Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

"My lord, you're finally back! Your subordinate greets Madam." Qingyun jogged over, bowed respectfully, and then straightened up.

His chest was still heaving slightly with excitement, as if he had something important to report urgently.

Seeing this, Song Hanchuan frowned slightly, a look of doubt on his face, and asked:

"What's the matter that you're so flustered? You've lost your composure like this."

After saying that, he waved for him to follow, and led Liu Zhiyi to quicken their pace, walking together towards the study in the main courtyard.

Before long, the three filed in.

Song Hanchuan gently took Liu Zhiyi's hand and helped her sit down on the chair. After everything was settled, he turned his sharp, hawk-like gaze to Qingyun.

Qingyun glanced furtively at Liu Zhiyi sitting to the side, a complex and unreadable expression on her face. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly said:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it concerns the prince of the Northern Kingdom. After much investigation, I have discovered something astonishing—the lady... may be the prince's twin sister."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiyi's breath hitched, and a chill, like fine needles, pierced her skin, straight to her heart.

Thinking of that Northern Queen who underwent cesarean section to have her child removed, my blood seemed to freeze in that instant.

Song Hanchuan's expression instantly turned serious. He stared intently at Qingyun and asked in a deep voice:

"What do you mean? Is there any solid evidence?"

Qingyun dared not delay, and quickly reached into his robes and rummaged around for a moment before carefully taking out a scroll that was already somewhat yellowed, and presented it to Song Hanchuan with both hands.

And he lowered his voice and said:

"My lord, please take a look."

"This is?"

"These are portraits of the Northern Emperor and the former Empress. Your Excellency will recognize them at a glance."

Song Hanchuan slowly turned his head, his gaze meeting Liu Zhiyi's.

Seeing Liu Zhiyi nod slightly, he reached out and gently took the scroll, opening it with delicate movements.

When his gaze fell on the painting, he froze.

The painting depicts a young couple.

The men wore robes embroidered with five-clawed dragons in gold thread; the delicate patterns and dazzling accessories all highlighted their noble status.

With his upright posture like a pine tree, he sat regally on the magnificent dragon throne, exuding an innate aura of majesty.

The woman stood quietly to the side with a dignified and graceful smile, like a beautiful flower in full bloom.

With just a fleeting glance, Song Hanchuan keenly noticed that the man's eyebrows and eyes bore an astonishing resemblance to Liu Zhiyi's, as if they were carved from the same mold.

At the same time, the woman's face bore an uncanny resemblance to the savage man they had seen earlier, with an eight-tenths similarity.

In this way, the truth of the matter seems to be obvious and needs no further explanation.

Song Hanchuan turned to look at Liu Zhiyi and asked softly, "Xiaoyi, what is your opinion on this matter?"

Liu Zhiyi had always thought of herself as an ordinary person, and never imagined that she would have such a bizarre and complicated background.

At this moment, faced with the sudden revelation of the truth, she couldn't help but feel somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

Looking back on her own body, with her fair complexion and rosy cheeks, she was indeed not the kind of person that an ordinary family could raise.

Logically speaking, she is not the original owner of this body, but she is using someone else's body.

Since that's the case, she naturally can't stand idly by and ignore the grudges and grievances that belong to this body.

More importantly, upon hearing that the original owner's biological mother had died so tragically while protecting her two children, she was determined to avenge this blood feud no matter what!

Thinking of this, Liu Zhiyi's eyes gradually hardened, and she secretly vowed to find out the truth and seek justice for her deceased loved ones.

"Song Hanchuan, I want to know the truth about what happened back then."

Song Hanchuan put down the painting in his hand, gently took Liu Zhiyi's hands in his, gazed into her eyes, and solemnly said,

"Okay, I'll send someone to investigate right away."

He paused, then pursed his lips tightly, gripped Liu Zhiyi's hand, and silently gave her strength.

"Don't worry, once we find out the truth, I'll help you get revenge."

Liu Zhiyi's eyes were a little warm. She blinked hard, trying to calm herself down.

"I want to see him."

Song Hanchuan said, "Since he is your own brother, it is only right that we meet. I will make arrangements to bring him to the manor tomorrow."

"it is good."

……

Song Hanchuan acted quickly, and he entered the mansion early the next morning.

For some reason, he remained silent. When asked anything, he would at most shake his head or nod, but there was no other response.

Liu Zhiyi took his pulse and found that he was in good health. She figured that he must have been traumatized by being away from home for so many years, which was why he was unwilling to speak.

So Liu Zhiyi first had the housekeeper arrange for him to stay in the courtyard next to Chu Xiong's, and then arranged for people to take good care of him.

I was thinking of gradually guiding him to speak after the wedding was over in the next couple of days.

Over the next two days, Pei Yun Chu appeared twice more, covered in wounds, both times at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence, using the same tactic: to plead guilty with a bundle of thorns on his back.

Liu Zhiyi instructed the steward to keep the main gate tightly closed and told everyone in the mansion not to pay any attention to the knocking or the words spoken by the other party.

If he likes to kneel, let him kneel. He has legs, who can stop him?

Lady Hou cried her heart out, tears streaming down her face, and she was nearly crying herself to death. She couldn't be persuaded to stop, so she stood at the door cursing Liu Zhiyi.

He claimed that his promising son was ruined by that vixen Liu Zhiyi.

Pei Yun Chu broke down in tears upon hearing this, and shouted,

"Mother, please stop talking, okay? Xiaoyi doesn't want me anymore. She doesn't want me anymore. Tomorrow, she's going to marry someone else. Then, I'll have no chance at all."

"This is my last chance, why are you still trying to sabotage it?"

"If you hadn't been so averse to Xiaoyi and insisted on making her your concubine, how could Xiaoyi and I have ended up like this?"

"Mother, do you want me to die?"

backyard

Liu Zhiyi was tending to the medicinal herb field when she heard the maid's animated retelling. She simply shook her head with a mocking smile.

Pei Yun Chu may have forgotten that it was he who first came to her, condescendingly offering her the position of concubine!

When he saw that she firmly refused to become a concubine, he became angry and did not come to the Crown Prince's residence for a long time. However, he eventually realized that ignoring her was useless, so he panicked and went to his parents for help.

However, Pei's parents refused to budge, and in the end, both sides backed down, allowing Liu Zhiyi to enter the family as a concubine.

Later, Pei Yun Chu begged them, and the two reluctantly went to the Crown Prince's residence to propose marriage.

Song Hanchuan told her all of this later.

That's enough, the past is the past.