Chapter 63: Make It Clear

The hall of the Duke of Ding'an's manor was brightly lit.

Sitting in a chair, Cheng Yuan looked left and right, eyeing the luxurious and extravagant hall with novelty, until a glare from Liu Changqing finally settled him down.

Liu Changqing frowned, then looked toward his daughter, Liu Chan, sitting on the other side.

Earlier, everything had been a chaotic mess: his daughter appeared, a stranger also called Miss Liu Chan appeared, the Embroidered Uniform officers appeared, there was shouting and threats of violence, and then suddenly it turned into a family reunion, and a young man had turned into a young lady.

The situation was so chaotic, with too many things to explain, that the Embroidered Uniform officers had driven everyone into the Duke of Ding'an's manor.

"Sit down and explain everything clearly!" the Embroidered Uniform Commandant, gripping his blade, said through gritted teeth.

*Can this mess even be explained clearly?* Liu Changqing thought to himself.

"What exactly is going on?" he demanded in a low voice.

Liu Chan glanced at her father and said softly, "Wait a moment, Father. Once Ah Sheng comes out and explains, you will know."

Liu Changqing gave her a deep look but said nothing more.

A shadow flickered, and Yang Hui stood before Liu Chan, asking with suspicion, "You are Liu Chan? What is actually happening here?"

Liu Chan had already realized from outside that this woman was the young lady of the Duke of Ding'an's manor, but she wasn't particularly afraid. She still replied softly, "You will know in a moment."

Yang Hui glared at her, then turned her gaze toward Wei Jiao, who sat in the main seat of the hall with a row of Embroidered Uniform officers standing behind him.

Wei Jiao sat lazily in his chair, swirling the teacup in his hand as if enjoying the tea. He even said to the officers behind him, "Now we taste the tea of the Duke of Ding'an's family; later, we'll have the Duke taste our tea. Consider it a courtesy in return."

An officer nearby smiled and complimented, "The Commandant is truly well-versed in etiquette."

*Etiquette, my foot.* The young man before her was even more radiant under the indoor lights. Yang Hui didn't dare look any longer; the tea from the Embroidered Uniform officers was certainly nothing delicious!

With an expression of terror and anxiety, she hurried toward the inner chambers.

"Mother—"

"What is going on!"

"Is that person a man or a woman!"

"Who is it, really!"

***

"So, I am Miss Yang Luo now?"

In one of the side rooms of the Duke of Ding'an's manor, Mo Zheng looked at Yang Luo and spoke softly.

"And you are the maid, Ah Sheng?"

Taking advantage of the opportunity to change clothes, the two had retreated to a private room to speak in low voices.

Yang Luo looked at the young guard before her. Perhaps because she now knew the person was a woman, the guard's originally sharp features seemed to possess a certain softness.

"I'm sorry, everything happened so suddenly, I..." Yang Luo whispered, "I originally intended to just risk it and reveal my identity, but once I learned you were a woman, I suddenly thought of a way to continue hiding my identity."

The plan was for the two to swap identities.

Compared to the status of a young lady, a maid—even one who had entered the Duke's manor—was not officially recognized as family. She could continue to remain undercover.

Mo Zheng remained silent.

Seeing her silence, Yang Luo apologized again. "I'm sorry." She added hurriedly, "If you are unwilling, they are just outside. I will go out immediately and make it clear—I am still me, and you are still you..."

As she spoke, she prepared to head out.

Mo Zheng grabbed her arm and shook her head gently. "There is no need, Miss. Being your guard and ensuring your safety was my promise. If swapping identities can keep you safe, then it is naturally no problem."

Yang Luo looked at her, tears welling in her eyes as she murmured, "Ah Sheng..."

Mo Zheng smiled. "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. After all, I was the one who hid the truth from you, Miss, and intended to keep hiding it..."

Hearing this, Yang Luo couldn't help but interrupt, "Then how did Liu Chan know?"

If not for Liu Chan calling her "sister," she wouldn't have discovered it.

Mo Zheng said, "I went to persuade her at night while you were asleep. Since it was night, if I had burst in as a man, it would have frightened Miss Liu. She would have become wary before I could even speak, so I met her in the guise of a woman."

She sounded somewhat helpless as she continued.

"I told her I needed to protect you in the guise of a man, but I didn't tell her that you didn't know. I was worried she would become suspicious if I told her. As it turned out, she thought you already knew, and her behavior and speech gave her away when she faced you."

*So that's how it was.* Yang Luo looked at the youth before her—no, the girl.

"Have you been dressing as a man all these years?" she asked softly.

Mo Zheng nodded. "I was found and raised by an old hunter and his wife. It wasn't convenient for a girl to be a hunter, and it would be easy to be bullied, so the old hunter had me dress as a boy."

