A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City-Chapter 109

"What a coincidence," Prince Chen chuckled. "Someone’s been impersonating you these past few days."

"Hmm?" Jiuzhu blinked. "Is that why you left so early this morning?"

"The Imperial Guards also uncovered something interesting," Prince Chen added. "The imposter shares your surname—she’s from the Ming Family of Lingzhou. Eleven years ago, she even stayed at your home for a while."

Jiuzhu’s expression darkened. "So it’s her..."

"Did your parents ever mention what happened back then?" Prince Chen, noticing her discomfort, quickly reassured her. "Your parents only let her stay briefly. To them, you’ll always be their most precious daughter."

Jiuzhu nodded. "I’ll visit Mother in a couple of days to discuss this."

If her mother hadn’t loved her with all her heart, how could she have sensed, purely by instinct, that the little girl was an imposter?

This woman had impersonated her twice now. Did she have no life of her own?

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Ming Jisi and Ming Zhenyu were in a state of panic. With their patron fallen from power and fearing retaliation from the Ming Family, they hid in their courtyard for days, too afraid to step outside.

After waiting with no sign of the mighty Ming Family coming for them, they finally dared to venture out.

When they asked around about the Ming Family’s daughter, the common folk in the Capital City immediately launched into enthusiastic chatter.

"Oh, the Ming minister’s daughter? Of course we know her—the charming young lady married to the domineering prince!"

"Wait, isn’t she the prince’s most treasured darling?"

"You’re all wrong! She’s clearly a celestial maiden destined for an immortal love story!"

Ming Zhenyu was baffled. Were the people of the Capital City out of their minds?

"Miss, if you’re interested, you should visit the teahouse. The storytelling there is even more dramatic."

Though she thought these people were ridiculous, Ming Zhenyu still went to the teahouse they recommended.

Why were the tea and pastries so expensive? Were they made of gold? Glancing at the wealthy young ladies dressed in fine silks, she suppressed her reluctance and ordered the cheapest options.

Over the years, her family’s fortunes had dwindled. It was said that the three Ming brothers had once sent money to their clan annually to support the education of their younger relatives. But after the brothers severed ties with the main family, they reclaimed the lands they had donated to the clan and redistributed them to the local government and the poor.

Because of this, no one spoke ill of the brothers. Instead, they were praised for their integrity and generosity.

In the past decade, only Ming Jisi had passed the imperial exams at the lowest level. The rest of the younger generation amounted to nothing, and the once-prominent Ming Family of Lingzhou had fallen into decline.

The clan elders had tried to reconcile with the three brothers, but they remained resolute in cutting all ties.

After listening to endless tales of the domineering prince and his lovely bride, Ming Zhenyu’s head spun. Were hundred-life love stories the new trend now?

Even ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍storytelling wasn’t immune to one-upmanship.

To think the Ming Family had not only reclaimed their daughter but also married her off to the most favored prince, Prince Chen. If Shen Ying hadn’t exposed her back then, wouldn’t she be the princess consort now?

But the royal family had strict rules. How could they allow a prince to marry a girl who had spent over a decade among commoners with an unknown past?

Was the Ming Family hiding something?

Upon further inquiry, her suspicions were confirmed. The Ming Family had publicly claimed that Ming Jiuzhu had been frail as a child and was raised in a Taoist temple until she overcame a life-threatening ordeal.

Ming Zhenyu sneered. Who knew what lowly company Ming Jiuzhu had kept before returning to the Capital City?

The Ming Family must be terrified of this secret getting out.

Deceiving the emperor was a crime punishable by execution of the entire family.

At the Ming residence...

Shen Ying feigned annoyance when her daughter arrived. "You were just here a few days ago. What brings you back so soon?"

Even as she spoke, she took Jiuzhu’s hand. "What would you like for lunch? I’ll cook for you. Why didn’t His Highness come with you?"

"His Highness was summoned by His Majesty to Taiyang Palace." Jiuzhu listed a few dishes, then tugged her mother’s hand. "The kitchen’s too smoky. Stay and talk with me, Mother."

Shen Ying, sensing her daughter had something important to say, sat beside her. "Your father and brother are on duty today. It’s just the two of us."

After some casual conversation, Jiuzhu brought up the girl from the Lingzhou Ming Family who had impersonated her eleven years ago.

"That girl bore a slight resemblance to your father," Shen Ying recalled, her tone laced with disdain. "You had a mole on your arm at birth, and so did she. But the moment she stepped out of the carriage, I knew she wasn’t my child."

