Chapter 51

Chapter 51

## The True and False Heiresses 21

The Deposed Heir’s head throbbed until his patience gradually vanished. “Lianfang, if you have compassion to spare for Lady Tang and pity for Baozhu, can you not show some to our biological daughter as well?”

When gentle persuasion failed, the Deposed Heir changed tactics and fought poison with poison. He looked at his wife in pained disappointment. “You can show such kindness and mercy to an enemy. Why will you not treat your own daughter kindly? What did Hui’er do wrong? Is she guilty? Did she deserve to be switched by Lady Tang, to have her identity stolen, and to be exchanged for a wife for the Li Family’s son? Lianfang, how did you become like this? Where is the kind and innocent girl you once were?!”

The barrage of questions left Lady Tan speechless. After several stunned moments, she flushed and stammered, “I… I did not think that far…”

“Does failing to think make it right?!”

The Deposed Heir looked at her sternly. “Lianfang, have you considered how Hui’er would feel if she heard what you just said? She is the victim of Lady Tang’s scheme. Half her life was ruined, and she has more right than anyone to decide the fate of Lady Tang and the Li Family. Whether she forgives them or not, what right do we have to be generous with another person’s suffering and decide on Hui’er’s behalf? She is the one who suffered most!”

Lady Tan had already regretted her words. After hearing her husband, she was so ashamed she could scarcely stand. In a voice no louder than a mosquito, she said, “I was wrong…”

“There is no greater virtue than correcting one’s mistakes. Do not mention those words again, and do not say them before Hui’er.”

The Deposed Heir continued, “That poor child wandered outside and was exploited in every possible way by Lady Tang and Li Dalang. We, her parents, have never given her the slightest care. We cannot hurt her again now.”

Lady Tan repeatedly agreed.

The couple left the prison and went to find Lady Bai. They said the earlier matter was now clear and asked to meet the biological daughter from whom they had been separated for so many years.

Lady Bai naturally agreed. With a smile, she advised, “The child may have grown up in poverty, but she carries herself with confidence and propriety, and she is intelligent. She is only eleven. We can find a teacher to instruct her in reading and writing. With guidance, she will flourish…”

The Deposed Heir nodded. Lady Tan was first surprised to learn the girl could neither read nor write, then felt pity.

The Tan Family had once been wealthy. Though it had declined over the last two generations, a starving camel was still larger than a horse. Lady Tan had never truly experienced poverty. Baozhu might not care for books, but she had studied and wrote a passable hand. Her biological daughter, who had wandered outside, could not write a single character. The comparison made Li Hui’er’s life seem all the more wretched.

Lady Wang was speaking with Li Hui’er in the inner room. Lady Bai led the couple there, with Lady Tan close behind her husband. As they drew nearer and nearer, the heart in Lady Tan’s chest began to beat faster.

Reluctant though she was, Lady Tan had to admit that Baozhu resembled Lady Tang. The same willow brows and almond eyes made mother and daughter look nearly identical.

What of Hui’er?

Would her biological daughter resemble her as closely as Baozhu resembled Lady Tang?

An eleven-year-old girl must already be growing into a beauty…

Lady Bai entered first. A servant announced them with a smile, followed by Lady Wang’s encouraging and soothing voice. “Hui’er, your father and mother are here…”

Lady Tan’s heart pounded with excitement, and a faint smile touched her lips. Upon entering, she saw Lady Wang standing on the right with a girl of about ten beside her. The girl was shorter than Baozhu and looked somewhat constrained. Her face was not especially striking. It was small and round, her cheeks slightly reddened by the sun. She looked every inch a country girl, nothing like the fair-skinned, delicately refined daughter Lady Tan had imagined.

And then Lady Tan’s smile silently collapsed. The girl resembled the mother-in-law who had been dead for years.

Lady Tan’s expression changed at once. The fire of expectation blazing in her heart was swiftly extinguished by reality. She tugged at her handkerchief, lowered her gaze to her shoes, and said nothing.

She was disappointed. The Deposed Heir, however, was both astonished and delighted. He stepped forward and studied Li Hui’er closely. His eyes suddenly filled with tears. “You look like your grandmother.”

