A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Du Jia wanted to know Qin Yan's past. After leaving the Ye family, where was she, and how did she make a living?

She didn't dare ask, knowing full well that it hadn't been easy, a past filled with blood and tears.

Anyway, there's plenty of time in the future.

After finishing the meal and leaving, Qin Yan kept wearing those earrings.

Cheng Tianxun said to her, "Take it off."

The earrings were quite heavy, and Qin Yan wasn't used to wearing jewelry, so the weight made her ears a little red. They must have been uncomfortable.

But she kept wearing it.

Qin Yan immediately took it down and put it in the brocade box.

She held it gently.

"Meeting with the Lan family doesn't seem so bad," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan: "They are very kind and sincere."

"Madam Lan seems upset. She feels guilty for not noticing that you were switched," Cheng Tianxun said.

Qin Yan: "She should let it go on her own; I can't help her."

The next day, Madam Lan went to Yicheng, accompanied by Lan Xiu and his wife.

Lan Zheng then published their photos in the newspaper on behalf of Mrs. Lan.

During her lunch break, Xiang Linzi visited Qin Yan's office. She was very disciplined and never tried to curry favor, except when she was gossiping.

"Sister-in-law, you and Madam Lan look exactly alike. I haven't seen Madam Lan many times, and even when I have, I haven't been able to look closely, so I didn't notice before." Xiang Linzi handed the newspaper to Qin Yan.

The black and white photo blurs the lines of her skin a bit. Mrs. Lan is well-maintained, and the camera didn't capture her fine lines, so she looks much younger.

Qin Yan didn't think she looked like her, and she couldn't tell; but in the published photos, their facial contours and features were strikingly similar.

"Those blind and clueless people in the Lan family, didn't they realize for twenty years that Lan Muhe was a fake?" Xiang Linzi said again.

Ling Manyun chimed in from the side, "Because there wasn't actually anyone there to compare it to."

After Qin Yan returned, the Lan family quickly realized that something was wrong.

"Lan Muhe has learned her lesson this time; she's actually hiding and refusing to see anyone. That's a good plan; she thinks that once the storm passes, no one will remember," Xiang Linzi said. "She's dreaming."

The Lan family published two photos.

Besides the photo of Qin Yan and Madam Lan, there is also a photo of the four siblings.

Everyone was marveling at how similar the Lan family mother and daughter were.

"Du Zhuojun previously claimed that she was an illegitimate child and spread rumors everywhere."

Mentioning Du Zhuojun brings to mind the Du family.

Du Rongfei remains at large.

"It seems Du Zhuojun has found a powerful backer; she's won over several managers," someone gossiped to Xiang Linzi.

Xiang Linzi was also curious about this matter and hurriedly asked what happened.

"With the support of the second concubine of the Cheng family, she may marry Cheng Tianyu."

Xiang Linzi scoffed: "Is she dreaming? Unless the second concubine demands all of Du Rongfei's wealth, there's no way she'll let Cheng Tianyu marry her."

She added, "She's just a concubine, with a warlord backing her. What would she need his family fortune for?"

The warlord encountered no unexpected problems.

As Xiang Linzi spoke, she also told her brother what she had said.

Her brother was the most frivolous playboy in social circles, with a sharp and witty tongue, and he quickly spread these words.

It is said that the second concubine is plotting to seize Du Rongfei's family property.

"The warlord's second concubine is the legitimate daughter of a prince. Could she be a royalist? Does this mean the warlord is also involved in the restoration?"

After this voice was heard, it gradually spread, and some people began to criticize the warlord.

The newspapers followed suit immediately.

Qin Yan's vernacular newspaper was the most active, subtly satirizing restoration attempts and repeatedly mentioning the dangers posed by the royalists.

As soon as the vernacular newspaper gets started, public opinion immediately stirs up a storm. Qin Yan's newspaper has that much influence.

The warlord was nearly driven mad with anger.

