Chapter 172

Liu Qinzhu did not know Prince Yun's thoughts, still sobbing, like a lovestruck maiden trapped in emotion yet forced to endure endless grievance.

Your Highness, Zhu'er's status is now lowly; she is no longer fit to serve by Your Highness's side...

Prince Yun: "Indeed so."

Before, although she was a false eldest daughter, she still held the title of eldest daughter; he himself liked her, and that Li Chao Jing and his wife also doted on her, so Prince Yun was willing to contend with her, even engaging in murder and arson.

But now that she has taken the surname Liu, she is truly lowly.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qinzhu stiffened, her nose sour, this time her heart truly broke and she wept from grievance.

Yes... Your Highness, please, for the sake of Zhu'er having served you once, save Zhu'er's family!

From now on, Zhu'er will no longer pester you...

Who knew Prince Yun instead grabbed Liu Qinzhu's head in one hand, forcing her to look up at him.

Prince Yun coldly said: "Did I say this matter is over?"

Prince Yun naturally intervened and saved those of the Liu family.

However, regarding Zhao Shi, he did not bother much.

In Jinling City, many prominent clans were watching this; Zhao Shi's crimes were truly heinous, arousing the nobles' resentment, so he would not meddle with that old poisonous woman.

Afterward, he also did not concern himself with Liu Qinzhu, pushing her back to the Liu family.

Liu Qinzhu, upon feeling Prince Yun's coldness, had her heart completely broken.

She recalled how, before, Li Kechuan and Zhuang Wei had treasured her like pearls and jade, doting and protecting her, each treating her as the apple of their eye.

Later, Prince Yun also treated her as the apple of his eye.

She thought that, as she had won over her brother and San Lang, she could likewise completely win Prince Yun's heart.

Who would have thought his tenderness and affection would also vanish so quickly?

Now, having fallen into the dust, he utterly regards her as merely a plaything!

Liu Qinzhu says she has no regrets in her heart—that is impossible.

If she had not impulsively offered herself that time, none of this would be happening now!

It is her sheer foolishness, having been dazzled by the Zhongyi Hou Fu's proposal to see Li Qingluo.

Now, San Lang has vanished, and her brother bears hatred toward her.

Her heart feels bitter as if she had eaten coptis, and she does not even want to speak.

Thus, upon seeing these Liu family people, Liu Qinzhu feels nothing, even a bit of disgust.

Why am I, of all people, their bloodline!?

Why can't I be the true daughter of the Jiangjun Fu!?

She felt as if she had been emptied out, her spirit dazed, and she just followed the Liu family to some random lodging.

But when she reacted and looked at her lodging, she felt she would collapse.

In the dilapidated courtyard, there were only two rooms, yet they had to house over ten people!

Are they crazy?

Amid Liu Qinzhu's fierce opposition and wailing, her birth mother, Wang Shi, finally stepped forward, saying she would herself provide silver and rent a larger courtyard.

In the end, it was merely an extra room, allowing Liu Qinzhu to sleep alone.

Yet that room reeked of mildew, and the bed was so hard it made her whole body ache terribly.

Luying found some straw for her to pad underneath; turning over in her sleep at midnight would wake her.

Liu Qinzhu has never suffered such hardship in her life except when she was kidnapped.

She sat up crying in the middle of the night, only to be scolded in turn by two aunts.

"Do you really think you're destined to be a miss of wealth? All you do is cry, cry, cry! You already have a whole room to yourself—what more do you have to complain about!?"

"Your noise keeps the whole family from sleeping at midnight; one must have conscience! We have suffered bitterly in prison these days—for whose sake?"

"Since you've returned, you had better accept the present reality and resign yourself to fate! Otherwise, rely on your own abilities and hurry to marry into Prince Yun's Mansion—that's the only way to regain your days of wealth and honor!"

Wang Shi came out to plead with her two sisters-in-law, asking them to watch their words.

But deep down, Liu Qinzhu truly despises Wang Shi.

Although she indeed has some beauty, and her own appearance resembles hers greatly, she is simply too rustic!

Moreover, perhaps because of years of labor, her face is sallow and coarse, utterly incomparable to Qu Shi, making her look like a generation apart.

Such a person is actually my birth mother.

And Liu Da is even worse to behold!

His skin is dark and rough, his face full of wrinkles—not to mention his nose hairs longer than his philtrum, his teeth yellow and filthy, unknown how many years since they were last cleaned.

When he grins at her, there is also a strong foul odor, making Liu Qinzhu almost vomit.

When they had just reunited, the two of them even hugged her and cried bitterly.

"Zhu'er, my Zhu'er, mother finally gets to see you. Let mother take a good look—my daughter originally looked like this."

"My good daughter, you truly look like a fairy, indeed exactly like your mother when she was young!"

"By the way, Sui'er—where is that wicked Liu Sui'er? Why hasn't she come to find us yet!?"

Only then did Liu Qinzhu recall her own younger sister, Liu Sui'er.

She had indeed come to look for me before.

But at that time, Liu Qinzhu was very annoyed with the Liu family, and once on the street San Lang mistook Liu Sui'er for me.

That time, Liu Qinzhu seized the opportunity to fly into a rage, whipping Liu Sui'er fiercely with a whip.

