When Xie Xiangxiang saw a burly man coming over, she shivered with fright. “What, what are you going to do?”


  Zhou Qinghe who was casually watching the fun frowned when she saw Qian Yin. Why was he in Luoyang?

  And how could Xiangxiang still be alive?

  How did Qian Yin know about Xiangxiang?

  How could that b*tch’s daughter be alive? She threw that child into the latrine herself!

  Zhou Qinghe clenched Zhou Shihui’s hand.

  Zhou Shihui shouted in pain, “Mother!”


  Only the cry did Zhou Qinghe relax her grip.

  Seeing Xie Xiangxiang panic, Qian Yin let go of his hand and explained, “Don’t be afraid. I am Qian Yin, Prince Wu. The mole between your eyebrows and the mark on your wrist show that you are my niece, Xiangxiang.”


  Xie Xiangxiang was a little puzzled, and when she was about to explain, a lady’s voice came from the crowd.

  “Ah, my daughter, who poured oil over my daughter?! My daughter is still so young! My daughter is the Crown Princess’ cousin.”


  Qiao Jinniang, who didn’t know she had such a cousin: “…”


  The Qiao family had many relatives, but she didn’t have many cousins. She knew them all, but she had never met this girl, not even this lady.

  Qiao Jinniang said, “Who are you?”


  That lady, Mrs. Fu, hurriedly knelt down and said, “Your Highness, please uphold justice for your cousin. I am the mistress of the Fu family, the sister-in-law of your second aunt.”


  Qiao Jinniang nodded. “I see. Madam, don’t worry. I’ll order the imperial doctors to do everything in their power to treat your daughter. It was just an accident.”


  Hearing her words, Mrs. Fu could only take her daughter down to receive treatment.

  And the Clever Fruit competition continued.

  Xie Xiangxiang broke free from Qian Yin’s hands and said, “Your Highness, my grandfather is President Xie of Qingming Academy. My parents have died since I was a child, and I have only one adoptive father. I am not your niece.”


  “Yes, you are. I am not mistaken. I’m going to Qingming Academy and ask Mr. Xie about your origin.” Qian Yin said eagerly.

  Zhou Qinghe’s eyes narrowed. Xie Xiangxiang, Xiangxiang… How come she never thought of it?

  Zhou Shihui asked Zhou Qinghe, “Mother, what’s wrong with you? You look so pale. Shall we go back to rest?”


  Zhou Qinghe took a deep breath and said, “Okay.”


  After the people dispersed, it was time for the melon lantern competition. Qiao Jinniang made one too. After all, last year, because Qiao Ruofeng jumped into the rivel, the competition was interrupted.

  “The melon lantern made by the Crown Princess is the best. The Crown Princess should be the winner.” Consort Qi hurriedly flattered.

  The princesses and judges all echoed.

  Only one girl said, “In previous years, Zhou Sisi was always the winner of the melon lantern competition. The melon lantern the Crown Princess made is just as good as Zhou Sisi’s.”


  The other girls all squinted at her, thinking if you don’t know how to flatter someone, just shut up!

  Qiao Jinniang smiled and said, “I’m not a participant of the competition. We’ll still have to choose a winner.”


  After picking the winner, Qiao Jinniang rewarded her, returned to the East Palace and changed clothes.

  Then she went out with Lu Chen again. Finally having a chance to leave the East Palace, she was going to have some fun tonight.

  Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang’s hand and said, “I just heard that Qian Yin found his niece?”


  “Well, that girl seems to be Mr. Xie’s granddaughter.”


  Lu Chen said, “There are so many people on the street. Why don’t we go to Qingming Academy to take a look?”


  Qiao Jinniang nodded, “Xie Xiangxiang and Nuomi look nothing alike. I wonder why Qian Yin would mistake Nuomi for his niece.”


  After the two got into the carriage, they heard the conversation of several girls from outside.

  “Zhou Qinghe’ poems are all about a woman’s love for a man. The poems are really touching!”


  “I do think the man is His Majesty. Her ‘Thoughts in a Boudoir’ read:

  “In the lonely chambers, a heart of night silence labors the pieces of sorrow to countless strands. Blossoms are hurried to their fates by the rains. I cherish a Spring vanishing with her scents. Where’s our spring joy, my heart’s friend? Over and over the rails, till each day ends! Grasses will wither and weave the sky to land before my gaze abandons your road’s end. This seems to describe the life of a woman in the imperial palace instead of an ordinary woman!”


  “And her ‘Pride of Fisherman’ read ‘: The firmament with a wave of cloud went through the fog of the dawn, and the dome of stars are turning as thousands of sails are dancing. Just like my soul went to the heavenly palace. You see, ‘heavenly palace’. It must be referring to the imperial palace!”


