Chapter 46

Chapter 46

## The True and False Heiresses 16

The station master’s family having a daughter around Baozhu’s age might have been dismissed as coincidence. But if that daughter also bore a striking resemblance to the late Princess Consort of Wu, then the story behind it demanded close examination.

Lady Bai’s suspicions had been confirmed. She released a long breath, only for her heart to rise into her throat again. Horror also covered Lady Wang’s face, leaving her at a loss for words.

The matron had been desperately thirsty after the journey. She excused herself, went to the outer room where the night servants waited, poured a cup of coarse tea, and gulped it down in one breath. Wiping her mouth, she returned to the inner chamber and said, “The family bears the surname Li. For several generations, their ancestors served as minor clerks at the relay station, receiving official dispatches and attending to traveling merchants. Under the previous dynasty’s tyranny, the local government could no longer collect sufficient funds, and relay stations were gradually abolished. The Li Family could not support itself. After the New Year, a drought struck, so the entire household left the province to seek refuge with relatives.”

“Then it all fits.”

Lady Bai said, “Both families had a daughter of the same age, yet the girls looked entirely different. And that family was present at the relay station when Eldest Sister-in-law gave birth. There must be something suspicious behind it.”

Lady Wang said quietly, “Sister-in-law just told me that Baozhu was born sickly, and the family spent enormous effort and resources to cure her. If she was truly the station master’s granddaughter, it is no wonder they conceived such a crooked scheme.”

Lady Bai nodded in agreement, then asked the matron, “Tell us about the girl.”

“Yes.” The matron answered with utmost respect. “When this servant first noticed her resemblance to the Princess Consort of Wu, I was truly startled. I wondered whether it might be pure chance, so I found temporary lodging nearby and observed carefully. I saw the girl’s parents. Her father is plain in appearance and has an affliction in one leg. Her mother, however, was clearly born a beauty, with almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks. Though weather and hardship have aged her, traces of that beauty remain.”

At the phrase “almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks,” Lady Bai’s and Lady Wang’s brows twitched in unison. Neither spoke. They merely continued listening intently.

“This servant noticed that the woman somewhat resembled Miss Baozhu and began to suspect the truth. I dared not alert them and sent people to investigate the couple discreetly.”

The matron had grown tired from speaking. After a brief pause, she continued, “The woman’s surname is Tang. Even after her beauty faded with age, a few traces remained. In her youth, she was renowned as the greatest beauty for miles around. But her life was unfortunate. Her father was an impoverished scholar who died soon after catching a chill, leaving her mother to raise a son and daughter alone. Later, her elder brother wished to marry, but the family had no money, so they married her to the Li Family’s son. Old Man Li was still the relay station master at the time. He may have been a lowly clerk beneath the notice of families like ours, but to commoners, he was an exalted figure. Li Dalang was lame and unattractive. The Tang Family demanded a full hundred and twenty taels as a bride price before agreeing to the marriage.”

A hundred and twenty taels many years ago was no small sum for the household of a low-ranking clerk.

Both Lady Bai and Lady Wang had managed households and could not help marveling at the amount. The matron also sighed before continuing, “Lady Tang proved fertile. Within three years of entering the Li Family, she bore Li Dalang a son and a daughter. This girl was Lady Tang’s third child. When the Commandery Princess’s party passed through the relay station, Lady Tang had given birth only two days earlier. When the Commandery Princess unexpectedly went into labor and no midwife could be found nearby, Lady Tang volunteered, saying she had helped deliver a child before.”

By this point, the truth was largely clear. Most of Lady Bai’s doubts vanished. The girl was almost certainly flesh and blood of the Ma Family. Sitting upright, she asked gravely, “Where is the girl? Did you invite her back?”

The instant the matron heard Lady Bai use the word “invite,” she knew the matter was almost settled. She hurriedly replied, “The stakes were too high for this servant to spread word. I took the Commandery Princess’s warrant to the county office and made the necessary arrangements. Then, under cover of night, I brought the entire Li Family toward Huaizhou. They have already been received into the residence and are under close watch.”

After a short pause, she added, “This servant knew the matter concerned the King of Wu’s bloodline and dared not relax along the road. I secretly observed Li Dalang and Lady Tang. Both appeared deeply uneasy and tried several times to speak with the girl. This servant feared some unexpected incident, so I arranged for the girl to ride in my carriage and ordered others to guard her closely. Only then were the two unable to approach her.”

Clearly, she had feared the couple would realize their secret had been exposed and make one desperate final move.

