Lu Yun's expression was dazed as he said, "Sister-in-law, I took Tian Dou and the others to the archery shop today. A man happened to enter the shop and said he wanted to buy toys for his son. I didn't pay attention at first, but when I looked up later, that man looked exactly like my deceased father! I was so scared I fell onto the ground."
"Look exactly like Father?" Bai Sheng asked in shock.
Lu Yun nodded heavily, "Exactly the same, just not as weathered as Father. I wasn't mistaken. But, he didn't seem to recognize me or Xiao Yu at all. He had a little boy with him, and that boy called him Dad."
Bai Sheng's eyes widened, and she grabbed Xiao Yun's arm, asking, "Yun, are you sure Father wasn't a twin?"
"Absolutely sure!" Lu Yun said with a determined look.
Bai Sheng found the matter extremely strange. Two complete strangers looking like twins could only mean something was wrong. She thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Yun, do you know where that man lives?"
Lu Yun replied, "Yes, we followed him later. He opened a small grain shop."
"Hmm, very clever!" Bai Sheng rubbed Lu Yun's head. "For now, don't spread the word. Make sure Tian Dou and the others keep it absolutely secret. We'll figure something out when your eldest brother returns."
"Okay!" Lu Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
When Lu Ye returned that evening, Bai Sheng called their third uncle, and told them about the matter.
Lu Ye and the third uncle were stunned for a moment, but they also felt there must be some hidden reason behind it.
The three of them decided to go find the man that night to question him.
Deep in the night, Bai Sheng drugged the man and brought him into the spatial dimension.
Upon seeing his appearance, Bai Sheng and the other two were amazed. The man before them looked exactly like Father (their brother-in-law), as if they were twins.
Lu Ye carried him to the side of their parents' bodies. Bai Sheng gave him the antidote.
When the man woke up, he saw his hands were bound and three people wearing masks were staring menacingly at him. He immediately recoiled in fear, "Wh-what is this place? Don't... don't kill me. Whatever amount of money you want, I'll give it to you!"
Lu Ye crouched down and said calmly, "Take a look behind you."
The man turned and saw a male corpse leaning against a stone bed behind him. The corpse... looked exactly like him.
"Ah—" The man shrieked, pointing at Lu Ye's father and muttering, "He... why is he dead?"
"Why is he dead? Do you know him?" the third uncle asked sternly.
The man trembled all over, his lips quivering, "I... I..."
Seeing this, Lu Ye deliberately spoke in a cold, threatening tone, "If you tell us why you look exactly like him and why you know him, we'll let you go. Otherwise, you can go keep him company in the underworld!"
With that, Lu Ye swiftly drew his sword and placed it at the man's neck.
The man's face turned pale with fright, and he quickly said, "I'll talk, I'll talk. Please don't kill me. I still have a wife and children at home."
"Speak quickly!" Lu Ye urged sternly.
The man shivered and said tremblingly, "I am actually from Huangsha Village in Tianshui Town, Tasha Commandery. My name was Lu Dajiang—"
"Lu Dajiang?!" Bai Sheng and the other two exclaimed in unison, exchanging glances.
If this person was Lu Dajiang, then who was the person lying beside them, Lu Ye's biological father?
The man who called himself Lu Dajiang continued, "About 20 years ago, our Huangsha Village received news from the commandery that in two months, a batch of slave women would be transported over to be matched with unmarried young men in the farming households to propagate citizens for the Great Xia Dynasty.
My eldest brother was already married, and my third brother was not yet of age. Only I was eligible. I was happy that I would soon have a wife. One day, a man who looked like a rich young master suddenly approached me and said he wanted to exchange lives with me.
He had his face disguised to look like me, to take my identity and live in Huangsha Village and the Lu family. In return, he gave me two hundred taels of silver and told me to flee with the money and never return to Huangsha Village again.
Thinking that Mother never treated me well and treated me completely like a beast of burden, I figured it was better to live a good life with the two hundred taels. So, I agreed.
Later, I lied to my mother that I was going to town to work and stayed with that rich young master. He performed the facial disguise and also learned about me, my family, and the village. After he became indistinguishable from me, he gave me two hundred taels of silver and let me go.
I ran all the way to the capital, rented a small house, and started a small business. Esteemed sirs, I am telling the truth, not a single lie."
Bai Sheng, Lu Ye, and the third uncle were stunned for a while before they came back to their senses.
Lu Ye asked sternly, "Did that rich young master tell you his name or where he was from?"
"No," Lu Dajiang shook his head.
"Can you still remember what he looked like?" Bai Sheng asked.
"It's been almost 20 years, my memory is fuzzy. However, if I could see his portrait, I should still be able to recognize him," Lu Dajiang said.
Lu Ye nodded, "We'll send you back shortly. After you wake up, forget all this and continue living your life. But, you must keep this matter absolutely confidential. You cannot tell anyone, otherwise your entire family's lives will be in danger!"
Hearing this, Lu Dajiang was overjoyed and said gratefully, "Esteemed sirs, rest assured, I will not say a single word! None of this ever happened!"
Bai Sheng drugged him again and sent him back to his bed.
The three who returned to the spatial dimension were somewhat dazed. They squatted beside Father (brother-in-law), holding his face and examining it closely. They indeed found several knife marks at his hairline, behind his ears, and on his jaw.
It was certain that Lu Ye's father was not Lu Dajiang, but a rich young master who had impersonated him. But what rich young master would abandon a good life to impersonate a poor farmer?
"I know who it is!" Bai Sheng exclaimed, slapping her palm after a moment's thought.
"Who?" Lu Ye and the third uncle asked in unison.
"Zuo Hanchen!" Bai Sheng said with certainty. "Zuo Hanchen and Mother had a marriage engagement early on. Shortly after the Zuo family's marquisate was stripped and they were demoted to commoners, Zuo Hanchen completely disappeared.
Therefore, he must have found Mother, who had somehow been mixed in with the slaves, and followed her all the way. Upon learning that Mother was to be assigned to Huangsha Village, he must have replaced Lu Dajiang's identity and lived with Mother."
The third uncle said gravely, "I also think it was Zuo Hanchen."
"But, if it was Zuo Hanchen, why didn't he disguise Mother and flee with her? Why did he have to replace Lu Dajiang's identity and live in a poor, remote village?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled.
"That's right, husband, you're right. Why didn't Zuo Hanchen disguise Mother? That would have been much simpler!" Bai Sheng propped her cheeks with her hands, falling into thought.