Chapter 237: Brother Wants to Completely Ruin Luo

Liu Qingzhu was still roaming near the ruined temple, her face bristling with anger, as if she must locate "Lu Ying" today before she would be satisfied.

Zi Jin merely smiled at the words: "Miss, your servant is simply burning the boats, thinking that if I don't succeed today I shall die a martyr, so I'm just throwing myself into it."

Li Qingluo: "So you deliberately revealed your identity to her?"

Zi Jin: "Yes, miss. You may not know, Liu Qingzhu has now regained some favor from the General's Mansion, so these past two days she has been showing off quite proudly throughout Prince Yun's rear residence."

"Prince Yun has been coming to her courtyard for three consecutive days, which has made her overjoyed. She flaunts herself in the other concubines' quarters, claiming that she is truly the General's Mansion's most cherished daughter, hoping that everyone will treat her more kindly in the future."

"But among the women who can enter His Highness Prince Yun's rear residence, which one comes from a simple background? Only she; once she leaves the General's Mansion, she truly becomes nothing."

"The other concubines all resent her, some even laugh at her publicly, saying she must have tried to seduce her former older brother again, which is why the General's Mansion, which had clearly expelled her, still wants her back."

"Liu Qingzhu has been fuming these days, so she slapped that concubine and then, like a villain, went to Prince Yun and cried a fit."

"Liu Qingzhu said that she does it to relieve Prince Yun's worries, so even if false rumors swirl everywhere outside, she endures the humiliation and returned to the General's Mansion."

"Fortunately she succeeded, claiming that the lord now wishes, for her sake, to find a way to suppress those 'false' rumors, and also to have the whole family attend Prince Yun's birthday banquet half a month later as a sign of goodwill."

"Prince Yun then punished the concubine whose words offended Liu Qingzhu."

"That made Liu Qingzhu overjoyed; she even laughed in her dreams that night."

"She sees things improving in Prince Yun's rear residence, so she won't leave the mansion lightly over a trivial matter now. Today, to lure her, your servant pretended to have heard that there's a doctor in the western part of the city, a miracle healer who can treat women's infertility. However, this physician is not easily coaxed to come down from the mountains."

"Liu Qingzhu said, why not find someone to capture this miracle healer and bring him to the mansion for her to consult?"

"Your servant truly had no way, fearing that a too far‑fetched lie would arouse her suspicion. So I suggested that I would go out of the mansion today to investigate, to see whether this doctor is real or not."

"But how exactly can I lure her out?"

"Your servant deliberately placed my older sister's item in my room—a jade pendant that Liu Qingzhu had once personally given to my older sister."

"I've kept it on me ever since; it's also a relic my older sister left me. I originally intended, someday, to smash it on Liu Qingzhu and ask whether she still remembers a woman named Hong Ling who died a tragic death because of her."

"But if it helps you succeed today, this item is worth it."

"After I left the mansion, I went straight to the western part of the city and hid."

"Sure enough, within less than an hour, I saw Liu Qingzhu coming to look for me."

"As for why Liu Qingzhu didn't stay in the mansion to wait for Zi Jin to return before interrogating her personally."

"It was because Zi Jin deliberately placed several sheets of paper under her pillow, each bearing a few words she had specially written yesterday: 'Die! Kill! Liu Qingzhu to hell!'"

"When that jade pendant was originally presented before Liu Qingzhu, she was already shocked."

"Seeing the sheets filled with words of resentment toward herself, Liu Qingzhu's heart instantly went cold."

"Lu Ying… what was she called before? Zi Jin… Zi Jin!!? Hong Ling… Hong Ling!!"

"I never realized, all this time I've been kept in the dark by her! Zi Jin, so you are actually Hong Ling's biological sister; the damned scoundrel even deceived me!!"

"Servants, go fetch Zi Jin back for this madam at once! Today I will skin this wretch!"

"But the servant returned quickly after a brief trip: 'Madam, Zi Jin… Zi Jin went to the western part of the city, but we searched around and couldn't find any trace of her. Moreover, we inquired and there is simply no such gynecological miracle healer there; could she have run away?'"

"Liu Qingzhu, furious, slapped the servant's face: 'You bunch of useless scum!'"

"Lu Ying, which of your statements is true and which is false?! If this miracle healer is also a lie, what exactly did you do to this madam?!"

"Liu Qingzhu, her anger flaring, felt a sour‑sweet sensation rise in her throat."

"Lu Ying knows she has too many secrets."

"Moreover, ever since she returned to the General's Mansion, it has been Lu Ying who has been by her side all along, a fact Liu Qingzhu cannot accept deep in her heart."

"She went almost mad, unable to curb her impatience, and immediately decided she would personally capture that wretched Lu Ying, interrogate her herself, then skin her, making her wish for death!"

"Zi Jin indeed knows Liu Qingzhu well."

"Thus she knows that as long as she disappears, Liu Qingzhu will be unable to sit still and will come looking for her herself."

"Now Liu Qingzhu is already leading four or five people near the ruined temple entrance."

"Li Qingluo immediately ordered Deng Mama: 'Go and quietly subdue her for me.'"

"Thus Liu Qingzhu, her master and a few servants, in broad daylight beside the ruined temple, were immediately bagged by the person Deng Mama sent out."

"A short while later, Deng Mama returned and said, 'Miss, it's done.'"

"Li Qingluo: 'Have Liu Er and Liu San arrived? Also, what's the situation with Li Kechuan? Has the Qu family person also set off?'"

"Deng Mama: 'Li Kechuan has already left. Liu Er and Liu San are waiting in the ruined temple as you instructed.'"

"'The Fourth Young Master of the Qu family should be arriving soon.'"

"Li Qingluo only learned yesterday that Li Kechuan had also summoned that short man from the Qu family."

