Chapter 154

Li Qingluo accompanied her grandmother back to Jingci Tang.

Pei Lao Furen sat down and asked her: "Speak quickly, did Grandmother's disposition of the two suit your wish?"

Li Qingluo smiled and took her grandmother's hand: "Yes! You are wise and mighty, old lady, and you truly understand my thoughts as your granddaughter."

Pei Lao Furen lifted her head proudly: "How could I not know you? You little sly thing, you clearly wanted to hide at the back at first, but then you suddenly took an interest—surely not because there's something about them that you care about!"

"So, Grandmother cannot cut off their path completely!"

Li Qingluo explained to Pei Lao Furen: "Grandmother, Old Auntie Deng and Li Yunchu certainly still have secrets on them."

Pei Lao Furen: "Come on, tell Grandma."

Li Qingluo: "Elder Concubine Deng has already become accustomed to being the matriarch on the estate; would she really so willingly and obediently agree to go to the temple to cultivate?"

She doesn't dare to shout anymore; surely there is something on her that must be hidden, a greater secret we don't know about!

Moreover, Li Yunchu dares to say that Prince Yun was the mastermind behind those bandits initially, yet she refuses to speak in detail about the process of escaping the Lotus Sect; that is why the granddaughter harbors doubts and misgivings in her heart.

Grandmother, please have someone keep an eye on the two of them for me; otherwise, if we fail to detect and guard against them in time, I fear it will bring disaster upon the whole clan!

Pei Lao Furen startled: "So serious?"

Li Qingluo fears that the secret behind Li Yunchu may be related to the Lotus Sect!

Even if we kill her now, I fear it won't eliminate future troubles, and may even provoke the Lotus Sect to bear a grudge.

By then, the Jiangjun Fu will be even more troubled.

She doesn't care about anyone else in the Jiangjun Fu.

But what about Grandmother?

Grandmother protects her, loves her, pampers her, knows and understands her; in this world there is no one better to her than Grandmother.

Grandmother is now the person she cares about most in this world.

She must also protect Grandmother!

Moreover, she must support and provide for Grandmother until she reaches a hundred years old.

Moreover, Huan Jieer, since returning to Jinling, I have personally taught her to write, and now I have developed some feelings for her.

Having feelings creates bonds.

Li Qingluo cannot help but be attentive and cautious.

In her previous life, she did not survive this winter.

Therefore, what she knows of the present world is very little.

As for the movements of the Lotus Sect, she has absolutely no clue...

Thinking of this, a deep sense of helplessness welled up in Li Qingluo's heart.

In her previous life, she really lived in vain!

However, Li Qingluo understands one thing in her heart.

Namely, they must absolutely not become involved with the Lotus Sect!

The court has been vigorously suppressing and exterminating the Lotus Sect; if Prince Su suddenly goes completely mad and insists on purging, and the Jiangjun Fu becomes implicated with the Lotus Sect, then it will be impossible to explain.

Li Qingluo does not want Grandmother to know these things, nor does she want her to worry as well.

She merely smiled and said: "Grandmother, perhaps I am just worrying needlessly; having some precautions is better than being completely ignorant."

Pei Lao Furen, seeing her so solemn, agreed.

Good. Throw her outside the manor gate; if someone looks after her, they will naturally come to fetch her. We'll keep watch, send someone to follow and then we'll know exactly what her background is!

Li Qingluo nodded eagerly.

That's exactly what she meant!

She wanted to test whether there were any other forces behind Li Yunchu.

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, what you did today is right. Especially Elder Concubine Deng; if it weren't for her mischief back then, you wouldn't have suffered so much, and even if we merely let her become a nun, that would be letting her off easy."

The granddaughter waits for her to shake off all the secrets on her person; then she will surely deal with her harshly to avenge you!

Pei Lao Furen smiled: "What is there to quarrel with a lowly servant like her? You don't understand, back then it was just her that made me unable to let go of my anger."

Or is it your grandfather, who is no good? He didn't betray me, yet he fathered four concubine-born sons and daughters with Elder Concubine Deng.

Without his indulgence, his mother would not have valued a concubine more than me, his legitimate daughter-in-law.

And your father, too, is your grandfather's own offspring; because he resembles him so much, that is why I have suffered these great sins.

In short, it's all your grandfather's fault!

However, you really vented anger for Grandmother today! You think of Grandmother and want to back her up; Grandmother thanks you.

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, this is what I ought to do, and it is my smallest repayment to you. From now on, please don't be so polite with me, okay?"

Pei Lao Furen smiled, gently stroking Li Qingluo's hair, and let out a long sigh: "Good!"

Then she asked her: "Regarding Li Qingzhu, do you have any opinions?"

Tomorrow, do you mean to give her a cup of poisoned wine, or a length of white silk? Or do you plan to give her some other means of death?

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, regarding Li Qingzhu, could we perhaps spare her life for now?"

Pei Lao Furen's hand paused, surprise and incomprehension appearing on her face: "Luoluo?"

You... do you know what you're saying? You're so kind, you'll probably end up harming yourself in the future!

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, I am not kind; I have other considerations."

Pei Lao Furen suppressed her emotions, "Well then, what else do you have to consider? She, a little bastard, has enjoyed so many years of the Jiangjun Fu's honor, wealth and prestige, and affection— that's already enough! Now because of her, the entire Jiangjun Fu's reputation has been utterly destroyed, putting the Jiangjun Fu over a fire to roast; only by her own suicide can she atone with death."

