Chapter 625: The Truth Unveiled
Chapter 625: The Truth Unveiled
Meng Qianqian stared intently at Duan Mingyue.
It wasn't just because of the deal he had proposed to her, but also because of the way he had addressed Tan'er.
So familiar, so natural, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Yet, Tan'er didn't recognize him.
Seeming to notice Meng Qianqian's confusion, Duan Mingyue spoke candidly, "Today, I come to you with a request. If you have any doubts, feel free to voice them."
Meng Qianqian smiled faintly, "When did the Fourth Master's information become so worthless?"
Duan Mingyue replied, "Xun Wu is very important to me. I must save him, whether it's for his worth or his person, that's for you to decide."
Meng Qianqian said, "I don't care about your opinion of Xun Wu. I just want to know if you're setting a trap for me."
"Is that so?"
Duan Mingyue smiled slyly.
Meng Qianqian didn't mind letting him know her concerns. She had come here in good faith, and she believed that dealing with intelligent people didn't require so many detours.
"When we went to subdue the Black Armor Army, Tan'er and I accidentally entered a Miasma Forest. Some events there piqued my curiosity about her background. Coincidentally, just as things settled down, you offered to trade information about Tan'er's past with me."
Duan Mingyue said, "Go on."
Meng Qianqian continued, "There was another person in the Miasma Forest who helped us with several traps and possibly even held back the Shadow Rat, who never showed up."
Duan Mingyue asked, "Are you suggesting that person was sent by me?"
Meng Qianqian looked at him, "Whether it was you or someone connected to you, it doesn't change the fact that it was related."
Lu Yuan frowned.
Duan Mingyue noticed Lu Yuan's expression and chuckled, "It seems there are secrets even between you two."
Lu Yuan casually replied, "Such attempts to sow discord are too crude."
Duan Mingyue shrugged, "Just a joke, Third Brother, no need to get angry."
Lu Yuan was no longer the adopted son of Prime Minister Xun, and Duan Mingyue never truly considered Xun as his foster father. Yet, he always liked to call Lu Yuan "Third Brother", as if it made their positions more intriguing.
Lu Yuan ignored the nickname.
Duan Mingyue didn't push the matter further and turned to Meng Qianqian, "That person is not connected to me. I have no idea what happened in the Miasma Forest, but I can assure you that you are very curious about Tan'er's background."
At that moment, Duan Wenliang had finished brewing the tea and poured a cup for each of them.
Duan Mingyue said to Meng Qianqian, "It's the Dragon Well tea you love."
Lu Yuan, in a domineering manner, took Meng Qianqian's teacup and drank it all.
Duan Mingyue raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Meng Qianqian's eyelashes fluttered.
She was pregnant and shouldn't drink tea.
But such personal matters were not something she needed to explain to Duan Mingyue.
Duan Mingyue asked with a smile, "So, Little Yin Tiger, do you accept my deal?"
Meng Qianqian didn't answer immediately but countered, "I know nothing about Tan'er. How can I be sure you're not lying? Or even if you're not lying, how can I be certain that the information you have is accurate?"
Duan Mingyue clapped his hands, "As expected of the Great Governor's wife."
He looked at Lu Yuan, "Third Brother, what do you think?"
Lu Yuan said, "You speak first. If we're satisfied, we'll decide whether to give you the herbal catalyst."
Duan Mingyue sighed, "Sigh, one more cunning than the next, none of you are easy to deal with. Very well, since the herbal catalyst is in your hands, I can neither deceive nor force you. I'll do as you say."
Duan Wenliang grumbled, "Fourth Brother, our information is very valuable!"
Duan Mingyue snapped, "Shut up!"
Duan Wenliang glared at Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan said, "Keep staring, and I'll gouge out your eyes."
"Fourth Brother!"
Duan Wenliang looked at Duan Mingyue.
Duan Mingyue said helplessly, "He's serious. He really might gouge out your eyes."
Duan Wenliang was the only one who got hurt in this world.
"Go outside and guard the entrance. Don't let anyone get close."
Duan Mingyue ordered.
Duan Wenliang grumbled but complied.
The room was left with the three of them.
Meng Qianqian said, "Sending your brother away, this secret must be significant."
Duan Mingyue smiled, "You must be very curious about why I have helped Tan'er so many times."
"Indeed."
Meng Qianqian admitted openly.
Duan Mingyue said, "I met her mother once."
Meng Qianqian was taken aback, "You met Tan'er's mother? When? Where?"
"Many years ago."
Duan Mingyue explained, "I went to Luli Island. At that time, the Xiyen Royal Clan had not yet fallen, and I met the Xiyen Saintess."
Meng Qianqian paused, "The Xiyen Saintess, could it be—"
Duan Mingyue said, "I can't reveal too much about the Xiyen Royal Clan. Don't misunderstand; it's not that I'm intentionally hiding information. I suspect that the information I have might not be accurate, so I don't want to mislead you. You have someone from the Xiyen Royal Clan nearby. If you truly want to know, you can ask him."
Meng Qianqian muttered, "A member of the Xiyen Royal Clan is by my side?"
Duan Mingyue smiled, "Xun Wu comes from Luli Island."
