The man told them that this Madam Lei was an impostor, not the old aunt from the Liu Family at all.
However, halfway through their journey, they heard news of Madam Lei's passing. Shortly after, they received another order, instructing them to accuse the Lei Family of driving Madam Lei to her death in their capacity as her maternal relatives.
They hadn’t given it much thought initially—after all, they were simply being paid to do a job. Whether Madam Lei was genuine or fake had little to do with them.
But today, as they neared Yunyang City, their mother could no longer endure the journey, so they stopped to rest once again.
It was then that they overheard people outside discussing the affairs of the Lei Family.
It turned out that many were aware of the suspicious circumstances surrounding Madam Lei’s death, with rumors pointing to the eldest and second masters of the Lei Family as the ones who had driven her to her end.
As the conversation continued, they heard those outside begin to discuss the Lei Family’s wealth.
Before coming, they had naturally inquired about what kind of family the Lei Family was. Although the Lei Family was no longer as prosperous as it had been decades ago, the current head of the family, Lei Ting, had some capability and had managed to accumulate considerable assets for the family.
Yet, as they listened to the outsiders meticulously listing the properties under the Lei Family’s name, they couldn’t help but feel envy and resentment.
At that moment, someone sighed and remarked, "If both Lei brothers end up imprisoned for the crime of driving Madam Lei to her death, who will inherit all these assets of the Lei Family?"
After all, aside from the brothers Lei Ting and Lei Zhen, the Lei Family only had Lei Ting’s sole daughter.
Then, someone joked, "Didn’t they say Madam Lei’s maternal relatives have arrived? Since the Lei Family has no other heirs, even if her maternal family can’t claim all the property, they should at least be able to get some benefits, right?"
This single remark lingered in the couple’s minds throughout the rest of their journey.
So, when someone now claimed that Madam Lei was an impostor, the first to object were not the Lei Family members but this couple from the Liu Family.
Whether they could actually obtain the Lei Family’s assets was uncertain, but the allure of wealth was powerful, even if it was just a possibility.
However, if Madam Lei was not a member of the Liu Family at all, then even if they succeeded in having the Lei brothers imprisoned, the Lei Family’s wealth would have nothing to do with them.
Moreover, the second order from that man only instructed them to accuse the Lei brothers, with no mention of Madam Lei’s identity. Otherwise, if Madam Lei was proven to be an impostor, under what pretext could they even bring charges?
Thus, the middle-aged woman raised her voice, "Who’s spouting nonsense here! How could Madam Lei not be a member of our Liu Family? My mother and she were blood sisters!"
The middle-aged man added, "Even if our Liu Family is not what it used to be, we won’t allow just anyone to trample over us! Madam Lei sent us a letter not long ago, asking us to come visit her. We were already on the road when we received news of her passing."
At this point, everyone remembered that Madam Lei had only passed away three days ago, making it clear that the Liu Family could not have set out from Jiangnan after hearing the news of her death.
No one noticed that Lei Ting, the head of the Lei Family, who had been silently watching the farce with a cold gaze, now wore a faint, mocking smile on his face.At this moment, he also recalled the letter he had received earlier. The mysterious person had told him that the only thing that could shake the very foundation of the Lei Family was Madam Lei's identity. As long as this issue was resolved, the Lei Family could rest easy in the future.
As for the so-called leverage others thought they held, it was merely a deliberate flaw left for them to exploit.
What they needed, from beginning to end, was simply for the Liu Family to acknowledge Madam Lei's identity.
Clearly, the objective had now been achieved.
Just then, another commotion arose outside the Lei residence. Everyone looked over to see a group of government officers entering.
Only then did the crowd realize that the Liu Family's threat to report to the authorities had not been an empty one.
Yet, when Lei Ting saw the officers, his expression remained calm.
No one noticed that in the southwest corner, a young man dressed as a servant watched the scene with a slight curl of his lips before turning to leave, seemingly uninterested in what would happen next.
However, after walking a few steps away from the crowd, he paused in surprise, having caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar, tall figure.
The young man merely hesitated for a moment before continuing on his way. He naturally guessed that the person had been sent by his master to gather information. Clearly, the events unfolding here seemed to align perfectly with the wishes of those in charge.
Meanwhile, Ren Yaoqi's noon was far from peaceful.
She and Rong Shi waited for a long time, but neither Li Qian nor Li Tianyou returned for the meal, and the people Rong Shi had sent out brought back no news.
Just as Rong Shi decided not to wait any longer, Yihong finally came in to report that the two had returned.
The deposed Prince Xian, Li Qian, remained exactly as Ren Yaoqi remembered him.
He wore a jade-colored robe embroidered with cranes, auspicious grasses, five bats, and auspicious clouds, tied with a multicolored concentric silk cord, and on his feet were boots adorned with seawater patterns and four seams of dried yellow. Even though he was past the age of fifty, his face remained fair and nearly wrinkle-free. He possessed an innate elegance and leisurely demeanor, something rarely seen even among men from prominent families. Standing beside his son, Li Tianyou, who wore a plain black robe, they looked more like brothers than father and son.
Li Qian was visibly taken aback when he saw Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi stood up and stepped forward to bow, addressing him as "Maternal Grandfather."
