The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Chu Wanqing said unhurriedly, "Mother has agreed to persuade Father to support the Fifth Prince. But the condition is that the Fifth Prince must make Xiu'er his principal wife."

Yun Heting stood up excitedly, paced back and forth in the room a couple of times, then sat down again and whispered, "Madam, is that really what my mother-in-law said?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Chu Wanqing glanced at him and said reproachfully, "Mother said that as long as you can confirm the Fifth Prince's intentions, she can confirm Father's intentions. But there's one condition: we can't let the Fifth Prince think that our Xiu'er is eager to marry him; he has to show sincerity."

Yun Heting nodded repeatedly, excitedly saying, "That's right, that's right, of course we can't let Xiu'er suffer. Don't worry, Madam, I'll find a way to deal with the Fifth Prince."

Seeing his impatient look, Chu Wanqing shook her head: "What's the rush?"

Yun Heting was taken aback: "What does Madam mean...?"

"Master," she continued, "if you want Xiu'er to marry the Fifth Prince, you can't stay in the Ministry of Rites forever. The Ministry of Rites is in charge of the imperial examinations, sacrifices, and etiquette; it has no real power and can't help the Fifth Prince. Mother's idea is that you need to go to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, or the Ministry of Revenue to be able to help the Fifth Prince. Father will help you find a way, and if the Fifth Prince can also put in a good word for you, then this matter will be settled."

Yun Heting was overjoyed. He had been planning to switch departments for a long time, but he didn't expect Chu Wanqing to suddenly offer to help him today.

He couldn't hide his excitement: "Madam, please thank your parents for me. They planned for Xiu'er and for me; I am deeply grateful."

Chu Wanqing sneered inwardly, but smiled gently on her face: "You are my husband. My parents helping you is helping me. If you are well, then I am well."

Yun Heting was so excited that he couldn't wait to go find the Fifth Prince. He stood up and looked at Chu Wanqing, suppressing the urgency in his voice, and said, "Madam, you should rest early. I'll go back and think about how to talk to the Fifth Prince about this matter."

"Alright, Master, you should also get some rest." Chu Wanqing glanced at him and said indifferently.

The room quickly fell silent again.

Chu Wanqing sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), her gaze gradually turning cold.

The night grew deeper.

Inside the general's mansion, Lan Ying sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, counting them one by one.

Chu Duanshan returned from the study and saw that she was still awake. He went over and sat down beside her, asking, "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Lan Ying ignored him and continued counting her prayer beads.

Chu Duanshan put his arm around her shoulder and asked softly, "Weren't you quite happy when Wanqing brought Xiu'er back today? Why did you put on a long face as soon as they left? Besides, Madam glared at me several times today. Did I say anything wrong?"

Lan Ying put down her prayer beads, turned to look at him, her gaze full of complex emotions. She looked at him for a while before speaking: "After lunch, Wanqing talked to me alone for a long time. She told me that she had a dream."

Chu Duanshan was taken aback: "A dream? What dream?"

Lan Ying took a deep breath and after a long pause, continued:

"She dreamt that she died. She dreamt that when Langge was fifteen, his health deteriorated, and no medicine could help him. He eventually died of exhaustion. She dreamt that Xiu'er married the Fifth Prince, who wanted to seize the throne. Wanqing came to us, asking the General's Mansion to support the Fifth Prince. She loved Xiu'er, and we all loved Xiu'er. We thought Xiu'er was well-behaved and sensible, and that she wouldn't forget her family even after becoming Empress. So you mobilized the old troops in the army, contacted the generals on the border, and used the entire General's Mansion to put the Fifth Prince on the throne."

Chu Duanshan frowned, his mouth slightly open, but he didn't speak.

Lan Ying continued, "But after the Fifth Prince ascended the throne, his first act wasn't to bestow honors upon the General's Mansion, but rather to send people to confiscate their property. The charge was..."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly, "Treason."

Chu Duanshan's expression changed instantly, and he forced a smile: "Treason? How could I possibly betray my country?"

Lan Ying's eyes were filled with sorrow: "We found letters in your study that corresponded with the enemy country. The General's mansion was wiped out; not a single person was spared."

"Yunxiu has become Empress, and she's just going to watch?" Chu Duanshan asked anxiously.

"Yunxiu?" Lan Ying sneered. "It was her who personally destroyed the General's Mansion."

Chu Duanshan was utterly shocked; he couldn't believe it. "Why would she do that? Where's Wanqing?"

"Wanqing was forced to drink a bowl of poisoned wine by Yun Heting and Liu Shi. Only at the moment of her death did she learn that Xiu'er was not her daughter. Fifteen years ago, Yun Heting and Liu Zhixue switched her children. Xiu'er was their flesh and blood, while Wanqing's biological daughter was sent to the countryside and suffered endless torment. She never got to see her biological daughter again before she died."

"How dare they?" Chu Duanshan suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair, which crashed to the ground with a thud.

Lan Ying looked at him, her eyes reddening as well: "They not only switched the children, but also poisoned Lang Ge'er for ten years. Lang Ge'er wasn't born weak; he was harmed. Wan Qing's body was also ruined by them. After giving birth to Lang Ge'er, Yun Heting hired a doctor to treat her. That doctor added 'ice-cold grass' to the medicine, making her uterus severely cold and unable to conceive. Moreover, if it dragged on any longer, it would kill her."

"Is what you're saying true?" Chu Duanshan's expression twisted with rage. "Yun Heting, I'm going to kill him!"

Lan Ying grabbed him and said, "I didn't expect Yun Heting to be so ruthless, but you can't act impulsively about this."

Chu Duanshan stopped, clenched his fists, and after a long while spoke again: "Where is the child who was switched? Where is he now?"

Lan Ying said softly, "She's right in front of you. Her name is Yun Jin. She's Wan Qing's biological daughter, and our granddaughter."

"She..." Chu Duanshan's voice choked, "She's our granddaughter? Wanqing's biological daughter?"

Lan Ying nodded: "Yes, they sent her to Qingping County, where she lived a hard life for fifteen years. She went through countless hardships to return to the capital. She was framed, but after returning, she never complained to us. She swallowed all her grievances and bore them all herself."

Chu Duanshan slammed his clenched fist on the table: "I, Chu Duanshan, have fought for half my life and have never been played like this before."

He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Yun Heting, Liu Zhixue, and that girl who has occupied our granddaughter's position for fifteen years, none of them will escape."

"Now is not the time," Lan Ying said, pressing his hand down. "We need to plan this carefully."

Chu Duanshan took a deep breath and nodded: "Madam, I know I have a short temper and am prone to impulsiveness, but this matter concerns Wanqing, Jin'er, and the life and death of the Chu family. I won't act impulsively. Tell me, what are Wanqing's plans?"