Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 338 Towards the Golden Palace (42)

"Huh?" Cheng Qingshuang was startled. "What happened? How could Luo Jun..."

Xie Zhao was furious, but dared not vent it due to the situation.

He had been confined to his residence these past few days and unable to leave, and only after careful consideration did he discover the clues.

The man in black who disguised himself as a bandit to rob Meng Zhenyue that day was hired by Luo Yun, but the man in black changed his mind halfway through. Not only did he not kill Meng Zhenyue, he also injured his eyes.

Furthermore, Cheng Qingshuang mentioned that Meng Zhenyue had been going out frequently for a period of time, and it was unknown who she had met there. After returning, her personality changed drastically.

That bitch Luo Yun probably found Meng Zhenyue as soon as she arrived in the capital and told her everything he had done in the past.

The reason Meng Zhenyue treated her this way was probably because she listened to Luo Yun and secretly found out something.

For example, the incident five years ago when he was given a drug that would prevent him from having children.

This explains why she hates herself so much now.

After figuring these things out, Xie Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.

He underestimated Luo Yun; this woman's scheming was far more profound than he had imagined.

She had been playing this game of revenge for years.

Xie Zhao knew that his two wives had joined forces to kill him. He was in a similar situation to a fish trapped in a shallow pond. If he didn't find a way to save himself, he would die silently here sooner or later.

Now, the only person who can save him is Xie Yuanzhen—his biological father.

Xie Zhao has a secret that only four people in the world know, and he has never told either Luo Yun or Meng Zhenyue.

His mother, Cheng Qingshuang, was the daughter of a merchant and a cousin of Xie Yuanzhen, the Imperial Guard General of the Imperial Guard. Thirty years ago, after losing both her parents, Cheng Qingshuang came to the capital from Qi County, thousands of miles away, to seek refuge with the Xie family.

At that time, Xie Yuanzhen, the eldest son of the Xie family, already had a wife, but he fell in love with Cheng Qingshuang at first sight and secretly pledged their lives to each other.

Xie Yuanzhen promised to take Cheng Qingshuang as a concubine, and the two secretly became pregnant.

However, Xie Yuanzhen's wife, Li, accidentally discovered this matter. Li was a resourceful woman, and she brought the matter to the old lady in charge of the household, making it known to the whole family.

The old lady hated illicit relationships between men and women and immediately kicked Cheng Qingshuang out.

Xie Yuanzhen could only keep Cheng Qingshuang as a mistress outside the home, and not long after, Xie Zhao was born.

Because of Xie Yuanzhen's protection, Xie Zhao's life before the age of fourteen was no different from that of a rich young master. He ate delicacies and wore fine silks and satins.

When he was fourteen, Li discovered his existence with Cheng Qingshuang and immediately sent people to kill the mother and son.

With a daughter from the Li family serving as a concubine in the imperial harem, the entire Li family rose to prominence.

In contrast, Xie Yuanzhen remained a mere fourth-rank Imperial Guard General for decades. He dared not oppose the Li family, so he could only secretly protect the mother and son, giving them a sum of money so they could flee far away.

Both Xie Zhao and Cheng Qingshuang grew up in luxury and had never experienced hardship. Less than half a month after leaving the capital with that sum of money, they were swindled out of everything on the road.

The mother and son wandered all the way to Luo Family Village. In order to survive, Xie Zhao had no choice but to marry Luo Jun, a peasant girl.

Having suffered greatly, Xie Zhao secretly vowed that he would pass the imperial examination, return to the capital, and take revenge on everyone who had wronged him and his mother.

During his six years as an official in the court, Xie Zhao only saw Xie Yuanzhen once, from afar, on the day the top scholar was paraded through the streets.

Xie Yuanzhen recognized him, but she did not acknowledge him, either in public or in private.

Xie Zhao knew that the imperial concubine from Li's family had given birth to a prince who was expected to ascend to the throne in the future. Xie Yuanzhen had completely abandoned his son in order to please the increasingly powerful Li family.

Xie Zhao had feelings of affection for Xie Yuanzhen, but also hated him when he was abandoned.

He had imagined countless times how, when he rose to the highest position in the court, he would appear before Xie Yuanzhen, and how he would weep bitterly, regretting his past actions and remorse for abandoning him and Cheng Qingshuang...

But he never expected that the thought of going out to find Xie Yuanzhen would arise again in such a disheveled state.

"Mother, the only person who can save us now is Xie... only Father." Xie Zhao said, suppressing his grievances. "If Father knew our situation, he wouldn't stand idly by."

Cheng Qingshuang still harbors deep psychological trauma from being hunted down by Li's men and fleeing for her life in a sorry state. She is unwilling to have anything to do with Xie Yuanzhen again.

“Zhao’er, I dare not…” Cheng Qingshuang said with red eyes, “If Li finds out we are still alive, given her jealous nature, she will definitely kill us!”

“If we don’t go to find Father, we’ll only be dead if we stay here,” Xie Zhao said. “Meng Zhenyue won’t let me go. Once I die, you, Zhaolin, and Wanfang will all die.”

When it came to her most beloved grandchildren, Cheng Qingshuang felt a surge of courage. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Okay, I'll go!"

With the jade pendant tucked inside, Cheng Qingshuang quietly left the courtyard.

The next morning, Cheng Qingshuang took advantage of the servants' inattention and hid on the oxcart that was delivering vegetables, and successfully left the Xie residence.

But as soon as the oxcart left the Xie residence, it was spotted by two people who were keeping a close eye on the Xie residence's every move.

-

Cao Mansion.

"General Xie Yuanzhen of the Imperial Guards?" Yan Zhen held a teacup in one hand and used the lid to skim off the tea foam with the other, his face thoughtful. "What is Cheng Qingshuang's relationship with him? Why did she go to intercept him on his way to his shift?"

Xue Lin said, "The people I sent are still investigating."

"Xie Zhao's surname is Xie, and Xie Yuanzhen's surname is also Xie..." Yan Zhen flipped through Luo Yun's memories, recalling the scene when the original owner first met Xie Zhao.

Xie Zhao was only sixteen years old at that time. Although he was penniless and lived in Luo Family Village as an outsider, his demeanor was unlike that of a country person who toiled in the fields.

It seems there's a lot to uncover about Xie Zhao and Cheng Qingshuang's past, and it's highly likely related to Xie Yuanzhen.

Facing Xie Zhao, who was already trapped, Yan Zhen was fearless no matter what secrets he was hiding.

She asked Xue Lin about another matter: "When did you send people to stake out outside the Xie family's residence? How come I didn't know about it?"

Cheng Qingshuang's secret departure from the mansion to find Xie Yuanzhen was discovered and reported back by someone Xue Lin had sent to stake out outside the Xie family.

Xue Lin said, "The day Xie Zhao was injured and carried back, I sent people to guard outside the Xie residence. Xie Zhao was able to become the top scholar, which proves that he is not a stupid person. He just failed because he was too arrogant. Once such a person calms down, Meng Zhenyue may not be his match."

Yan Zhen nodded: "Your considerations are not without merit."

Xue Lin thought for a moment and asked, "Sister, you should have considered this issue as well, so why didn't you take precautions?"

She knew Xie Zhao was cunning and scheming, and logically, even if it was to protect Meng Zhenyue, he shouldn't have been completely unprepared.

Yan Zhen took a sip of tea and placed the teacup on the small table.

"Xie Zhao can never return to officialdom. He's just a useless person. I bet no one will be willing to offend you, me, and Meng Zongrong for his sake."