Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 90 A Well-Known Secret
Gu Changzhou: "Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

Biqing's eyes immediately reddened, and she looked extremely aggrieved: "Cousin, you weren't like this before."

"Is it because of Master Liu? You've been acting strange ever since she appeared."

Gu Changzhou was annoyed by Biqing's seemingly naive questioning: "My affairs are none of your business, cousin, you'd better not meddle in other people's business."

“Auntie, look at my cousin. I just asked him a question casually, and he yelled at me.”

Xiao Qianrui pulled Bi Qing to her side with heartache and patted her back to comfort her, while glaring at Gu Changzhou: "She is concerned about you, why don't you appreciate it? You're not acting like a proper older brother."

Gu Changzhou suddenly gave a strange smile.

“Mother, Biqing’s brother is named Xiao Rongqing, or he may have other brothers, but none of them will be me.”

Xiao Qianrui paused.

Why did he suddenly say that?
Xiao Qianrui remained silent until Gu Changzhou left, while Bi Qing was unwilling to accept it.

She likes her cousin; she's liked him since she was very young.

My cousin has a high talent for cultivation, is good-looking, and protected her when she was young.

I don't know when it started, but they suddenly became distant and repeatedly asked me to go back to the Xiao residence, or to stay in my aunt's courtyard and not wander around.

Why did my cousin turn out like this?

Bi Qing's eyes were still red, and she looked at Xiao Qianrui pitifully: "Auntie, I really like my cousin, please help me?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qianrui's heart tightened, and her expression instantly became complicated.

How could she not know Biqing's thoughts?

But the two of them...

Back then, in order to raise Biqing under my care, I took her back to the Marquis's mansion to raise her, so that they could spend every day together and develop feelings for each other. Was that a mistake?

Now, seeing Biqing developing inappropriate feelings for Gu Changzhou, Xiao Qianrui felt both anxious and helpless.

She knew that, no matter what, the two of them could never be together. Putting aside ethical and moral principles, the consequences would be unimaginable if the truth behind it were revealed.

Xiao Qianrui remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Qing'er, you and your cousin... are not suitable. You are cousins, and although it is possible for relatives to marry each other, your aunt thinks that Changzhou's personality may not be able to bring you happiness."

"You are still young, and you will definitely meet someone better in the future. Your aunt will definitely find you the most outstanding husband in the world."

Upon hearing this, Biqing objected: "No, Aunt, I don't want anyone else, I only want my cousin. I know that my cousin is actually a very gentle person. He was so good to me when we were little. As long as I work hard, I'm sure I can make him like me. You are his mother, so please help me, okay?"

Looking at Biqing's stubborn and persistent appearance, Xiao Qianrui felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

She was just as persistent back then.

But in the end, she could not resist fate and married into this noble family.

Xiao Qianrui pulled herself back to reality, hesitated for a long time, but finally hardened her heart and said sternly, "Qing'er, don't bring this up again. Auntie said no and that means no. You are a sensible child, so don't make things difficult for Auntie anymore."

Biqing was startled by Xiao Qianrui's sudden stern attitude.

She stared blankly at Xiao Qianrui, seemingly unable to believe that her aunt, who had always doted on her, would reject her so harshly.

"Aunt, you don't love Qing'er at all."

After saying that, he turned and ran away.

"Why aren't you following your girl? If anything happens to her, you'll be held responsible."

"Yes."

Bai Zhu responded and immediately gave chase.

Xiao Qianrui also used her divine sense to track her and knew that she had just returned to her own courtyard because she was still angry, and only then did she feel relieved.

She really had no other choice.

If she could, she would want to keep Biqing by her side forever.

Xiao Qianrui dragged her heavy steps back into the room, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at the dim moonlight outside the window with a furrowed brow.

She hadn't expected things to become so complicated, and that it would even involve Biqing's lifelong happiness.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open. It was Uncle Yun.

He walked in slowly, his eyes filled with heartache, a look that was not the kind of look a servant of the Marquis's mansion should have towards the old lady of the mansion.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. This can't be rushed. There will always be a way to solve it."

