Wang Yue was uncertain whether she should recognize her parents. Indeed, she had always wanted to find them, but their actions had left her deeply disappointed. At this moment, she felt that only Su Yuanyuan was someone she could truly trust.
Su Yuanyuan was also weighing her options.
Although Xiao Ba and Shu Moyun had both said that the result of the blood - mixing test was inaccurate and could not be used as conclusive evidence of kinship, in this era, it was the widely - accepted way of confirming family relations.
Her feud with the Marquis of Pingyang and the others was her own business, but Wang Yue was innocent. She was supposed to return to the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion and be the legitimate eldest daughter.
Moreover, only when Wang Yue recognized her ancestors could the world know that Su Qingyu was an impostor.
Seeing Su Yuanyuan nod slightly, Wang Yue felt a sense of relief and said, "Okay. I'll do it."
Su Yuanyuan called a servant and asked them to prepare a white porcelain bowl and a bowl of clean water. She deliberately asked, "My lord, do you want to go with the servant?"
Su Zeqian's face tightened for a moment and he said, "No, I trust the princess's character."
Soon, the servant brought a bowl of clean water and placed it on the table.
Su Yuanyuan stood up, took out the dagger from her body and handed it to the Marquis of Pingyang. "I'll be the witness for all of you. My lord, please."
The Marquis of Pingyang looked into Su Yuanyuan's clear and bright eyes. Without saying a word, he took the dagger, made a cut on his finger, and dropped his blood into the bowl. Then he passed the dagger to Wang Yue beside him.
Wang Yue also made a cut on her finger and followed the Marquis of Pingyang's example, dropping her blood into the bowl.
Then everyone held their breath and watched the white porcelain bowl on the table.
After the two drops of blood entered the water, they merged together within a short time. This result made everyone in the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion breathe a sigh of relief. Lady Tong was so excited that she hugged Wang Yue again and cried,
"See? The blood has merged. Child, you are truly our long - lost daughter!"
Su Yuanyuan also clapped her hands with a smile and said, "I didn't expect that Sister Wang Yue is really related to you. This is truly a happy ending."
From then on, Wang Yue no longer resisted. She obediently let Lady Tong hug her, stroke her face and hair, and whispered, "Are you... really my family?"
Seeing Wang Yue let down her guard and finally show a bit of affection for them, the Marquis of Pingyang felt an inexplicable ache in his heart. He said hoarsely, "You've suffered all these years. Don't worry. Now that it's confirmed that you're our daughter, I, Su Shian, swear that I'll treat you well in the future and let you enjoy everything you deserve."
Wang Yue looked up and finally called out, "Father, Mother, Brother."
Hearing the long - awaited titles, Lady Tong cried even louder. The Marquis of Pingyang couldn't help but step forward and hug his wife and daughter together.
Although Su Zeqian had seen such a scene in Jinzhou many years ago, seeing it again still made his eyes fill with tears.
Su Yuanyuan watched from afar. Looking at them hugging each other, she thought of everything in her previous life and couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. If Li Cuihua hadn't intervened back then, when Wang Yue was recognized, she, Su Yuanyuan, should have been here too.
When the atmosphere seemed appropriate, Wang Yue suddenly asked, "By the way, only Father, Mother, and Brother came to recognize me today. Do I have other siblings in the Marquis's Mansion? Is my grandmother still alive? And who is my maternal grandmother?"
Wang Yue asked about her siblings and other relatives in the family, and Su Yuanyuan was sitting in the hall. For some reason, Lady Tong felt a bit guilty.
She held Wang Yue's hand tightly and coaxed softly, "If you're curious about your relatives, how about we get to know them one by one after we bid farewell to the Prince of Qing and the Princess Consort and your master and return to the Marquis's Mansion?"
The Marquis of Pingyang also felt guilty. He subconsciously didn't want to mention too much of the past in front of Su Yuanyuan, so he echoed, "Yes. Since it's confirmed that you're our daughter, it's not suitable for you to stay in the Prince's Mansion for too long. We need to go back and recognize your ancestors as soon as possible."
Seeing that they were avoiding the topic, Wang Yue snorted coldly in her heart. She withdrew her hand from Lady Tong's and said, "I just asked a few questions and wanted to know more about the Marquis's Mansion, but you're beating around the bush. This makes me doubt your intention of recognizing me."
Seeing that she was about to leave, Lady Tong quickly grabbed her and said anxiously, "Don't go. I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"
"Your maternal grandfather and grandmother have both passed away. Your father is now in charge of the Marquis's Mansion... Your father and I have been married for twenty years and have three children. The eldest son is your brother, named Su Zeqian. You're the eldest daughter, and there's a younger sister who was born two years after you. There are also three concubines in the inner courtyard..."
In front of Su Yuanyuan, Lady Tong counted everything about the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion for Wang Yue. After Lady Tong finished speaking, Wang Yue looked outside and asked,
"Since I have a younger sister, why didn't she come with Father, Mother, and Brother today?"
As soon as she said this, the hall fell into a deathly silence. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Su Zeqian even held his breath and clenched his fists tightly, not daring to make a sound. The faces of the Marquis of Pingyang and Lady Tong were extremely ugly.
Su Yuanyuan rested her chin on her hand and looked at the three people who fell silent at the same time. She couldn't help but find it a bit ridiculous.
Based on her understanding of the Marquis of Pingyang, when Wang Yue asked this question, he should have scolded, "Don't mention that rebellious daughter who has shamed the Marquis's Mansion", or said, "I don't have such a shameless daughter."
As for Lady Tong, she might have said, "Just pretend you never had this sister."
But now, they were all silent.
When did things start to change?
Was it when they found out that Su Qingyu had occupied her piano, her shop, and all her belongings after her death and ruined everything that was hers? Or was it when they brought back a nameless corpse from the mass grave and enshrined it in the ancestral hall of the Marquis's Mansion, thinking it was her?
Or was it when they found out that Su Qingyu had disabled the Prince of Jin and defected to the Crown Prince, looking like a sycophant, completely different from the elegant and noble lady they had imagined?
Wang Yue's gaze swept across Lady Tong, the Marquis of Pingyang, and Su Zeqian's faces one by one. She said again, "Is my younger sister so hard for you to talk about? Did she do something bad that shamed you? Or is she a heinous villain not worthy of being mentioned?"
Just then, there came the clinking sound of cups from behind. Su Zeqian suddenly came to his senses and subconsciously said, "No, it's not like that. She, she is very good."
Lady Tong also came to her senses. She quickly glanced at Su Yuanyuan and said to Wang Yue with some difficulty, "The reason she didn't come is that... she has passed away."
Under Wang Yue's calm and inquisitive gaze, Lady Tong took a deep breath and started to talk about her deceased second daughter.