The eighteenth day of the first lunar month, early morning.
"Whoa!"
At the coachman's call, an elegant and spacious carriage came to a halt in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
A young man rode on horseback behind the carriage. Seeing it stop, he dismounted swiftly and strode to the door, knocking on the brass ring.
Moments later, Old Zhong opened the door with a yawn. Upon seeing the visitor, his demeanor immediately became respectful. "Lord Jin Hui, have the Madam and Young Miss returned?"
Jin Hui gave a curt nod, helping Old Zhong push the main gate fully open before stepping aside to wait for the passengers to disembark.
"The Master called in sick today and didn't attend court, just to wait for the Madam and Second Young Miss to return," Old Zhong whispered, leaning closer to Jin Hui.
"What exactly happened? Why the urgency to summon the Madam and Young Miss back?" Jin Hui asked, his face etched with confusion as he watched four people—mistress and servants—descend from the carriage.
Old Zhong shook his head, his expression inscrutable. "It must be something significant."
In the plum blossom grove, Jiang Ning saw Old Zhong rushing towards the main gate. She set down the book in her hand and waited for a moment, soon spotting several people walking in her direction.
Obscured by the plum blossoms and the distance, Jiang Ning couldn't make out their faces clearly, only catching snippets of muffled complaints.
The voice belonged to a young woman.
Jiang Ning narrowed her eyes and rose, addressing Xiaoru beside her, "You can return to the courtyard first. I'll stay here for a while."
"Yes, Miss."
After Xiaoru had left, Jiang Ning slipped into her dimensional space.
At last, she could see the face of her enemy.
Jiang Ning walked to the edge of the plum grove, where the group had already arrived.
Leading the procession was a woman in her forties, dressed in fine silks, her demeanor dignified. A warm smile graced her well-preserved face, making her appear younger than her years. She was turned slightly, engaged in conversation with a man in black attire.
Luo Siyi.
Jiang Ning silently repeated the name in her mind.
The man speaking with Luo Siyi bore a face somewhat similar to Jin Yao's, though his complexion seemed rather haggard. Recalling the conversation she had overheard two nights ago, Jiang Ning realized this must be Jin Hui, who had gone to chase after the carriage.
From Jiang Ning's vantage point, she could see a young woman at Luo Siyi's side, dressed in a goose-yellow gown and holding her arm, though her upper body was partially obscured.
Clearly, this was Nangong Muyan.
"...Jin Hui, you really don't know anything?"
A somewhat petulant voice rang out as the young woman linked arm-in-arm with Luo Siyi turned to the side, tilting her head to look at Jin Hui. Her face was now fully visible to Jiang Ning.
It was a face captivating enough to bewitch one's soul—delicate features, moth-like eyebrows, a perfect nose, and cherry lips. Most striking were her eyes, which seemed to curve slightly when she spoke, naturally alluring.
How could this be?
The moment Jiang Ning clearly saw that face, her mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. Certain voices from her memories seemed to echo across time and space, reverberating in her ears.
"My codename is N, and you'll take over this codename in the future. Don't disappoint me, or I might just kill someone..."
"Kill him! What's wrong? You don't dare? If you can't do it, then die!"
"N, remember this: there's nothing that can't be solved by killing... If you think there is, it just means you haven't killed enough!"
"Close your eyes and sleep. You'll never feel pain again, just like me..."
"The national treasure, the Blood Lotus Seed? Sounds interesting. N, go and fetch it for me..."
...
Nangong Muyan actually had a face identical to that woman's!
Jiang Ning stared intently at that face, watching as she frowned, pursed her lips, or acted coquettishly with Luo Siyi. Her eyes were full of youthful willfulness, completely unguarded.
She is not her.
Jiang Ning clearly realized this point and slowly exhaled.
It must be a coincidence, right?
But this coincidence was far too startling.
Jiang Ning reached up to touch her own face. She had originally looked just like Nangong Ling.
She had swallowed the Blood Lotus Seed, allowing her to be reborn and transmigrate to this world. That woman should still be alive and well, and after her death, she would train the next "N."
"Ah~ I'm exhausted. What's the big deal that made Father skip court and call us back?" Nangong Muyan's voice came again. She pouted, her face showing a hint of grievance.
Jiang Ning frowned slightly. Seeing such an expression on that face was truly bizarre.
"You'll know when we get there. Your father must have his reasons for doing things. Yan'er, don't be willful," Luo Siyi said immediately, her voice gentle and soft, her eyes full of motherly love as she looked at Nangong Muyan.
"Mother, you always side with Father. Hmph!" Nangong Muyan said somewhat angrily, releasing Luo Siyi's arm and running ahead towards the study.
"Yan'er!" Luo Siyi called out, a slightly helpless smile on her face as she quickened her pace to follow. "This child..."
As Jiang Ning watched the mother and daughter, for some reason, the image of that figure kneeling in the Palace of Longevity flashed through her mind.
Lan Xu, Nangong Ling's birth mother, must have been such a gentle and loving mother too.
In Jiang Ning's plan, after settling scores in the Capital City, she was to return to Qushui City to find Lan Xu, assuming Nangong Ling's identity.
As for what to say or do upon meeting Lan Xu, Jiang Ning hadn't quite figured out yet.
Never mind, focus on the task at hand first.
Jiang Ning pushed aside these miscellaneous thoughts and followed the mother and daughter into the study, where Nangong Ya was already waiting with a dark expression.
"Father~ We're here! What's the matter?" Nangong Muyan asked with a grin, looking at Nangong Ya.
Nangong Ya glanced at his daughter, his expression inscrutable, then shifted his gaze to the maid behind the two women. "Aunt Ying, you may leave. Close the door behind you."
Aunt Ying, a woman in her forties who appeared to have been serving Luo Siyi for a long time, curtsied and silently withdrew.
Nangong Muyan's maid, Xiao Qing, was about to follow suit when Nangong Ya called out, "You stay!"
"Yes, sir." Though puzzled, Xiao Qing obediently remained in place.
The room now contained only Nangong Ya, Jin Yao, the mother-daughter pair of Nangong Muyan and Luo Siyi, the maid Xiao Qing, and the invisible Jiang Ning.
"Husband, why have you summoned us? What's the matter?" Luo Siyi stepped forward, looking at Nangong Ya, her eyes filled with deep affection.
Nangong Ya gazed at his beloved wife, his expression softening slightly. He took her hand, gently caressing the back of it with his thumb in a comforting gesture. "Siyi, you must be tired from the journey."
Luo Siyi smiled and shook her head, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze. "It's not tiring at all. But you, the dark circles under your eyes are so heavy. You haven't been sleeping well these past few days, have you?"
Faced with such a tender and loving wife, Nangong Ya's eyes were filled with complex emotions.
After a moment, they heard Nangong Ya speak in a deep voice: "Siyi, Yan'er has made a grave mistake. Don't say anything for now, just listen."
Nangong Muyan was the first to cry out: "Father, what are you talking about? What mistake have I made?"
Nangong Ya released Luo Siyi's hand and walked to stand in front of Nangong Muyan. He stared at her unwaveringly, his eyes filled with both pain and disappointment. His voice was chillingly cold as he uttered a single, brief sentence: "You sold Ling'er, didn't you?"