After several days of travel, Baili Weisheng and Meng Duo’er finally arrived at the capital. Throughout the journey, Baili Weisheng had barely paid Baili Xiaosheng any attention at all, aside from keeping her mouth gagged.
This left Meng Duo’er unable to bear watching any longer. Although she didn’t particularly like Baili Xiaosheng, disliking someone didn’t mean hostility. Several times she removed the gag from Baili Xiaosheng’s mouth and patiently tried to persuade her, explaining not only what had happened to the destroyed Sheng clan, but also the background of the Phoenix-tail Sheng lineage, and quite a few of the Xiao family’s shady dealings. By the end, Baili Xiaosheng had genuinely begun to waver.
When Baili Weisheng and Meng Duo’er’s carriage slowly pulled up at the back gate of Prince Yao’s manor, they were startled to see Jun Buli’s carriage just about to leave!
“That brat!” Baili Weisheng spat, only now realizing he’d been played by Jun Buli—that scoundrel hadn’t had any real business at all, he’d simply left ahead of them on his own.
Baili Weisheng knocked loudly on the gate, and soon Hongyi came to open it, trying not to laugh when she saw them, since the young master had just instructed her to wait by the gate, saying Baili Weisheng and the others would probably arrive soon.
But Baili Weisheng quickly broke into a grin. “Did your young master already go inside?”
“Just went in, over to East Garden. The prince and princess consort are there too, waiting for you all,” Hongyi answered, then peeked over at Baili Xiaosheng, delighted. “Xiaosheng’s back too?”
At that moment, still gagged, Baili Xiaosheng eyed the back gate of Prince Yao’s manor suspiciously, her heart pounding a little.
She had lost her memory for a long time. Brother Sheng Zimo had told her the Sheng clan had been wiped out by villains, leaving just the two of them, and that the Xiao family had saved them, so they owed the Xiao family a debt of gratitude and needed to help them fight for the realm.
Yet even having lost her memory, she still knew what Prince Yao’s manor in Da Zhou represented, and who lived within these walls.
She never expected these people to actually bring her back here. Could it be that everything they’d told her was true—that she really was Baili Weisheng’s disciple, Prince Yao’s consort’s adopted goddaughter?
If not, with their power, there would have been no need to bother with a lone girl like her—if they simply kept Shiliang restrained, there’d be nothing she could do against them anyway.
Baili Weisheng hoisted Baili Xiaosheng back onto his shoulder and strode in through the gate after Hongyi, while Meng Duo’er handed Shiliang over to the guards—her binding barrier was permanent; as long as she didn’t release it, no one in the world could free Shiliang.
They soon arrived at East Garden, where in the courtyard, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue had prepared a grand welcome feast for them on the lawn.
Consort Li was nowhere to be seen, and Jun Buli, who had gone to bathe and change, wasn’t present either.
Ziqing, heavily pregnant with her due date next month, still moved as nimbly as ever, not looking pregnant in the least, while Jun Beiyue stayed by her side, tending to her with meticulous care.
Though he’d known Ziqing was pregnant, when Baili Weisheng saw her swollen belly and slightly rounder face, his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat—he couldn’t quite say what he felt in that instant, only that it felt strange.
But he quickly pushed the feeling aside, a mischievous glint hidden in his eyes, and happily pushed Baili Xiaosheng forward, saying cheerfully, “Little Qingqing, look, I’ve brought your wife back for you!”
At these words, Baili Xiaosheng froze completely—was he talking about her? Wife?
Didn’t they say she was Prince Yao’s consort’s adopted goddaughter?
She wanted to speak, but her mouth was still gagged.
Ziqing turned and saw Baili Xiaosheng, first startled, then stepping forward eagerly in surprise. “This… this…”
Baili Xiaosheng standing before her had grown much taller, and looked even more delicate and beautiful than before, though the scars on her face still stood as a reminder of the past to everyone.
