The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 770 - 770 358 Palace Sand (Second Watch)

Chapter 770: 358 Palace Sand (Second Watch) Chapter 770: 358 Palace Sand (Second Watch) If others thought they could safely return to the Capital City after abandoning Marquis Gu, they were too naive.

The Marquis of Xuanping blocked their way and removed their wheels one by one.

There, where there is neither village in sight nor shops around, they were helplessly stranded!

Of course, some, who had not offended Xiao Liulang, also had their wheels removed by the Marquis of Xuanping.

This was aiding them, not harming them.

The Marquis of Xuanping would not make things difficult for them in the future, but if he let them go, those who displeased Xiao Liulang might rather make things difficult for them.

So, he might as well take all their wheels!

Xiao Liulang was oblivious to the way Marquis of Xuanping was waylaying people halfway. He had slept poorly last night, woke with a bit of a headache this morning, and soon fell into a drowsy sleep in the carriage.

He slept heavily and by the time he woke up, he had already arrived in the Capital City.

He opened his eyes and found himself lying in a room filled with a familiar atmosphere.

He sat up abruptly and looked at the shark gauze curtains of the bedchamber, then at the Jiangnan landscape screens in front of the bed. He even turned around to look at the pillow he had just rested on.

Everything was just like he remembered, even the scent of fruits and flowers in the room was exactly the same as in his memory.

This was the Princess Residence.

Princess Xinyang and Lady Xiao did not get along well. Lady Xiao did not like Princess Xinyang’s offspring and was very cold to little Xiao Hen. Therefore, Princess Xinyang decided to live in the Princess Residence with her son.

Although it was connected with the Marquis Residence, Xiao Hen barely went over to Lady Xiao’s side.

Xiao Liulang took off the covers and got out of bed.

“Young Master, you’re awake!” A maid came into the room with a stack of clothes.

He remembered this maid, Shihua.

She had matured a lot compared to four years ago. He found it a little awkward at first, but he accepted her current appearance the second time he looked.

Her expression and smile were so natural that it seemed as if he had never left in the last four years.

“Sister Shihua! Sister Shihua!”

Another little maid rushed in clumsily. It was Xi Que, a child of a servant in the house who was only eight years old four years ago, and now she was twelve.

She saw Xiao Liulang and saluted with a grin, “Young Master! You’re awake! The Marquis is waiting for you to dine!”

If Xiao Liulang hadn’t gone through life and death, this scene might have truly made him feel dazed.

He looked at the two of them flatly and said, “I am not the young master. You have mistaken me for someone else. Where are my clothes?”

The eyes of the two maids instantly showed a hint of panic.

As expected, he wasn’t dreaming; they were the ones putting on a show.

Xiao Liulang breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything was too familiar. For a moment, he almost thought that the four years he had spent among commoners was just a dream and the terrible fire was only a nightmare.

If those were dreams, then the time with Bishui Alley in the countryside was also nothing more than an illusion of a dream.

He slowly sat down in a chair, digesting the lingering fear in his heart.

Xi Que hurriedly came over to pour tea for him.

“I’ll do it myself.” He refused.

Xi Que hesitated and moved to one side, anxiously glancing at Shihua.

Shihua shook her head at her, indicating her not to say more.

“My clothes.” Xiao Liulang asked again.

“Yes.” Shihua came to the wardrobe, opened it, and found Xiao Liulang’s luggage.

She stole several glances at Xiao Liulang. Although he looked similar, his personality was far different.

The young master never put on a stern face with them, always had something to say or laugh about, he was a young master who warmed their hearts.

And this young master’s leg wasn’t lame.

“You can all leave.”

Seeing that his plan was ineffective, the Marquis of Xuanping, who had been listening outside the door for quite some time, reluctantly came in.

The two maids sighed with relief and left.

There was no need to go to the Hanlin Academy for duty today, he chose a set of ordinary clothes to change into, then said to the Marquis of Xuanping, “You don’t need to test me anymore, I am not Xiao Hen.”

The Marquis of Xuanping said, “I wasn’t testing…”

Xiao Liulang interrupted him, “And you shouldn’t think that as long as I’m Xiao Hen, you can make up for your inner unfulfillment. No matter how many times you test me, a hundred times or a thousand times, I am still Xiao Liulang, the illegitimate son of Chen Yunniang, not your legitimate son, Marquis of Xuanping.”

The eyes of the Marquis of Xuanping darkened, “Then you tell me, do there really exist people who look exactly the same in the world?”

“Are they really exactly the same?” Xiao Liulang counter-questioned.

The Marquis of Xuanping’s gaze fell on his right eye.

There originally was a teardrop mole under it, but it was no longer there now.

Xiao Liulang said, “Certainly, if you only wish to consider me as a stand-in for the young master, then that’s up to you.”

There’s no one who could replace Xiao Hen!

He didn’t need a stand-in for Xiao Hen!

All he wanted was Xiao Hen! His son, Xiao Hen!

