Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 230 - 214: Miao King Takes Action

Chapter 230: Chapter 214: Miao King Takes Action

The Miao King looked at him with an imposing aura despite not being angry, his aged eyes perceptive as flames: "Ao Rong, do you realize your crime?"

Manager Cen hadn’t heard this name in years.

He was momentarily dazed, and long-lost memories surged forth, overwhelming his mind and pressing heavily on his spine.

"Ao Rong..."

He murmured to himself, struggling out of one heartbreaking memory after another.

He had thought that after so many years, he would have forgotten, but the past was still etched into his soul.

"So, you... knew all along."

Miaojiang people had come and gone in the Governor Mansion, yet none had recognized him. He had thought that there would never be a day when he would revert to being Ao Rong again.

The Miao King spoke coldly: "You are Ayuan’s trusted aide; how can I let you stay by his side without thoroughly investigating you?"

The Miao King’s methods—he should’ve always been aware of them and never harbored any faint hope.

Manager Cen knelt on the ground, not offering a single word in defense.

Indeed, from the moment he heard the name "Ao Rong," he had ceased struggling.

The day of his judgment had finally come.

The Miao King declared: "You stole Miaojiang’s Holy Medicine and fled in fear of punishment. Your crime is compounded, and normally, your death would be unworthy of regret. However, considering your years of loyalty to Ayuan, the death penalty may be waived."

"Thank you, Miao King, for sparing my life," Manager Cen acknowledged, resignedly raising his left hand and about to break his arm with a sudden motion.

The Miao King flicked his hand, countering with Inner Strength and stopping him: "Your arm is meaningless to me. Keep it for your own use. Just remember this—your life was spared because of Ayuan. If you dare betray him, I will not only kill you but also unearth your sister from her grave and obliterate her remains to dust!"

Everyone has their weaknesses, and Ao Ling was Manager Cen’s fatal one.

Their parents had passed away early, leaving the siblings to rely on each other. Later, his sister married into the Central Plains but unfortunately contracted the plague.

To save his sister, he risked stealing the Holy Medicine, but he was ultimately too late—his sister’s entire family perished in the epidemic.

Having lost his only family, his will to live dissipated.

Just as he was about to end his own life, he encountered seven-year-old Lu Yuan.

Young Lu Yuan offered him a steamed bun: "A bad life is still better than death. If you die, won’t you leave no one to collect your body? How about this—give me the silver you have on you, and I’ll take care of your corpse."

For some reason, he impulsively retorted, "What if you ran off with the money? You look like a little beggar; your words aren’t reliable at all."

Young Lu Yuan thought for a moment and earnestly nodded: "Your suspicion isn’t wrong. Alright then, I’ll come by daily to watch over you. If you die, the money will be mine. Words are wind—we should write something down. Wait!"

The small child ran off, pattering away, and came back with a piece of red couplet paper torn from someone’s door: "Bite your finger and write a blood-letter."

Manager Cen laughed in exasperation: "You want my silver but demand my blood as collateral?"

Young Lu Yuan replied self-righteously: "I’m just a kid. What if I get injured while writing and then fall sick from the infection? I’d be too weak to deal with your corpse. You’re planning to die anyway, so infection shouldn’t scare you—write it!"

For a moment, Manager Cen found himself unable to argue.

Unexpectedly, he tried several times but couldn’t even break the skin of his finger.

Young Lu Yuan snorted: "See, you don’t *really* want to die!"

"And what’s your name, little rascal?"

"I’m Ayuan."

From then on, young Lu Yuan came to see him every day. Then, one day, young Lu Yuan stopped coming.

With his heart tethered to a new concern, he lost the urge to die.

Six years passed after their parting.

When he next saw Lu Yuan, the boy had become the Attendant Student to the Xun family’s young master, gifted with the family name "Lu."

His relationship with Lu Yuan was never solely that of master and servant. The first twenty years of his life were for his sister; the remainder he was willing to dedicate to Lu Yuan.

"Ao Rong, at your command!"

-

After Manager Cen retreated, the Miao King summoned two loyal confidants.

The two had been the only ones to accompany the Miao King into the Capital City. When the Miao King was captured, it was these two who went to inform Liu Qingyun.

