Chapter 59 Who Are You?

Prime Minister's wife Lin Yunxia noticed the sudden change in Zhao Tonghe's expression. Following his gaze, she was so startled that her heart nearly stopped beating.

How, how could she be here?

No, she couldn't be her. She was already dead, and even if she were alive, she couldn't possibly look this young.

As a woman of the Prime Minister's estate, Lin Yunxia had witnessed grand occasions and quickly regained her composure. "Hui'er, escort the guests outside first."

Zhao Sihui had naturally noticed her parents' previous reaction, particularly how their expressions had changed upon seeing Jiang Lihua, but she knew this was not the time to ask questions.

She led the guests away.

As Jiang Lihua passed by the Prime Minister, Zhao Tonghe reached out and grabbed her sleeve. "Who, who are you?"

Jiang Lihua frowned slightly and looked up. "I am merely a guest invited by Miss Zhao to enjoy the flowers today."

She noticed that the Prime Minister's gaze was deeply peculiar, as if he were looking through her at someone else entirely.

"Sihui, take the guests out first. This young lady will stay at the estate for dinner," Zhao Tonghe commanded with a wave of his hand.

It was rare for him to speak so many words, yet he did so entirely because of Jiang Lihua. This only deepened the jealousy and resentment in Zhao Sihui's heart.

Anxious, Lin Yunxia forced herself to speak up. "My lord, she is a guest invited by Hui'er, and an unmarried young lady at that. Keeping her behind in the estate alone like this hardly seems appropriate."

"What is inappropriate about it?" Zhao Tonghe said with displeasure. "This Prime Minister has his own judgment. Just attend to your own duties and mind your own business."

Seeing his anger flare up, Lin Yunxia dared not say another word.

"Lord Prime Minister, I don't believe I ever agreed to stay for dinner," Jiang Lihua said with a trace of displeasure.

Su Moxue also sensed that something was amiss and pulled Jiang Lihua by the sleeve. "Lihua, I'll stay here with you."

"You must be General Su's granddaughter, aren't you?" Zhao Tonghe suddenly sighed. "How time flies. In the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much."

Curious, Su Moxue asked, "Did the Prime Minister know me when I was a child?"

Zhao Tonghe nodded. "Back then you were just a little tot, and this Prime Minister even held you in his arms."

Watching the two of them chat with such animation, Jiang Lihua speechlessly interrupted, "Lord Prime Minister, may I ask why you have kept me here?"

Zhao Tonghe was a calm and composed man. Although the sudden sight of Jiang Lihua had previously shocked him, he had already regained his composure, at least on the surface.

"You bear a striking resemblance to someone I once knew. Therefore, I wish to ask where you come from and who your parents are."

Could it be that the Prime Minister knew her biological parents?

Ever since that intense confrontation with Mrs. Zhou, Jiang Lihua had known from Mrs. Zhou's reaction that she was not the biological child of the Jiang family.

Yet, she had never intended to search for her birth parents.

After all, having been separated for so many years and having never met, where would any affection come from? Besides, whether her parents were even still alive was a question in itself. On top of that, she hated trouble; what if her biological parents turned out to be eccentric oddballs?

Consequently, all these years, she had never once entertained the thought of her lineage!

Now, seeing the Prime Minister like this, it was entirely possible he knew her parents. She certainly did not want a pair of inexplicable parents appearing out of nowhere to disrupt her peaceful life!

"I come from a small mountain village. My father has passed away, but my mother is still alive. Her maiden name is Zhou, and in our family, there is an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother."

Jiang Lihua recited the details of the Jiang family.

"No, that's not right. Why would your mother be surnamed Zhou? What is the name of the village?" Zhao Tonghe continued to press.

"Pear Blossom Village."

Such matters could easily be verified if the Prime Minister sent someone to investigate, so Jiang Lihua did not lie.

Upon hearing the words "Pear Blossom Village," Zhao Tonghe's eyes widened in shock. "How old are you this year?"

"Thirteen."

"Your date of birth?"

"I don't know. I was sold into a family as a child bride when I was little, so I don't know my birth date."

"What?! They actually dared to treat you like that? Then what about you now?" Zhao Tonghe's hands trembled slightly.

"I am a free person now, having severed ties with those people, and I am living very well," Jiang Lihua stated flatly, hoping the Prime Minister would understand her implication.

Hearing this, Zhao Tonghe fell silent, lost in thought.

After waiting for a moment, Jiang Lihua said, "If the Prime Minister has no other business, I will take my leave."

Zhao Tonghe nodded. "If you ever need help with anything in the future, you may come to me."

Without a reply, Jiang Lihua pulled Su Moxue away.

Watching her retreating figure, Zhao Tonghe felt a profound sorrow.

Timidly, Lin Yunxia ventured, "My lord, she..."

"Shut your mouth. Once I investigate this thoroughly, I will question you. You had better figure out how you are going to explain this to me!" Zhao Tonghe glared at Lin Yunxia.

With that, Zhao Tonghe flicked his sleeves and strode away, leaving Lin Yunxia standing foolishly in place.

"Lihua, what was that all about?" Su Moxue asked as they walked along the path.

Helpless, Jiang Lihua replied, "I have no idea either, Moxue. You should head back first, and we can make plans another day."

Noticing her absent-minded state, Su Moxue offered a few words of comfort and then departed.

Following closely behind Jiang Lihua, Jixiang and Ruyi were utterly bewildered. They knew nothing of Jiang Lihua's past, so they had no clue what was happening.

With her simple mindset, Jixiang chimed in, "Miss, could there be some secret surrounding your background?"

"Why would you think that?" Jiang Lihua looked at her strangely.

