The carriage arrived in Jinzhi City on the afternoon of the second day.
After parting with the couple, Jiang Ning carried her bundle to the same inn as last time and requested a room. After finishing her meal and freshening up, she went out to confirm the passenger ship to Qushui City for the next day.
Once everything was arranged, the sky had turned a faint grayish-black. As Jiang Ning walked from the dock back to the inn, she realized halfway that she was being followed.
The person tailing her was unskilled, almost a novice, with no sense of caution. Jiang Ning easily got a full look at the person's face.
It was a slovenly man, unkempt and unsavory in appearance, with eyes fixed on Jiang Ning in a lustful gaze. His intentions were obvious.
"Time to kill again, huh?" Jiang Ning sighed, feeling somewhat helpless. After being with Liu Ming'an for so long, she had grown to despise bloodshed and murder.
The man was also a coward. With other pedestrians around, he didn't dare to do anything, only following Jiang Ning at a distance, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Jiang Ning gave him this chance, changing her course towards the thousand-year-old tree outside the city.
It was a good place for murder; even the Prince of Xiang had nearly died there. It could be considered a place of auspicious feng shui.
As the man watched Jiang Ning walk further away from the main road, he grew increasingly excited. When they reached the lush red bean tree, with no one else around, he could no longer contain himself. He rushed up to Jiang Ning, rubbing his hands together with a lewd grin, spouting vulgar words.
"Hehe... little miss, out so late? Were you waiting for big brother?"
Jiang Ning let out a light chuckle, her dagger already in hand. "You're quite eager to die, aren't you?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the man saw a flash of silver before his eyes. The next instant, a searing pain shot through both his eyes, and the world before him suddenly vanished, leaving only an endless darkness.
"Ah! My eyes! Ah—"
The dagger slashed across his throat, abruptly silencing his agonized screams. The man fell straight down, blood gushing from his neck, with two horrifying bloody holes where his eyes had been.
Jiang Ning bent down, using his clothes to wipe her blade clean, then slipped into her spatial realm and left the scene.
Murders committed on impulse were always difficult to solve. She had no prior connection or grudge with this man, and there were no clues left at the scene. Even if the body was found there, no one would suspect her.
Back at the inn, Jiang Ning lay on the bed, finding it hard to fall asleep.
What was Liu Ming'an doing now?
What should she say when she sees Lan Xu?
Her thoughts were in disarray, leaving her restless.
Meanwhile, in another part of the Capital City, Liu Ming'an was sighing as he looked at the old lady before him.
"You're mistaken. I'm not Qingzhi."
After saying this, Liu Ming'an pulled back his sleeve that had been grabbed, bowed respectfully to Lou Baili and Lou Lianyu behind him, and then left without hesitation.
"Qingzhi!"
The old lady wanted to chase after the departing young man, but Lou Lianyu and Lou Baili quickly moved to support her, trying to persuade her gently.
"Mother, he's not Qingzhi. Let's go back to your room and rest."
"Grandmother, you've mistaken him for someone else again. Yancui, Huafei, take the old madam back to her room!"
As the two maids were about to approach, the old woman brushed their hands away. Her expression was sorrowful, her eyes half-confused and half-clear. "If he's not Qingzhi, then who is he? Why does he look so much like Qingzhi?"
Lou Lianyu answered calmly, "He's a friend of mine."
"Lies!" The old lady looked at her grandson and demanded sharply, "I saw him coming out of the study. Which friend of yours has such privilege to enter your grandfather's study? And even have your father see him off when he leaves?"
Seeing the old lady's expression, Lou Lianyu knew she was lucid at the moment. He felt uneasy and looked towards Lou Baili.
Lou Baili also realized the situation. He just wanted to muddle through this moment, knowing she would forget everything after a while.
However, before Lou Baili could speak, the old lady had already started towards the study. "I want to ask Lou Yuhuan myself. I want to get to the bottom of this!"
The study door was pushed open. Lou Baili, Lou Lianyu, and the two maids who had followed, had exhausted all their persuasions along the way, but the old woman ignored them. She walked straight into the room and closed the door, shutting everyone out.
"Father, what should we do?" Lou Lianyu was uncharacteristically flustered, looking helplessly at Lou Baili.
Lou Baili stared at the closed door, his brows tightly furrowed. "I don't know either."
How did she happen to see him?
Why did her condition improve at this moment?
It seemed as if everything had been arranged by heaven. Lou Baili let out a deep sigh, placing his hope in Lou Yuhuan. "Let's hope your grandfather can handle this well."
Inside the room, Lou Yuhuan was intently studying the policy essay left by Liu Ming'an when the door was suddenly pushed open. He looked up to see his wife, Wang Lanzhi.
