The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Bai Jianan smiled and said, "The painful times are over. The time when I watched you fall into the river by the Hongmeng Bridge and was powerless to stop it; the time when I was lying in bed, being manipulated by Heli Hong, unable to see you, and not knowing whether you were alive or dead, that was the heart-wrenching pain."

Murong Yan and I were indeed very close. I even regarded her as my only mother. I never thought that anything would happen between us until I discovered these things.

Yueyue, I don't know what you've been through, but I can imagine how heartbroken and utterly disappointed I would be if Murong Yan did this. What's more, the person you're now doubting is the very pillar of your life that has sustained you.

But you must understand that things are never static. Never make judgments about anything without any evidence. You need to have the ability to think and the mindset to solve problems. Including this matter at hand, can you say that everything Murong Yan did was to harm me?

Although it's unacceptable, I can also imagine that if she hadn't carried me out back then, I might not even exist here today.

Jian Yue nodded. She knew the cause and effect of everything and understood what she had to face, but she still didn't know how to deal with it. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Then what would you do?"

Bai Jianan smiled and said, "Murong Yan saved my life and raised me, but she also killed my mother. If it were just these things, I might not be able to make a decision. However, I believe that from now on, we will definitely be strangers."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Like you, I've awakened from despair and won't sink into it again. I can still take care of myself." Jian Yue didn't speak. Although Bai Jianan's words were meant for her, she couldn't tell that they were also meant for her.

No matter what she encounters, if she maintains a positive attitude, it will never be a hopeless situation. Moreover, on the other side of the crisis, there is him; as long as he is there, she has nothing to fear.

At this moment, Hua Xiangrong suddenly frowned and asked, "You've said so much about Murong Yan and your affairs, but what does all this have to do with Yueyue's mother? Even if they had a close relationship in the past, what does it have to do with this series of strange events?"

Bai Jianan shook his head: "My brother wrote that Father went to the capital and has not returned yet. He asked me if something had happened, so I investigated and found that Murong Yan and her husband had been staying at the residence of the city lord of Xuanzi City, which is a hundred miles away from the capital, and had never left."

The city lord was extremely mysterious, never revealing his face. It was said that he wore a blue veil that completely covered his body, and the only hands that occasionally peeked out were as sharp and slender as a demon's. I've only ever seen hands like those of my mother-in-law when she was rescued.

"You suspect that the city lord is Shangguan Linglong just because of this? That's a bit too hasty."

"No, I have already sent people over, but apart from the one who recently risked his life to return, there has been no further news from them."

As he spoke, Bai Jianan's expression became serious. Jian Yue looked up and saw Bai Jianan continue, "The person who came back left without saying a word. Jia Banwen took out countless Gu worms and a letter from his body."

The letter paper was yellowed, the kind that Yueyue's mother usually used.

Bai Jianan looked at Jian Yue, but Jian Yue had already lowered her eyes and seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment, Jian Yue suddenly looked up and shouted, "Stop the car."

The carriage came to an abrupt stop, nearly causing Hua Xiangrong to fall. She immediately asked, "Why are you shouting like that?"

Jian Yue shook her head: "No, absolutely no, all of this is completely wrong."

"what happened?"

Bai Jianan asked, and Jian Yue looked at him and continued to shake her head, saying, "No, none of this is right. It all seems so natural, but have you ever thought about it? Why did they leave so many important clues for us to find after they arrested people? Shouldn't they have resolved these problems quietly? Why did they go to such lengths to let us know?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Xiangrong suddenly bit her lip and said, "First, you made me realize that Han Que was missing and left a secret signal to find you. Then, you made Yueyue suddenly know about those unusual things about her mother. And then there was Princess Murong Yan's conspiracy back then."

These three things, when combined, form a huge mystery that the three of us must solve no matter what. Based on the intertwining of these matters, we will not hesitate to leave the capital to find the answer.

Then, it was indeed a coincidence, and they weren't afraid of us knowing the truth. The importance of these people to us is self-evident. Even if they knew the truth, we wouldn't give up all this hard-won clue and go back to the capital. They're truly cunning.

Jian Yue said in a hoarse voice, "This is a trap, an unsolvable trap. Everything in the capital is paving the way for our departure. The clues caused Murong Yu to become restless, and with He Li Hong's assistance, we got entangled with Murong Chuan so that Murong Chuan wouldn't keep an eye on us."

The black wind suddenly vanished, and Xingke and Jia Banwen suddenly appeared in a life-or-death crisis. They were both too busy taking care of themselves to look after us or foresee the danger, which allowed us to leave the capital city without any hindrance.