"I've seen it in plays!"

Jixiang replied with a solemn face. "In stories like this, if it were a play, the Prime Minister would definitely be the young miss's father, and the young miss's mother would undoubtedly be the Prime Minister's true love."

"Then an accident happened back then, the wife died, the young miss went missing, and the Prime Minister knew nothing about it until he ran into the young miss. After having doubts about the past events, he uncovers a massive case."

Ugh... So ancient plays were just as full of dramatic tropes.

Jiang Lihua waved her hand dismissively. "You're overthinking it, Jixiang. I don't have such good fortune to become the Prime Minister's daughter."

"It could really be true, you know!" Jixiang protested unconvinced. "All the plays I've watched are acted out this way."

"Fine, fine. If I really do become the Prime Minister's daughter, I'll appoint you as my premier maid, with a whole group of junior maids following behind to wait on you," Jiang Lihua joked.

"Really? Miss, it's a deal then," Jixiang said earnestly.

"Really, truer than gold," Jiang Lihua nodded.

Since the whole thing was impossible anyway, and there weren't that many melodramatic coincidences in real life, she might as well let the girl have her fun.

Over at the Prime Minister's estate, after escorting the young ladies out, Zhao Sihui hurried over to wait in her mother Lin Yunxia's courtyard.

Seeing Lin Yunxia return looking utterly soul-drained, Zhao Sihui quickly stepped forward. "Mother, what is going on? Do you and Father actually know that girl?"

Gazing at the anxious Zhao Sihui with an unpredictable expression, Lin Yunxia slowly raised a hand to stroke her face, then abruptly delivered a fierce slap.

The sharp sound of the slap stunned all the servants in the room.

The mistress had always dotingly spoiled the young miss and had never laid a hand on her before. What had gotten into her today?

The servants instinctively shrunk their necks, lowered their heads, and hardly dared to breathe, terrified they might incur disaster by mere association.

Catching the blow unexpectedly, Zhao Sihui clutched her cheek as tears gushed out. Incredulous, she questioned, "Mother, why did you hit me?"

"You all withdraw first," Lin Yunxia ordered sternly.

The servants scrambled to exit in a hurry, not daring to spare even a glance.

The wealthy households were rife with murky secrets; the more servants knew, the faster they died. It was far safer to remain ignorant.

"I raised you for over a decade, and this is how you repay me?" Lin Yunxia said with a chilling darkness in her voice.

Weeping and utterly bewildered, Zhao Sihui asked, "Mother, what are you talking about? What did Hui'er do wrong?"

"I'm asking you, why did you invite that young lady to the estate?" Lin Yunxia's face contorted with rage.

Unable to contain her fury any longer, she reached out and grabbed Zhao Sihui by the throat. "Speak! Tell me, why did you invite that wretched girl into the estate?"

"Cough, cough—" Zhao Sihui clutched her neck. "Mother, please... please let go of me first. I... I can't... I can't breathe."

Giving her neck a vicious squeeze, Lin Yunxia violently shoved her to the ground.

Zhao Sihui collapsed onto the floor, hacking and coughing.

With icy detachment, Lin Yunxia spoke, "Tell me then, why did you invite that wretched girl here, and how do you even know her?"

Utterly lost and confused, Zhao Sihui could not fathom how the mother who had always cherished her had turned into this terrifying monster.

Daring not to conceal anything, she recounted everything from how she met Ni Wenyu to how she subsequently came to know Jiang Lihua.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yunxia grew so furious that veins bulged on her forehead. "So you pulled off a stunt like this just for a man?"

"As the young miss of the Prime Minister's estate, what kind of men couldn't you have? You actually went to such lengths for a mere provincial graduate?"

"As expected, base blood remains base blood. Even after being raised in the Prime Minister's estate for so many years, you're still shallow and utterly devoid of breeding."

Vicious insults spewed endlessly from Lin Yunxia's mouth.

The more Zhao Sihui heard, the more terrified she became. What was her mother saying? Was she implying that she was not the Prime Minister's daughter? Then who on earth was she?

Her mind suddenly flashed back to Jiang Lihua, and then to the expressions her parents had worn when they first laid eyes on Jiang Lihua.

Could all of this be because of Jiang Lihua?

An answer she desperately wished not to accept suddenly dawned on her.

Lunging toward Lin Yunxia's feet, she clutched her mother's legs and wept with heartbreaking despair. "Mother, what are you saying? I am Sihui! Your daughter, Sihui!"

Without a shred of pity, Lin Yunxia kicked her away. "Base spawn, do you even deserve to be my daughter?"

"I've fed and sheltered you in luxury all these years, yet you bring a wretched girl here to ruin my life." Lin Yunxia cast a chilling glance down at her. "Since my days are no longer peaceful, don't even dream of having a peaceful time yourself."

Her gaze was as venomous as a viper coated in poison, sending shivers of dread through Zhao Sihui's bones.

"Get out," Lin Yunxia kicked her once more. "Get back to your room and stay put. Don't you dare do anything else."

Zhao Sihui felt as though Lin Yunxia had completely lost her mind.

Daring not to remain a moment longer for fear of being beaten to death, she scrambled to her feet and fled.

Seeing the young miss fleeing in such a battered state, the waiting servants outside grew even more terrified.

If even the young miss was beaten to this extent, wouldn't their fate be far worse? Trembling with anxiety, they stood rigidly by the door, none daring to step inside to serve.

"Bring the old woman Zhou to me," Lin Yunxia's voice echoed from within.

"Yes, mistress." Not daring to delay, a servant acknowledged the order and hurried off to summon old woman Zhou.