Chapter 127: The Regent Prince of Nanyang Kingdom

She had initially thought she was merely accompanying the Ninth Prince to the frontier to wage war, never expecting that upon arrival, she would uncover so many secrets—most of which were inextricably linked to her own life.

She had learned little of the war itself, but the mystery of her true lineage had been slowly unraveled. It was no wonder that back at the manor, everyone had despised her and her younger brother. Even Old Madam Yan had been grooming them for disaster since they were children, all because they were not true members of the Yan family.

To think her biological parents were people of such high standing. Seeing the rapid shift of expressions on Yan Heru’s face, Qi Shengsheng knew she had accepted these facts. Whether she truly believed them, however, remained to be seen.

"That is roughly how it happened," Qi Shengsheng said. "I had intended to settle the affairs of the Nanyang royal family before coming to the Northern Jade Kingdom to retrieve you, as things here are not yet entirely safe."

Yan Heru nodded and continued, "So, it was your subordinates who informed you I had been captured, which is why you caused such a scene at the inn this morning?"

Qi Shengsheng nodded. "That is correct. Although my men told me you were taken, matters concerning you are of the utmost importance to me, so I had to verify for myself whether their report was true."

She paused before continuing, "But the moment I saw you, I immediately believed you were indeed my father’s daughter! You look so remarkably alike! That is why I was so flustered when I entered the room and our eyes first met."

Yan Heru realized with a start, "I thought you were just shocked to find an actual woman in the Fourth Prince’s room."

Qi Shengsheng waved her hand dismissively. "Who would care about that trash? If not to use him, I wouldn't bother with him at all. The entire capital thinks I am infatuated with him, chasing after him while acting arrogant and despotic. Although I cultivated this image on purpose, seeing the strange looks from the common people still makes me sad. It is all that trash's fault; if not for him, I wouldn't be this way!"

Hearing this, Yan Heru smiled helplessly. She knew that although Qi Shengsheng complained, she felt no regret. Even if given another chance, she would still choose to act the same way.

She was by no means as naive as she appeared. Yan Heru was now seventeen, and Qi Shengsheng was twelve. While that sounded young, in this world, twelve was no longer childhood. At sixteen, one could be married, and because of the many events they had endured, they had learned to face things alone, forcing them to mature early. Therefore, Yan Heru would never treat this twelve-year-old sister of hers as a mere child.

"So, now that you have rescued me, what do you plan to do next? If the Fourth Prince discovers my trail, he will surely come to you to demand my return," Yan Heru asked.

At this question, Qi Shengsheng smiled mysteriously. "Rest assured, that fool could work himself to death and never find out it was I who took you. A more pressing matter than worrying about that idiot prince is taking you to meet Father. He has missed you dearly for many years; he has only seen you a few times, and he feels immense guilt."

Yan Heru pursed her lips. Though she was a soul who had transmigrated, for some reason, the original owner’s emotions seemed to be seeping into her own soul.

"I wish to see Mother," Yan Heru said.

Qi Shengsheng opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped. After a moment of thought, she changed her tone. "Let us go see Father first."

Qi Shengsheng’s attitude sparked a flicker of doubt in Yan Heru. Why could she not see her mother first? Sensing the hesitation in Yan Heru’s eyes, Qi Shengsheng finally decided to reveal the truth.

"I do not take you to see Mother because I do not know her whereabouts. She left Father many years ago, precisely so that their relationship would not be discovered by others," Qi Shengsheng replied.

Only then did Yan Heru understand why Qi Shengsheng had been at a loss for words earlier. Although she yearned to see her biological mother—perhaps due to the lingering influence of the original owner—there was no other choice now. She would go to see her father instead.

Yan Heru was actually quite curious about what kind of man her father was, to have lived such a colorful life—first losing his memory, then reclaiming his position as Regent.

Qi Shengsheng brought Yan Heru to see the Regent. Because Yan Heru’s identity could not yet be revealed, she wore a large cloak that completely covered her head. When they arrived at the Regent’s chambers, he was in the middle of a discussion with someone else. Seeing this, Qi Shengsheng immediately blocked Yan Heru and called out loudly to the Regent, "Father, why are you still here talking to this old man? Your daughter has returned, can’t you see? You only know how to talk to these fossils!"

Hearing her voice, the Regent first looked apologetically at the elder sitting opposite him, then said with authority, "Let us leave it at this for today. When I have time, I will send a servant to inform you, and you may return to discuss this with me then."

The elder glared at Qi Shengsheng in anger, but finding no recourse, he could only flick his sleeves and leave in a huff.

Once the outsider had gone, the Regent walked over to his daughter and said helplessly, "You girl, I truly do not know what you are thinking. That man was one of my most capable aides. Why do you have such a strong opinion of him every time you visit?"

Qi Shengsheng giggled and said to the Regent with a mysterious air, "Father, aren't you curious who this person beside me is?"

The Regent glanced over, but it was merely a fleeting look, devoid of much attention—and even that glance carried a cold gaze. Yan Heru suddenly felt a pang of envy toward Qi Shengsheng, for when the Regent looked at her, his eyes were full of tenderness, and even the icy aura surrounding him softened. Standing right there, Yan Heru could feel it quite clearly.