CHAPTER 408: CHAPTER 408 ANCESTRAL LEGACY

When Young Master Su found out his elder brother had returned, but their father still didn’t know where he was, he regretted it deeply.

He came back too early!

At Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, except for being afraid of his father, he feared no one else.

Since his father wasn’t back yet, he should have spent a few more days outside, enduring a good beating would have been worth it.

Surely, his father wouldn’t be cruel enough to beat him to death.

Su Jin didn’t expect that her father wouldn’t return together; her elder brother was back in the Capital City, the tale of a hero saving the damsel had spread across the city, yet he didn’t come home.

At lunch, Su Jin accompanied Mrs. Tang.

Young Master Su, the Ninth Prince, and Young Master Shen were present.

The Ninth Prince and Young Master Shen were picky eaters.

Mrs. Tang saw there were many dishes they didn’t eat and served them food.

The Ninth Prince didn’t want to eat.

Young Master Su was eating the greens heartily.

The Ninth Prince looked at him and whispered, "Didn’t you dislike eating greens?"

Young Master Su chewed on the greens and whispered back, "In my family, if you don’t eat three bites of greens, you won’t get dinner."

The Ninth Prince, "...."

Young Master Shen, "...."

Not to mention being picky eaters, they ate their bowls as though they were washed.

After having their fill, Su Jin stayed for an hour more, but with no sign of Su Chong and the others returning, she decided to head back to Duke Zhen Mansion.

Young Master Su escorted her out of the mansion, pleading with Su Jin all the way, begging her to hurry back to save him when their father, Marquis Dongxiang, returned.

If anyone in this world could stop his father from hitting him, it would be Su Jin.

There was no one else.

Su Jin was amused and exasperated, not agreeing with Su Yang’s leaving home; there was no way she would plead for him.

"I can only promise not to hand my father the stick," Su Jin said.

Young Master Su, "...."

Is she really his sister?

Failing to persuade Su Jin, Young Master Su gave up.

At the entrance, he took out the jade pendant from his boot and handed it to Su Jin.

Su Jin, "...."

She twitched her mouth repeatedly.

Xingxing silently accepted it.

With her keen sense of smell, she could detect a scent from the jade pendant.

If the pendant wasn’t so precious, she wouldn’t have wanted it.

Xingxing wrapped the jade pendant in a cloth, and just then, a man on horseback approached.

Xingxing recognized him.

He was the guard of Young Master Zhao, the one she had tied to a tree.

Holding the jade pendant, Xingxing recalled Zhao Xu asking Xie Jingchen to find the jade pendant; she was about to retrieve it, when she heard Su Jin ask the guard, "The jade pendant sent to Duke Zhen Mansion with the portrait last time, what is its significance?"

The guard quickly replied, "That jade pendant belongs to my young master; my master said it is an heirloom from the madam’s family."

Xingxing was about to pull out the jade pendant from her bag when Su Jin stopped her with a glance.

Xingxing was a bit confused.

Wasn’t the girl planning to return the jade pendant to Young Master Zhao’s guard?

Why wasn’t she giving it now?

The guard asked, "Is my young master in the Marquis Mansion?"

"He is not," Su Jin replied.

The guard said, "Then I will take my leave."

The guard rode away.

Xingxing looked at Su Jin and asked, "Why not give him the jade pendant?"

"I’ll give it in a couple of days," Su Jin said.

"I have another use for the jade pendant."

She always suspected that Lady Chi might be Zhao Xu’s biological mother.

The guard said the jade pendant is an heirloom from Zhao Xu’s maternal family.

If Lady Chi is indeed Zhao Xu’s mother, she would surely recognize that jade pendant.

Then, she wouldn’t need to fret over analyzing the person’s face.

She had considered having Lady Chi’s maid, Xique, identify the portrait, but the portrait was vague, and after over a decade, people’s features can change drastically, making it difficult to identify someone by portrait alone.

After all, it’s only a day or two’s delay; finding Young Master Zhao’s biological mother is the most important.

