Chapter 343

This, this face?

What's wrong with this face?

In a daze, Zhui Yu seemed to finally recall that in some dark place where firelight flickered, she had truly seen this face.

The more she looked, the more it felt familiar!

She, she... who exactly is she…

Zhui Yu's heart gave a great start, then she heard Leng Dian say: "Just from her back view, it really is exactly the same as the young lady's."

A person's appearance and voice can change.

But one's figure, the way one walks, cannot easily be changed.

Zhui Yu stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.

Li Qingluo had already risen and was walking toward him slowly.

"That night I risked my life to give you a wink—don't you remember?"

Zhui Yu: "You, you you you… you!?"

"Is it you!?"

"You are the daughter of that couple who fell down the slope while gathering herbs in the medicine hut?"

He finally remembered.

But she, she wasn't lying in bed unable to move?

Li Qingluo: "They want to be my parents—how fitting?"

"I was seized by them, drugged and made a hostage lying in bed unable to move—don't you understand yet?"

"Zhui Yu, actually when I saw you that night, I thought I had finally found hope."

"Too bad, we missed each other."

She sighed.

Zhui Yu burst out in a desperate shout: "Who exactly are you!?"

Li Qingluo: "I heard that girl died… is that true?"

"Qin Ling truly deserves to die."

"I will surely kill him with my own hands!"

Girl…

That girl!

Zhui Yu tripped and fell heavily to the ground.

Li Qingluo deliberately wanted to make him anxious.

Who let him upset the grandmother regardless of the occasion?

She didn't blame Zhui Yu in her heart, so she immediately turned and knelt again before Old Lady Pei.

With tears streaming, she looked at Old Lady Pei and said: "Grandmother, Luò'er's voice has changed, her appearance has changed, but I truly am Luò'er."

"This time Luò'er was harmed by someone, which is why she has been delayed in returning home to send you word of safety…"

"It is Luò'er's fault."

"But I truly am your Luò'er."

"Luò'er has come back…"

"Luò'er kowtows to you!"

She knocked her head heavily with a resounding thud.

Old Lady Pei looked at the person before her, yet could not believe it no matter what.

How can such a thing exist in the world?

In just a few days, her Luò'er will become another person?

Is that possible?

Could it really not be that Prince Su randomly found someone and fabricated lies to deceive her?

For the first time in her life, she showed a flustered expression in front of outsiders and looked toward Prince Su.

Duan Rongshi gave a slight nod: "Everything she said is indeed true."

"General Pei, I have also verified it—she is indeed your granddaughter, Li Qingluo."

Old Lady Pei lowered her gaze again to the little maiden kneeling before her: "You… you really are Luò'er?"

Old Lady Pei's eyes full of disbelief stabbed Li Qingluo.

But she still replied through tears: "Yes, I am Luò'er."

"Grandmother, do you still remember what Luò'er said when she first saw you, at the little cottage of Qing Song Guan?"

"At that time, Luò'er, in order to coax you back home, said: 'The glory of the Li family, the authority of the Li family, everything of the Li family, the power of life and death—all should be in your hands.'"

"But later, we grandparents both had our hearts completely broken and totally left the Jiangjun Fu."

"That night Luò'er was both angry and anxious. If you, Grandmother, really came to harm, Luò'er would burn the Li family to the ground to avenge you."

"Fortunately, Grandmother, you had a scare but came to no harm…"

"Grandmother, if you don't believe me, Luò'er can recount to you, word for word, every day we have spent together."

Old Lady Pei reached out and touched her: "No! No need to say it!"

"Grandmother believes, believes you are my Luò'er!"

"Luò'er, ah! Grandmother's heart has been breaking these past days, fearing you would leave Grandmother behind in this world… child, what does face or voice matter?"

"As long as you are my Luò'er!"

Grandparent and grandchild embraced, bursting into uncontrollable sobs.

All the grannies and maidservants around were moved by the scene, their eyes reddening and tears flowing.

Leng Dian and Po Feng also turned their heads away.

Only Zhui Yu sat on the ground with a dazed expression.

The young lady is here, so who did he bury?

He then gave himself a hard slap.

He's really stupid!

If the young lady's face can change, then naturally others can become her too!

And it's that medicine house that's problematic; the young lady's troubles must be their doing!

He's going to raze that medicine house to the ground!!

But upon thinking that Li Qingluo is still alive, Zhui Yu couldn't help laughing: Haha, great.

The young lady isn't dead! The young lady isn't dead!

This plain‑looking… oh no, this unassuming young lady is truly the real one!

No wonder Your Highness killed that impostor.

No wonder Your Highness has been distant with that fake young lady these past days, seeming aloof.

No wonder that fake young lady exudes a strange aura all over!

He just said, everything feels off.

Indeed, it really has to be their Your Highness!

Only Your Highness's eyes can recognize the young lady at a glance even when her appearance and voice change completely.

Indeed, Your Highness's attitude toward the young lady has never changed.

Zhui Yu laughed and cried like a fool.

Think about what he did?

First he lost the young lady, then in the medicine house he failed to recognize her, missing the chance to rescue her!

Moreover, he even spoke abusively to the young lady and Your Highness on behalf of that impostor, showing no respect!

Zhui Yu rose to his knees: "Your Highness, please punish me severely!"