Lady Bai and Lady Wang were saddened as well, and tears fell from their eyes.

Li Hui’er had already heard from her two aunts that she resembled her grandmother. Hearing her father say the same filled her with honor and relief. She smiled and comforted him. “Perhaps Heaven knew that Father, Mother, and my aunts missed Grandmother, so it made me look like her. Please do not cry. A reunion of flesh and blood is a wonderful thing. We should be celebrating, not shedding tears.”

Her words were orderly and remarkably considerate. The Deposed Heir grew more moved still. He reached out to stroke his daughter’s cheek and said with pity, “My girl is so sensible, yet fate treated you cruelly and made you suffer so much. Fortunately, you have returned. Father will compensate you many times over!”

Then he added warmly, “You were called Hui’er before, so we will keep the name for the moment. It is not that Father refuses to restore you to your ancestors. For the proper honor, the old man should choose your name himself. Once we reach the capital, we will ask him to name you specially and enter you into the genealogy. Then you will formally become a young lady of the Ma Family.”
Li Hui’er had been here for less than a day, yet she had already realized that the old man was the supreme authority in the family. She knew having him choose her name would be an honor and that her father meant the best for her. She did not refuse, but nodded brightly. “Yes!”

Her eyes shone as she stared at the tall father before her. He looked back with a broad smile, and joy nearly overflowed from her heart.

So not every father beneath Heaven was like Li Dalang, who never dared make a sound against his wife, walked with a limp, yet put on airs before his children, as though beating her a few more times or hurling a few more insults somehow proved his ability.

Then again, she had never been his biological daughter. How could she have expected him to cherish her sincerely?

In the past, being beaten had caused her pain. Now she no longer cared!

She had a father!

Her father was tall and upright, his voice as warm as a spring breeze. He was ten thousand times better than that lame Li Dalang, a timid, insecure man who knew only how to assert himself against a weaker daughter!

Harmony filled the room, and Lady Bai was smiling as well. Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed the dejection Lady Tan could not conceal beneath her listlessness, and her heart abruptly skipped.

Lady Bai did not want Hui’er to think her birth mother disliked her. The girl was intelligent. At present, she had simply focused so completely on her father that she had not yet thought of her mother. Once she came to herself and saw her birth mother wearing a long face as though someone had died, it would be strange if she noticed nothing!

Anxiety rose within Lady Bai, but she did not want to push Lady Tan so hard that she damaged the bond between mother and daughter. She unobtrusively nudged her and advised softly, “Eldest Sister-in-law, why are you still standing there? You have not recovered your senses after all this time. Do not grieve anymore. The child is back, and everything from the past is over. Let us leave it behind.”

Reminded by her voice, the Deposed Heir and Lady Wang both looked over. A third gaze joined theirs, carrying hope and longing. It belonged to Li Hui’er, seeing her mother for the first time.

Lady Tan understood the hope and urging in her husband’s eyes. Then she considered why she felt such resistance toward this child and began to blame herself.

For Baozhu, she could tell herself that the girl had only been an infant when the switch occurred. For Lady Tang, she could sympathize with the love between Lady Tang and Young Master Meng. How, then, could she dislike her own daughter merely because of her appearance?

Had the girl chosen her own face?

Her husband also resembled his mother, though the difference between men and women made it less obvious. Should Lady Tan condemn everyone who resembled the woman and cease loving her husband as well?

Guilt filled Lady Tan. When she faced her daughter again, sincere tears fell from her eyes. “My poor, unfortunate child. Come here and let Mother look at you!”

As Lady Tan examined Li Hui’er, the girl was studying her as well.

Among the three sisters-in-law in the room, Lady Tan was the most beautiful. Though her youth had faded, her figure remained graceful and her face lovely. When she stood silently with a handkerchief in hand, she possessed the quiet elegance of a secluded orchid in an empty valley.

Li Hui’er stared at her in a daze. Mother is so beautiful. Will I be as beautiful as she is when I grow up?

The thought passed in an instant, and sadness followed.

A child in her early teens already understood beauty and ugliness and knew where her own appearance stood. She was certainly not ugly, but a considerable distance separated her from her birth mother’s beauty.