Li Qingluo: "But Grandmother, you also said she isn't our Jiangjun Fu's blood relative!"

Pei Lao Furen paused: "What do you mean by that?"

Li Qingluo then said: "Grandmother. If Li Qingzhu dies in the Jiangjun Fu, to put it nicely it's suicide out of fear of guilt; to put it bluntly…… could it be considered that we drove her to death?"

"If this talk is spread again by the Liu family, our Jiangjun Fu will surely be implicated again."

Pei Lao Furen coldly snorted: "The Liu family dares! In the baby-switch incident back then, the Jiangjun Fu let it go because of your muddleheaded parents; do they really dare to come to Jinling City to stir up trouble?"

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, if their travel plans go without a hitch, they should all arrive in Jinling these two days."

Pei Lao Furen's eyes widened instantly.

"Is… it you?"

Li Qingluo slowly nodded: "Yes. It was I who secretly sent people to lure them to Jinling City."

Li Qingluo also did not hide it from Pei Lao Furen, and spoke everything she had in mind.

"If Li Qingzhu wants to become Prince Yun's favored concubine, let her do so. He who climbs high will fall hard; extreme prosperity inevitably leads to decline."

"Even if she gets her wish and goes to Prince Yun's inner quarters, she will merely be a concubine; no matter how favored she becomes, she will remain only a concubine in the future."

"She has lost the Jiangjun Fu as her backing; her future prospects are now nil."

"What she desires in her heart will forever be unattainable in this life."

"Moreover, Prince Yun is lustful and frivolous; though his scheming is deep, his talent is shallow, he is arrogant and conceited, and although his rank is high, compared with the other princes he is truly mediocre."

"I, the granddaughter, will bet that he will amount to nothing, and that Li Qingzhu's gamble will lose everything."

In her previous life, she fell into one part of Li Qingzhu's scheme because of Li Qingzhu's ambition.

Li Qingluo's death in that previous life was so insignificant.

It didn't even serve as a stepping stone for Li Qingzhu.

So in this life, how could Li Qingzhu possibly die so easily and escape?

Li Qingluo will make her watch herself, having staked everything, see exactly how what she gained will step by step lead to her own self-destruction.

Only by staying alive can one endure a fate worse than death.

Only by staying alive can Li Qingluo's revenge be all the more satisfying!

So, Li Qingluo never intended to let Li Qingzhu die now.

Pei Lao Furen: "But what if you lose the bet? Luo'er, if that Prince Yun in the future…"

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, if I truly lose, Luo'er will accept it."

Furthermore, Li Qingluo deep down does not believe that Prince Yun will ever attain a high position.

Besides, there is still Prince Su in this world!

For some reason, she feels that as long as Prince Su exists, Prince Yun will never make waves, let alone ascend to that position.

Of course, if all this really results in a loss, and if Li Qingzhu truly can turn the tables, she herself will resign to fate.

She would even willingly go to her death.

Pei Lao Furen: "But the Liu family—are you really so certain they dare to cause trouble?"

"After all, if they dare to come again, this old woman will not pardon them for their past crime of swapping the daughter."

"And as for your father, I see he would love to kill his adopted daughter tonight; if you spare Li Qingzhu, he will surely not let it rest."

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, if the Liu family comes to Jinling, at worst we will cost them the life of that old woman. As long as they insist, vowing to deny responsibility, claiming that everything back then was the wicked daughter-swapping deed done by Old Lady Liu, and that they knew nothing, the whole family can be absolved."

"But what they gain is the status of being the natal family of a prince's concubine. This also fulfills the purpose of their daughter-swapping scheme back then; they were so bold precisely so that one day they could use this to elevate the whole family, chickens and dogs ascending to heaven, to gain wealth and honor."

"If they learn that Li Qingzhu has attached herself to Prince Yun, they will cling to her like leeches, never letting go."

"Regardless of how unwilling Li Qingzhu was before, she now has only two choices: either commit suicide out of fear in the Jiangjun Fu, or return to the Liu family and still have a chance to live and go to Prince Yun's mansion."

"Grandmother, what do you think she will decide?"

Li Qingzhu will certainly choose to live, and then go to Prince Yun's mansion as a concubine.

She has no other chance to survive.

Li Qingluo continued: "As for my father, he is someone who values family reputation. Now that Li Qingzhu has cast off her status as the Li family's eldest legitimate daughter, when the time comes the whole family can publicly declare the truth of the daughter-swapping incident from back then; Li Qingzhu will no longer be considered a member of the Li family, and thus separated, the Jiangjun Fu's reputation will naturally recover somewhat."

"This would also reduce the Liu family's entanglements, and from now on sever ties with Li Qingzhu; he would surely not object."

She believes her biological father will surely understand which choice is best for the Jiangjun Fu.

Moreover, whether Li Qingzhu lives or dies, it is a trouble for him.

Pei Lao Furen, seeing Li Qingluo's resolute attitude, could only sigh.

"You! You appear steady and grand, but in fact your thoughts are more numerous than a fox's, and your opinions are greater than heaven!"

"But Luo'er, your mind is so delicate and sensitive, full of worries and overthinking… what grievance have you suffered, how much resentment do you harbor, that you would scheme like this?"

Li Qingluo nervously pressed her lips, looking at Pei Lao Furen: "Grandmother, do you think Luo'er's thoughts are vicious and terrifying?"