Jiuzhu squeezed her mother’s hand.

"With you, it was different. The instant I saw you, my heart recognized you." Shen Ying’s voice softened with warmth. "Maybe it was the bond of blood, or perhaps heaven took pity on us after all we’d sacrificed for the country, ensuring we wouldn’t be robbed of what was ours."

The memory reignited her contempt for the Lingzhou Ming Family. "To persuade them to take you in, we gave them everything of value we had. Since your grandfather’s time, our family had sent them money every year. We never imagined they’d take it all—then abandon you in the wilderness."

In the final years of the Xiande era, the world was embroiled in endless chaos. What were the chances of a premature child abandoned in the wilderness surviving?

Shen Ying harbored deep hatred for the Ming Family of Lingzhou. If not for the fact that the Emperor had just ascended the throne and needed the support of court officials, she and her husband would have disregarded worldly opinions and destroyed the entire Ming Family of Lingzhou.

However, without the protection of their lineage, the Ming Family of Lingzhou declined within a few years. By now, the name "Ming Family of Lingzhou" had long faded from memory. When people spoke of the Ming Family, they thought only of the Ming Family of the Capital City.

"Mother, I’ve received news—the girl who once impersonated me and entered the Capital City has returned."

"She dares to come back?" Shen Ying sneered. "We didn’t settle accounts with them, and now they deliver themselves to our doorstep?"

"She’s here to reunite with her benefactor. When she was eight, she fell into the Huaxi River and was saved by him."

Shen Ying was momentarily stunned before realization dawned. "She’s impersonating you again?!"

"Don’t be angry, Mother. Father, Mother, and His Highness are already aware of this matter." Jiuzhu poured Shen Ying a cup of tea. "Your daughter is now a member of the imperial family. Impersonating a royal relative implicates three generations of one’s family. For the next fifty years, no descendant of the Ming Family of Lingzhou will be permitted to take the imperial examinations."

Hearing this, Shen Ying was taken aback.

Her daughter was gentle by nature, rarely angered, and even her speech carried the soft, distinctive lilt of Lingzhou. These words didn’t sound like her at all.

"My master says that those who follow the Daoist path believe in repaying resentment with virtue. The laws of the Great Cheng embody virtue, so by handling this matter according to them, I am repaying resentment with virtue." Jiuzhu smiled with innocent sincerity. "To defy the laws of the Great Cheng is treason. By upholding justice, the Three Pure Ones above will bear witness to my righteous deeds and accumulated virtue."

Shen Ying opened her mouth, then closed it silently.

What a perfect way to "repay resentment with virtue," "uphold justice," and "accumulate virtue."

Not a single flaw could be found in her logic.

"Your Highness, Madam, a visitor claims to be an old acquaintance and wishes to speak with you."

Jiuzhu turned to the steward. "Is the visitor male or female, and how old?"

"Your Highness, it appears to be a young woman of about seventeen or eighteen," the steward replied. "She carries no calling card, and her origins are unclear. This old servant believes it would be best not to receive her."

"A young woman of seventeen or eighteen?" Jiuzhu and Shen Ying exchanged glances, both thinking of the same person.

"Let her in," Jiuzhu said with a smile. "I’m quite curious to see what kind of person this girl, who dared impersonate a royal relative, truly is."

As she stepped through the gates of the Ming Family estate, Ming Zhenyu’s gaze swept over the courtyard that had appeared in her memories countless times. The towering trees she remembered didn’t seem as grand now, but the servants were still as reserved as ever.

Before entering the main courtyard, she hesitated for a moment.

This was where she had stood years ago, listening to Shen Ying’s accusations, never to set foot in this place again.

"Young lady, please follow me," the steward leading the way called to her.

"My apologies. It’s been so long since I last came here that I’ve nearly forgotten what it looks like."

She expected the steward to ask when she had visited before, but the woman merely bowed slightly and continued guiding her inside.

Entering the hall, Ming Zhenyu looked at Shen Ying seated in the place of honor and smiled triumphantly. "This humble girl, Ming Zhenyu, greets the Madam. Eleven years have passed—how have you been?"

"Ming Zhenyu?" Shen Ying took a sip of tea and turned to Jiuzhu. "Do we have such a relative in our family?"

Jiuzhu shook her head. "I’ve never heard you mention her."

Ming Zhenyu’s smile froze. She had expected Shen Ying to react with shock, anger, or unease upon hearing her name. Instead, she acted as if she didn’t even remember who she was.