Duan Rongshi showed no mercy.

Moreover, seeing him made him angry: "Forty blows. Plus ten years of monthly stipend."

Zhui Yu kowtowed and acknowledged: "Yes, I'll take… huh?"

What?

Adding ten more strokes is bad enough, but why also punish ten years of monthly stipend!!

How is he supposed to save money to marry his wife then!!

Zhui Yu broke down…

And, with Po Feng and Leng Dian trying not to laugh, he retreated on his knees to the back.

Of course, after Li Qingluo pleaded repeatedly, he was only fined five years of monthly stipend.

As for the spanking strokes, they were temporarily recorded in the ledger.

Duan Rongshi will temporarily spare him, because they need manpower lately, so they've tied his life to a rope; if he errs again, it's straight to death!

Zhui Yu felt grateful to tears, thinking: The young lady is magnanimous; despite my repeated mistakes, she bears no grudge against a petty person, not holding it against me, and even wishes to give me a chance to reform.

Wuwu, from now on the young lady will be another master of his!

She is his reborn parents!

He will remain loyal all his life, never changing!

Soon, Li Qingluo and Pei Lao Furen's eyes all welled up like two big peaches.

The solemn Prince Su simply didn't know how to comfort anyone, furrowing his brow, heart‑ached, wishing to drag Li Qingluo out to soothe her again, when Doctor Du hurried over, medicine box in hand, sweat pouring down his face.

Behind him followed a medical woman.

"Your Highness, we two have come late; please forgive us."

"May I ask which noble person needs treatment today?"

Duan Rongshi quickly pointed at Li Qingluo: "Her. Let the medical woman examine her injuries first."

He was deeply worried about her injuries, so that came first.

He also ordered a messenger to return with the decree that a medical woman must accompany them.

Upon hearing they would examine her granddaughter, Pei Lao Furen was startled and then let Li Qingluo go.

"Luo'er, are you injured?"

Li Qingluo wiped her tears: "Grandmother, I'm fine; Luo'er is no longer seriously hindered."

Pei Lao Furen wouldn't listen to such nonsense.

She's someone who's been on the battlefield; if even the Prince Su is this tense, her injury must be serious.

Pei Lao Furen dared not touch her at all, anxiously urging: "Quick, quick! Hurry and take the young lady back to Free Abode!"

Li Qingluo was escorted back to Free Abode.

Doctor Luo Shen and Nan Gongdi heard the news and quickly came over.

However, everyone, including the Prince Su, could only wait in the courtyard of Free Abode.

Li Qingluo was brought back to her room, and she immediately felt dizzy.

Because she was waited on hand and foot, she hardly needed to walk, and tea was brought to her lips.

Three or four maidservants stepped forward to undress her; when her coarse hemp clothing fell to the ground, leaving only a pink dudou and short pants, her wounds were exposed, and Cui Er almost bit her lip.

She turned her head away, but she couldn't suppress her choked sobs.

Zheng Mama also reddened her eyes: "Miss, you... you have suffered a great injustice this time!"

"Miss, does it hurt?"

"Miss, what should we do? Please sit down quickly. I'll get a soft cushion for you."

"Damn it, who on earth did this? To injure the miss like this, wuwu... I'll make them pay!"

Everyone, chattering among themselves, had their eyes reddened.

It seemed as if they were not affected by Miss Li Qingluo's changed appearance and voice.

Although the miss's appearance and voice had indeed changed, everyone began to hesitate to recognize her.

But the Old Lady and the Prince had already set the rules, and moreover the miss's every word and deed were indeed just as before; thinking of the miss's these experiences, they could only feel heartache for her.

They had just finished crying a bout, but now they could no longer hold back their heartache and started crying again.

Li Qingluo actually wasn't hurting much anymore.

Moreover, these wounds were merely superficial skin injuries; fortunately they hadn't penetrated deeper, nor had they stabbed into the abdomen to damage the viscera.

She comforted everyone: "We have Doctor Luo Shen; his miraculous scar-removing medicine, once applied, will make these wounds no trouble at all."

"Why are you crying? Seeing me return, aren't you happy?"

"Please have the medical attendant come quickly to see me. Otherwise they'll go out one by one with swollen eyes, making my grandmother worry and overthink again."

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly wiped their tears and stopped crying.

Li Qingluo nodded at the medical attendant: "Trouble."

The medical attendant also felt a numbness on her scalp.

Where had she ever seen a noble lady like this in the world, bearing so many wounds yet still able to smile and converse lightly?

If it were any other young lady, she would already be weak and only able to lie down.

She, on the contrary, was still able to comfort all the maids and grannies in the room.

She truly is a kind and generous master.

"Miss, I have offended you."

As the medical attendant began to busy herself, Li Qingluo finally found a moment to ask Zheng Mama and Cui Er.

"How are Que'er and Deng Mama? Are their injuries better?"

"Looking like this, if I went to see them, I'd probably frighten them."

"Never mind; you just tell her grandmother and granddaughter that I've returned, that I'm doing fine now. Because I'm busy and can't free myself to go see them, I'll wait until they're better before visiting."

Zheng Mama's complexion, however, was not right.

Cui Er also darted her gaze, not daring to look at Li Qingluo again.

Li Qingluo's heart sank instantly: "What's wrong?"