"Si She!"
Meng Qianqian blurted out.
Both Si She and Xun Wu had blue eyes, and it was clear that there was a relationship between them that no one knew about.
However, Si She never mentioned her past, so Meng Qianqian didn't ask.
No, perhaps in her previous life, Si She had mentioned it.
After all, Si She had said that she had once promised to help him with something.
It was she who had forgotten.
Meng Qianqian looked at Duan Mingyue, "You've told me all this just to let me know that Tan'er is from Luli Island, her mother is the Xiyen Saintess, and she is of the same clan as Si She. But why doesn't Tan'er have blue eyes?"
Duan Mingyue gazed out at the blue sky and white clouds, his memory drifting back to many years ago, "The Xiyen Saintess is not from Luli Island. She comes from a distant and mysterious place that no one has ever visited."
Meng Qianqian listened quietly.
Duan Mingyue continued, "One day, the Xiyen Saintess suddenly disappeared into a cave on Luli Island. No one knew where she went or how she vanished right before everyone's eyes."
Meng Qianqian recalled Tan'er's words, that her mother had left and would never return.
Duan Mingyue said, "But I stumbled upon something very interesting."
Meng Qianqian said, "Tell me."
Duan Mingyue smiled, "The Xiyen Saintess had never been to the Central Plains, yet she knew everything about it."
He looked at Meng Qianqian meaningfully, "She even knew about General Shang's mansion and Prince Chu's palace."
Meng Qianqian's heart skipped a beat.
Duan Mingyue pulled a silk pouch from his wide sleeve and placed it on the table in front of Meng Qianqian, "Inside is a handwritten note from the Xiyen Saintess. After you read it, decide whether to give me the herbal catalyst for Xun Wu."
Meng Qianqian opened the silk pouch, and a yellowed piece of paper fell out.
She slowly unfolded it.
Even before she read the words, her heart was already racing.
And when she saw the familiar, messy handwriting, she was momentarily stunned.
---
Duan Wenliang was outside, bored and restless. When he got tired of standing, he squatted; when he got bored of squatting, he stood again. He paced back and forth in the corridor, nearly driving himself mad.
Fourth Brother was always like this.
Whenever that little girl was involved, he would make him stay away.
What kind of secret did that little girl have?
Even his own brother couldn't know?
And then there was that little Yin Tiger, cunning as a fox. He was really worried that Fourth Brother would be taken in by her, giving away information without getting the herbal catalyst.
He was so worried!
Duan Wenliang was scratching his head in frustration.
"No, I have to check! Two Hidden Blackhearts, it wouldn't be good if Fourth Brother got tricked!"
Duan Wenliang rushed inside.
Just as he reached the door, it creaked open.
Duan Mingyue sat in his wheelchair, looking at him calmly.
He was taken aback, "Fourth Brother? You, you're done talking?"
Duan Mingyue said, "Push me back to my room."
Duan Wenliang entered the room, circled around the wheelchair, and stealthily glanced at Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan before pushing the wheelchair out.
Once they returned to Duan Mingyue's room, he couldn't help but ask, "Fourth Brother! How did it go? Did you get the herbal catalyst? Did they trick you?"
Duan Mingyue spread his wide sleeves, revealing a silk box, and smiled, "I got it."
Duan Wenliang was dumbfounded.
"Th-th-this... are you kidding me?"
"It's real", Duan Mingyue said.
Duan Wenliang, still disbelieving, said, "How is that possible? We didn't tell them we were exchanging the herbal catalyst today. Could they have anticipated it?"
Duan Mingyue smiled, "That's why I find my Third Brother and that little Yin Tiger so fascinating. They are much more interesting than you and Xun Wu."
Duan Wenliang's face darkened.
Do you have to insult me every day? Who exactly is your brother?
Duan Mingyue said with a complex expression, "We should go save Xun Wu."
Duan Wenliang asked, "What about the capital? Are we not going to deal with it?"
Duan Mingyue's smile returned, "The trip to the capital was more fruitful than I expected."
Duan Wenliang grumbled, "What did you gain? I don't see anything besides the herbal catalyst."
Duan Mingyue said with a hint of satisfaction, "Interesting people, interesting events. My foster father, though not a good person, has a keen eye. The few foster sons he chose are quite to my liking."
Duan Wenliang, feeling jealous, said, "You always do this. Everyone except your own brother is a treasure!"
Duan Mingyue laughed, "You're not without merit. At least you have self-awareness."
Duan Wenliang: "...!!"
---
On the way back to the palace, Meng Qianqian remained silent, tightly gripping the silk pouch containing the handwritten note.
She wanted to hold the note, but she was afraid that the warmth of her palm would damage the yellowed paper.
Lu Yuan said, "The imperial physician advised you not to let your emotions run wild."
Meng Qianqian took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, "I..."
Lu Yuan took her hand, "Ignore what the imperial physician says."
She didn't speak.
He could feel her shock.
It seemed that the Xiyen Saintess was not just connected to Tan'er's past.
However, he never forced anyone to do anything against their will.
Meng Qianqian felt the warmth of his hand, several times opening her mouth to speak but stopping herself. (End of Chapter)
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