Li Hui’er sighed softly, envy covering her face. “Mother, you are so beautiful. I wish I could be as beautiful as you!”

Lady Tan had been married into the Ma Family for nearly twenty years. The only place where anyone praised her beauty was her own courtyard. Everywhere else unquestionably belonged to the old man and old lady.

The old man had risen from poverty and possessed a simple, deeply rooted standard of beauty. Frail, delicate women who looked ready to topple in a breeze were unattractive. Palm-sized faces were uglier still. No woman beneath Heaven could compare to his sturdy wife and her broad, round face.

The old lady had borne three sons in one unbroken succession and ruled the inner household with an iron grip. The old man’s concubines flattered her with all their strength. Her sons seemed born from reincarnated sycophants, each more silver-tongued than the last, while the daughters-in-law dared not ruin the performance. Together, they praised the old lady as a celestial maiden descended from the highest Heaven. After years in such an environment, it was difficult for her not to become thoroughly convinced.

With that old couple looming above her, a slender, delicate beauty like Lady Tan would never rise to prominence. The old lady had a broad, round face. Both younger sisters-in-law had broad, round faces. Even the wives of the old man’s sons by concubines all had the same broad, round faces. As the old man and old lady put it, such faces were blessed and brought prosperity to a household.

For as many years as Lady Tan had been married into the Ma Family, she had been marginalized for her face and figure. Now, hearing her daughter unexpectedly praise her beauty, she was so moved she nearly cried. She held Li Hui’er’s hand affectionately and suddenly found the girl’s small round face and sun-reddened cheeks much more pleasing.

Mother and daughter began to talk. Adoration covered Li Hui’er’s face, while Lady Tan was all gentle warmth. The Deposed Heir watched them with a smile, relief showing in every line of his expression.

Lady Bai and Lady Wang both breathed sighs of relief. The sisters-in-law exchanged a glance and smiled at the same time.
Lady Bai told Li Hui’er, “There are many children in the family, including plenty of girls, so you will never lack companions. I have a daughter two years younger than you. You are close enough in age to play together, and we live nearby. Come visit whenever you have time!”

Li Hui’er bowed gratefully and agreed in a soft voice.

Lady Bai still felt as though something was missing from the girl’s side. When she noticed Qiulan and Qiuyue standing nearby, she finally realized what it was. She summoned the two maids and instructed them, “I sent you to the Li Family to bring her back, and you cared for the young lady throughout the journey. Continue attending her for now. Hui’er has only just arrived. If there is anything she does not understand, remember to guide her.”

Fearing that Lady Tan and the Deposed Heir might think she was planting spies, Lady Bai added with a smile, “You became familiar during the journey. Keeping you at Hui’er’s side will give her someone she knows. But these two maids serve me well, and I cannot bear to give them away. You may keep them for one month at most, then you must return them to me.”

Lady Bai had considered every angle. The Deposed Heir and Lady Tan naturally had no objection. Li Hui’er had met many people that day. Though all were close relatives by blood, they had never lived together and remained strangers in truth. Hearing that Qiuyue and Qiulan would continue attending her allowed her to breathe a genuine sigh of relief.

Lady Wang assumed the three members of the eldest branch had more to discuss and did not keep them any longer. She gently patted the back of Hui’er’s hand. “The journey must have exhausted you. Go back and speak with your parents for a while, then rest early…”

The moment she finished, all three sisters-in-law froze.

They had been so absorbed in recognizing their kin and speaking together that no one had arranged a place for Hui’er to live!

The courtyard of the eldest branch had been personally assigned by the old man and could house only the couple, one son, and one daughter. Should their biological daughter sleep in a servant’s room or borrow lodging from the second or third branch?

The Deposed Heir could never do anything so humiliating.

Apology covered Lady Tan’s face. She looked at her husband, then at the daughter before her, and raised a hand to her forehead.

“Hui’er, Mother has truly failed you,” she said. “We learned of your return only today and did not even prepare a room…”

Li Hui’er knew she had returned without warning and that her parents had possessed no time to prepare. Embarrassed by Lady Tan’s apology, she hurriedly said, “It does not matter. I can sleep anywhere. Before the Li Family built its house, I even slept in a haystack!”