"If it weren't for Uncle De's timely discovery that Li Kechuan had sent two letters to the Qu family these past two days, Li Qingluo would have missed such crucial information."

"Li Qingluo suddenly saw a group of beggars rushing downstairs with a 'whoosh' sound."

"'Someone over there is giving out porridge, hurry hurry hurry—'"

"Deng Mama said, 'These beggars usually occupy the ruined temple; today I gave them some silver to send them away, fearing they might obstruct your important matters later.'"

"Li Qingluo murmured, 'Beggar…'"

"Li Kechuan intended to have Liu Er and Liu San arrange for him to go to the ruined temple."

"But Li Kechuan had not prearranged anything concerning these beggars."

"Instead, it was Deng Mama who, feeling obstructed, dispersed the beggars."

"So what exactly was Li Kechuan's original plan?"

"The ruined temple, an unmarried woman who fled home and vanished, the Qu family's Fourth Young Master who has arranged a marriage with that woman, and a group of beggars."

"Li Qingluo thought of some ominous things in her heart."

"He wants to completely ruin my reputation, so he can cover up the scandals he has with Liu Qingzhu."

"Li Qingluo's solitary muttering startled Que'er."

"Que'er: 'Miss, Li Kechuan wants to ruin your reputation? Would he truly be so vicious? You are his own sister!'"

"Li Qingluo: 'A biological sister is to him no better than a single finger of Liu Qingzhu; what does that even matter?'"

After all, Li Kechuan once even tried to press himself to death in front of Liu Qingzhu's tomb, to snap his own tendons and ligaments, and to pound a hundred beats on Liu Qingzhu's fake tomb.

In his previous life, he even succeeded in killing her outright.

Li Qingluo has never forgotten these hatreds.

Li Kechuan, aside from Liu Qingzhu, has never felt genuine remorse toward his own younger sister.

"Since you want to use underhanded tricks, then let's see which of us siblings has the stronger methods."

Just then, she also wanted to ruin him.

If he uses underhanded tricks, she will turn the scheme back on him!

Li Qingluo finished speaking, put on a veil, and together with Deng Mama and a few others in plain clothes, went downstairs and quickly blended into the crowd.

Li Qingluo had intended to first go to the ruined temple to lie in wait, but she saw that, indeed, someone was setting up a congee stall at the end.

Nearby, Wu Quan remarked, "That looks like the Pan family's eldest daughter, doesn't it?"

"She never used to do such good deeds before."

"But after she died and was revived in the palace last time, I heard she fell seriously ill after returning home, and after waking up her temperament changed a lot."

"The Pan family's patriarch even feared she was possessed, and I heard they hired a Taoist from Qing Song Temple to perform a ritual at the Pan residence."

"As a result, this Pan eldest daughter sets up a congee stall every now and then to do charity, and I heard she also helps at the charity house and the benevolent hall."

"Even the Pan family can't control her."

Li Qingluo stood at a distance, watching Pan Li.

Seeing her gestures and bearing, she truly seemed a different person from the former Pan Li.

Li Qingluo recalled how Pan Li, that night by the pond, was revived—what did she shout then?

"Help—someone, someone wants to kill me—!"

She wasn't saying that Concubine Qinyu wanted to kill her.

It was someone.

Who exactly was this someone?

Also, why did she see Pan Li's carriage outside the Pei Residence the next day?

She also saw herself at that time, right?

Li Qingluo took two steps forward, but Deng Mama grabbed her: "Miss, this isn't the time to look for Miss Pan; at the ruined temple, Li Kechuan is already approaching fast."

Li Qingluo could only restrain her urge to advance for the moment; just as she was about to turn away,

that place was precisely the entrance to the Charity Hall.

The Charity Hall in Jinling City is a place that shelters orphans.

However, this street is a mix of all sorts, with many beggars and orphans, so normally officials' carriages rarely appear nearby.

But today, by coincidence, one after another, they all crowded here.

Li Qingluo saw a person stepping down from a carriage; it was not someone else, but a person she also knew—Aunt Guan, the birth mother of Pei Nanjia.

Pei Nanjia had been dead for just over a month, yet Aunt Guan had aged dramatically.

Moreover, it is said that Aunt Guan and Minister Pei have already moved out of the Pei household, and the Old Lady of the second branch has completely fallen out with them over Nanjia's death.

Minister Pei even, because of a quarrel with his mother, was heavily censured in the court.

It is said that the Emperor summoned Minister Pei, originally intending to scold him, but seeing his terrified, pig‑like demeanor and the grief of having lost his daughter, let him go.

The Emperor said, "I feel pity for Minister Pei's sorrow, so the mistakes he made can be rebuked later when they accumulate."

The Emperor had spoken; the Censorate muttered and tossed a few memorials, then only held back for the time being.

When Pan Li saw Aunt Guan, her eyes seemed to light up instantly.

She immediately handed the large iron ladle she was using to serve congee to the person beside her, and hurried toward Aunt Guan.

"Madam—"

Aunt Guan saw her, turned, and bowed low: "So it is Miss Pan, the eldest daughter. Miss Pan, please stop calling me 'Madam'; I am merely Pei's concubine and cannot bear the title 'Madam'…"

Pan Li, however, seemed eager to get close to Aunt Guan.

"Then may I call you Aunt Guan? Aunt Guan, please don't be formal; are you here today to look after these pitiful children at the Charity Hall…"

Aunt Guan appeared a little hesitant, but Pan Li stepped forward, warmly and affectionately clasping Aunt Guan.

"I'll accompany you inside? After all, I haven't seen the children for several days…"

Aunt Guan and Pan Li entered the Charity Hall, and Li Qingluo no longer delayed, turned toward the ruined temple.