Chapter 6: She is Rao Rao (IV)

Chapter 6: She is Rao Rao (IV)

"Father..."

"Mother..."

Low sobs and stifled cries eventually erupted from their throats, tears that had been held back now streaming down their reddened cheeks.

The icy tears soaked into the cotton pillow without pause, merging and disappearing. A heavy hoarseness emerged from their constrained voices.

Yet, Su Rao clung to her lips, determined not to let such sounds escape further. Shivering on the bed, she wrapped her arms tightly with her slender, pale fingers.

Only in this way could she obey, suppress the darkness and hatred that threatened to devour her last shred of conscience, preventing it from overwhelming the sole wish of her father and mother.

"Mother, Miss behaved like that..."

Though the fireworks had long faded, Langjing's revelry continued.

Outside the Ruo Xiang Pavilion, Qin Niang and Yi Su stood guard in silence.

Yi Su glanced into the pavilion from time to time, her eyes filled with concern.

Dressed in a light green attire, her hair was tied high into a ponytail with a green ribbon, accentuating her slender and graceful figure. A short dagger was tucked at her waist.

She looked very capable.

That little girl had long grown up.

Miss spent the whole day out today. Upon her return, she seemed unharmed and there was no trace of alcohol on her breath. However, Yi Su knew that Miss had drunk again, and quite a lot. Tomorrow, she would likely suffer from a headache.

"Miss is struggling emotionally. If she doesn't let it all out, she'll only feel worse. Today, her enemy ascended the throne, yet Miss could do nothing, absolutely nothing. Let her vent!"

Qin Niang also gazed at the pavilion. Dressed as a matron, she wore a dark green silk robe. Her black hair was styled in a simple bun, held in place by an unadorned silver hairpin. Despite her plain attire, an air of nobility exuded from her. Even among the noble ladies of the Yun Lang Kingdom, Qin Niang would not be overshadowed standing beside them. However, she deliberately concealed her regal demeanor.

Yi Su suddenly clenched her delicate hand, a faint hint of hatred flickering in her eyes.

"Su'er," Qin Niang noticed and promptly tugged at her sleeve.

A slight frown creased her brow.

Yi Su released her grip, and in the briefest of moments, fingerprints already marked her palm.

"Mother, I won't act recklessly. Our mission is simply to protect Miss."

Qin Niang nodded, the tension around her brows easing.

Indeed...

"The fall of Great Qin was foreseen by His Highness, though not so soon. With vassal lords dividing territories and foreign lands claiming their own domains, Emperor Xuanye, despite his astuteness, compelled the princes and grandsons of these lords to serve as hostages in Great Qin. This was a push too far, compelling the vassal states to consider rebellion.

His Highness advised many times, but his concerns fell on deaf ears. Instead, the Emperor grew more authoritarian. Under such circumstances, the vassals' rebellion became inevitable. It's a pity for our Crown Prince, whose aspirations were left unfulfilled, with his life ending in a bath of royal blood."

A figure approached from the balcony steps, dressed in a dark-green martial attire. He had chiseled features and a middle-aged appearance, holding a sword with a steady demeanor.

It was Uncle Hao, now in the prime of his life.

From their aura, it was clear that Uncle Hao and Qin Niang were no ordinary refugees. In truth, they hailed from the legitimate Yun Lang principality.

Two decades ago in the Great Qin, Uncle Hao and Qin Niang were deeply in love, desiring to spend their lives together. However, their respective parents forbade their union. Undeterred, they eloped and fled to the Imperial City of the Great Qin.

Uncle Hao's martial prowess earned him the admiration of the Great Qin's Crown Prince, who considered him a confidant and sought to appoint him in the military. But due to Emperor Xuanye's suspicions towards the Crown Prince, this plan was abandoned.

Uncle Hao, unwilling to join the military, feared that his association with the Yun Lang Principality might implicating the Crown Prince if discovered. Thus, he became an undercover aide to the future king.

