Xue Xingyue turned her head, watching Zhao Yanluo struggle to suppress a smile, and shot him a look.
Zhao Yanluo could only step forward and ask, "Auntie, do you remember me?"
Madam Ji'an Hou paused, looked at Zhao Yanluo for a long time, and then said, "You... you seem to be Zhao Yanluo?"
"Yes, Auntie, I am Yanluo."
Madam Ji'an Hou took Zhao Yanluo's hand and said, "Yanluo, it really is you, why have you come to Zhen Wuguan?"
Zhao Yanluo said, "I... I am..."
Madam Ji'an Hou glanced at Xue Xingyue beside him and smiled, "It's Madame Zhao who disagrees, isn't it?"
Zhao Yanluo's mind spun, "Auntie, you are truly my dear Auntie, you already know?"
Madam Ji'an Hou said, "How could I not know? You want me to elevate her status? Yanluo, it's not that I'm saying this, but your mother might not have harmed you, she..."
Zhao Yanluo knelt on the ground with a thud, "Auntie, I like Liu Yue, I really like her."
Zhao Yanluo felt a flush of shame; he dared not like the Empress!
Madam Ji'an Hou sighed, "Enough, you won't shed tears until you see the coffin. She is this Hou Madam's niece, named Leng Liu Yue."
"Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Auntie!" Zhao Yanluo breathed a sigh of relief, finally having managed to deceive Madam Ji'an Hou.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?" Madam Ji'an Hou suddenly asked as she walked up to Xue Xingyue.
Xue Xingyue heard this and smiled, "Madame is mistaken."
Mistaken? Madam Ji'an Hou looked at Xue Xingyue again. She still felt familiar, but for a moment she couldn't recall where she had seen her.
Seeing this, Duke Ji'an Hou quickly stepped forward, supporting Madam Ji'an Hou, and said, "Madame, please calm your anger. All the mistakes are mine."
Madam Ji'an Hou glanced at Duke Ji'an Hou, her expression turning cold, "You come inside with me."
A short while later, Duke Ji'an Hou's screams could be heard from inside.
Seeing this, Xue Xingyue looked at the maid beside her and said, "Can you arrange two rooms? I am a little tired."
Yue Yuan, seeing Xue Xingyue not treating herself as an outsider, couldn't help but feel angry. However, since even Madame had acknowledged her, she couldn't be too obvious in her displeasure. She said with a sullen face, "Miss, I am specifically here to serve Madame."
The implication was that she was not responsible for serving Xue Xingyue.
Zhao Yanluo heard this and stepped forward, "Then what about this young Marquis?"
Yue Yuan's expression changed, "Young Marquis, you are you, and she is she. They cannot be compared."
Just then, Duke Ji'an Hou walked out with a very displeased expression. Upon closer inspection, traces of scratches could be seen on his mouth. He looked at Xue Xingyue awkwardly and asked, "Do you have any other business?"
"I am a little tired and wanted her to find a room for me, but she said she only serves Madame."
Duke Ji'an Hou's face darkened. He couldn't vent his anger at the Empress or his wife, but he could at a servant. "Miss Leng is Madame's niece and also your cousin. Is this the attitude you have towards your cousin? Yue Yuan, do you know your mistake?"
Yue Yuan was so frightened that she knelt on the ground with a thud, "My Lord, this servant knows her mistake, this servant knows her mistake!"
"Whether you are mistaken or not is not my concern, but you have sought help from the wrong person."
Yue Yuan quickly went before Xue Xingyue, kowtowing and begging for mercy, "Cousin, please forgive this servant, this servant knows her mistake!"
"Get up!"
Xue Xingyue stepped forward and helped Yue Yuan up, saying, "Whether you are willing or not, you must admit one thing: when you are not strong enough to contend with me, you must know your place."
She would not be staying in the Duke Ji'an Hou's mansion for long, so it didn't matter if she offended someone. The world was vast, and they might never meet again.
Yue Yuan dared not show any dissatisfaction on her face, but she was very unhappy in her heart.
The next day
Xue Xingyue bid farewell to Duke Ji'an Hou and Madam Ji'an Hou and left Zhen Wuguan with Zhao Yanluo in a carriage.
Duke Ji'an Hou turned back, looked at Madam Ji'an Hou, and stepped forward, "Madame, let's return to the mansion!"
"Hou Ye, tell me honestly, who is she?"
Duke Ji'an Hou was startled. He looked at his wife's indifferent gaze, as if she were looking through him at someone else.
"Madame, what's wrong? She is with the young Marquis Zhao, she..."
"Hou Ye, do not lie to me. I am not a teenage girl. I have lived in the capital for over a decade and have met most of the noble ladies. However, I have never seen a young lady with such grace and demeanor. Who, who is she?"
As Duke Ji'an Hou was about to speak, Madam Ji'an Hou said again, "Hou Ye, do not lie to me."
Duke Ji'an Hou heard this and sighed, "Madame is truly exceptionally intelligent."
Madam Ji'an Hou looked at him, waiting for his answer. He said in a low voice, "In the capital, who among the noble ladies do you know that is truly noble?"
Madam Ji'an Hou frowned. Truly noble? That would mean unspeakably noble. Suddenly, her brow furrowed, "Could it be..."
"Under heaven, all land belongs to the King. Madame, let's stop here. If I say too much, and it brings disaster, it will be my fault."
Madam Ji'an Hou's eyes widened, she looked at him in disbelief, and after a long time, lowered her gaze, "Hou Ye, do not worry, I will not say a word. She is my niece, a descendant of the Leng family, Leng Liu Yue."
Since Mingxia Pass was taken over by the Qi Emperor and two princes were exchanged, Xue Xingyue had stationed the great general Xie Yunliu there.
Seeing her arrival, Xie Yunliu was very happy. Although he knew she was already the Empress, he still pulled her for drinks and meat.
After several rounds of drinks, Xie Yunliu's foxy eyes were charming and enchanting, "Xingyue, don't go looking for him. Can't I do?"
Xue Xingyue smiled and drank a large bowl of wine, "In my heart, I can never forget him."
Xie Yunliu gulped down a large mouthful, "I was still too late."
Xue Xingyue knew it wasn't that he was too late, but that there are certain people, when you see them, you just know they are yours.