Ningyue sister and your mother must be repaid tenfold, no, a hundredfold, a thousandfold!”
Lin Qingge spoke heatedly for a while. Seeing Leng Ningyue’s still calm and composed demeanor, her eyes rolled, and an idea struck her:
“Ningyue sister, if someone stole my identity, gained power and status, and then maliciously disfigured my face, what would you do?”
Upon hearing this, Leng Ningyue’s gaze suddenly turned cold. Her lips parted slightly, and she uttered a chillingly resolute word:
“Kill.”
In that instant, as if truly seeing a bone-chilling killing intent in those beautiful eyes, Lin Qingge swallowed with difficulty and explained cautiously:
“So, Ningyue sister, if we swapped identities, you would understand how indignant I am, right?”
“Then, in your opinion, what should I do?”
“Naturally, you should make a triumphant return and conquer all!
However, before that, there’s one thing Ningyue sister must agree to first.”