On the night of New Year's Eve nine years ago, the couple was invited by the Crown Prince to celebrate the festival in the Eastern Palace. Tragically, they found themselves caught in the midst of a great upheaval in the Great Qin, as the vassal states rebelled.

In the chaos, the Crown Prince and his consort entrusted Qin Rao into the care of Uncle Hao and his wife.

Following Qin Rao's substitution for Su Rao, the Su family naturally dispatched investigators to look into the family that had saved Su Rao. The findings revealed that Uncle Hao and Qin Niang were both from the Yun Lang Principality, and their respective family backgrounds were quite influential. Currently, they were both serving in official capacities within the Yun Lang Kingdom.

Though not as esteemed as the Su family, they were still prominent households in the Yun Lang Principality.

However, according to their families, Uncle Hao and Qin Niang were long considered deceased. Even upon learning that they were now temporarily under the protection of the Grand General's Estate, their families pretended not to know them. Their existence had been erased from their family records.

In ancient times, elopement was not just an issue between two individuals; it concerned the dignity of both families, especially for prominent clans like those in Yun Lang. Thus, such incidents would be meticulously concealed by the families involved.

Upon discovering this situation, the elderly General Su, moved by Uncle Hao and Qin Niang's life-saving grace for his young granddaughter, decided to keep them in the Su household. He assigned them to stay by Su Rao's side to look after her.

Qin Rao had already considered this plan after conceiving the idea of substitution. However, before she could take any action, the elderly General had already taken care of it, sparing them the need for secret scheming.

Uncle Hao's words were clear to Su Rao. In truth, she was well aware that regime changes were a product of their time. Though the world she found herself in was not the ancient era she knew, it was still an age of cold weapons. Where there were dynasties, there would be wars, and where there were wars, there would be casualties and transitions of power.

However, when such events unfolded before her, even with a full understanding, she couldn't help but harbor resentment and frustration at the inhumane nature of society.

Her sobs subsided, and she gently wiped away the tears from her face. Despite her jaundiced complexion, her bright, almond-shaped eyes shimmered like autumn water, and the pink hues at the corners of her eyes grew more vibrant. Her appearance was so captivating that one would unconsciously overlook her skin tone and the hideous scar on her forehead.

Where her tears had fallen, the yellow tinge on her cheeks faded slightly. Even the finest makeup would smudge, let alone in this ancient era without setting powder. The fact that her makeup had only slightly smeared after crying was a testament to the extensive knowledge she had acquired in her previous life.

Rising from her seat, she walked to the table. A cup of tea sat there, and the flickering candlelight in the room reflected her image. The crimson hue at the edges of her eyes retained its intensity, making her enchanting almond-shaped eyes sparkle even more vibrantly.

Coincidentally, she shared the same pair of almond-shaped eyes as the real Su Rao; however, that was where their similarities ended.

They were entirely different.

Yet in those nine years, enough time had passed for a girl to mature and transform completely.

Especially with such a wan, sickly complexion, who would bother to give her a second glance?

She only wished to be the ugly daughter of the Su family, unnoticed by all. Shielded by the Su family, she could fulfill her parents' wish for a peaceful life, hiding like a turtle in its shell forever.

But fate had other plans. Due to her disfigurement, the Su family, fearing that she would remain unwed, started looking for a husband for her when Su Rao was thirteen.

However, at that time, she was still only twelve, and she had never planned on marrying anyway. Thus, after her disfigurement, she continued to portray Su Rao's debauched and wayward nature.

General Su, though, adored his granddaughter too much. Seeing her increasingly licentious behavior, he would only watch, no longer chasing after her as he used to before the disfigurement, ready to make advances without hesitation.

Assuming that her disfigurement had bred inferiority in her heart, robbing her of her former pride, he insisted on finding her a match. If she took a fancy to any young nobleman, he promised to seek an imperial edict, daring anyone to object.

Even Prince Jiyue would be acceptable, he said. After all, it was he who had caused his precious granddaughter's ruined appearance; he should take responsibility.

This left Su Rao with no escape. Eventually, she conjured up the character of Young Master Xiao to appease General Su's doting love. And just like that, three years passed by.