Chapter Four: Similarities
At this moment, to prevent any further entanglements, he could only sever ties decisively!
No matter what, as long as Wu De was dead, all evidence related to him would vanish.
After all, he hadn’t left any real leverage behind—unless Meng Zhenyue could pry open the confidant’s mouth!
Everyone’s attention shifted with Zhao Xianzhi’s words.
Wu De’s expression froze for a moment, and his legs visibly trembled.
Zhao Xianzhi’s tone grew heavier. “Master and servant we may be, but I do not wish to resort to torture!”
“Sir, I swear every word is true!” Wu De naturally understood the young master’s intent.
He quickly composed his fear, adopting a resolute expression to play along with the young master’s scheme.
Silently, he bid farewell to his family in his heart.
Zhao Xianzhi snorted coldly, then swiftly drew the sword held by Beilie beside him, tilting it with lightning speed against Wu De’s throat.
“I’ll ask you one more time—”
But before Zhao Xianzhi could finish speaking, everyone saw Wu De suddenly pound his chest fiercely, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed!
Most in the room had never seen anything like it and instantly cried out in shock.
Amid the commotion, Meng Zhenyue looked coldly at the fallen Wu De, inwardly mocking him—did he think framing a woman would let him walk away unscathed?
Zhao Xianzhi’s expression of surprise was brilliantly acted, but he quickly regained composure and stepped forward to check on Wu De.
His face turned solemn. “He’s been poisoned with the Xuejian toxin!”
He quickly ordered, “Take Lizhu away and report this to Father immediately!”
The atmosphere in the room grew tense with Zhao Xianzhi’s urgent tone.
Perhaps fearing that Madame Hou wouldn’t know what the Xuejian toxin was, Zhao Xianzhi added, “This is a poison commonly used by the Chen Wang faction.”
Chen Wang faction?!
Upon learning Lizhu’s true identity, Zhao Zhizhi’s sorrow instantly outweighed the fear over Wu De’s death.
Clenching her fist against her chest, she cried out to Lizhu, “We’ve been together all these years, and all this time, it was all scheming!”
Lizhu, wanting to protect her family, naturally did not explain and dared not meet her mistress’s swollen, walnut-sized eyes, only struggling to proclaim innocence.
Madame Hou heard those three words with no suspicion but felt her own uneasy heart pause momentarily.
The Chengwu Marquis Manor was the imperial faction opposing the Chen Wang faction.
When the late Marquis was alive, he was the Xuanwu Marquis, a trusted confidant of Emperor Jingshun.
After the old Marquis passed away, the current Chengwu Marquis inherited the title but could not withstand the Chen Wang faction’s onslaught, even losing the Zhao family army to division.
Emperor Jingshun gradually grew cold toward him, deeming him incompetent.
His title was downgraded from “Xuan” to “Cheng,” and the heir apparent’s rank had yet to be officially granted.
Still, the Chen Wang faction did not spare the Chengwu Marquis Manor.
At that moment, Lizhu also succumbed to the same poison Wu De had died from.
Everything became clear: the Chen Wang faction intended to sow discord within the Marquis’s household.
Seeing the matter resolved, Madame Hou exhaled lightly, her expression gradually shifting to one of joy.
“Buddha be praised, it’s fortunate that you two sisters are unharmed.”
She took one hand of each sister and placed them together, her face filled with satisfaction.
“Mother is also comforted to see you so close. From now on, I will surely protect you both.”
She carefully examined Meng Zhenyue, then dabbed Zhao Zhizhi’s tears with a handkerchief and said:
“This place is in chaos—let your father and older brother handle it. The three of us will go to the Moonlight Courtyard prepared for Zhenyue. We’ll have a proper family dinner later.”
Madame Hou pulled at the sisters, intending to stand, but found Meng Zhenyue still sitting motionless, staring at Zhao Zhizhi’s face as if lost in thought.
Just as Zhao Xianzhi was beginning to calm down, he noticed Meng Zhenyue’s odd behavior, worry creeping back as he looked toward her.
“What is it?”
A stern voice came from the doorway.
Meng Zhenyue turned her head toward it, guessing correctly—the purple-robed Marquis of Chengwu had arrived.
“Marquis,” everyone in the room bowed in unison.
The Marquis of Chengwu scanned the room gravely before allowing them to rise.
“Father, it’s the Xuejian toxin. Both have passed away,” Zhao Xianzhi reported, inwardly relieved his father had arrived at this moment.
“Shameless scoundrels! Not even sparing young women!” the Marquis snorted coldly, clenching his fists behind his back.
Hearing this, Meng Zhenyue glanced at Zhao Xianzhi.
The Marquis was furious, never expecting that even after so many years without the Chen Wang, their faction remained so entrenched.
This time, thanks to Xianzhi and Meng Zhenyue, they had escaped the Chen Wang faction’s trap!
Thinking this, the Marquis said to Zhao Xianzhi, “I entrust this matter to you.”
He then approached Meng Zhenyue, his expression stern as he scrutinized her.
He had taken leave and returned home upon learning of the trouble at the manor, also hearing of Meng Zhenyue’s efforts to uncover the truth.
Initially, he had thought Meng Zhenyue an unsophisticated country girl.
Now, it was evident she shared the Zhao family’s wit and beauty.
After some time learning proper etiquette, she would be an excellent candidate to enter the palace and glean the emperor’s intentions.
Just as the Marquis was about to speak, Meng Zhenyue’s tone brightened, and with curious inquiry she asked:
“Father, have you noticed that my sister and I resemble each other more closely?”
The Marquis was momentarily stunned, thinking he misheard. Was that what she meant?
No, it meant—
His gaze shifted between Meng Zhenyue and Zhao Zhizhi, then to Zhao Xianzhi.
Everyone else in the room did the same.
Meng Zhenyue paid no mind to their reactions, calmly looking at Zhao Xianzhi.
In the previous life, because she was a girl, everyone instinctively assumed the switched twins were also girls.
Curiously, though they were twins, she and Zhao Zhizhi did not look alike.
Moreover, as the saying goes, “one takes on the color of one’s surroundings”—Meng Zhenyue had grown up apart from the Zhao family, making their appearances even more distinct.
Additionally, Zhao Xianzhi’s constant meddling and scheming to drive a wedge between her and Zhao Zhizhi left no room for anyone to suspect otherwise.
The Marquis household looked down on dealing with such rural outsiders, and even Meng’s parents had never met the Zhao family in person, perfectly concealing the truth.
Noticing Meng Zhenyue’s gaze, Zhao Xianzhi helplessly shook his head and chuckled softly:
“You and Zhizhi really hit it off right away. Looks like your brother is going to be forgotten.”
He looked at the two sisters with such fondness.
Only the cold sweat on his palm betrayed his true feelings at that moment.
Indeed!
Meng Zhenyue had found out!
He was not particularly worried about his own identity being exposed.
When he decided to conceal his true identity, he had prepared thoroughly.
What baffled him was how Meng Zhenyue knew these things.
Could it be him?
But all his movements had been under his watch, and if he had known, would he have obediently followed the old madam to the countryside?
Afterward, Zhao Xianzhi teased Madame Hou, “Grandmother, when will Uncle and younger brother return? If they don’t come soon, I might get bored and go look for them myself.”
While speaking, he kept watching Meng Zhenyue’s expression, but her face remained calm and unreadable.