Ziqing was quite moved—if her belly hadn’t been so large, she truly would have wanted to embrace the girl!
“Why is her mouth covered!” Ziqing said, hurrying over to remove the gag from Baili Xiaosheng’s mouth.
Baili Weisheng quickly stopped her. “Don’t—she’ll curse. Let her calm down first.”
“I already know her situation,” Ziqing said seriously.
“Did Jun Buli tell you?” Baili Weisheng asked, puzzled. Ziqing shook her head. “Jing’er and Guxi told me.”
“They… they’re here too!” Meng Duo’er said, delighted.
“Mm-hm, she absolutely refused to go back to Xijing, insisted on coming to see Da Zhou. Guxi took her around the palace today,” Ziqing explained.
Meng Duo’er’s mind immediately conjured up an image of Jun Buli’s dark, gloomy expression, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Consort Li… has she returned to the palace?”
Clearly, the mention of Consort Li made Ziqing unhappy, and without thinking too much of it, she simply nodded.
Meng Duo’er said nothing more, though the corner of her mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
At this point, Ziqing carefully tore off Baili Xiaosheng’s gag and untied her.
Baili Xiaosheng raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re not afraid I’ll run?”
“You can’t escape Prince Yao’s manor. Don’t believe me? Try it,” Ziqing said, raising an eyebrow.
Baili Xiaosheng actually turned and started walking away. Baili Weisheng immediately grabbed her, but Ziqing told him to let go. “Girl, if by tomorrow evening you can escape Prince Yao’s manor, you can do whatever you want. If not…”
“There’s no ‘if not’!” Baili Xiaosheng said coldly.
“And if there is?” Ziqing asked.
“Whatever you say goes!” Baili Xiaosheng said, turning to walk off.
Baili Weisheng sat down and grabbed a piece of braised pork, taking a big bite. “Little Qingqing, you must have been bored out of your mind cooped up in this manor.”
“You’re her master and you still don’t know her temperament? Once she’s convinced, I’ll have my father examine her,” Ziqing said seriously.
Back then, Sheng Zimo had kidnapped Xiaosheng and used some method to make her lose her memory. From then on, Xiaosheng had listened only to his words, not only ordering Shiliang to destroy the Poison Den, but also having Shiliang help the Xiao family with countless matters.
He had also had her acknowledge the Xiao couple as her adoptive parents, living at the Xiao Manor under the identity of the Xiao family’s Ninth Young Miss.
Now that she’d been rescued, the most fortunate thing was that she hadn’t been harmed in any real way. But Ziqing couldn’t help but consider—if Baili Xiaosheng regained her memory and learned the destruction of the Sheng clan was tied to her, how much guilt would she carry for the rest of her life!
“I think she’s fine as she is. Let the past be the past,” Baili Weisheng said, seemingly offhandedly, but the words made a lot of sense.
Seeing Meng Duo’er still standing off to the side, Ziqing quickly waved her over. “Duo’er, sit! You must be exhausted from the journey!”
Ziqing specifically invited her to sit in the seat beside her—on her right side, and on her left, Baili Weisheng.
Meng Duo’er sat down. Baili Weisheng barely reacted, likely starving from the Nanzhao trip, and with a table full of fine wine and delicacies, and not everyone even seated yet, he’d already started eating.
“I handed Shiliang over to the guards. The barrier technique is permanent—only I can release it, so don’t worry,” Meng Duo’er said seriously.
Ziqing nodded, a complicated look flickering across her eyes. Guxi had come to her the previous night to discuss the matter of Shiliang; she owed him an answer.
She herself wished to destroy Shiliang too, but this matter would depend on Baili Xiaosheng’s attitude.
Just as they were speaking, Jun Buli, having finished bathing and changing, looking refreshed, walked over dressed in white brocade palace robes.
Having completed the task Mother had entrusted to him, and not needing to bicker with a bunch of women in his ear, his mood was noticeably good…