"Tell me how to solve this?"

Xiao Qianrui said, "I can't bear to see Qing'er suffer, but I also can't let her be with Changzhou. What should I do?"

"Given the current situation, we can only proceed slowly. First, we need to calm Qing'er down and prevent her from overthinking. As for the truth, as long as we keep it safe, Gu Changzhou will never know."

The room was dimly lit, and the two of them snuggled together like that.

Gu Changzhou returned to Jiuhua Pavilion and had just sat down in the study when Jiang Tai suddenly appeared, his face showing a hint of excitement: "Master, we've found out Yun Bo's true identity."

Gu Changzhou's gaze sharpened, and he said in a low voice, "Speak, I want to hear what secrets Uncle Yun is hiding, and what kind of past he has with my mother."

"After this period of investigation, it was discovered that Yun Bo's original name was Yun Lei. He met the old lady when she went out to gain experience in her early years. The two hit it off and developed feelings for each other."

Jiang Tai paused for a moment, then continued, "But at that time, the Xiao family had a marriage agreement with the Marquis's family. For the sake of family interests, the Xiao family forced the old lady to marry the old Marquis."

"Shortly after your birth, Yun Lei came to the Marquis's residence under an assumed name. Not long after, the old Marquis passed away in an accident while cultivating, and then..."

"Say!"

Jiang Tai closed his eyes briefly and said, "The young lady was born ten months after the old Marquis died."

The atmosphere in the study was almost frozen.

Jiang Tai felt a deep sense of sorrow.

If the clues from the investigation are correct, it means that the old lady met Yun Lei shortly after the old marquis's death...

"So, all these years of her favoritism towards Biqing and her special attitude towards Yunbo are for this reason. She kept it a secret very well; everyone was kept in the dark."

"Snapped."

The stool next to Jiang Tai shattered into powder.

Gu Changzhou's voice was icy: "Did they have anything to do with my father's death?"

Jiang Tai looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Regarding the old Marquis's death, no conclusive evidence has been found that is related to them yet. The old Marquis's death was quite suspicious back then. It happened suddenly and left no obvious clues."

Jiang Tai looks to be in his mid-twenties, but he is actually forty-seven years old. He had already started working at the manor when the old Marquis had his accident.

Although I wasn't there to serve him personally, I still have some recollection of what happened back then.

The old Marquis went into seclusion to cultivate, and by the time he realized something was wrong, he had already passed away. There were no signs of anyone else breaking in.

Gu Changzhou leaned back. "Given their relationship, there's no guarantee there might be some connection. Continue the investigation!"

Jiang Tai replied solemnly with a serious expression, "Yes, Master. I will do my utmost to investigate this matter thoroughly and leave no stone unturned."

He then quietly withdrew, leaving Gu Changzhou alone in the study.

Gu Changzhou gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Jiang Tai's words kept echoing in his mind, and his heart was in turmoil.

He never expected the truth to be like this.

Longevity Palace

Liu Sijun received a reward and was allowed to cultivate in the sacred land for a month.

Unable to visit his master or communicate telepathically, and with ample elixirs in the palace, Liu Sijun, who did not wish to contend with the Empress, entered the sacred ground for cultivation on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The royal holy land is said to be in a mysterious space. Apart from the emperors of all dynasties, no one knows its exact location. To enter the holy land, one must hold a special jade token given by Bei Chenyao. When approaching the holy land, the person holding the jade token will be automatically drawn into the holy land by a mysterious force.

The moment she stepped inside, a rich and pure aura rushed towards her, instantly invigorating her.

Although the spiritual energy here is not as good as that in the secret realm yesterday, it is much purer than that in the imperial palace. This opportunity is hard to come by, so Liu Sijun immediately calmed his mind, slowly sat down, and began to guide the surrounding spiritual energy into his body.

As her cultivation deepened, a soft halo gradually emanated from Liu Sijun's body. The halo was multicolored, corresponding to her five spiritual root attributes, and it stood out brightly in the holy land.

She was so engrossed in cultivation that she forgot the passage of time and focused solely on absorbing and integrating spiritual energy.