Chapter 109: Whose family child are you?
Lady W� Gng Hu nodded in agreement. There will be a significant change in the Tolling Lands with the return of the Four Martial Families.
"I don`t regret opening my home to the returning four martial families. I greatly admire them, and I am very happy to host them in my home. I honestly feel the Four Martial Families are worthy and deserving of my help. That is why I issued the invitation and sent my Commander to bring them. Just from looking and W-i W� Y鄋, I could see that the survivors of the Four Martial Family went through an extremely tough time."
"W-i W� Y鄋 looked extremely gaunt, skinny, and malnutrition. From what I heard of his father, there is no way he would allow his son to get that way unless things are just extremely bad." Liu Ti醤 Q� really felt terrible for the returning survivors. They were given a raw deal. Liu Ti醤 Q� made sure to allow how she felt to show on her face.
"Now with that said, if there is one thing I don`t want to get caught up in, its politics. I`m not sure how long my involvement in Veiled Mountain will remain hidden. I`m sure that the scheming officials are now digging for information as we speak. It`s only by luck and the quick thinking of the Emperor and Big Brother F鑞 Yong my identity haven`t been exposed as of yet." Liu Ti醤 Q� said with a sour face.
Liu Ti醤 Q� saw understanding light up in the eyes of the Grand Prince and Lady W� Gng Hu. She also caught the knowing look in Wang F鑞 Yong`s eyes.
"Now, with this situation, there will be no chance to hide. The vultures will come flocking to my door. Although I am troubled, I feel that the cause is worth sacrificing my peace. Also, I now have house guards now. They will take care of the vultures that flock to my door."
"My house guards were just hired today, but I trust Commander Jiang`s judgment. I am very sure he will make sure the returning survivors will remain undisturbed in my residence, so that is not an issue. The issue is that I don`t want to sit too close to the flames for an extended amount of time. Therefore I took the chance of risking your displeasure and overstepping my boundaries." Liu Ti醤 Q� said with a sincere yet troubled look on her face.
As Liu Ti醤 Q� spoke, she saw amusement light the Grand Prince`s eyes. "They have yet to arrive, and already you are planning their departure."
Liu Ti醤 Q� blushed in embarrassment, "To be honest, I will say yes and no."
Taking a second to collect her thoughts, Liu Ti醤 Q� said, "I will say no in the sense that I want to give them time to recuperate, rest, and heal. They deserve that much. However, I also will have to say yes because I value my peace. Now that it will become disturbed, I can foresee myself ending up in conflict with many. I am a plain-speaking blunt person that has zero tolerance for nonsense." With a deep sigh, Liu Ti醤 Q� said baldly, "I can already see the officials and nobles I will offend."
"There will be some that will get hard feelings from being chased from my door and make problems for me, which I will not take laying down. Then you have the ones that will come and try to recruit me to their political cause only to get chased away. That will cause yet more problems for me. I am estranged from my family. However, if they find out, I am hosting the returning four martial families. They will try to weasel their way into my life that will cause yet another problem."
Liu Ti醤 Q� saw the amusement in the eyes of the Grand Prince deepen. It was Lady W� Gng Hu who said, "So what if they get offended, we chase people away from our doors every day. I could care less if they get offended. If they get offended when you chase them away to bad. Pay them no mind."
"However, that is where the similarities end." Liu Ti醤 Q� pointed out to Lady W� Gng Hu.
"Who is going to pick a fight with the Grand Prince and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor? Only an idiot. Versus me, an unknown thirteen years old boy. I foresee myself having to hide in my residence, or end up in a feud because I will not tolerate being bullied or disrespected. The only other option I have is to disguise myself every time I leave my residence. I really want to just live in peace without being bothered." Liu Ti醤 Q� said mournfully inwardly, waving goodbye to her days of peace.
"I bet my last copper coin. No one will bother you." Lady W� Gng Hu said with a chuckle as she looked across to her son Wang F鑞 Yong.
Liu Ti醤 Q� followed Lady W� Gng Hu gaze to Wang F鑞 Yong. Suddenly the memory of how Wang F鑞 Yong almost cleaved her in two when they first met flashed across her mind. Liu Ti醤 Q� watched Wang F鑞 Yong as he sipped the last of the tea in his cup. Unknowingly a beautiful smile blossomed on Liu Ti醤 Q� face.
Wang F鑞 Yong glanced at Liu Ti醤 Q� with a raised eyebrow before he looked away. He reached over and picked up the teapot that sat in the center of the table and began to pour a fresh cup of tea.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Right, I forgot." Liu Ti醤 Q� looked at Lady W� Gng Hu and began to chuckle. With Wang F鑞 Yong as her friend who would dare come mess with her.
Liu Ti醤 Q� looked over to the Grand Prince to see him meaningfully nod at her answering her question. The Grand Prince shook his head in amusement as he watched the young boy breath a sigh of relief. Liu Ti醤 Q� truly felt relief to know that the Emperor would be giving the Four Martial Families back their land and wealth. Although she had to host them for a time. She felt relieved to know they won`t be staying forever and would have somewhere safe to go.
Suddenly Lady W� Gng Hu smile died on her lips as she looked at Liu Ti醤 Q� with an enigmatic look in her eyes. "I am very curious about something. However, If you do not wish to answer, you don`t have to since the Emperor had decided not to investigate." Lady W� Gng Hu said before asking Liu Ti醤 Q�," Whose family child are you?"