Li Qian let out a dry "Ah," blinked, and, noticing Rong Shi's gaze, offered a gentle smile. "So, Yaoqi is here?"
Ren Yaoqi breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn't confused her with her sister.
"Yes, Maternal Grandfather."
Seeing that this granddaughter seemed particularly well-behaved today, Li Qian took a closer look at her and said, "Hmm, a reward! Rong Shi, give her that pair of jadeite Buddha bead bracelets with amber spacer beads."
Rong Shi sighed helplessly and was about to speak when Li Tianyou, taking the tea handed to him by Yihong, asked in confusion, "Father, didn't you trade that pair of bracelets long ago for a pair of red-breasted bulbuls?" He had been present at the time.
Li Qian remembered as well and, pointing at Ren Yaoqi, said, "Then reward her with that Hetian jade Ganoderma and foliage pendant."
Rong Shi remained silent, and just as Li Tianyou thought of interjecting again, Ren Yaoqi quickly spoke up, "Thank you for the reward, Maternal Grandfather."
Li Qian nodded with satisfaction, while Li Tianyou was pulled away by Yihong to wash his hands.
Rong Shi sighed softly and, once the father and son had washed their hands, instructed that the meal be served.
As they were all close family, Rong Shi did not arrange separate seating. Instead, she seated Ren Yaoqi at the same table with Li Qian and his son for the meal."Have the kitchen add braised fish maw, five-colored stir-fried camel hump, and fresh mushroom with heart of cabbage. I remember Xiang'er loved these as a child," Li Qian remarked, glancing at the dishes on the table as he spoke to Rong Shi.
Ren Yaoqi's mother was named Li Yuanxiang, with Xiang'er being her childhood nickname.
Ren Yaoqi quickly smiled and said, "Maternal Grandfather, all the dishes on the table today are ones I like. Do you not care for them?"
Li Qian examined the table more carefully. "Hmm, the glutinous rice-stuffed duck, first-grade tofu, three-immortal meatballs, and golden mushroom with bean sprouts are passable. Since you like them, we won’t change them. Your mother isn’t back today anyway, so we’ll save it for next time."
Thus, without further incident, the meal proceeded peacefully to its conclusion.
After the meal, Ren Yaoqi sat beside Rong Shi, joining Li Qian and Li Tianyou for tea in the main room.
Li Qian said, "Rong Shi, remember to give Qiusheng three thousand taels in silver notes later."
Rong Shi’s hand, holding her teacup, paused briefly before she calmly and gently asked, "Does my lord need to purchase something?"
Hearing this, Li Tianyou’s expression brightened as he began to speak animatedly. "Mother, Father and I have taken a fancy to a fighting rooster. That rooster is incredibly majestic, said to have never lost a fight and hailed as the Ever-Victorious General. We finally managed to bargain the price down to three thousand taels and agreed to buy it this afternoon."
Rong Shi smiled. "Oh, so you’re craving chicken. I’ll have the kitchen prepare it tonight. Would you prefer crispy fried chicken or stewed in a pot?"
Li Tianyou was taken aback. "Mother, it’s not a chicken for eating, it’s for—"
Rong Shi set her teacup down on the kang table with a deliberate, crisp sound, causing Li Tianyou to instinctively cut himself off.
"Oh? Not for eating? Then what is it for?" Rong Shi’s voice remained gentle, even carrying a hint of patient guidance.
Li Tianyou swallowed hard, unable to speak, and could only sneak glances at Li Qian for help.
Rong Shi followed his gaze and looked at Li Qian as well.
"My lord, if a chicken isn’t for eating, what else could it be for? Would you care to enlighten me?" Rong Shi asked with a soft smile.
Li Qian glanced at his son, took a sip of tea, and then said, "Rong Shi…"
"Yes?"
"It’s for eating. Stew it in a pot, and don’t forget to add some sea cucumber," Li Qian replied calmly.
Li Tianyou stared in disbelief, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head, but his father seemed oblivious, merely sipping his tea.
Rong Shi smiled warmly. "Yes, my lord, I understand."
Li Tianyou looked from his father to his mother, then grimaced and covered his face in despair.
Ren Yaoqi wanted to laugh but felt it inappropriate, so she simply lowered her head.
When Ren Yaoqi left Rong Shi’s room, she happened upon Li Qian and Li Tianyou, who had slipped away under the pretense of needing to relieve themselves and were now whispering in a corner.
"Father, you already promised Third Master Wen you’d buy that rooster. What do we do now? If we’re late, someone else will buy it," Li Tianyou said anxiously.
Li Qian’s voice remained composed, carrying an innate elegance. "You’re too attached to appearances, You'er."
"What?"
"It’s just a chicken—the difference between stewing and braising. If someone else buys it, so be it. Why cling to it so stubbornly?"Li Tianyou paused for a moment before finally exploding, pointing at Li Qian with grief and indignation: "Father! You've never believed in Buddha in your life—who are you pretending for? At least your son has a mistress who's a nun, closer to Buddha than you are! Admit it, you're just afraid Mother will make you kneel on an abacus in the middle of the night!"
"Outrageous!" Li Qian raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at Li Tianyou. "Rong Shi wouldn't dare! I'd divorce her!"
Li Tianyou's response was to roll his eyes and walk away.
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