Afterward, didn't she have Liu Jinzhi quickly ruin Liu Sui'er's face and then hurriedly send her back to the mountains?

Could it be that she never went back at all?

Liu Qinzhu probed with a few questions, only to find it was indeed true!

Since Liu Sui'er first came to Jinling, she has never gone back!

Liu Qiongzhu suddenly thought of some things.

Who originally led Li Kechuan to Prince Yun's private residence?

Besides, a maid who looked extremely like her happened to appear beside her older brother; her name was Shanhu.

But later, why did she suddenly disappear for no reason?

That Shanhu never even showed up in front of her; who exactly is she?

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she felt, as if something were entangling her.

A deep fear welled up in her heart for no reason, and she couldn't help wondering: could it be that Liu Sui'er is behind both of these incidents?

But how could that be possible!?

How could a lowly nobody who came out of the mountains with no experience possibly do these things?

But Liu Qiongzhu then thought of Li Qingluo.

Isn't she also someone who grew up in the mountains since childhood?

But Li Qingluo has brought her to this state; her scheming is deep and vicious, certainly not someone to be underestimated.

This matter made Liu Qiongzhu break out in a cold sweat for no reason; she dared not think further, nor did she want to stay longer with her parents, so she made an excuse and returned to her room.

But the longer she stayed in the Liu household, the more she felt she was going crazy!

The whole family had to crowd together to eat.

Children's crying, women's chatter and laughter, men's shouting…… and the smell of feet filling the room……

Especially Liu Yuanbao.

In this household, all of this generation are daughters; he is the sole male grandson, so the whole family dotes on him to death.

In this household, he basically gets whatever wind he wants, whatever rain he wants; he throws tantrums and does bad deeds at will, yet no one restrains him!

While eating, he reaches into his own bowl to grab meat, or picks up vegetables and throws them at another sister's face.

Or, upon seeing her, he rushes over, insisting that Liu Qiongzhu hold him, or else he wants her to let him ride on her back.

Liu Qiongzhu naturally could not comply; she even shoved him away roughly out of disgust.

Liu Yuanbao tripped and fell to the ground, wailing 'waah waah,' drawing the whole family out to look.

"What's going on?"

"Yo, Yuanbao, who made you cry?"

Liu Yuanbao pointed at Liu Qiongzhu and tattled: "She pushed me. Wah wah wah, she won't let me ride and still pushes me, wah wah wah..."

Liu Qiongzhu scolded him: "Why should I let you ride? Want me to be your horse? Look at yourself! Get lost!"

"Around here, this young lady won't indulge you!"

Liu Qiongzhu glared fiercely at Liu Yuanbao, frightening the poor boy who had never suffered such injustice into a dazed state.

But the next second, Liu Yuanbao, as if stimulated, jumped up again and charged at Liu Qiongzhu like a bull calf.

Liu Qiongzhu cried 'Ah!'—if not for Lady Wang rushing over to clutch her tightly, who knows what would have happened.

Liu Yuanbao punched and kicked Lady Wang, yet not a single family member tried to stop him.

The others just watched like it was a spectacle, staring at Liu Qiongzhu with half-smiles.

"Your mother does everything for you."

"Right, Zhu'er, you ought to be filial to your mother from now on."

Liu Qiongzhu, as if seeing a ghost, turned and hurried into the room, leaving Lady Wang's miserable cries outside.

She felt that this whole family was not quite normal.

After Lady Zhao died, she was thrown into the mass grave hill.

Yet no one in the Liu family suggested collecting her remains, as if they feared any trouble from involvement with her.

Although this had some justification, the Liu family also did not propose secretly holding a memorial for her at home, setting up a spirit tablet—indeed, they did nothing.

Let alone mention a proper burial with ceremonial robes.

The Liu family members themselves didn't bring it up, and Liu Qiongzhu wouldn't do such an ungrateful thing either, although back then Lady Zhao had sent her to the General's Manor.

But now that her origins have been exposed, isn't it also because her past deeds weren't clean enough?

She had originally thought to endure for a while, then, once she had a plan, go see Prince Yun Your Highness; as long as he continued to pity her, she didn't want to stay another day in the Liu household.

But that day, Liu Qiongzhu was about to sleep when she suddenly felt someone outside the door.

When Luying came to open the door, she found that the already seven- or eight-year-old Liu Yuanbao was peeking through the crack.

Liu Qiongzhu, angry, went out, grabbed Liu Yuanbao, and gave him a hard slap.

"You little rascal, I'm your older sister, yet you dared to peek at me—are you even human!?"

Liu Yuanbao, having been slapped, burst into tears and lunged to bite Liu Qiongzhu.

Liu Qiongzhu pulled him down with a backhand, then kicked him hard several times with her foot.

Not having vented enough, a black shadow suddenly rushed out from inside the room; before Liu Qiongzhu could see who it was, she was slapped to the ground by a backhand.

"You cheap wretch! What do you want? Do you intend to kill our family's sole heir? You shameless little poisonous woman—I knew from the start you weren't raised in our household and wouldn't be of one mind with us!"

"If anything happens to my Baobao, I'll skin you alive!"