Chapter 216: The Liu family enters the fray; Luo

Li Qingluo had not yet reacted when Sui'er pulled Wang Shi away.

"Mother, didn't we agree? My older sister is now the eldest legitimate daughter of the General's Manor; you can't keep calling her that name!"

Deng Mama stepped forward, face full of anger, and shouted, "Impudence!"

"What, Cao'er?!"

"That ought to be your birth daughter Liu Qiongzhu's name; now that everything is settled, who are you calling with that name!"

Wang Shi's expression panicked as she looked at Li Qingluo, face full of grievance.

Li Qingluo only looked at Sui'er: "You betrayed me?"

Sui'er hurriedly explained: "Older sister, I didn't! It's Mother; she constantly mentions you at home, missing you more and more, so I… I momentarily softened and brought her here."

"However, don't misunderstand; besides Mother, no one else at home knows I came to see you today."

Wang Shi also whispered: "Luo'er, ah… I, I really have no ill intent; I just wanted to catch a glimpse of you…"

Li Qingluo: "Now you're playing the kind mother? Speak, what do you want?"

Wang Shi was mocked, her face instantly flushing red.

"Cao… Luo, Luo'er, do you really think of me this way? In the past, my feelings for you were at least somewhat sincere…"

Li Qingluo: "Your sincerity? Your sincerity was letting that family bully me, from only daring to secretly care to later completely ignoring me?"

Before I knew my origins, I regarded you as that family's sole concern and sincerity.

I thought I was a lump of flesh that fell from your body, that you would inevitably feel some affection for me; I thought you were merely weak, compelled by circumstance—but you?

You clearly knew my origins all along, yet just like them, you merely treated me as livestock and a bargaining chip.

You and the whole Liu family are of the same ilk; do you miss me? Or are you just wondering how much silver I can give you now?

Wang Shi endured these humiliations, only able to silently shed tears.

"Cao'er, I regret it…"

Li Qingluo walked to the table and sat down, ignoring Wang Shi's pretentious act, and asked only: "Regret what? Regret not coming to Jinling earlier to put on an act and manipulate me?"

"How much silver do you want? Fifty taels? One hundred taels?"

"When I was an infant, you once nursed me; in childhood, you also fed me rice porridge. Later, you secretly slipped me wheat‑bran cakes a few times."

"Every grain of rice, every drop of water is a kindness. After offsetting the Liu family's sins against me, how much do I still owe you?"

"One hundred taels is more than enough; let's consider it as repaying this kindness in full."

"But what about Liu Qiongzhu's account—how does the Liu family intend to settle it with me?"

"Her years of food, clothing, and daily use, the gold and silver jewelry, the fine silks and satins—all are what I should have possessed. Shouldn't the Liu family compensate me with tens of thousands of taels of silver?"

As Li Qingluo's words fell, shouts came from outside: "Cao'er! Cao'er, I know you're in there——"

"I'm your father. Cao'er, how can you only see your mother and not your father? Your father misses you too——"

Li Qingluo looked at Sui'er and smiled.

Sui'er's face turned completely pale.

"I, I really don't know… Older sister, I really don't know… Mother! I trusted you so much, and you betrayed me?"

Li Qingluo rose, no longer wanting to say a word.

She looked toward Deng Mama; Deng Mama went out for a moment, and the outside noise soon faded.

Li Qingluo felt around in her clothes, produced a one‑hundred‑tael banknote, and lightly tossed it toward Wang Shi.

Between us, from now on our debts are cleared. If you ever appear before me again, don't blame me for being heartless!

Having said that, Li Qingluo gave Liu Sui'er no chance, quickly leaving the place.

Wang Shi hurriedly picked up the one‑hundred‑tael banknote from the ground, her face showing delight.

Great, at least I got one hundred taels; when I go back, Father and Grandfather won't blame me.

Sui'er, look—your older sister Cao'er is now so generous, a single hand is one hundred taels, one hundred taels!!

If we return to the countryside, we'll never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of our lives!

Liu Sui'er stamped her foot in anger and shouted: "Mother!! Are you blinded by lard? You clearly miss Older Sister, so why are you doing this!!"

Don't you know, Older Sister is the sort who can't tolerate a speck of sand in her eye; you've brought me along in betraying her—what am I to do!!

You are nothing but selfish and self‑serving—no wonder you gave birth to a wretched spawn like Liu Qiongzhu!!

Being so harshly scolded by her birth daughter, Wang Shi lifted her head as if she hadn't heard, her face wet with tears.

Sui'er, if your father and the others would listen to me, we could return to the countryside… then Cao'er wouldn't be disturbed anymore, right?

Liu Sui'er instantly stiffened all over.

Mother?

Wang Shi wept and gave a bitter smile: "Mother knows, it's our Liu family that's let her down… Mother has long known, long regretted it. But I… what can I do?"

If I didn't do or say this, Father and Grandfather would beat me!

Wang Shi climbed to her feet: "Sui'er, shall we go back? Return to our mountains and live a simple life."

We'll definitely be able to start over; the family might still have a chance to live in harmony, like proper human beings.

Don't disturb Cao'er anymore, and don't disturb Zhu'er either!

Liu Sui'er, however, stared blankly: "Mother, it's too late… my whole life has already been utterly ruined by the Liu family…"

Li Qingluo had just left the back door of the Delicacy Restaurant when the servants of the General's Manor came looking for her.

Search! The General said we must today ferret out the thief lurking in the General's Manor!