“Silly child, what are you saying?”

Lady Tan laughed. After hesitating for a moment, she said gently, “Baozhu’s room is quite spacious, with more than enough room for two girls. She is one day older than you, so you may call her Elder Sister. You could share with her for now. Would that be all right? Once we reach the capital, Mother will find you a large room of your own, and you will never have to squeeze in with anyone again!”

The moment the words fell, everyone in the room froze.

Li Hui’er stared blankly at her. Her face slowly flushed, tears gathering in her eyes before spilling down her cheeks.

“Mother,” she said with reddened eyes, “I am your daughter.”

Her tears left Lady Tan at a loss. “I know.”

“I do not want to live with her. Why should I live with her?”

Li Hui’er sniffled and choked out, “Because of her, I suffered so much and did not return to my parents until now. She took my place and enjoyed an easy life in this family. Now that I am back, what right does she have to stay? She is not my elder sister. She is a thief! She stole my identity and my parents. I will not live with her, and I will never call her Sister!”

Lady Tan stared in astonishment. After several stunned moments, she asked in shock, “Child, what are you saying? Lady Tang was the one who committed the crime. What does it have to do with Baozhu? She was only an infant then. How can you blame everything upon her?”

Li Hui’er had never imagined her gentle, beautiful mother would say such a thing. She froze, staring at Lady Tan in disbelief as tears continued to fall.

“But…” she sobbed quietly. “I am your daughter. Her mother switched me away. She stole my identity, and I suffered so much. The Li Family beat me and cursed me, and they even meant to use me in an exchange marriage. Did I somehow deserve all that misery? I hate them!”

The Deposed Heir’s heart ached, and anger rose within him as well. When he looked at his wife, rare reproach entered his voice. “Lianfang, say no more! Can you not see Hui’er crying?!”

Lady Bai had assumed the Deposed Heir and Lady Tan had reached an agreement before coming to her. She had noticed Lady Tan’s poor expression earlier, but mother and daughter soon began talking and laughing, so she gave it no further thought. Now, hearing Lady Tan speak this way, Lady Bai froze before anger surged within her.

One was her biological daughter, flesh and blood of the Ma Family. The other was the midwife’s bastard, a girl conceived through adultery. How could there be any confusion about which side Lady Tan should take?

Had Eldest Sister-in-law lost her mind along with even the most basic capacity for thought?

The child had only just returned, yet Lady Tan spoke of calling each other sisters directly before her. Was she deliberately trying to carve out the girl’s heart?

How much pain would the child feel hearing that?

Besides, was the decision to keep Ma Baozhu even hers to make?

Not even her husband possessed that authority!
Did Lady Tan think she could secure the Ma Family’s protection for a bastard conceived through adultery merely by moving her lips? Did she imagine the old man was dead, or that his brain had filled with water just like hers?!

Now that Lady Tan had spoken so plainly, Lady Bai stopped concealing her position. She pulled Li Hui’er to her side and wrapped an arm around her, soothing the girl’s trembling back. Then she said coldly, “Eldest Sister-in-law, it would be best not to speak with such certainty. We are all members of the younger generation. The old man must decide this matter!”

Lady Wang wiped Li Hui’er’s tears with a handkerchief and said calmly, “Do not be afraid, Hui’er. What belongs to you is yours. No one can take it away.”

Li Hui’er raised her tear-blurred eyes and asked hatefully, “What about the Li Family and that thief? Will Grandfather punish them?!”

Lady Wang answered firmly, “He certainly will.”

Lady Tan asked in shock, “What do you want him to do to them?”

“I want them dead!”

Li Hui’er’s eyes were red, and hatred covered her face. “They stole my identity and never treated me well. I suffered in the Li Family for eleven years, and they still meant to squeeze the last drop of value from me. Do they not deserve to die?!”

Lady Tan had never imagined her biological daughter would voice such cold and brutal thoughts. She stared in stunned alarm and suddenly retreated several steps.

“You…” she stammered. “You are still a child. How can you harbor such vicious thoughts? Whatever else they did, the Li Family raised you until the age of eleven. Eleven whole years! Even if you had raised a dog, you would feel some affection. Yet you would send them to their deaths without hesitation? And Baozhu? You have not even met her!”