Lady Bai nodded in approval. “You considered everything carefully. The journey was arduous, and I will certainly reward you.”

Lady Wang said, “Since you have brought them back, lead the girl in so that we may see her. We should confirm whether she truly resembles the person you described.”

The matron acknowledged the order and backed several steps toward the door. Suddenly remembering something, she turned around. “There is one more matter that the two Commandery Princesses must know. When this servant found the Li Family, they had already arranged a marriage for the girl…”

Lady Bai was startled. “Isn’t she the same age as Baozhu? Why was her marriage settled so early?”

The matron explained, “The Li Family once possessed a little wealth, but after moving away to join relatives, its circumstances deteriorated. Their life became exceedingly difficult. Li Dalang and Lady Tang’s eldest son is nearly old enough to marry, but the family could not afford a bride price or wedding. They therefore arranged an exchange marriage with another household that had a younger sister. That family would marry its daughter to Lady Tang’s eldest son, while the Li Family would marry this girl to their son…”

It was a solution born of desperation. Great aristocratic families rarely resorted to it because it inverted proper status and forms of address, but the practice was extremely common among ordinary people.

There was no other reason. Too many people were poor.

Lady Bai’s brows drew tightly together. Lady Wang also frowned. “Didn’t Lady Tang give birth to three children? If I remember correctly, there was another daughter older than this girl.”

“Yes. That is precisely what this servant found suspicious,” the matron said. “The other household originally wished to exchange for the Li Family’s eldest daughter. She was two years older and could marry sooner. But Lady Tang said her eldest daughter was in poor health and might suffer some accident after the marriage, creating bad blood with the in-laws. She insisted on exchanging the younger daughter instead. To assure the other family that the Lis would not break their promise, she even offered to send the younger girl over two years early and have her raised there as a child bride. The other family could not overcome her insistence and finally agreed.”
After hearing this much, how could Lady Bai and Lady Wang fail to understand? All that talk of the eldest daughter’s poor health and the fear that some misfortune might sour relations with her in-laws was merely Lady Tang’s careful calculation. She could not bear to let her biological daughter suffer and meant to substitute someone else’s child in her place!

The heartless woman had first let her youngest daughter steal the Ma Family daughter’s wealth and splendor. Now she meant to squeeze the last drop of value from the stolen child, using her to secure a wife for her son and shield her eldest daughter from hardship.

What a vile creature!

The matron said, “Her name is Hui’er. The character hui means grace.”

Lady Bai sneered again.

…

Li Hui’er was planning an escape.

She no longer wanted to remain in this family.

She did not want to keep hearing her mother say, “Your sister is in poor health, so you must give way to her,” or, “The family has no money, so we can only use you in an exchange marriage.”

Why was it always her?

What gave them the right?!

Just as she secretly began scouting an escape route and searching for her mother’s hidden money jar, something unexpected happened.

A group of important visitors arrived at the Li Family’s low thatched cottage. Attendants in matching uniforms sealed off the courtyard. Carriage wheels rumbled outside, a curtain lifted, and a comfortably plump woman of about forty stepped down.

Every member of the family was restrained, gagged, and taken onto a carriage. Only Li Hui’er was spared. The older woman held her hand and examined her for a long time, then several pretty young women in blue-green skirts surrounded her and escorted her into another carriage.

To eleven-year-old Li Hui’er, it was a marvelous adventure toward an unknown destination.

No one gagged her, but neither did anyone explain what was happening.

The older woman was very kind. She asked whether Hui’er was hungry or thirsty and gave her pastries. Once Hui’er’s anxious heart had calmed slightly, the woman asked about her life over the years and whether she had been happy.

She had not. Of course she had not.

Her father was frail and often ill. Her mother favored her elder brother and sister. Her grandfather had eyes only for his grandson and never cared about an insignificant granddaughter like her.

The entire family scrimped and saved, pouring everything into her brother’s studies. But chaos swept the realm, and even the imperial examinations were suspended. Her brother could only set up a stall on the street and sell calligraphy to eke out a living.

Still, he had saved no money. To establish a household and obtain a wife, he had to exchange his own younger sister.

Li Hui’er felt deeply wronged and miserable.

She had an elder sister. Why did it have to be her?

Because her sister had always been sickly, Hui’er had been forced to yield to her since childhood. At a very young age, she had begun washing clothes for others by the river, and she performed most of the odd jobs at home. Why did she still have to yield to her sister in the end?