Yang Luo looked at her. Later, when she became a bandit leader and was executed by the imperial court, her true gender was never discovered. Was it because her head was severed before her body could be examined?

Of course, she couldn't ask that.

Yang Luo clenched her hands. Ah Sheng had lived as a man and was never discovered until this very moment, when she exposed her true self for her sake.

"Ah Sheng, thank you," she whispered. "It's all because of me..."

Mo Zheng interrupted her. "The Miss will repay me in the future, right?"

Yang Luo nodded heavily.

"That is enough." Mo Zheng smiled and asked decisively, "What should I do next?"

"First, change back into women's clothing to show we weren't lying," Yang Luo said, thinking of Wei Jiao. "Otherwise, Wei Jiao won't let this go."

Mo Zheng nodded and reached for her clothes.

Yang Luo quickly turned around. Even though they were both women, it was improper to stare. Listening to the rustling sounds, she heard not just the robes, but also the sound of cloth strips being unwound and dropped to the floor—likely the chest bindings used to flatten her silhouette.

Yang Luo's mind wandered until she heard Mo Zheng say she was ready. She turned around and saw a person who was both familiar and strange standing before her.

It was just a change of clothes; the face was the same, but Yang Luo felt that the girl before her was suddenly radiant.

"How do I do my hair?" Mo Zheng asked, reaching up to gather her loose hair.

As she raised her arms, her waist appeared slender and her figure graceful. How had she hidden such a physique? Yang Luo had never noticed it in their daily life. She thought back to when they were pretending to be beggars in Lu County, and how Ah Sheng had taught her how to pose as a man. *Ah, so those were lessons born of experience.* Yang Luo reached out, her mind racing. "Let me, let me do it."

Mo Zheng sat down, allowing her to briskly comb and pin her hair into a bun.

"I don't know much about your uncle's family. They will surely interrogate us in a moment," Mo Zheng whispered.

Yang Luo's voice came from behind her. "Time is short, so I can't tell you much. I am your maid. I will speak; you won't need to say a word."

As she spoke, Yang Luo's hand reached forward and placed something around Mo Zheng's neck.

Mo Zheng looked down and saw a red string with a jade pendant attached.

"This should be the token of my birth. My mother has worn it on me since I was a child, telling me never to lose it."

"Perhaps seeing this will stop them from doubting us."

Mo Zheng picked up the jade pendant and saw a line of numbers—the date. It was likely Yang Luo's birthday. Her gaze fell upon the carved patterns, and her fingers slowly traced them.

*Dragon motifs.*

***

In the main hall, the Duke and Duchess of Ding'an watched the young girl walk out. Perhaps having discussed it, their expressions were somewhat calmer.

Mo Zheng lowered her eyes and bowed. "Uncle, Aunt."

"Wait, don't call us yet," the Duke said in a heavy voice, scrutinizing her face. "After my sister left the capital, we never saw her again, nor did we see you. How... how can you prove you are her daughter? The news from Lu County said that both mother and daughter burned to death. What is your story?"

"Miss and I escaped from the back mountain," Yang Luo explained, fulfilling her duty as a maid. "The ones who burned to death were the Madam and her maid..."

Before she could finish, Mo Zheng suddenly raised her hand to stop her.

"I knew that even if I came, you wouldn't recognize me. For all these years, my mother never mentioned you, nor did she let me come looking for you." She looked at the couple with a calm expression. "So, I didn't intend to come to your door. I met Liu Chan on the road, and using her identity, I managed to pass the exam to become a study companion. I intended to earn a living in the capital, but since my borrowed identity was exposed, I had no choice but to come to see you..."

She finished with a formal curtsy.

"Once I have explained everything to the Liu family and the Embroidered Uniform officers, I will leave."

The Duke and Duchess were stunned. *Is that so? She doesn't intend to claim her family?*

"However, my leaving is not out of guilt," the girl said, her expression turning somewhat haughty. She reached into her collar, pulled out the red string, and handed over the jade pendant. "This was given to me by my mother. She said it was related to my origins. You might recognize it..."

The Duke and Duchess looked at the pendant. The moment they saw the inscription and the dragon motif, their expressions changed drastically. A gurgling sound escaped the Duke's throat, while the Duchess lunged forward, grabbing both the pendant and Mo Zheng's hand.

"Leave? Leave where!" Her voice trembled as she gripped Mo Zheng's hand tightly. "You aren't going anywhere! This is your home!"

With that, she turned and struck the Duke hard on the arm.

"Even if you haven't seen her, can't you recognize her? Why are you asking! This child looks exactly like my sister!"

The Duke's lips quivered, and a sob escaped him as he covered his face.

"My poor... niece."