“Mother, how can you be like this?!”

The question stopped Lady Tan short. Then she looked at the girl’s face, so similar to her mother-in-law’s, and instantly remembered the past. Her expression turned cold as she rebuked Hui’er. “Who taught you to shout at an elder like that? You have no manners at all!”

Her gentle, beautiful birth mother had changed. She had become a cold, unyielding stone, as though Hui’er were a stranger and the thief were the biological daughter she cherished in every way.

Li Hui’er had never imagined matters would become like this.

She had come home, but Mother did not like her.

Mother liked the thief and even wanted the thief to remain in the family and call her sister.

But why?!

Because of that thief, Hui’er had suffered so terribly. And the thief? She had received no punishment at all and could continue living comfortably in this family!

It was not fair!

Li Hui’er thought it, then cried the words aloud.

The room descended into chaos. Lady Bai and Lady Wang’s faces were livid, and neither wished to say another word.

Lady Tan’s chest began aching again. Hearing the girl wail only deepened the hatred in her heart. Trembling, she pointed at Hui’er. “Stop crying at once!”

Li Hui’er did stop, but not because of Lady Tan’s command. A sharp slap rang out. The Deposed Heir struck Lady Tan’s face aside with such force that she staggered, knocked over a chair, and crashed heavily to the floor.

“Have you finished acting like a madwoman?!”

Lady Tan was completely stunned. She lay sprawled on the floor for a long while before springing up like a lunatic and charging at him with hands and feet flying. “Ma Changyan, you bastard! You struck me? You actually hit me?!”

“What of it?” The Deposed Heir slapped her again, knocking her back to the floor. “Do you not deserve it?!”

Lady Tan’s tears poured like a river.

Held by Lady Bai, Li Hui’er stood to one side and watched in a daze. Not long before, husband and wife had been harmonious, and their family of three had seemed happy. Now the mask had been torn away, leaving devastation everywhere.

Everything had changed.

Lady Bai felt the girl trembling and ached for her. Unwilling to watch the wretched couple any longer, she suppressed her anger and said, “Eldest Brother-in-law, if you wish to discipline your wife, return to your own courtyard and do it there. Do not create such a scene before your sisters-in-law. First, it is deeply unseemly. Second, Third Sister-in-law and I may not be afraid, but the child is. Do you not agree?”

Without waiting for the Deposed Heir to answer, she continued, “If the eldest branch has no room, then let the matter rest. I have space here. Your household has too many troubles. Hui’er will enjoy greater peace living beside me.”

The Deposed Heir understood the meaning behind her words and grew angrier still. His biological daughter had returned, yet she could not live beside her parents. Instead, that bastard had entered openly and occupied the family home. Was that not a fucking joke?

If word spread, people would think there was something wrong with his brain and that he enjoyed raising other men’s bastards!

“There is no need to trouble yourself, Sister-in-law. Hui’er is my daughter, and I will naturally care for her properly. As for the thief who usurped her nest, there are ways to deal with her.”

After answering Lady Bai, the Deposed Heir’s expression hardened. He ordered the personal attendant behind him, “Take several men back and clear out Baozhu’s room. Then throw her into the prison so that her family can be reunited!”

The personal attendant had heard the entire story and felt no doubt. After bowing, he accepted the order and left.

The Deposed Heir turned to Li Hui’er. His expression softened, and he said warmly, “Your mother fell ill not long ago and has not been entirely clear-minded since. Do not hold it against her. Father truly loves you…”
He extended a hand and said gently, “Do not be afraid. I will protect you. Come home with Father, all right?”

Li Hui’er could not say no.

In her heart and by the closeness she felt, she wanted to live with her second aunt. Her third aunt would have been acceptable as well. But living beside her biological parents… she no longer held such high expectations.

Yet she could not refuse.

Her second and third uncles were still only uncles. However badly her parents behaved, they remained her parents. If she chose to live with her aunts instead of them now, the entire family might never again be able to meet in harmony.

Li Hui’er forced a smile, placed her hand in her father’s palm, and said obediently, “I will live with Father and Mother.”

