Chapter 27: Grandmother Discovers the Fake Heiress

Que'er supported Li Qingluo, her face full of anxiety: "Miss, hold on, we'll be back to Hongfenguan right away." In fact, even Que'er didn't know that Li Qingluo's poisoning this time was deliberately done by herself.

Although Hongfenguan plants red maple trees inside, there happens to be an oleander outside the courtyard wall.

Li Qingluo grew up in the mountains since childhood; how could she not know the toxicity of oleander?

Yesterday she met Doctor Jiang outside Chunzai Hall, and an ominous premonition suddenly rose in her heart.

Qu Shi was clearly extremely impatient with her, yet had endured silently for many days without erupting.

Things were calm on Li Kechuan's side as well, and all this made Li Qingluo feel a bit uneasy.

Sure enough, he was waiting for her here.

Fortunately she had preemptively tampered with herself; otherwise, today's bloodletting and flesh‑cutting would have been hard to escape.

Hum.

Even if she poisoned herself, this lifetime Li Kechuan will not succeed in this matter.

Li Qingluo lay down as soon as she returned to Hongfenguan.

She told Que'er not to tell Jingci Tang about this, and after thinking, Que'er ultimately obeyed her.

Li Qingluo merely thought that if Grandmother heard these little incidents repeatedly, she would become weary and think she herself was useless.

However, Li Qingluo will let Grandmother know how ruthless and heartless these relatives are, how they wish to put her to death, and that they are not worthy of Li Qingluo's sincere affection.

But not now; she must find the right moment for a single strike to crush their hearts!

Li Qingluo vomited and had diarrhea, felt dizzy and swollen, and the signs of poisoning grew increasingly evident.

Que'er fetched a doctor, but upon returning she was still discovered by Deng Mama.

After learning of this, with Que'er pleading and urging, Deng Mama refrained from reporting it to Pei Lao Furen.

But today's matter could no longer be completely concealed by Deng Mama.

"How ruthless! If it weren't for the girl accidentally being poisoned, wouldn't we really have to resort to bloodletting and flesh‑cutting? The girl is truly suffering; nowhere is comfortable."

Que'er also felt sympathetic: "Indeed. Today was extremely perilous; that kick still aches for me now."

Deng Mama examined Que'er's wound and internally cursed Li Kechuan a thousand times.

Damn, he's not a decent person!

Que'er: "Grandma, let's follow the girl's wishes and keep it from Old Lady for now. I always feel that the girl is a calculating person; regarding this, she surely has another plan."

Deng Mama looked at her own beloved granddaughter, considered Que'er in her heart, and agreed.

When Li Qingluo felt a bit better, Deng Mama came in to comfort her: "Miss, do you want to know whose residence by the Qinhuai River it actually is?"

Li Qingluo pretended not to know, "Whose is it?"

Deng Mama lowered her voice and whispered into her ear: "I personally investigated; it's the residence of the current fourth prince, Prince Yun!"

Li Qingluo pretended great surprise, widening her eyes and lightly covering her lips.

"How could it be…? Could it be… with the royal…?"

She didn't even dare to speak it out; her face full of astonishment, and Deng Mama had not the slightest doubt.

Deng Mama: "This matter is linked to a prince, but it's no small affair. Old Lady only asks us to continue the covert investigation; we must not let this blow up, lest any slip endanger the entire Li family!"

Li Qingluo hurriedly nodded: "Yes, let Grandmother decide this. But please, Grandma, continue to inform me of any further developments, after all I am also of the Li clan."

Deng Mama: "Miss, don't be afraid; I, your humble servant, will tell you everything I learn from now on."

Que'er now belongs to Li Qingluo, so Deng Mama's heart naturally leans a bit toward Hongfenguan.

After two days of nursing, Li Qingluo's poisoning symptoms gradually lessened.

But the once sharp little face now is only the size of a palm.

Fortunately, lately, under Que'er and Cui Er's urging, she has been taking the Snow Skin Pills her grandmother bought for her at Fragrant Hall, and after each bath she never forgets to apply the cream, and her skin seems to have actually improved a bit.

It feels smoother than before, and her complexion is a bit brighter.