Yet she neither cried nor caused a scene. Her childhood had taught her that tears and tantrums accomplished nothing except earning her a beating.

Once had been enough to make the lesson permanent.

It was as though an innate instinct lived in her bones. She had always known how to pursue advantage and avoid harm.

Now she had suddenly been taken away and separated from the others, seated in a spacious and comfortable carriage. Li Hui’er abruptly understood something: a dazzling future was beckoning her forward and drawing closer with every moment.

That understanding deepened when she discovered that the rest of her family was crammed into a single carriage under watch even while they ate, drank, or relieved themselves, whereas she enjoyed fresh, delicious food, soaked comfortably in hot baths, and received brand-new clothes.

Everyone in the procession obeyed the older woman, yet the woman treated Hui’er exceptionally well, almost with an indefinable respect. When meals arrived, she let Hui’er eat first. Sometimes, she even looked at the girl and wept.

Li Hui’er asked, “Why are you crying, Granny?”

The woman replied, “I am simply happy. You look very much like a Noble Lady I once knew.”

Li Hui’er vaguely sensed something, yet understood nothing at all.

They traveled in stages. Several days later, the party entered Huaizhou. Sensitive as she was, Li Hui’er noticed that the older woman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Even the two young women caring for her smiled more often.

They had probably reached their destination.

As the carriage traveled along a broad road, Li Hui’er lifted the curtain and looked outside. The streets bustled with carriages and people, while stately, magnificent residences rose on every side. They could not have been more different from the Li Family’s low thatched cottage.

The carriage stopped. The older woman helped her put on a veiled hat and led her into the nearby residence. Sensing something, Li Hui’er glanced back. The Li Family had also been dragged from their carriage, still gagged, while attendants barked orders and drove them inside.

The wind lifted the gauze hanging from her hat. At that exact moment, her eyes met her mother’s. Undisguisable panic and terror filled Lady Tang’s gaze. She seemed desperate to say something, but someone behind her shoved her onward, and she stumbled forward.

Li Hui’er knew that if she spoke on her mother’s behalf, the guards would probably treat Lady Tang more gently.

But she did not want to.

Li Hui’er turned away and followed closely behind the older woman into the residence.

The woman seemed to have business to handle. She led Hui’er into a magnificent, fragrant room and ordered servants to help her wash and change, then hurried away.

The two young women who had cared for her along the road brought water. They helped her brush her teeth, rinse her mouth, wash her hands, and clean her face. Qiulan took some scented cream, warmed it in her palm, and gently smoothed it over Hui’er’s cheeks. Qiuyue let down her hair and combed it neatly again.

The fragrance of the cream blossomed beneath her nose. It smelled of Chinese roses.

How lovely.

Li Hui’er felt as though she were dreaming. If this truly was a dream, she hoped she would wake as slowly as possible. At that moment, Sister Qiulan bent down and whispered, “Miss, do you remember the etiquette we taught you on the journey? You will soon meet two Noble Ladies. You must not be discourteous.”

Li Hui’er had struggled in the mire of the Li Family for far too long. She would not let any chance to escape that life pass her by.

Her limited view of the world kept her from understanding what she was experiencing, but she knew she had to seize every opportunity that might change her fate.
Such as the opportunity before her now.

“I remember, Sister Qiulan,” Li Hui’er said.

Qiulan felt great pity for this girl who had suffered so many turns of ill fortune. She therefore offered one more piece of advice. “A Noble Lady favors girls who are calm and sensible. If you are asked a question, tell them what you know. If you do not understand something, do not speak of it. Do you understand?”

Li Hui’er listened intently. “I understand. Thank you, Sister.”

Qiulan smiled. “How can you call me Sister?”

Li Hui’er’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

After she had waited there for half an hour, the older woman returned. She led Hui’er through a long corridor and along winding paths until they reached another magnificent room. The woman announced their arrival outside. Elegantly dressed servants lifted one curtain after another and welcomed them in.

Two noblewomen in their twenties sat inside. One had an oval face, the other a round one. When they saw Hui’er, astonishment appeared on both their faces, as though she had given them a great shock.

Following the matron’s instructions, Li Hui’er performed a proper bow with painstaking precision. “Hui’er greets the two ladies.”

Lady Bai had always been close to her mother-in-law and spent a great deal of time with her. The sight of Li Hui’er’s face genuinely stunned her. Her eyes filled with tears, and she murmured, “She does. She truly does look like her!”

Lady Wang agreed. “She really looks as though she and Mother were cast from the same mold.”