Governor Cheng summoned Cheng Tianxun and berated him harshly.

"With the Lan family backing her up, she's gotten too bold and dares to throw dirty water on me!" Governor Cheng roared.

Cheng Tianxun looked at him coldly: "General, the Vernacular Times didn't mention you at all. It only talked about the royalists and the restoration. Which of those two things has anything to do with you?"

Governor Cheng choked.

His face turned purple with rage: "You want to rebel too?"

"The warlord should think about why you're dragging these rumors into your own hands. If I said you were planning to sell out your country for personal gain, you'd probably think it's a fantasy, unbelievable, rather than something that would make you angry and ashamed," Cheng Tianxun added.

Commander Cheng: "..."

"Family matters are family matters, and newspapers are the mouthpiece of public opinion; don't confuse them. We are not old-fashioned warlords who oppose democracy and freedom," Cheng Tianxun said.

A huge accusation was leveled against him, and Governor Cheng trembled with anger.

After a while, he calmed down and decided to check the accounts of the old house.

When he arrived at the old house, he ordered his second concubine to bring out all the house deeds, land deeds, and the silver dollars and silver coins from the storeroom so that he could inspect them one by one.

The second concubine was stunned.

Then the second concubine knelt down before him: "General, what mistake have I made?"

"What does it have to do with whether you've made a mistake or not? I'm checking my own accounts!" Governor Cheng vented his anger at the old house.

The second concubine raised her face slightly, her gaze gentle but firm: "The old house is a small place, and I am just a concubine."

"You're not checking the accounts, you're checking our assets; this means you suspect me. Warlord, if you suspect me, Tianyu and I have no future."

"No outsiders know how you and your son ended up with no way to survive?"

"Even the slightest disturbance in the small pond cannot be concealed; there are countless eyes watching from above and below. If I go to open the warehouse and move the money now, do you expect me and the warlord to do it together?"

"We always need to call on people to do things. It's impossible for word not to get out. Commander-in-Chief, if you don't want Tianyu to return to the army, we can accept that. Please don't be angry," said the second concubine.

She kept bringing up her son, Cheng Tianyu.

Even if the warlord doesn't consider her prestige, he should still consider Cheng Tianyu's future.

He had always hoped that his three sons would be equally powerful in the military; Cheng Tianyu was injured and resigned, and had fallen far behind.

Without any evidence, and with the warlord investigating the mother and son again, Cheng Tianyu's chances of recovery were slim. Just like in the secular world, the military is adept at exploiting the powerful and oppressing the weak.

Governor Cheng remained silent for a moment.

He said, "Then let me see the account book."

The second concubine agreed, got up, and went to get the account book.

Governor Cheng can read the account books, but he doesn't have much patience.

There were forty or fifty account books in the old house. The second concubine took a few important ones, and Governor Cheng got annoyed as he looked at them.

He stood up: "You'd better watch yourself."

In the end, suspicion arose.

After he left, the second concubine made a phone call to someone from the Nancheng Daily.

Soon, the accountant of the Nancheng Daily absconded with the money; and the most prestigious editor-in-chief started a strike.

Under his influence, everyone at the Nancheng Daily knew that Du Zhuojun couldn't pay wages, and they all resigned.

The newspaper office was paralyzed in an instant.

This incident caused quite a stir, and Du Zhuojun wanted to salvage the situation by hiring another lead writer, but no one in her industry believed she could still pay salaries, and no one was willing to take the job.

In less than three days, the Nancheng Daily closed its doors and went out of business.

The industry has been reporting on it extensively.

"Her bankruptcy has no impact whatsoever. The sales of Nancheng Daily have been declining recently, and she has no place in the market," Ling Manyun said.

Even so, I'm still quite happy.

How successful was Du Zhuojun last year? She came to Qin Yan's office with armed followers to threaten him, her only goal being to poach Qin Yan's chief writer.

At that time, Qin Yan harbored a deep anger.

"Can we celebrate now?" Ling Manyun asked.