Liu Ti醤 Q�`s eyes flashed towards the closed doors of the front receiving room. Wang F鑞 Yong, who was watching Liu Ti醤 Q� closely already understood Liu Ti醤 Q�`s concern. "I already commanded for all the servants to stand fifty paces clear of the entrance before closing the doors." Wang F鑞 Yong said.
Liu Ti醤 Q� looked at Wang F鑞 Yong. She didn`t know how he seemed to understand her so well. He didn`t seem like a seventeen years old young boy to her at all. Looking in his eyes, she saw an understanding and knowledge in his eyes. Liu Ti醤 Q� felt her heart began pounding as she stared into his eyes. Quickly Liu Ti醤 Q� looked down at her cup of tea, shielding her eyes.
Giving herself a chance to think. Liu Ti醤 Q� slowly made a production of taking a sip of tea. If there was one thing that Liu Ti醤 Q� didn`t believe in doing was lying to herself. She didn`t mind lying to others, but she didn`t believe in lying to herself.
She could no longer deny that she was wholly attracted to Wang F鑞 Yong. He didn`t feel like a young teenage boy to her at all. He felt like a man who lived and knew and understood what life was all about.
As Liu Ti醤 Q� began to wonder what caused Wang F鑞 Yong to be the way he was. She quickly snapped at off those thoughts. Liu Ti醤 Q� glanced at Wang F鑞 Yong once again and made up her mind as he met his gaze. Liu Ti醤 Qu gently sat her cup of tea on the table after taking a sip of tea.
Liu Ti醤 Qu looked over to Lady W� Gng Hu and said, "My identity can`t remain hidden forever. I just didn`t plan on revealing it to anyone so soon.
She then truthfully informed the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor, "Honestly, the only reason why I am going to reveal my identity to you right now is because of Wang F鑞 Yong and Little Dumpling. To me, they are more than just friends. However, I asked that, other than to the Emperor, you don`t reveal my identity to anyone. I need more time."
After Lady W� Gng Hu, the Grand Prince and Wang F鑞 Yong nodded in silent agreement. Only then did Liu Ti醤 Qu take a deep breath, release, and began, "My mother`s name was Lei Xin Hu she died giving birth to me. She was from the Lei family. Her mother was Liu Huan Le. Liu Huan Le was of the Liu family. She died when my mother was nine.
"Lei Xin Hu! The Lei Xin Hu that the Lei family and the Liu family had a big fight over?" The grand Prince asked in shock.
"Yes. My mother was married to General Lu." Liu Ti醤 Qu answered.
"Wait a moment, wait just a moment. The Liu family are very possessive of their youths. Especially their talented youths. How is it they allowed you to come out on your own?" Lady W� Gng Hu asked it confusion.
"That`s because they don`t know I exist." Liu Ti醤 Qu answered.
"What!?" Lady W� Gng Hu and the Grand Prince shouted. Although Wang F鑞 Yong`s face remained cold and unapproachable, his eyes held complete shock as he stared at Liu Ti醤 Qu.
"I sorry I don`t understand." Lady W� Gng Hu shook her head in utter disbelief, horror, and deep confusion as she asked, "Please explain. What do you mean?"
"According to the momo, that raised me. General Lu despised my mother with a passion. My mother died giving birth to me. After my mother`s death, I was banished to a hidden courtyard in the rear of the Lu family compound with one of mothers` old maids." Liu Ti醤 Qu began to explain.
I was abandoned there. General Lu never bothered to name me, verify my gender, or even came to see what I look like as a baby or as I grew. I was placed in the care of my mothers` old maid. It was my mother`s former maid who remembered the name that my mother wanted me to have and named me." Liu Ti醤 Qu said she chuckled bitterly at the complete disbelief and shock of everyone.
"What is this, I am hearing?" The Grand Prince was outraged and horrified. "How could this be?"
"General Lu told everyone I died at birth. Other than my mother`s old maid, all my mother`s other servants were either sold or chased from the Lu Family compound. General Lu married again not too long ago. He told his new wife that I died at birth. Only General Lu and less than five old servants of the Lu Family know of my existence."
"After the momo that raised me died, I buried her in the courtyard next to mine and left. I was my master who raised me to this age." Liu Ti醤 Qu began mixing truth with lies.
The Grand Prince, his wife, and Wang F鑞 Yong felt their blood run cold. They couldn`t understand how someone could treat their own child this way.
"My master die not too long ago. That is when I decided that I would live on my own. Recently I came across a slave who was beaten to death and was about to be disposed of in a mass grave. I retrieved him and buried him. My plan is that after his body finished decomposing and the scent of death is no longer heavy. I am going to dress him in my clothes and leave him in my old courtyard." Liu Ti醤 Qu said.
"Are you sure you want to go that far?"Wang F鑞 Yong asked. The Grand Prince and his wife were too appalled and shocked to speak. They never knew that General Lu had this dark side to him.
It was there that the Grand Prince, Lady W� Gng Hu and Wang F鑞 Yong lost all respect for General Lu. Not that they had a lot of respect for him to begin with. However, the little that they did have died a silent death at that moment.