Chapter 66: Concealing Identity

The man endured the pain without arguing. Covering the back of his head, he said, “Mother, I work in the palace. I have never done anything evil!”

Aunt Wang pointed at the Zhou family and said, “You’ve never done anything evil? Weren’t you just trying to kill the Zhou family? Let me tell you, they are the ones who saved your father and mother’s lives! If you try to kill them, it’s the same as trying to kill your own parents!”

The man lowered his head and truly did not resist anymore.

Seeing that he had settled down, Aunt Wang grabbed his hand and pulled him, angrily saying, “All these years, why didn’t you send a single letter to us?”

The man said aggrievedly, “I did, but I never received any replies.”

Aunt Wang frowned. “And you never thought to come to the village to find us?”

The man looked even more wronged. “I did, but you had already moved away.”

Aunt Wang’s eyes welled up with tears, and she started crying again.

Madam Zhou and Du Wanchun were still a bit bewildered. Just moments ago, they were facing an assassin, and now, suddenly, it had turned into a deeply emotional mother-son reunion.

What they didn’t know was that although Wang Qiu worked as a palace guard and was known for his stern and unyielding nature, he was actually an extremely filial son. He was utterly obedient to his parents, and for years, he had been searching for them. Now that they had suddenly appeared before him, how could he dare to act recklessly?

Aunt Wang clutched his hand tightly and asked, “Didn’t you say you were working in the palace? Then why did you travel thousands of miles to come here as an assassin?”

Wang Qiu glanced at Madam Zhou and Zhou Ruizhen, furrowing his brows before replying, “I was ordered to…”

Before he could finish, Aunt Wang raised her hand and smacked the back of his head again. “What nonsense about being ordered! If that’s the kind of job you have, then it’s better not to have it at all! Let me tell you, as long as I’m here, you can forget about laying a hand on the Zhou family!”

Wang Qiu was stunned by the hit and didn’t dare to talk back. He lowered his head, looking troubled.

Madam Zhou stepped forward, standing beside Aunt Wang. She confirmed again, “Sister Wang, is he really your son?”

Aunt Wang nodded. “Yes, he is the son we’ve been searching for all these years.”

Madam Zhou didn’t know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. After all, the assassin sent from the capital turned out to be Aunt Wang’s son.

It was truly unexpected.

Aunt Wang then smacked Wang Qiu again and said, “Qiu’er, I don’t care who you work for. From now on, you are staying in this village. You’re going to farm the land and live honestly.”

Wang Qiu suddenly raised his head to look at her, his face showing reluctance.

At this moment, Zhou Ruizhen pointed his sword at him and said, “I think it would be best to silence him.”

Hearing this, Wang Qiu’s face darkened. After a long sigh, he finally said, “Fine, Mother. I’ll listen to you. I won’t leave.”

Aunt Wang’s expression softened significantly.

Only then did Zhou Ruizhen lower his sword.

Aunt Wang pulled Wang Qiu into the Zhou family’s house and questioned him about his life in the capital.

As it turned out, after arriving in the capital, he became a palace guard. Later, he caught the attention of the Noble Consort and was promoted to be her personal bodyguard.

This time, he had come to Changliu Village under the Noble Consort’s orders to assassinate the Zhou family.

As for why the Noble Consort wanted the Zhou family dead, Wang Qiu deliberately left that part out.

After all, it was an earth-shattering secret.

Three years ago, the entire Lu family, led by Marquis Anwu, was executed for treason and colluding with the enemy. At the same time, the eldest daughter of the Lu family, who is now the Empress, was imprisoned in the Cold Palace for allegedly poisoning Noble Consort Wu.

The Lu family was eradicated, and the Empress was cast into the Cold Palace.

The Crown Prince and the two sons born to the Empress had always sought to clear their mother’s and the Lu family’s name. However, they were soon framed and accused of treason.

In a fit of rage, the Emperor exiled the Empress and her three sons to Zizhou.

However, during their journey into exile, they were ambushed.

Everyone believed they had perished.

No one expected that during their escape, the Empress and her three sons would encounter Chen Yue’e, who was returning to her hometown.

Chen Yue’e had been sold to the capital at a young age as a child bride to a stableman. After years of marriage without bearing a child, she was cast out and sent back home.

On her journey back, she fell ill and was on the verge of starving to death. Fortunately, the exiled Empress and her children saved her and traveled together to Changliu Village.

Unfortunately, before they even reached the village gates, Chen Yue’e succumbed to her illness and died.

After burying Chen Yue’e, the Empress and her sons assumed her identity, took on the surname Zhou, and settled in Changliu Village under new identities.

Recently, rumors spread within the palace that someone bearing a striking resemblance to the Crown Prince had been seen in Cheng’an County.

Feeling uneasy, the Noble Consort sent Wang Qiu to investigate. If the rumors were false, there would be no issue. But if they were true, he was to eliminate the target immediately.

Although Wang Qiu was the Noble Consort’s personal guard, he had never carried out such an order before and was reluctant to do so.

Now, having encountered his own mother, he found himself even more unwilling to act.

When Aunt Wang pressed him for answers, he chose to conceal the true identities of the Zhou family. He merely claimed that the Zhou family had once unintentionally offended the Noble Consort in the capital, which was why she sought to have them killed.

Aunt Wang believed his explanation.

However, Du Wanchun was not convinced. Listening to Wang Qiu’s words, she began to suspect her husband’s true identity.