Chapter 324: Mistaken Identity

Chapter 324: Mistaken Identity

The name "Ayou," when she heard it from her mother, filled her with comfort and warmth; when she heard it from Lord He, it was a mix of sweetness and bitterness; but hearing it from the man before her, she felt only resistance.

Her mother had abandoned her identity as the empress dowager, only to die because of it in the end. And this man, who had neither given birth to her nor raised her, now held the throne, effortlessly claimed her as his daughter, even using her existence to ease his guilt towards her mother, letting him sleep more soundly.

Just thinking about it, Xin You felt a sense of injustice for her mother.

"Ayou?"

Xin You looked at Emperor Xingyuan, hearing him ask again, and after a moment of contemplation, she said, "As far as I know, Miss Kou had a fortune of four hundred thousand taels of silver in the Duan Shaoqing's residence. Miss Kou's untimely death is undoubtedly related to this sum of money. Why not set up a charity in Miss Kou's name to provide disaster relief and aid the poor? This would not only earn merit for Miss Kou but also help thousands of commoners in distress."

She no longer had the identity of Miss Kou, so directly demanding the silver from the Duan Shaoqing's residence wouldn’t stand. However, such matters need not be brought into the open. The Duan Shaoqing's residence, guilty of wrongdoing, would surely hand over the silver to protect themselves if the emperor merely hinted at it.

Miss Kou died because of her wealth, and the Duan Shaoqing's residence lost this fortune. For Kou Qingqing, who died unjustly, this outcome should bring her peace.

As for bringing the Duan Shaoqing's residence to ruin, Xin You, imagining herself in Kou Qingqing’s place, thought that Kou Qingqing might not necessarily wish for such an outcome. And for herself, she did not want to be responsible for multiple lives.

Emperor Xingyuan couldn’t hide his shock: "Four hundred thousand?"

How could a young girl have so much money?

"Actually, it was a million taels. I have already retrieved six hundred thousand for Kou Qingqing, and the silver donated for relief efforts previously came from this sum."

"A million?" Emperor Xingyuan’s face contorted.

Princess Zhaoyang couldn't bear to watch and softly reminded, "Your Majesty—"

Don’t let the child you just acknowledged laugh at you!

"Ah, I know what to do," Emperor Xingyuan said, his eyes still fixed on Xin You. "Zhaoyang, accompany Ayou to get cleaned up and dressed."

Princess Zhaoyang nodded, walked over, and took Xin You's hand: "Come with your aunt."

Emperor Xingyuan then summoned Duan Shaoqing and his mother.

"How will Duan Shaoqing explain this upon your return?"

Duan Shaoqing, unsure of Emperor Xingyuan's intentions, cautiously replied, "We’ll say Qingqing died of illness—"

"Nonsense!" Emperor Xingyuan felt this man was a blockhead. "If Kou Qingqing had just died of illness now, how would you explain Xin Mu becoming Xin You?"

He intended to confer the title of princess on Ayou and had no plans to hide his eldest daughter. If the Duan Shaoqing's residence did not clarify the mistaken identity, how would the world react to the emperor taking a minister's niece as his own daughter?

Duan Shaoqing finally understood: "We made a mistake."

Emperor Xingyuan nodded and said indifferently, "Elderly Lady Duan must be exhausted from the trip. Duan Shaoqing, accompany your mother back."

"Your humble servant bids farewell."

Duan Shaoqing felt it was unreal to escape unscathed until the eunuch who escorted him out whispered, "I heard that Miss Kou left behind a fortune of four hundred thousand taels, which your residence will use for charity to accumulate merit for Miss Kou. Lord Duan's magnanimity truly impresses this servant."

Duan Shaoqing paused, facing the eunuch's knowing smile, and forced a smile uglier than a cry: "What a disgrace."

On the way back, Duan Shaoqing's heart ached, and the elderly lady's mood was no better.

"So, Qingqing has been gone for a long time, and the money she left behind must be donated?"

Duan Shaoqing sighed heavily: "This is clearly that girl's intention. If we don't comply, not only will we lose the four hundred thousand taels, but the lives of our entire family might be at risk!"

"That girl is so heartless!" the elderly lady murmured. "No wonder Qingqing, who used to be so well-behaved, turned sharp-tongued and aggressive after being rescued from the cliff. She had already been replaced."

"Mother, don't say any more. Don't forget her current identity."

The elderly lady was stunned, and disbelief slowly set in: "Is she truly the Emperor's daughter?"

"Mother, didn't you notice? She looks almost exactly like His Majesty."

With such a resemblance, once she dropped the identity of the cousin from Duan Shaoqing's residence, no one could doubt that she was the Emperor's daughter.

The elderly lady knew the forty thousand taels of silver were truly gone, and her heart ached so much she could hardly breathe.

The mother and son returned to Duan Shaoqing's residence with heavy hearts, just in time for lunch.

Duan Shaoqing waited for everyone to gather, then dismissed the servants, saying, "I have something to announce."

The second master, Duan Wenbo, and his wife, Zhu Shi, exchanged glances.

They had just received the imperial marriage edict, and then the elderly lady and the eldest brother were summoned to the palace. Could something have gone wrong?

"Second brother."

Duan Wenbo was surprised to be addressed: "Elder brother, please speak."

"The girl you brought back from the mountain village last year wasn't Qingqing."

Duan Shaoqing was too tired to beat around the bush, and his words hit like a thunderclap.

Duan Wenbo was dumbfounded: "Elder brother, what do you mean? I'm confused."

Duan Shaoqing glanced at the family members with varying expressions and said solemnly, "The girl you brought back is actually the daughter of the Emperor and Empress Xin, the one who has been making quite a name for herself in the court and the public recently."

"This can't be possible?" Duan Wenbo instinctively looked at the elderly lady.

"Uncle, what are you saying? How could cousin be the Emperor's daughter?"

Duan Shaoqing's tone was fiery: "She is not your cousin; we mistook her because she looks like your cousin."

Duan Yunlang found it hard to accept this news: "How could there be someone who looks so much like her?"

The elderly lady spoke up: "The world is vast and full of wonders."

"Then, where is cousin Qing?"

Standing in the corner, Duan Yunling's face turned pale, and she couldn't hold back her tears upon hearing Duan Yunlang's question.

What was the point of asking such a foolish question? It was clear that cousin Qing was gone.

Thinking of that quiet and well-behaved cousin who hadn't escaped her stepmother's clutches and had long since died silently somewhere under the cliff, Duan Yunling couldn't help but tremble, tears flooding her eyes.

The shield of courage that Xin You had helped her build was now cracked, filling her with fear.

So, it's hard for the weak to change their fate. Cousin Qing was able to do so many remarkable things because she wasn't really cousin Qing.

"Why are you crying!" The elderly lady glanced at the tearful Duan Yunling and scolded.

Duan Yunling lowered her head and silently wiped away her tears.

"In any case, our family made a mistake. From now on, no one is to speak carelessly."

"I don't believe it—" Duan Yunlang turned and ran out, all the way out of Duan Shaoqing's residence, and unconsciously arrived at the entrance of Qingsong Bookstore.

Liu Zhou saw Duan Yunlang and warmly greeted him: "Young Master, you came alone?"

The young clerk looked behind him and couldn't help but inquire: "Young Master, how has our boss been recently? She hasn't been to the bookstore for a long time."

Duan Yunlang snapped out of his daze, looked at Liu Zhou's smiling face, and impulsively asked: "Do you know who your boss is?"