Wang Lanzhi had several people behind her, but before Lou Yuhuan could ask what had happened, she raised her hand and closed the door, shutting everyone else out.
"My lady?" Lou Yuhuan was greatly puzzled.
"Who was that young man just now?" Wang Lanzhi stared directly into Lou Yuhuan's eyes as she asked.
"My lady!" Lou Yuhuan was shocked, instantly understanding what had transpired. Seeing Wang Lanzhi's serious expression, he knew she was in her right mind at the moment.
"He looks too much like Qingzhi, too much..." Wang Lanzhi murmured, her eyes unknowingly filling with tears. "You must have noticed his resemblance to Qingzhi too, right? Could there be two people in this world who look so alike? He was even allowed into your study. Lou Yuhuan, tell me, who is he?"
Lou Yuhuan's heart was filled with bitterness, not knowing where to begin. After a moment of hesitation, he stammered, "He's just a young man, don't think too much about it. Please, go back to your room and rest."
"Lou Yuhuan!" Wang Lanzhi suddenly shouted, two clear streams of tears rolling down her cheeks. "When we got married, you promised you would never lie to me in this lifetime. I'll ask one more time, who is he?"
"My lady, he..." Lou Yuhuan opened his mouth, struggled for a long while, and finally chose to tell the truth.
Perhaps the painful clarity was more suitable for this mother who had been living in regret for half her life.
"His name is Liu Ming'an. He is Qingzhi's child, his only child."
"Then... what about Qingzhi? Why hasn't he come back?" Wang Lanzhi asked softly, some things she had never dared to think about.
"Qingzhi... died fourteen years ago." Lou Yuhuan said each word slowly, his voice indescribably sorrowful.
These few short words were like a sharp knife piercing Wang Lanzhi's heart. An immense grief suddenly overwhelmed her, and she was powerless to resist it. She felt the world spinning, shattering around her in that moment.
"Lanzhi!" Lou Yuhuan rushed forward to support his collapsing wife, anxiously calling out to the door, "Lianyu, Baili, come in quickly!"
The people waiting outside rushed into the room in an instant, surprised to see the old lady unconscious.
"Father, did you tell her everything?" Lou Baili asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Lou Yuhuan nodded, watching as Lou Lianyu carried Wang Lanzhi towards her courtyard. He earnestly instructed the two maids, "Take the old madam back to her room and take good care of her."
Yancui and Huafei responded with a "Yes" and hurriedly followed Lou Lianyu's steps.
"Father, why did you..." Lou Baili still couldn't understand. It was his father who had told them to keep it from Wang Lanzhi before, and now it was also his father who voluntarily revealed the truth.
"Your mother is ill, not foolish. Ming'an will inevitably have to face her in the future. Even if we don't tell her now, she will find out later."
"But..." Lou Baili wanted to say that they could keep it hidden for as long as possible. The later she knew, the less pain she would suffer. Wasn't that better?
A father knows his son best. Lou Yuhuan understood Lou Baili's thoughts, after all, he had thought the same way before.
"But Baili, we can't keep it hidden. Ming'an and Qingzhi look too alike. Your mother had already guessed it and came to question me. She just wanted confirmation."
Father and son both fell silent, knowing in their hearts that some sins needed to be atoned for.
"When mother wakes up, she will probably want to see Ming'an..." Lou Baili said slowly after a long while.
"Don't go disturbing Ming'an. We've finally managed to establish a slight connection with him by using his fondness for Nangong Ling to get him to visit the Lou mansion occasionally. Don't push this child away again because of this..."
Lou Baili nodded in agreement. "Then the next time Ming'an comes, I'll instruct Yancui and Huafei to keep a close eye on mother, and try our best to prevent them from meeting."
"Hmm," Lou Yuhuan walked to the table, picked up the essay Liu Ming'an had left behind once more, and handed it to Lou Baili. "Ming'an is an exceptionally intelligent child. He's no less brilliant than Qingzhi. What Qingzhi couldn't accomplish, he will certainly be able to do!"
Lou Baili took the piece of paper and quickly scanned it, inwardly shocked: "He doesn't need our teaching at all! He could win the top scholar title on his own!"
"I've known that for a while. Lianyu and I have both seen his provincial exam papers."
"Then why did you..."
Why did they work in concert to bring him to the Imperial Academy? Was it to pave the way for his official career?
"Firstly, it's to do Nangong Ya a favor, letting him play the role of a caring father, to see if he can repair his relationship with Nangong Ling. In this world, having a patron is always better than having none. I hope their young couple's path will be smoother in the future."
"Secondly, I have my own selfish reasons. I want to see more of this grandson. I'm still foolishly hoping that maybe, just maybe, he might acknowledge his ancestral roots..."