This statement truly pierced the heart of the Marquis of Xuanping, causing his heart to bleed. How could he not know which words would hurt him the most, after all, it was his own flesh and blood?

Xiao Liulang uttered no more words and picked up his luggage: “Where’s my medicine?”

“In the courtyard.” replied the Marquis of Xuanping.

Without looking back, Xiao Liulang walked out.

The Marquis, watching his decisive and stubborn figure departing, called out: “Don’t you want to see your mother?”

Xiao Liulang’s steps faltered.

His hand holding the luggage slowly clenched.

I want to see her… but does she want to see me?

Without a hint of hesitation, Xiao Liulang walked away.

“Tss! That little brat!”

Xuanping Marquis was in agony!

Manager Liu walked over from the other end of the corridor and entered the room, asking: “My Lord, hasn’t the young master admitted his identity yet?”

The Marquis’s fist pounded on the table, and the corner of his mouth twitched: “Stubborn mule!”

“Is he really the young lord? Could there be a mistake?” Manager Liu asked worriedly, then mumbling, “It is not important if it is a mistake, they are both your…”

The Marquis glared at him.

Manager Liu let out an awkward chuckle: “I was joking, just joking…”

Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, let alone an illegitimate child who would blur the legitimate bloodline in the Marquis residence?

The Marquis of Xuanping contemplated thoughtfully and stroked his chin: “Is his mother the only one who can handle him?”

“Chen Yunniang is dead.” Manager Liu reminded him kindly.

The Marquis cast a venomous stare at him: “Don’t you want this month’s wages?”

Manager Liu shivered, stammering: “Ah, lord, you are talking about Princess Xinyang. What if even the princess can’t handle him…”

The Marquis stared at the figure disappearing at the end of the courtyard, his eyes deep: “Then I’ll believe he’s not Xiao Hen.”

Xiao Liulang returned to Bishui Alley in the Marquis’s carriage. It was dark when he got home.

His family didn’t know he was coming back today, so they were all busy with their own affairs. Only Yao Family was taking a stroll in the courtyard.

“Mother.” He greeted as he walked up.

Yao Family said joyfully: “Liulang, you’re back? Haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Yu Yaya!”

“Eh!” Yu Yaya put down her chores and came over, “Aunt’s husband!”

Yao Family ordered: “Go prepare some food for the young master.”

“Okay!” Yu Yaya headed for the kitchen.

This time he went to the countryside for disaster relief, and didn’t bring back many gifts, besides a basket of herbs and some dried fish dried by the villagers.

Xiao Liulang took out the dried fish.

“What’s this?” A packet of strange-smelling powder fell from the dried fish.

“It’s powdered dried flowers, a gift from a granny. They say it can be used as rouge.”

It was Old Madame Zhang who gave it to him. Once she heard that he was married, she gave him this pack of powdered dried flowers.

Although it can’t compare to the rouge from a shop, it was a token of appreciation from a villager, so he accepted it.

Yao Family said: “Jiaojiao doesn’t need it now.”

The meaning from the Yao Family was that Gu Jiao, with the contraceptive mark on her face, didn’t like to make up. Perhaps she would start to care about her looks once the mark disappeared.

Xiao Liulang misinterpreted it as Yao Family implying that Gu Jiao was ugly. He said: “Even without it, she’s beautiful.”

Yao Family was taken aback.

Was her son-in-law complimenting her daughter’s looks?

Even though she also thought her daughter looked good, she was, after all, Jiaojiao’s biological mother, and a mother would naturally think her daughter is lovely.

Xiao Liulang’s serious demeanor amused Yao Family.

Although they had been married for a long time and were living separately, they never mentioned that they hadn’t consummated their marriage.

Bearing a prominent family background, husbands and wives lived separately. In scholarly families, to avoid disturbing the men’s studies, many couples also lived separately. Therefore, if it hadn’t been for this ‘birthmark,’ no one would suspect the couple’s relationship.

Yao Family had planned to continue pretending she didn’t know, but now that it was brought up, she felt perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to tell her son-in-law.

At least, him earnestly refuting her implied that he didn’t find his daughter repellant.

Since he treated Jiaojiao with genuine affection, what wouldn’t warrant the truth?

“Actually…” Yao Family cleared her throat, held back the awkwardness in her heart, and said, “The mark on Jiaojiao’s face isn’t a birthmark… it’s contraceptive sand.”

Bang!

A shadow plunged from the wall of the courtyard!

Thump!

A person knocked against the door and bumped into the door stumblingly.

The former was Gu Chengfeng, the latter was Gu Changqing.

But that’s not the end.

There was a click at the door, followed by a rattling noise… It was Empress Dowager Zhuang’s copper candied fruit box falling to the ground.

The old priest who was standing by the newly opened door in the two residences was in a dilemma – he was just here to bring some brown sugar glutinous rice cakes for Zhuang Jinse, how did he hear about such a thing?