  “Yes, I have the same feeling. I heard that Zhou Qinghe left Chang’an back then because she didn’t want to share His Majesty with other women, but she actually loved His Majesty!”


  “It is said that His Majesty loves the Empress, but I think the Empress is just Zhou Qinghe’s substitute. I guess Zhou Qinghe didn’t expect that after she left Chang’an, His Majesty really gave all his love to a woman who is very likely to be her substitute!”


  “The position of the empress should belong to Zhou Qinghe. Now that she is back, her sister should return it to her! The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl have reunited today. I wonder when Zhou Qinghe can reunite with her cowherd.”


  In the carriage, a small lamp was dimly lit, and Qiao Jinniang saw that Lu Chen’s face was all dark.

  Outside came the sounds of these girls’ mothers angrily scolding them.

  “How dare you say such nonsense?! Do you want your father to die because of you? I’m gonna beat you to death, you darn girl!”


  “Mother, I’m not talking nonsense. Zhou Qinghe’s poems are full of her affections for His Majesty. Their love story is so beautiful!”


  “Shut up! I’m gonna break your leg!”


  “Even if you break my leg, I will still say that His Majesty deprived Duke Wu of his title because he spotted Zhou Shihui, who was the daughter of Zhou Qinghe and him, so he did that to force Zhou Qinghe to come out and see him!”


  “Yes, that’s what’s written in novels!”


  “I said shut up! Didn’t you hear me?!”


  For a time, the girls on the street all dispersed like startled birds.

  Qiao Jinniang looked at Lu Chen and said, “Is what they said true?”


  Lu Chen said, “That’s absolutely impossible.”


  Since he was a child, he had always seen how humble his wise and majestic father was in front of his mother. How could his mother be another woman’s substitute?

  Besides, his mother would never tolerate that.

  Lu Chen knew how proud his mother was.

  When they arrived at Qingming Academy, it was already night, but the sound of reciting could still be heard. Many students gathered together and were writing poems about the magnificent scene they saw today.

  “The moon tonight is like a jade plate, and every girl is holding needles and threads. The legend of Qixi is just the beautiful imagination of these women, because Heaven and Earth can not communicate.

  “Far, far away, the Cowherd, Fair, fair, the Weaving Maid; Nimbly moves her slender white fingers, click-clack goes her weaving-loom. All day she weaves, yet her web is still not done. And her tears fall like rain.”


  “Brother Cui, your poem is wonderful. I’ve got one too. ‘After the evening rain, light fragrance and wet dust remain. Cold turns the dew, and the breeze freshens the courtyard in view. In the water-clear sky, a hooklike moon hangs high.

  “Hindered for long, the Weaving Maid sighs. Now she may go on a date, driving her winged wheels in flight. As far as she stretches her eyes, she sees fleecy clouds rise over the Silver River bright.”


  “Brother Luo, your poem is excellent too.”


  When Qiao Jinniang listened to their poems, she felt that their poems suited the occasion tonight well.

  Zhou Qinghe’s poem was undeniably excellent, but it was a bit strange.

  Qian Yinzheng took Xie Xiangxiang to find Mr. Xie, but when they heard that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had come to visit, Mr. Xie quickly invited them in.

  When Qiao Jinniang saw Qian Yin, she joked, “You had been saying that Nuomi was your niece before, but Nuomi and Xie Xiangxiang don’t look alike at all.”


  Qian Yin said, “I was mistaken. Mr. Xie, the birthmark on your granddaughter is exactly the same as that on my niece. She was separated from her parents when she was a child.”


  Xie Daru sighed and said, “Xiangxiang is and is not your niece at the same time.”


  Qian Yin asked curiously, “What do you mean?”


  Xie Daru said, “Your niece was killed by your brother’s enemy from the moment she was born, and your sister-in-law was so mournful that she wanted to die.

  “It just so happened that at that time, my son had an illegitimate daughter, who was Xiangxiang. He didn’t want his daughter to become an illegitimate daughter, so he gave her to your elder brother and sister-in-law as their daughter.

  “My son lost his life in the Yinzhou flood, and before he died, he wanted Xiangxiang to return to the Xie family.

  “Your brother and Xiangxiang were separated from your sister-in-law, so he first came to Luoyang with my son’s corpse and Xiangxiang.

  “Hearing that your sister-in-law had returned to the Qian Mansion and had gone crazy because she lost her daughter, he felt too ashamed to face his wife and parents because it was his fault that his daughter was killed. He thought it would be better if people thought he was dead, so he became a monk on Laojun Mountain…”


  When Qian Yin heard this, he cupped his hands and said, “Thank you for telling me the truth. “My poor mother was still missing her granddaughter the moment she died. Alas! The god of destiny really makes fools out of people.”