She turned back and bowed to Lady Bai and Lady Wang, carrying herself with graceful confidence. “Thank you for your kindness, Aunts. But I have only just met Father and Mother and truly cannot bear to leave them. May I visit and speak with you again tomorrow?”

The girl’s good sense was heartbreaking.

This was her own home and these were her own parents, yet she had to watch their expressions and carefully avoid displeasing them. Such maturity caused genuine pain.

Lady Bai answered warmly. She signaled for the maids to help Lady Tan rise, then instructed Qiuyue and Qiulan, “Take good care of our family’s eldest young lady. Eldest Sister-in-law is in poor health and likely lacks the strength to attend her. Eldest Brother-in-law is a man and may not be sufficiently attentive. If the young lady lacks or needs anything, come to me.”

Qiuyue and Qiulan answered together.

The Deposed Heir thanked his sister-in-law with a smile, but a dark look passed through his eyes.

Lady Tan stood to one side with a numb expression, two palm prints stark upon her cheeks. She looked at no one and said nothing.

The family of three left that way.

Lady Bai and Lady Wang exchanged a glance, each seeing worry in the other’s eyes.

But there was nothing they could do.

If the old man had been present, a single sentence from him would have settled everything. Yet they were both women. If one of them had been the eldest sister-in-law, that might have been different. As two younger sisters-in-law, they could hardly meddle too deeply in their eldest brother-in-law’s household.

Lady Wang said quietly, “We can only assign more people to watch them.”

Lady Bai’s head throbbed. “Let us hope nothing happens and that we can wait peacefully until the old man summons us to the capital.”

…

The Deposed Heir returned to his courtyard with his wife and daughter. Along the way, he held his daughter’s hand, asked constantly about her comfort, and showed the utmost concern. Lady Tan, meanwhile, was like an invisible person who never spoke.

The closer they came to the eldest branch’s courtyard, the louder the commotion grew. Without warning, someone with disheveled hair came running toward them from the entrance. The Deposed Heir jumped in alarm and peered closely before recognizing Ma Baozhu.

He moved protectively in front of his daughter, frowned, and asked in disgust, “Didn’t I order her thrown into prison? Why is she still here?!”

The personal attendant ordered several older maidservants to seize her. After a prolonged struggle, they finally brought her under control. Wiping sweat from his brow, he said, “Miss Baozhu… No. She fought violently and tried to escape outside. This subordinate was caught off guard and allowed her to slip through.”

Ma Baozhu’s face was full of panic and fear. She stared in disbelief at the Deposed Heir as though she no longer knew him. This father had spoken to her with warmth and affection only moments earlier. Now, when their eyes met, she saw only disgust and irritation.

Then her gaze shifted, and she saw a familiar face. She immediately cried out and begged, “Mother, save me! Save me! What nonsense are they all saying? How could I not be your child? Mother!”

By the final word, her voice had turned shrill. The wind drew it out until it pierced the ears.

Lady Tan stared blankly at the scene. Tears suddenly fell. She moved closer to her husband and tugged gently at his sleeve. “Please. Spare Baozhu. She did nothing wrong…”

The Deposed Heir was speechless and utterly exasperated.

Even if she meant to plead for Baozhu, could she not wait until their biological daughter was elsewhere?

Later, they could secretly send Baozhu away and leave her a path to survival. Why must Lady Tan beg in front of everyone, where their biological daughter could hear every word clearly?

Was she determined to estrange this child from herself completely?

The Deposed Heir flung her away with a sweep of his sleeve and snapped impatiently, “Impossible. Be quiet!”

Ma Baozhu was gagged and dragged away.

Lady Tan watched her go with a numb expression and said nothing. She fell behind the Deposed Heir and Li Hui’er and slowly followed their footsteps, like a wandering soul stripped of every human emotion and desire.

Beyond the covered corridor stood a well in the courtyard.

The Deposed Heir was occupied with speaking to his daughter and did not notice Lady Tan stop, step over the low railing, and enter the courtyard.

A servant behind her saw clearly and cried in alarm, “Commandery Princess, don’t!”

The Deposed Heir turned in shock. Lady Tan stood thin and desolate. Without looking at him and without the slightest hesitation, she jumped into the well.

A splash rang out, circling slowly upward from its depths.