Su Jin hadn’t anticipated that when the guard sought Zhao Xu, it was to have him rush back to Nanliang.

The Prime Minister Zhao of Nanliang had been falsely accused of plotting rebellion and was imprisoned by the Emperor of Nanliang; as his son, how could Zhao Xu not return to try to save him?

The guard explained the situation with Prime Minister Zhao in Nanliang to Zhao Xu, who couldn’t sit still.

He left without bringing anything, mounting his horse, and rode back to Nanliang with the guard.

Before leaving, he asked Prince NanAn and the others to help him find his biological mother; he promised to repay the kindness in the future.

Su Chong and the others escorted Zhao Xu out of the Capital.

Watching Zhao Xu ride away, they felt quite reluctant.

But no matter how reluctant they were, it was of no use; he belonged to Nanliang, and if he were born in Daqi, perhaps they could have helped him.

Now, they were utterly powerless.

Hopefully, he could travel safely.

Su Jin returned to Agarwood Pavilion, summoned the Hidden Guard, handed him Zhao Xu’s jade pendant, and said, "Take this to test if Lady Chi is Young Master Zhao’s biological mother."

The Hidden Guard accepted the jade pendant and disappeared from Su Jin’s sight in a flash.

Qingqiu Garden.

Lady Chi was tending to the plants.

Life was leisurely; aside from doing needlework, she only passed the time by tending the plants.

All these flowers were cultivated by her own hands.

The maid bought seeds and brought them into the mansion. She planted them, nurtured them through sprouting and growth; she cared for them meticulously.

Treating them, she was like caring for her own children.

But this time, when she watered the plants, Lady Chi lost her composure.

The watering can in her hand fell to the ground.

With a clatter, it hit the ground, startling the young maid.

Lady Chi picked up the jade pendant from the flowerpot and, looking at it, tears filled her eyes.

She looked around as if searching for something.

None of this escaped the eyes of the Hidden Guard.

He reported everything he saw in detail to Su Jin.

Su Jin was astonished.

"So that means, Lady Chi really is Young Master Zhao’s biological mother?" Xingxing exclaimed.

"Most likely, yes," Su Jin said.

The jade pendant was indeed exquisite.

But if one merely found such an exquisite pendant, they would feel elated, not moved to tears.

Not having seen it for over ten years, yet recognizing it at a glance, it must undoubtedly be her family’s heirloom.

"But if she’s Young Master Zhao’s biological mother, how did she end up as a concubine to the Old Master?" Xingxing’s little head couldn’t comprehend it.

Not only Xingxing, but even Su Jin and the guards were puzzled.

After all, she was one of Prime Minister Zhao’s people from Nanliang; how did she end up in the Daqi Dynasty?

Moreover, she was disfigured and couldn’t speak.

Su Jin looked at the Hidden Guard and said, "No matter what, being able to help Young Master Zhao find his mother is always good."

"But Lady Chi is now a concubine to the Old Master," the Hidden Guard was less optimistic.

She was, after all, given to the Old Master by Nanliang.

If she truly is Young Master Zhao’s biological mother, without the Old Master’s consent, Zhao Xu couldn’t take her away.

Zhao Xu travelled thousands of miles to find his mother, and if he knew his mother was at Duke Zhen Mansion, he would surely come to visit...

Old Master Xie had captured the King Beimo alive, a great joy, and although he never favored Lady Chi, she was still his nominal concubine, and revealing that the concubine had a son would essentially be gifting Old Master Xie with a green hat.

Su Jin looked at the Hidden Guard and said, "I trust that Zhao Xu would not be so reckless. Deliver this good news to him first."

Su Jin insisted, and the Hidden Guard had to comply.

But after searching for a while, he finally went to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, only to be told that Zhao Xu had returned to Nanliang.

Upon learning that Zhao Xu’s mother was actually at Duke Zhen Mansion, Su Chong and the others were dumbfounded.

How could there be such a coincidence in the world?!