“Good child, do not be afraid.” The few doubts Lady Bai retained vanished the moment she saw the girl in person. She wiped away her tears and ordered an embroidered stool placed before her for Li Hui’er. Then she asked carefully, “How old are you? Who else is in your family? Have you studied?”

Li Hui’er steadied herself and answered with calm confidence. “I am eleven. My family includes Grandfather, Father, Mother, an elder brother, and an elder sister.”

After a brief pause, she added, “I have never studied.”

Lady Bai was not surprised, but she felt still greater pity. Holding the girl’s hand, she asked several more questions before telling Lady Wang, “There can be no mistake.”

Lady Wang nodded. “Once we obtain Lady Tang’s confession, the matter will be beyond all doubt.”

At the words “Lady Tang,” astonishment flashed through Li Hui’er’s eyes. She looked from Lady Bai to Lady Wang, unease rising faintly within her.

The sight of the girl made Lady Bai remember her late mother-in-law. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and pity filled her voice. “This poor child should have grown up in silk and splendor, cherished beyond measure. That hateful Lady Tang stole her away and left her to suffer outside. Her hands are covered in chilblains and calluses. There is not one patch of unbroken skin.”

Lady Wang also began to weep.

Li Hui’er stared at them in shock. It took her a long moment to understand what Lady Bai had said. Then the heart in her chest seemed to spring suddenly to life, pounding with violent force.

Her voice came out strained. “I… I… My lady, you said…”

“Silly child, why are you still calling us ladies?”

Lady Bai stroked her cheek lovingly and said in a gentle voice, “You are a child of this family. We are both your aunts. I am your second aunt, and she is your third aunt.”

Li Hui’er froze completely.

She had never imagined that such extraordinary fortune awaited her.

Was she a child of this family?

She was a child of this family!

No wonder Mother had always favored her elder brother and sister!

No wonder Mother had not hesitated to send her into an exchange marriage in her sister’s place!

So that was it. That was the reason!

Li Hui’er asked in a trembling voice, “Then… then how did I… How did I come to bear the surname Li and grow up in the Li Family?”

“For that, we must ask that heartless Lady Tang!”

Dark clouds covered Lady Bai’s face as she slammed the table. “Your mother went into premature labor and gave birth to you at a relay station. The Li Family managed the station at the time. Lady Tang’s daughter was born frail and sickly, with little hope of recovery. So, while helping deliver your mother’s child, she switched you with her own daughter!”

Lady Wang had recently given birth to a daughter, and her maternal affection was at its strongest. She could not help taking Li Hui’er’s hand as she said bitterly, “Lady Tang secretly switched the two babies, leaving you to wander outside for more than ten years and suffer every hardship. Meanwhile, the wretched spawn she bore enjoyed all the wealth and luxury of the Ma Family. How could anyone not hate her? If she had possessed the slightest conscience, she would at least have treated you well. Instead, she meant to use you in an exchange marriage for her own daughter and secure a wife for her son. That creature is lower than pigs and dogs!”

Li Hui’er held Lady Wang’s hand in a daze. Both aunts’ hands were so soft. They smelled wonderful, and their eyes were gentle when they looked at her. Was her mother like this too?

So she had a wonderful birth mother, an immensely wealthy family, and such kind relatives. Yet all of it had been stolen from her and handed to that woman’s daughter?

Li Hui’er murmured, “Can she read? Did she study?”

Lady Wang misunderstood. Unwilling to speak ill of the girl’s mother in front of her, she inwardly rejoiced that Lady Tan at least possessed something worth praising. Aloud, she said gently, “Before your mother married, she was a talented young lady of some renown. She writes a fine hand in the style of Liu Gongquan and composes poetry as well.”

Her birth mother was so wonderful.

Li Hui’er’s throat ached. Tears slipped down her face without her noticing, but she shook her head. “I was not asking about my birth mother…”

Lady Wang still did not understand, but Lady Bai did. With an inward sigh, she said, “She has studied and can read. Every daughter of the Ma Family is given a teacher.”

Li Hui’er suddenly burst into tears. “Was she beaten too? Did her brother and sister bully her? Was she sent away in an exchange marriage?!”

Though Li Hui’er was not her own daughter, Lady Wang’s heart still ached. She pulled the girl into her arms and soothed her. “Good child, good child. It is all over now. Your aunts will cherish you, and so will your parents. Do not cry…”

Li Hui’er wrapped her arms around Lady Wang and wailed.