After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 167 She is not

Tang Yanjun said this with a smile, though he seemed a little helpless.

Upon hearing his words, Lu Jiang smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Tang. You have helped me a lot."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yanjun waved his hand, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Don't thank me. If you want to say thank you, wait until we find Chaoguang."

Tang Yanjun watched as Lu Jiang searched all the way here. To be honest, as a friend, there were some things he knew, but he couldn't say them.

For example, he had previously suspected that Lu Jiang's aunt, Lu Hualan, was no longer alive.

Or perhaps, Chaoguang's sister has already met with misfortune.

But saying this makes him seem too heartless and ungrateful.

Not to mention that Lu Jiang has finally found a clue about Chao Guang.

"Wait a minute, you don't actually suspect that Miss Xiang Ning is Chao Guang, do you?"

Tang Yanjun felt a slight twitch between his brows, as if he had guessed something.

Hearing Tang Yanjun's words, Lu Jiang nodded: "It's just a suspicion, I'm not sure either."

"Her eyebrows and eyes are somewhat similar to my aunt in my memory, but I am also afraid that I am just desperately seeking a cure and placing all my hopes on her, which is why I have such a hallucination."

“My childhood memories are hazy, so I dare not make any hasty judgments. But seeing Pei Yanzhi so protective today makes me feel that something is amiss.”

Lu Jiang had heard of Pei Yanzhi's reputation; he wasn't one to show his emotions openly.

The way she looked at him, in particular, was as if he were about to steal his treasure.

He put down his teacup and clasped his hands together: "Right now, I don't want to let go of even the slightest clue."

Whether it is true or not, he will not give up until he has investigated. If it is not true, he will look for other clues.

Tang Yanjun sighed softly, fearing that Lu Jiang would anger Pei Yanzhi.

Lu Jiang knew that Tang Yanjun was worried about him: "I can't eat or sleep if I don't resolve this knot in my heart. Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."

After they finished talking, the two left the teahouse.

When Pei Yanzhi learned that Lu Jiang had asked Tang Yanjun to inquire about him, he couldn't help but smile.

"Sir, should I go...?"

"unnecessary."

Cheng Hua had just finished speaking when he heard Pei Yanzhi's reply.

He sat in a chair, holding a swing diagram in his hand.

The gaze falling through the window carried a touch of warmth, making Pei Yanzhi's face appear exceptionally gentle.

"Then Tang Yanjun wouldn't be..."

Since you want to keep Xiang Ning's identity a secret, why don't you stop Tang Yanjun?
"Everything has been arranged."

After replying, Pei Yanzhi said no more. The moment he learned Xiang Ning's identity, he had already gone to take care of everything.

As someone who deals with all kinds of case files year-round, Pei Yanzhi is unmatched in his ability to fabricate evidence.

He never imagined that his methods would one day be used against Xiang Ning.

However, Xiang Ning was naturally unaware of these things.

She had promised Pei Yanzhi that she wouldn't meet with Lu Jiang, so when she went to the embroidery workshop again, she only took a look and then left.

Lu Jiang knew she was intentionally avoiding him, and not wanting to put her in a difficult position, he didn't say anything more.

The two tacitly agreed to this, and for a time, they lived in peace.

That day, Lu Jiang was dealing with some matters when Tang Yanjun walked in.

"Brother Tang? Why are you in such a hurry? What's wrong?"

"There's news from Chaoguang."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiang quickly stood up: "Where is it?"

"Is it, is it Miss Xiang Ning?" Hearing Lu Jiang ask this, Tang Yanjun shook his head: "It's not Miss Xiang Ning, it's me who found Chao Guang."

"She is now..."

"What's going on now? Brother Tang, please tell me quickly, I'm so worried."

Lu Jiang frowned, wishing he could crawl into Tang Yanjun's head to see where Chaoguang was.

"She was indeed bought to be a concubine, but the old woman who served her said that the buyer's wife did not allow her to enter the house, so she could only be a concubine outside."

"The reason they wouldn't say anything before was because the buyer promised his wife that he would never keep Chaoguang, so he had people cover up the news."

Lu Jiang's face turned deathly pale instantly. His hands clenched into fists, his body trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and heartache.

"How could this be... How could Asahi have fallen to this state?"

His voice was choked with emotion; his heart was breaking.

"is this real?"

Tang Yanjun stepped forward and gently patted Lu Jiang's shoulder, his expression solemn.

“Brother Lu, don’t panic. That old woman also said that although Chaoguang was a concubine, she hadn’t suffered too much. The buyer treated her fairly well, but… she still couldn’t enter the house.”

"But now that you've reunited with Chaoguang, she won't suffer anymore."

He tried his best to say nice things to comfort his friend.

Lu Jiang took a deep breath, suppressing the grief in his heart, and gritted his teeth, saying, "No matter what, I must bring Chaoguang back. I can't let her suffer like this anymore. Brother Tang, have you found out who the buyer is?"

Tang Yanjun looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Brother Lu, the tricky part is that the buyer is an important official in the court, and that old woman refuses to say."

He frowned, knowing that this matter was far-reaching and could implicate everyone if he was not careful.

Lu Jiang was extremely anxious, constantly racking his brains for a solution.

"So what if he's a high-ranking official? We can't just stand by and watch the court suffer."

"I want to see Asahi first."

Upon hearing Lu Jiang's request, Tang Yanjun nodded in agreement: "That's fine, it's only right to meet him first."

To be honest, Tang Yanjun also felt that Chaoguang's news was suspicious, but both his identity and the testimonies of those around him matched.

The strange feeling in his heart subsided.

It would be good to let Lu Jiang meet him. Isn't it said that when relatives meet, they are bound to recognize each other?
What if Lu Jiang can tell the difference?
So, under Tang Yanjun's arrangement, Lu Jiang disguised himself and followed the old woman to Chaoguang's residence.

Along the way, Lu Jiang's heart was in turmoil, eagerly anticipating reuniting with Chao Guang, yet also terrified of seeing her suffering.

Before long, they arrived at a quiet courtyard.

The yard wasn't large, but it was kept quite tidy, with several potted plants quietly blooming in the corner.

Lu Jiang took a deep breath and walked steadily into the courtyard.

Inside, a woman was sitting by the window with her back to them. She was slender, and her delicate shoulders trembled slightly, as if she was suppressing endless grievances.

Hearing footsteps, the woman turned her head, her body stiffened abruptly, and she slowly turned her head back.

Lu Jiang looked closely, but instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"she is not."

Before Tang Yanjun could even react to those three simple words, Lu Jiang had vanished.

He frowned and hurried after him.

Lu Jiang rushed out of the courtyard like a gust of wind, his grief and indignation surging like a tidal wave, almost drowning him.

Tang Yanjun arrived shortly afterward and, seeing Lu Jiang's near-collapse, felt a pang of self-reproach.

“She’s not Chaoguang, I know, I can tell, she’s not.”

Brother, don't cry, your sister will be here soon.

(End of this chapter)