The Miao King turned to one of them and said: "Ruan Qing, I need you to handle something."

-

"I’m furious! Absolutely furious!"

Liu Qingyun stormed into the room, venting her anger in a whirlwind.

Nanny Wan, Lady Du, and Nanny Hu exchanged bewildered looks, unable to figure out who had enraged their household’s true matriarch.

Nanny Wan rolled up her sleeves: "Let this old lady find out who’s to blame—I’ll beat them to the ground!"

Liu Qingyun slammed the table: "My own father—and he couldn’t even recognize his grandson!"

Thud!

Nanny Wan dropped to her knees.

"You there, come in!"

At Liu Qingyun’s command, several trembling individuals cautiously entered the room.

Liu Qingyun slapped a portrait onto the table: "Tell me—who is this?"

The group huddled close, examining it from every angle.

Nanny Hu hesitated: "This... looks somewhat familiar."

Nanny Wan added: "Haven’t I seen that robe somewhere? Eh, doesn’t the son-in-law have a similar outfit?"

Lady Du exclaimed: "What do you mean? This is the son-in-law himself!"

Liu Qingyun froze, asking blankly: "Is it... *really* that difficult to recognize?"

All three nodded in unison.

After all, a portrait can’t be identical to a person, and they weren’t staring at the son-in-law’s face every moment of the day.

Lady Du chuckled: "Though, after a few more glances, it does grow strikingly similar."

Nanny Wan and Nanny Hu nodded fervently in agreement.

"What are you looking at?"

Meng Qianqian’s voice came from the doorway.

The three nannies turned their heads and were about to bow when they suddenly caught sight of the man beside her—a "farm-hand" looking man who seemed to have been digging full stretch across ten miles. All three jumped in fright.

"Good heavens! Who is *that*?"

Nanny Wan grabbed a nearby stool in alarm.

Meng Qianqian answered, puzzled: "My husband."

Even the servants who attend to Lu Yuan daily don’t necessarily recognize him. Her father, having never seen her son before and relying solely on a portrait, was understandably mistaken.

Liu Qingyun decided to forgive the old man this time.

-

Meanwhile, Xun Yu and Bai Yuwei had perfectly missed the Miao King. Galloping back along the route, they searched high and low but saw no trace of him at the city gates.

Xun Yu questioned the guards stationed there: "Did you see an elderly man enter the city alone?"

The guards shook their heads.

"Think carefully once more,"

Xun Yu urged.

The leading guard replied: "Young Master Xun, there weren’t many people entering the city this afternoon. There really wasn’t any old man fitting your description."

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and said to Bai Yuwei: "Could it be that the Miao King has acquaintances in the Capital who picked him up?"

Bai Yuwei replied: "Grandfather never mentioned anything like that."

Xun Yu reassured her: "Here’s a plan—let’s head back to the mansion first, and I’ll have Jinyi Guards search later. In the Capital City, there’s no one the Jinyi Guards can’t find."

Bai Yuwei agreed.

As they arrived at the Xun residence, the Miao King’s guards sought them out.

"Young Mistress!"

The guard saluted Bai Yuwei.

"Ruan Qing?" Bai Yuwei’s eyes brightened. "Where is my grandfather?"

Ruan Qing replied: "The Miao King is at the Governor Mansion."

Xun Yu’s expression changed.

Bai Yuwei was also astonished: "Why would my grandfather go there?"

Ruan Qing explained the Miao King’s roadside wait for a carriage.

Xun Yu regretted deeply.

That old farmer... was indeed the Miao King!

Xun Yu said, "Lu Yuan must have recognized the Miao King."

Ruan Qing shook his head: "The Miao King didn’t reveal his identity."

Xun Yu frowned and asked: "You’re saying that Lu Yuan doesn’t know the person he brought back was the Miao King?"

Ruan Qing confirmed: "Precisely."

Xun Yu calculated inwardly: as long as they retrieved the Miao King before Lu Yuan discovered his true identity, it wouldn’t be too late.

Bai Yuwei eagerly said: "I’ll go find Grandfather!"

Xun Yu’s gaze flickered, and he smiled lightly: "It’s getting late. Since the esteemed Miao King has already settled in, why not wait until tomorrow? I’ll accompany you to pay our respects then."