Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

"What a strange question." Duchess Wang Qixing covered her mouth and chuckled. "I love both of them."

"Even after what the Emperor and Empress did?" Li Chenyang asked cautiously.

He was treading on thin ice for daring to ask questions about Li Minghua. He knew that even after all these years, his mother had never changed. He couldn't blame her. Li Minghua was her first and only daughter, but instead of living a life of luxury, she was trapped at home, her beauty hidden from the world.

Duchess Wang Qixing's smile faded slightly, and her brows furrowed upwards. "Why are you asking?"

"If..." Li Chenyang swallowed his saliva, feeling nervous about what he was going to say next. "If it's possible--"

"Morning Sun."

As soon as Li Chenyang saw his exhausted father, he jumped up from his seat. King Li Chenyang stood at the door of his bedroom, frowning in disapproval.

“It’s so late, and you have to get up in six hours, why are you still not sleeping?” King Li Chenyang asked, even though both father and son knew that this was not an important topic.

Li Chenyang reluctantly gave his mother an apologetic smile, but his mother shook her head and ignored him.

"Go to bed, honey." She patted his cheek gently, trying to give him a goodnight kiss, but he jumped away.

"Mom! I'm an adult already!" He snorted, and Duchess Wang Qixing laughed.

"You will always be a child in my eyes, silly child." Seeing his embarrassed expression, she shook her head. Children nowadays grow up too fast... She missed those nights when she kissed foreheads and pinched cheeks to say goodnight to the quarreling twins. They grew up too fast for her liking.

“It would be great if you could love me as much as our son.” Li Chenyanggong snorted. “I heard something interesting from a little bird tonight.”

"Well, you can go on talking to your bird." Duchess Wang Qixing rolled her eyes. ??I'm going to bed." With a "humph," she stomped over to the big bed and burrowed under the blankets, snubbed him for joining them so late.

Li Chenyang smiled knowingly at his father, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

King Li Chenyang sighed inwardly. He had to endure the wrath of her most unpalatable blended tea for a whole week! May the heavens have mercy on his poor soul.

"Okay, I'm going to bed now. Goodbye, Dad—"

"Not so fast, kid. Why don't we discuss this outside?" Li Chenyanggong held out his hand, reaching out to the door. "That way we won't disturb Mama Bear."

"What is that?!" Duchess Wang Qixing suddenly jumped up from the bed, looking annoyed. Did the grumbler just compare her to a bear?

Unfortunately for her, the Duke and her son were already outside. He closed the door behind him, hoping that would disturb her less. She grumbled under her breath and decided it was time to try making a tea with the bitterest of herbs!

"What are you going to ask your mother?" Li Chenyanggong asked immediately as he led them along the corridor towards the twins' quarters.

"I just want to see whether she is loyal to the royal family or to us." Li Chenyang muttered.

"If Minghua's truth is related to the royal family, then I can assure you that she will be more loyal to us." Lord Li Chenyang explained, looking up at the dark, starless sky. The emptiness of lost hope and ambition, the moon hidden by clouds, guiding wanderers into the desolate land.

"History is repeating itself." Li Chenyang sighed. "The emperor and the queen showed no mercy to our Xueyue. It reminded me that Minghua stayed in the palace for half a year and escaped to Hechen. They also asked her to go back."

"You don't think... they want Xueyue to marry into the palace?" Li Chenyang asked, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. He had already failed to protect one of his sisters. He couldn't let himself lose another one.

“If they wanted Xueyue to marry Wen Jinkai, they wouldn’t have tried to send her to Hanjian in the first place.” King Li Chenyang frowned slightly.

"What if...she was chosen and sent to Hanjian for her own benefit?" Li Chenyang couldn't help but feel something was wrong with his uncle, Princess Li Taojun. He was the one who selected the candidate, but he must have had a good reason to send her there.

"The possibility is almost zero." King Li Chenyang said angrily: "Besides, apart from us, how could anyone be willing to help Xueyue--" He suddenly stopped.

"Morning Sun."

Li Chenyang stopped and looked at his father, but was startled by the Duke's troubled expression. His eyes trembled with disbelief. "Really, Dad?"

Li Chenyanggong pointed out: "Don't you think Xueyue looks a lot like us? Yes, people who have been together for a long time tend to adjust their appearance, but her similarity is too striking to ignore."

Li Chenyang opened his mouth, ready to refute his father's discovery, but found that he did not do so.

King Li Chenyang tightened his fingers behind his back. "The Emperor and the Queen both pointed out that her appearance was that of the Li people. When I first met Xueyue in the forest, I mistook her for Minghua."

Li Chenyang's eyes widened. "Are you saying that she might have our bloodline? But that's impossible. She was once a member of the Bai ethnic group—"

"Soon after Xueyue joined us, I asked my personal bodyguard Ling to look into her life. He reported disturbing news about her background."

"What is it?" Li Chenyang asked.

His stomach churned with anticipation, his heart pounded with fear. Could it be that Xue Yue was the Duke's illegitimate child? No, no, that was crazy talk. He shook those unrealistic thoughts out of his mind. Now the lack of sleep had finally taken its toll on him. These events were not related to each other.

"Her biological mother is Viscount Bai Sheng's wife, Viscount Mu Yihua's wife. However, Xue Yue's biological father is unknown..." Lord Li Chenyang's face became serious as he finished speaking. "It is said that when the Viscount was out of town on a business trip, the Viscountess was raped. As a result-"

"Our Xueyue is born." Li Chenyang exclaimed, his eyes wide open, full of disbelief. "She, she is a bastard?"

King Li Chenyang nodded, his face grim and full of sympathy for the girl. She had suffered so much in the Bai family. He would never forget the testimony he had read from Lin's report about the horrific abuses that had taken place. Starvation and dehydration were the simplest punishments, while the worst were so heinous that they were simply unimaginable. No wonder she screamed in her nightmares. Even within the safety of the Li Mansion, she was forced to relive the events of her past life.

"This can't be known to anyone." Li Chenyang sighed. "If people find out she's illegitimate, no one will marry her. Even if things go wrong, they'll blame her instead of her parents."

Li Chenyang nodded. "Yes, it is vital that we keep this secret and that no one else—"

"Do the Bai servants know about this?" Li Chenyang asked.

Lord Li Chenyang shook his head. "No, only the Viscountess and the Viscount know about this."

"Then..." Li Chenyang's face twisted into a cruel smile. "We must eradicate them from the earth."

King Li Chenyang had no choice but to nod. "But if it doesn't bring us any benefit, we shouldn't hurt others--"

"Last time I checked, they are one of the richest families in Hechen and control the trade ports. Wouldn't it be beneficial if we could control them?" Li Chenyang pointed out.

"Oh? Then what are you going to do?" King Li Chenyang frowned.

"Leave this to Xueyue and me." Li Chenyang smiled brightly. "Good night, Dad." He excused himself and strolled down the corridor, humming a lullaby under his breath, as if he had not just planned the demise of his entire family.

King Li Chenyang watched his son's relaxed figure disappear into the corridor. "Maybe one day, you will be ready to accept the truth, son. One day..." He whispered, turning and walking in the direction of his wife's room.

He sighed heavily, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion. He had spent a tiring day at court and studying more books on statecraft. He couldn't wait to slip into bed with his dear wife, safe and sound.

The only problem was, he was locked out of…his own bedroom.

"Honey?" He called out to the door, pushed it, and heard the lock click.

He smiled awkwardly, "Baby, don't be so stingy!" He whined outside, completely unaware that his beloved wife was already fast asleep. All the guest rooms were locked. He had no place to sleep tonight.