Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot

Chapter 229 - 213: The Truth of That Year

Chapter 229: Chapter 213: The Truth of That Year"Hey you—"

The old farmer looked at Liu Qingyun with a pained expression.

Inside the carriage, the dim candlelight flickered.

Liu Qingyun lowered her eyebrows, her long eyelashes glimmering with tears.

She didn’t look at Lu Yuan, but every word she spoke was directed at him.

"I shouldn’t have controlled you in everything, shouldn’t have been so harsh on you, shouldn’t have punished you..."

Her throat gradually tightened with pain, her voice choked several times.

Although Meng Qianqian hadn’t been around Liu Qingyun for long, it wasn’t difficult to see that she was an extremely proud person, likely someone who acknowledged her mistakes but would never admit them aloud.

Simply put, being stubborn ran in the family for three generations.

These words must have taken countless nights of struggle before she finally mustered the courage to say them.

As for her strict control over Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan himself had mentioned it—his mother liked to dominate and disliked anything beyond her control.

In his early years, Lu Yuan lived strictly according to Liu Qingyun’s rules.

It was no wonder Lu Yuan had always taken a laissez-faire approach with Bao Shu; it wasn’t Bao Shu he freed, but the younger version of himself, who had been restrained in every word and action.

Liu Qingyun’s eyes reddened as she said, "I especially shouldn’t have sent your younger brother away..."

Meng Qianqian stared at Lu Yuan in shock. "You have a brother?"

Lu Yuan replied, "No."

The old farmer raised his hand and sighed, "It was the dog he raised, named Xiao Bai. His mother wouldn’t let him keep it, but he insisted. Later, his mother sent Xiao Bai away. Furious, he ran away from home, claiming he would find Xiao Bai. His mother thought he was just venting, but after a while, she went to find him, and he was gone."

"That was the first time his mother brought him to see me. He came so happily with Xiao Bai, but who could’ve expected... sigh, it’s my fault for not fetching them earlier. If I had, what happened on the road wouldn’t have happened."

The old farmer, who had been so quarrelsome and feisty with Lu Yuan all along, was suddenly shrouded in a deep sadness.

Inside the carriage, silence reigned. Only the soft sobs of Liu Qingyun and the steady breathing of Zong Zhengxi could be heard.

Meng Qianqian broke the silence, "And after that?"

The old farmer tilted his head back, forcing back his tears, and said evenly, "After that, we

Seemingly saying: "What’re you calling me for?"

Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan stepped off the carriage.

Zong Zhengxi had fallen asleep. Unable to wake him, Meng Qianqian had Yu Zichuan carry him into the mansion, arranging him and her grandfather in the same courtyard.

On the way back to the main residence, Meng Qianqian hesitated to speak.

Lu Yuan said, "Just say it."

Meng Qianqian asked, "Consort Li is your aunt? She... doesn’t know your true identity either?"

Lu Yuan replied, "When she was young, she lived with my mother in the village. When she was eight, the late Duke sent someone to take her away. My mother didn’t know where she went. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when she came to the Capital City to find me, that they met again."

Meng Qianqian paused. "When you helped His Majesty ascend to the throne..."

Lu Yuan said, "At that time, I didn’t know he was my cousin. He was young and easy to control, so I chose him."

Still stubborn—clearly, it was because Zong Zhengxi had a good nature.

Meng Qianqian seized the opportunity to say, "See, you put so much care into guiding His Majesty. Even if he almost veered off the right path, you never neglected his education, even at the cost of his resentment. I think your mother treated you the same way back then."

Lu Yuan pressed his lips together and replied gruffly, "He’s an Emperor. He has a nation to inherit."

Meng Qianqian murmured, "Who’s to say you don’t have a legacy to inherit as well? Your grandfather doesn’t seem like an ordinary person. He might even be a big figure in Miaojiang!"

Lu Yuan let out a cold snort. "How big? The Miao King?"

—

Inside the room.

The old farmer placed his straw hat down and seated himself solemnly in a chair.

The air of carelessness in his brows was gone, replaced with an intimidating authority that brooked no defiance.

Steward Cen didn’t dare to breathe too loudly.

Not until the man leisurely finished sipping his tea did he step forward deferentially and perform the grand Miaojiang salute, lowering himself to the floor with utmost respect:

"Greetings to the Miao King!"