At this point, Hua Xiangrong suddenly slammed her hand on the stool, her eyes red, and said, "Before I came, something happened on the mountain. The people from the Qilin Pavilion suddenly rioted and got into a fight with the people on the mountain. Yan Xingzhi and Cang Feng had no choice but to go and deal with it. Under my grandfather's command, the Shangguan family's personal guards maintained everything on the mountain. So, at this time, we were isolated."

Jian Yue shook her head: "No, there is one more person who was also involved in this scheme."

"Who?"

"Qiu Lingyu".

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Jia frowned, his eyes changed, and in an instant he pulled Jian Yue under his body and swung a palm at the car door. His internal force flew out and shattered the car instantly. Then, a scream came from outside.

As Bai Jianan exerted his power, Hua Xiangrong drew her crossbow from her waist, pulled back her bow, and fired twelve arrows at once.

Screams filled the air, then a clear, cool voice, tinged with a scholarly air, rang out.

"Life is full of unexpected encounters, Sixth Sister, how have you been?"

The car was totaled, and Jian Yue clearly saw a handsome man with a jade-like face smiling at her. The man had a faint dark brown in his eyes and had lost his former refined air. He was Qiu Zifan, whom she had never met in this life.

Qiu Zifan is the third young master of the Qiu family. He was born to Jiang Shi and is the younger brother of Qiu Lingyun.

Looking at him now, it's obvious that he's also covered in insects.

Hua Xiangrong spoke first, looking at Qiu Zifan with a cold smile, "What a nice way to claim kinship! These throwing knives don't have eyes, but you made sure you aimed carefully before throwing them. It's such a waste that they fell to the ground. Why don't you pick them up and recycle them? So as not to waste them."

Qiu Zifan did not respond to Hua Xiangrong's provocation. He still smiled and looked at Jian Yue, who was silent, and said, "Why is Sixth Sister not speaking? Is it because we met before? But Sixth Sister does not remember that I met you fifteen years ago. I even held you back then."

Jian Yue frowned, then Bai Jianan pushed her behind him and coldly looked at Qiu Zifan, saying, "The Qiu family is finished. I really don't know what you're doing struggling now. If you know what's good for you, get out of the way, and I, the young master, will let you off the hook."

Qiu Zifan smiled lightly, tilted his head and asked in return, "Why is Your Highness angry? Is it because I was already so close to Sixth Sister fifteen years ago? Your Highness is being far too jealous. I just wanted to catch up with Sixth Sister. There is a bond between siblings, so why make it so unpleasant?"

As he spoke, he looked at Jian Yue again, sighed, and said, "When I first saw Sixth Sister, I thought she was very cute. It's just a pity that I was too young back then and couldn't make decisions for the Qiu family. So I could only watch you and Auntie being locked in the cellar and suffering."

Fortunately, my sister was smart and found an opportunity to leave that place five years ago. Because of this, I was able to see her again. It was then that I became even more certain of my own judgment that my sister is truly beautiful.

My sister never even looked at me, which saddened me greatly. But what could I do, no matter how sad I was? It couldn't overcome my love for her. That's why, when she left the Qiu family alone, I secretly sent someone to follow her. Fortunately, this allowed me to rescue my sister, who was on the verge of death, from the bandits and take her to a farmhouse for treatment.

Jian Yue was taken aback: "What did you say?"

Qiu Zifan shook his head, his face seemingly filled with reminiscence, and continued, "Xiao Cui is such a kind-hearted child. I gave her money to treat her father and brother, and she vowed to follow them to the death. That's why I found a loyal servant for my sister. Sister, after being protected for so many years, shouldn't you thank your brother?"

Xiao Cui was actually Qiu Zifan's person? How old was Qiu Zifan at that time? Fifteen? Or thirteen?

Jian Yue couldn't believe it, but after thinking about it carefully, she understood. She sneered, "No wonder they were so grateful when I only gave them two taels of gold and silver. It turns out that it wasn't my two taels of gold and silver that made them grateful, but because of me, they gained even greater benefits. I am not their benefactor, but their cash cow."

Qiu Zifan frowned and criticized disapprovingly, "Why do you say that, Sixth Sister? Xiao Cui's family is very honest. Haven't you felt that all these years? Your lack of gratitude is truly disappointing."

But it's alright, with your brother here, I'm sure Sixth Sister will definitely go back to being as well-behaved and adorable as before, right, Sixth Sister?"

Hua Xiangrong slung the crossbow over her shoulder and sneered, "Young master, you have such a long tongue. Are you envious of those women with long tongues, so you had to undergo castration and are now sisters? Otherwise, why do you speak in such a sarcastic and effeminate way?"