Li Qingluo was already seated in the carriage to Return Cassia Garden when Deng Mama asked, puzzled: "Miss, you already knew the Liu family would send someone following Sui'er here—why then insist on making this trip? Is it just to sever completely the milk‑bond with that Wang Shi?"

Li Qingluo: "If we don't toss them some bait, how can we catch them all in one net?"

Deng Mama then smiled: "Just keep it in mind, Miss. Also, I've already sent word to Lü Ying's side."

Li Qingluo: "Keep an eye on Li Kechuan; act at once if he moves. Also, notify Cui Jiuniang to get ready."

Deng Mama: "Yes."

The next day, Deng Mama said Liu Sui'er still wanted to see Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo naturally refused.

Deng Mama: "I heard that after returning yesterday, that Liu Da beat Wang Shi again, saying she had no ability and only took a hundred taels of silver."

"That Liu Da is really greedy; a hundred taels would be enough for their family to eat and drink for a lifetime if they went back to the mountains, yet they're still not satisfied!"

Li Qingluo: "Have someone lure him to the gambling house to play."

"Then wouldn't those hundred taels be at risk?"

Deng Mama gave a hehe laugh: "This servant obeys your order."

"I heard they went to Prince Yun's Mansion several times again, but they didn't even get a single tael of silver, and were even given a beating by the mansion's guards."

Li Qingluo: "The Liu family still dreams of being imperial relatives. But Liu Qiongzhu's situation is dire now; she can't even support herself, so how could she bother managing them?"

Indeed, that very night Luying sent a message saying that Liu Qiongzhu would go to Qing Song Guan in three days.

Moreover, Liu Qiongzhu also sent a letter to the Jiangjun Fu, which was delivered into Li Kechuan's hands.

"Luying is quite capable. Miss, the opportunity you've been waiting for has arrived!"

Li Qingluo: "Tell Liu Sui'er that her true chance for revenge has come. Let her this time be sure to seize the opportunity; if she makes another mistake, I won't interfere again!"

Deng Mama: "Yes. But I have one more question: clearly it's Qu Shi who loves Liu Qiongzhu the most; every time I see her affected manner, I completely forget about the miss. Why doesn't she make an appointment with Qu Shi?"

Liu Qiongzhu wants money, wants a dowry.

Logically, if she went to Qu Shi she might really be able to extort something.

But this time the person she arranged to meet is Li Kechuan.

Li Qingluo: "Liu Qiongzhu is a concubine who can run around all day; do you really think Prince Yun pampers her so much that she has no manners?"

"Last time entering the palace, the Empress was already testing the Jiangjun Fu. Their mother and son's intention to win over the Jiangjun Fu is obvious, yet Li Kechuan had his leg cut off in Prince Yun's Mansion initially; now Liu Qiongzhu wants to break the ice with the Jiangjun Fu—who do you think she should first try to please?"

Deng Mama suddenly realized: "Is it Liu Qiongzhu being directed by Prince Yun behind the scenes?"

Li Qingluo: "Let's wait and see."

Deng Mama deeply felt this matter was not simple.

"But now the Jiangjun Fu is probably mired in trouble because of that Jiang family, unable to protect itself—how could it still attend to matters with Prince Yun's Mansion?"

Li Qingluo: "Perhaps this is also an opportunity for Li Chao Jing to turn things around?"

Deng Mama slapped her thigh: "Ah, yes! If he were to completely turn to Prince Yun, he might actually be saved this time!"

Li Qingluo gave a humph: "But will I let him get his way?"

"They dare plot to kill my grandmother; they all deserve to die."

Deng Mama sighed, then recalled: "Right, miss, this morning we went to Zhenyin Wine House and were almost caught by the Jiangjun Fu's people."

"Those servants went to the wine house to cause trouble; it just so happened that Yang Qinwu was there too, which avoided Mei Shuang's trouble."

Li Qingluo: "Yang Qinwu? Why does he keep running to my wine house every day? If I get the chance, I still need to meet him once!"

The matter of Pan Li and Princess Qin Yu is shrouded in mist.

Li Qingluo always felt that perhaps it had some connection with the matter of Nan Jia.

She wanted to know exactly what happened outside the Zhenghua Hall that night.

Perhaps Yang Qinwu would know.

Since that night of playing chess, Prince Su has never come back to the Guiyuan garden.

In the mansion there are only mute servants, Li Qingluo and a group of mamas; everyone gets along harmoniously each day, except grandmother has still not awakened.

Three days later, Qing Song Guan.

After several months, Li Qingluo returned to Qing Song Guan once more, already everything had changed, people were different.

However, she did not come here today to reminisce.

Li Qingluo wore a veil; even Deng Mama, Zhang Mama, Que'er and Ying'er covered their faces.

They requested a side room.

Zhang Mama also said, if the Old Lady were present, it would be nice; they could go to the former small courtyard to rest.

However, they cannot reveal their identities today, so even if they had keys on them, they cannot go.

Li Qingluo had just sat down in the side room when Zheng Mama came to report: "Miss, they have all arrived, next door in the side courtyard."

Li Qingluo took a sip of tea and immediately stood up: "Come on, the show is about to begin again."

Under the paulownia tree.

Liu Qiongzhu wore all white, clutching a handkerchief in her hand, eyes red with tears, a fragile, pitiful appearance, her gaze gloomily fixed on Li Kechuan.

"Older brother, you finally came after all..."