She refused to believe Shen Ying had truly forgotten!

"There’s no need for pretenses, Madam. Back then, I even called you 'Mother.'" Ming Zhenyu turned her gaze to Ming Jiuzhu beside Shen Ying. "It seems that once you found your real daughter, you forgot all about this impostor."

"If you know you’re a fraud, why come here to humiliate yourself?" Shen Ying’s tone was cutting. "When you were young, I had you sent back to Lingzhou. Now that you’re grown, I’ll have you chased out with a broom."

Unprepared for such harsh words, Ming Zhenyu could no longer suppress her fury. "I wouldn’t be standing here if I feared your retaliation."

Jiuzhu burst into laughter.

Ming Zhenyu whirled to face her. "What are you laughing at?"

"Oh, nothing at all." Jiuzhu blinked innocently, cradling her teacup with an air of guileless curiosity. "Don’t mind me—please continue."

Any threat loses its momentum when interrupted.

Under Jiuzhu’s amused gaze—as if she were watching a spectacle—Ming Zhenyu flushed with humiliation. After a strained pause, she revealed her purpose for coming: "I know your secret."

"What secret?" Jiuzhu couldn’t help but ask—though her question was directed at Shen Ying, not Ming Zhenyu.

Shen Ying shook her head slowly. "I have no idea."

Unless…

Her brow furrowed slightly. Had Ming Zhenyu discovered the true extent of Jingzhou and Jiuzhu’s painting skills?

"You and your husband have deceived the imperial family with your audacity. Aren’t you afraid the truth will come out one day?" Ming Zhenyu smirked triumphantly at Shen Ying’s frown. "Deceiving the Emperor is a capital offense."

Shen Ying lifted her eyes to Ming Zhenyu. Exaggerating one’s painting skills hardly counted as deception.

The Ming Family hadn’t won the imperial family’s favor through artistry.

Shen Ying remained silent, while Ming Zhenyu pressed on indignantly: "Shen Ying, all these years, because you drove me out of the Capital City, I’ve endured endless scorn and ridicule. Have you ever considered what my life has been like?"

"The ones responsible for your suffering aren’t me, but the greedy and shameless Ming Family of Lingzhou." Shen Ying’s voice was icy. "Why should I care about the fate of a fraud?"

"If I’m a fraud, what does that make you?" Ming Zhenyu pointed at Jiuzhu. "You concealed her origins, married her into the imperial family to curry favor with the Emperor and Empress, and let her revel in wealth and status—isn’t that deception?"

Jiuzhu hugged her teacup and widened her eyes slowly. "Huh?"

Her origins?

The obscure Daoist temple in the nameless mountains of Lingzhou might have been humble, but her family had never hidden it from the imperial household.

"Shen Ying, I’ll be waiting at Changfeng Slope in the western outskirts in one hour. I hope you and your daughter come with sincerity." With that, she turned and left.

After she was gone, Jiuzhu was silent for a long moment. "Mother… was she here to extort us?"

And with such brazen confidence, too—no wonder she had dared to impersonate someone else.

Ming Jisi waited outside the Ming Family gates. When Ming Zhenyu emerged, he asked, "Did you make things clear to them?"

"I arranged to meet them at Changfeng Slope in the western outskirts. I didn’t want to risk being at a disadvantage in their home."

"What disadvantage?" Ming Jisi lost interest when it became clear his sister hadn’t gained anything. "Hurry to the western outskirts and return early to cook. That old woman your 'benefactor' hired makes food I can’t stomach."

Ming Zhenyu clenched her jaw, then nodded after a pause. "Fine."

Half an hour later, Prince Chen arrived at the Ming Family to pick up Jiuzhu and return to the palace. Upon hearing from the servants that Jiuzhu had gone to Changfeng Slope in the western suburbs, he turned his carriage toward that direction.

Changfeng Slope was famous for its strong winds. Had Jiuzhu and her mother gone there to let the harsh winds batter their faces?

"Mother, the wind outside is fierce—please don’t go out," Jiuzhu said, lifting the carriage curtain to glance at the grass on the hillside, swaying wildly in the gusts. "We’ll wait for her to come to us."

When Ming Zhenyu spotted the Ming Family’s carriage approaching, she quickly adjusted herself into a mysteriously poised posture, expecting Shen Ying and her daughter to step out. But as her back ached and her legs grew stiff from waiting, the carriage at the foot of the hill remained still.

What was this? Were they toying with her?