However, skin nurturing seems a process that requires patient waiting, so it cannot show remarkable results instantly.

Li Qingluo stared absentmindedly at her reflection in the water, while Que'er and Cui Er came in with downcast faces.

"What happened?"

Que'er, angrily clenching her fist, said: "Miss, people from the Zhuang family of Lord Zhongyi have arrived."

Cui Er gently tugged Que'er's arm and whispered: "Que'er, the Miss hasn't recovered yet; we should not add more worries for her…"

Que'er pressed her lips together, and thus did not continue speaking.

Li Qingluo calmly asked: "Did their family come to break off the marriage?"

Que'er and Cui Er were both astonished, not understanding how she knew that.

Li Qingluo, of course, knew.

In her previous life there was the same episode, and the timing was similar.

Zhuang Wei personally came to the door to break off the engagement, because he heard the elders at home discussing the matter, saying that since Li Qingzhu had died, hadn't the Li family found another daughter?

To prevent the two families from ruining their marital ties, Li Chao Jing and Lord Zhongyi had already reached an understanding to place the marriage onto Li Qingluo.

Zhuang Wei had just lost his beloved; in his mind, Li Qingluo was the poisonous woman who forced Li Qingzhu to death, so how could he be willing to compromise?

Therefore, he secretly visited, causing a scene to demand the marriage be broken.

In the previous life, although Zhuang Wei caused a commotion, the result was still futile and changed nothing.

Li Qingluo also heard that after he was captured and taken back, he was locked in the Ancestral Hall and forced to kneel for several days.

Zhuang Wei even threatened with water cut‑off and starvation; besides Lord Zhongyi's wife, whose heart ached and almost went with him, Lord Zhongyi stubbornly did not change his mind.

Only then did Zhuang Wei suddenly throw himself into studying day and night, saying he would take the imperial examination.

As a result, he actually succeeded, even ranking first among the top candidates, becoming a presented scholar and the third‑ranked presented scholar (third-place laureate).

Seeing his prospects, the Zhongyi Hou estate showed a more relaxed attitude, but Zhuang Wei suddenly turned and agreed to the marriage.

He wants to continue this marital bond, saying he will marry Li Qingluo into the Zhongyi Hou estate.

Just when everyone was greatly puzzled, Li Qingluo nevertheless knew his thoughts.

That time, Li Qingluo had a high fever and nearly died; it was Zhuang Wei who summoned a doctor for her.

But afterwards he said, "I saved your life, only because I didn't want you to die so easily. You must live on, live long and long, so that you can suffer the suffering of being alive!"

Zhuang Wei sent a nursemaid to raise her, under the pretext of teaching Li Qingluo propriety, letting that nursemaid torment her every day to the point of wishing for death.

In this life, Li Qingluo is determined to break off the engagement.

"Has he left?"

She prepared to go out and look, putting on the new clothes that Zhang Mama had sent the day before.

These past two days, Li Qingluo did not go to pay respects to Pei Lao Furen; that side merely assumed she had a slight headache and fever.

With Deng Mama helping to conceal it, Pei Lao Furen also had no suspicions and still did not know that Li Qingluo had been poisoned.

She also had Zhang Mama come to take a look, and sent over all the new outfits she had made for Li Qingluo.

Since autumn was approaching, she had made only two sets of summer clothes and three sets of autumn clothes, saying that winter clothes would be made after another two months, depending on whether Li Qingluo could gain some weight.

Li Qingluo wore a moon-white long dress with silver-thread subtle patterns; though the fabric's color was plain and elegant, one touch revealed it to be absolutely fine quality.

It was splendid yet light, feeling like a cicada's wing when worn, cool and comfortable, with no weight.

Her hair was still simply braided into a thick plait, with no hair ornaments worn.

Although somewhat shabby, it was indeed because the two items given by Qu Shi were better off not worn.

Even with such plain attire, Cui Er, upon seeing it, exclaimed, "Miss, you are becoming ever more beautiful!"

Li Qingluo felt that her eyesight was probably not very good.

Que'er had gone to the front courtyard to gather news; Li Qingluo and Cui Er were just about to leave the courtyard when a black cat suddenly leapt from the corner, straight toward the two of them and pounced.

"Miss, be careful——"